This day every year people come out and make New Years Resolutions, most of which are failed before January is over. And every year, we have the people who just say there is not point in this process because you will just fail, so why do it? I have gone back and forth on how I feel and if there is a point to even trying…. and I have learned what the actual importance is of making a resolution. The point isn’t necessarily to just achieve your goal, but to know there are areas that you need to improve. Recognizing that you need to reach for something better in your life is one of the healthiest things you can do… and I don’t just mean health and fitness wise… but just not settling for where you are now and working to improve where you are going. Therefore, I am realizing some areas that I really need to work on. In 2011, I plan to take my life back. Yes, this past year I have spent at least 60 hours of every week glued to my office and making plans with friends just to cancel them so I can get more work done. My life has been my work…. which has been great because I am obsessed with my job. But I learned this year that if I am going to stay fresh and stay happy I need to take time for myself, and not apologize for doing it. The best thing we have that will help us is our new office/gallery in downtown Florence. I am THRILLED to tell you that as of January 5 we will be officially moved in and ready to go! We have set hours, 9-5, Tuesday-Thursday. This will be our main time to meet with clients, work, respond to emails. Mondays are ours! Whoo Hoo! I am not sure really what it will be like to say that we will have a day off, but we are going to do our best. And Fridays are reserved for photoshoots & catching up odd and end work. My goal is to leave the office by 5:30 (which I have to admit I stayed til midnight last night so I need some accountability here). But I am so excited about the fact that our home will finally become our home, and not our work… and that we have a special place to come to work. I am so excited about this chapter in our business, and know that we will be all the better for it. We are looking to get a student intern to work with us during the week, they will help us crash down on our busy work, so Wes and I can focus on the big things- spending time with clients, editing, & shooting. I am looking forward to this and know it will greatly improve where we are going with our business.

The event I look forward to most this year is the Shoals Perfect Wedding. When we were dreaming of this idea we had no idea it would turn into such a success. I am so excited to help give a Shoals bride her perfect wedding at little or no cost to her. This is a dream come true for one lucky lady. I am excited to start getting the projects turned in so I can “ooh and ahh” over the ladies ideas, and I am excited to congratulate that special bride with her wedding. Then I am most excited to travel on this journey with her of planning her wedding and seeing it come to pass with some of the most high end vendors in North Alabama. This will be a spectacular event. I am so honored to be apart of it. (So, if you are newly engaged, definitely consider applying for this once in a lifetime prize!) Lastly, I am looking forward to seeing where this year takes us… literally. We already have a trip to Las Vegas planned, which I am stoked about, and a trip to Portland in the works for June. We are now working on seeing when we have a free few weeks to go on a small adventure of our own. I am not sure what will happen, but I look forward to the excitement of the plan. Traveling is my number one passion with photography. To be on the road with a camera in my hand makes me sing with happiness. I am not sure what you have planned for this year, or what area of your life that you want to take back. But I pray that you try. Try to be better in a way that you didn’t dream possible. Try something new this year. Stop saying… “I have always wanted to…” instead, go do it. Experience. Love. Laugh. I hope life kisses you on the cheek this year.

Be happy and love each other.

T

This has been the hardest, most wonderful, challenging, excellent, scariest, happiest year of my life. And yes, I mean each and every one of those words. It started New Years last year, we recieved a phone call… the most bizarre phone call ever… “Hi, this is Julie from America’s Funniest Home Video….” And then the journey began. The next few two months we flew to LA twice and won $10,000 off of a video that will embarrass me for the rest of my life.

After we returned home, I learned the importance of working for money instead of winning it. I kind of felt like Hurley from Lost…. the money was cursed. Ha. AFV kept us busy until about April, and that is when the challenge came in. Within two months we filed our taxes as our first full year as a business, then our power outages caused all of our harddrives to fail at once causing me to question if all of this work was even worth it, then my Tuto had surgery that almost took his life… Whew, I didn’t think we were going to survive those few months. Tough isn’t the word. I learned during that time that God is in control & he makes all things new…… & I will work for every dime I ever make instead of win some!

By July our lives were starting to normal out, Wes had quit his job and was now working with Armosa full time. It was feeling pretty nice. We had it hit rock bottom & were starting to regain ourselves again, I couldn’t have done it without him.

