My Wish to Mothers on Mother's Day

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by Rachel Macy Stafford of Hands Free Mama

For once, may those laugh lines look beautiful in the sun.
For once, may you allow yourself to come completely undone.

For once, may you note that your hair has its perks.
For once, may you feel like you’ve done enough work.

For once, may you be bored with not a damn thing to do.
For once, may you worry about no one but you.

For once, may you feel like your best IS good enough.
For once, may you know you don’t have to be so tough.

For once, may you feel like there is only one place you need to be.
For once, may your reflection hold the woman you’ve always wanted to see.

For once, may you feel like you don’t need to defend,
Your choices, your schedule, the emotions felt from within.

For once, may you decide that you are a good mother,
Breaking free from the guilt and shame that damage and smother.

For once, may you love yourself as much as they do,
You know, the adoring eyes of your children staring back at you.

Because it’s not the things you do, and it’s not the thing you say.
It’s not about bending over backwards and going out of your way.

It’s not about striving for fake perfection from head to toe.
It’s not about making homemade bouquets and moist cookie dough.

It’s about your love, bigger than a harvest moon.
It’s about your love, always showing up and never leaving too soon.

For once, may you feel the unconditional love you so freely give.
For once, may you grasp the beautiful life you’re meant to live.

And if you haven’t yet grasped it,
Keep reading,
Keep reading,
Until it finally sinks in. xo,Erin 

Strawberry Banana Chocolate Chip Oatcake

Strawberry season: one of my favorite parts of spring. 

McAdams Farm is where we like to pick strawberries locally.  My back might ache a bit after picking several baskets, but it's worth it to have these red, ripe beauties.

Besides eating the strawberries fresh and putting more away in the freezer, I also try to incorporate them into baked goods.
Here's a simple and delicious recipe utilizing strawberries that veers from the usual fare of shortcakes, pies, and the like. The original recipe was vegan and as long as you don't use honey (but I think honey is healthiest, so that's my first choice for a natural sweetener!), this recipe can remain vegan.  For those who are gluten intolerant, it can also be gluten-free if you use GF oats.

Strawberry Banana Chocolate Chip Oatcake

Inspired by Oh She Glow's Rustic Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Cake

Mix together in a medium bowl:
2 c. oatmeal flour (process old-fashioned rolled oats in a blender or food processer)
1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 c. of sucanat or brown sugar (or scant 1/2 c. of honey)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

In a small bowl, melt a 1/3 c. of coconut oil and add:
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Add wet ingredients into the dry, then fold in:
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1 c. sliced strawberries

Spoon batter into a greased 8" round pan and press into place. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes before slicing. Serves 8.

This is a very old-fashioned, country kind of cake and it can honestly even double as a treat for breakfast (I see no harm whatsoever in having a bit of chocolate for breakfast!)  It's moist, dense, sweet enough without going overboard, and a very satisfying way to enjoy spring's bounty of strawberries.

Enjoy!
-Erin



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May Giveaway!

Was hoping to post this giveaway yesterday but our day turned out to be non-stop busy.  And my little buddy had to get *four* shots at his kindergarten physical so he was in need of comforting yesterday evening.  My apologies for the delay!

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May.

It's my favorite month of the year!

Spring is here...

The strawberries are in season...

And sprouts are coming up in the garden...

To celebrate this beautiful time of year, the happy mood it puts me in, and all the exciting happenings going on here lately, a giveaway seemed in order!

All you have to do to enter is be a follower (via Linky Followers or Google Friend Connect on the right sidebar) or email subscriber via Feedburner, and leave a comment below sharing what you like best about this time of year. This giveaway is open to readers anywhere in the world!

Enter your email address to receive new posts from Carolina Country Living in your inbox:


Delivered by FeedBurner

And now for the May Giveaway items...

A candle of your choice from Harmony Farm Candles

A copy of the premiere/summer issue of Romantic Prairie Style magazine

A trio of lavender-filled sachets handmade by me from happy, floral Japanese quilting cottons

The sachets are approximately 3-1/2" square

And this paper bunting (made during last week's crafting spree) featuring 9 pennants in cottage florals, tiny polka dots, strawberries, and stripes, strung on light blue and white baker's twine

Each pennant is approximately 3" across and they are spaced about 2" apart. The spacing can be adjusted and the length of baker's twine is more than 5 feet long.

