Custodians of Beauty

"Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did." - St. Maximilian Kolbe April brought several snow showers to WI this year, prolonging the cold and wet days and delaying any hope of growth for the frozen grass and flowers. But that didn't stop us from welcoming spring into our home. The girls and I made paper hyacinths and daffodils to cheer up our dining room. Seeing the bright and lively blooms on our walls helped remind us that spring was on it's way! We made a mini grotto, complete with foliage and fauna during the month of May in honor of Our Lady. It was a quick and easy activity that we finished in one afternoon. You can find the free "Mary diorama" at the  Catholic Sistas blog . We used crayons instead of watercolors and a tissue box (in place of a shoe box) for the grotto. All the pieces fit together nicely. The girls were excited to look for the perfect spot to place our grotto in the ...

Fall is my favorite. Leaf piles, sweater weather, apple cider, crunchy leaves underfoot, pumpkins, and pies!  This is our first autumn in the new house and it's SO exciting! The maple trees in our backyard have turned from vibrant green to fiery yellow, and deep red-orange. Each leaf that falls to the ground looks like a piece of artwork. I want to save each one and put it in a frame. God's creation is majestic and wondrous! I'm rediscovering nature's beauty through the eyes of my children. Often I find them captivated, listening to the rustling of the leaves as the wind sweeps through the trees. We have several pines that run along two sides of our yard. The girls will wander the yard in search of pinecones to fill their toy shopping cart. It's just as fun as an easter egg hunt! (Plus, I don't have to "hide" anything, mother nature is in charge of that. ;) Haven't done any sewing lately, but I did create a wreath to embellish our f...

Today, on the feast of St. Maria Goretti (my confirmation saint), our lilies are in full bloom! The orange, deep red, white and yellow lilies are bursting with color this week. It's always been a desire of mine to own a home with a yard that is sprinkled with flowers that grow all summer long. Growing up, my mom would cut a fresh bouquet from what we had growing around the house and place it either on the dining room table or at the family altar next to a statue of Mary. I hope to carry on this tradition for my girls. This framed image titled, "Aspiration" 1897, was given to me from my Aunt Mercy the year of my 16th birthday. It's a print of the watercolor painted by British artist, Henry Ryland. It now hangs in the girls room of our new house. Interestingly, the year this was painted, the young Maria Goretti was only 7 years old. It is a beautiful and stunning image. My hope is that it will inspire my girls to live a life of holy purity and encourage them to...

While my husband finishes up his speaker project, I've taken this opportunity to spend my evenings working on flower inspired crafts. After the babies are fed and put to sleep, I reclaim the kitchen table (removing crusted oatmeal off chairs and floor) and set up shop. I've seen several felt flower headbands, but what I like about this one  is that it is more realistic. The  small cluster of white petals  reminds me of the blooming hydrangea bushes that grew along the brick facade of the house I lived in as a youngster. Lovely, are't they? For starters, I cut out ten white blossoms and four leaves. Using yellow embroidery thread, I fastened the blossoms onto an oval base overlapping them so that they bunch together. The stretchy lavender hair band has been sitting in my bathroom drawer for the longest time. Now it can finally see the light of day! There are two other stretchy bands left in the drawer, a dark pink and a white one. I...