Originally born and raised in the Midwest, Alana moved to California with her family in 1988. Living in California for 12 years not only taught her to love life in flip-flops, but also to gain a lifelong love of the arts, design, color and architecture. She loves to travel and find inspiration studying and photographing the art and architecture of different cultures. In 2000, Alana received her B.A. in Art History from San Jose State University, married her husband Eric and relocated back to "this side of the world". She has been designing jewelry and accessories off and on for nearly a decade, and now owns and operates The Artisan Galery in Marion, a shoppe deicated to furthering promotion of local and visiting artists.