G.K. Chesterton on role of the mother: "How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe?"
Hobbies / Personal Interests:
Active & Outdoors: Yoga / Pilates
Creative & Artistic: Music / Playing Instruments, Reading, Singing / Choir, Writing / Journaling
Home & Family: Family Activities, Gardening / Homesteading, Homeschooling, Home Decorating, Hosting Gatherings
About Me:
My name is Elisa, and I’m married to Mickey. We have 6 kids (ages 23 to 3), and we live in rural Massachusetts. I am passionate about architecture and design: renovating and furnishing old / historic houses and designing new houses and developments / landscapes.
I grew up in Dallas, Texas, the oldest of 5 kids. I met Mickey in California when we were freshman at Stanford University in 1997, and we secretly eloped 15 months later. I thought I wanted to be a Supreme Court Justice, until experiencing the distastefulness of politics as a student at Stanford Law School. After graduating in 2004, by divine intervention, I took on the role I wanted least in the world: a stay-at-home mom. (I realized later that it may be the most valuable and impactful role a woman can have.)
Being a stay-at-home mom gave me the mental freedom to explore what I was actually passionate about: old houses. I’ve been decorating spaces since having my first apartment in 1999, but my dreams came true once I started renovating old houses in 2014. (We've redone a 1838 Greek Revival farmhouse, a 1870 Folk Victorian, a 1780 Colonial former-stagecoach stop, a 1900s barn guest house ...) We built our first house in 2024 (an all-wood house kit that can be built by amateurs), and now we have a company designing and selling house kits, Modern Shaker Homes (www.modernshaker.com).
Top Vision/Goal Items (Currently):
1) slow down and take care of me, 2) SEAD my life so I have less to manage, 3) build a successful house kit company with my husband
Lifeonaire Vision:
To be whole and healthy in body, mind, and spirit, and to have close, healthy relationships with my loved ones.
To create beautiful spaces, houses, and villages that foster community and connection.
To teach mothers how to use homeopathic medicine for their children, and to foster healthier families.
To keep expanding my world through cultural activities, travel, and new experiences.
About My Business:
Business Name: Modern Shaker Homes
Modern Shaker Homes sells high-quality, timber-frame style, solid-wood house kits for the novice to professional carpenter to construct. www.modernshaker.com