Hey, Today Show, it's a Southern thing

A shout-out for a hometown small business making it big: Huntersville- based Southern Nest, an online retailer selling wooden monograms, was part of NBC's Today Show holiday gift guide Wednesday morning. (Watch it here.)

Courtney Ronay

Owner and Statesville native Courtney Ronay, 30, started the business in 2011 by opening an Etsy store, selling the monograms for $12 to $225 depending on the size. And when the orders flooded in – as many as 90 a week – Ronay decided to work at her business full time, using other bloggers’ communities helped spread word of her products around the world.

As a native Charlottean, I've long been a fan of monograms, whether on pillows, purses, key rings, curtains, or family heirlooms. One of my best friends even has the same initials as her younger sister -- a move her parents made so they could share monogrammed gear. Crazy? Nah. It's a southern thing. (See: Southern Nest.)

That why I chuckled a bit when the Today Show introduced the product by saying: "In old-time Europe everybody had a monogram. Now you can have one, too." 

Yes, that's true. And yes, you can have one, too. By perusing the Southern Nest Facebook page, you'll see they're a beautiful addition to a bedroom, nursery, front door, wreath, desk or Christmas tree (yes, people are doing this!).  

But monograms are not just alive and well in old-world families across the Atlantic Ocean. They're wildly popular here in the U.S., as evidenced by Ronay's nationwide success. Retailers from around the nation sell her goods, and she gets online orders from around the world, as far as Australia. 

Ronay's website, however, gets at the essence of her products: "So step in, look around and enjoy yourself," she says. "Don't be a stranger. When you bring a Southern Nest creation into your home, you are welcoming in a bit of the South."

That's the piece the Today Show missed.