Awkward/Awesome...

Awkward...

...the weather apparently not being able to decide whether (see what I did there =P) it wants to rain or be sunny...just in-between days for a whole week

...making sauerkraut, and my hands smelling like garlic and onions as a result...

...trying to find some good pictures of my siblings and I to hang up in our home...and realizing nearly every picture my parents/grandparents took from our childhood is of (cough) me...

...attempting to drink the bubbles from the top of my glass of kombucha and nearly choking to death in the process...

...losing my notebook with *all* my editing notes for our favorite TV shows...uh-ohhh...

...my team losing every. single. round. of Family Feud...=/

...my swimsuit FINALLY coming in...and it's in the wrong size =(

...the look of absolute betrayal Mishka gave me when I hid her toy and told her to go find it...

...my brother pronouncing "Lasagna" "Laz-sag-a-na-na" because he thinks the correct way to say it is "boring"...

...my brother telling me that if I were a character in a movie, I'd be the Ice Queen from Winter's War...XD

Awesome...

...while at a friend's house for dinner, I was just walking around their house minding my own business, when I suddenly stumbled upon a full-blown Nerf war going on between my brothers, the boys whose house we were visiting, and their four year old sister.  Before I knew it, someone had shoved a gun and some ammo into my hands and I was fighting for my life...XD

...coming home from vacation to find a box of goodies from my friend Angela waiting for me!!! Glittery nail polish, homemade jewelry, perfume, even an adorable little stuffed fortune cookie; you're a darling, Angela ;)

...yet another wedding this weekend! Hopefully I won't get sick again and actually get to make this one...

...this lovely article about motherhood

...Mishka watching the rose bush outside the library window EVERY DAY to make sure it doesn't run away...


...one of my little friends coming up to me out of the blue and saying "Maddi, you're my favorite thing ever!" XDDD

...The look on the same little girl's face when I let her wear some of my pink, sparkly, lip gloss...her older brothers still won't forgive me for "ruining their sister"...=P

Bridal Shower...

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a very blessed Easter...mine was very peaceful, thank heavens! Easter week was my time to take a breather and gear up for my very busy next few months, which began this past Saturday.  A dear friend of mine is getting married in May, so I offered to host a bridal shower for her to give her one more chance to relax before her "big day".

One of the bridesmaids enlisted the help of the groom to get a surprise present from all the ladies in our community: a beautiful statue of Our Lady for the couple's new home...the statue hadn't arrived by the time of the shower, so she printed out a picture to show her what it looked like.

The lovely Bride-To-Be and two of her bridesmaids

In addition to several flavors of tea, we also served sparkling lemonade, blueberry pound cake, deviled eggs, several dips, strawberry macaroons, and several other goodies (for the record, at my bridal shower I would like pizza and root beer =))

I'm not entirely sure how we managed to fit everyone in our living room (we had over forty-five ladies of all ages attending) but somehow there were enough chairs and even a tiny amount of room to walk around.

Some friends provided games to play after tea, my favorite being "Bridal Trivia" (I had never heard this before, but apparently the custom of having groomsmen came about because so many brides used to be kidnapped on their wedding day that the groom would gather the best swordsmen he knew to guard her until the ceremony was over! The best man was the best swordsman out of all of them...and bridesmaids were there to confuse the kidnappers in hope that they would be captured instead of the bride =)).

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, so I'd say the party was a success.  After everyone else left, one of my little friends stayed behind to help me finish off the extra lemonade and take silly pictures while our moms visited...

When my mom and I (finally) had our home back to ourselves, we celebrated our success with some Pink Lady Cocktails and a "Once Upon A Time" episode...=)

Rainy Day Activities...

