CSN Review and a Gift for You!

Come on over and visit us

At the Picket Fence

to find out more!

Inspiration Friday!

Come on over and join in the fun this week

At the Picket Fence!

Board and Batten Bathroom

Want to see how Heather brought her bathroom out of the '90s?

Here's a hint...

You'll have to come and visit us

At the Picket Fence

to see the rest!

Guardrails Are Ugly!

Want to know what I did to this?

You're going to have to come over and visit us

At the Picket Fence

to find out!

Words on Wheels comes to the Fence!

Join us for



With our Special Guest, Debbie from Words on Wheels!

Come on over and meet us

At the Picket Fence

Sister Saturday-Valentine's Day Edition!

It's that time again!

Come on over and visit us

At the Picket Fence

for

Share some love and show us your fabulous Valentine's Day crafts, recipes, decor, or even a story about your sweetheart!

Hope to see you there!



Inspiration Friday Party!

Same Party

New Location



Come join in the fun

At the Picket Fence!

3 Ideas for Getting Your 3 Year Old...

...to fall "in love" with Valentine's Day!

Want to see more?

Come on by and visit us

At the Picket Fence

Special Guest!

We have a special guest

At the Picket Fence

today...

Christie from Three Pixie Lane!

Come see her darling

Valentine's Day Tea Party



Overstock.com Giveaway!

The fun continues today

At the Picket Fence!

so come on over and enter to win

a $25 gift card to

And the Inspiration Friday Party is still going strong so

be sure to come over and join us!

Hope to see you there!

It's the last day of our week of Giveaways

Inspiration Friday!

Same Party
New Location!

Come join in the fun!

At the Picket Fence

Another Fabulous Giveaway? You Betcha!

It's Day Four of our Launch Party

At the Picket Fence

and we are so excited to offer you another

GIVEAWAY!!!

Come on over and enter to win this gorgeous Bird Frame

donated by the fabulous Pamela of From My Front Porch to Yours.

Her beautiful Etsy Shop

 is going to be featured all month long at The Fence and we hope you will come by and take a look!

And don't forget,

Same Party...

New Location!

Look forward to seeing you there tonight!

Here's What is Happening Today at the Fence!

Launch Party Giveaway Day Three...who doesn't love a great magazine?

A Good Idea...for Valentine's Day!

Special Guest Visiting with us at the Fence

Want to read more?
Come over and visit us

At the Picket Fence

What's Happening Today!

I just quickly need to say how incredibly overwhelmed Heather and I were yesterday as we watched more and more folks come by to visit and become friends/followers of us At the Picket Fence! It was humbling, actually. I knew I had some amazing friends here in blogland but you all really just blew me away. The encouragement, support and sincerely kind words were such a blessing and if I could thank each and every one of you personally I would. But since I can't do that, let me just say...THANK YOU!!!!

And now...

Here is what is happening today

At the Picket Fence

The Latest in Potty Training Techniques!

It's all about the food! Super Bowl Food that is!

Day 2 of our Week of Giveaways!

So come on over! We would love to have you meet us

At the Picket Fence

Vanessa

Come Party With Us!

Thank you so much for being so sweet and supportive as we launched our new blog yesterday. There is always a nervousness when embarking on something like this, and well, we are just really grateful that you all are embracing it with graciously open arms!


Now...
Don't forget to come over and party with us this week

At the Picket Fence

With Giveaways going on all week long you won't want to miss out on the fun!

So, come on by. I hope to see you there!

The Big Reveal!

It's finally here!

We are ready to unveil the latest project from the sisters of

Southern in my Heart

and

Gourmet Meals for Less

Welcome to

Why the Picket Fence?


Well, in our dream world, the 2 of us could walk out our doors and meet at the fence line. With coffee cups in hand, we could chat about our homes, our families, our faith and all of the crazy stuff of our lives.
But with thousands of miles separating us, this new blog will be our virtual Picket Fence and we hope you will consider meeting us there as well!




I hope you will come on by today and learn more about our dreams for this new site. You will even get to see video greetings from each of us! Yikes!


 So, don't wait...come on over right now and visit us
At the Picket Fence!


And, if you feel so inclined,
grab our Launch Party Button
to help spread the word!











Can't wait to see you!

Vanessa

Inspiration Friday Party No. 21!

Welcome one and all to

Inspiration Friday!

