laura emily

fresh cherry cobbler with amaretto liqueur?

heck yeah. Recipe is from here.
I added 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon & 1/2 tsp of vanilla to the filling.
i used a strong liqueur so I added 2 tsp. instead of a full tablespoon.
goodness. Divine.
it was terribly difficult to not cut in while I waited for Tyler's flight from Texas. It was his welcome home treat and apparently a test of willpower for my self-control. I took the picture just in case if I needed to prove to him that there was, at one time, a welcome home treat for him. Fortunately I won the battle, and Tyler showed up with vanilla ice cream. Oh, be still my heart. That man, I love him so. :)

don't forget- tomorrow's the massive giveaway post! Just leave a comment on tomorrow's post to enter the drawing. There will be 3 winners!

this moment

preparing for the massive giveaway for this Sunday. And holy cow, it is massive! :)
don't forget to come back July 1st, to add your comment on Sunday's post for a chance to win over 20 prodcuts (I keep adding to the packages- it's more like 30 now!) and the opportunity to join the 10 Day Fast virtual woman's group for this August. I'm drawing three random winners- so share the news with your friends so they have a chance to win too! 

"i make awesome pie"

I’m in a weird place.
And let me clarify, that ‘place’ is freaking awesome. Joyful even.

life is such a crazy and beautiful adventure, it’s a shame we wrap ourselves cozy
with so much doubt and fear all the time. I wonder what I could get done if I
was living out life joyfully instead of living out worried drenched moments, one
after another?

To be honest, these past few months have scared the living crap out of me. Living out joy was hard- and I failed miserably most days.

You see-

I’ve played the piano for the past twenty years. I’ve taught off and on for the past ten. And this blend of numbness and cluster headaches has taken the ability to pluck of my favorite tunes from me. And it scares. The. Crap. Out. Of. Me. So much so that I pretty much stayed in bed for two weeks straight. No showers. No teeth brushing. Lots of tears. Lots of snot. And countless prayers that consisted almost entirely of swear words. It wasn’t just about the seeing my favorite hobby, outlet and creation slip from me. It was about losing my ability to function. Remember my plate throwing action when it all started? That was intentional. The countless cups, mugs, and bowls since then have been from my inability to hold on to anything. This numbness makes me feel like I’m giving up my humanity card.

All we are certain about is that I’m dealing with a neurological disease. 6 doctors said we’re looking at MS, but when the neurologist asked me to come in for a few tests, we put on the breaks. No. I don’t need to ‘name’ this. And I don’t need to medicate myself to maintain what you claim is incurable. What I need is to get back to basics and address the underlining fear I’ve got going on here.

And what is that fear?

I sell, preach, coach holistic living…and I am struggling with the second
disease of my life. How do I have any validity in anything I say?

So this is the coat I’ve been wearing tightly. Thick fur keeping me closed and sweatin under the sun. Keeping me from living out a joyful life. I feel like I keep pulling up the covers- layers and layers of doubt, fear and shame. But it doesn’t serve me anymore. It’s time to shed, streak, and yes…shave my legs because dang, I can barely notice a difference between my leg and the husband’s.

Being naked and opening up again is a weird place. But
goodness, joy is always a better answer than bitterness, don’t you think?

I’m starting with self affirmations:

Laura Emily? You may not be able to play the piano right now, but dang, you
make a freaking awesome pie. And yes, you can’t taste it, and yes, you burned
your hand on the pan several times and cut your finger when the knife slipped-
but heck woman, that pie looked awesome. Joyfully delicious.

What does your life look like when you drop the doubt, shame and fear? 

massive giveaway coming up!

Maybe it's because I'm starting to feel better. Or perhaps it's the summer air, burning about. Either way, I decided it was time to put together a Massive Giveaway- with over 20 product samples from Good Earth Living to 3 lucky winners. And while we're at it, let's put in a free pass to the 10 Day Fast, if the 3 winners feel called to join the wild pack of women who getting ready to peel back some layers and do some serious soul work.
When: Starts July 1st, winners announced July 4th
Where: RIGHT HERE! Yay!
How: to enter, all you gotta do is leave a comment on the July 1st Massive Giveaway post. I'll tally up the comments and use a random generator to draw the winners.

Full products & Samples of the following are up for grabs:

(Winner has the choice if they'd like to join the 10 Day Fast group of women)

As well as 2 original oil blends (which will be available to everyone else later this summer!)
Samples of Detox & Lavender clay mask.
A sample of Spirulina! Woohoo!
1 ounce of dried organic Lavender.
1 ounce of dried dandelion leaves (yummy tea that gives you fabulous skin and happy tummy)
1 Anise Seed Lip balm (yum).
Sample of Soap Nuts (enough for 5 loads of laundry!) as well as an organic alternative to dryer sheets.

