HAPPY NEW YEAR

I'm a little overwhelmed as I realize that 2010 is a few short hours away. This time last year, I sat in a red office (yes, eww, it was red) surrounded by LSU paraphernalia, working on my husband's desktop PC, dreaming of owning my own business - a line of wedding invitations.

365 days later, I'm in my own little yellow studio, surrounded by my favorite paper-goodness, working on my 27 inch iMac :: insert angel's singing ::, looking forward to the launch of something I've put my heart, soul and spirit into for the past year. I have grown in many ways during 2009 - but 2010 brings a whole new adventure for me.

My toast to all of you for 2010 ::

May you live with a spirit of authenticity.
Be true to your style, your art - whatever it is that you're good at. Own whatever it is that you are not. Your "crumbs" as Bryan and I call them. Own them.

May you live with a spirit of adventure
Life. Is. So. Short. Take it. Own it. Crush it. So often we worry about what we have to do when (as Nike put it best) we could just DO it.

May you always act from a place of love.
Remember where you have been and where you are going - always act from a place of love. And remember, being the bigger person is NEVER never, never the wrong idea. Act from a place of love and surround yourself with people who fill that part of you.

May you truly live within your arch of creativity.
Surround yourself with that which inspires you. Let it inspire you. Be open to change and becoming your authentic self.

And last, (and this is certainly a wish for myself) -
May you always remember to roll with it.
Roll with the ups, the downs, the wins and the losses. When life hurts, let it hurt and fuel yourself with the emotions that come from it. When times are up and you are on top of the world - cherish those moments and let them fuel your spirit. Build, within yourself, a strength from each of these.

Happy New Year, everyone! Make 2010 count!

Cheers,
Emily

2009 in Review

I've been doing a lot of thinking about 2009 (and 2010 for that matter). What a YEAR it has been. Both personally and professionally it has been a year of so much growth for me. My husband and I celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary - our first full year of marriage. I celebrated my first full year in Tampa. And I completed my first full year as a business owner.

Has any of that been easy? No. Has all of that been amazingly rewarding? Absolutely. First and foremost, my husband. He is seriously amazing. No really. He has helped me fold 300 stardream wedding programs during a Bears/Packers game. That - alone - makes him pretty amazing. But he also makes me coffee JUST about every night as I sat perched in front of my iMac working on this business. Supported/brainstormed/jumpedupanddown/thrownthings with me. Who could ask for more.

Lets take an honest look at 2009 ::

• Bryan and I visited NYC for the first time ever. I was enthralled. In love. Sold.
• January 1, 2009 - I hit the ground running with ELP. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
• Then accounting, trademark law, html, paper weight, licensing . . . what?
• iMac. I'm officially an apple snob. And I loving it... so what does an apple snob do? Macbook Air. iPhone. Love love love.
• Tampa starts to become more and more of a home. And I learn just how much I love and miss my little hometown of Pensacola, Florida.
• I have learned that the relationships you build are so much more important and valuable than the sales you make.
• I discovered Twitter. Well, this is still a new discovery for me. If you don't use Tweetdeck - try it. It made all the difference in the world for me.
• Making Things Happen 2010 - truly an incredible experience for me. Learned that "getting real" with yourself and facing your challenges head on is actually a huge time saver - as well as a way to find and become your authentic self.

And at the end of 2009, I think the best lesson I've learned all year is one of authenticity. 2009 was a year of discovery - 2010 will be a year of fun (and a commitment to making time for that), of learning and of commitment to pure authenticity. Above is my ELP inspiration board for 2010.

Here's a little online cheers from my family to yours for a 2010 full of joy, adventure and happiness!

Images above from Meg Baisden Photography, Southern Weddings Magazine, Paloma's Nest, Clare Owen & Emily Ley Paper: Etsy

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!  I came home to Pensacola with every intention of relaxing, unplugging, removing myself from my work.  But after MTH2010 I am so fired up.  All I want to do is keep moving forward!  Granted, I've done much of this work in my PJs, next to the Christmas tree, on my laptop, surrounded by friends and family.  This Christmas, I am so thankful, so humbled and so excited about what the coming year will bring.  The response to the video blog on MTH2010 was absolutely fantastic.  I'll be doing more video blogs periodically - I love to write, but its very natural for me to talk (in the same way I'd talk to a friend) and tell a story on camera.

So cheers to downtime, to celebrating the year's ups and downs, to planning for the coming year and for spending time with those people who refill your spirit.  See you all in 2010!

Making Things Happen 2010

Making Things Happen 2010 was an incredibly awesome experience. Grab a cup of coffee and a blanket - this is 9 minutes long. I had lots to say and share thanks to Lara Casey, Jeff Holt and Kyle Barnes. The main lesson: think hard, be introspective, feel the FEAR and DO IT anyway. Now off to tackle this beast of a change I'm making to my business. Stay tuned! So. Fired. Up.