The Homemaker's Litany
The Homemaker’s Litany is a prayer put together by Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering for all women who truly want to make their home a foreshadowing of heaven.
Read MoreHandmade Wall Tiles with Deep Catholic Roots
By Carrie Gress
Dickens got started in the early 90s and his tiles are still going strong. He attributes their appeal to their beauty and sense of history. "People like to feel they are an integral part of the story of humanity, and my tiles have the weight and feel of another era, a time when things were more permanents and long-lasting. I think it's this aspect of the tiles that make people want to reach out. In essence, they want to touch history."
Read More8 Lessons I Learned from a Catholic Stylist
By Leslie Fain
Maybe it started after my husband and I binged watched Downtown Abbey, but I began to feel a desire to dress better for Mass. I remember a friend telling me that in Indian culture, people try to dress their best out of respect for others. If I were to dress for a job interview, or meet a member of the British Royal Family, I would be scouring the Internet and mall for the perfect dress. Why was I not putting forth more effort to meet with the King of Heaven and Earth each Sunday?
Read MoreIntroducing Stella Maris & Co. Candles
By Carrie Gress
I’ve been eager to introduce HD readers to Stella Maris & Co. candles for some time. Almost two years ago, I was standing in my kitchen and the thought occurred to me that there is an abundance of soy candles in the market place today, but out of all that I had seen, I’d never seen one that was Catholic. Why wasn’t any one making these?
Read MoreMeet the Pocket Angels: Dolls Made to Hold Rosaries
By Carrie Gress
What happens when the rosary and the Tooth Fairy meet? Something wonderful, says Brianna Gilmore, the founder of Pocket Angels. I caught up with Brianna, a mother of four who lives in Portland, Oregon, to find out more about her hand-sewn angels and her growing business.
Read MoreChildren's Clothes that Tell a Story
By Carrie Gress
A fun new source for children’s clothing with a Catholic twist is now available online. Lilies + Loaves makes clothing that tell a story visually about Marian apparitions and the lives of saints. Made for infants to age five, the garments are made by local seamstresses in Philadelphia.
Read MoreSouth Dakota's Tiny Treasure: The Sacred Heart Chapel
By Carrie Gress
The chapel has a certain allure. Even those people go see the Cathedral, when they go and see the small chapel, that is what they remember. The chapel has a closeness, prayerfulness, and intimacy about it.
Read MoreOur Lady and the Snow
By Carrie Gress
There is something enigmatic about snow. Often, it arrives silently, without ceremony. One scarcely knows it is there. Only over time, does it reveal itself. The accumulation brings with it a blanket of beauty. Everything becomes different, suddenly pure, calm, quiet, and glistening with wonder.
Read MoreChristmas Gift Guide: 10 Catholic Children's Books from 2018
By Carrie Gress
Books always make great gifts. Long after the latest flashy fad toy’s batteries have died, treasured books have a way of taking on a life of their own within a family, even as they tumble off of beds, or get piled precariously high among other toys. 2018 was a great year for Catholic children’s books. Here are some of my favorites to consider for the little people in your life.
Read MoreThe Hidden Symbolism of Women in 17th Century Dutch Art
By Molly McKenna
Virtuous women -- it is a lost theme in our own day, but not a neglected one in ages past, particularly 17th century Netherlands. Because virtue is neglected today, few of us know how to interpret the messages of these lovely paintings. A deeper look reveals a beautiful nobility and depth that these artists saw in the daily life of women.
Read MoreThe Charm and Churches of the Isle of Capri
By Carrie Gress
There are few places on earth that have been designated a "resort" for centuries, but the tiny island of Capri can boast that it has been a place for R&R for over two millennia. Dazzlingly beautiful, the gem of an island of Capri is generally associated with the well-heeled and pleasure seekers. Despite its resort status, Capri has had a significant religious presence that can still be witnessed today.
Read MoreSavoring Regina Magazine
By Sofia Infante
Not everyone has heard of REGINA Magazine, but this relatively new Catholic periodical is enjoying a growing presence. The breadth of topics presented in REGINA is wide and diverse: “We’re interested in everything under the Catholic sun — from work and family to religious and eternal life,” says REGINA’s editor.
Read MoreFathers' Letters Full of Love and Wisdom
By Elizabeth Wise
Father's Day is a great time to think about the remarkable gifts that fathers impart to their children. Some of their wisdom and love comes down to us through letters that have been written back and forth between fathers and sons, or fathers and daughters.
Read MoreLittle Book, Where Have You Been all My Life?
By Carrie Gress
Much of my adult life was spent thinking architecture was impenetrable. There were just too many terms, too many elements, too many epochs of style; the thought of trying to figure them out was overwhelming. It would not have been so daunting, however, if I had had this little book.
Read More5 Poems from the Greats to Bring to Prayer
By Amber VanVickle
There are certain poems that I’ve read over the years that have become an indispensible part of my prayer life. I have come to rely on them as a sure way to express my heart to God or to understand a road I’m traveling on by reading from one who has traveled it before. Sometimes a short poem has the power to say things concisely that can't be said in a thousand words. Here a few of my favorite poems and musings I have taken over and over to prayer.
Read MoreCoffee, Roman Style
By Carrie Gress
If you have stood in the piazza of the Pantheon before, you probably didn't know that you were in the vortex of a dueling coffee giants. Like prize fighters on either side of the ring, two companies have been locked in an Eternal-City battle for decades.
Read MoreStained Glass: A Most Beautiful Catechism
By Amber VanVickle
The first time I marveled at stained-glass and felt the depth of its theological significance, I was a 15-year-old teenager walking amid the ruins of a bombed out church in the former Yugoslavia. Beautiful sapphire blue and emerald bespeckled the ruins, peaking out among the twisted iron and broken stone.
Read MoreRelics: Vessels of Grace and Mercy
By Amber VanVickle
One encounter with relics felt reminiscent of my “dinosaur bones” days, squinting through the glass at untouchable reliquaries with indecipherable names and Latin classifications. But what did strike me was the multitude whose remains must have been so fervently and painstakingly gathered and preserved to not only honor the blessed and holy individual, but to propagate the faith.
Read MoreMonastic Life at Mont Saint Michel
By Carrie Gress
Mont Saint Michel is an 8th century fortress on the coast of Normandy that has long been associated with a mystical presence of Christ and the Archangel for whom it is named. The tiny island monastery is also experiencing a spiritual renaissance.
Read MoreGetting Hungry with "Chef's Table"
By Carrie Gress
Season 4 of Chef's Table was just released. My husband and I discovered this documentary series at Netflix about a year ago when a friend recommended it. Created by David Gelb, we were immediately taken in by the story telling, the force of human creativity, the striking visuals and, of course, the food.
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