Wowee Zowee! Last week we set a new record for the number of

Link-ups to the party and I was overwhelmed with all of the fabulous ideas and heartwarming stories. There were posts about everything from furniture transformations to life transformations and that is what I love the most about this party.

You just never know what to expect!

I was especially thrilled to have many new guests join in the fun and in keeping with my tradition of mainly featuring newer bloggers I am going to be showing off some of those gals!

First up is Lori from Deming Design Studio.

She took this desk

And this plate rack

And transformed it into this

Eat your heart out Martha Stewart!
Isn't that just incredible?

Fabulous job Lori and thanks so much for sharing it with us!

Next up is this charming makeover from the Opulent Cottage.

With the cabinets already full of character

She added this chicken wire to make them feel even more at home at the Opulent Cottage!

Don't you just love that pop of red from her Fiesta Ware?
And I informed her that the toile lamp told me it wanted to come live over at my house for awhile.

Lastly, we have Robin from the Hanlon Family.

She took this dark kitchen with damaged cabinet fronts from this

To this!

I think that the little cutie patootie who snuck into the photo is really what makes this kitchen transformation extra special.

Look at the detail that she added over her sink!
Those are the kind of character enhancing elements that really make a space.

Thank you ladies for sharing your creativity and talent with us!

Hop over and visit them if you get a chance!


Now, what about this week?
What have you all been up to?

I know what I have been up to...and come Sunday it will be all ready for you to see!

But until then, let's get to the partying!

With so much on my plate this weekend, I would appreciate it so much if you all could take some time and visit a few of the other party-goers so that everyone knows how important and special they are here at Inspiration Friday!

You know the drill...

1. Add your Permalink to your entry but not your General Blog Address. To get your Permalink, click on the title of the blog post you are wanting to submit and copy and paste the address into the URL box. You will also have to add your email address but it will not be visible to anyone else.
2. Do not try and Link up until you have actually published that particular post on your blog.
3. Please link back to the host blog, Southern In My Heart, so that those who visit your blog will be able to find some wonderful Inspiration from everyone else.



Thanks again for joining in the fun and I look forward to meeting you back here on Sunday!

Have a fantastic weekend,
Vanessa

Ok...so I lied!

I know, I know.

I said yesterday that I was going to unveil the project my sister and I are working on.

But, here's the thing...

We were afraid if we told everyone the name of our

NEW BLOG

prior to our official launch date

THIS SUNDAY

with super fun

GIVEAWAYS

starting on

MONDAY

and running

ALL WEEK LONG

Well, some of you might just go over there now and try and sneak a peek. I'm not naming names but you know who you are!

We like to think of it like we are inviting you to a Blog-warming Party! But we aren't ready for you to stop by just yet.

There are still pillows to plump up

and

Floors to be swept

and

Toilets to be cleaned

We want you to be properly welcomed to our new home!

But, come Sunday, all of our favorite bloggy friends (that's YOU!) will get the welcome mat laid out for them.

Until then, this is all of our new home that we can let you see!

Be sure to come back tonight for

Inspiration Friday!

Last week was overflowing with wonderful ideas and inspiration and I know this week will be no different!

Thank you all for your sweet and encouraging words as we get ready to embark on a new leg of our Blogging Journey.

We are so thrilled you are coming along with us!

See you tonight!

Vanessa

Beyond the Blog

I know you have all be waiting...

Holding your breath...

Anticipation building...

Trying to figure it out...

Lying awake at night just wondering what we are up to.

Right?

RIGHT???

*cricket*

*cricket*

Ok, so maybe you haven't been THAT curious about what my sister and I are up to!

But, even if there was just the slightest bit of curiousity, I hope this will help a bit.

What does BEYOND THE BLOG mean?

It means that we are more than just women who

Decorate

and

Cook

and

Craft

(ok, so maybe I don't actually do much crafting!)

And, as Heather and I began talking about how we would like to see our individual blogs grow and develop, we realized that we both had the same passion...

You!

(But not in a creepy way)

We have discovered that the best part about this unique world of blogging, is the community in which we find ourselves.

The relationships and, dare I say, friendships we have developed with all of you have been an absolutely delightful surprise and blessing in this whole blogging experience.

 

Going beyond the blog means that we are getting ready to bring to you a place where community is celebrated and there is always something for everyone!
On any given day you might find...

