Hi Friends! I have been working with Marie Flanigan and her gifted team on numerous projects lately and am amazed by how she seems to effortlessly juggle marriage, kids, work – always with that beautiful smile.

I think I was feeling overwhelmed one day, so when chatting with her at a job-site we struck up a conversation on life work balance. At that time, she was very, very pregnant with her third.  And now…

she has recently welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Eve Elizabeth.  Baby Eve is absolutely beautiful. Congratulations Marie! Now I really wanted to revisit that conversation! We are all busy and whether it be juggling work, school, friends, grand kids, charity work or working at the kids schools – balancing tips can help us all!

Marie says, “having children helped me develop a laser focus when it comes to work. Since the birth of my first son, I’ve made it a point not to waste precious time on unimportant issues. I dedicate a lot of energy to hiring teammates who make me stronger and more efficient so that I have the opportunity to put my family first.”  I have worked with most of her team members, many who are moms themselves, and all of them have the same customer focused mentality as Marie.

Look how beautiful Eve’s room is!! Just like a secret garden! When my three were little, it was difficult when I was at home playing with the kids and the phone rang, which it did constantly.  So, I asked Marie how she handles taking care of her family and clients’ needs.

“Family time is very important to me, so I do my best to schedule work days around picking up my little ones at a set time every day. Once home, I try to stay unplugged for the evening, picking things back up once the littles have gone to bed. Of course, that’s only when I don’t fall asleep alongside them in the process!”

“Raising a family does take a village and we’re blessed to have family nearby who offer constant love and support. It doesn’t hurt that my supportive husband is also a very hands-on father and one who loves to cook!”

Marie and her husband met at A&M and are such a cute couple-then and now!  Here is another tip from Marie…

“A mentor once shared that there are 4 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

She continues, “most of us fill our days addressing the third category of non-important yet urgent tasks. However, the items in the second category are most of the MOST important, and they almost never receive our time or attention. I try to prioritize my days by spending valuable minutes in those first two quadrants. Once I started viewing my to-do list within this framework, my life and business changed for the better.”

A few things you might not have know about Marie:

• She is a classically trained and practiced architect.
• She has her MBA.
• She and her husband share many of the same passions!

• She is as nice as she is talented and sweet, down to earth and pretty.
• She loves margaritas and sushi.
• Her favorite activities are photography, cycling and walks with her kids.
• Her favorite comedian is Brian Regan.
• No two of her projects ever look the same!!

Her trademark style is evident through the sophisticated uses of color, texture, light, and every home she designs receives her personal signature of timeless elegance and innovative simplicity.

I was honored to be mentioned in Diane Cowen’s latest lifestyle article about a home Marie designed in the Houston Chronicle, “How a Heights home’s dining room went from blank slate to gorgeous dinner spot“.  Be sure to read it to see the beautiful dining room, one we had so much fun being a part of! Thank you Houston Chronicle for the feature and a special thanks to Marie for her great advice, and constant sharing of creativity and beauty! If you don’t follow her on Instagram or read her blog, you should!! They are always inspiring!!

Sad news for all of us but probably good news for Dianne Josephs who owns and curates Atelier Fifteen-O-Five! She has decided to shut her doors and spend more time with those grand babies of hers.  She is offering 30%-50% off of all of her antiques and fine art!  I have purchased many items which I love from her over the years! You might want to stop by before it all flies out the door!!  www.Atelier1505.com located on 1505 Sawyer Street, 713/864-2112 or email dianne@atelier1505.com.

Until next time, xo Leslie