About Me

Welcome to The DIY Playbook, where I share real-life home projects, practical tips, and everything I’ve learned from years of turning our house into a cozy, functional, and stylish home, one weekend at a time.

Whether you’re picking up a power drill for the first time or mapping out your next big renovation, you’re in the right place. Around here, we believe that everything is figureoutable, and progress is better than perfection.

What You’ll Find Here

Step-by-step DIY tutorials (even if you’re not “handy”)
Seasonal home maintenance checklists
Makeover reveals with honest lessons and sources
Tips for hiring pros & managing renos
My favorite tools, products, and smart upgrades

A Bit About Me

I launched The DIY Playbook in 2013 as a creative side hobby…just a way to document the small projects I was tackling in my first home. Over time, that hobby grew into a full-fledged business with millions of readers, an incredible online community, and a mission to help people feel more confident in their homes.

Along the way, I worked as a television producer and had the incredible opportunity to produce a DIY show. During my time in TV, I earned two Emmy Awards, sharpened my storytelling skills, and gained even more appreciation for the value of a well-thought-out home.

Today, I live in Chicago with my husband and our two kids in a 1920s bungalow we’ve been renovating room by room. You can tour it here! You’ll also catch me as the home expert on WBBM Newsradio here in Chicago.

I’m Writing a Book!

I’m currently writing Your Home Playbook—a practical, inspiring guide to caring for, managing, and truly enjoying your home. It’s packed with the most-loved tips and strategies I’ve shared here over the years, plus brand-new systems and monthly maintenance checklists to help you feel more confident and capable in your space.

The book comes out January 2027, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

fun Facts about me

My husband and I are high school sweethearts. His name is “Mike”, but he goes by his last name, “Finn”. It can get a tad confusing sometimes!
We’re a family of four with our two young ones, Rory & Ellis.
I’m an Enneagram 3 and very type-A.
I worked as a TV reporter and producer, before leaving my career to blog full-time in 2018.
My alma mater is the University of Notre Dame, where I was captain of the dance team. Go Irish!

A Look Back In Time…

2004

We fell in love in high school.

This is us at senior prom (such babies!).

2010

I graduated from The University of Notre Dame.

2010

I start my career working in TV

I earned 2 Emmys for my work on a DIY home improvement show in 2014 and 2017.

2013

I started The DIY Playbook

It was just a fun side hobby while working full-time in television.

2014

We got married.

2015

We bought our first home

It was a small condo here in Chicago. You can tour it here.

2017

We started infertility treatments

We started trying for a family and ended up doing a few rounds of IVF. Sadly, we had many losses along the way. You can read more about my infertility journey here.

2018