Backstage with an L & L Solemate – Debbie Schmidt
Welcome Debbie!
Tell us a little bit about yourself….Who are you?
I am a married stay-at-home mom to 4 wonderful kids, including a set of twins. Prior to having the twins, I was a Kindergarten teacher for 6 years and prior to that I taught first grade for 7 years. I took a little bit of time off after having my first child. During that time, I completed my master’s degree in Teacher Leadership at Wright State University. I did my undergraduate studies at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. I have been married to my husband Doug, for almost 20 years. One of my greatest accomplishments…I am an 18 year cancer survivor. 
Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
I grew up in a small rural town in Southwestern Ohio…Eaton, Ohio, home to the Preble County Pork Festival. I love the small town atmosphere and after marrying my husband we opted to move back to Eaton. We have an amazing school system and I knew this was where I wanted to raise my own children.
Tell us about your family
My son Tyler is 13 and loves sports. He plays football, soccer, wrestles, runs track and plays baseball but still manages to get straight A’s. Zac is 11 and equally as active in sports and also a straight A student. He is my red-headed little tiger! He plays soccer, runs cross country, plays basketball and baseball. I also have a set of twins, Jonathan and Abbie, who just turned 5. They have probably changed my life the most and everyday I spend with them is like a new journey. My husband Doug is an amazing man and one that I can still say is the absolute love of my life. We have been married for almost 20 years. My own parents have been married for over 53 years which is an amazing accomplishment! There are two very important additional members of our family…Max and Rudi. They are our 3-year-old male, black Labrador retriever dogs. They are truly brothers, as they came from the same litter.
What are you passionate about?
I love children and I am passionate about education. When I was 6 years old, I still remember my 1st grade teacher asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up and without hesitation, I said I wanted to be a teacher. I believe every child has the innate ability to learn. My job is to help them reach their full potential and grow into productive individuals who are caring and compassionate to others, individuals who love and respect others. I cherish the little lives that I have touched, as they have touched mine as well. I am still in contact with numerous students from the past and they are now having families of their own. I honestly do not believe there is a more rewarding profession than teaching. I am also passionate about Children’s literature. I love to read to my kids. We read every night and I have a collection of over a thousand children’s books.
What is your favorite family tradition?
Every year we take our kids to a local pumpkin patch to pick apples, play with the animals and choose the perfect pumpkins and fall mums to decorate our flower bed and porch. There is a nice quiet pond by the orchard and we like to sit and have fresh apple cider. It is a such a simple tradition but one that my children look forward to every year. After spending several hours there, we come home and everyone helps mom make homemade apple dumplings. Then we generally plant our beautiful mums while the dumplings are baking and decorate the porch with corn shucks and pumpkins.
If you could travel to any 3 countries in the world what would they be?
I would love to visit Australia. I would also love to visit New Zealand. I love animals of any kind but definitely have a soft spot for koalas and kangaroos! Most of all, I would love to visit Africa. I would love to be able to go on a mission trip and to spend time with the children of Africa just reading to them!
Where did you first see a pair of Livie & Luca shoes?
I saw a pair of Petals on a Matilda Jane model…it was truly love at first sight!
What do you like about them?
I adore the fit, the colors and the unique style of each and every pair. I love that they match our favorite brands of clothing too! My daughter asks to wear her Petals with everything including her pajamas! 
What is your favorite pair of Livie & Luca shoes?
Honestly, I have never bought a pair of Livie and Luca shoes that I didn’t love but I cherish the Petals. I think I could easily be labeled as a Petal hoarder. I currently own Petals in yellow, turquoise, green and pink in 4 sizes. Green is our favorite. They are so bright and sweet and they are always a head turner! I also love the Blossoms and Pio Pios.
Is there anything you’d like to see from Livie & Luca in the future?
I would love to see Petals in every single color. I am so excited to see the new colors coming next spring. Our school colors are purple and gold and I’m excited to own such a cutie pie shoe to match our Eaton Eagle fan wear! Now, we need some orange Petals to complement our Bengals attire and oh how I would love to see little Abbie wearing some red Petals with her Cincinnati Reds sportswear! 
Leave a comment