From Playhouses to Possibilities: Small Spaces, Big Ideas

Image from Pinterest Growing up on Asbury Ave in Evanston, Il. there was a girl down the street who had a playhouse in the backyard. It was love at first sight. Looking back it was the beginning of my love of architecture. Each spring I was invited to come and spring house clean. I viewed … Continue reading From Playhouses to Possibilities: Small Spaces, Big Ideas →

Stepheny Reflects On 2025 Graduation Speeches

"Reflections on a time when education built character, and graduation honored it." Stepheny Forgue Houghtlin Evanston Township High School was a top public school in the country when I graduated. I think there were 635+ students in my class. To this day, I’m still in touch with the close friends I made in those years. … Continue reading Stepheny Reflects On 2025 Graduation Speeches →

Preservation vs. Progress: Be Careful What You Pray For

It started with a prayer, one of those earnest, hopeful moments shared among friends when life throws a curve: Years ago my husband and I belonged to a couples prayer group. One of the men lost his job and we all began to pray, for a NEW job. Turns out we prayed he and his … Continue reading Preservation vs. Progress: Be Careful What You Pray For →

The Memories That Led to Stepheny, the Preservationist

1800 Asbury Ave - Evanston, IL. Before I ever knew the word “preservation,”I knew how it felt to love a house.To love a neighborhood.To love a way of life shaped by streets, seasons, and sidewalks. I grew up in Evanston, Illinois, where winter blanketed the world in white silence.I’d sit on the radiator cover in … Continue reading The Memories That Led to Stepheny, the Preservationist →