Decorating



Cooking

Devotions

 

 

 

Party-Planning

Open Forum Discussions

Reviews
Inspiration Friday
Sister Saturday
Crafts
 (Don't laugh! I'm sure they will mostly be from Heather.)

Lots of collaboration between us and YOU

And just celebrating the craziness of Life!

(you know we are BIG into that!)


When is all this going to happen?
Well, come back tomorrow for our
Grand Unveiling!

And get ready to join us on our latest adventure!

We hope you will "Meet Us There"!
(hint, hint)

 

 

 

Welcome to Wall-y World, Part 2!

Nope, I'm not talking about Wal-Mart.

Or Chevy Chase.

Last week, in Part 1 of Wall-y World, I showed you two spaces that I warmed up with just a few simple changes.

Today I'm showing you the second half of project, "warm up the walls!"

I always find it interesting how very dense I can be sometimes.

I'm sure this comes as no surprise to you!

I never really realized how bare these walls were on either side of the mirror, until I happened to snap this photo.

Wow! Cameras really play tricks on you, don't they?
This one makes my mirror look like it hasn't been cleaned for a long time.
 How crazy!

I was thinking about adding plates on either side...

But which kind?

I have a lot of blue and white in my house so that seemed like a natural choice but when I held this one up it was just too busy.

Then I found these beauties at, where else? TJ MAXX of course!

The large plates were $3.99 each and the smaller ones were $2.99.

I loved that while they were a neutral, the detail in them gave them much more interest and character.

So here is the wall again

Before

And here it is

After!

Oh man! My silly camera is still doing that crazy streaky thing with the mirror even in these After photos!

This angle is so much better.

 

I'm really loving how it all looks at night.

The plates help reflect the light which was an unexpected bonus!



Well, that completes our Wall-y World adventure!

Thanks for visiting and we hope to see you back here soon!

Vanessa

P.S. I promise you my blinds aren't as dirty as this they appear in the last photo. It must be that silly camera again!

Linking to
Feathered Nest Friday
Stuff and Nonsense

Metamorphosis Monday
Boring to Better
Whassup Wednesday

Inspiration Friday Party No. 20!

Welcome to the Party!

How is it possible that this is the 20th Inspiration Friday?
We are some party animals around here!

There was so much wonderful Inspiration linked up last week that we are just going to get right to it.

Pamela at From My Front Porch to Yours shared this AMAZING transformation of an inherited kitchen island.

She took it from this...

TO THIS!!!

It is hard to believe it is the same island!

Just look at some of the details she added.

It is just gorgeous, Pamela and you did an absolutely fantastic job!

Next up is the Homemaker on a Dime.

She found this $18 Goodwill dresser and had a vision...

A vision that took it from this,

TO THIS!!!

I know! Isn't that incredible?

I'm lovin' those lamps too by the way!



Now when I get cabin fever I find myself doing a lot of things.

Most are not productive.
Like eating too much.

But, not the Town and Country Mom!

She and her handy hubby found themselves snowbound and took that opportunity to complete a project.

I'm guessing that is probably the healthier way to combat Cabin Fever.

They have this gorgeous fireplace which is flanked by 2 bookcases and they wanted to make it more integrated as well as visually interesting, capitalizing on the character of their home.

Enter a board and batten treatment and VOILA!

Doesn't that look like the perfect spot for curling up with a good book? It reminds me of something you would see in the English countryside.

I'm noticing a theme this week in the Highlights...can you tell I have a hankering for some big projects???

Might just have to get myself over to the Hardware Store!

So what have you been up to this week?
If you are new to Inspiration Friday, you should know that this is a party where ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is welcome!
Recipes, home decorating, crafts (just because I'm not crafty doesn't mean I don't appreciate those who are!), stories reflecting your heart and everything in between.

We want to see it!

So, here are the guidelines and be sure to pop over and visit each other. I'm thinking we may have some new bloggers joining us this week so let's make them feel warmly welcomed.

1. Add your Permalink to your entry but not your General Blog Address. To get your Permalink, click on the title of the blog post you are wanting to submit and copy and paste the address into the URL box. You will also have to add your email address but it will not be visible to anyone else.

2. Do not try and Link up until you have actually published that particular post on your blog.
3. Please link back to the host blog, Southern In My Heart, so that those who visit your blog will be able to find some wonderful Inspiration from everyone else.



Have a fabulous weekend my friends!
Vanessa