I love visiting teacher websites and reading the “About Me” sections.  I could sit for hours and read those things!  I love to know the “real” person behind the blog and what their likes and interests are.  Are you the same way?

I thought I would have some fun today and tell you a little more about ME!  Hopefully you will learn a little more about “the girl” behind Schoolgirl Style!

1.  I cry a LOT.  I cry when I am happy, when I am sad, when I am watching T.V., when someone else is crying, basically, I cry all the time!  When I was little, my mother wrote in my baby book that she noticed that if someone else was hurt, I would cry for them.  She talked about the emotions I had for people at such a young age.  I am still like that.   I often feel everyone’s emotions around me and genuinely care about others. 

2.  I am the oldest of two children.  I have a younger brother, Kevin.  We were very close growing up.  Kevin lives about 5 minutes away from me and is married to one of my former parents.  I met his wife, Mary, during my second year of teaching and had her daughter in my first grade class.  I thought Mary was a great mom and she was SINGLE, so I set them up on a blind date.  The rest is history!

3.  My absolute favorite place in the world is Northern Michigan.  If you are from Michigan, we call it “Up North.”  Michigan is one of the most beautiful states with all of the quaint little towns along The Great Lakes.  My favorite areas are Petoskey, Charlevoix, and Harbor Springs.  I feel so different while I am there, so alive, so invigorated, and so inspired.  Driving through these towns, you will see beautiful historic houses along the shoreline.   There is great shopping, dining, and so much to do.  I dream of living there someday.  There isn’t any place I would rather be.

4.  Speaking of historic houses, I have a passion for them.  I love all things old and“vintage.”  I like to imagine what it would have been like to live during that time.  If I wasn’t a teacher, I could see myself renovating historic homes and bringing them back to their original glory. 

5.  Not only do I like decorating, but I also love hair and make-up!  I am always searching for the best beauty products.  I plan to share with you all of my favorites one of these days!

6.  I am very down-to-earth and don’t have a “fancy” bone in my body!  My husband always says that I am a “country girl” at heart.  I love small town living and being at home with my family. 

7.  My husband and I rarely ever go anywhere without our kids.  We love being together.  We like to put the kids in their car seats, head to McDonalds to get our Diet Cokes, and then take long drives.  We often drive around without a plan, look at houses and just TALK.  Our drives are one of my favorite things to do.

8.  I have a 15 year old son, Jake.  I plan to introduce all of you to him soon.  I want to dedicate a blog post just to him.  There is so much to learn from his experiences and he has taught me so much about life. 

9.  I will be 40 years old in December and not looking forward to it! 

10.  When I go into a grocery store, I run to the magazine aisle first.  I am addicted to house decorating magazines and have laundry baskets filled with them. 

11.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  I love cider mills, football, school starting, fleece jackets, warm cinnamon donuts, Halloween, and apple crisp.

12.  Nachos are my favorite food – hands down.

13.  I don’t like to cook and it is probably one of my biggest dislikes EVER.  I especially don’t like to clean up afterwards!

14.  I had my 15 minutes of fame when I was 14 years old.  Does anyone remember Teen Magazine?  Each month, the magazine featured teenage girls around the country that were entered into their Great Model Search.  Well, secretly, my mom and grandmother sent my picture into the magazine and to my surprise, I was chosen as a finalist!  I can remember opening up the pages and seeing a picture of ME!  I won a t-shirt and a bag of make-up.  I was also featured in my hometown newspaper.  That was really cool back then!

15.  I learned how to decorate from my mother.  My mom never worked, but was extremely talented in so many ways.  She was always decorating our house, making floral arrangements, wreaths, and gardening.  I can remember my mom creating large displays with all of her homemade goodies for our church craft shows and people flocking to her table.  She is one of the most gifted and creative people I have ever met.

16.  My dad worked as a Machine Repairman in the automotive industry.  He is one of the smartest people I know.  He is also the best dad a girl could ask for.   He has been the constant father figure for my son throughout his life.  My dad is our family’s “Voice of Reason.”

17.  When I started college, my parents wanted me to go into Physical Therapy and rejected the idea of me being a teacher because it didn’t pay enough.  I never wanted to be a Physical Therapist and secretly changed my major to Elementary Education!

18.  My husband, Matt,  has a degree in Exercise Science and Business, but chose to go into teaching later in life.  We met seven years ago when I was transferred to a new building to teach Kindergarten and he was hired as the new Physical Education teacher.  We’ve been married for five years.  He is currently our district’s summer school principal and is actively searching for a full time elementary principal position. 

19.  My favorite movies are The Notebook and Sixteen Candles.

20.  I can talk to just about anyone.  My family laughs because I will come home from the store and talk about the people I met while I was there and I will know their entire life story.  My husband will often say, “How do you know THAT?” or “I can’t believe they told you that!”  I think that I am a great listener and people sense that I genuinely care about what they are saying. 

Well, I honestly can’t think of anything else!   Hope you learned a little more about ME!  If you are dying to know anything else, feel free to ask! 

~Melanie~