House Art Journal

Every fall we look forward to the apple harvest: going up to Hartland Orchards and coming home with several bushels of apples. After we went this past Sunday, my husband and daughter couldn't resist plunging right into cooking and baking, even though it was a day of rest. Having said no to buying caramel apples at the orchard, my husband proceeded to create them from scratch when we got home, using sugar cooked slowly on the stove. And I decided to try my hand at apple strudel. Though I cannot make my pastry so thin that newprint can be read through it, as my Czech forebears could, my efforts were crowned with success. So were my husband's. But then again, it's difficult to ruin anything that contains lots of brown sugar, cinnamon, and fresh, tart apples.

For a long time, I've wanted to post about this secret distracting toy I use to keep my toddlers occupied, especially during conferences or retreats. When I sat in on a few classes of the truly excellent Act One writing program, I had my baby Thomas in tow. I packed toys to distract him during the five-hour classes, and this is one I always brought along. It's deceptively simple: eight satin-brocade covered rectangular and square cardboard boxes backed into a square tin: small, light, noiseless, and unbreakable, if not indestructible. (The boxes were sold as a set on Montessori Services . I found the tin on my own.) But for whatever reason, toddlers find them fascinating. The Montessori exercise, which my two-year-old is performing here, is to take the lids off the boxes, and then try to put the correct lids on each box, matching both the shape and the color of the box. She then puts them back in the box, which is a little tricky as you have to line up the squares and rectangl...

I finally happened upon an issue of the revived Victoria magazine, and was delighted. After perusing a copy, I realized that here at last was a woman's magazine I could share with my growing girls. Not only because it was "safe" but because Victoria , as the magazine was originally conceived, gives girls a vision of womanhood worth aspiring to, in an age when so much that is truly feminine is denigrated and mocked. I remember sadly cancelling my subscription some years ago as the models in its pages began showing clothes that were more exploitational than gracious, and the articles seemed to be chasing after the emptiness of radical feminism and sexual liberation. It is with joy that I have rediscovered the magazine that delighted me as a teenager. I wrote immediately for a subscription, together with a letter expressing my sincere hope that the new staff of Victoria will continue to dedicate themselves to the original vision of beauty and womanhood that enliven...

In the past month I've made a new friend and become acquainted with a wonderful apostolate: Abby Sasscer and Home as Haven . Abby's mission is to help Catholic homeschooling moms (or any Catholic moms) simplify and organize their lives. Since she lives in my area, I was able to take advantage of her free home assessment (she accepts a donation to cover her costs). Two weeks ago, she came to my house, went over our entire home, and made recommendations tailored to my needs. Armed with her pep talk about detachment, simplicity, and generousity, I went through all my storage (some of which hadn't been touched since we moved here three years ago) and gave away nearly two dozen garbage bags of clothes, household goods, books, and toys. What a tremendous difference it has made in our home! My husband is more content, even though most of the clutter was out of sight most of the time. I reorganized my laundry room and have even more plans to optimize it. Although Abby note...

This fall we have gotten our homeschool/meeting room to a nearly-finished stage (almost all the drywall is up!) so our homeschool cabinet traveled upstairs at last. And I moved my cedar chest (which I have been refinishing for years) next to our dining room table. Coincidentally, I won an Antibes Shelf from Ballard Designs on Ebay, and it turned out to be the perfect focal point for this little spot. I moved a few favorite pieces to the area: my husband's wrought-iron lantern I bought him as a gift, a set of nesting flower bowls, an original scratchboard illuminated poem by Canadian artist Sarah Hockin, pottery glasses from our wedding, a silver tray, and my prize " real china teaset with pictures all in blue " that my children and I bought at Christmastime years ago. I spray-painted black the picture frame of an illuminated George Herbert poem by Canadian artist Sarah Hockin, and it fit perfectly. My husband was so charmed by the arrangement he made a special request ...

My friend Melissa Yoder Ricks has her own fibercraft business, Wildhare Fiber Studio . A Catholic convert and expert knitter and spinner, Melissa creates unique yarns and knittings while raising her large family. I was captivated by these potholders she designed in honor of Mother Teresa and our Lady. On her Etsy store, she writes: For her habit, Mother Teresa adopted a simple and inexpensive sari like those worn by the low caste Indians that she ministered to. This sari - white, with a vivid blue border - became known throughout the world, and is the inspiration for the first of the two dishclothes in this listing. The second dishcloth is knit in Trinity Stitch in varigated blue cotton yarn. Blue has traditionally stood for fidelity and purity, and is the color traditionally associated with the Virgin Mary. The nobby texture of the Trinity Stitch makes a good cloth for scrubbing. Mother Teresa believed that we are all called to service, whatever our station in life, and she embraced...

Well, as is my wont, I'm already planning for Christmas (I hate shopping for gifts in December!). And right now I'm talking with my brother-in-law about the very neat playstands he made for his daughters a few Christmases ago. If you're not familiar with a Waldorf playstand , a playstand is a simple movable wooden shelf that children can use to create houses, have a little store, do a puppet show, or any other kind of imaginative play. Because most children use them to make houses or shelters of some kind, it's become popular to make simple canopy frame that fit over the tops so that older children can play in them as well. Two playstands plus a sheet makes a playhouse: and unlike the traditional playhouse, this one can morph easily into a castle, store, or cave with the addition of a little child imagination! Now that we have a playroom, I'm hoping to have a set of playstands made for our family for Christmas. My brother-in-law Mike Schmiedicke (his little on-the...

Funds being what they are after fourteen years of marriage and seven energetic children, we decided to celebrate our anniversary with a grownup picnic rather than a night on the town. But thanks to Trader Joe's, (my new favorite store) we managed a rather elegant one! Brie cheese, crackers, grapes and French bread were paired with cold pre-cooked london broil (for him) and sushi wraps (for me). And you can't go wrong with TJ's famous two-buck chuck: I picked Honey Moon (appropriate title!) for sipping out of our silver wedding champagne glasses. Silver platters and linen napkins for the food packed just as nicely as paper plates and plastic. And romance was found in a half-dozen red roses and a selection of Trader Joe's gourmet chocolates. We picnicked at a local winery after hours, toasted one another under the shadow of a mountain peak and a rising moon, and brought home these leftovers and sweet memories.