In Memoriam

Thom Girard - Died June 30th, 2008

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

Calling All Pirates!

My partner in crime, Cap'n Coon, already posted a notice about this on her blog, but i thought i ought to give my readers (who may or may not be different than hers) an announcement as well. (And if you don't read Coon's blog, you must!)

Anyhow, this is just a heads up to let all piratical bloggers out there know about Pirates of the Caribbean Blog Week, which will be held from July 13th to July 19th. I assure you, it's a lot of fun!

To read up on all the details of the event, check out Coon's blog post!

And if you're curious as to what i did last year, you can check out my posts by clicking here.

Fashion Week - Day Seven/Quick Takes Saturday - Vol 13

~1~

I opted to combine Quick Takes and fashion, rather than do two separate posts. (Lazy me.)

~ 2 ~

Black and white, gotta love it. Simple, yet dramatic. And yes those are real tiger lilies! They are really there, i didn't copy and paste them from somewhere else. (It's called computer magic.) We get a whole bunch a long the side of the roads every summer.

~ 3~

What i am wearing today...

Black top from Aldi
White skirt by Gap
Black and white bandanna

~ 4 ~

~ 5 ~

Don't forget to check by AmandaBeth for the last day of Fashion Week!

Fashion Week - Day Six

I do so love wearing pink! Or rose, which ever you prefer to call it. I suppose the color of my sweater top would actually be rose, which is fine with me! I accessorized today with alas! the only scarf i have. Now, lest you be confused, i am not alas! because i am wearing a scarf, i am 'alas!' because it's the only one i have. I really need to get more. I love this one, a nice tan with such a pretty leaf and rose (!) print. Along with the rose theme i'm wearing another rose clip i made in my hair, this one i crocheted from embroidery thread, so it's a bit smaller. Oh, and i also have my favorite rose earrings!

What i am wearing...

Rose top by Laura Scott
Tan skirt by Na Na FasHion
Rose print scarf from the thrift store
Rose earrings from Khol's
Rose clip by me!


Don't forget to check out the other outfits on AmandaBeth Online!

Fashion Week - Day Six - Kathleen's outfit

Rose kindly allowed me to post. And for those of you who do not know me, my name is Kathleen and I am one of Rose's younger sisters.

What am I wearing today:
Purple sheer top /w tank top underneath by Christopher and Banks
Blue denim skirt by Blair
Sandals by Earth Spirit

~*~Kathleen~*~

Fashion Week - Day Five

I love this outfit, so light and spring-y. Of course it's summer now, but who cares? I actually didn't think i would like this blouse when i first got it. It's striped and has a collar - neither of which i care for that much - but when i tried it on i realized that the collar was indeed a very nice collar and the sleeves were slightly puffed and i was sold! (I love puffed sleeves, just like Anne. ;) )
I tied into the spring theme with my yellow and green butterfly earrings that my friend Miss Fishy made for me and the green rhinestone butterfly comb from my grandma.

What i am wearing today...

Yellow and white striped top by L.L. Bean
Green crinkle skirt by Blair
Butterfly earrings by Miss Fishy! =)
Rhinestone comb
Saint Clare/Saint Francis medal necklace
Brown Sandals by Earth Spirit


Be sure and check out everyone else's great outfits at AmandaBeth Online!

Fashion Week - Day Five, Yavi's outfit

Hi everyone! Lady Rose has kindly allowed me to do this post in return for taking her pics for her . Thank you Rose!
So today i'm wearing a blouse i got from a thrift store (don't you just love those places?) with a pink tank top underneath, also from a thrift store.


I made the skirt using the same pattern as Lady Rose used for her red skirt (see day 4). I love it and i wear it all the time! Although the circumference of my skirt is not 21 inches like Rose' :( i still like it a lot!
I am also wearing a pink silky bandanna that i got for Christmas.



What i'm wearing:
Blouse with tank top underneath: from a thrift store.
Denim Skirt: i made
Bandanna: a gift

Again, thank you Lady Rose for letting me post!

