My Story
The short version?
Life happened.
The long version? Buckle up. It’s messy, it’s real, and it’s what brought me here.
pull up a chair
I'm Vanessa.
Author. Mom. Survivor. Truth-teller. I’ve survived the beautiful, the brutal, and the “what the hell just happened?” moments.
I created Mother of Pearl™ because I needed something honest, raw, and unfiltered—something that sounds like you and me having coffee (or stronger) after a really long day.
Mother of Pearl™
isn’t just a brand. It’s a lifeline.
The Cliffs
(a.k.a. the good stuff)
The Love
Married my best friend. Raised five amazing kids. Collected more memories than sleep.
The Storms
Loss. Changes. Neurodivergent storms. A whole lot of “Well, shitballs.”
The Turning Point
I stopped holding my tongue. Stopped apologizing for taking up space. Started saying what needed to be said.
The Comeback
Wrote my first book. Created a method for moms like me. Built Mother of Pearl™ one brave step at a time.
What I believe
You're not too much
You are not too much.
You’ve just spent too many years around people who expected less.
Healing is messy
Healing looks a lot less like a butterfly and a lot more like,
“Son of a biscuit. Here we go again.”
Keep going anyway.
Boundaries are love
Every boundary I have was built from a lesson I learned the hard way.
Some lessons were expensive.
Humor saves
Life is ridiculous.
Neurodivergence is ridiculous.
Parenting is ridiculous.
You might as well laugh while you’re figuring it out.
The Vanessa Letters
It’s what you say when life makes you want to say something else.
Honest stories, hard-earned wisdom, and the occasional Mother of Pearl moment delivered straight to your inbox.
