Our Contributors

Meet our Contributors!

Kate Crabtree, a Bangor, Maine native, is the owner of Kate Crabtree Photography, which specializes in portraiture and weddings.  Her work will be published in the September 2012 issue of Bangor Metro, and one of her favorite photos was recently awarded second place in ShootStyle’s silhouette assignment series.  Other interests include reading, writing, and running.

Kate’s photos in Issue 1 can be viewed here.

Debbie Philp, RYT-500, teaches yoga in a very small town in New York’s Adirondack mountains. Debbie teaches an eclectic style of yoga at her studio, True North Yoga. She has also completed five triathlons and is training for her second half-marathon. Debbie gets in touch with her creative side whenever she can, tries desperately to play the bongos and believes knitting is meditation. Watch for the next session of her home yoga practice e-course, Unstuck.

Article: Discover Yoga

Katie McGowan is a Naturopath and Mum with a passion for whole foods, wholesome cooking, flower essences and creative therapies. Living on the southeast coast of Australia with her family, Katie is a stay home Mum to her 2 year old son Boedi, has a part-time natural therapies practice and runs workshops on “nourishing children with whole foods.” She also loves gardening, growing food, time in nature, beach and bush walking, animals, music and dance. You can contact her at ktchoice@gmail.com.

Article: From the Seed to the Belly; Insights and Practical Tips on Eating Whole Foods

Sarah Walker Shrader of Grand Junction, Colorado spends her time taking care of her husband, brother, three boys, and elderly dog. She also bakes cookies for and clothes the field crew at Bonsai Design. When not running, Sarah looks forward to piles of snow in the winter.

Article: How Trail Running Changed My Life

Nicola Alesandrini lives in Northern California with her family, where she spends her days chasing kids, enjoying bits of nature, and avoiding laundry. She’s a jack-of-all-trades who loves economical and ecological living. She writes and crafts whenever she can squeeze it in and she blogs about it all at Which Name?.

Article: An Introduction to Natural Healing Products

Shannon Kinney-Duh is the mother of two little boys, ages 3 ½ and 10 months. They inspire her every day to play and make more messes in their Kansas City, Kansas home.  She is an artist, yoga teacher and creativity coach and she loves to write and create e-courses, like Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery and Mothering with heART.  You can learn more at Free Spirit Knits.

Article: Play With Paint and Be Free

Emelie Rota is a lifestyle artisan and creative catalyst — helping women entrepreneurs relish life, revel in riches, and ignite their souls. Her intuitive approach results in clients finding the courage to choose happiness, enjoy life more fully, and see their world through renewed eyes. You’ll find her online at Revellish. She lives in sunny Southern California.

Article: A Daily Meditation Practice: What Have Worked For Me and Why It’s Hard

Lynnette Hunter thrives in pursuing multiple and varied creative undertakings and hopes to encourage others to experience the joys of living a life that makes them come alive. She lives in Colorado with her husband and two children and shares her adventures on her blog, tenacious lace.

Article: Finding Your Voice Through Photography

Lindsey Mead is a mother, writer, and finance recruiter who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  She graduated from Princeton with a degree in English and received an MBA from Harvard.  Her writing has been published in a variety of print and on-line places, she blogs at A Design So Vast, and she is working on a memoir.

Article: Praying Is Saying Thank You

Mary Beth Umholtz  is a mama, school nurse, crafter, and aspiring knitter.  She lives in Southern California with her husband and little boys.  She writes about homey and domestic things on her blog, Salt and Chocolate.

Article: Loving the Home You Have

Jehnie Reis, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the mom to two busy boys who couldn’t be more different from one another if they tried. When she’s not mothering, she teaches History at a local university. One of Jehnie’s ongoing goals is balancing the different parts of her life: mom, wife, professor, and individual. Jehnie is a voracious reader who reads to learn and to escape. She also enjoys writing fiction from time to time.

Article: Healthy, Eco-Friendly, and “Normal”

Stacey Libbert is a writer, runner, teacher and mom to Harper Lee and Isaac in State Road, North Carolina. When she’s not procrastinating and folding laundry, she enjoys being in the woods with her children who constantly remind her of why this world is such a wonderful place.  You can find more of her work at Running Monologue.

Article: Sticks and Stones and Sun-Bleached Bones: Encouraging and Preserving Your Child’s Nature Collection

Ben Sprague is a financial advisor specializing in financial planning for young families.  Originally from Bangor, Maine, Ben worked for the Boston Red Sox for three years and taught career development classes before moving back to Maine to work as a financial advisor.

Article: Tips For Raising Financially Responsible Kids

Susan Thibedeau is the oldest of five children, so organization kept her sane in her childhood. She sometimes cleans her closets to calm herself. Beyond neatening closets, she also teaches high school English, runs, and reads while living in Bangor, Maine with her great family.

Article: Streamline Your Grocery Shopping

Bonnie Joy Dewkett is a Certified Professional Organizer and owner of The Joyful Organizer, LLC. She recently earned her MBA and has been published in Better Home and Gardens, Parents Magazine and Ladies Home Journal. She travels the country speaking to groups about the positive impacts of organization.

Article: De-Clutter Your Life

Kirsten Daykin‘s family is her passion. She lives in Wisconsin, and is a former high school English teacher who currently stays home with her funny kids, teaches writing at the local community college and embraces each day as the gift it is. You can read more of her writing at From Inside to Outside.

Article: Time Outside

Lee Peet is a mom of two boys from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When she isn’t building elaborate Lego battleships or transforming autobots, she enjoys running, hiking, and singing Avett Brothers songs in her car.

Article: The Importance of Grandparents

Suzy Hawbaker lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains with her husband and 2 spunky daughters. She spends her days running their family business, Hip Mountain Mama, while trying to balance work and family life. She is a sun worshiper, nature enthusiast, explorer, music fan, and lover of life who is always looking for the next adventure.

Article: Mom and Magnolia: Learning to Play Guitar

Suzanne Redmond lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She has worked as a financial analyst, contracts manager, computer specialist, pastry chef, private chef, and restaurant manager. She uses the business and creative sides of all those jobs in her present career as an artist and president of the Wellington Art Society. Visit her blog Blue Sand Studio to learn more about Suzanne.

Article: Finding Community in the Arts

Kerrie Turcic of Seattle, Washington is a wife and mother, who squeezes in running, writing, blogging, dog shows and a part-time copywriting job. Kerrie lives in the suburbs near Seattle and blogs at Mom vs. Marathon. Her proudest running achievements so far include completing the Seattle Rock ‘N’ Roll full marathon in June and the Hood to Coast Relay in August.

Article: Start Your Own Adventure: How I Stopped Waiting and Started Writing

Erin Jamieson lives, works, and plays in the Denver area with her husband and daughter. Together, they all enjoy camping, dancing, building Lego towers, music, cooking, reading, drawing, and exploring Colorado. Alone, Erin also loves to do yoga, write, sew, nap in her hammock, and build Lego towers.

Article: The Making of a Flash Mob or, How To Jump Off A Cliff In Three Easy Steps

Stacey Curnow, of Asheville, North Carolina, is a nurse-midwife and a mentor who helps you give birth to your BIG dreams. You can find out more about Stacey here.

Article: Leap Before You Look: A Published Writer’s Key To Creativity And Success

Amelia Critchlow is an artist, maker, and creator of the ‘experimental art e-course‘ and ‘Journal Your Dreams‘, who writes over at 101 Birdtales. She works and lives in London, UK with her two children. Her intention: to start a quiet revolution changing the world into a creative place where people carve a life they want to live.

Article: Taking A Leap Into Art, Creating A Life I Love