Choosing the right artisan charcuterie board can transform your food presentation. It adds charm and function to your gatherings. I want to share how I select the perfect board. This guide will help you find one that fits your style and needs. why choose artisan charcuterie boards Artisan charcuterie boards stand out for their quality and uniqueness. They are often handmade with care. This means each board has its own character. I prefer these boards because they feel persona

Copper has a warm, inviting glow. It ages with character and tells a story. I have always been drawn to the beauty of copper jewelry, especially artisan copper bangles. These pieces are more than accessories. They are expressions of craft, patience, and tradition. Each bangle is shaped by hand. The process is slow and deliberate. It requires skill and respect for the metal. I want to share what I have learned about this art form. From the raw material to the finished piece, e

I've been writing since I was a teen. Now, at 56, I see how writing goals and dreams shapes my future. Years later, I revisited my writings and was mind-blown. Everything I wanted to do came true. It's powerful! This serves as validation that we can create our reality. I've been listening to Dr. Joe for years. I don't listen just to "do," but more to "remind" myself. Recently, I found my 10-year vision from when I moved across the country. Now, ten years have passed. Everythi

In May I'll be participating in the Maine Pottery studio tour. I will have just returned from a retreat in Tuscany studying wood fired pottery. I "plan" 🤞to have some really unique one of a kind pieces. Hours for visits and more information Is on the events page. Classes begin soon after. 💥💫✨️ Space is limited for classes and studio time.

There’s something about a snowy landscape that feels almost holy. The way it quiets the world. The way it softens edges. The way everything becomes simple, white, still. When I look at snow and feel that deep ache of beauty in my chest, I know I’m experiencing awe. And awe is one of the purest ways we encounter something greater than ourselves. In those moments, time slows. My nervous system softens. The noise in my mind fades. I feel held. When I say, “God is my boyfriend,”

Night beckons my engagement Lighting my way Full form Whispered truths Hushed steamy breath Enveloped Draped with downy softness Bold Strength of conviction Clarity Intuitive knowledge Tingling glowing restoration of being Contrast in the steely Knowing ~Vera

Before and After...swipe through https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8DaYHwL/ 5 years since I purchased the Fiddlehead cannery.  I build, I dance, I create here.   GRATEFUL doesn't encompass the feelings 🥰🥳🎊🌞 I had a VISION! I put in loads of time, lots of hard work, and hired carpenters who could execute my vision. And let's not overlook a fabulous community of people who attend and co-create with me that have helped make this grow into what it is today. And I'm still envisi

Yesterday's walk to the lake. Winter is a season for deep rest and renewal. Deep rest doesn't mean sleeping necessarily. For me, it means drawing inwards and seeing what's underneath. Nourishing the roots and foundation, resting into what is, envisioning, dreaming and planning for what lies ahead- the work involved in growth. That "work" can be fun. It's up to you how you approach it. What are you working on? How are you challenging yourself. Self care looks different for e

Throwbacks...just saying I was wearing overalls when I was 20. #betsyjohnson was my favorite store in the 90s and I was the smiling goth-not the emo.  I laughed too much for the Bauhaus die hards. I never followed. I blazed my own trail. Along comes baby and I'm a Tom Petty song "you belong among the wildflowers" I never want to forget these moments Forged in the fires of life's peaks and valleys. Friends made, friends loved and lost. Lessons learned, teachers everywhere. Fr

I remember about ten years ago, I was talking to a guy, just a friend, about dating, and ending relationships, how difficult it is to end a relationship that you know is not going to work out. Breaking hearts is awful. No matter how gently you do it, someone gets hurt. I told him I just don't date, by choice. And he asked why. My response was simple. "I just haven't found someone who deserves me" I'm a catch. I know I am. I'm a really good person. I have values, integrity, Se

Choose a partner from wholeness, not from hunger. Not because you’re lonely. Not because there’s an empty space you’re trying to quiet. And certainly not because the world says it’s time. Choose when your heart is steady. When you’re no longer chasing noise or mistaking chaos for chemistry. When you’ve lived the late nights, the heartbreak, the confusion—and what you want now is peace. The kind of peace that looks like slow mornings and shared glances. Mondays that feel gentl

poem from the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in the Woodland Garden by Arisa White. everything emerges from intimacy with your own life you walk between worlds circle and circle until revolution is ritual on which side are you misaligned? you are the answer to be trusted listen for the portal plant your body like a bulb dredge through your nervous grid you are safe and beauty devastates your heart is where you meet the gifts child of earth and fire and air of university your

Waiting on the world to change

9 years ago today, I got in my car and started heading east. I hit a deer 5 hours into my drive, damages to my car stalled my trip for 3...

To most, this is a beautiful cup —a work of art. But to me, it’s so much more. Diving into the unknown means stepping into something new...

Dear Friends, A hard note to write... From the very first day Vera’s Iron and Vine opened its doors, you showed up — with open hearts,...

I cannot stop listening. This encapsulates my entire childhood yet he sings it like it's happening now. I grew up in Ohio, he grew up in...

Plan your day!! This tour was inspired by an early spring visit to Ellen's garden. She used to host a yearly garden tour. This year a...

Hope. Renewal, resilience

"From barn to table... nearly 100 years of family history, transformed."