Since it's (almost) my birthday, I decided to share 26 things that you didn't know about me. I was inspired after reading Tess's 27 Things You Might Not Know About Me birthday post.

1. You probably know this by now, but I am 6 feet tall. I come from a really tall family with my mom at 5'10", dad at 6'5" and sister at 6'. I also have two 7' cousins.

2. I tried singing classes at the end of high school because I wanted to try something new. I performed an Italian Opera ballad (solo) in front of an auditorium full of people.

3. I can wiggle my ears.

4. My astrology sign is an Aries sun sign, Scorpio moon, and Aries rising. If you’re into astrology, you probably know what this means. If not, you can look up your sign and what it means here.

5. My sister, Caitlin and I are IVF babies and it took my mom 9 years of trying to have us. So to put this in perspective, I would be in my mid 30's if I was born on time.

6. I received my bachelors degree in Art Education from UMass Amherst and passed my MTELs, making me a licensed teacher aka. Ms. Friel.

7. In college my medium of choice was watercolor and graphite. I love that they are easy to manipulate and fix if you make a mistake. With that being said I hate writing in pen, and I won't use it on any of my notebooks.

8. I spent the summer of my junior year of college studying art in Paris and the South of France with other art students. We spent 10 hours a day creating artwork, it was one of the most wonderful experiences.

working on watercolor in the South of France.

9. I am really outgoing, I LOVE meeting new people, and this is one of the reasons that I love blogging so much. I prefer to attend events by myself, because it challenges me to get out of my comfort zone and network.

10. I love to push myself out of my comfort zone. The thrill of conquering something that scares me is addictive. I once went skydiving on a whim and it was one of the best experiences.

11. In high school I experimented with the way that I dressed by trying different styles, and wearing heels to school. I won best dressed because of it. Shoutout to my best friends from high school for supporting me through the trials and tribulations of my outfits.

12. I've traveled to 6 different countries (and counting): Japan, China, France, Austria, Hungary and Mexico. I have always wanted to travel to Africa and go on a safari.

13. I was a tomboy growing up, and loved playing with animals. My dream job was to be a zoologist, or the next Steve Irwin.

14. I had my fair share of pets: 3 hermit crabs, a few fish, a guinea pig, a leopard gecko and two dogs. The leopard gecko didn't stay long because I was terrified of the crickets and mealie worms that I had to feed it.

15. I am a difficult shopper and picky about the pieces that I add to my closet. I am particularly critical about the fit, style and material of clothing. I can attribute that to my mom, she is the best person to shop with because she is so honest and particular. I can thank her for my quality wardrobe.

16. I met my best friends in college. As fate would have it, we lived next to each other, in the same dorm. We are totally different people, but are like family. The idea of 5 different women brought together on the same floor and remaining close 8 years later makes it feel like we were meant to meet. I believe that you meet people for a reason, and everyone I have come into contact with has taught me something.

17. Speaking of, I met my boyfriend Jordan during my freshman year of college. He lived on the floor below me and we quickly became close friends. After mustering up the courage to admit that we both liked each other, we started dating at the end of our sophomore year. We will be dating for six years in May. He's the most stylish guy I know.

18. I have been blogging for four years. I started my first blog in college after interning for Rent The Runway. My friend Andrea came up with the name, The Tall Teacher since I was student teaching at the time. I launched Model and Maker last year with the intention to be more professional and focus on my true passion of street style, and styling.

19. I love making people feel good about themselves. It is the most rewarding feeling and really drives what I do. If I can inspire you to get out of your comfort zone, try something new and feel good in it, then I've done by job.

20. I absolutely love going into Barnes and Noble, exploring and reading the books. You can find me sitting in a corner reading about all things fashion.

21. I hate crying in front of people.

22. None of my family lives in Massachusetts, so I spend every holiday visiting them in Pennsylvania. My family means everything to me.

23. I was born in Morristown, New Jersey and moved around 3 times before my family settled in Massachusetts. From New Jersey to Arizona back to New Jersey and then to Massachusetts.

24. When I was in college, I lost my grandmother, aunt and great aunt within a few years. I remember going numb when my mom told me, it was really hard because my grandmother and great aunt were the heart of my family. They were strong matriarchs that shaped who I am today.

my great aunt, grandfather, grandmother and sister.

25. I am not afraid to speak in front of a large group of people. After being in front of the classroom for a few years, I feel prepared for anything…I’m co-teaching a course at Tufts with Alexi in April.

26. I am a glass half full kind of person, and always like to look on the bright side.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about me. Tell me something about you in the comments!

street style

26 Things You Don't Know About Me