I was born in Oakland and raised in Vallejo, California. A Navy brat, I also spent part of my childhood in the Philippines (Clark Air Base, Pampanga).

A multidisciplinary creative, I strive to tell stories reflecting everyday experiences. Ordinariness is something to celebrate and can be the source of meaningful art; family dramas and love stories the sites of profound discoveries. My current mediums for storytelling are literary and graphic novels and filmmaking.

I’ve worked as a journalist, creative director, designer, and stylist, and I’m the author of 7 books, including the best-selling Craft Inc. and Crafting a Meaningful Home. Formerly an editorial director at Zeitgeist (Penguin Random House), I’m currently the acquistions editor at Mayo Clinic Press.

I’ve been featured in Sunset, Real Living, 7x7, and Elle Decor Philippines; served as a guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio, After the Jump, and KPFA; spoken as a panelist at California College of the Arts, Alt Summit, Exceptional Women in Publishing, Liwanag Filipinx Literary Festival, and Long Beach Festival of AAPI Books; received design awards from The Pasadena Museum of California Art and Print Magazine.

A lifelong learner, my interests and skills are wide and guided by curiosity. I have a bachelor's in psychology with dual specializations in Asian American studies and business administration from UCLA. After undergrad, I studied architecture, also at UCLA. (See what I mean?) These days I like to work on projects that are personal and at the intersection of art, history, and the vernacular.