What do you do when you have less than twenty-four hours to prepare for Our Lady?
Tuesday afternoon, I found out that the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Guadalupe would be coming to our house on Wednesday! This image holds a deep significance for our family and all the members of our local homeschooling group. Four and a half years ago, it was brought to the bedside of our beloved friend after a near fatal and appalling car accident. I still have pictures of my children gathered round the image in the living room of our first home, just before bringing it to Brigid's bedside in the hospital:
Imagine my joy to learn that this miraculous image would be visiting us again, this time gracing our new home. More incredibly, my beautifully recovered friend and her two children would be on hand to greet Our Lady, thanking her for the precious gift of a mother's life.
Late Tuesday night, I had a moment of panic. With very few flowers blooming in the yard, I wondered how the children would welcome Our Lady, or prepare our home to receive her beautiful image. It had been on my mind to revisit the Marian May Baskets craft from last year, this time re-inventing it with pretty paper cones and ribbon for the first of May. Happily, it occurred to me that these simple cones would be perfect for crafting with a crowd, and the children could take the baskets home afterward to give as May Day gifts. Please take a look at this hastily prepared--but very well received--Marian activity:
Marie presents her First Communion-themed basket.
Two unfinished samples wait to be filled and hung on the front door of a loved one.
This Irish-themed basket, with a turf Madonna fringe of moss, graces our front door.
We started with patterned collage paper from the scrapbooking aisle (rectangular works best--one package makes twenty):
These were formed into cones with hot glue with two holes punched on each side for ribbon:
The pastel, blue, and lavender patterns on our collage paper were just perfect. If you are crafting with a crowd of children, it helps to fashion the cones in advance. (Hot glue and crowds of children don't mix!)
The cones store inside one another for easy transfer.
As a central element of each basket, I gave each child a small floral notecard to create a spiritual bouquet, encouraging them to write down prayers they will say for the recipients of their baskets.
The children hung their baskets in the shrubs surrounding the image, making April bloom like May!
The cones were such a happy sight, offering a festive atmosphere of love and welcome.
At the last possible moment, I arranged for a friend (a high school music teacher off this week) to join us for the afternoon leading the children in song: "Bring Flowers of the Fairest," "Salve Regina," "Regina Caeli" and other devotional hymns. The children said the Rosary with love and reverence, each one offering prayer requests to Our Blessed Mother.
I prayed for all of you--particularly those trying to conceive and Heather, a young mother diagnosed with a brain tumor. Here is a partial group shot of the children. (Too bad the pole from our volley ball net is in the way!)
The glorious Spring weather seemed an earthly reflection of the graces showered on our home and families. What a blessed day it was!
[A special thanks to Theresa F. for bringing the image to our home yesterday! You are beautiful inside and out!]
Alice!
Beautiful...simply beautiful! You inspire me!
BTW..I remember the story and all the prayers we prayed for your friend Bridget. How is she now??
Posted by: Donna Marie | April 12, 2007 at 10:15 AM
Simply beautiful. The cones are a wonderful touch -- the colorful patterns create a beautiful garden.
Posted by: Jenn Miller | April 12, 2007 at 10:27 AM
Pretty may baskets !!! Clarice
Posted by: clarice | April 12, 2007 at 10:45 AM
Oh, Alice!!
What a lovely treat for your homeschooling group - and for us all! You share so generously here, and we are all blessed by your talent and devotion.
God bless you, my beautiful friend!
Posted by: Dawn | April 12, 2007 at 10:47 AM
Thank you for sharing this craft. My dd made a March- May basket out of an inverted princess hat and hung it by its elastic chin strap on our door! I know she wants to make May baskets for her friends and will love to see yours.
I'm unfamiliar with the pilgrim image of Our Lady. Could you tell a little more about the history and who participates?
Posted by: Lorri | April 12, 2007 at 11:34 AM
I like all of your May baskets, Alice, this year's and last year's.
Posted by: Cheryl | April 12, 2007 at 12:47 PM
My goodness, how beautiful this is! I love how a simple, last minute preparation can become so glorious. Surely Our Lady must have been so pleased!
Posted by: Kristen Laurence | April 12, 2007 at 12:47 PM
Gorgeous!! I got choked up at the sight of the image, and everyone in your beautiful yard...wish I could have been there, dearest. How my heart rejoices to know that Brigid was there too. She just sent my kids a package full of sign language crafts--so lovely, and all the more beautiful because they came from her.