Oh! And before i leave, Rose forgot to mention in her post yesterday that i took all those pictures while on the roof :D

~Yaviel

Fashion Week - Day Four

I finished it! I hadn't had much time to work on my skirt this week, but last night i had only 21 feet of fabric to iron and hem so i decided to just finish it. And i did! No, i'm not joking! I measured and calculated the bottom circumference of the skirt three times and three different ways and all three times it came out as 21 feet! As you can imagine, that took about two hours to do. But it was worth it, i love this skirt!

I also finished the crocheted beret that i'm wearing last night as well, an exciting day all around! This morning i made a headband out of left-over skirt fabric, but i opted to wear the beret today. Maybe you'll see the headband some other time!

What i'm wearing today...

Black beret - by me!
Black top - from Aldi, actually
Red skirt - by me!
Cross necklace - gift

Be sure to check out the rest of the outfits at AmandaBeth Online

But before you go, if you want i have some more photos below. I don't usually post this many photos for the fashion week, but i figured this was a special occasion since i just finished the skirt! You are not obligated, however, to look at them if you don't want to. (Yes, i did have fun with the special effects on the computer. If you want a boring old original photo, beg me and i'll put it on here. ;) )

Fashion Week - Day Three

I decided to tone down a bit today from yesterday's bright colors. Both my top and my skirt were found in those ever wondrous thrift-stores. I originally bought this skirt for a play i was going to be in as a peasant. It was supposed to be knee length though so i just hemmed it up and then last year finally got around to taking it back out again. With all the different colors it goes well with a whole slew of different shirts, today i decided to go brown and add my pink rose as an accessory.

What i am wearing today...

Brown top by Merona
Patchwork skirt by Requirments
Brown sandals by Earth Spirit
Crocheted Rose pin made by me!


Don't forget to check out the rest of the fashionable outfits today at AmandaBeth Online

Fashion Week - Day Two

Today was really hot, so i figured the sunglasses would be a good accompaniment to my sunny outfit. ;) I think it got up to 100 degrees today... (Thanks be to God for air conditioning!) and then it rained last night, lovely humidity to add to the temperature!

What i am wearing today...

Yellow top by Relativity
Orange Skirt by Heart Moon Star
Gold Sandals from Payless Shoe Store

The sandals are actually my sister's and she kindly allowed me to wear them for the photo shoot, since they went so well with the outfit. (She's also the one taking the pictures, so if you like the photos, tell her!)

I chose to wear one of my favorite yellow tops with this gorgeous skirt (it has this awesome gold pattern and then shimmery gold ribbon on the hem), but i've also worn it with a turquoise top as well, with great effect.


Be sure to stop be AmandaBeth Online and check out the other lovely outfits for today!

Happy Father's Day

Most gracious Heavenly Father,

We thank you for our earthly fathers, those to whom you have entrusted the responsibility to provide loving protection of their families and guidance of their children. We thank you, also, for our priests and bishops, whose spiritual fatherhood is so vital to the faith of your people.

May our earthly fathers imitate the manly courage of Abraham, Jesse and Joseph, and all the holy fathers of the past in providing wise counsel to the children you have given to their care. And may our spiritual fathers be guided by the examples of Saints Peter and Paul, all the Apostles and their saintly successors. Give them valiant faith in the face of confusion and conflict, hope in time of trouble and sorrow, and steadfast love for you, for their families, and for all your people throughout the world.

Assist all fathers of families, all spiritual fathers, and all Christian men, that through your Grace they may steadily grow in holiness and in knowledge and understanding of your Truth. May they generously impart this knowledge to those who rely on them.

As you, our Heavenly Father, so loved the world, sending your only Son to be our Savior and Redeemer, we ask you to help all men to imitate His fatherly gentleness and mercy toward those who are weak; His humility, perfect obedience to your Will, and fearless witness to your Truth. May their lives be examples to all of heroic faithfulness to you.

We ask your blessing on all those to whom you have entrusted fatherhood. May your Holy Spirit constantly inspire them with justice and mercy, wisdom and strength, fidelity and self-giving love. May they receive your Grace abundantly in this earthly life, and may they look forward to eternal joy in your presence in the life to come.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son and Our Lord, AMEN.

