https://www.facebook.com/492624990898018/

Rope & Rosin Photography, Malakoff, TX (2026)

05/22/2020

I am really glad I get to share about Elite Therapeutic Massage, tonight. Especially, since tomorrow, the state will finally let them open! In our visit, I could really sense how much Cody Twehous puts into his job, as a massage therapist. He is able to physically help people through his work. He helps guide his clients’ bodies as they heal or recover, and time missed from their sessions is detrimental to many of them. As a licensed professional who is meticulous about the details of sanitation & hygiene, we yet again see how these ordinances are hurting our local small business owners & neighbors.

He graduated from Professional Massage Training Center in Springfield, Missouri in 2011 with over 900 hours of education/experience hours (Texas only requires 500 hours). During his training, he learned Precision Neuromuscular Therapy (PNMT). In May of 2018, he relocated to Athens, Texas, & Elite Therapeutic Massage began its journey in October 2018. ETM is a highly customized professional soft tissue therapy that offers therapeutic, relaxation, or stretching massages to all body types ranging from professional/college athletes, aging bodies, to the everyday person with an aching or painful body. Cody’s expertise is in chronic pain management through massage.
Elite Therapeutic Massage closed its doors March 20th to comply with Governor Abbot’s mandate and the CDC’s recommendations, with the expectation to reopen once again. However, ETM has been unable to open, despite most other businesses being able to. ETM’s clients have been very anxious to get back, due to their increasing chronic pain that was once managed with regular massage appointments. ETM has only been able to see clients if they have a doctor’s note. This puts additional pressure on the doctors that are busier than normal, due to the changes in medical care that COVID-19 has caused.

62 days without being able to operate his business. No matter where you are in Texas, I hope you let that number sink in & realize how many licensed professionals have had to get by on nothing, as most were never able to get assistance from the government. As communities, let’s take care of our local businesses & support them. Remember to tip!

05/15/2020

Having moved to the community 7 years ago, Jen Sherman, a life long reader & book lover, has brought an absolute gem to Malakoff, with her indie book store Bookish. I have been SO excited for this, as well as their wonderful coffee bar that they have! A couple of years ago, she began an instagram page ( ), focused on books & reviews.
Through looking for an office space for Mr. Sherman to use, they came across the building that is now Bookish. They purchased it in July & have worked tirelessy on renovating and getting the store set up for their grand opening in March.

She shared some of their story with me, as well as what has gone on during the pandemic:

"My goal with the store is to promote reading and literacy in the community surrounding Cedar Creek Lake and to connect people with books and authors. To achieve that, I created a business model to provide books at a discounted price so that every single person has access to a book! We set our grand opening date for March 21st and had an entire day of events planned. We had 3 local authors committed to speak about their books and sign copies and giveaways planned throughout the day! 3 days before the grand opening, the Covid shelter in place order went into effect. I was so disappointed that I would not be able to open my doors to my store which was completely stocked and ready for customers. I had not initially planned to do online business, however, once my instagram following heard that I could not open my store, they began to contact me to place online orders. I was soon shipping books and Merchandise and puzzles around the US! There was so much support for small business and independent bookstores during March and April and I am so thankful for all the online sales that I had! Because of that support, I was able to bring in funds and order even more books and merchandise so that when the day came to actually open the doors of Bookish, the store was even better than it would have been back in March! Even though this has been a difficult time and not how I anticipated the opening of my business would be, I can see the positives and am thankful for the support during the last 2 months. We officially opened our doors on May 1st at 25% capacity in accordance with CDC guidelines and with social distancing procedures in place. It was wonderful to finally be open and have patrons browsing our shelves. I believe Bookish has a bright future and I can not wait to have story time for children and author events. Bookish is a dream come true for me to own this store and I feel honored to be part of such a wonderful community!"

She has created a beautiful space, that even the smallest reader will love! My own toddler runs to the children's section teepee & sits there looking at books, while I explore the Bookish shelves.

05/08/2020

The square of Athens and the surrounding historical streets have been seeing a piecemeal transformation, in recent years. One thing I’ve often lamented since moving to Athens was the lack of a “town square culture” that is prevalent in so many other towns across Texas. So, I’ve been happy to see that tide changing & continue to, especially during this economic shut down in our state. I was delighted to get a message from Florence Abeles Ferrell about my features, as before then, I had no idea Athens was gaining another locally owned business. My surprise grew into admiration when I stepped through the front door of Atticus&Company. Its location is known to many as Charlie Bullock’s previous art studio. Boog & Flo Ferrell’s vision for what they want to both represent & provide to the community is something for us all to look forward to, when they open in June!

