I grew up in a rambling Highland Park house built in 1912, my inspiration for loving everything about houses. I spent an enormous amount of time as a child, wandering through the construction in my neighborhood, in awe of the lucky people who got to create things all day everyday. I wrangled neighborhood kids into helping me build creative things out of construction trash and remodel the servants' quarters above our garage. That was back when kids could buy paint at M.E. Moses!

I graduated from Hockaday and then from Trinity University with a business degree. That business degree turned out to be important since an essential part of what I do is to manage the financial complexities of construction. It's all part of putting the puzzle together that ends up a beautiful home with happy owners. (I love puzzles! I still work all the puzzles in the paper everyday.)

I have remodeled houses for 32 years and built houses for 11 years. My experience with extensively remodeling old houses gives me a broader perspective, making me a better builder. I am aware of things that are routinely done in new houses that people later will want to get rid of. I understand the tiny details that make the difference between an interesting house and a comfortable and livable home. Building from scratch is much easier than extensively remodeling. It makes sense that if I can do a great job putting all the pieces of an old house back together in a new and better way, then I can build a new house even better.

One of the things that connects me to my clients is that, being a woman with kids, I completely understand how people really use their houses and the spaces they need to operate a household. I have been at home with kids. Most men do not spend nearly the time at their houses managing home and family as women do, even women who work fulltime. But to those men who are the ones at home more power to you! You will appreciate what I do, too.

I love creating homes out of ideas and wishes so much, that I can impart some of the sense of fun and passion I have for houses to my clients. I like to educate them along the way about how and why their house is built. Near the end of the project, I frequently hear my clients say they have had so much fun, they could do it again in a heartbeat. I also hear, "I'm really going to miss talking to you everyday." When I am in the midst of a project, my brain constantly simmers with ideas to improve upon what the client wants. My clients and I form a team that's a mean machine. It still amazes and excites me after all these years.