As I continue to make progress in my transition away from being known as a PR persona to embracing my deeper talents, interests, and skills and finding harmony and balance in both my career and life, one area I have found comforting and creative is in writing poetry and songs. I submitted a few to Montpelier Alive’s PoemCity 2012 and the following poem hung at Salt Cafe in Montpelier for the month of April. I was sitting beneath these sunflowers when I wrote the words:

Skipping Work on a September Afternoon
By: Rachel Carter, East Charlotte, Vermont

Not planning to sit in the grass
Playing with horses across the field
As they tease the heron
Between bites of apples
I gather for them between observations

Reality one breath, dreams another
A lazy September day in the sun
With plump cats supplying
Never ending greetings of peace
Purrs and bees, a song of harmony

Possibly woodpeckers flit
From tree trunks to sunflowers
Cats disturb peace with mouse captures
Miniature frogs and baby snakes escape

I pull sage from the garden
Placing it in last night’s smoldering fire
All stands still for a moment of aroma.

Tags: montpelier poetry, poem city, rachel carter poem, Rachel Carter VT, rachel carter writer, salt cafe

Back in February, I vibed down to Southern Vermont for some VT: An Explorer’s Guide research and was met with some of Vermont’s best hospitality in the Mount Snow region. The Chamber of Commerce was wildly helpful and enthusiastic about my visit and I must say, not all chambers were that helpful even though the guidebook offers them an abundance of free publicity. Anyway, the Mount Snow Chamber WAS most helpful even in the midst of staff changes and the office being moved due to Hurricane Irene. I think Mt. Snow the ski mountain is just a neat, groovy, nestled community and if I wasn’t still sandwiched in the Burlington bubble, I would take my ski legs (and Mitchezzz knuckle draggers) to Mount Snow.

I spent the most enjoyable evening dining at the Roadhouse Restaurant which is a classy and friendly establishment with excellent trout. Local musicians Laraine and Skip Morrow serenaded the pub area with 70’s folk covers which sang to my core. They are also the hosts of the Brass Bed B&B which is where I laid my head that night and can’t wait to return for a double couples getaway – it is the perfect place. Laraine re-introduced me to the soft boiled egg in her delightful breakfast array served in the sitting room between the two comfortable guest rooms. I have been feeding them to The Mitch ever since. Located on the premise adjacent to the lovely home Laraine and Skip built in the 80’s (while, I am sure, listening to and singing the lovely songs I heard them perform), is Skip’s Art of Humor Gallery. Check it out online or in person and you’ll be amazed at how many of Skip’s images and works are a part of existing pop culture.

The mountains, lakes, rivers, and backroads of this special region of Vermont rival only the Northeast Kingdom for my heart. And considering The Mitch and I have planned an upcoming fishing adventure to the Somerset Reservoir, the Mount Snow Valley may win! I was proudly able to incorporate my dad’s favorite activity from our youth – "bushwhacking" – into the Mount Snow section of VT: An Explorer’s Guide as one of must Must Do suggestions. Interested in more? Be sure to visit the website – www.vermontexplorersguide.com – to place your pre-order of the guidebook due out September 2012!

Below is a slideshow of my visit to Southern Vermont which also included a cheerful stay at the Olympia Lodge in Manchester and a spiritual walk around the Dorset Quarry, the oldest marble quarry in the country.

Tags: Rachel Carter author, Rachel Carter travel writer, Rachel Carter VT, Vermont Explorer's Guide, Vermont guidebook, Vermont PR, Vermont travel

Happy Year of the Dragon and long lost blog greetings ya’ll! Like so many other bloggers who now have to keep up with multiple social media channels, the time and use of the Vermont Vibes Blog has dwindled to about nothing and unfortunately it will probably stay that way. I have been deep into the research and editing project as co-author of the 13th edition of VERMONT: An Explorer’s Guide and wanted to give an update on that front. The deadline fast approaches and I thought I would share a brief slideshow of some of my travels…

Most importantly of course is where you can buy the book once it’s published! VERMONT: An Explorer’s Guide is published by Countryman Press and will be out in time for fall so if you would like to pre-order copies, please visit http://www.countrymanpress.com. To order a catalog email countrymanpress@wwnorton.com or you can call direct to place individual sales: 800-233-4830.

Back to book editing…if you are interested in following my next moves, the best place to connect with me is on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelcarterpr.
 

Tags: Rachel Carter, rachel carter pr, Vermont Explorer's Guide, vermont travel guide, vermont travel writer, vt guidebook

Researching half of the state for VERMONT: An Explorer’s Guide, running a business, planning a wedding, and trying to have time to not go off the deep end has made for no blogging at Vermont Vibes. Social media and its swiftly changing methods, manners, and madness also play a part in making the thrill of writing obsolete in a time crunching world. So, I just couldn’t blog. Not sure what will become of Vermont Vibes or Rachel Carter PR as an evolving business. I need time to be with The Mitch, focus on what is important to us instead of everyone else, and enjoy the start of my marriage, the MitchaRachia Wedding Extravaganza, and our wedding tour to follow.