For the past two/three weeks, it has been raining.  Not a slow, steady, drizzle, or even a violent mist; it has been pouring and pouring until the creek overflowed every bridge and slab near us, the ground turned into one giant swamp, and even the ducks are running for cover.  In the beginning it was exciting (I felt bad when I realized that my reaction to the first huge storm that knocked everyone's power out and prevented several families from leaving their homes was "Yippee! We can go tubing in the creek now!!!") but after two days of constant thunder, lightening, and the never-ending rain, things started to lose their silver lining.  I love being outside and try to go on long walks as much as possible, but when the whole world has turned into a swimming pool, it isn't very practical.  Occasionally the sun will come out for a few hours and we all try to make the most of it, but the greater part of our day is spent inside.  This time shouldn't be wasted, though, just because we feel bored.  "Idleness is the Devil's playground." (I have no idea who originally said that quote, but my Mom and grandmother always said it to me when I was little and said I was bored...)  When you're cooped up indoors, you should use this as an opportunity for building your creativity and doing things you normally don't have time for!  Here is a small list I made of things to do when your stuck inside with nothing to do:

(Our ducks have been rather grumpy lately))

1. Read a good book

I read a lot.  And I mean A LOT.  After I graduated, I started reading more informational books, and gradually ended up reading nothing but informational books! I've learned so much and love the fact that there is still so much more to learn, just from reading! But on the downside, sometimes I just need to read something light (and by light I mean anywhere from "Tin-Tin" to "Wuthering Heights") and I usually don't have time after all my other books are finished.  So, on a rainy day, I like to take advantage of the opportunity to read something just for fun. =)

2. Exercise

This is important if you've been cooped up for a few days with no chance to stretch your legs.  When the sun is gone from sight, we human beings tend to get sleepy, depressed, and irritable, and when we're stuck in a house with our whole family feeling the same way, things can get tense.  The best way to make yourself feel better and lift your mood is to exercise your body (except watching "Lobster Bisque"; that will do it too=)).  Even just doing some jumping jacks in your room will make the whole day seem a little bit brighter!

3. Board Games

There are very few board games that my brothers and I will play together and enjoy.  We like games with critical thinking, strategy, an enormous amount of competition (no mercy in our family), and a trade system. Yes, I just described Settlers of Catan.  It's our favorite game and we play it at every party, get-together, or Family Night.   There are a few others we enjoy, such as Yahtzee!, Clue, Scrabble, Chess, and pretty much any card game...every family has their favorite game and this is the perfect time to play together!

4. Make up a story

My brothers and I do this all the time, not just on rainy days.  Sometimes the story gets so wacky it would be impossible to describe to an outsider, and other times we can't even finish because we're laughing so hard.  My youngest brother's dream is to make a cartoon show of our favorite characters one day... I doubt anyone else would get our stories, but it might make a few people laugh...

5. Try a new recipe

For me, it was sparkling lemonade.  Not very impressive, I know, but we needed a drink to bring to a friend's house for a party, and all we had was water, lemons, sparkling water, ice, and stevia.  And it was so good, I made more the next day for myself.  Sometimes the simplest things can change your whole perspective, just by being new.

6. Watch a movie

This is ONLY for after you've done everything else on this list and you're getting ready for bed.  Rainy days have always been movie days for my family; it's just so relaxing to lie in bed and watch a good movie while the rain pitter-patters on the roof. 

I hope you can find some things on this list to do on the next rainy day that comes your way! 

Now that the rain has finally slacked off, all the flowers are blooming everywhere!
(Photo credit goes to my brother and his amazing camera =))

"Sleeping Beauty Dress" and Spring Formal...

It's done.  It's FINALLY done.  After working and stressing for over a month, my formal dress is finished and I can sleep in peace without worrying I made the sleeves too tight or the sash too wide.  It's a good thing too, since I needed it for the Spring Formal Ball we helped host this Saturday! We had to put a lot more effort into this dance than the Masquerade because we had more people coming and *SIX* more dances to learn. And these aren't waltzes, friends, these are complicated dances such "The Hole In The Wall", "The Black Nag", and (my personal favorite) "Grimstock".  They're a lot of fun to learn and dance, but lets just say you need to not plan on walking anywhere the next day. =)

This was my first formal dress to sew, the material alone cost a fortune, and since I don't use patterns, you can imagine my stress level.  I'm convinced my Guardian Angel was working on it while I was asleep, because there were several times I messed up and gave up in despair, only to wake up the next morning to find the problem had disappeared.

