Thankfully, we had the chance to chat with two amazing women on Collegiate School’s Upper School faculty…RichmondMoms who also happen to be a part of the RVA MakerFest Leadership Team, Allen Chamberlain [below left] and Melanie Barker [below right]. Here are their first-hand insights on what’s happening this Saturday from 10am-5pm at the Science Museum of Virginia…
So what IS RVA MakerFest?
Allen: The RVA MakerFest is part science fair, part shop class, part idea incubator, part entertainment, part education. To me, the real spirit of the MakerFest is what happens when you bring sixty-five talented makers together with an eager audience of participants. It’s that perfect recipe: 1. Start with conversation and inspiration. 2. Add learning something new. 3. Top it off by heading home excited about your city and what you’re going to make next!
What can visitors expect?
Melanie: Visitors can expect a little bit of everything: noise, fire, lasers, a steamroller, robots, potters, a muralist…the RVA MakerFest is a smorgasbord! Many of the makers will offer demonstrations of their work. RVA MakerFest guests will have many opportunities to make things themselves. You may not be able to shape your own sword at the blacksmith’s forge, but perhaps you can tie-dye a t-shirt with 2 Dye 4 or make your own RVA MakerFest passport with RVA Maker Guild.
Some makers will also be selling their wares. Not only will you have the opportunity to buy some really beautiful, carefully crafted things, but you’ll also have the chance to talk to the people that make those things about their inspiration and process.
‘Fess up! What are you two most excited to see or do?
Allen: The first thing I want to do is make an LED throwie and join others in lighting up the LOVE sign at the front of the Science Museum. By the end of the Fest, those letters will be so bright you just might be able to see them from outer space!
Melanie: Hack.RVA, the local hackerspace, is offering soldering workshops. Soldering is essential for so many electronics projects, but it’s intimidating if one has never soldered before. It’s empowering to see LEDs light up or motors run as a result of the awesome soldering you’ve done.
What made you decide YOU personally needed to be involved in the organization of the RVA MakerFest?
Melanie: I really believe in learning by doing. The experience of renovating my house [with my father] shaped some of my philosophies as a librarian [at Collegiate School]. A fellow independent school librarian once said it best when she said that libraries have always been a place for inquiry. Making things and doing things are forms of inquiry. Nurturing curious spirits is important to me as a librarian and as the mom of an almost-five-year-old.
Allen: In my work as a teacher and librarian at Collegiate, I like to have fun. It’s a good day when my students and I are surprised by something playful or challenging. When a student says, ‘I’ve got a different idea for that project assignment,’ I’m delighted. Joining the MakerFest Leadership Committee had that kind of feel—let’s do something different. I’m all in when an invitation like that comes my way. It was also an opportunity to be part of a brand new celebration of Richmond, to give a gift to the city I love, a city that has been part of my life for the past twenty-eight years.
What is the ultimate goal of the event?
Melanie: The goal of RVA MakerFest is to not only show off the talents of the city’s makers, but to give them a place to really show what goes into their work and projects. The Fest definitely celebrates the planning, sweat, and iteration that go into making things.
Allen: The ultimate goal—short and sweet—bringing more people into the vibrant RVA maker community and celebrating the kind of creative energy that fuels our city.
Why should families attend together?
Melanie: There’s going to be something for everyone at the RVA MakerFest. My husband and I took my four-year-old son to the Charlottesville MakerFaire last fall. We had the best time driving robots, building wooden toy trucks, and contributing to a community-built paper rollercoaster. The RVA MakerFest is a chance for families to get their hands on tools and toys they may not have ever considered.
Allen: It’s kind of a sentimental reason, but some of the happiest times I had with my family growing up and with my daughter all involved making—whether it was a dewberry cobbler or carving the Parthenon out of an Ivory Soap bar for a school project or a building a treehouse or molding a paper mache dog for a fourth grade book report. There’s something about being deeply engaged in a project, figuring it out, and celebrating when you step back and say, ‘I made that!’ RVA MakerFest offers families many possibilities for times like these. The MakerFest guarantees visitors will be awestruck by the creativity of local makers and be inspired to try something new.
Mark your calendars, and make a point to enjoy RVA MakerFest!
Learn more about RVA’s participating makers at RVAMakerFest.com — and build your excitement for the event by watching the RVA MakerFest documentary series “Made in RVA.”
]]>RVA MakerFest
September 27, 2014
Science Museum of Virginia
2500 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23220, USA
10AM to 5PM
Admission is FREE
now through July 3rd!
Sale includes already marked down items (not consignment or the 19.99 clearance items) as well as best sellers like Michael Stars dresses & tees and Maternal America brand dresses.
Hot and humid season in Richmond has really just started, so grab some basics to look and feel great during those dog days of summer!
Absolutely in love with something that’s not red, white or blue? You always get an additional $15 off a $75 purchase with the Richmondmom.com Savvy Saver app!
