Getting to Know You - Linda Siders

Linda Siders - Wichita, KS 

My name is Linda Siders and I have been part of Danielle's SLH/Willow House team since March 2010.  I hosted a SLH party at work about 8 years ago and it was a great success.  I have always loved the items that I received as a hostess, but I actually forgot about Southern Living at Home until I became a decorator blog junkie last winter.  As I perused the home decor blogs I noticed that some of the bloggers referred to an item in their home as their "SLH piece."  I stumbled upon a blog of a SLH consultant and "bingo" I figured out what SLH meant.  I checked out the online catalog, Danielle left a catalog in my mailbox, and the rest is history.  I could never sell anything that I was not passionate about or did not want to own myself.  Willow House keeps me out of the local home decor shops and I simply decorate my home with Willow House products (well maybe with a little help from TJ Maxx for candles and filler items). 

 

I am blessed with a wonderful husband, David, of 32 years, and we have two amazing boys, Josh and Aaron, and two lovely daughter in laws, Sarah, Josh's wife, and Stephanie, Aaron's wife.  Josh and Sarah are expecting our first grandchild on November 8.  It is a boy, but we do not know his name.  However, we do know that we can't wait for his arrival and we plan to spoil him silly.  Josh and Sarah live in Manhattan and Aaron and Stephanie live in Prairie Village.  Our family bleeds purple as all the kids are K-State grads.

 

I have been a paralegal at Foulston Siefkin for 17 1/2 years and it is a wonderful job for which I am very thankful.  Selling Willow House is very rewarding because it is "my" business.  I love selling Willow House because I believe in the quality and beauty of the products.  I am excited to meet hostesses and customers who love it as much as I do, and I am challenged by customers who need ideas on what to do with home decor and serving items.  I love to share my decorating ideas, and I hope that I can inspire a few people along the way to use the things that they love when they decorate, entertain, and organize, and to complement what they already own with Willow House products.  Or, better yet, to toss out the items that they are tired of and replace them with Willow House products!  

 

Each time I have a party, I think of my mom who would have loved the Willow House pieces.  She was a tireless decorator who enjoyed changing her home with the seasons.  I know that I learned my love of nesting from my mom.  She collected angels so I know her favorite piece would be the Herald Angel.  That will be my grandson's first Willow House piece, in remembrance of his Great-Grandma Kay.

 

Getting To Know You - Jeny Ayres

Jeny Ayres - Wichita, KS

I am 26 yrs old, happily married with 3 kiddos (cohen-6, Miayla-4, Baby Sawyer-9 months) and yes I do want more! I'm a stay at home mom, although technically we are very rarely home.  I love spending time with my family and motherhood is the greatest thing God has ever blessed me with.  I want to open a bakery one day and right now I run a little "out of home" business making, iced sugar cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and cake balls.  I also enjoy eating, shopping, my faith, and anything that has to do with sports especially Notre Dame and WSU. 

 

I joined SLAH in March of 2007, and don't regret it one bit.  Initially I did it to get out of the house for a little "me" time that was also not draining of the pocket book (usually "me time" involves retail therapy).  I stay with it now though because of all the wonderful people I have met and all the opportunities the company holds.  I love having a nicely decorated house at a BIG discount and I love deciding what days I will leave that nice house to "work".  I feel so blessed to have experienced all that I have with the company.  From conventions, to a trip, to even the difficult days, the company has reminded me about goals, perservence, and dreams!! The company is a great fit for my family and me and as they say, 'if the shoe fits...wear it." 

Getting To Know You... Maureen Do

Maureen Do - Wichita, Kansas

My name is Maureen Do and I’m brand new to Willow House! In fact, I’ve never even been to a Willow House or Southern Living at Home party! I’ve been to some jewelry and purse parties in the past, and always felt pressured to buy overpriced items that I didn’t even like that much just to be polite. A few years ago I had made up my mind that I wouldn’t go to another party because of those reasons, so shortly after that when I got an invitation in the mail from my friend to a SLAH party, I declined immediately. Funny enough, I recently found out as I was inviting that same friend to my launch party that it was actually one of Danielle’s parties that I missed out on!

I know you’re probably wondering why in the world I joined Willow House if I was such a party pooper. My husband and I are expecting our second child in January and I’m ready to be a stay at home mom, but I also want a way to make it a little less tight on the budget. I currently work part time as a Registered Nurse in an ICU, and I’m tired of working nights, weekends, and holidays! I found out about Willow House on a mom’s website, checked out the catalog and actually fell in love with everything! I read some information about the company, contacted Danielle, and now I’m getting ready for my launch party! I never thought I’d ever do anything like this, but I’m so excited!!

