JANSSEN, Jo Ann 1952-

PERSONAL: Born May 6, 1952, in St. Johns, MI; daughter of Horace Charles (a pastor, photographer, and carpenter) and Dorothy Pearl (a homemaker; maiden name, Glanert) Pulsipher; married Alfred G. Janssen (a writer), August 6, 1977; children: Joshua, Jonathan, Anna. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Arizona State University, B.A., 1974. Politics: Republican. Religion: Protestant. Hobbies and other interests: Interior decorating, gardening.

ADDRESSES: Home—3019 Nevermind Lane, Colorado Springs, CO 80917. Agent—Knight Agency, P.O. Box 550648, Atlanta, GA 30355. E-mail—joajanssen@ aol.com.

CAREER: Elementary schoolteacher at Christian schools in Phoenix, AZ, 1974-78; West Hills Christian School, Portland, OR, elementary teacher, 1978-82.

WRITINGS:

(With Gwen Ellis) Decorating on a Shoestring: YouCan Create a Beautiful Home without Spending a Fortune, Broadman & Holman (Nashville, TN), 1999.

(With Gwen Ellis) Dress like a Million Bucks withoutSpending It! Revell (Grand Rapids, MI), 2003.

WORK IN PROGRESS: A books on planning weddings on a shoestring.

SIDELIGHTS: Jo Ann Janssen told CA: "In a world constantly bombarded with the message that we need to spend, buy, and acquire to live a fulfilled life, I want to bring a contrasting lifestyle option. I believe an American can live contentedly, beautifully, and even stylishly without constantly buying stuff.

"My parents and grandparents modeled this lifestyle. As pastors they never had much money, and yet they had gracious homes. They practiced hospitality often.

"Married to a writer, I faced the same challenge: how to live graciously on a limited income. Consumer debt has never been an option. Contentment has been a character quality worth working on.

"In my books I show my readers how to live beautifully with what they have. I encourage acquiring some do-it-yourself skills such as sewing or painting. I discourage ever going into debt to maintain or attain a lifestyle. Stuff does not make one happy. That's my message. That's why I write."