laura emily

connect the dots.

I don't care what the husband says, my unicorn is better than his portrait of our overweight cat, Josef. 

....even though my unicorn head looks more like a rhino. 

leap day discount & giveaway winner

I used the True Random Number Generator to draw a random giveaway winner: 

Tracey said...

Happy St. Valentine's Day to you Laura Emily! This is a fantastic giveaway, thank you so much!

Yay! Thank you everyone who participated. (I'm emailing you right now, Tracey!). 

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Happy Leap Day!
Take 29% off over at Green Earth Living today only with the code: LEAPDAY29

(Last day to sign up for the 10 Day fast! We have an awesome group of women embarking on this adventure, taking up this practice to clean out the mental and physical clutter. Several are fasting from meat, others cooked foods, some sugar- while some are fasting from solids all together. I'm loving it!)

terribly lovely life.

thanks for the love on the last post. 

trust me, I'm more than ok.
Life is terribly lovely right now; just unraveling themes and moments as I go- and that is good. 
It's a process we all have to take up from time to time.
I refuse to look back and say I didn't live abundantly- and that requires a lot of releasing and adjusting.
Just moving through a lot of changes. But I've got me some good anchors, and a good man. 
and some really lovely blogger-friends, so thank you.  :)
also had the chance to run errands with my close friend, grabbing good food in-between.
she's doing the 10 Day Fast; so it was nice to 'feast' with another before we strip away the junk.
I had greasy pub fries with the best ruby ale on earth. 
here's to health, right?  

today is the last day to enter the giveaway.  
I'd like to give you a time where I'll draw a winner tomorrow morning, but I'm going to take advantage of these childless years and sleep in until the sun begs me out.

in other news: does anyone have some good music suggestions? I've been listening to the same song on repeat for days now. I need to mix things up.  

(ps: congrats mom and dad on your 31st anniversary! You two are marriage rockstars). 

medicine for the soul.

I’m filtering in and out of my thoughts at an hourly rate, it seems.

Folding over into countless to-do lists, folding in, expanding out. Who knows anymore?

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind. I’m just adjusting to not knowing where my next step will fall.

Do you ever go through this? Pulled but unsure where the rope tide around your ankles and wrist came from? I’m never sure about the origin; I just follow the tug, endlessly so. Honestly, it burns a lot of energy for nothing.

so when everything unravels so terribly so, I’m grateful for the little gestures.

Good music. 

Good words.

Good art.

Good food.

Good movie.

Good reminders.

Good medicine.

Good prayers, that are for me alone. 

And this good man, who continues to let me beat him at cribbage, cry and laugh in the same sentence without judgement, and holds my hand when I’m not sure what I’m doing.

…which is always. That’s how I roll, I guess. Blind but trusting the disappearing ground will catch me. 

ps: this is the only real photo I have of our living room wedding. It was a hard day for us. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to make everyone happy, even if it means you won't be- which believe me, I think is total crap, but at the time it was important to me to have my partner with me, so we jumped through all the hoops anyone threw our way. He kept giving me this little reassuring smile all through the night that grounded me so...forget the vows, this unspoken promise has carried us through. A promise that we're in it together, and with humor. So I tossed out the rest and kept this one photo I wanted....well, and the one where we're leaving. :) 

he keeps shooting me the same smile these days. How could you not when your wife is bawling and laughing in the same minute because she spilled her starbucks coffee all over herself in the drive-thru yet again? I need to remember to hand money over separately from grabbing the drink.... 

so, that's where I'm at. Holding on to these medicines for my soul, and this strange mister who actually sticks with me while I dive in deep- several directions at once. 

what about you?  What are your anchors these days? I could use a few more. :)

{ this moment }

blogshare via soulemama.

I know, Cedar doll....I know. 

(last week to enter the giveaway package which includes an organic beeswax bar, dried lavender, organic lavender tincture and some secret goodies I'll slip in. Winner will be announced Feb. 29th- Leap Day. Also, last week to sign up for the March 10 Day Fast. I'm so giddy for it to start, it's ridiculous. Some women in the group are doing a fast from all liquids; others are participating in a raw-food or vegan diet for the 10 days. Some are fasting from sugar or processed foods, while others are putting together a blend of all the above! I'm loving it. Time to detox the body & and pull up some soul work! Shoot me a msg. at 10dayfast@gmail.com if you'd like me to answer any questions you might have before joining the group. Hope to see you there!). 

broth, and then some.