My brother said I looked like Sleeping Beauty when I put it on for the first time; hence the name.  We had brought roses from our garden (everything seems to be blooming at the same time!) and when my photographer brother noticed how well they matched my dress, he had to take a picture.  Next thing you know, every one of us girls were lining up for portraits.  With all our satin dresses, the tulle, and roses, it looked like a wedding.=)

The ball was a hit; everyone had a lot of fun and we had two or three encore dances before we ended at 10:45.  All of us got to volunteer our talents to help out; I decorated and and helped come up with the program, one of my brothers was the DJ and edited most of the songs to make them long enough for the dance (one dance lasted over ten minutes because it was everyone's favorite!) and the other recorded videos.  My friend and I were exhausted by the end of the night as we had to dance every dance to show everyone else the steps but agreed we could probably have continued dancing all night and not been sorry. Thankfully, I had new slippers to slip into towards the end so my feet didn't ache nearly at all the next day! Afterwards those of us who had stayed to clean up had a "Cups" marathon for fun...

(^I'm not sure why this picture turned out so blurry; it looked a lot better on the camera^)

As you can see, we like to have fun.=)
Now that the Ball is a pleasant memory, I plan to do nothing but rest and study brain health for the rest of the week...

Weekly Roundup...

It's been awhile since I did one of these posts! I haven't felt up to writing much for a few weeks because of some new liver cleansing herbs I've been taking, so I'm going to combine the last few weeks into this post to get caught up. =)

What I Liked...

...spending a day at the park with some friends.  Yes, I felt absolutely miserable from the aforesaid liver cleanse, but the sun was shining, a breeze was blowing, and I still managed to have a wonderful time.  We played tennis, basketball, ultimate Frisbee, went for hikes, had a picnic lunch, biked for hours, raced each other, visited the horse stables...in short just had a really fun day...

...spending several days with out of town friends

...attending my friend's sixteenth birthday party...so blessed to be friends with lovely young ladies I can stay up till ten P.M. watching Clark Gable movies with...

...helping plan a formal dance for May

...the soundtrack for "The Longest Ride"

... the movie "Unbroken"

...hearing yet another friend is engaged...we already have three weddings coming up this year, from my circle of friends alone!

...the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima coming to our parish for the first time 

What I Didn't...

...lack of energy for the past two weeks

...our oven breaking...on Easter Sunday, no less

...one of the parts on our trampoline breaking...it's supposedly still safe but I'm wary of bouncing on it

...learning we will not be having any waltzes at our dance in May =(

...learning that we can't take off our shoes during the next dance..."You don't understand; I love dancing barefoot!"...and then my friend informs me I would be such a good hippy (haha, very funny) =p

What Made Me Laugh...

...my little brother coming and asking me to preview "Mulan" for him because he heard there was a part where the main character goes swimming without any clothes (seriously, why is this in a G rated children's cartoon?!?! I was furious...) and, to use his words, "I do NOT want to see that, thank you."

...our dog Lottie catching a Frisbee for the first time

..."It Happened One Night"...this movie had me and my friends laughing so hard

...my friend's brothers all enlisting me to convince both of our mom's to let them come watch "Captain America The Winter Soldier" at our house that night..."You can convince anybody to do anything!"

...helping a neighbor milk their cow while they were out of town and their "guard dog" didn't even bark when we came to their house

...the aforesaid neighbors showing us how their milking system works...the parents showed Dad and my brothers and the kids showed me, with much more detailed instructions..."This is Mabel, and we named her new calf Cain, so it sounds like Cain and Abel from the Bible, but it's not, it's Cain and Mabel, and Mabel always gets extra grass that I pick her after she's milked because she's a good cow, not like our other cows that broke our fence and tore up the garden, they were bad cows, but Mabel is a good cow so she gets more grass than the bad cows..."=)

...a friend's mom asking me for directions...I guess she hasn't heard about the time I got lost leaving the neighborhood...after living here for nearly six years...

