Tallyana Jewelry

Hi everyone! It has occurred to me that I've become one of those bloggers that drive me crazy...you know..the kind that hasn't posted in a month? Well - there are some pretty serious changes coming for BethLaurren Photography and my mind power and time has been sucked into that for now!

One of the changes I'm making specifically to my blog is that I'm going to start posting about more than photography. I got into the wedding photography business because I. Love. Weddings. Everything about them. The dresses, the decorations, the favors, the planning, the details. Being at dozens of wedding over the last two years has done nothing but make me love it all more! So along with posting about my fabulous clients, I'm expanding to incorporate all things wedding! So keep checking back for ideas, tips, vendor profiles and more!

I'd like to start my vendor profile with the illustrious and beautiful Tally Atkinson, owner and creative mind behind Tallyana Jewelry. I ran across Tally's work on facebook and asked if I could do a profile peice on her, because I had just been talking with one of my brides that was lamenting that custom made jewelry is so pricey, but she couldn't find anything off the shelf that fit what she wanted. I saw Tally's work, and thought to myself that she was a perfect solution! I met up with her to take a few sample shots of her necklaces and do a mini interview...check it out!



How did Tallyana Jewelry come into being?: I originally just starting making jewelry just for myself. I enjoyed making necklaces to wear that were unique. Someone saw one of my pieces I was wearing and asked if I could make her one and she said that she would pay me for it! Of course I said yes! Once I gave it to her she put the idea in my head of making jewelry to sell. At first I didn’t really think that I ever would. Then randomly one day I just decided to start and give it a try, if I failed then it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. I made four or five necklaces, made a blog and then prayed that I would sell them. I sold all of them within a couple weeks! So, I just decided to keep trying. That was a little over a year ago and now my jewelry style has evolved into something totally different than I ever imagined. I got a few ideas from some books, and then just ran with what seemed to be selling!



What is your vision for Tallyana Jewelry?: I love making jewelry that is unique, that someone would be so proud to wear everyday. I want to make jewelry that would truly express the person’s personality and life. Lastly, I want each piece to be eye catching and beautiful to look at.





Can a client come to you with a photo of piece they love and have you re-create it?: Yes definitely! Sometimes this is easier for me because I can see what they are really wanting. I try my hardest to make it look exactly like the picture.



Where do you find your materials?: Well, it depends on what the materials are. I get several things from several different places. I do a lot of shopping at antique stores for broaches and earrings, and some vintage beads and pearls. For all the findings and wire I get that at my local craft store, like JoAnn Fabrics or Michael’s. I order my chain from a company in California that sells bulk 24k gold chain and Rhodium chain. (Rhodium is basically platinum chain, silver in color but made from gold.) I also get my leaves from the same company. They are real leaves that have been preserved in some way, and then hand painted with gold, copper, or rhodium.



How long does it typically take to make each piece?: Well again, there is a broad range of answers to this question. It really depends on what type of beads I am working with. When I work with seed bead strands it takes me considerably longer than when I would work with a pearl sized bead strand. It usually takes me up to 30 minutes to figure out my picture for the piece, what looks good together, if I will use a pattern etc. I lay the beads and materials out of my jewelry board first to make sure that I will like the finished product. Then I string the beads and attach the strands to anything that it needs to be attached to. So, all together it takes me anywhere from 1 ½ hours and 4 hours.



Give us one fun fact about you, as the artist: I am about to be a mom for the first time coming up this April or March! I hope to be able to continue to do my jewelry business so that I can work from home and take care of my baby!

And the beautiful Tally herself:



You can view more of Tally's work on her blog at www.tallyanajewelry.blogspot.com, find her fanpage on facebook, or email her at tallyanajewelry@gmail.com.


My first necklace is coming and I'm so excited about it!

Reflections and Resolutions

Last night, as midnight crept up on me....the moment felt epic. And then I laughed at myself, because EVERY new years date seems epic, but really nothing significant changes for me. I'm more likely to make life altering decisions in the middle of April, or just during that time of the month. Years ago I gave up the illusion that THIS was the year I'd finally run that marathon, or resolve to learn a new instrument. In my more recent years, I've looked new years day in the eye and giggled in self-amusement at the thought of holding true to something for a whole 12 months. Anyone that knows me well, knows that I am the queen of grand ideas and announcements, but eventually settle back into the familiarity of the true me (which, let me tell you, stays out of work out clothes and prefers a good book to anything hugely productive).

But that being said, I did have a "yikes" moment last week. My mom has made it a tradition at our house that with every major holiday and birthday, we honor that occasion. For birthdays, every goes around the table and says something that they love and appreciate about the birthday person. For Thanksgiving, it's something you're grateful for over the last year, and for New Years, it's the goals and resolutions you strive for in the new year. This year, I sat around the table last week, and couldn't come up with ONE THING that I wanted to accomplish this year. Nothing that I was hoping to succeed at. Nothing that was making me want to jump with excitement. Realizing that.....it hit me between the eyes. I always have SOMETHING that I'm working to achieve...something I'm dreaming of. So I have spent the last week thinking this through, and deciding that I absolutely want to have a dream that I can look back on 365 days from now and pat myself on the back for with an encouraging nod. I also know that I am not quite disciplined enough to commit to something for a whole year, so I've decided to split the year up and pick three things to focus on for each quarter of the year. So from now to March, I've got my three things. Three goals or dreams, or just simple small self-improvements. I'll keep you posted, and let you know if I've earned that encouraging nod at the end of three months!