So, for now I share some lovely engagement photos taken by our most talented and my No. 1 recommended photographer and design; Letter 10 Creative. I encourage you to visit the Rachel Carter PR Newsfeed for a list of my highly recommended vendors helping to pull off this rockin’ Vermont wedding. I will certainly share more pictures and details, but for now I would like to note my wedding dress was designed and sewn by hand by my mother and Mitch and I together grew the majority of the flowers, a solid portion of the veggies and herbs, and are performing along with the entire wedding party in the ceremony.

Tags: mitch pauley, mitcharachia, Rachel Carter, rock and roll wedding, vermont wedding, vermont wedding photographer

Two weekends ago I snuck away from the wild world of running a Vermont public relations business and head down to Killington for one of my favorite band’s winter music festival – snoe.down. And while at it I took some potential pictures and got in some winter research for Vermont: An Explorer’s Guide. I hope to include a mention of this awesome Vermont winter music festival in the guidebook as it seems snoe.down has become an annual Killington/Rutland area event! Enjoy the slideshow – I had lots of fun using the sepia setting on my camera.

 

I anticipate the month of May and plan to be on the road the entire month traveling the state conducting research for Vermont: An Explorer’s Guide!

Tags: killington music event, snoe.down, Vermont Explorer's Guide, Vermont public relations

As I sit here and wait for mud season to really start so spring can get here and make the world lush, clean, and full of my favorite colors, I think about something fun to do. Well, besides maple sugarin’, how about just plain ol’ muddin? If you get bored of the brown, step inside random places and look for art! Below is a short slideshow of some of my favorites – a few pictures of muddin’ with The Mitch followed by:

The Mitch checking out art at the University Mall in South Burlington done by the students he teaches.

Groovy art in one of the dining rooms at creative French cuisine restaurant, Tourterelle’s in New Haven.

Creative local folks on the backroads of Ferrisburgh.

Art in the Sheraton hallway heading into the lovely garden atrium of G’s Restaurant in Burlington.

Art on my skirt – notice it is now the background of the Vermont Vibes logo!

Ski sky sculpture at the Vermont Ski Museum in Stowe.

Art you can create when you have cabin fever.

 

Tags: vermont art, vermont cabin fever, vermont mud season, vermont vibes

As continuing deadlines keep me from really getting to writing about my research with VERMONT: An Explorer’s Guide, winter has also been a bummer this year with the intense storms and taking the year off from downhill skiing to save money for my nuptials this summer. But life began to breathe back into my soul when attending all three days of the Vermont Flower Show with my trustworthy matron of honor. Now held every two years, the show (see previous post) is magic. People are nice, it is warm, the flowers and displays are grandiose, and the shopping spectacular. I am growing most of the flowers for my wedding to The Mitch this summer with some supplements from The Painted Tulip in Waterbury, VT. And, the bridal party, myself, and moms are doing all of the decorating and arrangements. I have been gardening for years now and look forward to transferring my traditional high yielding veggie garden to an orange and green floral powerhouse. Thanks to fish emulsion! I also love table and floral decorating and this will be a real treat for me.

The Vermont Flower Show got me fully prepared for my floral bridal adventure. I purchased all of the seeds I need, got all of my questions answered, and even took a class called Tablescaping which was perfect for learning the few tricks I have yet learned in dealing with floral foam. Dressed in floral outfits and spending hours at the show each of the three days raised many questions. Folks thought we had a booth or were hired to wear our outfits and sit relaxingly at different displays. We just love the flower show and enjoy coming out of hibernation to mingle with like minded folks who all believe in smiling and drinking in the flowers. And in two years, we may have to teach a class and volunteer. The plant sale at the end was hysterical and I couldn’t take any pictures because I was busy racing to purchase tulips, amaryllis, and a juniper plant.

Enjoy the slideshow

 

 

Tags: painted tulip, tablescaping, vermont flower show, vermont flowers, vermont wedding flowers

Essex Jct. VT – Spring in Vermont is all mud and maple and every other year, the Vermont Flower Show. Cascading plants, lively booths, and whimsical exhibits cover the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Jct. Over 80 landscape designers and architects, nurseries, florists, greenhouses, growers, garden centers, garden accessories, and other floral related businesses will display their products and services at the show.

Celebrated landscape designer and author of Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love, Julie Moir Messervy, will provide a keynote Saturday, March 5th at noon. A variety of local chefs will provide a series of cooking demos throughout the three days. Workshops and a live auction are also popular features over the weekend.

A complete schedule is available at www.greenworksvermont.org.

The Vermont Flower Show runs Friday, March 4th and Saturday, March 5th from 10 am – 6 pm. Sunday, March 6th is 10 am – 4 pm at which time many of the decorations and plants are available at deeply discounted rates. Tickets and pricing available at www.greenworksvermont.org or www.flynntix.org.

The Vermont Flower Show is presented by Green Works, the Vermont Nursery & Landscape Association (VNLA), a non-profit statewide organization dedicated to educating and increasing awareness in the growing horticulture industry.

Slideshow of the 2009 show:

 

 

Tags: Julie Moir Messervy, spring in vermont, sweet dreams vt, vermont flower show, vermont green works