"I went to school and got my degree in architecture, because someone told me I'd never be able to do it. The discipline really suited my personality and I enjoyed the struggle, the sleep deprivation, and learning to have a critical eye. I graduated in 1996 from Penn State University and moved forward seeking a climate change.

I relocated to Phoenix Arizona. It was there that I took my first class in metal smithing. I enjoyed it, but couldn't take the heat, and felt the need to relocate again. Everyone I knew was living on the east coast, so I moved further west.

I landed in San Francisco where I met my husband and continued to work as an architect. We got a dog and moved to east bay. I worked in the garage on jewelry relentlessly and realized I liked it a lot more than my day job.

We have since moved to Portland Oregon and have two babies and I'm no longer an architect, but still stubborn and still making jewelry.