The common cold has been dancing around here in Southwest Washington. Along with keeping up with a daily dosage of Echinacea, I've been making pot after pot of nutrient rich broths to boost our immune system. We've been using the broth to make zuppa toscana, rosemary chicken and dumplings, and good ol' chicken noodle soup. I throw in whatever veggies we have on hand -with lots of handfuls of kale and spinach- bring it to a boil, and then simmer for several hours to extract all the rich nutrients. I've always made our own broths, but never thought of increasing broth-based meals during flu-season. So far, so good. Do you have a favorite homemade broth recipe or tip? I'd love to know.  

In other news, I said I would share a photo of the rose oil & perfume later in the week to show what it looks like. Here is the rose oil:

its sweet floral scent is lovely, yet still faint, so it will continue to steep with daily shakings. 

The rose perfume is coming along lovely, though it will be continue to sit for a bit longer as well. The grain alcohol has been stripping the rich red rose petals of their color, which is exactly what I wanted to see. 

The perfume is developing a lovely pink hue, which will deepen over the week. I also started some lily perfume which smells absolutely divine. I can't wait for it to finish through the process so I can start wearing it.

When it comes time to strain and filter them, I'll do another post showing my method. It's a flexible process, using what you have on hand, but I know it's beneficial to visually see the steps to complete the project with more confidence. 

I’m starting another batch of Lavender as it has been gobbled up over at the shop. Simple floral perfumes, linen sprays, room mists just seem to brighten any day. Just what I need during this rain season. 

lentfest

today is Fat Tuesday. I'm currently munching on a chocolate chip cookie as I type this. It's a horrible cookie, and it is kind of ruining my moment. But we're moving into Lent, and so I'm choosing to forgive this let-down-of-a-cookie, and then I'll flirt with the idea of having a second one. It is Fat Tuesday, after all.

Mr. husband & I lead an online Lent devotional over at LENTfest. This is our second year writing it. I spent the day removing the previous year's content to make room for the coming weeks. We're not your average Christians, and it's rare for us to call ourselves as such. We don’t attend a church or denomination, and don’t exactly fit into any category. We follow God in a way that's organic and true to us, and that doesn’t always reflect what our label tells us to believe. It comes with double-sided judgment. We're not Christian enough for the church-going Christians; and we represent all that is evil and wrong on this earth to the non-Christians. We don't mind though. We love God, so get over it. : )

Moving into Lentfest this year has been slow and thoughtful- I suppose the theme God has been scripting in our lives this past year. You're welcomed to take a peek, and follow along. My spirituality often bubbles up here in this space; I can't separate myself from it, but it's nice to have another format devoted to such topics. 

Whether you believe in (a)God or not, call yourself a Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, Muslim, Spiritualist, Catholic or Mormon, or nothing at all- Fat Tuesday is a day to embrace with feasting and treats. The Lenten season has something to offer for everyone.

even bad chocolate chip cookies.

xo. 

President's Day Sale

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today only, take 25% off your order at Good Earth Living. Considering I plan on naming one of my babes who will be sharing a certain President’s name (I’ll let you ponder which), I’m all for a President’s Day Sale. Code: emancipate1 …..(hinthint).

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Valentine's roses wilting? Don't toss them out. Make rose oil & perfume.

You'll be surprised how easy this really is. Any variety works- different colors lend different scents and properties. If your roses haven't started to wilt, but you'd like to make oil or perfume, roll or slightly crush them beforehand. This allows for more oil and scent to be extracted. If you skip this step, you'll be fine. 

First: fill jar up with roses (no need to pack them in there). Any size jar works. This method is very flexible. It's the folk method. Use what you have. Your roses don't fill the jar? Don't worry about it. Just mark where the rose petals fill to, and fill the jar to the line with oil or alcohol.

For oil: use carrier oil such as Jojoba or Sweet Almond Oil. I used Sweet Almond Oil here (left jar) because it doesn't leave a greasy touch. However the properties of Jojoba -which isn't really an oil- is very similar to the genetic makeup of our natural skin oil and is a great choice if you plan on using it for your skin.

