Candid Keepers #487

Introducing:

Alisha Capeless of North Aurora, IL

Q:  Please tell us a bit about yourself.  Where are you from and where are you now?

A:  I grew up in a very small town in northwestern Pennsylvania as the oldest of four girls.  We lived in the same house growing up and both sets of my grandparents and several aunts, uncles and cousins lived within ten miles of us.  Holidays were always so enjoyable!  After college, I moved several times for work living in five different states and my family and I have settled in the western suburbs of Chicago having been here for almost six years.

Q:  How did you meet and fall in love with your husband?

A:  This is a fantastic story!  We both went to the same college in central PA but we actually met on Spring Break in Cancun.  My husband was a senior and I was a sophomore and we were both out to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe with our friends on the last night of Spring Break.  Mutual friends of ours spotted each other at dinner and we ended up seeing them again that night at a dance club and both groups just sat and talked until the early hours of the morning.  When we returned to school, one of my very best friends set us up on a double date and five years later we were married!

Q:  My favorite thing to talk about is my kids.  Tell us about YOURS.

A:  We have 3 girls and they are just awesome!  My oldest just turned 7.  She is incredibly perceptive, creative and carefree.  She loves to read and write stories.  You will rarely catch her without a smile on her face.  Our middle daughter is 4.5 and she is very nurturing, analytical and loves to entertain.  She loves to care for her baby dolls, work on puzzles and dance.  Our youngest is 21 months and she adores her daddy, her sisters and our pet cat and dog.  She loves to jump and dance to music.  She is very empathetic and I just love to hear her little voice ask if someone is ok.

Q:  What did you do in your previous life?  Pre-Matilda Jane?

A:  After college, I worked as a chemical engineer in a variety of technical sales and marketing roles.  I also spent a small amount of time in pharmaceutical sales before I stopped working in the corporate work environment when my oldest was 5 months.  I feel very blessed that I can continue to share in the memories of my girls’ lives and still get to work in this super creative role as a Trunk Keeper.   

Q:  How did Matilda Jane find YOU?

A:  A friend invited me to my first trunk show in September 2010 for the 2nd release of the Field Trip Line.  I had heard about Matilda Jane before but I had never seen any of the clothes in person.  I hosted my first trunk show that November for the Holiday line and I hosted every season after because I loved the clothes, shopping from home, the giving nature of the company, and I loved my Trunk Keeper too!

Q:  Who on this earth has been the number one influence in your life?

A:  Of course my parents were when I was younger but now, I would definitely say my husband.  He is smart, loving, patient, easy going, motivational, a great role model for our children and he supports my goals and dreams. 

Q:  What are 5 words your friends would use to describe you?

A:  Kind, Thoughtful, Helpful, Loyal and Dependable.

Q:  Besides your family, what are you most passionate about?

A:  Philanthropy, Education and I love tasting different champagnes and wines.  

Q:  Chocolate or Vanilla?

A:  Chocolate for sure!  I love to treat myself to some chocolate every day.  My great grandfather started his own candy store and now my mom has her own store so I would say my love for chocolate must be genetic!

Q:  Are you a dreamer or a realist?

A:  More of a realist but I do like to dream of what could be and set goals to obtain those dreams.

Q:  Crazy or not, what is one dream that you would most like to make come true?

A:   I would love to live close to all of my sisters one day.  The four of us live in four different states and although we try to plan get togethers, it would be so amazing to hang out with each other daily.  We could plan workouts, girls’ nights out, shopping days, wine tastings, and just time to connect and make memories with our families. 

Q:  If you were gifted $1 million to donate to any charity or organization, which one would you choose?  Why?

A:  This is tough because I care so much about so many different charities.  But I would say I would donate to both St. Judes Children’s Hospital and Alzheimer’s Research Foundation.  I truly hope that we can find a cure for both Cancer and Alzheimer’s!

Q:  If you could crawl into the pages of any book, what would it be and why?

A:  The Little Engine that Could.  I love how this book teaches the values of optimism and hard work and I would love to crawl into this book with my girls to remind them that life will throw obstacles at us sometimes but with a positive attitude, hard work and determination, you can always succeed.

Q:  Good Hart is a special place for Denise.  What place do you hold dear to your heart?

A:  My college alma mater.  It was the place that expanded my horizons on so many levels and where I met some of my very dearest friends.