The "Rapture" this Saturday??

Think again.

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/major-supernatural-event-this-saturday/

Maternity Photos- Worthwhile?

A family member of mine is an amazing photographer, and has offered several times to take some maternity photos for me.

This is my second pregnancy, and with my first I hardly took any photos of my bump and I at all.  My swelled-up cheeks rivaled those from when I got my wisdom-teeth pulled in 9th grade, and my constant nausea made taking photographs the last thing on my mind.  Overall, pregnancy makes me feel self-conscious (everybody openly notices and comments on your body!), and I was not sure that I needed professional photos to remind me of it.  Lastly, I've noticed that many women choose to take maternity photos naked(!), and even the thought of my bare belly showing in a photograph makes me uncomfortable.

On the other hand, I hear from many friends that they truly cherish photos from their pregnancies, and are glad they took the time to take them.  I also think that it would be a neat keepsake for the child-- to see what his/her mother looked like when he/she was in the womb, and how exciting their arrival was to the entire family.  More than anything, I love how pro-life these photos are.  They truly celebrate the beginnings of a new life!

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, but I am curious-- what is your opinion about maternity photo shoots?

Dress Dare Update-- How's it going?

We are halfway through May (yikes!), and so I thought it would be fun to check in about how the dress dare is going for everyone.

I have to admit that it has been more of a challenge for me this year!  Being in my third trimester of pregnancy, I am tempted to choose comfort over anything these days!  Often this does mean a dress (who can argue with no waist bands!) , but often it also means my yoga-style pants and supported running shoes.

At the same time, I have also made the observation that overall, pregnancy makes me feel more feminine than ever.  Whether I am in workout attire or evening gown, I can't hide my femininity!  It is noticeable how many people open doors for me, or offer me a chair to sit down in.  Sometimes I even feel as though I am spoken to in a softer tone than usual.  All of this reminded me of last year's Dress Dare, when many of you blogged about how people treated you differently when you dressed more femininely.

So...  have you stuck to it?  How are you doing this time around?

The Rise of the Metrosexual, fall of the Lumberjack

A recent study has shown that hormonal contraceptives are now being linked to women's attraction to less masculine men. We have written on the blog about the crisis in manhood today, and how difficult it is to find real men in our culture. Surprise, surprise, somehow you can bring it back to birth control.

Women, are naturally drawn to masculinity when they are fertile. Since hormonal contraceptives confuse the body into thinking the woman is pregnant, she doesn't respond to the chemical signals in the masculine man as she normally would. Thus, the rise of the metrosexual. Women on birth control, are actually physically attracted to men with less hair on their chest. The study raises a lot of interesting questions looking at everything from how this affects relationships, to the health of offspring (turns out we are naturally attracted to men with immune systems that complement ours).

See the entire article here: The Tricky Chemistry of Attraction

Dare to Veil? Or not!

Last May, during our 1st dress dare, I wrote a blog on the chapel veil on daring to don a mantilla in mass. While I suggested this tradition as a way of exploring one's femininity in the presence of the Eucharist, I spoke of how it has not been mentioned since the 1917 Code of Canon Law. It has been debated, mostly since Vatican II, whether it is still required of women to veil or not.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, basically the Church's Supreme Court Justice, has spoken on the matter, quite clearly. Recently, a woman wrote him directly, asking for clarification on this issue. He responded:

“Thank you for your letter …The wearing of a chapel veil for women is not required when women assist at the Holy Mass according to Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. It is, however, the expectation that women who assist at the Mass according to the Extraordinary Form cover their heads, as was the practice at the time that the 1962 Missale Romanum was in force. It is not, however a sin to participate in the Holy Mass according to the Extraordinary Form without a veil.”

So there it is. If you are in Tridintine Mass (Extraordinary Form), it is expected that you wear a veil, but in the ordinary form, do whatever you like! If you do desire to wear a veil, there is a real dare to veil campaign going on, interestingly enough!

The Beauty of Dresses

Since the last dress dare, I have only worn jeans a handful of times without a tunic type shirt, and otherwise, it's been skirts and dresses. I felt very convicted to stick with it when the dare ended. Since last May, I have also completed a pregnancy, and lost the baby weight (I think, I try to avoid the scale). Each of the few times that I put on pants without a long shirt/dress over, I found myself so insecure, so self-conscious.

I was so aware of how big my hips, thighs, waist, were. I was perfectly healthy, and either pregnant, or post-partum, but I felt so guilty every time I put on my jeans. I fit in my pre-pregnancy jeans a few months after delivering our 2nd child, but nonetheless, even though they fit my waist, I was more aware of any weight gain in my bum, or otherwise. In my dresses and skirts, I didn't notice the slight changes that might occur on a day to day basis from the holiday treats, or a busy week without time for workouts.

I have come to realize that for me, jeans are the devil's playground. It may not be that way for all women, but for me, that is what this dare made me realize in the last year, so I am doing my best to avoid them altogether. The Lord wants us to know that our beauty lies within our soul, not in our physique, and as long as we're healthy, and caring for our temple, then we have nothing to worry about. I am wearing my dresses and skirts because they help me stay focused on true beauty. Pay attention this month, and see if you notice a difference when you look in the mirror.

Peace

I logged on to my facebook account yesterday and felt a knot form in my stomach when reading the status comments all over my news-feed.   USA "Chants" and celebratory comments such as "Take that Bin Laden" were everywhere.

As relieved as I am to be rid of the threat that this man posed to so many people, it sickens me to see Americans on the news celebrating a person's death as though they just won a sporting event.  As somebody mentioned to me, it makes us no better than watching videos of Al Qaeda celebrate their victory of the 9-11 terrors.

Of course, the Church responded quickly, and I think that their statement sums it all up:

"In the face of a man's death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for further growth of peace and not hatred." 

(Vatican, May 2, 2011)

I also enjoyed this post on the National Catholic Register.  "Let's pray"...

Dressed for the Sacrament

It is hard to host a dress dare without mentioning THE gown that everybody is talking about this week.  Needless to say, I won't shock anyone by stating that it is one of the most beautiful wedding dresses the public eye has seen lately!

A little over three years ago, I was searching for a wedding dress, and was utterly surprised by the lack of options.  Although I realize that it has become common to get married outdoors (or wherever you want) in the past years, I assumed that since many brides still do get married in Churches, appropriate gowns would be available somewhere!  Sleeves like Kates' were definitely not an option in most bridal boutiques, and even finding a gown with straps was a challenge!  The endless racks of designer wedding dresses all resembled a white version of the (strapless) party-dress-- definitely not something to wear while receiving my vocation sacrament in front of our Lord's tabernacle.

I ended up finding a gown that I loved for my reception-- and my mom sewed a beautiful bolero for me to wear during our marriage ceremony.  It is funny because looking back, I love the photos of my gown with the bolero more than without!

Why is it that Catholic brides are not covering up their shoulders in Churches these days is definitely a question that I wonder often.  Perhaps we haven't been loud enough about asking designers to give us more modest options.  Nevertheless,  I have much hope that all of the positive response about Kate's dress will start providing brides with alternatives to the tube top.

Dress Dare 2011!

Here we go!

The Official Rules are:

Wear dresses and skirts throughout the month of May.

Exceptions:  Snoozing {zzz} and Exercising.

Honor Mary, grow closer to Jesus.

Be beautiful--- be YOU!

Leave comments or email DefiningBeautyBlog@gmail.com to let us know how it is going!