What I Accomplished...

...designing and sewing my first formal dress...all I have left to do is hem the skirt and sleeves; when it's finished I'll post some pictures...

...learning three new dances and helping teach some friends all the steps

...singing Benediction with just one other friend...it was the first time we had ever had to do this without anyone else in the choir (not even the choir director!) and I thought for sure we were going to forget something or not be loud enough (we actually did forget one "Alleluia" but nobody noticed except Father =)) but thanks to my levelheaded friend, we made it through and everyone was impressed...

...figuring out my Dad's system for stocking inventory (finally)...once you figure out everything is divisible by eleven, it all falls into place...

...finding my puppy.  MY puppy.  A little Yorkie on CraigsList.  Now I just have to make sure the owner isn't a serial killer...

...teaching my brother's friends how to do "Cups"...we even figured out how to pass the cups back and forth between us!

...making coffee caramel creme brulee...it was deeeeeelicious...

...finishing Father Faber's "Sermons On Kindness, Death, and Vocations"...I highly recommend these to everyone, they were wonderful!

How Was Your Week?

ThredUp...

Hey everyone! Recently I discovered ThredUp...an online consignment store.  Brand name, like-new, clothes and shoes for up to 90% off retail price without having to leave the comfort of your home...it doesn't get much better than that in my opinion! I for one was thrilled to find their website and have already ordered some shirts and a pair of sandals. My one drawback was being unable to try the clothes on beforehand, but they have a thirty day return policy for most items. You can also sell them your clothes for money or store credit.  And speaking of which, if you use this link, you will receive ten dollars in store credit plus free shipping! And,when you purchase something, I also get ten dollars in store credit...so everybody is happy all around.  I have found lots of stylish, modest clothing just from the few times I have browsed through the collection, so I'm sure you can find something lovely to spend your ten dollars on.  Happy Shopping!

Five Lies About Modesty...

When I first began dressing modestly I was pressured on practically every side by our culture to give up.  I was only about twelve years old so it was my parents who decided what I was going to wear or not wear, and I didn't understand at first the importance of their decision.  The biggest problem, I think, was that I literally knew NO ONE at all who dressed modestly.  This is a big problem when you are a young girl because you don't want to stand out or look "weird". Once I met a girl my age at our parish who did, everything became easier, but it wasn't until I was in my late teens that I began to research the whys and wherefores of dressing in a "Mary-Like Manner".  What I learned was that most girls and young women (including myself) have been and are being presented with a false image of what modesty really is...if more of us could see the truth about modesty, the world would be a much nicer place.  I could go on for hours about everything that's currently wrong with the world but for this post I am going to limit myself to clearing up the top five lies about modesty.

1. Modest Means Frumpy...

I really, really prayed that this wasn't true when my parents first changed our clothing standards.  I had no one to look to for inspiration when I was a teenager, so I thought I was the only girl who wanted to look stylish and yet modest at the same time.  Thank Heaven, I was VERY WRONG.

The Church's position on modesty is:

"A dress cannot be called decent which is cut deeper than two fingers breadth under the pit of the throat; which does not cover the arms at least to the elbows; and scarcely reaches a bit beyond the knees.  Furthermore, dresses of transparent materials are improper." (The sleeve length was raised to at least a quarter of the arm)
As long as your clothes fit into these standards, you're free to mix, match, and style as you like! I have found a wealth of inspiration from people like Olivia Howard from Fresh Modesty  and Colleen Hammond from Dressing With Dignity, not to mention several lovely ladies of my acquaintance who always try to dress in a stylish, yet modest, manner.  The internet is full of blogs by young women trying to bring back more feminine styles, not to mention the Pinterest folders! You can see my personal collection here.  To sum up, women were dressing modestly and stylishly for thousands of years before the mini-skirt was invented.  