Fashion Week - Day One

Yes, today starts Fashion Week, hosted by AmandaBeth Online. =)

I guess i'm supposed to post pictures of my outfit for today and explain a bit. So....

What I'm Wearing
Floral Cotton Dress - made by me!
Miraculous Medal necklace - a gift
Drop pearl earrings with a little diamond chip - Khols for $14 dollars or there about
White sandals - from the mysterious hand-me-down person

Like i said, the dress was made by myself with on-sale material from Wal-Mart when they were getting rid of their fabric department. *sniff* The pattern is a Simplicity 5189, for any of you curious sewers out there. My sister had made a white dress with this pattern for her graduation, i loved the dress and when i found this gorgeous rose print i just had to make one of my own!

Now, the neckline comes a bit too low for my liking on this pattern, 'sew' i had planned on raising the neckline, my mom and i had measured how high we were going to raise it, marked it all out... and then distracted me went and cut it out at the original neckline. =P But then, i got an even better idea and...


...put lace on the neckline instead! It gives the dress an elegant, lady-like touch and i like it more than if i had just raised the neckline.

So that is the history behind my outfit for today! Be sure to stop by AmandaBeth's and check out her outfit, as well as the other participants in the Fashion Week as well.

Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquility of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality, arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace.
Amen.

5 Quick Takes Saturday - Vol 12

~ 1 ~

So i started doing these Quick Takes Saturday in imitation of Conversion Diary because i wanted to do the 7 Quick Takes but my mom said all the people who do it are older (as in married or over 25) so i should start my own and have it as 5 takes so that other teens would want to do it to. But *looks disapprovingly at readers with blogs* no one has!!! (Except the Other Katy, who did it once or twice). *looks pleadingly* Come on guys/girls! Coming up with 5 quick (or not) things isn't that hard! And it gets so lonely doing it all by my little lonesome! Puh-leaseeeee?????

~ 2 ~

I have planned to do a few sewing projects over the summer, one of them being my dream skirt:
Yes, yes, yes i know it isn't finished yet! That's just the material and i am head over heels in love with it. I have always wanted a red skirt and this fabric is such a beautiful shade of red! Here's a bit of a closer look at it, along with the skirt style:
Isn't it purty? It kind of reminds me of glowing strawberry jello...

I started it yesterday and got about half way through, it's a fairly easy pattern. And it's really wide! My sister made one out of denim and it has a very full skirt - perfect for spinning!

And don't worry, i shall be sure to post pictures of the finished project when it is finished!

Oh, and if you want to make your own skirt, the pattern is a McCall's M5566.

~ 3 ~

Randomness: (i am writing this on Friday, btw). Previous to typing this post i was making pizza and i just looked down at my fingers and realized that i must have forgotten to properly scrub my nails because there is hard and crusty pizza dough all over them! Well, when i'm done here...

~ 4 ~

Thanks to Master Xavier for e-mailing this one to me. Hope y'all get a good laugh out of it!

~ 5 ~

*hyperventilates* JUST TWO WEEKS UNTIL CAMP!!!!!!! *passes out from hyperventilating and so out of necessity ends this weeks quick takes (which no one else did!) *

Happy Birthday Rosebud!

A very happy 6th birthday Rosebud! May God bless you and Mary keep you on this special day!

With Love,

Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Prayer of the Sacred Heart
by Bishop Roger Kaffer

O my Jesus, I love You! I love You! I love You! Most Sacred Heart, Most Sacred Love of my lover, My Savior, My God and my all! How can you love me? So unworthy, so fragile, so fickle! Yet You do and I know it and I cannot tell You how deeply, how immensely and how intensely and completely I wish to return Your love for me - by living, dying and bringing honor and glory to You by helping in a priestly and selfless way to spread Your kingdom. O Christ My King! All that I am, have and do I give to You! No strings! No conditions! Just total, confident love. There is nothing, Lord Jesus, nothing at all that You cannot have - nothing at all that I will not give - or give up - if You want me to. I know this is easier to say than to do. I know that I am a coward and a sinner and a weakling. But my confidence and love for You is such that I know whatever You ask, You will more than give the strength to give You - not fearfully, reluctantly, begrudgingly - but cheerfully and gladly. Your Will! Let me do Your Will my Jesus! Completely, totally, unreservedly - with no strings attached! I love You! I love You! I love You! I wish to be completely and totally Yours. Come Lord Jesus! Come into my heart, come into my soul, come into my body and take me, possess me, transform me, only keep me always close to You - then dispose of me as You will! Amen.

