"I'm so much more at ease and happier within myself," says the actress, who just celebrated her first wedding anniversary with her actor-writer husband John Viscardi.

    Next on her agenda, says Fiona, is motherhood.  We'd like to have two maybe three," says the thirty-something actress.  "But there aren't many more years for me to have children.  My parents were in their 40's when I was born," she adds, "and I felt I lost them early."

    Fiona and John who met on One Life to Live -- she played gabrielle Medina and he played father Tony -- were married Sept 16, 1994, by a park ranger in the Grand Canyon.  The ceremony, which took place on top of a 300 ft waterfall, was the highlight of the couple's eight day hike from the south rim to the bottom of the canyon.

    The happy bride who left GL in Dec 1994, has also been hard at work in theater and film.  She stars in  Steven Seagal's martial arts film Rage -- and over the summer, she appeared in the West Coast stage version of Dial M for Murder.  She is also producing a play, Sheer Boredom, written by her husband.

    Looking back over her soap career, Fiona says her favorite daytime role was OLTL's tearful troublemaker Gabrielle.  It was also the most difficult.

    "The role affected me so much," she says.  "It was probably the most traumatic and scarring experience of my life.  I felt shell-shocked and wary about emotions after OLTL," she adds.  "The sanctuary of my home became much more important than a heavy duty social life."

    Now she and her husband have homes on both coasts: a New York apartment with Victorian interiors and a sunny, Santa Monica apartment decorated by Fiona in a casual, but artistic style.

    She says one of the best parts of the West Coast apartment is watching the dolphins in Santa Monica Bay when she and John walk their Yorkshire Terriers: Kenya, Azalea and Grunge.

    Fiona has given their home-base california apartment her own unique style.  First she ripped out the carpeting and removed the wallpaper.  Then she designed boldly colored interiors for each room -- except the master bedroom which is all white, and the pale blue guest room.  She even tiled the bathroom.

    "Doing it myself gave me a great sense of accomplishment," she says

    The white on white master bedroom boasts a rich mixture of textures.  "Curtains are made from tablecloths, sheets, actual curtains, and many long strands of pearls," explains the actress.

    The guest room exudes tranquility -- although the guest bath is a riot of vibrant hues.  Walls are sponge painted pink and red against green tile -- colors that are repeated in the parrot-motif shower curtains.

    The dramatic dining room includes a Persian rug, a heavy, art deco dining table with Mexican chairs, an Italian piece from the 1900's in carnival hues and a chandelier hand painted by Fiona in blue, green and yellow.

    The sunny living room is decorated in a whimsical style -- a bright pink sofa with soft pillows and a green desk, which Fiona describes as "right out of Alice in Wonderland."

    The warm mood of the rooms obviously reflects Fiona herself, and the vibrant mix of styles echoes her background.

    "I was born in Miami to Scott-Welsh parents and brought up in Jamaica, West Indies, " she says.

     The actress who has also been a professional ballet dancer, keeps in shape by leading an early morning stretch and tone class at the Santa Monica Y.

    Several friends persuaded her to teach the group, and industry leaders, writers, producers, graphic artists, talent agents and actors have flocked to join.

    "It's fun," says Fiona.  "Afterwards, we often have coffee together, exchange ideas and talk about industry news.  It's great for networking." *