It’s a chilly Easter morning, but as I step out onto the porch of the Inn at Foster Falls, the birds are singing. Through the fog that sits over the New River nearby, I can hear the water roar over the falls – a sound that I imagine has been constant for many...
About ten years ago I visited a fellow in Draper I met at my job. I immediately realized Draper had a special feel to it. I had been in the area probably 20 years prior and remembered thinking, “wouldn’t this be a nice place to live.” I never thought about it again...
My boy Fred, I first laid eyes on you Sunday July 8th, 2018. I had just finished a weekend workshop at the Well of Mercy in Harmony North Carolina. I came back a few hours early to participate in an opening ceremony for Blooms tea house in Draper, Virginia. At 9am I...
The process of meditation can help heal you on a mental, physical, and spiritual level. I believe that it takes time for meditation to work. You may even ask yourself, "Is this working?" Or "I don't feel anything right now." These are common thoughts that one may...
Each morning I slowly make the transition from darkness to light. I slowly open my eyes and see my room come alive. I know that I am in the right place because of my recollection and train of thought. I see the rays of light shine through the blinds of the window. I...
From Motorcycle Chains to Crochet Chains Back in 2006 to about 2012, you could find me rolling down Old Baltimore Road on a Honda Shadow motorcycle with a trike kit on it, alongside my husband, who sat front and center on a big ole Harley! In those days, we made many...
Moe: Part Two Watching Curly, Moe and Larry settle into their bachelor rooster’s life had been gratifying. Their quality of life improved greatly from dried black soldier fly larvae and meal worms to hunting for live insects. Before moving them in with the goats, I...
Moe Part One During my daily routine with the chickens, I started to notice how aggressive and downright mean the roosters can be, not only with the hens but with each other. I became increasingly concerned as I watched The Draper Dream Girls lose more and more...
Sticky Toffee Pudding – a sort of soft brown sugar cake with a heavenly toffee sauce that melts in your mouth and leaves you dreaming about the next bite. My first experience with STP was in Scotland 5 years ago, and from henceforth my life has been defined by “BSTP”...
Something we didn’t talk about when I was growing up was mental health. The good, the bad, the ugly, or the ways to reach out and find help. Losing my father at a young age and then my sister this past July, both to suicide, has certainly made mental health a topic I...
In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. -Abraham Lincoln This saying became especially true for me as I embarked on a quest to find a very particular year - the year the original Draper Mercantile first opened. I wanted to...
See what item(s) Megan chose for her favorite holiday gift item! DECEMBER 11, 2021
Brian is back with another gift pick. He couldn’t pick just one! See why Brian recommends our leather journal collection for any loved one this holiday season.
Check out Bill Gardner’s favorite holiday gift item, the Nebo 12K Flashlight. Bill never let’s us video him, so this is a real treat.
Hi, my name is Kim Lewis and I have been looking for a home my whole life. I have had many adventures and lived many places but none of them felt like home. Don’t get me wrong adventures are great, but home should have some balance and harmony. Anyway, I digress. I...
Brian, aka The Gentleman Farmer, is often the first face people see when they walk into the Mercantile. Here is Brian’s favorite gift to be found in The Curious Quill.
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