For perfume: 80-100 proof grain alcohol. I like to use 100 proof vodka for my herbal projects because of the efficiency of extraction it lends, but 80 proof will suffice. Everclear (190 Proof) would be best, but it isn't legal in Washington State....although I could take a five minute drive to Oregon and pick some up, but who has five minutes?

Then: Once you fill your jar with oil or alcohol, give it a good shake. In fact, shake it daily. Once or twice a day. For the oil jar, ensure the roses are covered completely with the oil. Check it every few days. If the roses are not fully covered by the oil, they risk molding.

Oil Jar: let sit (while giving it a good shake daily) for up to 2 weeks. Then strain out the rose petals (you can do this after a day or two- strain when you enjoy the scent it has). Alternatively, after straining the mixture, you could add more roses, and repeat the process for a stronger scent if you so desire. You can use your oil for a body massage oil, to add to your bath for soft and silky skin, or to use in recipes for body lotions. Often I’ll add lavender, or sweet orange and patchouli essential oil to my rose oil for a lovely blend. Play around with your favorites.

Perfume: Like the oil, shake daily. Check the mixture every day to see if the scent is to your liking. The vodka will strip the roses of it's color, but don't worry about it. It's extracting all the goodies locked inside each petal. Let the mixture sit: A day, a week, two weeks, a month. Depends on what you like. Because I like the medicinal use, I steep it longer for a few weeks, but a day or two might suffice if your petals smell strong enough. Strain out the roses when you decide the mixture is strong enough. I like to strain with a sifter mesh, and then filter with a coffee filter over a jar to get out all the particles. This jar will create a lot of perfume because in the end you will want to add spring/distilled water to dilute it. Different recipes call for different ratios. I just like to play around with it until I get a lovely scent. Don’t worry about the specifics. Use your intuition to make a blend that smells lovely to you. Like the oil, often I’ll add some essential oils, or lavender extract (tincture) to my blend for expanded properties and scents. You can add your perfume to a spray mister (check Target or Walmart’s travel section for .99 cent bottles). The more water you dilute your perfume with, the better ‘air freshener’ or ‘linen spray’ it makes. I’ve been using a lavender mist spray on my pillow to help me sleep- it was made in a similar process (with a blend of dry herbs and lavender extract that was processed over 6 months. You can find that spray over at the shop).

Enjoy. Don’t get caught up in the specifics. Use your intuition. Create a blend that is unique and lovely for you. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I’ll be happy to clarify or help out.

I love having some lovely perfume and body oil made from roses given to me by my special Mister. All the more lovely. I'll post up some photos later this week of what the mixture looks like while it steeps. Remember to shake your goodies daily! The more you shake, the more you extract. 

disconnected, we grow.

I haven’t felt like myself this past week.

There is a lot going on in my head.

A lot going on between my hands.

Words being typed.

Wheels being turned. Rows being knitted.

Big wooden spoons being rotated around the winter stew.

But there is a big disconnect between my hands and lips.

I carry my heart and mind on my lips. Often wordless.

I’m not sure where the disconnect is. I just know that my roots were pulled out, and I’ve yet to replant them.

I had this ‘assignment’ of sorts this week to create a self portrait that reflected the Wisewoman for Soulodge. We were encouraged to use props or tools, to shine forth that Grandmother we are all capable of reflecting. I was struggling with the photo. Everything I took didn’t reflect wisdom. I was a disconnected pile of flesh, capable of bursting into tears at any moment. What kind of Wisewoman is that?

I had no photo to submit. And then I had a dream about this Grandmother who is resting quietly in these bones of mine. She was leaning over a pot of stew on a hot stove- just like I had been earlier that day. “Darling doll, just smile, smile, smile.”

and so...

Disconnected flesh. In a funk. 

Tears fresh.

Wordless. Smile, smile, smile. 

The wisdom there is simple and small. I can smile. I can live out joy. I can believe there is something more to these hands, these chores, these words and prayers.

I'm still in a funk, mind you. 

but all things grow. even me. even you. 
even during winter- ground frozen solid- with no taste at all.