Thompson Traders Weekend Retreat: The Backstory
The Thompson Traders Weekend Retreat [ hereinafter referred to by its hashtag: #TTweekendretreat ], is a brand collaboration between Thompson Traders [ recently rebranded to * Thompson* ] and my company, Savour Partnership.
Taking place Friday May 19th through May 21st, 2023 in the charming small Texas Hill Country town of New Braunfels, it is an opportunity for 10 of my Texas based designer friends to relax, unwind, get to know one another better, and have fun.
It is being underwritten for my friends by the Thompson family, whose founder and matriarch, Alejandra Ochoa de Thompson will be joining us, along with her two daughters, Alejandra Thompson de Jordan and Samantha Thompson Lizaragga, all shown together below.
It has a unique backstory that I will share with you in the remainder of this post.
It all started when I was attending the National Kitchen and Bath Show [ #KBIS2022 ] in Orlando, FL and visited with Alejandra Thompson de Jordan. shown below, in the Thompson Traders exhibit booth. Alejandra is the Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Thompson as well as the founder of her own beauty brand, Estas Beauty.
Later that afternoon, I ran into Alejandra, her sister and her Mom while they were having lunch and we started chatting again briefly. For some reason, during that brief conversation, Alejandra Ochoa de Thompson invited me to attend her famous Day of The Dead party at her home in Greensboro, NC that fall - a party she holds every other year.
I was surprised, since I am not a specifier nor designer, but I accepted her kind invitation.
Before I go on, [for those that don’t know the Thompson brand and might be finding this post later on], they are a powerhouse brand in the kitchen and bath industry well known for their stunning line of range hoods, sinks, bathroom vanities, and tubs made of copper and other precious metals.
My long time good friend, interior and kitchen and bath designer, Jeanne Chung, owner of the Pasadena, CA based showroom, Cozy Stylish Chic , and Kitchen and Bath Business Magazine’s 2022 Person Of The Year is a big fan, as you can see from her two installations below.
In the first image below, Jeanne customized Thompson’s QUINTANA range hood for this kitchen she designed for her own showroom at Cozy Stylish Chic.
In the second image, Jeanne utilized one of Thompson’s hand hammered copper apron front sinks in this kitchen design of hers for a client.
Now, the backstory continues.
So, it’s Fall 2022 and I’m at High Point Market in High Point, North Carolina, attending the world’s largest wholesale furniture tradeshow. I dressed to attend the Day of the Dead party, which was taking place at the Thompson’s home, a short drive away in Greensboro.
I have no idea what to expect and, in fact, had tried to get out of going in an exchange of emails I had with the Thompson sisters, earlier in September, because I didn’t want to take a place that could have gone to a designer/specifier.
However, they vehemently insisted that they wanted me there, so I accepted.
Words left me when I walked into their home and saw the tablescape below. Tears sprung to my eyes. It took me a minute or so to find my voice again. That’s never happened to me before. I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty and the care that had been taken with each and every detail.
I could go on and on forever about this magical and unforgettable eventing, but I won’t do that here. Suffice it to say: if you ever get an invitation to attend this, accept it at once.
By choice, I sat at a smaller table closer to the kitchen area - instead of the big table - so I might have a better chance of hearing.
What I didn’t know was that I would be sitting next to Alejandra and her husband Clifford Thompson, the President of Thompson, during dinner - as they weren’t seated when I chose my place.
This happy coincidence, though, gave us the opportunity to get to know one another a little bit better and for me to find out the love story that existed between Alejandra and Cliff, childhood sweethearts who married at age 22.
It also gave me the opportunity to witness what genuine hospitality looks like and feels like, up close, as I witnessed how beautifully Alejandra, her sons and daughters and Thompson’s extended team members worked together to take care of all of us who were their guests.
I’d never experienced hospitality at that depth before. The live music, the decorations, the gourmet food so beautifully presented, the Day of The Dead enactments by actors in costume, the wine, the gifts for all the guests combined to define the words an evening of enchantment.
Later, I found out that Alejandra Ochoa de Thompson cooked the entire meal for all of us herself, she made all of the headdresses herself, she designed and set the tablescape herself - using all of her own dishes, silverware, glasses, etc.
All this…on top of running her company on a daily basis.
I can’t wait to find out more about her energy secrets during this weekend’s #TTweekendretreat!
Above, Alejandra Ochoa de Thompson and my tablemate on my other side. interior designer, Nicole Culler.
Below, Clifford Thompson, the President of Thompson. He wrote all of the software that runs the Thompson company.
What really got the conversation flowing between me and Alejandra and her daughter, Alejandra Jordan de Thompson, however, were these menus which were given to each of us as mementos of the evening.
Upon seeing this at my tablesetting, I immediately recognized it as the work of my calligrapher crush, Bernard Maisner, a master calligrapher based out of New York City.
Anyone who knows me, knows I love calligraphy and seeing these menus was another moment when tears sprung to my eyes. I just could not believe that they had had these done by him for this evening. They were BEYOND exquisite!!
Below is a picture of the entire Thompson family from that evening [ including sons Clifford and JJ ] all of whom hold various positions within the family business.
So, how did all of this lead to the #TTweekendretreat? After this event, I could not stop writing - online - about my appreciation for the Thompson family’s hospitality. We all became Facebook and Instagram friends, too, and continued to get to know one another through our postings.
In November, I went to New Braunfels, TX, as I always do, to stay at my brother and sister-in-law’s place on the Comal River [shown below] for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the town’s famous downtown roundabout.
