The 2019 Catholic Women in Business Gift Guide

“Workers, owners, managers, stockholders and consumers are moral agents in economic life. By our choices, initiative, creativity and investment, we enhance or diminish economic opportunity, community life and social justice” (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops).

Here at Catholic Women in Business, our mission is to provide Catholic women business owners, entrepreneurs, and business leaders with the educational and spiritual resources they need to excel in their vocations to business. We see business as a vehicle for evangelization and renewal within our Church, and we believe that as a community, we can bolster one another to set the world on fire.

With that in mind, we’re excited to announce our 2019 Gift Guide! We compiled a list of businesses owned by Catholic women you can support this Advent and Christmas. 

Many of the products are Catholic-themed and make great devotionals or daily reminders of your faith. We hope you enjoy! 

APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES

Founded by Erica Tighe Campell, Be a Heart creates textiles, apparel, accessories, party goods, art prints, and award-winning caligraphy. Its mission is to “‘be a heart’ for oneself and others through real life stories, beauty and lifestyle products that model hope and light in the midst of personal and social darkness, leading to the transformative experience of being raised up and loved by God’s own Heart.”

Come Holy Spirit Rosaries, owned by Jessica Dixon, sells handmade custom and premade Catholic rosaries, chaplets, and jewelry.

At Eardrop Co., Sabrina Wujek’s earrings are inspired by the flowers in Marian gardens. Each month, she selects a charity to support with a portion of her proceeds.

Run by a husband/wife team, Kindred Forest Co.’s sustainable wood saint medals are aimed at creating “a new narrative about Saints – one that brings them into our everyday lives in the most pure kind of friendship: friendship that desires the best good – God – for everyone involved.”

Relics by Rose combines vintage elements and modern designs for religious jewelry for both women and men.

Products sold by Small Things Great Love, including bracelets and rosaries, are inspired through prayer and the creator’s desire to share her Catholic faith through beautiful items.

Carrie Khodanian was looking for “dainty, lovely jewelry that didn’t break the budget” and decided to start making it herself. Her shop, Stella & Tide, sells jewelry inspired by the Little Way of St. Thérèse.

The owner of Wild Things Adventures is a mother of seven who moved with her family in 2013 to a more rural home. She sells outdoors accessories and jewelry as well as a monthly subscription box of nature activities.

FOR THE HOME

Elayne Miller started Annunciation Designs in 2015, naming it after Gabriel’s visit to Mary. She sells hand-lettered greeting cards and other goods, with the goal of bringing the sacred into the everyday. Don’t miss her St. Escriva mug!

Books Faith Life Shop sells prints, mugs, and totes with inspirational quotes to help customers “keep meaningful ideas front and center.”

Lauren Winter started Brick House in the City “out of a desire to love and serve fellow Catholic women.” Her t-shirts are evangelization opportunities, and her home goods are “for Catholic women who want to be a light of Christ in their own little corner of the world.”

Named for Blessed Delphina and St. Rose of Lima, Delphina Rose Art sells prints and coloring pages inspired by the saints. The owner, Rebecca Górzyńska, also has a YouTube channel with Gregorian chant.

Artist Holly Guertin’s work has been commissioned by institutions including the Savannah College of Art and Design. Through her business, Ernie and Irene, she creates “meaningful pieces for beautiful spaces.”

Marie Heimann taught herself to watercolor as a way to cope with a condition called pregnancy prurigo. Now, through her business, Fawnly, she sells prints, mugs, blankets and pillows, and other home and paper goods to help her customers find peace and stillness. (The name is inspired by Psalm 42:2, “As the deer longs for streams of water, so my sou longs for you, O God.”)

Happy Nest Homegoods sells embroidered and beaded goods aimed at encouraging “everyday holiness” in its customers’ homes.

Through her business, Jen Olson Illustration, Jennifer Olson says she hopes to “create fun and playful pieces customized to everyone, so that they may enjoy them as much as I enjoy creating them.”

Melissa Willett is a painter who works on commission and whose art is inspired by“the lusciousness of the natural world.”

Nichole Lanthier is a singer, songwriter, and artist whose mission is “to create art that moves the heart closer to God.”

Inspired by a desire to “shine a little light on the world” (the name means “a bit of light” in Italian), Piccolo Di Luce sells pocket oratories, rosary cases, prayer blankets, coffee sleeves, and more.

Donating a portion of its proceeds to the Marian Fathers, Prints of Mercy sells prints with quotes from St. Faustina and other Divine Mercy themes.

Catholic Women in Business’ creative director, Remilla Ty, is a talented (if we do say so ourselves) artist inspired by the saints. She designs everything in her home — often surrounded by her children.

Inspired by flower theology and Marian gardens, Rose Harrington Art began as Hatch Prints, a hand lettering and art shop, and now sells botanical rosary art and paper and ceramic hand-lettered goods.

“The saints have pioneered a path for us to follow and their words speak of love, faith, and holiness,” says Ali Towle of Saint Script. “Whether we hang these words on our walls, or give them as a gift, we are reminded of their wisdom and beauty.”

At Schroeder Stitchery, Kelly Schroeder sells custom cross-stitch portraits and hand embroidery inspired by Catholicism and books.

Rachel Schmitz is an artist who sells portraits as well as Tolkien-themed art “for the hobbit at heart” through Southfarthing Studio.

Created to help her transition to being a stay-at-home mom, Studio Senn sells Kortnee Senn’s artwork as prints, stickers and clings, cards, pins, and other items.

