House Art Journal

Regina was brought to the emergency room early this morning for an emergency appendectomy. She had surgery today and it went well. She will be in the hospital for a couple days to recover, but she asked me to bring her laptop so she could continue working on her stories so she must be feeling pretty well. :-) Thank you all for your prayers!-- Regina's husband, Andrew

As a child, I remember spending endless hours creating small worlds out of bits of this and that, dollhouses out of small boxes, neighborhoods out of styrofoam box inserts, gardens out of moss on trays.... The other day, one of my daughters asked to borrow my camera so that she could take a picture of a house she had made for her dolls because she was so pleased with how it looked and she (rightly) understood how transient it would be. So here is a very imaginative dollhouse (fairy house, if I remember rightly) made out of the crook of a branch, with a ladder of pipe cleaners, cookstove to the left, dining room table to the right, and bedroom balanced beautifully but precariously atop. What more does a fairy, or any kind of doll inhabitant, need? I hope its occupants enjoyed this unique dwelling during its brief life atop my son's craft table. Part of me wishes I still had time to make doll houses. But I suppose writing novels (I'm preparing to edit my fifth book) is another wa...

All tired out after her baptism, little Polly slept soundly in her daddy's arms this past Sunday. Due to an uncommon foresight and sporadic burst of organization, her mother managed to find the family baptismal gown (which I wore for my own baptism), and have it cleaned and ready. Polly is the first of my children to ever wear the gown, which is silk with a chiffon overlay trimmed with two ribbon bows and tiny smocked pleats - simple yet so much nicer than anything I could make or buy today. And I am so grateful to the aunt who bequeathed it to me years ago, and to my guardian angel who helped me remember that I had it!

The master bedroom in my "Snow White" friend's house overlooks the gardens. In addition, my friend has brought a bit of the garden indoors with ample plantings in the windows. African violets and other moisture-loving plants enjoy the sunny windows and moist air of the little alcove off the main bedroom. The old-fashioned tub is perfect for soaking. Although there are no closets, an open shelf holds towels, and a picture of the Blessed Mother and Child and candle on a pretty plate oversees the little nook from its top.

I've been known to say that blue and orange are two colors that should never be seen together, outside of nature, but my "Rose Red" friend uses BOTH in her kitchen, and I love it! She and her husband lovingly rennovated this space using their intuitive sense of color. I admire the antique white tin ceiling tiles they put up on the ceiling, paired with stainless steel bar stools and fixtures. My friend's prince (husband) cut the granite countertops himself, as well as devising the stained-glass "shade" over the kitchen sink that takes care of the glare of morning sunlight in a clever and appealing way. How do they make two colors so much at odds with one another work without becoming jarring? (I know they're "complimentary colors" but I think they normally look horrid together!) I think they've made peace between this antagonistic pair since the main colors in this room are neutrals. Large swaths of white on the ceiling and cabinets bloc...

As if my "Snow White" friend's house wasn't magical enough, it's set in the midst of a garden haunted by beauty, which was planted by two horticulturalists, former residents of the house. I photographed it on a misty November morning, and was absolutely enchanted by its beauty, even during the winter barrenness. To have inherited a garden like this, my friend says, is pure gift.

I don't think I'd have the courage to paint my dining room red and buy furniture in black. But that's what my "Rose Red" friend choose to do. And it works! This little room ends up being cozy and royally rich because of the color scheme. King Arthur had a round table, but my friend and her husband have a massive square one that is just as romantic, with leather-back chairs surrounding it as mini-thrones. Red velvet drapes garb the shaded windows, and a Tiffany lamp hangs over the table. My friend painted the black-and-white watercolor of her younger sister (who was one of my inspirations for "Blanche," by the way). And a favorite fluted glass lily vase stands in the center of the table.

Although it's hardly a popular modern pasttime, I have a devotion to the Infant of Prague , the "Little King," crowned and robed, which my fifth-grade teacher, Sister Mary Rose, planted in me. I was intrigued when my "Snow White" friend admitted that she had recently taken up the same devotion. After the death of her mother, she began to find statues of the Little King turning up in odd places. Or rather, she says, "He found me ." And she took Him to her heart and home. Now the small statues, free of their stiff embroidered robes and clad in the simple priestly alb, send their benediction from several quiet corners in her home. The one above stands in the entry room window. Another holds court in the kitchen, adorened with a rose-ribbon-stole, and a third reigns on her dresser. I particularly love the evocative shrine that my friend and her children made for the King in the photo above. A clock reminds them that Christ is King over all time. The candl...

