As I’ve mentioned before, the primary purpose of my blog is to record the moments and memories that comprise my life… the joys, the struggles, and everything in between! I hope that my children will one day be able to read through these stories of their childhoods and get a unique glimpse into how much I enjoy and cherish my vocation as a mother and a wife. Second to being a good Christian, being a good wife and mother are the two most important things to me.
I feel incredibly blessed and grateful that I am able to be a “stay at home mom”. Being a mom has been my full time job for five years now. And as I’ve said before, it has been the hardest best job I’ve ever had!
Since I spent most of my time in my home raising children, I have a love for trying to make my home a place I truly love to be. I really believe that there is “no place like home” and even though my home is a big fat mess on most days, I still enjoy finding fun and unique ways to "pretty it up". And I’ve always enjoyed making things pretty. Like many things, I learned this from my mother. She has a gift for decorating and making things look pretty.
When I went to college, I went through the sorority Rush process. On the first day of Rush, my parents stayed in my dorm room to help me unpack. When my roommate and I returned to our dorm room that first evening after a long and confusing day of meeting new people, our dorm room was sparkling clean, the beds were made, clothes were put away, decorations were on the wall, curtains were hung, and there were big cookies on each of our desks waiting for us to share with our newfound friends. We had the prettiest, most welcoming dorm room on the floor!
I didn’t realize it at the time, but in making my room pretty, my mother taught me a lesson in hospitality. That very night, we invited the girls across the hall to come into our room to visit and eat those cookies. Those girls became our friends. Friends we shared our first year of true independence with.
Thank you, mom, for helping me decorate my first “home” and teaching me how to throw a “party” in it!
Why does this matter? Well, almost 5 years ago, we had just moved and made the decision that I would stay home with our then 6 month old baby. We were in the process of purchasing a new house and I was dealing with the adjustment of being a “stay at home mom”. Our finances were tighter than normal and I was craving a conversation with someone who could actually talk with me!
At that time, my love for decorating and creating a feeling of hospitality prompted me to do something I never thought I would do.
On a complete whim, I took a risk and made a $199 purchase.
I decided to become a consultant with Southern Living at Home. I was so excited about decorating my own new home. The only problem was that I didn’t have the excess funds to actually accomplish that decorating! Southern Living at Home offered beautiful, high quality home décor that I could use in my new home AND gave me an opportunity to have those “adult conversations” I was craving while making money in the process!
As easy as it sounded, I never, ever in a million years thought I would be in direct sales. I was a CPA and an Etiquette Consultant for crying out loud!
But I decided to give it a try. After all, $199 didn't seem like much of a risk given that I could use all of the "pretties" it bought me to spruce up my own home!
Never, ever in a million years did I think I would love it so much!
In the past 5 years I have enjoyed so, so many blessings through my Southern Living at Home business.
... I’ve created and decorated a home that I truly love to be in.
... I’ve developed family traditions with “pretties” that my children will one day inherit and pass on to their children.
... I’ve met and become friends with wonderful women in my hometown and across the country.
... I’ve traveled (for FREE) on seven amazing vacations… often taking my family with me!
... I’ve treated my kids to enrichment activities and special things I wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.
... I've grown as a person and had a lot of fun!
All this to say that first and foremost, I still am, and hopefully always will be a "stay at home mom" and a wife. Those are my primary jobs and my primary passions. But my Southern Living at Home business has been my own "little something" that has fulfilled many needs for both me and my family.
Over the weekend, I was challenged to ponder the question...
What if it could get even better?
And the answer was it can!
It is!
On August 4th, Southern Living at Home will relaunch as Willow House with over 100 new products, a fresh feel, and opportunities for founding ground floor consultants.
Willow House will continue to carry the same fabulous, high quality products that Southern Living at Home has always produced.
But it will offer even more!
On August 4th, Willow House will launch with ground floor opportunities to join the first ever company of its kind.
Willow House will be the first and only "Ecommerce Community" in the world!
What does that mean?
In addition to the traditional home parties that provide a reason for friends and families to get together, shop and learn about design trends, Willow House will also create an Ecommerce Community. It will be a one stop shop for all the decorating and design products and ideas you could possibly need or want. It will introduce its own TV channel, "how to" lifestyle videos from professional stylists and designers, the best design blogs, chat rooms, an Idea House, an Eoutlet to purchase discontinued and older products, EBotiques that carry unique specialty products from other manufacturers, and more!
It's a concept that I have yet to completely wrap my mind around.
All I know is that I want to be a part of it!
And so I started asking myself...
What if there is a blog reader that might be like me?
What if there is someone "out there" who would like to make some extra money? A little bit or a lot.
What if I could introduce this opportunity to my friends and have them join me on the ground floor of this one-of-a-kind company?
What if I could help someone else experience the fun that I have experienced in the past five years?
What if I shared my story?
I feel lucky to know about this opportunity!
And now you do too!
Willow House's slogan is "Simply Good Design".
It's also a Simply Good Opportunity...
... an opportunity to earn a little or a lot of money.
... an opportunity to learn about design.
... an opportunity to meet new friends.
... an opportunity to travel (for free!)
... an opportunity to be a part of something big, something new, something different.
... an opportunity to make YOUR house a place YOU truly love to be!
"They" say that the best time to join a new company is 6 months before it opens its door. The second best time is to join in the first 6 months it is open for business.
If you have even the slightest bit of curiosity, ask yourself...
What if I could make some extra money in a way that is easy, fun and fits into my life?
In August, the "getting started" cost is only $99 and there will be a limit on the number of new consultants who are able to join this ground breaking company.
It just may fit into your life as it has mine!
Email me for more information
Me and my friend, Vince, celebrating the launch of Willow House at the inaugural Convention this past weekend
