The New Southern | Making the Holidays Your Own

The New Southern’s holiday approach is all about creating new and warm memories while living your best life right now. This is a concept that builds upon the things in life that are already bringing us joy, love, and warmth. I am compassionate and understand this can be a sensitive time of year for so many for so many reasons. For me, the holidays haven’t always been joyful, but, my husband and I are taking this season’s warmth into our own hands and are mindful in creating beautiful memories now with a fresh set of eyes. These are our building blocks for years to come and this is how we are making the holidays our own:

Top 3 Ways of Making the Holidays Your Own:

1. Start a New Tradition: For me this was an easy one, I haven’t ever had a tree until this year. I am Jewish and I am looking at it as more of a symbol of love and acceptance… Since this was our first tree and I do not have ornaments… I incorporated a very New Southern approach and made this tree our own! I love soft linens and silk velvet bows. I styled beautiful linen and velvet bows all over the tree…… HELLO RIBBON IS THE NEW ORNAMENT!!!! #TheNewSouthern - This was easy, economical and delightful while assembling with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga playing in the background!

2. Focus on Making Memories: Now that I am off the road for a few weeks, I hosted a soulful friend dinner with memory making at the forefront of my mind.. My chosen family is very important to me. I left my hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma at 18 years of age and haven’t spent any real concentrated amounts of time there since leaving. Now, well into my adult life, I hold onto the people closest to my heart. I think it is so important to hold space for soulful authentic connections. These are the relationships that hold a safe space for your truth, these relationships are energizing rather than draining, and deeply supportive. May we all have life giving and loving relationships based on truth and connection. These are the relationships that will continue to support and expand our worlds in the most beautiful way. I created a night filled with Prossecco and Pizza in an intimate setting. I placed beautiful quotes around the dining room table and encouraged people to sit down with the quote they most resonated with. This set the tone for soulful conversations. Xx

3. Give yourself a Gift of Service…. This is being of service to yourself (Ask yourself what you need? More rest? More Relaxation? More time? and give it to your self… this is a form of love and you have my permission to give yourself the gift of rest or stillness if you need it) AND this is being of service to others! Connect with your local shelters / community youth programs and see how you can give your time and energy to another human who is in need of your love and warmth.

My Home Xx

Easy Decorating Tips Xx

Shop-able Links Below Xx

My First Tree Xx

The New Southern | Style + Substance 2018 Holiday Gift Guide

The New Southern, a movement of substance and style, stands to inspire your home and your soul — and our Holiday Gift Guide has been crafted with this in mind! We are a community rooted in deep love and kindness...It is all of us together that lead this movement of connection and creativity. So, this year, I wanted to stay connected with all of you and deliver what it is that you all wanted to see most. You were all very vocal during our Instagram Stories poll and with that, I am giving you a little bit of the soulful New Southern paired with some New Southern picks for your closet and home!

It can be easy to allow ourselves to get caught up in the rush of the holidays — mindlessly moving through this time of year. That’s why it is so important to slow down and keep the substance, the heart and the soul in the Holiday Season. These stylish and heartfelt selections can be universal gifts for anyone and everyone in your life...the most ideal holiday nuggets of cheer and the perfect stocking stuffers. With toasty whites and soft creams being the focus of this year’s New Southern Holiday Gift Guide, every pick is meant to warm up the home and the soul this winter. Whether it’s some hot chocolate and an equally sweet mug to go along with it for that special someone who loves cozying up or a style-centric gift for your wardrobe-obsessed friend. There’s something so special about gift giving with intention and it’s something that your loved ones will appreciate from the bottom of their hearts.

Let’s spread cheer and stay soulful this holiday season. I am sending love, light and warmth to each and every one of you. Happy Holidays, sweet friends! Xx

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Podcast Interview | Alyssa Rosenheck with Kelsey Murphy of Whiskey and Work

HOW DO YOU FLY?