I want to ask for urgent prayers for the Zak family. Their daughter is a fan of my Fairy Tale Novel series, and we've frequently exchanged friendly emails. Yesterday they lost their youngest son, Luke, age 10, who apparently died in his sleep. I can only imagine how much their family is struggling right now. Please, please pray for them. I remember the shock of losing my Joshua, and how terrible it is to lose a son. He was their youngest son, their "little angel," as their daughter put it. Please pray for the Zak family. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

Just one of the many delightful views to be found in my "Snow White" friend's house... in this case, three pots of herbs and a garden beyond...

One thing I love about my "Snow White" friend's house is how she can arrange everyday useful objects in such a way that they resemble small works of art. A good example is in the downstairs bathroom of her house. A spacious wooden shelf hangs over the commode, holding useful everyday items on the lower shelf: mirrors, a box of tissues, and toiletries in a wooden basket. Folded washcloths and cosmetics are aranged on shallow wooden trays on the second shelf. The top shelf holds more decorative elements and spare liquid soaps. Less pretty items are stored in the vanity cabinet beneath the sink. The orderly arrangement of the objects and using trays to divide them keeps everything from looking cluttered. A few other inspired touches liven the small room. Shells are coupled in a metal soapdish on the wall. And other chunks of marbleized and speckled soap are mixed with river rocks in a slotted dish. I love how this solves the problem of unsightly small chunks of so...

"Rose had long, shining red hair (and)...always wore bright colors -- blue, purple, gold, and green; she was like a bright new color herself, vibrant and alive." -- The Shadow of the Bear: Snow White and Rose Red Retold , 1997* Unfortunately I don't have as many pictures of my "Rose Red" friend's house, but I love it as much as Snow White's. Like Rose Brier, the character she inspired, my friend loves bright, strong colors, and always has, despite the fact that, growing up, she was told by fashion mavens *not* to wear such colors, with her auburn hair. But my friend, always the nonconformist, fearlessly wore those colors anyhow. And after she married, she decorated the home she shares with her artist husband in the same daringly dramatic manner. I love her use of Tiffany glass (her husband works in stained glass), the antique sofa she found and had reupholstered, her red velvet curtains, hanging lamps, and unicorn tapestry over the fireplace. The house ...

You will find this little still life in my "Snow White" friend's living room: mismatched yet complementary lamps, a postcard on a tiny easel, a wooden statue, pottery bowl, and an African violet. Throughout her home you can find variations on this theme: art, light, and life, with flowers generally being a part of both. This isn't to say that every fabric is floral as well as every painting -- although a wildflower motif is very much in evidence, it's subdued. You notice it subtly -- on the lampshade -- on the napkins pressed under the glass topping a worn dresser. "Snow White" was the first person I knew who collected old furniture, especially painted and distressed pieces, years before Shabby Chic became stylish. But I wouldn't call my friend's style either shabby or chic. She is kind to older furniture, thoughtfully arranging it so that you can appreciate the fine styling or unusual shape without calling attention to missing paint or...

"I think that if a real princess was lost in this moden world, and she could be whatever she wanted, she would be a musician." - Blanche in The Shadow of the Bear , 2007 My "Snow White" friend actually is a musician, among her many accomplishments. Thanks to a musically-inclined mother, she and several of her sisters are all accomplished harpists -- and now she is teaching her own daughters the art of playing the harp. The harp is a lovely instrument to look at as well as to listen to. My friend owns several harps, and one sits to the right of her doorway. Original artwork and a generous amount of books fill in the spaces. The colonial-era restored home that she and her husband own is blessed with deep windowsills. My friend has arranged artful displays in many of the window bays. On either side of the door is a potted succulent plant. When I first knew her in high school, she owned these plants, which were short little plants. Now they are practically the size of d...

