Exclusive Interview
" I guess you can say I am a California girl. I was born in San Jose California to an Irish mother and an Italian Father. I loved growing up in a diverse family. I learned so much about culture and traditions. Unfortunately, my mother and father divorced when I was 10, and my three sisters and I took a 3000 mile trip across country with my mother to Virginia. Let me tell you, it was a culture shock even at a young age going from acceptance of diversity to Southern beliefs and culture. I lived with my grandmother for a while until my mother could find a job and home for us to live. As I remember back, it was my grandmother that gave me the love for fashion and style. She had her wardrobe color coded and lined up perfectly, so she could find each matching item, such as shoes, purse, and stole. I’ll never forget her taking me to the beauty shop and getting my first haircut. I thought I was a movie star. I would spend hours looking through her clothes and jewelry. "
" From there I grew into a lanky, long leg teenager who thought her red hair and freckles made her ugly. It was very hard growing up as a red head. The teasing left scares that would take years to heal. My mother decided to put me in modeling school because I refused to stand up straight. It was there I got in touch with my fashion desires. I was soon walking the runway and loving every minute of it. It not only built a confidence within me, but it gave me a desire to go to beauty school. At the age of 17, I graduated with my hairstyling license. It was a career that allowed me to raise my two beautiful daughters, and it gave me an outlet to be creative. After many years of loving my job, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. This would be the reason to find another occupation at the age of 35. So, while my children were in high school, I was headed back to college. I wanted to be a theater major. I loved acting and being on stage. I had done many plays in church for many years. I wanted to teach theater so I could be creative and design sets and clothing. Five years later, I graduated with a degree.' theater and English with a minor in education.