Home Services

Set In Stone

Edziu Sentkowski has the eye and skill to make a modern stonemason Article by Susan Gallagher | Photography by Visionfinity Media Here in historic New England, where echoes of stonemasons from centuries past reverberate in the countless fieldstone walls garnishing the countryside, Edziu Sentkowski fits in like a finely set stone. A proud second-generation stonemason himself, he has spent more than two decades absorbing the age-old skills of his father and other gifted stonemasons, perpetuating...

Life + Culture

Food, Fellowship, & Fun at the Farm

Vernon Family Farm champions fresh food, local partners, sustainability and family-friendly events Article by Ann Kathryn Kelly Food you can trust. An opportunity to see sustainable farming in action. Learning which New England farms and small businesses you’re supporting when you buy local. Oh, and the chance to pet a baby pig or lamb. Who wouldn’t want to check this out? It’s closer than you think. A 15-minute ride from the Seacoast, Vernon Family Farm in Newfields awaits. Owners Jeremiah...

Real Estate

The Heart of Home

For realtor Brett Mulvey, finding home is all about lifestyle Article by Susan Gallagher | Photography by Courtney Mulvey and Ned Savoie Brett Mulvey’s quest for quality of life has brought him full circle. This realtor’s idyllic childhood in Rye, New Hampshire instilled in him a profound sense of how life should be. Like many grown children, he answered the call of faraway places in 2003 to pursue higher education. But the lure of home proved too powerful to resist, and in 2007 he returned to...

Home + Design

A Shared Vision

Expertise in design and construction is a family affair for Sage and Cashman Development Article by Rebecca Ingalls | Photography by Kevin Edge Photography & Freebird Photography When Bev Fowler and Jordan Cashman, owners of Sage—a full-service interior design studio in downtown Portsmouth—tell their origin story, they weave their words together like two people who’ve known each other all of their lives. It’s no surprise, then, to learn that they are not only business partners, but also mother...

Beauty

Bold, Beautiful, and Reborn

Jessica Bellanti finds inner strength through hardship and a new beginning at her namesake salon Article by Susan Gallagher Taking the easy road has never been an option for Jessica Bellanti. The demon of adversity has dogged her at every turn of her life, hurling one obstacle after another in her path. But the relentless demon met its match in this fierce and tenacious beauty entrepreneur.  Today, Jessica Bellanti wears the sheen of an accomplished professional. This savvy salon owner...

Life + Culture

Caretaker of the Wild

Seacoast artist Alex de Steiguer captures her experience as caretaker of the Isles of Shoals Article by Rebecca Ingalls | Photography by Alex de Steiguer Stand at the sea’s edge on a clear day in Rye and you’ll catch a splendid view of the Isles of Shoals seven miles east. In the warm months, visitors gather to enjoy spiritual and artistic retreats, history, and wildlife. In the winter, however, the site is closed to the public because the weather we experience on the mainland is far more...

Life + Culture

Repairing Lives, Restoring Hope

Portsmouth Rotary mission trip to India provides no-cost surgeries with life-changing impact Article by Ann Kathryn Kelly | Photography by Don Chick On an early morning in September, Midge Nelson watched a room in an Indian hospital be filled with men, women, and children. They queued into two lines. Nelson, an account executive with USI Insurance Services and current president of the Rotary Club of Portsmouth, was behind a desk, paperwork spread before her. Fellow Rotarian Yvonne Legge, a...

Arts + Culture

Catering With Love

The Fifth Flavor's Nina Parrott finds love and joy through food Article by Kim Piela | Photography by Kevin Edge Seacoast caterer Nina Parrott’s love for cooking and entertaining began in her childhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “My mom knew how to throw a dinner party, so I learned from her. It really paved the way,” she recalls. After college, Parrott honed her craft at culinary school in San Francisco, but credits her real education to working in restaurants. Her love for catering...

Home + Design

Artistry & Ash

EAD Woodwork's Ed Szczepanik celebrates the vanishing art of traditional woodworking and extols the virtues of the highly valuable but rapidly disappearing ash tree Article by Susan Gallagher | Photography by Kevin Edge Ed Szczepanik is one of a dying breed. This gifted artisan is among an elite but dwindling brotherhood of true craftsmen. In a world of mass production and instant gratification, Szczepanik and his EAD Woodwork tradesmen lovingly craft furniture with precision, patience, and...

Food + Beverage

In the Kitchen with Misa

Turning Picky Eaters Into Mini Chefs—One Bite at a Time! Article by Tara Phillips | Photography by Kevin Edge Misa Pignataro, a certified health coach and culinary nutritionist, helps families build healthy eating habits through workshops, coaching, kids’ cooking classes, and a convenient audio course for busy parents. With a master’s in elementary education and a decade teaching first grade, she connects easily with kids, making food education fun. As a mom of two, she shares relatable...