southern fried gal

It’s hard to believe that just one week ago I was preparing to leave for the Willow House Leadership Experience in Birmingham, AL. It ended up being a GREAT experience and I’m not just whistling Dixie! Here’s why…

G = Generous! This is all the loot I got while I was there. I ended up being a lucky duck and won a few extra things, too. Even without that luck it was like Christmas all over again for everyone that attended!

A few lucky gals, like my friend Diane, even got to participate in the first ever Distribution Center Dash. She got to run through the DC and fill up a basket with as much as possible for five minutes! Look how tall her cart is filled. Isn’t that cool? Photos: courtesy Mabel Coleman

R = Relationships! This is a fun collage of some of the gals I got to hang with the most this go around. My friendship list has grown exponentially since joining the company. LOVE my Willow House friends! Photos: courtesy Mabel Coleman & Kristin Dyson

E – Entertaining! In addition to lots of laughs with my girlfriends during our meetings, we got to enjoy a party every evening. The first night our party was under a tent outside the resort. We had southern BBQ, Chili, and s’mores! We all got a cozy blanket as a gift that night!

The second night was a Winter White party. We were all dressed up in winter white and taken to an old warehouse that was decked out in white lights and beautiful sparkly centerpieces. We all got one of our new Amelia Thimble Domes as a gift that night.

The final night we had a Southern Sendoff party. Lots of comfort food was served and we were feeling the love, hugs, and kisses of the event. I was a lucky duck and won the centerpiece at our table – woot!

A – Attitude! No matter what my attitude is going into an event like this, it always comes out adjusted. Jerry Vitale, our Vice President is one of the best motivational speakers ever. This slide is further validation of my lessons learned in 2010.

T – Tips! Cute-as-a-button Melanie Grant shared ideas to spruce our homes up for spring, to get the scale and proportion right on our mantels, and to spice up our bookshelves with texture and color.

The product showcase was gorgeous as always. It included tips for beautiful tablescapes, fun party themes (like Easter, garden, and summer fun), and many other ideas and tips.