Some other tidbits about me…

• My husband and I have been married for 2 ½ years, have a daughter (Scarlett) who is 19 months old, and we have another girl on the way!
• We live in an 80 year old house and have a never ending list of house projects to get done.
• I was born and raised in Wichita, and about ½ of my family lives within a 2 mile radius of each other. I am part of that radius 
• I love to bake, but hate to cook.
• I like happy endings, and I only like to watch movies and read books that I know will end happily!
• I used to be a clean freak and super organized…until I became a mom!
• I love my faith and wish I was more active in my church.
• We have 4 dogs, ranging from a Chihuahua to a German Shepherd.
• I really wish I knew how to sew, or knit, or crochet, or something crafty like that.
• I’m a little on the shy side, and wish I was more naturally outgoing

Getting to Know You... Danielle Holtzman

Hi Team!

Since I am the so called "leader" of this team, I'd like to start off our "Getting to Know You" segments by introducing myself to all of you! Some of you I know well... others I have never met. It is my goal that through this segment, we can all "get to know" each other a bit. I encourage you to use the "comments" feature to interact and dialogue with each other... it's fun (and if I'm being completely truthful, a bit addicting)!

So.... on to the inital "Getting to Know You" segment...

My name is Danielle Holtzman and as I tell my party guests, I've been a "SLAH addict" for over 6 years and have been doing parties as a consultant for over 3 1/2 years! I was first introduced to SLAH when I lived in Austin, TX back in 2002. I sure wish I would've joined way back then!

I fell in love with the ENTIRE catalog at my very first party and had a wish list that took up the entire back side of my "customer care card". I never, ever thought about becoming a consultant at that time, but I did consider the hostess opportunity.

Time went on, I was enjoying my SLAH products, but when the consultant who did the party called to ask me if I would like to host a party, I bluntly told her that I was in the process of moving to Houston and would no longer be interested. It was the truth. And I didn't think much of SLAH for about a year.

After Noah was born, we were transferred to Wichita from Houston and SLAH literally popped into my head, out of nowhere, one afternoon while taking a walk. I went home (and at that time, "home" was my parents basement!) and looked up SLAH online. I saw that there was a "mega starter kit" special going on for 3 more days. I briefly talked with my husband and my mom and decided to sign up... not knowing a thing about being a consultant! I wanted to make $500 a month as a consultant so that I could be a "stay at home mom" to my then 6 month old son, Noah.

I had my launch party 2 days after my kit arrived. I didn't' have a home, so we did it at my mom's house and invited all of her friends (I was short on those too!). It was a success. I booked a few parties and that was the beginning of my SLAH journey!

I love SLAH for so many reasons...

• I love the products and love using them in my home...

I love the money and the otherwise unaffordable opportunities it allows me...

I love being able to contribute to my family's income...

I love the people I've met, both locally through my hostesses, customers and team members, but also the consultants I've met across the country...

I love the trips...

I love the training...

I love the "girl time" and the "me time"...

I love the company and what it stands for...

I quite simply, love SLAH!

So that's a bit about me and how I got to be the so called "leader" of this group!

Now, a bit of personal information about me...

• I am married to my husband of 10 years, Vance, and we have 2 charming children... Noah is 4 and Emily is 17 months...
• I love decorating my house and consider "shopping" a hobby...
• I am addicted, really addicted, to Sonic diet cokes...
• I have a really bad habit of running late...
• I love my faith and enjoy being active in my church...
• I love a clean house, but rarely have one...
• I am really out of shape, and it's one thing I really want to change (and fast!)...
• I'd love to have more children...
• I'm obsessed with documenting my family's life through scrapbooks and journals...
• I love Fall...
• I wish I were more fashionable...
• I have a CPA, a Master's degree, and am a "Certified Protocol Consultant"...
• I love public speaking...
• I love reality TV, all of it...
• I have a yellow Labrador named Lucy...
• I hate, really hate, to cook...
• My parents live about 4 minutes away and are a big part of my life...
• I was born and raised in Wichita...
• I lived in Minnesota and Texas prior to coming "home" to Wichita...
• I am a worrier...
• I have a big heart (at least I think so!)...
• I cry easily...
• I love movies, but never have the time to watch them anymore...
• I am a conservative... both socially and politically...
• I love my family more than anything in the world!

I think that's probably way more information that you needed or cared to have about me :) But, in a nutshell, it's who I am!

I feel privileged to have all of you in my life and hope that we will all continue to "Get to Know" each other through our SLAH businesses!

Next Up: Jeny Ayres