I would be absolutely remiss to move into this new year without an encouraging nod to my self of 2009. This year has been marked by death and new life, and everything in between. There have been personal failures and achievements, memories and life. BethLaurren Photography has been through a lot this past year...I have been blessed with the most amazing clients this past year, and friendships that I cherish. I've spent the last few days looking back through old slideshows and remembering wedding receptions (and cakes!), remember the many "oh my gosh she's beautiful" rush of emotions, laughing at the moments I've caught of unsuspecting subjects, and smiling at every single couple that has touched my life this year. I have been honored to join so many people on their wedding day, and it's humbling and wonderful and emotional and precious.

I put together a slideshow of the wonderful weddings I have been a part of - you can see the **SLIDESHOW HERE**


Happy New Year to you. I hope you have found your dreams this past year and have looked at yourself and given an encouraging nod as you spring into another year, another opportunity to chase your dreams.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Christmas morning, I sat on my parents couch watching old family video's and we ran across one from Christmas 1997. I was 13 (and as obnoxious and loud as they come at 13), my baby sister was 9, Gwen was 14, and Abby was 16. The video started with all of us girls coming filing down the stairs (an orderly Christmas tradition in my house) and we took turns opening presents, each taking our turn begging daddy to please phulleeeeezeeee open our present to him. There were cups of tea for my dad, various animals drifting in an out of the frame, and my mom...always attentive to the daughter saying "momma look!". That video could have been from any Christmas, repeating itself in years prior and years to come. And then, as we all got older, boys started showing up in the video's, and Christmas day changed more and more. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday of the year. The energy of the season, the songs with bells in it, the carefully hidden presents stowed away in deep closet corners. It just makes me smile. I've always struggled through the years and Christmas has changed and altered in my family...but there is always the one day. One day that we all congregate at mom and dad's and celebrate Christmas. There is too much food, and dad ends up rubbing his head at the end of the night after listening to his 5 women talk and talk and talk all day long. This year, that day is today...and I'm SO looking forward to sitting with my sisters, playing with my nephew, and just reveling in the family that we have evolved into. Christmas may look different this year, but my excitement for it hasn't changed. This years video will be unique in it's own way, and it's going to be a great day.

Merry Christmas from my house to yours!

Lifestyle:: Jenni

My mom has a magnet on her fridge that her best friend gave to her, and it says "You'll always be my friend...you know too much." This gorgeous girl here would be one of the few recipients of that magnet from me. We have been friends for 19 years (or is it 20 now? I can't remember anymore) and she is in so many ways my heartbeat. She is the friend that has stood by me through everything memorable in my life. She has stoically disliked old boyfriends, commiserated through family disputes, cried with me through the passing of loved ones, shopped with me for yet another pair of shoes, entertained me for hours upon hours, and stood by me as I said "I do" last year. I could re-count for you years of sleepovers on the living room floor and hiding the sweet tarts that were carefully split between us under the cover of our sleeping bags, countless imaginary "restaurant" setups....charging outrageous amounts for plastic eggs and toast, hours and hours of mariokart...which I never seemed to win, and other childhood memories that factor into the makeup of who I am today. I could tell you about the tough discussions we've had about boys, life, love, God and growing up. But what I really want to tell you, is that I hope that you have a friend like her. Jenni is that person that I know without a doubt will drag herself out of bed at 3 am if I need her. She's the one that I know my kids will one day call "Aunt Jenni". She's the one that I know will have to tell me time and again that what I'm doing really isn't the best decision and help get me back on track. I remember my mom telling me a long time ago that she's my Diana (a reference to Anne of Green Gables). She is the one that is steady, firm, loving and really, the more pulled together one of the Anne and Diana team. Jenni - I love you, and I hope that we will really be those little old ladies together that we've always talked about being.

Yes yes....she is stunning.



Delicious light...



It's really a good thing I'm funny.







This is why best friends are so much fun to shoot....It took me close to 5 minutes to get this shot exactly how I wanted it, and she just stood there and smiled and chatted right along.



Jenni is actually a photographer herself (check her out HERE!





Jenni - I love you to peices.

Slideshow!

Morgan and Matthias :: Lifestyle

These two cutie pies are somehow related to me.....I've totally given up trying to figure out exactly how! Their delightful momma is my man's cousin, so I think these two are my cousin-in-law-twice-removed? However it ends up working out, I'm Aunt Beth, and I love it!

I shot Morgan's 3 year photos last year, and was super excited to get together again and we added in the newest addition to the family this time....the little cuddle man, Matthias. Morgan looooves to have her photo taken, and Matthias is perfectly content as long as momma is in sight!

Okay! Some of my favorites!



Matthias wasn't quite sure what to do with me....but he was a trooper!








Morgan has the goofiest camera smile - this one was just so impish I couldn't pass it up!




I loved the light here


and HELLO he is the cutest.




Enjoy the slideshow!