House Art Journal

On Good Friday my husband's idea of a hands-on devotional was to have the whole family pick rocks out of our freshly-tilled field, as a meditation asking The Lord to soften our stony hearts. It was a good morning's work, but we were amazed at how many rocks it generated!

Whether that Chesterton-loving guy is a collegiate bachelor or a husband of many years, we hope that this Gilbert-themed basket will make him very happy. Of course we had to start with the books, namely a G.K. Chesterton classic, Orthodoxy (and this writer's personal favorite) , although What's Wrong With the World or The Poet and the Lunatics might also work, depending on what's needed to read. Be sure to browse our collection of popular and obscure Chesterton books at www.chestertonpress.com . The second choice, like Chesterton himself, may seem absurdly whimsical: the Fairy Tale Novel Alex O'Donnell & the 40 Cyberthieves . But this book is actually dedicated to GKC himself and features a very Chestertonian adventurer, Alex, as the hero.  Lastly, any serious fan of the great man will appreciate this handsome illustrated edition of Chesterton's epic poem The Ballad of the White Horse, with extensive annotations and stunning illustrations by Ben Hat

For that fun, romantic, and quirky teen girl in your life, we've assembled a few gift ideas that are sure to please. For an Easter basket inspired by the Far East, we chose a cotton scarf in a Chinese pattern and slipped in some Oriental lunch plates from the flea market (they look like china, but these are plastic!). And added an assortment of fun and romantic Catholic books to feed the soul as well.      Many are Called  is the most manga-like of all our Catholic graphic novels, a steampunk & swords adventure that is actually a cleverly-imagined interweaving of Christ's parables of the End Times. In it, a prince whose bride has been stolen away by his enemy seeks to bring her home to the Wedding Feast. Two very different servants and ten equally disparate virgins play key roles in this creative and very Catholic parable. We also included our most romantic of the Fairy Tale Novels,  Waking Rose , a story of unrequited love and impossible quests based on Sleepin

For a teenage boy's basket, you might put in such necessaries as a iPhone case or earbuds, but don't overlook the power of print media, especially in the form of good Catholic fiction. For this basket, I included  The Shadow of the Bear , which has become a guy favorite. (If your teen doesn't have time to read, consider getting him the  Shadow of the Bear audio drama, four hours of listening adventure for only $9.00 .)  And for Catholic apologetics and an overall good story, I recommend  Book 4 of John Paul 2 High, Undercover Papist,  in which class nerd Brian Burke goes to Bible camp to persuade the most popular girl in his small high school to return to the Catholic faith. Not to be missed! Both of these titles are available in three of the most popular eBook formats on our site .And I can't resist including a classic challenging book by G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man , the book which helped C.S. Lewis become a Christian, and which has inspired countless

 Instead of Easter ribbons, twine a new spring kerchief around the basket's handle, line it with a lace scarf, and organize treats with fun (and doubly useful) containers like a china teacup and a colorful tin box. Then fill the basket with some fun Catholic reads from the new Tween Girl section at Chesterton Press! Specially for this Easter, I am pleased to offer one of my daughter's fav reads, the mystery Riddle at the Rodeo by Claudia Cangilla McAdam, also known as the author of our popular tween novel Awakening . Either book makes a great Easter read, since Awakening is a time-travel adventure about a girl who finds herself in Jerusalem the week of Christ's death and sets out on an impossible mission: to stop the crucifixion. Really powerful book that not a few moms have enjoyed as much as their daughters!  Also check out the graphic novel Judith about a little-known Biblical heroine who deserves just as much status as Esther and Deborah in Bible-lore.

 As you can tell, I picked categories according to the children I have in my own family, and I have a ten-year-old son, so I couldn't resist showing off the fiction that he's enjoyed which we carry at Chesterton Press. His favorite read was the new book by John McNichol, The King's Gambit , which features giant chess pieces, cool FBI agents, a missing dad, and a son who's determined to find him, even if it means facing down twelve-foot-tall knights from another dimension. This certainly qualifies as fun Catholic fiction, and with its short chapters and quirky cartoon illustrations, we both bet it will be a favorite with many boy readers! Click here to get a copy. My son also loves the graphic novel Paul: Tarsus to Redemption, available here, and the intriguing adventures of the most famous priest detective ever, Father Brown , who in The Father Brown Reader catches an international jewel thief (three times!) and solves a magician's puzzle in this first in

Easter baskets for babies should be fun and simple with a few things for Baby that are easy to grab and explore. Our basket, lined with a second-hand daisy-embroidered doily, has a soft and huggable Fair Trade Cuddle Doll and a sunshiny Tug Toy , both specially available for the holiday from Chesterton Press, along with our best-selling baby classic Angel in the Waters . A duck lollipop bouquet provides color and a little Easter sweetness, and plastic eggs might have goldfish crackers and other toddler-friendly treats. The 100% cotton terrycloth Tug Toy has no internal squeakers or rattles to break or come out, just fun petals to grab and a friendly face to smile at. Limited quantities available from Chesterton Press for just $7.00. Still a favorite with thousands of children after ten years, Angel in the Waters is a lovely present for Easter or any time new beginnings are celebrated! $8.00 from Chesterton Press -- and you can request a signed copy! Shop Chesterton

Sugar and spice and everything nice -- here's some ideas for a sweet basket for a little girl. I started with a colorful cotton napkin from the thrift store that could easily become a tablecloth for a doll's picnic, and added a doll-size picnic tin full of colorful chocolates. Chenille chicks from the dollar store and a secondhand bunny rabbit find a new nest in the rustic wicker basket, along with an fun adventure from Chesterton Press: misfit nuns who solve mysteries: The Sisters of the Last Straw !  I included the first book, The Case of the Haunted Chapel, but the second adventure, The Case of the Missing Novice should be available for Easter ordering!  Plastic eggs hide more treats, but also a homemade rosary ring of wooden beads.  Obscure patron saint? No problem! Google, download and print a pretty image of the saint that bears your daughter's name and glue to an inexpensive plaque from the craft store with Modge Podge or white glue. Decorate with emb