The welcoming living room of "Snow White's" country home This post will take some explaining: my first book, The Shadow of the Bear is a modern retelling of the fairy tale "Snow White and Rose Red." It deals with the adventures of two sisters, Blanche (Snow White) and Rose (Rose Red), who live in New York City and befriend a mysterious young man known as "Bear." The book has become a favorite with many young readers, and people have frequently asked me: who are Blanche and Rose based on? Well, both characters are composites of several sisters I have known, but in my mind, the initial inspiration came from two of my friends, who are friends with one another but not sisters. Anyhow, these two girls, the original "Blanche" and "Rose," have grown up, married, and are in the process of raising their families. And both continue to be my friends and inspirations. And both of them have unique home decorating styles, very different but I lo...

In our old house, our girls' room was a tiny narrow room just big enough for the loft bunkbed they slept in. But to brighten up the room, my husband agreed to let them paint a mural on two of the walls. And the girls choose to do a mural of the fairy tale "Snow White and Rose Red." I painted the background for them: mountains, the woods, a castle, the cabin where the story begins. And the girls painted the figures of Snow White, Rose Red, the two princes, and last of all, the mother watering the rosebushes outside of the castle. I believe I painted the bear (one of the enchanted princes) which you can see here outside of the cabin. Notice the fish jumping out of the pond. He's the other enchanted prince. I have to say I was inordinately fond of how the castle turned out. Actually, the whole mural was quite successful: the people who bought out house liked it so much they kept it up. It's still there, last I heard. Next post: "The Homes of Snow White...

I suppose it's safe to say that my favorite fairy tale is the little-known "Snow White and Rose Red," by the Brothers Grimm. And as some of you know, my first book was titled, Snow White and Rose Red: A Modern Fairy Tal e , currently titled The Shadow of the Bear: Snow White and Rose Red Retold. My friends know how fond I am of the story, which has sort of become our family "signature." I've tried to pass some of that on to my children. A few years ago, I gave these dolls to my daughters for Christmas: I had bought them from Nova Natural and christened them "Rose Red" and "Snow White." I had the dolls star a retelling of the Madge Miller version of "Snow White and Rose Red" which can be found here on my website. Last winter, I did some repair work on the dolls and stitched new dresses for them, since my girls are still putting them in weekly play use. And I thought I'd take a picture of the ladies in their dresses, ...

This week we took down our Christmas tree and I packed up the "Joshua Bears" that were donated for this year. But before I sent them to their new home at Be Not Afraid Ministries , I gathered a large bunch for a group photo. Thank you so much for sending them all: it was a joy to have them. I admit that I am not mailing off one sweet little bear sent all the way from England: he has a "2006" embroidered on one foot, the year that Joshua died. I decided to adopt him for my very own, but the others are going to a ministry that helps parents who have received "bad news" about their unborn baby through prenatal testing. As director Monica Rafie writes, "Not all of these moms have fatal diagnoses -- there is, happily, the chance that the bear will be more than a momento! But, of course, some moms will lose their babies and they will cherish the bears - forever and fervently." Each bear I am mailing is going with a tag reading, "Donated in memory...

Polly, like many of our babies, was born with just a touch of jaundice, so today I put her on the window seat to bask in a little bit of mild January sunlight while I rested. It's amazing to me how healing sunlight can be: within the hour, she looked much better. On a side note, I just finished the baby quilt I had made of Liberty of London squares yesterday. Once it was backed with a silk-wool Dharma scarf and filled with lamb's wool, it was delightfully soft, light, and warm. The only completely handsewn quilt I've ever made, it's the perfect winter nest for a newborn.

Paula Kathleen "Polly" born at home December 31, 2007 1:21 AM 8 lbs, 0 oz born hand first (!), reaching out to explore the world already, and with a full head of black hair, a first for us. As usual with newborn pictures, the photo does not do her cuteness justice. Mother and baby are doing well. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! An Explanation of the Names: Paula after St. Paula, friend of St. Jerome and collaborator with him on the Vulgate Translation. Also in honor of the upcoming Year of St. Paul (2008-2009) to be proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI. "Polly" after Lady Polly Plummer of Narnia :) Kathleen after her paternal grandmother. Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes!