After graduating from college Kristy returned to Kansas and explored her talents in woodworking. Her father, a skilled carpenter, helped her learn the basics and gave her unlimited lumber from his lumberyard. With help from her father, Kristy learned how to design and build pieces of furniture. She increased her skill and knowledge when she volunteered in Tucson for a year doing home repair work and building wheelchair ramps for low-income families. She now spends her free time building furniture varying from coffee tables to outdoor patio sets.