August we shot the former first lady, Laura Bush. To say we felt privileged to have this opportunity, well, we felt beyond overjoyed. Not many people get a chance to work with someone of this natured and it was something we will hold high for a long time.

September hit & we began a journey we will never forget. If you didn’t follow our blog then, definitely look at our Europe category… I will hold this time of our lives so close to my heart. I don’t think I will ever feel that way again my whole life. This was without a doubt a highlight of 2010 and the rest of my life.

Since we have been home it seems everything has been a whirlwind- New Orleans, Turks & Caicos, opening a space downtown… busy isn’t the word :)

But this year we have learned so much about ourselves, about each other, about our jobs, and our love. We have realized that even in the hardest moments we love what we do, and even more we love working with each other.

This year we traveled: Seaside, Florida; Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; Buffalo, New York; Savannah, Georgia; 19 Cities in Europe; New Orleans, Louisiana; Turks & Caicos Providence

We had the opportunity to work with: Laura Bush, Truett Cathy, MuteMath, Israel Houghton, Gungor, B.Reith, Third Day, The Afters, Addison Road, Stellar Kart

Here is our year in review, a couple of our favorite weddings & moments.

2010 was in one word- unforgettable. And I am thankful for the journey. I have grown so much professionally and mentally. I learned I can handle life when things get hard and I can rejoice despite the circumstances. I also learned that I want to see the world in a way I didn’t think possible. Lastly, I was confirmed that I married the man God designed for me, no matter if things were perfect or things were falling apart he was my rock. And I am thankful.

I hope you can reflect back on your year. Think of where you have come. Today soak it up. Then tonight when you lay down, leave it behind and think of what is to come. Life is what you make of it. I choose to find its joy.

Be happy and love each other.

T

Our Parters:

This is a partial list, and more partners are being added daily. Take a look at who’s involved:

Complete wedding photography by Armosa Studios
Wedding stylist Jordyn Dean
Invitation designer Maggie Crisler
Lola’s Gifts and Flowers
Thread
Party Pros
Table 18
Andy’s, the Professionals
Printers & Stationers, Inc.
First Southern Bank
Coker Family Dentistry
The Wine Seller
Sidelines
The French Basket
Halsey House
And more added daily!

Here Are the Rules:

You must be from the Shoals or have ties here.
You have to be willing to relax and let the experts guide you. You’ll still have plenty of input, but we will help you kick it up a notch or two to create an event that everyone will remember for a lifetime.
You must be currently engaged and would like to marry in late September or early October, 2011.
You must be willing to blog about your experience, and then let us feature you as the cover story for the 2012 Bridal issue of No’Ala Magazine.

Here’s How to Enter:

All brides must submit an Inspiration Board by February 1, 2011. Boards must be delivered to the No’Ala office at 250 S. Poplar Street, Florence, AL, 35630 or Armosa Studios at 222 N. Court Street, Florence, AL, 35630.
Contestants are subject to a personal interview by the Perfect Wedding Team
Three finalists will be chosen by February 14, 2011, and a winner will be announced in early March.
The wedding will take place in late September or early October, 2011, and will be the feature story for the Bridal issue of No’Ala in January/February, 2012.

What is an Inspiration Board?:

An inspiration board is a collection of items that tell us a little bit about you. It can be scraps of fabric, color samples, photographs, clippings from magazines, or anything that will give the Panel a feel for your personality, your taste, and the type of wedding you’ve always imagined. Creativity counts, so go all out and wow us – but be forewarned that the winning Inspiration Board does NOT have to be the most expensive one. Give us a glimpse of you!

Questions?

Contact  us or Amy at amy@atsa-usa.com

Legal Things:

Here are the legal things we have to say.
The value of this Perfect Wedding is expected to exceed $10,000; actual value will be determined by the Partners and the details of the final event. There is no cash redemption.
No purchase is necessary to enter.
The contest is open to any Shoals area couple of legal age who are engaged to be married, are willing to blog about it and receive publicity for it, and who want to be married in September or October of 2011.
Contest winner will be determined by a Perfect Wedding Panel, based on Inspiration Boards (provided by the bride) and personal interviews. Decision of the panel is final.