Our People

 
Heather Lindow

When someone says, “Party”, all I can think about is the menu, because I love to cook. When it came time for my baby shower in 2013, I immediately started planning the menu, because I’m one of those people that actually enjoys spending hours in the kitchen preparing for a party. I settled on a beach theme for my baby shower and dove headfirst into the menu, while Shanti took charge of the party decorations. Having attended Shanti’s Elf party, I knew she was capable of transforming a room into a wonderland, but when the day came for my shower, I was awestruck.
It was an under-the-sea dream complete with streamer “waves” and paper lantern “jellyfish” dangling from my ceiling, terra cotta pots artfully transformed into crabs, whales, & sea turtles as table centerpieces, and a photo booth backdrop completing my guests’ total immersion into this deep sea dive of a party. When the shower was over, I said, “You can’t just throw these decorations out. You should package them up and sell them as a “party-in-a-box”. Just like that, the seed was planted and the idea of Party at Your Door was born!


I was born and raised in small-town Texas, and moved to Austin in 1999 to attend The University of Texas. It was love at first sight with the town and with my husband, who I met during my senior year in the most Austin way, while he was singing in a band and I was in the crowd. After a brief stint as a telemarketer for a modeling school (where I met and became friends with Shanti), and then working as a corporate chef, I survived three years as a Special Education and 7th grade Language Arts teacher where I honed my organizational & planning skills, and learned a great deal of patience. When I had my son, Cameron, I began looking for ways to work from home so that I could spend as much time with him as possible, but I also wanted to do something I loved and was good at. Since friends and family were always asking me for themed menu ideas for their parties and asking me to make playlists to match their party’s occasion, and since Shanti was born to craft, it seemed only natural that we join forces to create Party At Your Door.

 


A few things about me:

  • I am obsessed with s’mores in any way, shape, or form that I can eat them
  • I am a walking file cabinet of all things related to 80’s pop culture
  • I love love love Westerns, especially “Lonesome Dove”
  • My happy place is the ocean, and particularly being IN the ocean snorkeling (I need gills)
Shanti Grossman

I have been crafting and sewing for as long as I can remember, but my first taste of themed party planning started in December of 2009, when I turned my house into a winter wonderland inspired by Elf, and threw one legendary party! With paper chains and snowflakes hanging from every inch of ceilings, the house quickly turned into a scene from the movie.
Dawning a homemade Jovie the Elf costume, I served spaghetti to the guests, with syrup being an optional topping (you should try it, it kind of tastes like pancakes!) All four main Elf food groups were out for the snacking; candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup. And the 7 layers of the candy cane forest could be found throughout the house. Guests joined in the fun by visiting the Elf hat making station, a toy building contest, a children’s book writing activity, a marshmallow eating contest (Heather’s husband still holds the record for that one, with a whooping 13 giant marshmallows in this mouth at once!). Needless to say, the party turned into an all encompassing experience, and everyone had a memorable night that is still talked about years later.


I’m really just a small town girl, living in the farmland of Iowa (that’s how the song goes, right?) and made my way to Austin in 2005, fresh out of college, eagerly clutching a BA in Music Business. The Live Music Capital of the world seemed like a pretty good fit for music business, but after years of managing local and major label bands, and touring the country in a smelly van full of boys, I was ready for a change. Though the music business may seem far from the party industry, it is actually very similar! There is tons of attention to detail needed, lots of late nights, event planning, marketing and social media, fundraising, and the knowledge that no two events are ever the same! 


A few things about me:

  • Coffee, coffee, coffee, and burritos are my lifeblood
  • To say I’m a fan of the band, Mutemath, is an understatement
  • I’ve been inducted into the Brewskeeball National Hall of Fame, a national competative skeeball league
  • My favorite TV show of all time is Glimore Girls; let’s be honest I really just want to live in Stars Hollow

It may have taken some time to get here, but we have found a way to turn a passion into a career.