Do you jump? Do you leap? Do you take a running start? Do you swipe up? Nope, nope, nope. You, my love, plant your feet firmly on the ground, check your ego at the door, and start thinking about how you can be of service to those around you. This applies to everyone breathing, heart beating and every age is included here! I will be the first to tell you that it is never too late for a life pivot and with the right level of determination and vulnerability, your life can find alignment with your heart. I have devoted my life and businesses (AR, ABC, and TNS) to supporting and empowering small businesses and creative entrepreneurs. Pursuing my art and being of service is where I find my light and my truth!

I once had a paralyzing fear of public speaking. For a few years, I decided to say YES to all things frightening (I highly suggest you try it…. do one thing that scares you a day and see how quickly you grow!) Now. podcast interviews are getting easier for me, and I’ve actually come to enjoy the process. Speaking my truth and being vulnerable is the only way to connect and step up for those around us.

I had the lovely opportunity to sit down with a dear friend, Kelsey Murphy of the Whiskey & Work podcast, to share my story and the things I have learned along the way. Y’all, I bootstrapped my business and there have been some high highs and some lowest of lows… but at the end of the day, this is my story and it serves as an example that you can do it, too. You can lean into your light. You can lean into your creativity. You, my friends, can live a life that energizes you.

We are all connected and we all have unique gifts. When we turn off the noise and turn within ourselves to listen and start believing that we’re worth more, magic truly starts happening. The holidays are here, so please listen as this sets the tone for a little inspiration and motivation for the week. I love you all and I am so grateful for each and everyone of you! Safe travels this week sweet friends! Xx

The New Southern | Designer Spotlight: Marie Flanigan

For those in the world of architecture and design — Marie Flanigan, owner of Marie Flanigan Interiors, needs no introduction. While her homebase is in Houston, Texas, her full-service interior design firm has made its way to commercial spaces and luxury homes across the country. Rooted and educated in commercial architecture, she has a signature edge that finds a way to remain simplistic and elegant. This award-winning interior designer has always gravitated towards visual expression and her success in the space shines through her internationally published work.

As an interiors and architectural photographer and stylist, the root of my own success stands on thinking outside the box, leading from a place of vulnerability, collaboration, championing my clients, and creating meaningful daily content. Marie is carrying the same torch — uncovering and inspiring beauty within the homes and lives of her national clientele alongside a team of nine other creative women. By turning her passions into a way to serve others, she is fulfilling her own desires while inviting people home to an environment that they can love. Her sophisticated use of color and texture contributes to her idea that The New Southern is about ‘creating meaningful impact through contrast’. Slowing down, celebrating unique stories and doing more of what speaks to her heart is what makes Marie’s design work so distinguished.

Photo: ©Julie Soefer Photography

The New Southern embraces risk takers that not only dedicate themselves to their passion projects but bring light and lift the souls they cross along the way. Marie is one of these New Southerners, delivering a tasteful blend of connection and imagination to the business. Full of taking risks and exquisitely marrying architecture with design elements — she’s a design maven worth mentioning and I’m so happy to have her with us!

Alyssa Rosenheck: Tell us about yourself…

Marie Flanigan: I live in the Heights neighborhood of Houston with my husband and two little boys, John (age 4) and William (9 months). I grew up in a small Texas town and was blessed with a very creative family — my brothers and sisters are musically talented, and I’ve always gravitated towards a more visual expression. I earned my Bachelor of Architecture degree and began my career at an architecture firm shortly thereafter. It was only once I transitioned to a firm that managed both architecture and interior design projects that I discovered my passion for interiors. I was delighted to be stepping out from behind the computer to connect with families and develop solutions that would enrich their home experience. The work remains technical, but it feels so much more meaningful to me. Over the years I also grew to love the strategy and marketing techniques that ensure growth for smaller businesses and decided to pursue a Masters in Business Administration. In 2010, with my MBA in hand, I married my two passions and opened the doors to Marie Flanigan Interiors. Today, we are a team of nine women connected through creativity and service, helping clients across the country uncover the beauty of home.

Photo: ©Julie Soefer Photography

Photo: ©Julie Soefer Photography

AR: How are you modernizing / updating Southern style when you design?

