Interior design is a second career for me. After 38 years as an elementary teacher, principal and assistant superintendent for an entire K-12 school district, I woke up one day as a retired woman at the ripe old age of 56 and said, “What do I want to do with the next half of my life?” It seems decorating had always been part of my DNA. As a tween-ager, when I couldn’t sleep at night, I would frequently tiptoe out to another room in the house and silently rearrange the furniture. When the family woke up in the morning, “Surprise!” But they got used to it. Now I could do it for real during daylight hours and even get paid for it. After dabbling in small design projects for family and friends, I went back to school to get certified in Home Staging, Interior Redesign and Color (I guess 14 years of college and a doctoral degree weren’t enough). Now I’ve owned Dr Design Home Therapy for 10 years and it’s been just as fulfilling as my first career as an educator. I love helping my clients discover exciting new ways to love their homes and gain confidence in realizing their own decorating style. For the client who’s getting ready to sell their home, the (sometimes difficult) changes we make help the home, (sic.) house sell quickly and for more money. And finally, you’ve heard the old saying, “You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but…” I also teach classes on decorating, color and organizing as well. No wonder my own children are still asking me, “Mom, when are you really going to retire?” My answer is simply, “I have no idea. I’m having too much fun; and so are my clients!”