2. Modest Clothing Restricts Your Movements, So You Can Do Nothing But Sit Inside And Knit...

Firstly, I like knitting.  And secondly, I have never had to pass up a single activity (short of rock climbing...and I probably could have joined in on that if my skirt had been longer) that I have wanted to partake in at any time of my life because I was wearing a modest skirt.  I have gone tubing, jogging, bouncing on the trampoline, dancing, tree climbing, motorcycle riding...and not once had a problem.  A dear friend even rides horses and and can beat her brothers (and mine!) in a race...depending on the style of skirt you are wearing, you can do pretty much anything in a modest way.

3. I Shouldn't Have To Be Uncomfortable To Keep Men From Committing Sins; That's Their Problem...

Sigh...Okay, there are men out there who will be committing sins regardless of how you dress, but there are also many, many men (young and old) who are trying to keep their minds and souls pure, and we really should try to help them out.  Men are designed to be attracted to women's bodies, so when you dangle forbidden fruit in front of them continuously, you are making it that much harder for them to avoid mortal sin.  Wearing sleeves or a long skirt does not make you that much more uncomfortable than you would be otherwise, but even if you felt like you were being broiled in an oven from the extra material, what is that compared to the immortal souls you will not be putting in danger? The Bible says that we are "our brother's keeper" and we should all be helping each other avoid sin as best we can, men and women alike.  What really made this hit home with me was the remarks my brothers have started making as they've gotten older about how much easier it is to talk to a girl when you're not constantly having to fight a battle in your mind because of her scanty outfit.   

4. It's Impossible To Find Modest Clothing...

Yeah, right.  See the links on number one.

5. Guys Don't Notice Girls Who Dress Modestly...

This is the part where most people say "Guys may chase girls who dress like that now, but when they get married they'll want a nice girl" and I'm sorry, but I don't believe that is a very helpful thing to say.  If a young man does not have enough self control to refrain from "chasing girls" because they dress in an immodest way then he probably wouldn't make a very good husband anyway.  Believe it or not, there are good young men out there, and though they be rare, they are not so extinct as to give you the excuse to give yourself to a man who does not deserve you.  Guys do notice the girls who dress modestly, and they do appreciate it, even if they don't say anything to you.  It makes most guys uncomfortable to even admit that they have a problem in this area, but don't think just because they don't flirt with you they don't think you're special.  The fact is, they see you're different and respect you too much to waste your time and emotions with flirting.

Well, there are the top five lies most girls are presented with about modesty.  I hope I was able to encourage you all to move further away from the world's standard of how to dress and closer to a more "Mary-like Modesty", because we should always be progressing forward in this area, as in every area of our lives.

Weekly Roundup

What I liked:

...starting the Reclaiming Beauty Study Course by the Botkin sisters! I'm trying to do one video a week, and I've already learned a lot!

...babysitting a friend's four toddlers for a day.  We were all pretty worn out by the end of the day, but hearing the kids say things like "Do we have to go home right now?", "I like playing with you.", and "Can you come get us again soon?" made it all worth it.  And the relieved look on their mom's face when we first picked them up.

...one of the aforesaid toddlers reading a whole Curious George book to me, and only needing help on three big words!

...my brother learning to play the Cinderella Man theme on the piano by ear.

...having a friend who will tell me the entire plot, character list, and story line of all her favorite movies, and even furnish me with all the good quotes, so I don't even have to see it!

...my sheet music FINALLY coming in!

...attending Father Chad Rippenger's retreat on Mental Prayer and Sacramentals!!! It was a wonderful experience, and I took lots of notes...depending on my schedule, I'll try to summarize it in a post sometime.

...trying Herbert's Strawberry Lemonade for the first time!

What I Didn't:

...my friend telling me I look like Charlotte Church...when she was twelve (uhhh...thank you...I think...).

...waiting two months to be able to wear my new dress...and then it being so windy I can hardly move without the skirt flying up.

...putting an avocado in my hair with sour cream and lemon juice (it smelled delicious!) because it's supposed to be a great conditioner.  I put it in LAST SATURDAY, washed my hair every day with no added conditioner, and my hair just got back to normal FRIDAY.

