May 13th, 2016
We have the privilege of getting to walk alongside some inspiring, growing, and dynamic creatives as we navigate the small biz world as creators ourselves. In our blog column, In Good Co., we want to feature some of these artists and share a little of the story behind their craft, how they create their work, and what makes them tick as artists.
For this In Good Co., we get to feature not only one my favorite small businesses but one my favorite people of all time, Beth Lehman (or as she was introduced at a wedding by the DJ, “give it up for the bridesmaid, Bethleham!”) HA! But in all seriousness, as I began to look through the curtains into the paper business I wanted to explore, Beth was there with me. We had our faces pressed against the window, and we wanted to step into this beautiful but crazy, detail-oriented, and deadline driven business. I can honestly say that I still might have my face pressed against the glass if not for Beth– her keen eye, incessant encouragement, and tireless work ethic has pushed me and kept me going. And talent– this girl amazes me with her skills! She’s taught me how to be brave and keep my heart light. She’s a true craftswoman, she’s my neighbor (seriously, she lives right down the street!), and she’s a fiercely loyal friend. This business might still be a side hobby if not for Beth helping me step past my scheming and into reality of EOH’s creation. In all my insane days, she is sane – in all my stress, she is calm – in all my brainstorming, she is smart & steady. Thank you, Beth, for being a dear friend and an amazing artist in Nashville. Those who get to work with you are lucky, lucky folks. Read on to hear more about Beth’s story and check out her amazing work!!
What’s your story?
I’ve known since I was a teenager I wanted to own and run a business, so my story has been a search for the best use of my gifts. I’m naturally efficient, can hyper focus on a project for the duration of it, a strong problem solver, and enjoy refining the work of others to make them look even better.
I worked in an administrative role at a small company when I hit my limit— totally burned out and really bored. Emily, at that time, was launching her own paper design business (EOH), and I was very drawn to helping her with production of her bigger orders. Production is ultimately what I do in being a letterpress printer, and it is what I have found I’m best at. A paper store in town was working with her to design a line for them when their production manager left, and they offered me the job. I took it, but was still working with Emily on the side. Here is where I was the most exposed to letterpress work and started learning about it. I fell in love with the feel, look, and process of this niche, specialty print method, and started to imagine what it would be like to do this all the time. After working at the paper shop for a year and a half and realizing I have no love for working in conventional retail environment, I left to care for my mom post-knee replacement surgery. Wanting to stay in the paper production world, I started to research letterpress printing while taking my mom to appointments. I bought my press off eBay, started watching tutorials online, downloaded manuals for my vintage press, and began to practice in the evenings. I launched my press biz shortly after and am so shocked at my small success.
What’s your craft?
I am a letterpress printer, which basically means, I use an old manual press to make an inked impression into paper. My press is a table-top platen called a Craftsman 5×8. All this just means there is a disc for the ink and a lever to pull after hand setting each piece of paper.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration from the working women in my life. Seeing how they juggle work and family while navigating different business scenarios with grace has strongly influenced how I approach every workday. I’m so lucky to have gotten to work beside Emily as well as other professional women.
A quick story: when I was just building momentum in the early stages of my business, I was buying paper and the salesman asked me what I did, and I told him I was a letterpress printer. He paused then said, “Little girl, you don’t look like a printer.” I am somewhat competitive, so this interaction struck a chord with me, making me both furious and at the same time pushed me to be the best I can be.
What’s your favorite EOH paper?
I adore anything Emily water colors and draws. Emily is so so so talented. Her work is the definition of lovely. Her watercolors are complex yet graceful, and her drawings are sweet and interesting. I also love how she lays out text, mixes fonts, and captures the vision of her clients. Bottom line is that I’m a BIG fan of EOH. Lucky for me, Emily is one of my dearest friends and has been overwhelmingly supportive of my little biz. She has helped it to become what it is today, and I’m forever so very grateful!
photos: Davis Camp
words/edits: Paige Woods & Holly Patton
April 15th, 2016
With spring rapidly approaching and beach vacations on the way, we were so excited to feature Sara and Steven’s beautiful, classic black + white Rosemary Beach wedding! One of our favorite spots (for weddings and vacation!), Rosemary Beach makes the perfect backdrop to a perfectly gorgeous day. With help from wedding planner, Denise Sikes and Sara’s mother, all details—black, white, cream, acrylic, and gold—came together in the most timeless, romantic way.
The (Happy!) Couple’: Sara Rodriguez and Steven Ludlam
Wedding Date: January 2, 2016
Location: Rosemary Beach Florida
Tell us “your story.’ We met out in Midtown at Rebar. Steven was living in Atlanta at the time, and I was living in Nashville. We dated long distance for about nine months. Traveling back and forth from Nashville to Atlanta and vice versa every chance we got. After dating for nine months we knew we would get married so I moved to Atlanta to be with Steven.
Pick three words you would use to describe your wedding. Timeless, modern, and romantic
We love your style! Tell us a little bit about your aesthetic… My style is classic. I love black, white and gold. These colors inspired the look for our wedding. I wanted to mainly use white and black with a touch of gold and a hint of blush. We used all white roses in the centerpieces, bouquets and boutonnieres. I think a lot of one thing is so much more powerful than all different things mixed together. I also like a hint of modern elements in my style to add clean lines and interest. This is why we used ghost chairs and acrylic light fixtures to accent our long head table. Lastly I love adding the feel of romance with lighting. My awesome planners and mother came up with the idea of using lit mercury glass orbs of different sizes throughout the rooms on every table to add a romantic glow. The orbs with the addition of votives made the room glow with romance. It was truly my dream come true.