While there, I got a text from Samantha Thompson Lizzaraga saying she didn’t realize I was so close. I asked her, “What do you mean so close - I thought you lived in Greensboro?” And it turns out, no, she lives in San Antonio which is just about 30 minutes from my brother and sister - in- law’s place.
I texted her back saying I’d love for her to come over, but she couldn’t that weekend. However, she invited me to come and visit her next time I was in town. The conversation continued. Eventually it turned into an idea I had for *let’s do something fun together - with a few of my designer friends - in New Braunfels.
Samantha talked to Alejandra about it, who loved the idea, as did Alejandra Ochoa de Thompson, and in January it was finalized: we would co-host a relaxing, fun girls getaway weekend for 10 {!!} of my Texas based designer friends, to be underwritten entirely by the Thompson family.
This was beyond my wildest dreams when I first responded to Samantha’s text. I never in a million years expected that level of generosity and commitment.
And even more than that, they didn’t ask me to invite their best Texas customers, they said, “Invite whomever you want. We want you to feel comfortable with every guest.” “We don’t care if they specify our products or not - we just want to get to know your friends better.”
And so, the invitations went out. Unfortunately, a few of my friends whom I would have loved to have had there had to decline for medical or family reasons, but 10 others quickly accepted and now the week is upon us!
Originally, we were all going to stay in side by side vacation rentals in the same condo complex where my brother and his wife have theirs, but the Thompsons later decided to rent a very large home so everyone could stay together in one place.
You will see the home in Part 2 of this post.
And you may be asking yourselves even now, “Why you, Leslie?” And the answer is, “I really still don’t actually know.”
All I know is that I bonded with the kindness and love I felt coming from this family, and maybe they bonded with that same feeling I tried to convey to them in my many appreciative posts online for the hospitality they showered upon me [ and us ] at their Day of the Dead party.
The picture below is of my brother, David LeBoy, fishing in the early morning on the Comal River. I want to say thank you to he and his wife of almost 40 years, Anne, for inviting me to stay at their vacation condo here whenever I want.
They make [and have made] so much possible for me, including this, because if they didn’t have this vacation condo, this girls getaway weekend retreat wouldn’t be taking place. Why? Because Samantha would not have texted me after seeing that I was so close to her in San Antonio.
The story of the Thompson family’s heart continues….
So, over Christmas of 2022, Alejandra Thompson de Jordan was visiting NYC with her family and went to Bergdorf Goodman where Bernard Maisner was demonstrating the art of calligraphy.
They discussed the invitations he had done for their family and Alejandra mentioned that one of their guests knew of his work and was a huge fan. He suggested that he write my name!
So, here he is, writing my name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A true pinch me moment!
Later, I received the drawing of my name in the mail, which was done on thick creamy paper, accompanied by a beautiful note from Alejandra. This was one of the best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received and so totally unexpected.
I know that the 10 of my friends, shown below, who will be our guests for the #TTweekendretreat, will see this post. I hope for all of you reading this, my friends, you now see and understand you are in not only for a fun, relaxing weekend, but for a genuine re-TREAT, given the exquisite hospitality and generosity that is the bedrock trait of the Thompson family, the trait that makes them so special.
I an so happy to have you coming with me/ with us: Peggy, Robin, Ruthie, Ilse, Juliana, Jessica, Shawna, Shea, Diane and Annilee. Thank you for making time in your busy schedules to say YES to enjoying a weekend with people you don’t yet know in some cases.
It has long been a dream of mine to get away for a girls weekend like this - one that is not focused on business, and where there is nothing to do but to enjoy ourselves and get to know one another better.
____
For those reading this post, the Thompsons are making a spectacular dinner for my friends on Friday night [ and they have hired people to help clean up!! ] and then on Saturday, they are treating us all to a day of shopping in Fredericksburg, including a private lunch at the Hill County Herb Farm. Sunday is a free day to do whatever we all feel like doing. There are zero expectations. Everyone can sleep all day if they want to do that.
Bliss!
For all of you who might find this post long after this weekend has taken place….
Be looking, in Fall 2023, for a new collaboration between Louisville, KY based Pappy & Co and the Thompson family called #EverydayHeirlooms - a line of gorgeous barware, in copper, all handmade by the artisans in Santa Clara del Cobre.
Alejandra Thompson de Jordan is shown below, holding the punch bowl - a centerpiece of the new collection.
We won’t see this at our #TTweekendretreat, as it’s not available yet, but I can’t wait to taste the signature cocktail the Thompsons have prepared for us this weekend and raise a toast to these 3 fabulous women who are making this getaway possible for my friends.
I invite you all to follow along on the tag, #TTweekendretreat, and follow all of my friends that you see posting on that tag over the next weekend.
I also invite you to click on the links below, to find out more about this wonderful family and their products.
Links:
https://thompsontraders.com
https://instagram.com/thompsontraders
This article, about the Thompson family and their business, is fascinating.
https://www.madeingso.com/2018/06/29/thompsontraders
Learn more about Alejandra’s beauty brand, Estas Beauty, for healing scars, here:
https://estasbeauty.com
Lastly, I invite you to follow me here:
https://instagram.com/lesliemcarothers
Thank you for reading this post - I appreciate each of you - and if you’d like, I invite you to subscribe to my blog, too, by clicking the subscribe button at the top of this page.
Leslie Carothers
Named One Of Home Furnishing Business Magazine’s Top 40 Most Inspiring Women In Home
Winner: 2022 Designer Today Magazine’s Readers Ranking Award - Best PR and Marketing Agency