What I Accomplished:

...our Abbey's first pilgrimage! Father Abbot held it as a sort of roundup to a community novena we've all been praying.  Most of the participants started about five miles away, but a few of us (including me and my little brother) joined them about a mile from the Abbey.  It was so beautiful; we prayed a couple of litanies, sang hymns, placed our flowers at an icon of the Annunciation, and wound it all up with Vespers and a De Profundis prayed in the Abbey Cemetery.  Everyone ageed we need to start doing this more often!

...making a delicious french egg dish for breakfast...I'm not sure what it is officially called, but it has spinach, sausage, tomatoes, and eggs all baked together in a ramekin...and it was delicious!

...making coconut whipped cream for Mom's fruit parfaits...who would of thought that something so easy to make would be so delectable? 

What Made Me Laugh:

...while we were all resting on the pilgrimage, a friend's little boy started collecting rocks and bringing them to me one by one, and blushing when I said "thank you!".  This went on for almost half an hour (and I had a rather large pile of rocks in my lap) when his mom noticed.  She shook her head and said "Some boys give flowers, some boys give rocks."

...one of my brothers put a bowl of confetti on top of a door as an April Fool's Joke.  Unfortunately, my other brother noticed it and the trick backfired on the original brother, who got confetti all over himself.

...walking past a friend's mom, when she suddenly says "Hey, you got a date yet?" I was taken aback for approximately ten seconds...before I realized she was talking to someone behind me about calendar dates.

What did you do this week?

Why I Wear A Veil

(...otherwise titled: This Thing On My Head Is Not A Doily)

Oh lowly, little, chapel veil,

You are my dearest friend.

For when my hair's all mops and brooms,

You cover, end to end.

And when my hair's not curling right

Or when it sticks out straight,

You gently hold it all in place

And make it look first rate!

But feminists, they hate you so,

You lowly, simple thing.

To them you are so vile, not veil,

To praise Our Lord and King.

And passing by the Church of Seven,

"Autonomy's", their phrase.

They never know the joys of Heaven,

Such as, no bad-hair-days!

For lowly, lacey, chapel veil,

You tame my hair, so wild!

But truth-be-told, though I look nice,

It's really for The Child.

By Hilary Mary Bernadette Flanery

(When I was researching for this post, I found the above poem and it made me laugh.  It is so true! There have been so many Sundays when one of my friends or I casually "forgot" to take off our veil after Mass because we were having a bad hair day.) 

Now, why do Traditional Catholic women cover their heads when in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament?

Firstly, it is required by Canon Law for women to cover and for men to uncover their heads in church.  Despite public belief that it was done away with, it is still in effect and applies to us today.  According to the 1917 Code of Canon Law (Canon 126.2):

"Men should be with their head uncovered in church or outside of church, when they assist at the sacred rites, unless the approved customs of the people or additional particulars of the circumstances call for something else; women, however, should be with head covered and modestly dressed, particularly when they approach the Lord's Table."

St. Paul also speaks about women veiling themselves before coming before the Blessed Sacrament in 1 Corinthians 11:1-17:

"Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that in all things you are mindful of me and keep my ordinances as I have delivered them to you. But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ: and the head of the woman is the man: and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraceth his head. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered disgraceth her head: for it is all one as if she were shaven. For if a woman be not covered, let her be shorn. But if it be a shame to a woman to be shorn or made bald, let her cover her head. The man indeed ought not to cover his head: because he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man [c.f. Genesis 2-3]. For the man was not created for the woman: but the woman for the man. Therefore ought the woman to have a power over her head, because of the angels. But yet neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, so also is the man by the woman: but all things of God. You yourselves judge. Doth it become a woman to pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you that a man indeed, if he nourish his hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman nourish her hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the Church of God [i.e., if anyone want to complain about this, we have no other way of doing things, this is our practice; all the churches believe the same way]. Now this I ordain: not praising you, that you come together, not for the better, but for the worse."