The May Giveaway runs through May 31st and the winner will be announced June 1st! 

Happy May!

-Erin

Want to enter some other May giveaways?

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Getting My Craft On (and a Peek of the Craft Room)

Hi everyone,

Hope your weekend has gone well! We went to a friend's birthday party last night and I'm so wishing I'd remembered to take my camera.

Our friend is working on an historically accurate restoration of an 1840 plantation home on 20 secluded acres east of Greensboro, NC. Being on the property felt like you'd stepped back in time. My husband went over early Saturday morning to help pit-cook half of a 350 lb. sow for the event, and Jacob and I joined him in the evening. We toured the house, walked the gorgeous property, rode mules, enjoyed a plethora of delicious food, and listened to live bluegrass music around a roaring bonfire. 'Twas a fun night!

Today, I've been piddling around the house, working a bit more on my craft room. I've made serious headway in this room in the last two weeks and I can finally see the light at the end of tunnel!   This was the chaos a month ago.

Now, look...you can see the floor!

What you can't see here is that I've organized, sorted, thrown away, and whipped this room into a much greater semblance of order.  Though the rest of my house is decorated in a more understated style, this room is colorful and happy with a vintage vibe.  Accents of aqua, red, and light blue, along with colorful artwork and Cath Kidston-type fabrics will abound.

Here are a few peeks of some of the details in the space.

My new sewing station is a white farm table; the planked top is wrapped in oilcloth

This is one of the soon-to-be-finished details: the space above the sewing station will be a gallery wall, filled with framed artwork and fabric in embroidery hoops

Finished candles reside in a chippy blue bookshelf--which has been thoroughly organized!

Added a little Cath Kidston love to my blue desk

Though I'm still working on the finishing touches, which will (fingers crossed) come together in the next week, I just had to do some crafting on Friday evening with all the progress that's been made.

With the sewing machine set up and ready at a moment's notice, I whipped out a trio of lavender-filled sachets using some new, gorgeous floral Japanese quilting fabric.  Then I made a couple paper buntings with scrapbook paper and baker's twine.  I'll share photos of these in my next post, but I do have something to show you now from this bout of crafting mania that I'm completely smitten with!

I've been wanting to try my hand (hehe...) at embroidery for awhile, so I took the plunge Friday night.

I was looking for a small embroidered piece of fabric art to go on the gallery wall, and I was leaning towards something with a sweet, vintage chicken on it.

After searching online for an image to inspire me, I found one at Cornflower Creations on Etsy.  It's my favorite shop for vintage-style embroidery and I purchased a couple redwork chicken towels from Jacklyn, the owner of Cornflower Creations, last year.  My imitation of the hen on this apron that Jacklyn sold is intended to be the highest form of flattery.  I mean, a little red hen carrying a bouquet of purple flowers?  How can you not smile at that?

I used a muslin remnant and in a couple hours finished this happy hen, which I can't wait to hang up in the craft room!

She reminds me of my recently departed Lulu

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and I'll be back tomorrow with a May Giveaway!
-Erin

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Harmony Farm Candles Coupon Code Just for You!

Mother's Day is just around the corner and if you're still trying to figure out what to give Mom, you can't go wrong with candles.  I'm just saying. :)

With many floral fragrances (these are just a few of the many available in the shop)

Lavender - made with 100% essential oil

Rose

Lilac

Violet

Hydrangea

clean and 'green' fragrances

Ocean Breeze

Green Tea & Lemongrass

Spring Meadow

Line-Dried Linen

Lavender Cucumber Sage

Crisp Apple

and even refreshing, citrus fragrances

Lemon Cookie

Sweet Orange

Grapefruit

there's something for every mom in the Harmony Farm Candles Etsy shop!

And to celebrate Mother's Day, I'm offering a special coupon code for you, the readers of Carolina Country Living.

Just enter the code MOM12 at checkout and receive 12% off your order! Orders received by Tuesday, May 8th will ship in time to arrive for Mother's Day.  However, the coupon code will be valid through Monday, May 14th.

P.S.--If you haven't shopped at Harmony Farm Candles before, orders of 5 or more candles qualify for discounted shipping. Just email me at harmonyfarmcandles at gmail dot com for more details!

So, what are your Mother's Day plans?  Have you already finished your Mother's Day shopping? (I surely haven't!)

-Erin