The Year of the Priest

A Prayer for Priests
O Jesus, our great High Priest,
Hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priest, Father [N].
Give him a deep faith

a bright and firm hope
and a burning love
which will ever increase
in the course of his priestly life.

In his loneliness, comfort him
In his sorrows, strengthen him
In his frustrations, point out to him

that it is through suffering that the soul is purified,
and show him that he is needed by the Church,
he is needed by souls,
he is needed for the work of redemption.

O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests,

take to your heart your son who is close to you
because of his priestly ordination,
and because of the power which he has received
to carry on the work of Christ
in a world which needs him so much.

Be his comfort, be his joy, be his strength,

and especially help him
to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy. Amen.

The Secret of Knighthood

The following is an insightful and thought provoking article by Sir Paul Xavier from Catholic Discussion, which he has graciously allowed me to reproduce on this blog. I know that his post is about Knighthood, but i believe that us ladies and sheildmaidens can benefit from it as well.

This isn’t going to explore a new branch of Medieval Conspiracy about the Knights Templar, nor is it an exploration of the Code of Courtly Love which predominated European Literature; rather, I am taking this as a step from the obvious and most reconcilable ideas of Knighthood and Chivalry and focusing on something deeper and more profound. Something which historians and experts have barely scratched the surface of, if indeed even opening up this new idea of what essentially is: The Secret of Knighthood.

The word Chivalry, and the terminology often associated with it derive from the French word Chevalier, which in translated means a mounted knight. Over time, this word Chevalier became acquainted with the manner and conduct of such mounted knights, who were beckoned by the Church to Defend the Poor, Weak, and Defenseless.

Chivalry was a way of life for the upper class in the Medieval past, guiding men along the lines of propriety and social expectation. That is, men who were powerful and had the means to defend, were looked at to defend those who were unable to do so themselves. Hence the entire idea of the Feudal System: A Lord, who through power or ability ruled a certain amount of land, recruited the local populace to work for him and his needs, and in return, would provide military protection of their welfare in time of need.

The idea was quite simple and easy to understand, that those who had the ability to defend the weak and defenseless had the obligation of doing so.

But alas, human nature is corrupt, and twisted from its true origins by means of original sin. Thus, all that starts off as something good often extends itself to improper and often selfish means. Chivalry became a means to abuse the norms of proper virtue for the sake of personal glory and vice. Generosity was rewarded with the praise and lavish decor of this world; courtesy towards women was often engaged into a means of flattery and deception, its main intention being to entice women to illicit affairs; courage and honor in themselves becoming more and more an arrogant pride, the cause of many wars and suffering for the peoples of Christendom.

This being said, we must bring this into question: Is Chivalry Dead? Did it ever truly exist?

As an idea, Chivalry seems to have always existed, inspiring the young and spirited to strive for a greater cause above their own self and their standing in life.

Essentially, anyone can practice chivalry, or at least attempt to; but as with all things without a proper motivation (in the case of Chivalry, fame, glory, riches, and love were the motivations to do the right things) and guidance of virtue, Chivalry is a sham.

What is the necessary remedy to save Chivalry from the corruption of our failing human nature? Is it the practice of good deeds? Championing the rights of the defenseless? Courtesy? All of these things can be abused. Turned from their right purpose, and eventually, become outer coverings of proper thing done for the wrong reasons.

For a Knight to attain true perfection, he must work against the concupiscence of human nature which desires the praise of the world. The pride which slowly infects the human soul when it comes to public acknowledgment of his good deeds. The jealousy of another’s good name. The answer to Knighthood’s Perfection is simple: Humility.

