Creative Spirits


Lovely flowers outside Apotheca in Goffstown, NH.

On last Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of visiting with Alyssa Van Guilder, Creative Director & Founder at Apotheca. You’ll recognize Apotheca if you’ve been reading this blog. If you haven’t been reading & this is your first foray here, then welcome! So happy to have you. Hopefully, you’ll find some pretty images & interesting thoughts, providing you with a little break during your day.

That’s the aim, to help fellow introverts & creatives find an outlet or place of solace in a world that won’t stop talking. Thanks to Alyssa, I’ve been able to show another oasis for me (outside of the farm) for downtime, a place that she’s created.

Funny enough, Alyssa remarked to me that she had recently been sent the link to the blog, which made me very happy. (Yay! People are reading!) We were able to share our thoughts & shared appreciation for the organic & antique. In a world that keeps speeding up with technology & the modern, it can be soothing to find a place that curates & preserves plant life & vintage objects. We commiserated.

Window feature outside of the preserved train station.

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Another window feature, which appears in the tea room.

  As I showed her some of the blog images on my phone, Alyssa described her passion in supporting fellow introverts. She explained that she, too, is an introvert, & her hope is to support artists, musicians, craftspeople, & even live performers in her space.

Lately, she’s been incredibly busy, due to the popularity of her gorgeous floral design for weddings. The passion for her projects & art flows into the positive energy she emits when talking about her tea room & shop. It’s palpable, observable, tangible.You can’t help but feel that you’re in a very special, treasured place, as if Alyssa is sharing her very heart & soul, her core, with you. And you can feel like you’re passing through a portal to a magical space of creation.

A friend’s satchel sits prettily, while we await tea.

Lovely blooms adorning our table.

Truly, it’s a pleasure to support passion projects of others in my own personal way. My spirit lights up in witnessing that creative energy flowing from another’s soul. It’s a gift. A miracle. I feel blessed with a sense of meaning & greater purpose, each time I help encourage or promote someone.

We all need to do more of this. When you think about it, we all carry those inner children inside of us. You know. Those kids we were when we fearlessly viewed the world with trust & wonder. We’d sing, dance, & play act.

I now look at my precious son, about to turn two, & I marvel at his excitement seeing a bubble, when throwing a ball, or feeling rain on his face. Every one of those moments contain magic.


A lovely fruited water dispenser.


Plant accents on the piano, which is open to the public to play.

As a piano supports a display of plants for the home, with a mix of natural materials like wood rounds, reed, & woven cotton, you make feel emboldened to try your hand at the keys. A curious eye will catch subtle changes in design in kaleidoscopic displays forever changing, with different hanging art exhibits. A labor of love can be witnessed as you poke around to see the treasures culled from travel & craft shows.

On your way out, be sure to enjoy the lovely arbor & floral features in the sitting area outside. There’s plenty to see & enjoy on the deck. And if you get a chance, please share your love & appreciation with Alyssa.

We, all creative spirits, need to help replenish the love & positivity we enjoy from each other’s art. In these ways, we can experience the flow, the timestream of energy that gives life meaning.


Interesting uses of wooden limbs, hardened vines, & lighting.

2 thoughts on “Creative Spirits”

  1. Isn’t it incredible how a toddler looks at life with such engagement and awe? I want to have that wide-eyed wonder again too! Enjoy every minute with your little guy!

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