Welcome to the blog, Donna!

Tell us a little about yourself….

Hello, I am overwhelmed with the fact that we have been chosen for this wonderful opportunity to share our love for Livie & Luca!
My name is Donna Curtis, married to Bill and we have four children – Davey 16, Dalton 15, Reece 7 and our only daughter Presley who is 5.  We have a crazy busy life but I love every minute of it! I grew up with a large family of 7 siblings and we are all very close to this day. I am a Computed Tomography Technologist and my husband is a county police officer.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

I was born In Portland, Oregon, lived in Yacolt, Washington until age 4, then I was raised in Muncie, Indiana.  We recently moved to a small town outside Muncie, named Selma so our kids could have a better opportunity at smaller schools.

Tell us about your family.

We are a family of 6, three boys and one girl. I was real young when I had my first two children and then I got my act together, went back to school, found a great man who loved my older boys as much as me, got married and had two more children.

This is our family on the day my husband adopted my two older boys.

This is Presley in her Pio Pios!

What are you passionate about?

Teaching my children to be kind, respectful and loving.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

This is a super hard question but I would have to say my father. He left when I was 13 and moved back to Washington. We lived a very hard life without him. My mom tried her best to provide for us and when I was 20 my dad came back into our lives and has been trying so hard to make up for his mistake of leaving us. He is a hard worker and makes time for all his children and grandchildren. He gave me hope that I can change and be someone better even though I might not have made the best decisions a few times. Today is a new day.

What does typical weekend day with the family look like for you

Well I work 12-hour shifts on weekends in a trauma hospital with an hour drive one way so weekends for us are nothing exciting. But it gives me the opportunity to be home with the kids Monday through Friday and that alone is worth every hour I work on the weekends. To be able to get kids ready for school daily, be a room mom, stand at the bus stop excited to hug them and have them tell me about their day is the best feeling in the world.

If you could travel to any place in the world where would it be and why?

If I could go anywhere, I would love to take my children back to Yacolt, Washington to Moulton Falls on Lucia Falls Rd. My sister was born on the side of the road there and her middle name is Lucielle. When my dad was there we went to visit him and it was the most beautiful and calmest place I have ever seen! I have always wanted to go back but flights for a family of 6 from Indiana are so much that it’s just not possible. When we were there visiting I got to meet my godmother who has written me all my life to give me inspiring words and updates on their family. I have been telling myself for years that I was going to go out and see her soon but she passed last year on Christmas day. I feel like a part of me is there and I need to get it.

Where did you first see a pair of Livie  & Lucas?

I saw my first pair of Livie & Luca shoes at a consignment store when my 3rd son was a toddler.

What do you like about them?

I liked them so much because they were soft, just like him and moved with his foot as he walked around. Those shoes had Velcro straps and he for some reason was obsessed with chewing on the Velcro. I still have them and he is 7 now.

What are some styles you like from the Fall 2013 season and why?

Pio Pio is our number one favorite! I have always had a love affair for Pio Pios because they are the most comfortable shoes ever and can be dressed up or down!  The bird is a classic of Livie & Luca! The fall colors are very warm and inviting but powerful and turn a simple shoe into a true experience.

I really really like the Toi Toi and feel they would be my next purchase. They give a funky chic style yet are very wearable and absolutely catch my attention.

I absolutely LOVE the theme of the season. I feel it’s vintage eclectic which never goes out of style in my opinion. The only thing I would change would be more individual pics of the shoes on children in day to day life. Lots of people think they are only for special occasions and we could seriously wear ours every day!

Is there anything you’d like to see from Livie & Luca in the future?

The only thing I would like to see in the future is same quality shoe for bigger kids. I know your shoes go up to the bigger sizes but I feel like my 7-year-old is too old for them because they look kinda babyish in his opinion and my heart will break into a million pieces when my daughter asks for flip flops or tennis shoes over her Livie & Lucas!

Sincerely,

Donna Curtis!

Thanks, Donna, for sharing your thoughts and stories with us! That pic of Presley in her Blossoms is so precious!