• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

September 18, 2017

When You’re So Close to Amazing

We stood in the lobby of the hotel in downtown Atlanta anxiously waiting and watching for her to come through the sliding doors. We were pretty sure we knew what she looked like but it’s always so hard to tell when all you have to go on is a tiny profile photo.

And then, the doors opened and there she was. Sparkly flip-flops, flip-flopping as quickly as her tiny feet could go, blonde, curly hair bouncing and the unmistakeable red lipstick (actually I think it was more like hot pink that day but her claim to fame is her red lips so we’ll go with that).

She looked at us and said, “Heather? Vanessa? It’s you guys!” and we looked at her and said, “KariAnne? It’s YOU!” and we all hugged and laughed and squealed and anyone who was walking by would have assumed that this was a reunion of life-long friends rather than three bloggers meeting each other in person for the first time. We were all there for the very first Haven Blogging Conference. None of us really knew what we were doing or had ever attended something like this before and we took so much comfort in knowing that at least we had each other. We talked and dreamed and felt so normal being with people who really understood this crazy world of blogging.

Fast forward a few years, and we found ourselves staying in a gorgeous home on Tybee Island. It had been a very full day of activity and several of us were gathered together around the fireplace in the living room. We talked a little bit about blogging, but mostly we talked about life. And we realized that these relationships had transitioned so far beyond being just ‘blogging friendships’. These were tried and true, real-life friendships. That night, KariAnne and I talked about our love of words and our love of people and we cast vision and spoke of dreams that had somehow become not so far-fetched anymore. When I look back on that weekend, it is truly amazing to think about how far God has brought all of us.

That was the weekend Laura told us that she and her husband dreamed of making maple syrup.

That was the weekend Lucy gifted us all with beautiful necklaces from her incredible jewelry line.

That was the weekend Heather and I talked about what might happen if we ever got the opportunity to write a book together.

That was the weekend Jen shared with me her vision of hosting a conference for women.

And that was the weekend KariAnne shared a few of her own dreams with us.

And we’ve watched as one after the next, after the next has come true.

All of this was running through my mind as I sat down with a cup of coffee and my copy of her newly released first book ‘So Close to Amazing’.

As I turned each page, I felt like I was back at that beautiful cottage with KariAnne on Tybee Island. Laughing, crying, sharing big dreams, deep disappointments, embarrassments, successes.

Because, when you are so close to amazing, you live in a little bit of a tension. You may have grand ideas and big visions and lofty goals, but reality can so very quickly come knocking on your freshly painted, boxwood wreath covered front door.

You might move to a new state and throw a party in your home in an attempt to seemingly get to know your neighbors but in your heart what you are really wanting is for them to ohhhh and ahhhh over your decorations and your newly refinished dining table only to discover reality is right there knocking again.

“In that moment, I took a look at my own heart and found it wanting. All along I had been thinking an almighty God had called us to this place and this town at this time in our lives for the lessons we were going to teach. In reality, we were here for the lessons we were going to learn.” 

I think the thing that I love the most about ‘So Close to Amazing’, is that it speaks to that part of our soul that longs for the bright, beautiful things of this world and yet when reality brings us up short, we are reminded that perhaps we are intentionally kept ‘so close’ by a loving Heavenly Father who knows that the most amazing thing we can ever experience is His love and grace. It’s only in the being ‘so close’ that we can truly recognize our shortcomings and become aware of our need for Someone who will fill that gap.

So, for those of us who don’t want you to ever peek behind the pictures on our walls because you’ll see that there are a million holes behind them because we couldn’t get it ‘just right’, or who’ve walked out of a bathroom with toilet paper stuck to our shoe, or who’ve realized too late that you had lettuce stuck in your teeth, or who’ve dreamed dreams that never came true, or who’ve learned hard lessons from the disappointments in life….this is your book.

Because, we all know that being truly amazing is totally overrated anyway, right?

The real joy is found in the messes and the mistakes and the mishaps.

The real joy is found in the ‘so close’.

Learn where you can purchase ‘So Close to Amazing‘ and read the first chapter at

Thistlewood Farms!

And, as always, thank you for meeting me here at the fence today!

2 Comments Filed Under: Book Reviews, Good Ideas

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « The One Sure Way to Multiply Your Time
Next Post: Fall Decorating Home Tour with Shaw Floors »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. KariAnne says

    September 18, 2017 at 8:53 AM

    Thank you so much for sharing this friend! So thankful for you and your heart and the opportunity to grow our dreams together!

    Happy day!
    karianne

    Reply
    • Jen Schmidt says

      September 19, 2017 at 2:41 PM

      Can we go back to Tybee now? {Pretty please? Miss you all 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Stay updated!