Jessica is a Catholic mom who blogs about Catholic faith and adoption and sells printable art through her shop, Sweet Little Ones.

Tianna Williams is a painter who hopes that her work, through tiSPARK, “will bless you and bring a little bit of beauty back into the world.”

Donating 10% of its proceeds to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter to support seminarians, with joyful heart sells decals for laptops, vehicles, mugs, and other objects.

FOR THE KIDDOS

Hair Bows 4 Life sells hair bows and bowties and gives at least 20% of each sale to the pro-life community. The owner also runs Mighty Precious Feet, a girls empowerment and enrichment program.

Created by three friends, Lilies & Loaves sells children’s clothing, bonnets and prints, using “hand drawn designs to convey stories of those lives: stories of virtue, courage, and love.”

Help children grow up accustomed to having their faith part of their daily lives; Little Praying Hands sells teething rosaries and clothing for children.

Russell Sprouts Kids “is an online home and shop for those who are looking to feel inspired and excited about creating beautiful and flourishing surroundings for children.” The owner, Hannah, also works with clients to organize, redo, or decorate children’s rooms.

Started in 2013 as a hobby, Trendzilly is now an online shop selling ready-made and custom saint dolls and party printables.

BOOKS AND JOURNALS

Catholic Mothers is an apostolate in the U.K. inspired by the femininity of the Blessed Mother. Its shop sells stationery, dolls, rosaries, decor, and accessories, and the organization also sells a planner and stickers for Catholic moms.

Created by former college roommates, Every Sacred Sunday sells Mass journals. Its mission “is to invite each person into deeper relationship with Christ by creating spiritual resources inspired by the beauty of the Catholic Church.”

Lisa Fahey is an author, speaker, and publisher who has led multiple Bible studies for women and small groups and serves in middle and high school youth ministry at her parish. Through Lisa Fahey Ministry, she sells Bible studies and books for women.

MULTIPLE CATEGORIES

Aleesa McCarthy began illustrating saints for her children and then created My Little Patron to sell her saint-themed coloring books, printables, stickers, tote bags, bibs, blankets, and more.

BenedictaBoutique started as a veil shop but has expanded into other devotional items, such as printable art. Its mission is “to give glory to God by lovingly and skillfully crafting affordable devotional products that lift souls world-wide to contemplating the true, the beautiful and the good.”

Employing more than 12 part-time makers and eight full-time leadership team members — all Catholic women — Chews Life sells silicon teething rosaries and gemstone rosary bracelets.

“For when your fandom is a Liberal Arts degree,” Elisa Low’s Door Number 9 combines several of her interests, including science, fandoms, history, and Catholicism.

Kidderbug Creations tries to help each customer find “the perfect gift,” including custom memory pillows created from loved ones’ clothing. “Maybe there is no such thing as the ‘perfect gift,’” says owner Anne Kidder, “but I want to help you find that ‘perfect gift moment.’”

Inspired by St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Little Way Design Co.’s mission “is to create and make available beautiful designs that enrich and support the journey of faith of Catholics (and our fellow Christians too!).” Products include apparel, Mass bags for children, coffee mugs, rosary pouches, and other home goods.

The mission of Live Today Well Collective “is to encourage women to fully and purposefully reorient their hearts daily towards the Lord.” The organization donates 10% of the profits from its books, journals, and home accessories to Catholic Charities. Catholic Women in Business managing editor Taryn Oesch is a member of the Live Today Well Collective VOICES team.

Ginny Kochis is a homeschooling mom of “differently wired” children and an author. Her “Made for Greatness” is a growth mindset journal for children ages eight and older, and “To Hear His Voice” is a children’s Mass journal.

At Meaningful Market, Michelle Benzinger and Annie Theby “want to create a place where the artist, storyteller, & world changer come together to create for an unbelieving world.” They select organizations to give 15% of their sales to in what they call their “Give Back Program.” (Don’t miss their line of Narnia-inspired products!)

Jean Schoonover-Egolf is the author of several children’s books, including “Molly McBride and the Purple Habit,” about a little girl who wants to be a nun when she grows up.

No Heart Untouched sells “gifts for the faithful person in your life,” including wrap rosary bracelets, mugs, hoodies, stickers, and “My Little Mass Bags” for children.

Owned by the same woman who runs Kindred Forest Co., Pink Salt Riot aims to help “women to bring the best of their faithful intentions into their everyday life through high quality handmade items” such as jewelry, home decor, and stickers.

Prayer Wine Chocolate is a Catholic blog focused on faith and adoption. The blogger, Amy Brooks, also created a journal for girls ages nine and up called “Be Yourself!”.

Rakhi McCormick started Rakstar Designs as a photography studio, but her business has evolved, as she says, as her “adventures in the creative process ebb and flow their way through time and space.”

The Rooted Mom was inspired by Ephesians 3:14-19 and four Fs: faith, family, femininity, and fellowship. Owner Emily Ripperger sells apparel for women and children, stickers and magnets, and home decor.

SaongJai, which means “two hearts” in Thai and is named for its dedication to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, takes custom orders for rosaries, jewelry, crucifixes and other Catholic products.

The name Telos Art Shop was inspired by the Greek τέλος meaning purpose or goal, and the shop’s goal is to help customers “live for your telos through inspired beauty,” including jewelry, prints, and accessories.

Thy Olive Tree sells modern Catholic baby (and beyond) memory books to record both faith and developmental milestones from birth to age 18.