Occupation: I’m an interior designer. My business is Inspirations For Your Home, inspirationsforyourhome.com. I started it eight years ago, and it’s all about interior designs from window treatments to kitchen and bath design and renovation. I’ve always been very creative and my husband and I have built several homes. I like people, so this job combines aspects of meeting new people and bringing my creativity into their homes. Experience is the best teacher.

Family: My husband Gene and I will have been married for 28 years, this May. We have three girls. Susan is 23; Gabriella is 21; and Alexis is 14.

Pets: We have two dogs. One is a Brittany spaniel, Cooper. He’s 4 years old. My daughter’s dog is Poppy. She’s 1 year old and a mini-golden doodle. We lost our 16-year-old Brittany spaniel, Winston, last year. And Gabriella has a hamster named Daisy.

How long have you lived here? We’ve lived in Sandy Hook for 12 years. We lived in Leawood, Kan., prior to that, for five years.

What do you like to do in your free time? I love to be outdoors, so when I have time, I enjoy my garden and go for a walk. We also have a beach house in Rhode Island. I grew up in Long Island and was at the beach all the time, so Watch Hill is kind of like that. I catch up on my reading, relax on the beach, and window shop. I play tennis, knit, and read.

What are you reading now? I belong to a book club in my neighborhood, so it offers me different genres I wouldn’t normally read. We are reading Finding Grace Kelly, right now, which I have just started. It’s kind of a cool book. I do love the author Mitch Albom. He’s very inspirational to me. He makes you appreciate the people in your life and not waste time. He helps you realize how precious our time is and to enjoy all the people in our lives.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? The beach house is really it! I do like to travel, though, and see new towns. I love the flavor of new places, like Seattle and California. What I like about California is that you can go from one end of the state to the other, and it’s really different everywhere. But there’s nothing like New England!

What is the best thing about Newtown? It has a strong sense of community and purpose. One reason we bought here, I was fascinated by the General Store and the flagpole. The General Store actually sold me on living here. It felt like home.

Who has been the greatest influence    in your life? From the past, my parents. My dad taught me my work ethic, to save my money, and live modestly. My mom    was an artist and gave me my talent.   Today, my husband is a great influence.    He believed in me to start my own         business, and gives me great advice, every day.

Did you have a favorite toy growing up? Believe it or not, it was a stuffed Alvin the Chipmunk. He had a knob on the back you’d turn, and he would sing. My mother said I was obsessed with it. I think I might still have it in a chest somewhere.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? That’s easy: anything chocolate. That’s it. I love Swiss milk chocolate, and I manage to have it every day.