Humility is the weapon which ever knight should wield when entering into combat with the world. For Humility allows the virtues and the good deeds which are often associated with the chivalry of knighthood to flourish into a something supernaturally beneficial, allowing a knight to gain what is most important rather than focusing on the fleeting praise and laud of this world.

The finest art of this virtue, Humility, may be found in the most profound and power of prayers. It’s one prayer which anyone who sincerely prays it with a heart, may say that it truly works:

The Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved…
From the desire of being extolled …
From the desire of being honored …
From the desire of being praised …
From the desire of being preferred to others…
From the desire of being consulted …
From the desire of being approved …
From the fear of being humiliated …
From the fear of being despised…
From the fear of suffering rebukes …
From the fear of being calumniated …
From the fear of being forgotten …
From the fear of being ridiculed …
From the fear of being wronged …
From the fear of being suspected …

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I …
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease …
That others may be chosen and I set aside …
That others may be praised and I unnoticed …
That others may be preferred to me in everything…
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

The Litany of Humility is one of the most perfect prayers. Why? Essentially, rather than the usual practice of praying for what we want, which is often against what God wants for us, we have a list of human failures due to Original Sin, which we pray to God to help vanquish, and/or overcome.

Read the Litany, and tell me, if a Knight truly is able to conquer such things, would he not be the perfect knight?

From the desire of being loved…
From the desire of being extolled …
From the desire of being honored …
From the desire of being praised …
From the desire of being preferred to others…
From the desire of being consulted …
From the desire of being approved …
From the fear of being humiliated …
From the fear of being despised…
From the fear of suffering rebukes …
From the fear of being calumniated …
From the fear of being forgotten …
From the fear of being ridiculed …
From the fear of being wronged …
From the fear of being suspected …

Have we not often seen the beauty of Knighthood tarnished by the cause of a man seeking to be loved, honored, extolled amongst his peers, consulted for his wisdom; who amid the royal court, fears to be humiliated, fears to be rebuked by his lord and his fellow knights, who fears to be forgotten when the lord deals out favors and graces to his servants. Sin contaminates the true essence of the perfection of knighthood. Chivalry is doing the right things, for the right reasons, at the right time. Alas, we often find it that man is compelled into such noble actions, but namely for his own purposes and advancements.

What is the solution? How does Humility tie in with Perfect Knighthood? The answer is quite simple, yet so overlooked that we never see it happen. Chivalry is something spiritual as well as secular, and in order to attain the highest rewards and reap the benefits of both natures of Chivalry, the knight must conquer himself. Conquer his passions. Conquer his lower nature which seeks to be consoled, gratified, in the most improper and ridiculous ways. He must learn to silently bow his head, and not take the glory of this world for the sake of the praise and honor he will receive. A true Knight serves the master, not the servant. He knows that God is always watching, rewarding his faithful servants who follow the conduct of Chivalry for more noble purposes.

Anyone can do something good for illicit purposes. But if we are able to silence that part of us screaming out for attention from our fellow men. Recognizing the important of only have God as our witness. Then we have attained true knighthood.

The selfless charisma of the Knight of Our Lady. Like St. Maximilian, and St. Francis of Old. True knights who did the right things, for the right reasons, regardless of what the world thought of them. Focusing on the importance of conquering self, and realizing the true nature of knighthood as something beautiful, and meritorious of the greatest graces yet to beheld by human hands. The idea of Sacrificial Love, like unto Christ, the Perfect Knight who gave his life in defense of the weak, in defense of the sinner, bringing joy to the sorrowful, courtesy towards his oppressors, humility when His people wished to crown Him as the Son Of David, yet most importantly, having courage in championed combat against the great dragon, Satan.

Knighthood is about humility. Any other rendition of what knighthood and chivalry are is simply an illusion and idea the world has painted in order to satisfy our tastes and curiosities. I would like to end this post with a quote from last July, during the Funeral of Thom and Marc Girard:

“To Arms, Then, In the Service of Our Queen.”

AmandaBeth Fashion Week!

Hey all! This is just a quick note to let you know about the upcoming Fashion Week, hosted by AmandaBeth. Check by her blog on Saturday to get more information for participating in this fun event!