The May basket cones are beautiful, and what I always love about your crafts is that even *I* can handle them. I love the a
idea of hanging one on our front door. I see a Michael's run in my future today...
Posted by: Lissa | April 12, 2007 at 01:09 PM
Your crafts are always so lovely!
Thanks for being such an inspiration.
Sherry
Posted by: sherry | April 12, 2007 at 03:05 PM
What an incredible honor and blessing. And the baskets! lovely.
Please pray for my daughter Marcy-Marie. She is having surgery at Children's hospital tomorrow at 7 am. I know you are a prayer warrior!
Posted by: Lindsey @ enjoythejourney | April 12, 2007 at 04:52 PM
Alice, it's all so beautiful!
Posted by: Cheryl M. | April 12, 2007 at 06:25 PM
This post is eye candy! How pretty, pretty, pretty! You never cease to amaze me, Alice. Only you could have a "May Party" in early April--with a million other things to do--and have it all look so beautiful and be so meaningful. And the benefit to the rest of us? We have lots of time to plan to use these ideas in May:-)
Posted by: Elizabeth Foss | April 12, 2007 at 06:57 PM
How beautiful! I think I will try to make a basket with my dd; she will love having a place to keep holy cards in her room... For that matter, I think I would love one, too!
Posted by: Angel | April 12, 2007 at 07:53 PM
Alice,
You always inspire me so much! My father's birthday is the first of May, May Day, and as children, we always made May Day Baskets. I don't know why... I don't know what they were for, but we did it and it was fun. I haven't thought of them in years. Thanks for the inspiration to introduce an old tradition to my children. My great-aunt used strips of paper to weave her baskets, but I may borrow your idea instead. It seems more doable at this stage of my life!
Posted by: Karen | April 12, 2007 at 09:12 PM
Beautiful and so easy!! Just what a craft challenged mother needs.
Posted by: KC | April 12, 2007 at 11:25 PM
Beautiful, beautiful!
Posted by: Maria | April 13, 2007 at 12:10 AM
Alice, thank you for such a lovely idea. As always, you are such an inspiration, truly a blessing. I also want to thank you for your kind Easter wishes on my blog. You and your family are thought of so often in my heart with much love, prayer and thanksgiving.
Posted by: Margaret | April 13, 2007 at 12:22 AM
Alice, this is incredible. Lissa took the words out of my mouth when she said that she got choked up at all of the outdoor pictures of the image, the baskets and the children. Oh, my goodness, yes!
And I have a special love for Our Lady of Guadalupe as well, for she helped me to recover from both a miscarriage and an old emotional wound, all at the same time.
I remember all the prayers for Brigid, and I'm edified beyond description by the miracle that is her life.
How blessed you all are, and what a blessing you are to us!
Posted by: Karen E. | April 13, 2007 at 09:09 AM
What a beautiful craft!! I am planning on making each of my catechists "May Baskets" for the last class of the year but couldn't figure out what to make the baskets out of....I'm off to the craft store now to pick up some packages of the paper!
Posted by: Jen | April 13, 2007 at 12:39 PM
I love the cones, they are simple and elegant and truly beautiful! What an honor to have the Guadalupe Image at your home! I know she was truly blessed by your efforts!
Posted by: Meredith | April 13, 2007 at 12:51 PM
What beautiful baskets! What a wonderful welcome for Our Lady! My daughter Leah and I just love when the Image comes to PA to visit!!
Posted by: Mary Ann | April 13, 2007 at 03:19 PM
Just beautiful. We have had the image come to our parish before and a lovely gatherly like you held would be a nice addition in the future.
Posted by: MaryM | April 13, 2007 at 05:46 PM
Thank you for sharing your blessing with us! What a wonderful day you all must have had. So beautiful.
Posted by: Kimberlee | April 13, 2007 at 11:42 PM
Beautiful!
I think we'll be utilizing some of your craft ideas come May 1st!
Posted by: Beth TigerMoon | April 14, 2007 at 10:12 PM
It's hard to look at Emily's sweet face in the first photo and to think of how terrified and heroic she was just a few short hours later.
Great story. Thank you.
Posted by: Beck | April 16, 2007 at 10:03 AM
Oh Alice, you do such LOVELY things! :) xx
Posted by: AutumnRose | April 22, 2007 at 09:43 AM