Just Another Day In Paradise

The Most Precious Blood of Jesus craft

Please stop by Anne's blog to see this beautiful craft for the month of the Most Precious blood of Jesus.

My new sewing project

      I'm going to attempt a new project this month. I am going to make an apron. My goal is to have it finished by May 14th, which is Wear an Apron Day. I am such a messy cook, and lately I have been ruining my shirts every time I'm in the kitchen, so it is time I start wearing an apron. I have really been wanting to make one for quite a while now, especially after reading Elizabeth's "Wear an Apron Day" post. I am almost done with the handmade brown scapulars, so I thought I would buy an apron pattern and some material and get started on it as soon as the scapulars are finished. I'm hoping this apron won't be too difficult to make. I really wanted to get a vintage pattern, but I wasn't able to find one that was an "easy" pattern, so I purchased this Easy stitch 'n save pattern form McCall's. It looked almost like the vintage ones at the craft store. I'm actually going to leave out the ruffles, because I don't like them very much.

      Here is a picture of the pattern and the material I'm going to be using. It should go well with all the roosters in my kitchen. I hope the material is not too overwhelming. I just couldn't find any flower print I liked. We'll see how this turns out. I might have to get some different material after all.

 

Handmade Brown Scapulars

Ever since I read a booklet called Garment of Grace about 15 years ago, I have been wearing a brown scapular. I do take it off for showers. I've had a scapular on during my last 6 deliveries. It makes me feel close to our Blessed Mother, knowing she's right there with me. Once you read the booklet, you probably won't take off your scapular either. Here is an excerpt from the booklet:

Garment of Grace recalls several outstanding miracles attributed to the Brown Scapular and quotes the saints and popes recommending the scapular. It explains what a scapular is, how it is to be worn, the benefits received and more. It also gives a brief history of the scapular and St. Simon Stock.

I've purchased many scapulars through the years, because they just don't seem to last very long. I think we replace them at least twice a year. The cord is not strong enough, or it's not attached with enough thread to keep the Scapular from breaking off the cord. We have a box full of broken scapulars and rosaries, and someday I hope to dispose of them properly. You can also do this with them. So, when I found out some women from our parish had been making Brown Scapulars for a few years, I decided to learn how to make them and I purchased enough brown scapular supplies from one of them to make 12 scapulars. I made one for my husband and for myself almost two years ago and so far, they are still intact. It's taken me this long, but I'm finally going to make the kids scapulars for Easter. I still have 47 days left, right? : )

I didn't want to purchase so much braided cord, because of the cost and the amount of cord that comes in the bolt, so I went to the craft store and bought crocheting thread to use as the scapular cord and I'm making a single crochet stitch about 24 inches in length for my husband's scapular and about 20 inches for the kids' scapulars. That seems to be about the right length for them. The ones you purchase seem to be too long, and I usually end up tying a knot on one end. I'm not sure if I'll make one for Angela, since she's only five years old. I get nervous about the scapulars choking the kids in the middle of the night, so I'll probably make her one for her and save it as a gift for her first Holy Communion.

The next step in making the scapulars is to lay the brown wool on a table and cut a strip of 1 3/4 inches wide. You get one yard of 100% brown wool for $14.95. The wool comes pre-cut in strips of 9 1/2 X 24 inches. You're able to fit six scapular pictures across it, which is exactly how many scapulars I'm making. There is just enough room in between each scapular to cut around each picture.

Next, I cut pieces of Heat'n Bond Ultra Hold Iron-On Adhesive smaller than the scapular pictures and place them on the brown wool and iron them on, paper side up. You can also find this at the craft store.

After peeling off the paper, I place the cord on the adhesive and put the scapular pictures on the cord and wool and iron all the pieces together.

Finally, I cut around the wool and scapular pictures and hand sew overhand stitches around the scapulars, making sure the cord is firmly in place. That's all there is to it. The hardest part is the overhand stitching. That also took the longest. I'll be so thrilled to see the kids wearing their brown scapulars.

