VickiFORD

Vicki Ford developed the proper tools to becoming a doit-yourselfer at a young age. Her father was a contractor, and the 8-year-old girl would accompany him to various job sites. And he put her to work.

Together, they performed labor-intensive jobs such as re-roofi ng houses, hanging drywall, pouring concrete and laying tile.

Vicki enjoyed it all — except digging up septic lines.

“One thing I truly loved was sitting beside my father and reading blueprints,” she says. “Blueprints always fascinated me.”

Today, Vicki is a do-it-yourself enthusiast who constantly fi nds various projects to complete around her Yalaha home. She has tiled her shower, installed carpet, put down hardwood flooring and laid pavers. She has also painted both the interior and exterior of her home.

And she’s anxious to tile the bathroom floor.

“I like to save money, and you feel lots of pride when you’ve done something worthwhile,” says Vicki, who is director of sales at Mission Inn Club and Resort.

Perhaps the most enjoyable thing for Vicki is continuing to work alongside her 84-year-old father, Bill Jackson. Whenever she is completing a project, she’ll invite her father over so he can provide valuable tips and advice.

“He will sit there and tell me what to do,” she says. “It’s really amazing that we’re still doing projects together after all these years.”