After my husband and I married, we conceived our first baby girl! Her name is Esmée Frances Marie Smith. Esmée means beloved, & Frances is in honor of St. Padre Pio's Baptismal name, Francesco, as well as our dear friend who has this same middle name.

Around 8 weeks into the pregnancy, the Lord welcomed our sweet little one home, and she is now the patron saint of our family. St. Esmée. After Esmée went home to the Lord, I started Pietá Paperie, naming the business after the Blessed Mother. Having just lost my child, I felt a connection to the Blessed Mother in Michelangelo's Pietà masterpiece as she too held her child after His passion and death.

I love how her expression is one of profound serenity and acceptance, knowing that the Lord had permitted this to happen. In the midst of her many sorrows and pangs of grief, she surrendered everything to the Lord because He is good.

I designed the original Pietà Paperie logo with the lily shortly after I started the shop. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I would later give birth to another baby girl named Lily. It wasn't until months after we chose Lily's name that the Lord revealed this blessed connection to me. Lily means "hope of the resurrection". How great is our God?!

For a long time, I honestly wasn't sure how to pronounce Pietà Paperie with the first part being Italian and the second part being French. Paperie means "paper maker" in french. I LOVE both Italy and France oh so much. However, I'm from Philly, so I just call it "pee-ay-duh paper-ee", but it's really up to your preference & accent. After all, I really didn't choose the name. The Lord gave it to us. Welcome to Pietà Paperie! :)