How did you get your start DIYing?
"I have always been a crafty girl, growing up in Wisconsin I always created my own style: thrifing clothes, making friendship bracelets, and covering everything I owned with tie dye and puffy paint (I was not afraid of multiple pops of color). When I moved to New York, on a tight budget, I continued to make the trends I was seeing in magazines and on the runway. I got a great response from my coworkers at InStyle, which lead to a story in the mag, then a column, and then a book, I Spy DIY Style, out today!"

Does your ability to craft come naturally? How long did it take to work your way up to the four-scissor skill level? (Ed note: The number of scissors indicate the difficultly of each DIY project in the book.)
"I’ve always been on the creative side (math is my mortal enemy) and, from the beginning, liked putting a personal spin on my outfits. DIY can sometimes take some trial and error — I have a lopsided dress from a sewing class I took in middle school to prove it — but in the book, I wanted to make projects for every skill level. Even the more advanced projects are ones that, with a little practice, anyone can recreate."

Photo: Courtesy of I Spy DIY