Homeownership is part of living the American Dream. Travis and Callie Williams have seen their dream take shape; they got married three and a half years ago, built a home in High Springs and even started their own business, Innovative Home Builders of North Florida, Inc.

I sat down with this young entrepreneurial couple to see what motivated and inspired them.

Callie told me that her family has been in the historic old town of High Springs and the surrounding area for three generations and they know many High Springs locals. All of her family graduated from UF and are true Gator fans. Travis says they quickly became comfortable in High Springs and they knew that this was where they wanted to work and live.

Their company, Innovative Home Builders of North Florida, Inc. all started with a casual conversation with a family member who went through a nightmare building experience. This relative’s ordeal pushed Travis and Callie into the building industry. “It shouldn’t be a nightmare; it should be a dream come true. What do you hear when you hear someone is building a house? You hear, ‘Gosh I feel sorry for you!’ We wanted to turn that around and show that it can be fun and affordable and that was when I began the process of obtaining my Contractor’s license.” said Travis.

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Have you visited show homes or stayed in a beautiful hotel and come home feeling that your house will never look that good?…….. Well, think again.

Gainesville is lucky enough to be home to Donna Cohen, Interior Designer and President of Donna Cohen Classic Design, L.L.C. She has lived and worked in Gainesville since 1979 and has managed projects from Key West to Maine. As I walk around her fabulous home and see her ‘Gator wall’ you realize that her heart is here in Gainesville “Gainesville is a wonderful and interesting city to work in, considering the diversity of my clients, from commercial to residential, from very large projects, to small one hour color consultations,” says Donna.

Donna has an impressive background having taken classes in New York and Paris. Her commercial jobs that she has worked on have won Gainesville City Beautification Awards right here in Gainesville and Donna continues to keep up with styles and trends with continued educational trips to the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center and South Florida’s Design Center of the Americas. Donna is quick to point out that this impressive background might intimidate those that are thinking of hiring an interior designer for the first time and feel that it would be too expensive.

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Itching, coughing, sneezing, runny noses and aching sinuses-wouldn’t it be a relief for all seasonal allergy symptoms to be fought without having to take any pills? Would you believe that a remedy to these allergies is prepared daily by the constant work of the humble honeybee?

Nothing can ruin a day faster then an allergy attack. According to local beekeeper Chappie McChesney, consuming honey that is local is an effective and important way to fight allergies. He should know, he has been doing this for over 55 years!

Definition of Local Honey- Honeybees travel within a 3-5 mile radius from their hives to collect pollen and nectar. Buying honey from a beekeeper who lives near you will ensure that the honey contains the pollens in your area.

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