This sounds a little chauvinistic until you understand what St. Paul is saying...I know I was a little offended the first time I read it until I had it explained.  What this verse means in a nutshell is that we women can be very distracting to our brothers, especially with our hair, which is our glory. This is not a bad thing, in fact it's exactly the way God created us! But out of humility to Our Lord, we cover our hair/glory to sort of point towards the tabernacle and say "This is the time to focus on the beauty and glory of God, not our beauty." to the men.  I know how distracting it is to me when a girl has beautiful hair and does not cover it in church (my first thoughts; What lovely hair! I wish I had hair like that.  How did she get it in that style? As soon as I get home I'm trying that.  Oh, wait, sorry, Lord...) so I know it's probably a lot worse on the boys.  Out of charity, we need to think about them too, instead of just thinking about what a sensation our hair will make with our friends and neighbors.

Secondly, traditionally holy things have always been covered with a veil.  Take the tabernacle for instance! Or pretty much every picture of Our Lady! And even in the Old Testament...

(Hebrews 9:1-8): "The former [Old Covenant] indeed had also justifications of divine service and a sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made the first, wherein were the candlesticks and the table and the setting forth of loaves, which is called the Holy. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies: Having a golden censer and the ark of the testament covered about on every part with gold, in which was a golden pot that had manna and the rod of Aaron that had blossomed and the tables of the testament. And over it were the cherubims of glory overshadowing the propitiatory: of which it is not needful to speak now particularly. Now these things being thus ordered, into the first tabernacle, the priests indeed always entered, accomplishing the offices of sacrifices. But into the second, the high priest alone, once a year: not without blood, which he offereth for his own and the people's ignorance: The Holy Ghost signifying this: That the way into the Holies was not yet made manifest, whilst the former tabernacle was yet standing."

Wearing a veil is not (as SOOOOO many people seem to assume) a degradation for women, it is a reminder to men to respect and honor them! When I see a veiled woman (and this would probably be a good time to point out that when I say "cover your head", I mean with a real veil, not a little chapel cap that barely covers the crown of your head, or a huge attention getting hat with feathers and bows, a REAL mantilla/scarf/or simple hat that looks appropriate for Mass) the first image that appears in my mind is one of the Blessed Mother, and that's precisely what I want people to see when they look at me.

Thirdly, they just plain look lovely! And as I mentioned before, they really do work well for disguising your hair when it's a total mess.   

So, ladies, please cover your head appropriately when going before the Blessed Sacrament, and don't listen to anyone who tells you it makes you any less in dignity than a man.

Some other notes on things I didn't get to cover in this post about head coverings:

 ...veils come in so many lovely styles and colors! I keep a white and a black one in my purse at all times, and keep all the other colors in the car.

...scarves are a very stylish way of covering your head, and they also work well for keeping you head warm in the winter-time.  My brothers have even said they are jealous of girls because they can cover their heads and the boys have to freeze their ears off:).

...for all those who say that the law about head coverings was done away with at Vatican II, you are wrong.  It was never mentioned in the council, and as you can see here:

Canon 20: A later law abrogates or derogates from an earlier law, if it expressly so states, or if it is directly contrary to that law, or if it integrally reorders the whole subject matter of the earlier law. A universal law, however, does not derogate from a particular or from a special law, unless the law expressly provides otherwise. 

Canon 21: In doubt, the revocation of a previous law is not presumed; rather, later laws are to be related to earlier ones and, as far as possible, harmonized with them.

Canon 28: Without prejudice to the provisions of can. 5, a custom, whether contrary to or apart from the law, is revoked by a contrary custom or law. But unless the law makes express mention of them, it does not revoke centennial or immemorial customs, nor does a universal law revoke particular customs

I hope this cleared this little issue up for some of you!

Do you wear a veil to Mass?

What Every WELL-DRESSED Girl Should Own...

Hi there! First of all, you might have noticed that I have made a few changes on my blog...for instance changing the name from "Happy Homemaking" to "Valiant Daughters".  The main reason for this is that I Googled "Happy Homemaking" and the list of blogs was...quite long.  I decided on the name "Valiant Daughters" because I believe we should all be striving to become like the Valiant Woman in Proverbs 31.  Now with that said...

