Welcome to Living Large in a Small House.

I’m a wife to “Handy” and mom to three kids. Two of my children are single, working adults. My oldest, Kenny lives in LA and is pursuing his music career.  My middle daughter, Annie lives in Dallas and is a TV News Producer.  My baby, Emma is a senior at Iowa State University.  She started a semester abroad in Spain in January but due to the Coronavirus her experience of a life time was cut short.  I’m married to the handiest man (Keith) in the world and we were enjoying being Empty-Nesters!  We live in the house that was his bachelor pad when I met him. Raising three kids in a 1,300-square foot home with no garage or basement has been a challenge but not only have we made it work, we have made it into a beautiful, functional home.

I was a stay at home Mom for 20 years and then I had an opportunity to work for a company that I thought would be my dream job.  After 15 years of working for corporate America, my job was recently eliminated.  I can’t say I’m terribly disappointed.  I’m looking forward to doing what I love to do and finally living my real dream!

Our small house is on the banks of the Fox River in Port Barrington, Illinois. It’s a small hamlet in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. My office has always been in my home so I like things to be nice, neat and organized.  I love to garden, cook, entertain, organize and of course decorate my home. I’ve also become a master at maximizing the space in our house. Blogging about all of my hobby’s has become my new passion.  I enjoy sharing my life with you.

Our family became urban farmers when we welcomed five chickens into our home, much to the chagrin of our dog, Molly. We also have a large vegetable garden and huge perennials gardens that we maintain in the summer.

In the last few years we have finished renovating our home so we have minimal maintenance in our “golden years”

Grab your favorite beverage and take a peek into my world of Living Large in a Small House.