Here are some other scapular suppliers:

Lay Carmelite and Scapular Center

Mary Immaculate Queen Center

St. Michael's World Apostolate

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!

Saint Simon Stock, pray for us!

Brigid's Cloak craft

Last week we read "Brigid's Cloak" for the feast of St. Brigid. I printed a black and white picture of St. Brigid of Ireland and bought blue felt and gold stars for the cloak. Angela did a great job making the cloak. It came out beautiful. We're saving this for our Catholic Mosaic notebook.

Ash Wednesday craft

Yesterday after Mass we went to the craft store to buy letters which spell GLORIA to put away until Easter. The Gloria is sung only at the Mass on Holy Thursday, usually with great ceremony, an organ and often with the ringing of bells. The little kids decorated a small cardboard box with stickers and put the letters inside. We will keep the box on the altar until Easter. Last year we did a similar craft to say farewell to the Alleluia.

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Dec. 8 is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception has nothing to do with the conception of Jesus. It means that Mary herself was immaculately conceived,  without original sin.

The idea is central to the belief in her absolute perfection and purity as the vessel of Christ's incarnation. She is the second Eve who will undo the trouble caused by the first one. She is part of God's plan for the redemption of humanity, and she was there from the beginning.

Magnificat

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For He hath regarded the humility of His handmaiden.
      
For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His Name. And His Mercy is from generation unto generations upon them that fear Him.
      
He hath shewed might in His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the conceit      of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted     the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away.
      
He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our Fathers, Abraham and His seed forever.
      
Tonight's dinner plans: Tonight we will prepare an all white meal for dinner symbolizing the purity and the stainlessness of Mary's soul.

Appetizers: White Cheez-Its

Main Course: Rice, chicken breasts with potatoes and cauliflower.

Dessert: White cake with white icing, vanilla ice cream.

Drinks: White grape juice

The Mary candle:

An especially appealing project for this Solemnity of Mary is to make a special candle. This candle can be made by attaching a picture or figure of the Infant Jesus to the base of a large pillar-type candle. You might carve a little niche for a tiny figure in the wax. The figure is then veiled (a piece of cloth fastened with pins) until Christmas Eve, when the veil is removed to reveal the Holy Child. On the Immaculate Conception, and every evening until Christmas Eve, have the children light "Mary's candle" when they say their prayers, and say the Hail Mary, or read with them her prayer, called the Magnificat (above).

Roses for Our Lady:

It would also be appropriate to have children place a rose before a picture or image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on this day.

Special Prayers to be prayed today:

The Angelus

Ave Maria Stella

The Memorare

Salve Regina

Thou Art All Fair, O Mary

O Pure and Immaculate

O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception

Garland of Gratitude

My oldest daughter, Adrianna, decided to get all of the kids together to make some Thanksgiving crafts and decorations for the school room/dining room. She went on Family Fun and found some wonderful activities for Thanksgiving. One of the ones that they did yesterday was the Garland of Gratitude. They put the extra leaves on the window for extra decoration. It looks so nice!

They also made a Sign of Thanks with bark, leaves, twigs, and moss found outside in the woods. Instead of writing "Give Thanks," however, they chose to make an even larger sign by writing out "Happy Thanksgiving."

Later today, they are going to make Village People and Pilgrim Place Cards, as well as Turkey Day Awards, and possibly the Tepee Treats, but it might be best to wait until Thanksgiving Day to make those treats!

Today's artwork is brought to you by...

our 5 year old, Angela. She's really enjoying all the art supplies she got for her birthday. She says it's "a picture of mommy being tired." I guess this is what I look like by 8 o'clock in the evening : )

I love her paintings. She would spend all day painting pictures, if she could. Unfortunately, we are running out of them, but she also got water colors and chalk pastels. I need to find her pictures and post them. They're really good. I guess she's an artist like her Daddy.

