~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
{pretty}
The kids and I popped into TJ Maxx yesterday with one real goal: to find a tray to corral the pieces of our little oratory in our living room where we say prayers at night. I was so excited to find this beautiful one –turquoise, orange, white painted Indian design… it's the most Rosie-ish tray I could possibly imagine. I love it so.
In point of fact, it might actually be a little bit busy for this purpose, but no matter. If I ever find a simpler one that I love as much, then I'm sure I'll have no problem finding another spot for this colorful beauty.
We have jam jars for our candles because I didn't have two pretty votive holders, and we need two candles for deep spiritual reasons because we have two candle-snuffing-aged children. I actually really like the look of the candles in the jars — they glow so prettily! — but they do take up more space. And the snuffer needs its own little tray because we haven't quite mastered putting out the candles without getting wax all over. Plus the jar of matches and the little vase for spent ones… Who knew you needed so much stuff to light a few candles each night?
{happy}
{funny}
I could use some tips from Molly on pulling off the “disheveled chic” look.
(Or maybe I just need Mary to choose clothes for me, too! Thank you for the adorable dress!)
What is going on here? I'll tell you. It's a very thoughtful arrangement of our globes, her babies, and all the silverware except the knives (which her brother told her were too sharp).
Of course.
When this task was completed to her satisfaction, she gathered up all the utensils and put them in the blanket basket. Except for the ones she tried to take to bed with her for naptime.
I love toddlers.
{real}
What percentage of kiddie-pool time would you estimate is generally spent in tossing/pouring things out of the pool?
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Mary says
Oh Molly! You are adorable! (I have my own little disheveled, stylish Molly who is still rocking it at 19).
I love the pics of your children, so happy and joyful in every day life.
I love your oratory!
Jennie Cooper says
Ours spend most of the time out of the pool just to jump back in. 🙂 Cutie pies, all! Also, the tray only looks busy if you’re looking down on it. From the side angle, which is mostly what you’re going to see, it looks great.
Mrs. B. says
The wonderful thing about places like TJ is that you never know what you’ll find there, and for this reason you may well find exactly what you were looking for, and then some! Wonderful, but dangerous to the wallet! My husband trembles whenever I set out for one of my HomeGoods expeditions…
As for the pool problem, it’s actually the same principle at work as the silverware adventure: toddlers are all about taking stuff out of its proper place – “Let’s dump everything out!” is what they live for… Maddening and adorable at the same time, as your kids show!
Margaret says
Beautiful family!! Where did you get those lovely stained bookshelves?
Rosie says
My husband made them! Aren’t they pretty? I blogged about it here: http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2011/02/homemade-bookshelves-and-organized/
There’s a link to the plans in that post – it’s a very manageable project.
Kristi says
I normally am not interested in the kids of people I don’t know (and sometimes also the kids of people I do know) but I love seeing your and the other daughters’ children! Brings back memories. Thanks for sharing the kids 🙂 (Gorgeous tray, too.)
Rosie says
Aw, thanks Kristi! I’m glad you enjoy them.
Melanie says
Sibling besties! Love it. The tray is great, I have been looking for a nice big one for the same purpose. I would like to make our little oratory portable…to be able to put it out of reach most of the time but bring it down in eye view for prayers.
LucyL says
Your floors are so clean in those pictures!!!! Where do you keep all the kids toys?
Rosie says
Haha… I’ve actually been on a bit of a mission lately, trying to declutter and get rid of (or stash away for a while) the toys that just go from shelf to floor and back again without really being played with. And I do tend to get a little twitchy if things don’t get picked up at least once a day. But I just live a sort of twitchy life, because not everyone in my family (*cough* toddlers *cough*) feels the same way.
In brief: it’s the angle and/or the timing.
Kelsey says
What is the beautiful flip book? Is that a rosary flip book?
Leila says
Kelsey, yes! We posted about it here:
http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2014/10/bits-pieces-and-a-rosary-flip-book-giveaway/
Rosie says
My mom beat me to the link, but yes, it is, and we love it!
Mary says
I am so very happy it fit!! Yay!! I love her look. The “happy” photos” just make me smile so big. Love them!
A.R. Danziger says
I love the picture of your daughter arranging the silverware! My daughter did something very similar at that age and it was my first clue that she was going to be very gifted at math 🙂
Jennifer says
What beautiful children. The silver ware collection is priceless!
Amy Caroline says
Oh my goodness! So many cute little ones!! And I love that tray! Lovely.
Deirdre says
I’m so glad you talked about the tray, because my first reaction to the photo was SWEET TRAY!
Deirdre says
Definitely not too busy. Gorgeous.
Rosie says
I was inspired by the picture of yours last week – of course! I need a tray!
Evelyn says
I like this tray idea! I’ve been fiddling with ideas on how to have my young boys pray together with me somewhere central upstairs before bed…but haven’t been able to set up a permanent spot. This may work for us!
Emily b says
The tray looks really pretty with your lamp (and I love that lamp, btw!).
Rosie says
Thanks – also a TJ Maxx find a few years ago… stalked them until they went on clearance. 🙂
NY Mom says
Ah…such a pretty prayer space!v And it’s portable!
One caveat to share here. I too, when my children were younger and I was starting to get serious about my interior life, thought that unless I lit my candles and had absolute quiet that praying during the day would be impossible. I let perfectionism and idealism keep me from carving out prayer time. (“Now? Nah…nap’s almost over and there won’t be enough time to do it the way I want to…” etc.)
Then I stumbled across a little book from Sophia Institute Press called “Holiness for Housewives”, by Dom Hubert von Zeller. It opened my eyes to how a busy mother can pray not in spite of her countless distractions and disruptions and frustrations, but through them! I can’t recommend it enough. It set me on a path that led me eventually to the lay Carmelites, as their charism is to pray through the ordinary and simple way of our day, come what may. I credit Von Zeller, though, with teaching me to re-orient my approach by dropping any pretensions to my prayer looking beautiful, to letting my sacrificial life as a mother beautify my prayer.
Hope that makes sense. Just…get the book and it’ll make sense.
Rosie says
NY Mom, I have that book on my bedside table! It was given to me by a friend when I got engaged. I recently read (and loved) the first half, then got distracted with something else and never finished. But what I did read was spiritually challenging in the best way. Thank you for the encouragement to pick it up again!
Ashley says
I love seeing other people’s oratories. I’m still trying to figure ours out. Right now we just have a crucifix and prayer card with Mary and Jesus propped up next to a candle at the dinner table, but I want something more. Do you have the matches in a jam jar? What’s on the lid? I need to keep an eye out for a small container/votive for spent matches. Thanks for sharing!
Rosie says
Yes! It’s just a jam jar with some of the scratchy stuff from the matchbox cut to size and stuck to the top with double-sided tape for easy lighting.