Flo was gracious to share with me, some of what they’ve been through, on their entrepreneurial journey:

“Starting a business during the COVID pandemic certainly isn’t ideal. I’d been an educator for 15 years, working in an amazing school district with great people, but I always had this entrepreneurial bug. This gut feeling that we – Boog and I - were supposed to take a chance and see what we could do creatively.
So, around February, we decided to go for it. We started the paperwork, scored Charlie Bullock’s old art studio and started renovations. Then it hit. The world stopped. As we were learning and figuring out the ropes of retail, the retail world changed as we knew it. All of the sudden, vendors were replying via email asking us, “Are we sure we want to continue with the order?”. They were scared for their retailers, as much as they were for their own businesses. Online ordering became an instant necessity, but we are currently still getting our website inventory up. It’s been pretty hectic.

Through things slowing down for some people & normal life being disrupted, there has been a silver lining. The exposure our business has had via social media has been great. People had the time while they were social distancing at home, to peruse our Instagram & Facebook accounts, share posts, etc. The push for “shop small” and “shop local”, as well as the understanding that a small town without its independent retailers is no town at all, has been a wave we hope to ride when we open in June.
We were blessed to be able to do this at all – Boog still had income from his businesses, which thankfully were able to continue working. It’s still scary, though. After 15 years of steady income, I have a feeling this could be an interesting ride. But, we are excited to see the town rally together and support one another.”

While I know that many of us have only thought of the Covid crisis as affecting our present life, it will have echoing effects. Not everyone will want to brave the risk of pursuing their dreams, if it can get shut down overnight or if a politician can decide if they’re deemed essential or non-essential. We must be vigilant in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, for our future selves & legacies. When the fog has lifted from this time in history, let us remember it is our neighbors that make up our community & support them with our business.

05/07/2020

Yesterday, I was privileged to meet Rhonda Corn-Kidd, who is an Esthetician at The Retreat Massage & Day Spa. Being somewhat new to the spa, she was just beginning to build her clientele and her customer base. This year, she purchased a new machine for her business, but it was held in customs for well over a month by the government, thus losing income by being unable to provide those services. The government has now mailed it San Antonio, & Ms. Rhonda doesn’t know when she will be getting it. In addition to being unable to provide any services, Ms. Rhonda also has a large amount of inventory that she is unable to sell now, since the Spa is closed. The customer base she has built, is anxiously waiting for her to be able to schedule appointments. She says that she gets calls & messages every day from people, wondering when they will be able to be seen again or make an appointment.

If you’ve spent any amount of time in the community of Athens, you’ve probably seen or heard of Chantal Valley-Wylie & her spa, The Retreat Massage & Day Spa. She has been in business for herself since 1993 & has owned the spa, as well as provided a space for other professionals in the area to work, since 2003. Originally from Montreal Canada, Ms. Wylie has worked hard to not only make Athens her home, but also pour herself into its community. During this time that the spa has been closed, she has still been volunteering her time with the local animal shelter, filling needs wherever she sees them, and fostering pets. Athens Animal Rescue Shelter & Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake

Ms. Wylie shared with me how not only she has been challenged, but also her clients. Nearly half of her monthly clients have medical conditions that massage alleviates. Since March 20th, her clients have been having to live with chronic issues & pains. While some people in our community have lost their jobs, things are not as dire because their spouse works. Ms. Wylie doesn’t have that extra cushion, and neither do two of the therapists that work at The Retreat, as their spouses have also lost their jobs due to the shutdown in Texas. This causes a ripple effect for Ms. Wylie, as she is unable to collect rent for her business, in addition to being unable to see clients.

With Mother’s Day approaching & Governor Abbott’s phases being implemented, I implore our community to rally around these small businesses. Gift cards & many other gift ideas are available, if you reach out to them. These businesses are our neighbors, much more than Walmart or CVS will ever care to be. It is a long road to recovery for everyone, so let us be mindful in how or who we support with our dollars. Help local businesses by liking & following their pages, to broaden their audience. If you've experienced their services, be sure to share a review, as well as refer your friends. These actions take very little time & effort but have a large impact for businesses.

