Averyl earned a B.A. in English from the University of Maine in Orono and an M.S. in Counseling from the University of Vermont where she studied substance abuse treatment modalities, Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) and art therapy. As a Nationally Certified Counselor in the late 1990s she worked as a substance abuse counselor, career advisor, resume writer and management consultant. In 2002 she shifted gears and started her own creative business, Hillstock.

Some curious things about Averyl: She’s a chipmunk whisperer, thrifty Yankee, vintage diet expert, old-school homemaker who loves to cook from scratch and caretaker of her two acre Certified Wildlife Habitat. Her cottage was built in the 1950s and has had few cosmetic updates since that time which is aligned with her aesthetic of being outdated by design™. She’s in long term recovery from alcoholism and cherishes her sobriety. She lives with her husband, Wayne who formerly co-owned Carbur’s restaurant in the Portland Old Port before becoming a boat builder.