  • A New Look for the Family Room

    A New Look for the Family Room
  • Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze

    Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze
  • The Slow Exit

    The Slow Exit
  • Honed Quartzite Kitchen Counters Reveal

    Honed Quartzite Kitchen Counters Reveal

Sign Up and Never Miss A Post!

Must Reads

Latest Recipes

Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze

Apple Bread Pudding

Grandma’s Banana Bread

view more recent recipes

Recent Posts

  • Winter Decorating Ideas January 27, 2023
  • Nostalgic Christmas Home Tour December 10, 2022
  • Vintage Inspired Hot Cocoa Bar November 21, 2022
  • Autumn Home Decor Tour October 7, 2022
  • Built In Shelving Makeover in Family Room August 31, 2022

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake a I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake and grabbed a banana out of the freezer and was about to put it into my shake before I realized it was a frozen egg roll. Sooooo that's how my day is going so far! 🤪How about you?

It's honestly fairly representative of my state of mind these days as I can't seem to make the date on the calendar match the date in my spirit because it feels like it should be January 45th. Every year this month drags on and every year it seems to surprise me for some reason. In addition, my heart just feels heavy as I witness a lot of darkness and sadness around me. So, I'm choosing to control what I can control by making my house feel as cozy as possible, relishing the sunshine whenever it dares to peek through the clouds, gathering inspiration for warmer weather projects and, most importantly, resting in the comfort of the sovereignty of my Father.

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work..." Job 37:5-7
What if you could do something at the beginning of What if you could do something at the beginning of your day that would be a gift to yourself later on? That’s what we’re talking about on this week’s Tip Tuesday! #tiptuesday
The sun decided to make another appearance today! The sun decided to make another appearance today! It’s been such a lovely Sunday. Chocolate croissants for breakfast followed by church then naps/football/reading/etc and soon we’ll be heading out to dinner with friends. These are my favorite kind of weekends. Hope yours has been lovely too! 🌿
Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshi Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshine is breaking through the fog and my house just seems happier. We definitely needed to see that light streaming in through the windows and it’s a gift I don’t take for granted.

And yes, there are still twinkle lights on my mantle because those help when the sunshine goes away again. ✨
Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here i Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here in the Willamette Valley has me feeling less frustrated about my migraine forcing me to just snuggle up indoors and these flowers in my kitchen are lifting my spirits. What are you up to on this holiday weekend?
It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offe It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offering a gentle reminder from my own parenting experience after feeling my heart pricked with conviction about what was waiting for my daughter every day after school. I hope it will encourage you! 🌿#tiptuesday
The day after Christmas I found myself laundering The day after Christmas I found myself laundering and folding all of the linens we used the previous night as we hosted my husband's side of the family for dinner and other festivities. As I laid out each cloth napkin and folded them one by one, I couldn't help but be struck by what a simple, yet meaningful, task it was. It's such an honor and privilege to be the hostess and, at this stage of my life, I realize that this has almost one hundred percent become my role now. Our parents are in their 70's and have either downsized significantly or simply don't have the energy to take on hosting duties for a large group. I could resent this. I could feel overwhelmed by it. But, instead, I'm choosing to embrace it knowing that, someday, I too will pass the hosting torch and I hope that I will be welcomed with love and attentiveness. So, I fold the linen napkins, taking pleasure in the way all of the creases line up and how neat and tidy they look in the drawer of my dining room buffet. These seemingly simple chores are part of the lifeblood of homemaking and my attitude towards them can either be one of gratefulness or grumbly-ness (yes, I'm making up words now). 

And I’m choosing gratefulness. 

“This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.” (Elisabeth Elliot⁣)
Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kic Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kicking off the year with a brand new series! Each weekly installment will feature a tip for everything from your home to faith to parenting to family life and so much more. My goal for 2023 is to have far more personal interaction with this community while continuing on with the mission of weaving together all things heart and home. I hope you enjoy this first tip and I’d love to hear from you about whether or not you decorate for winter! 
#tiptuesday #organizing #winterdecorating
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. H “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 

Here’s to beginnings. Happy new year friends! May you experience the majesty and sovereignty of the Lord in 2023 like never before! ✨
Oh how I love this week each year! It’s my favor Oh how I love this week each year! It’s my favorite for sure. Everything is still festive and decorated but there’s none of the stress of the cooking and wrapping and making preparations. It’s the week where we get to take everything slowly and simply enjoy being together while the house still has twinkling lights and we can just be cozy.

What about you? How will you be spending this week? ✨
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 At The Picket Fence