Scarves are one of the most helpful things a girl can keep on hand.  You can dress up virtually anything with a pretty scarf, and turn a boring outfit into something stylish instantly.  As an added bonus, scarves are a lovely way to make a shirt more modest and there are hundreds of ways to tie them! The scarf I'm wearing in the picture was a birthday gift from a friend, and is one of my favorite accessories.

A very versatile piece of clothing that will always be in style! You can dress it up or down depending on your top, and can wear it in any season.  I have a cotton knit one that is not-a-maxi-skirt-but-looks-just-like-one and it has to be the most comfortable skirt I own.  I wear it for everything from bouncing on the trampoline, to road trips, to going to Mass.

After a black skirt, this is probably the most important base garment to keep in your wardrobe.  Everything goes with brown! I actually have three brown skirts because they're not quite as versatile as black ones and it's harder to dress them up, but depending on the style, you can pair it with almost anything.

My mom and I have been using these for years...and we L-O-V-E them! Lilla-Rose has the best hair accessories I have ever used...they look so stylish and feminine, yet they are very reasonably priced! These clips come in all sorts of sizes and style, and do a wonderful job of holding your hair up!

Every girl should own at least one pretty hat.  People who wear nice hats (whether male or female) always stand out to me as being well-dressed and respectable.  I love hats in general, particularly fedoras and those big, floppy beach hats that are so fashionable right now! They're are also a great remedy for Bad-Hair-Days...

How many of these items do you have in your closet? What would you add to the list?

Overnight Eyelash Treatment

Hi everyone! Today I have a all natural beauty trick for long, thick. healthy eyelashes.  I learned this from a pamphlet I read at a health food store and have been using it for several months now.

All you need is castor oil, an old mascara container and a brush (make sure it's clean!)! Our eyelashes don't require a lot of care and attention, but they do need moisture every now and then to stay flexible and long.

Every night before you go to bed, gently spread some of the oil on your lashes and leave on all night.  In the morning, wash your face as usual and say hello to healthier eyelashes!

Do you know any other benefits of castor oil?

What Every INDUSTRIOUS Girl Should Own...

This has to be one of the best inventions of the modern age! On busy days when your running behind and don't have time to make a complicated meal, you can throw a random mix of ingredients in this wonderful contraption, leave it on for a few hours, and, voila! you have a delicious, warm meal for your grateful family!

 Another great invention...there is almost no limit to what you can do with one of theses! Nut butters, chopped nuts, apple-sauce, grated cheese, shredded veggies, potato chips, french fries...the list is almost endless!

Having one of these and knowing how to use it can drastically cut down on your clothing and even home decorating costs! I sew most of my own clothes and Mom and I make all our own table cloths, place mats, napkins, and curtains.  Once you know the basics of sewing, you can make practically anything you want just by following a pattern, or even making your own! You can also repair your clothes when they start wearing out, instead of having to throw them away and buy something else.

Any hardworking girl knows the importance of a good apron that covers your clothes, is easy to move around in, and looks pretty enough to make you want to wear it all the time.  I have a pattern that I LOVE and have found to fit all these requirements.  I make my own from this pattern.

In this age of texting and tweeting, hardly anyone ever sends letters.  As a result, hardly anyone knows how wonderful it is to get a letter in the mail from a friend, written on pretty stationary.  So much more meaning and affection is shown when you take the time to write a letter as opposed to just sending a quick, misspelled text.

If you live in the city, the only real use for rubber boots is for jumping in puddles.  When you live on a farm, though, a sturdy pair of rubber boots are indispensable.  I've gotten a lot of use out of my pair whether I'm walking through water, mud, snow, tall grass, or anything else I happen to run into.

Yes, pocket knives can be feminine.  My brother bought me one at a gun show years ago, and it has been infinitely useful! I carry it in my purse because I never know when I'll need to slice an apple in the car, cut packaging off something, pick a lock (just kidding), or scare off some unsavory character.  Most of the girls in my circle of friends also carry pocket knives wherever they go for the same reasons.

How many of theses things do you keep on hand? What would you add to the list?