ETA- My 18 year old daughter told me I look like this by 4 o'clock.

Feast of The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

   

Adoramus te, christe, et benedicimus tibi,
quia per crucem tuam redemisti mundum.

Prayer before a Crucifix

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before thy face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul pray and beseech thee to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment, while I contemplate with great love and tender pity thy five wounds, pondering over them within me, calling to mind the words which David, thy prophet, said of thee, my good Jesus: "They have pierced my hands and my feet; they have numbered all my bones"

Next, say the "Our Father..." "Hail Mary..." "Glory Be..." for the intentions of our Holy Father.

Things to do today:

Mass

Pray the Sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary

Pray The Litany of the Holy Cross

Read The Tale of Three Trees

Draw pictures of the crucifixion

   

Decorate foam crosses and paint a wooden cross

   

 

From Catholic Culture: Tradition holds that sweet basil grew over the hill where St. Helena found the Holy Cross, so in Greece the faithful are given sprigs of basil by the priest. Cook a basil pesto, tomato basil salad (with the last of the summer tomatoes) or some other type of recipe that includes basil.

We'll have pasta with pesto sauce for dinner.

Another Lent activity for children: Act of Contrition Cross

I was inspired to make this craft from a wonderful Catholic website, Domestic Church. It is filled with activities for children of all ages, to help families celebrate the Liturgical year.

Lent activity for children- Acts of love and penances

Here is an idea I came up with, to help our family perform small penances and acts of love for Jesus. I compiled a list of small sacrifices and acts of love and wrote them on small pieces of purple foam. I then attached them with velcro to the large felt cross. We've already added some for you to see. This is what it looks like.

Some of these aren't suitable for younger children. There are supposed to be 40 squares on the cross, but I made the cross too small. I'll have to make it bigger next year.I couldn't think of 40 penances/acts of love, so I made two of each. Here is a list of the things we will be working on during Lent:

• Be extra patient today
• Be helpful throughout the day
• Don't watch TV today
• Praise someone who makes you angry
• Do an extra chore without bieng asked
• Don't listen to the radio today
• Say little prayers throughout the day
• Don't tattle all day today
• Say an extra Rosary
• Don't have any sweets
• Drink only water today
• Don't complain today
• Do your chores joyfully
• Pray for those who have injured you
• Speak in a soft voice
• Control your temper
• Be kind to those who anger you
• Get up earlier today and read the Bible
• Help a younger sibbling with their chores
• Read about your patron saint

Lent activity for children: Farewell to the Alleluia

Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight has a wonderful post on celebrating Ash Wednesday. One of the crafts she made this year is saying farewell to the Alleluia. I really love her craft. It is so beautiful.

Here is our attempt at this wonderful tradition. This is a great Lenten activity to make with the children.

I bought wooden letters and a paperboard box and spray painted them gold. Then the kids glued some glittery flowers on them. This is our Alleluia before we put it away:

 

Here is the box with the Alleluia wrapped in purple tissue paper. We will open the box on Easter morning to reveal the Alleluia, which we will display during the fifty days of Easter.

The box will sit on our altar until then.

Lent activity for children: 14 Stations of the Cross

I came up with this craft a few years ago and wanted to share it again this year. This 14 Stations of the Cross votive candle holder is very easy to make with your children and also inexpensive. The total cost was about $12.00.

I started with a piece of wood about 2 1/2 feet long and hot glued 14 glass votive candles on it.

Then I printed these black and white images of the 14 Stations of the Cross. The kids cut them and used a glue stick to paste them on the glass votives. The candles turned out absolutely beautiful.

We light all 14 candles. After we read each station, we blow out a candle, and when we get to the last station, the room is dark and somber. It has made meditating on the stations very real to us.

For the little ones, I found these printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages.

This is a great chidren's book for children ages 4 and up: The Story of the Cross: The Stations of the Cross for Children