And naturally, much more!

check back on July 1st to enter, and share the joy.

xo, laura emily

garlic & sage homemade crackers.

rainy afternoon demands a homemade 'something.'
this time it was garlic & sage crackers.  

all the hard surfaces are covered with a thin layer of flour.
....worth it.  

life & death

 

Life & Death cycle. 

Summer demands strawberry rhubarb pie. 
In the end, I wasn't very impressed by the recipe.
I left it overnight to cool down before cutting into it, and it was a runny mess.
Tongue didn't complain, though. It still hit the mark.
Naturally, when a pie doesn't come out right, I go on a pie-baking-binge to get it perfected.
The summer of haunting Apple Pie incident is burned into our memories (apple pie every other day, no joke)- and now that I have my apple pie recipe nailed and perfected, I remembered I don't even like apple pie.

Before I go off on another pie baking obsession to get. it. right- do you have a recipe you can swear by?  

kitty stew

I couldn't sleep last night so I got up and discovered that Cedar found a new bed, my dutch oven. 
Sleep Kitty stew: seven pounds of cuteness, one cup of attitude. Marinate overnight.
Goodness, I love her. And Big Bertha, the dutch oven. :) 

solstice

Our summer solstice was quiet and thoughtful. We burned herbs, said prayers, and I made a massive list of what I'd like to do with canning this summer. I made another list- a hard one to make. A "what are we going to get rid of" list. Tyler & I have a itching to sell/goodwill/giveaway everything we own. Granted everything might not be everything- but all of our furniture and 90% of the rest made it to the list. Cleaning out. Pulling what serves in. It's a brutal process, but I can see all this open space and room for growth opening up. Ideas. Words. Laughter. And perhaps, just maybe, a couch I actually like. 

When I was in the midst of recovering these past few months, a lovely handful of women sent me treat after treat, including a large bounty of special stones and rocks they've collected over the years so I could make my own medicine wheel of sorts. So, under the first sun of summer, I planted blueberries and constructed my circle- grateful for the hands that brought them. Love it. 

While I'm finishing up lists, what should I absolutely not miss out on in the world of canning this summer? Everyone has their own favorite fruits/veggies to fill in jars. What's yours? 

summer solstice sale & fire blends

bringing in summer with a solstice sale- 40% off, June 20-21st with the code: SOLSTICE2012

After I posted a picture here on the blog of our sacred fire practice, Michelle encouraged me to put together some blends we commonly use for others to enjoy over at the shop. We do fires here often, in a firepit on the back porch. It's a personal practice of releasing or prayer. I always dress them up with herbs and dried flowers- an offering of prayer, meditation or intention. I've put together some of my favorite blends with different intentions up on the shop today- enjoy!

 

REQUEST Fire blend:

BLESSING Fire Blend:

 

RELEASE Fire Blend:

 

HEALING Fire Blend:

 

GRATITUDE Fire Blend (this is also the blend I use to sprinkle daily while giving thanks)

 

SELF LOVE Fire Blend:

CUSTOM Fire Blend (choose up to 5 herbs/flowers)

GROW Fire Blend

all fire blends are packaged in 1-2 ounces. Larger portions can be made. :)
Feel free to ask me to add something or subtract something to a specific blend.
you can learn more about their set intentions and blends over at the shop.
Don't forget to take 40% off with the code SOLSTICE2012 (code can be used on the fast group too!)
naturally, we'll be doing a fire today. Solstice hot.  
how are you and your family bringing in the summer? 

all things grow.

Summer is dancing about.
Finally and suddenly.
I was flipping through images of the past few months when I came across the above picture. You see, I have this little index card that is stitched with fabric and stuffed with these dried goodies collected, and a single slip of paper of the one word that picked me for 2012. During our last 10 Day Fast group, GROW was my intention- we made visual representations of our intention and I’ve kept mine on the bed stand since. While the seeds were planted, summer brought heat and trials, forcing roots to expand and hang on.

Just when I thought I could breathe again, I felt a wave deep within me pushing me forward. Demanding that I grow once again.

Expand more.
Step out further.
speak up louder.
Create. Clean out. Renew.  

and fast. Fast to make room for something new to grow. 

Registration for the summer session of the 10 Day Fast is open and boiling hot.
Old friends. New Friends. Women circling together in one drum beat. 
I want to invite you to take a look- pull on the concept and see how it feels.
This isn’t a fast from solid food- but it could be. This isn't a spiritual fast. But it might be for you. 
It’s just 10 days. Set apart and made sacred giving up something- tv. Spending money. Speaking negative thoughts. And yes, maybe food if the Wild Self demands it. A crazy and wild group of women circling together- chest open wide, words on the lips; growing, in whatever way we must or desire.

we all have something to sow. 

Join me, friend?