On a recent research trip overseas, Kh. Krista visited San Marcos in Venice, Italy, a church adorned with looted Byzantine art and iconography. In doing so, she was really hit by the magnitude of the loss of Constantinople, which prompted a reflection on beauty and the sublime. …

In a world of the unreal, Kh. Krista meditates on the "real" stuff of the Church. …

Work got you down? Take a few minutes to hear how work can refresh you. …

As a Christmas gift to her listeners, Kh. Krista reads The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde. …

Ever thought of your spiritual peace as a weapon? Kh. Krista has! …

In the Orthodox Church, beauty is more than skin deep. Kh. Krista explains why. …

Kh. Krista reads her article, "The Community of Joy." …

Kh. Krista completes the first chapter of her book on the origins and traditions of Orthodox Vestments. …

Kh. Krista gives some advice on getting ready for Holy Week. …

Are you prepared for Lent? Kh. Krista gives some tips. …

With this podcast, Kh. Krista continues reading from her book on Orthodox vestments, discussing the ancient garments of Greece and Rome and their transformation into Orthodox Christian liturgical dress. …

With this podcast, Kh. Krista continues reading from her book on Orthodox vestments, discussing the ancient garments of Greece and Rome and their transformation into Orthodox Christian liturgical dress. …

Kh. Krista contemplates the differences between Mary and Martha, in light of making Arabic pastries. …

With this podcast, Kh. Krista continues reading from her book on Orthodox vestments, discussing the ancient garments of Greece and Rome and their transformation into Orthodox Christian liturgical dress. …

Kh. Krista begins reading from her book-in-progress on the origins and traditions of Orthodox vestments. …

Kh. Krista explains how our lives can change when we change our vision. …

Kh. Krista encourages us to put down the service books and enter more fully into this year's Lenten services. …

Getting ready for both a new baby and a new book on vestments has Kh. Krista thinking about preparation in general. …

Kh. Krista discusses the importance and joy of hard work. …

As part of a disciplined life, Kh. Krista discusses the place occupied by balance, eikonimia, and rest. …

Is almsgiving just about money? Kh. Krista explores how almsgiving teaches us to let go. …

Kh. Krista presents fasting as a gift and a skill. …

In part two of her series on leading a more disciplined life, Kh. Krista looks at the traditional discipline of prayer. …

How do we lead a disciplined life? Part one of a series on discipline. …

How good are you at going with the flow? Can you "abase and abound," as St. Paul mentions in Philippians? Kh. Krista uses her experience making cassocks to consider this topic. …

Is knitting a dying art? …

Khouria Krista compares the Lenten journey to learning to ski. …

How to take your schedule down a notch in preparation for Great Lent. …

Christ charms us into His kingdom, says Khouria Krista West, and this is nowhere more evident than in the physical manifestation of beauty within the Church. …

Khouria Krista West explains the origins of Bishops' vestments. …

On the list of 7 deadly sins in the Bible, the 5th one is Gluttony. In a society where we are often denied nothing, how do we as Orthodox Christians face this issue head on? Kh. Krista has a very personal experience to share with us today. …

Kh. Krista muses on Christmas, preparation, twinkly lights and priorities as we draw closer to Christmas day. …

Today, Kh. Krista lets us in on her planning and final completion of her new workshop where ecclesiastical vestments are made. …

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Today Kh. Krista celebrates the laborer who works with his or her hands in a day of automation and machinery. …

Kh. Krista takes us into her workshop where she is working on some unique and unusual cutting projects. …

Today Kh. Krista reads a fascinating and instructive article from the Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies about Byzantine iconography compared to western art. …

Kh. Krista reflects on the relationship between work and true contentment. …

The Bible says we are to pray without ceasing. But does that include when we have a paint brush in our hand? …

Kh. Krista imagines an Orthodox world where our priorities favor the beauty of our Temples rather than the beauty of our cars. …

Some thoughts on the clutter in our lives and how it affects our spiritual state. …

Kh. Krista gives a farewell to her house and muses on what homes and beauty mean. …

Kh. Krista shares her thoughts on wearing your Sunday best. …

Since today is Holy Friday, Kh. Krista takes a departure from her usual topics of vestments and beauty in the Church and gives a meditation on motherhood and death. …

Kh. Krista discusses the use of color in vestments. …

Kh. Krista gives some reflections on the prayer of St. Ephraim from a tailor's point of view. 16:09 …

Kh. Krista explores the various reasons that beauty is important in the Church. …

In this podcast, Kh. Krista explains step-by-step how vestments are made, from the very first phone call to the finished garments. …

Kh. Krista walks us through her journey and experiences that brought her to the world of ecclesiastical tailoring. …

Kh. Krista continues her informative tour paying particular close attention to what the Deacon and Priest are wearing. Don't miss her perspective on the importance of the beauty of the fabric close to the end! …

Today we walk through the temple and learn about the fabrics, vestments and colors that we encounter. This is part 1 of our tour. …

In this episode Kh. Krista gives us some history on the use of the cassock and shares her opinion on how it should be used today. …

Kh. Krista gives a helpful perspective on current cassock usage in the US and the modern history of clerical dress in America since the 1950s. …