05/06/2020

Today, I want to feature Cyndi Rivers McCool , the owner of Snap Fitness. Having just met Cyndi, I can tell you that one thing that impressed me the most about her is how much she cares for both her employees & her members. She knows their stories, she knows their needs, and she knows their why. Through her business, she has cultivated a community & a place where people can build more surely on the foundation of their lives, by taking care of themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally.
She was so gracious as to share some of the issues she has faced during this time:

"I own Snap Fitness in Athens. Some think that means that it is owned by a big company, but it’s not. It’s owned by me, a small local business owner, who is unable to open my doors because of the state mandate of closure. Being a franchise owner means I pay LOTS of fees to Snap Corporate for their name, but I am the one responsible for making it successful. In the four years that I’ve owned the Athens location, I think we have done that.

We were required to close our doors and lock out our members on March 20, 2020 and have remained close since then. I have one hourly employee and several contract employees. I have managed to keep them paid since we closed but it’s only by the help of my members that I have been able to do so. I received the EIDL (emergency loan) but unfortunately it was only for two employees, Keylan and myself so it didn’t even cover HIS pay and the taxes on it for April. I have used the money I had in savings and the assistance loans from a few of my wonderful members to cover most other expenses. Some expenses will just have to wait. I am supposed to be approved for the PPP and it has been funded, but you can only access it once you have proven that you spent the money on payroll. I wonder how businesses are making payroll BEFORE they actually can receive the money without any billing? I certainly can’t. I am supposed to receive the stimulus checks, but haven’t seen any sign of them yet. Running a business without income is pretty close to impossible. The bills are all still there but it’s hard to get them paid without being able to bill because we can’t open.
Fortunately, my hubby has continued to work but part of our income has been completely shut down. That’s rough when you have two kids in college, even if one of them is doing college from home. I have been able to take care of my employees so far but it’s hard to see how they will manage without being able to earn the extra income from personal training. I worry about my members. For so many of them, the gym is their therapy. It’s where they go to help cope with the stresses of their daily life. It’s how they stay healthy so they can continue to do the physical activities they enjoy. It’s what keeps so many of our older members mobile and able to function on their own. It keeps them distracted from the danger of dependencies. What will happen to all of those people if I am unable to reopen soon? So many lives are affected… financially, physically and emotionally. I worry for them. They are my family. What happens if I am unable to survive as a business owner because I do not have an income? What happens to my family?"

As someone who is a part of hundreds of lives in Athens, I think Cyndi articulates the resonating effects of isolation, loss of community, and loss of livelihood for so many people, very clearly.

05/05/2020

While many are taking photos of their time at home with their families, I wanted to put my own spin on what is happening locally, to me. This is not a "Great Pause" for the millions who are without an income. I want to put a face & a story to the businesses we see closed in our town.

Our local business owners & self employed neighbors have been stripped of their livelihoods & freedoms. No matter where you stand on today's issues, I hope we can all respectfully realize that this is devastating.

Today, I want to share Rana Stone's story. Her salon is Always Stylin', in Athens. She shared some of the struggles & challenges that she is facing with me:

"I own two shops that employ 18 people. I’ve been in this industry over 20 years. We have been shut down well over a month. Most of my girls have not received any help from unemployment. I myself still haven't received any small business loan or unemployment. I have been told that I am approved for both, but have not seen anything yet. I did receive a stimulus check but had to use that to help with business expenses, instead of my personal expense. I am blessed with a husband that works, but so much of our workforce is made up of single moms with no family support & that now have no income. It will take at least the next year for my business to recover what has been lost in a month and half. My income provides essentials for my family. If this goes on much longer I will be forced to give up one of my business. It’s too much to expect people to go this long without income."

It is long past time to open Texas & I hope our local businesses can somehow survive this.

10/06/2018

Revisited & edited these photos from 2015’s Thanksgiving Rodeo School, and these are just a few of them. Be sure and sign up for it, if you ride bares or broncs!

05/26/2018

Some pictures from dayworking, that I took last September. Came across them, today, and decided to share a few!

05/03/2018

Edited one of my all time favorite golden hour photos, with one of my favorite scriptures. One that I've clung to dearly, this past week.

06/18/2017

Some shots while driving through Montalba, TX.

04/11/2017

East Texas Spring makes for pretty pictures! Want to capture your child's free play? I'd love to photograph those moments for you!

04/02/2017

Working on photo edits for some real estate, today. Had a little fun with this one!

Rope & Rosin Photography

05/22/2020

05/15/2020

05/08/2020

05/07/2020

05/06/2020

05/05/2020

10/06/2018

05/26/2018

05/03/2018

06/18/2017

04/11/2017

04/02/2017

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category