3124 W. Cary Street
Richmond, Va 23235
(804) 340-1700
www.HiptobeRound.com
Hip to be Round Will be closed July 4
We profiled the amazing products in this locally owned boutique in Carytown, and now they are giving away free samples of the same skincare line used by classic Hollywood beauties such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Ava Gardner, and Greta Garbo/
Elements of Carytown has trained at the Institute in New York and continue to work closely with Erno Laszlo Skin Care Specialists throughout the the year.
You can take advantage of the offer online or in their Carytown store.
]]>
We are happy to answer your questions and guide you to the BEST ERNO LASZLO SKINCARE PRODUCTS for Your Skin! Get that “Laszlo Glow!”
Order online or call at any time, toll-free 1(866) 216-4225
National Donut day is Friday, June 6th.
Dunkin Donuts & Krispy Creme is giving away a free donut of any variety.
And, of course it’s a great day to go out some amazing local donut shops here in Richmond, like Dixie Donuts and Sugar Shack Donuts will be fully stocked with some amazing gourmet donuts. So if a french toast donut (Dixie) or Lee’s Fried Chicken donuts (Sugar Shack) is more your speed, head out to support your local donut shop!
Or heck, if you have all day, take a donut tour and taste them all (but prepare for quite a crash)
]]>
You’re about to have a “Why didn’t I think of that!?” moment.
Think about all the times you’ve said, “Please stop splashing/dripping outside the tub,” as kids play with sopping wet toys on that irresistible, yet slim, tub ledge.
Joy Jones, a local mom of two came up with a solution: Shelfie. 
Shelfie attaches to the side of the tub to make that narrow tub ledge into a safe area for kids to play and contains the water from dripping over the edge.
We got a chance to chat with Joy about Shelfie, being a momtrepreneur and an inventor, and what the journey has been like for her creating the Shelfie.
What inspired you to create the Shelfie? Did you have a eureka moment?
Yes! One night my youngest daughter, who was about 15 months old at the time, slipped on a wet floor after her bath and got a nasty bump on the head. I thought to myself, ‘If only the tub ledge had a lip on it to contain the water…’ and that is when the idea for Shelfie was born! I built the first one out of cardboard and duct tape, and eventually took it to a local product design firm to help me build a prototype.
What is one lesson you’ve learned about starting your own business?
That as much as it helps to have a business plan, you have to expect that there will be speed bumps and road blocks you don’t see coming ahead of time. As much as you plan, you will still learn as you go. There is always a pathway to possible; sometimes you just have to ask different questions in order to find it. If you’re anticipating some speed bumps along the path, they won’t be as jarring when they inevitably occur.
Joy Jones: Business Owner, Inventor, and Mom
How have you been able to balance being an entrepreneur and a mother?
I’m not sure how well I balance it…being an entrepreneur can drain you of energy in the same way that being a parent can. But it’s that special brand of ‘tired’ that also feeds you; you draw your inspiration and energy from the source of your labor. Just like raising children, your pour your heart and soul into your business and feel both challenged and rewarded with each little step.
Logistically, ‘balancing’ it can sometimes be a challenge. I’m not at a point where I’m going to an office for set business hours. I accomplish what I can while the girls are in preschool in the morning, and then go back to work after they’re in bed. At some point if the demands of the business increase I will need to build in some additional support.
Have your daughters been involved in the business?
Yes and no. They were Shelfie’s first testers and have been playing with it since we developed the first prototype two years ago. So they know that it is mommy’s project. They were home when the big truck came to deliver them to our garage. So they know that I’m trying to start a business. I try not to talk to them about it too much. Like any other adult concern, I don’t want it to preoccupy them. And yet, they are excited about it, and I want to embrace that. It’s a bit of an unusual adventure that we’ve undertaken. I just hope that whatever the outcome, that the lessons for my girls are positive lessons about work and risk, and success and failure.
What’s the best piece or parenting advice you’ve ever received?
That your children won’t do as you say—they will do as you do. I try to be cognizant of this as I make commitments with my time, deal with disciplinary issues, use my iPhone……. I know that someday they will model my behavior, and if I’m a stressed out train-wreck who can’t say no to work obligations or is always looking at my phone, then they are likely to someday also spread themselves too thin. I think it’s something that is universal to parents—not just entrepreneurs. It’s a struggle to be present for our children the way we want to be, and still handle the obligations of daily life as an adult. ‘Balance’ is a moving target; I just try to be aware of being present with them.
Do you plan on expanding the Shelfie line?
Yes! We are focused on proving sales with the initial run of the product. If we can do this, we do have “future embodiments” (fancy inventor words for different versions) of Shelfie that we will hustle to patent and produce!
Where can we find the Shelfie?
Right now, Shelfie is available at The Toy Center on Patterson Avenue, and at Pigtails & Crewcuts at both their West End and Midlothian locations. We’ll also be available soon via Bumblebean—an online boutique packed with inspiring products for moms and kids. And you can purchase them from us directly online!
This article is sponsored by Shelfie.
]]>