MF: Modern Southern style pays homage to historic sensibilities in fresh, unexpected ways. It is thoughtfully curated and exquisitely restrained, creating meaningful impact through contrast. The union of old with new, raw with refined, and ornate with streamlined creates timeless, richly layered interiors that will remain authentic for generations to come.

AR: What innovative trends are you seeing with Southern design across the country?

MF: In a world where we are inundated with information and new trends magically appear overnight, I’ve enjoyed the steady shift towards doing less of what the latest style reports tell you to do and more of what speaks to your heart. This challenges us as designers to reimagine, rejuvenate and take risks. Slowing down and paying attention to every detail in order to celebrate its unique story is a decidedly Southern approach. In our clients’ homes, I definitely see an increased desire for reinvigorating formal entertaining spaces and embracing distinctive architectural details in lieu of removing them.

AR: What are your favorite hometown design boutiques?

MF: Houston is filled with inspiring showrooms and, with such a vibrant and diverse city, new places pop up every year! A few of our tried and true favorites are AREA, FOUND for the Home, MECOX, Chateau Domingue, and Vieux Interiors!

Photo: ©Julie Soefer Photography

Photo: ©Julie Soefer Photography

Photo: ©Julie Soefer Photography

AR: Favorite shade of white and black paint color?

MF: White...Benjamin Moore Cloud White. Black...Farrow & Ball Pitch Black. 

AR: What’s your life motto?

MF: Uncover and inspire beauty in the lives of others. 

AR: The one shade that changes everything?

MF: White is color in its purest form. It is the pause, the blank canvas that restores a calming sense of balance. I turn to subtle, soothing whites when I want to quiet one element and in turn allow others the opportunity to be seen and heard.

AR: The place you go to get inspired? 

MF: I am inspired most by people and travel. New places and different cultures help me to view familiar ones with fresh eyes. I’m also an artist at heart, so perusing a gallery or admiring another artist’s work always leaves me feeling refreshed.

Photo: ©Julie Soefer Photography

Photo: ©Julie Soefer Photography

AR: The key to making a house a home? What does a home need more of and less of? 

MF: More intentionality. Less stuff. A home should be a curated collection of the items that bring beauty to the lives of the people who live there. We are the best version of ourselves in the spaces that ease and inspire us. Sift out the clutter and distill down to the essence of what you cherish most. The result will be an enduring and timeless environment that brings light and lift to those within. 

AR: Life advice you’ve gotten that made all the difference?

MF: A mentor once shared that there are four quadrants of importance for the things we do every day:  

1. Important/Urgent

2. Important/Non-Urgent

3. Non-Important/Urgent

4. Non-Important/Non-Urgent

Most of us fill our time with the third category of non-important yet urgent tasks every day. However, the items in the second category are often the MOST important, and they almost never get our time or attention. It’s so important to prioritize our days so that we are spending valuable minutes in the first two quadrants. Once I started viewing my to-do list within this framework, my life and business changed for the better.

Photo: ©Julie Soefer Photography

AR:  What’s the best piece of business advice you could provide for creative entrepreneurs starting out?

MF: Find a way for your passions to serve others. The work will come when you discover where a need exists and then provide a valuable service that fulfills that need. Also, as cliché as it sounds, don’t be afraid of what anyone else thinks. People are always going to have opinions, but staying true to who you are is essential to creating work that is meaningful to you and the outside world. 

AR: Design book you’ll always have on your shelf?

MF: Style by Saladino by John F. Saladino. John’s exquisite approach to design sparked my passion for the art of mixing old with new.

Photo: ©Julie Soefer Photography

Photo: ©Julie Soefer Photography

AR: What’s your dream project/client?

MF: SO many dreams, so little time! To start, I’ve fallen in love with Nottingham Cottage where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be putting down roots. They share a warmth of spirit and classic sense of style that is so appealing. It would be a joy to collaborate with them to create a home that encapsulates their most treasured life moments.

As far as dream projects are concerned, I have my sights set on the development of an MFI furniture collection. I’m not sure when or how that will happen, but it’s a concept that I am very excited about!

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