What was your very favorite detail from the day? This is a really hard question. There are so many details I loved. Some of these include the seated dinner, the bandanas at the reception in honor of my dad, my husband surprising me with our first dance song, needlepointing Steven’s cummerbund, having all my nephews and my niece in the ceremony, my brother walking my down the aisle, glow rings at the dinner tables and having bagpipes play for our entrance and exit. We really tried to do a lot of personal touches throughout the wedding to make it more meaningful for us and our guests.
One thing you wish you would’ve know before you started wedding planning…Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Tell us why you love EOH custom paper lovelies! Emily is so creative and talented. She is easy to work with and really listened to what we were wanting. The many invitations and paper products we used for our wedding always exceeded my expectations. I never felt like I had already seen something just like it. She truly customizes to her clients. And on top of all of this, she is local and I love supporting Nashville businesses.
Anything else you’d like to tell us?! We’d love to hear! Everyone always says your wedding is the best day of your life up to that point. It truly is such a magnificent day. To get married with family and friends surrounding and supporting you is so special.
EOH would like to thank Sara (the timeless bride), Missy (the MOB), and Denise Sikes (wedding planner!) for allowing us to be apart of this exquisite day! It was a joy to work with these three ladies from day one! When you meet with a mother/daughter duo, you automatically can get a sense of their relationship, for better or worse. This one can be described as full of LOVE. There was so much support in the room, and you could tell the family was each others stronghold. It was a tangible, steady, and sweet love. They wanted this wedding to be classic, timeless party and a celebration of love and family! Mission very well accomplished! We loved being tiny apart of your day. Thank you again!
DRESS Matthew Christopher from Bridals by Lori // ACCESSORIES Family pieces // VENUE Rosemary Beach Town Hall and Watersound Beach Club // PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Johnson Photography // WEDDING PLANNER Denise Sikes // PAPER Emily Holmes // FLOWERS Events by Nouveau // CATERER Watersound Beach Club, Chef Shane // CAKE Bake My Day // RENTALS Events by Nouveau // BRIDESMAIDS B. Hughes Bridal // GROOMSMEN Joseph A. Banks // MAKE-UP Tania Crawford // VIDEOGRAPHER Josh Kidd Films // BAND Atlanta All Stars
February 25th, 2016
We have the privilege of getting to walk alongside some inspiring, growing, and dynamic creatives as we navigate the small biz world as creators ourselves. In our blog column, In Good Co., we want to feature some of these artists and share a little of the story behind their craft, how they create their work, and what makes them tick as a artist.
As featured in some of our past holiday posts, we are thrilled to finally interview Olivia Terrell, jewelry maker and creative, who places intricate art and care in every handmade piece. Her simple products are eye-catching, bold, yet dainty. We truly admire her amazing creativity, joy for life, and depth. We feel like Olivia was one of the first artists developing the minimal look that is at the peak of design and style today. What makes her unique is her desire to merge past influences with her present ideas and designs. Check out her past lookbooks before you continue reading! We can’t wait for you all to get to know Olivia and her more about her story, craft, and passions!
What is your story?
As far back as I can remember, I was always drawn to anything that required working with my hands. Whether it was handmade gifts for family, arranging flowers (weeds) in the backyard, or obsessing over friendship bracelets, I was in love with making things for other people to enjoy. I was and still am interested in the source of objects; where a particular object comes from, how it’s made, who made it, etc. I think once i figured out that I could form something that could then be worn or serve a utilitarian purpose, I was hooked on the idea. I learned traditional metalsmithing techniques and received my B.F.A. from the University of Georgia in Jewelry and Metals—Yes, you can study cool things like that in college!
What is your craft?
I am a jewelry designer and maker. I create every piece from beginning sketch to final product, which I love because, for me, the process is just as important as the end result. I work mostly in brass, gold and silver and create pieces that toe the line between fashion and art. Jewelry is such a sentimental art form that often carries a story—like wedding rings or your grandmother’s old locket—so I hope to create pieces that are simple in form, but tiny statements or conversation starters.
Where do you find inspiration?
I think about inspiration in two ways: there’s the active and passive ways seeking of inspiration. By passive, I mean that I find a lot of inspiration just in my daily life walking around New York City, taking in all the sights, smells, sounds, etc. Architecture is a big one for me. I love buildings and industrial materials. But I think that is just a product of having lived a city lifestyle for the last several years. I wasn’t particularly drawn to urban landscapes until experiencing them, and now I can’t seem to separate the forms I am creating from my everyday life. When actively seeking inspiration, I set aside times to allow myself to be a sponge. During these times I usually stay away from things like social media as I find they can cloud my creativity, initially. Don’t get me wrong, Instagram and Google are wonderful tools, but I think it’s a healthy practice to not solely rely on the internet as a source of inspiration. I visit museums, libraries, parks, and more. I people-watch. I sketch. I take a lot of photos. I eat good food. I do things that give me energy.
Favorite EOH paper?
I have received a lot of Emily’s invitations and Christmas cards in the mail over the years—it’s hard to pick one! She designed my bridesmaids’ lunch invitation (many moons ago), and I always loved it! I have also been swooning over some of the more recent wedding invitation suites done with watercolor. They are so beautiful!
Thank you so much Olivia for sharing your story with us! We are so thankful to partner with small business owners who share like-minded big dreams and love paying attention to the tiniest of details. To learn more & see additional photos of her collections, visit her site here! OH, and check out their sweet little casa on Design*Sponge – they were featured last year when she and her husband, Andrew, lived in Spain!! Great taste in every area of life!
