Employee of the Month (Jason's September Post) and Silent Night, Holy Night Pillows Now Available

If you’ve read any of my previous posts here on the Dear Lillie blog, then you’re probably expecting another couple of paragraphs filled with greatly exaggerated anecdotes about my newfound home décor capabilities scrambled together with harsh accusations about my sister’s uninspiring work ethic. Even though the title of this post may suggest something of a similar mold, I have decided to take the high road this time around—and by that I mean that I won’t be mentioning Jenni’s recent affinity for afternoon naps or any of her weekend trips to the Kingsmill Spa (okay, it was one trip… and it was an eight-month overdue birthday present, but still).

Easily the most help I've gotten all month.

Instead of boring you with an unmistakably honest explanation of Jenni’s lackadaisical approach to small business, I will plead my case for Dear Lillie’s first Employee of the Month award by simply explaining what I have had to overcome during my month-long stay at the Holmes’ residence.  In the process, I hope to convince you that I am worthy of such a distinction without even mentioning any of my sister’s numerous shortcomings.

And who do you think got her these boy's jammies?

For starters, within my first week of arriving in Williamsburg, both an earthquake and a hurricane rocked our historic town, and the ensuing power outage resulted in my being forced into a small hotel room with what seemed like my entire extended family (admittedly, Lillie and Lola were on their shockingly best behavior).  Returning home, I quickly set up shop in my new office/bedroom/nursery—a must have for any twenty-first century executive.  Between the small nook tucked behind my niece’s crib and the Holmes’ broken air conditioner, one could reasonably argue that my working conditions have been somewhat less than adequate.

If my lack of tangible accommodations isn’t enough to swing the vote in my favor, let me explain what has been perhaps an even more overwhelming transition for me.  Until about a year ago I had absolutely no idea that there was an entire subculture of women who made and sold things from their homes for a living.  And never in a million years did I ever think that I would one day find myself deeply entrenched in such a sorority.  Oddly enough, not even my athletic “career” as a women’s basketball practice player could prepare me for a professional “career” in which women refer to their associates and/or competitors not by their given names but by their online pseudonyms.

Yes, helping run a women’s and children’s boutique has been a bit of a culture shock for me, as Jenni actually expects me to spend my almost nonexistent free time reading mommy blogs or catching up on Tivo’d episodes of Design Star.  But on the other hand, being a “higher-up” in a two-person company hasn’t entirely been a burden thus far…  I’ve managed to routinely mooch off of Jenni and Jon for just about all of life’s necessities (I move into my apartment in another week or so, so I’m trying to enjoy the lack of expenses while I can) all the while further cementing my place as Lillie and Lola’s favorite relative.

Oh, and as far as Employee of the Month goes… I’m sure by now you’ll agree that I’m a lock. Besides, I’m not even confident that Jenni qualifies with all of the vacation time she’s been taking lately.

Okay... Apparently I may have taken a nap or two myself...

P.S. In other news, I’ve also been giving out “Parent of the Week” awards to the more deserving Holmes parent at the conclusion of each week. Currently, Jon has compiled landslide victories in each of the first three weeks.  And even though he will be spending the majority of this week on the recruiting trail, he is (not surprisingly) looking like a strong candidate for a four-peat.

Oh and we also wanted to let you know that our

Silent Night, Holy Night pillows covers 

are now available both individually and as a set: