C'ville Entremom

Two weeks to go and still looking for the perfect Christmas gift?? Well, look no further.. Leslie Chisholm – Unconventional Classic Jewelry has you covered for your Holiday needs.

Leslie’s unique jewelry is designed with a focus on symmetry, texture and color. She takes pride in making each piece herself and taking the time to do it right. Her attention to detail assures the wearer that what they have is hand crafted and high quality… no two pieces are the same.

Leslie is passionate about creating refined, organic and elegant jewelry. She uses locally grown flora and fauna in her designs. She also loves to recycle vintage findings to use as a finishing touch to her work. She admits she has a weakness for pearls – the more unusual the better. She loves working with Precious Metal Clay. The silver leaves that she creates are her signature pieces.

Leslie has had a love for jewelry since childhood. As a kid living on Lake Erie, she often collected sea shells and looked for ways to make jewelry out of them. When she discovered that Precious Metal Clay would allow her to immortalize shells and other textures in fine silver, she was hooked and an artist was born. Leslie says that she is entirely self-taught.

Leslie started her business as a way to be in the same room with her sons (Daniel – 24, D’Arcy – 21) as young boys while they were playing, reading or watching TV and still be doing something productive. Leslie’s sons have been very supportive of her work and understood when she had to get just one more piece finished.

If you would like to find out more about Leslie Chisholm – Unconventional Classic Jewelry, please visit her website at www.lesliechisholm.com. Leslie is offering 20% off anything on her website if you mention Entremom.  She is also offering free gift wrap and free shipping within the continental U.S.  Contact Leslie at 434-971-2900 or email her (leslie.chisholm@gmail.com) to receive the discount. Offer good through 12/31/09.

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I was excited when Marth Keith sent me the announcement about this fabulous show that I had to share it on the blog ASAP!!. Several of our Entremoms will be participating in the Craftacular Holiday Show (a C’ville Craft Attack production). Twelve designers total will be showing and selling at OpenSpace December 11 & 12. Please come out and support our Entremoms and do some local shopping for the Holidays!

Cville Craft Attack is a group of independent designers, artists and crafters in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are makers of jewelry, handbags, paper goods, clothing, accessories, and art. Their members come from different backgrounds and all contribute a unique talent and perspective to the group. Together, they promote their high quality, locally handcrafted products. They meet once a month in the spirit of friendship, craftsmanship and artistry to support, inspire and encourage each others craft.

They believe in art, design, creation and craft. We believe in exploration and the celebration of making a life out of the things we dream.

All of the Craftacular details are here:
http://cvillecraftattack.blogspot.com/

and here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=177641968188

This is a fantastic all-local shopping opportunity for the holidays. Wide range of price points, talented designers, always a fun event. Please stop in and tell all whom you know!

Entremoms showing are:

Martha Keith (jewelry)
www.marthakeith.com

Tavia Brown of Taviametal (jewelry)
www.taviametal.com

Christina Flowers of Magnolia Moonlight (paper goods and graphic design services)
www.magnoliamoonlight.com

Kim Boggs Goldstein of 2nd Chance Studio (upcycled mixed media sculpture and handbags)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/secondchancestudio

Nancy Hopkins of Silver Muse Studio (jewelry)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilverMuseStudio

Rachel Thielmann of Gemini Skye (clothing & quilts)

Patty Wallens (pottery)

Zapata Designs (jewelry)
www.zapatadesigns.com

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I recently found Pretty Me! Hairbows through another C’Ville Entremom, Betsy of By Besty Invitations.  All along this has been my vision for the site.. Moms/Entremoms refer each other!  I’m always so excited when I find a great new business that I can use!  That is the most rewarding part of having this blog!

Eva D. Masloff, owner and maker of Pretty Me! Hairbows, creates whimsical hairbows for girls on clippies, barrettes and pony tail holders.  Some of her most popular products include Tuxedo Bows, Loop Bows, Pony Tail Streamers and Headbands.  She uses unique ribbons and add ons to create one of a kind hairbows.   Her products range from $3.00 to $10.00.

Eva began her business when her daughter, Alena – now 6, was in preschool.  She searched around Charlottesville for fun, whimsical bows to match Alena’s outfits, but found none.  She decided to make her own.  Other mothers at preschool took notice of Alena’s bows and requested bows for their daughters.  Voila!  A new C’Ville Entremom is born.

Eva’s full time job is being a stay at home mother to Alena, but uses Alena’s school time to make bows.  She finds it more challenging in the Summer when Alena is home, but makes exceptions when she finds ribbons that inspire her.  Eva’s business comes 100% from word of mouth.  Psst… pass it on!

If you would like to find out more about Pretty Me! Hairbows, you can contact Eva at edmasloff@embarqmail.com or 434.975.2767.

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Do you have the interior blahs? Tired of staring at the same old furniture or walls that haven’t changed in 5 years? Well, C’Ville, lucky for us we have Interior Details, Ltd. Your home is your investment and should be a luxury you enjoy everyday!!

Interior Details, Ltd. focuses on interior design, including staging and re-design, with an emphasis on using recycled or re-purposed materials. Jacqueline Jenkins Holley, owner and designer for Interior Details, Ltd., sews all of the custom window treatments, pillows and bedding for all of her interior projects. She even adds personal touches with custom framing, lamps and monograms. She is a registered designer for Ballard Designs, has several lines of window hardware, is a distributor for the Rug Market, Les Indiennes fabrics and also has a line of woven shades. Wow!

Jacqueline has a background a real estate para legal and says that this work gave her great experience working with homeowners and their new homes. She has always had an interest in interior design and when her second child was born, she decided to follow her passion as well as stay home with her two girls, ages 14 and 9. Thus began Interior Designs, Ltd.

Jacqueline puts a big emphasis on the “recycled” part of her business. Five years ago, she began the “Ultimate Recycle Project” by purchasing a rundown 1960’s ranch home and adding a second story. With the help of a contractor, she and her husband provided the design, landscaping, painting and much of the physical labor themselves. She states that it was a labor of love to bring a neglected home back to a family home. She also just completed a very stylish outdoor shed, with all of the materials (except framing and plywood) coming from the Habitat Reuse store.

So how does Jacqueline manage to decorate C’ville homes as well as run her own household? She juggles work and her two girls by having the custom sewing aspect to her business. It allows her two days a week where she can be home instead of making calls. Owning her own business allows Jacqueline to stay home with her girls when they are sick or during teacher work days and vacation days. It also allows her the time to volunteer at their schools. During the Summer, she takes on less work since her children are at home.

If you would like to learn more about Interior Details, Ltd., you can visit the website www.interiordetailsltd.com or visit Jacqueline’s Etsy store. Rates start at $10 for a monogram, $75/hour for design/staging services. Custom designed window treatments vary depending on size, number and style.

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I admit it.. I rarely write letters.  My reliance on email is almost to a fault!  To me, calligraphy was something I only used while addressing the envelopes for my wedding.  So, how refreshing and eye opening was it for me to find the beautiful penmanship and calligraphy talents of Jen Maton, of If So INKlined?  Jen is single handedly bringing handwriting back!

If So INKlined offers traditional, modern and unique professional hand calligraphy for weddings, births, corporate events, parties… almost any occasion.  All designs are done by hand.  If So INKlined offers unique cards, envelope addressing, place card lettering, seating scrolls, map direction card illustrations, formal invitations, whimsical invitations, table cards, monograms, custom art, poems, certificates, logos, wedding vows and so much more.  Jen is open to all project ideas!

When Jen was 12 years old, her parents gave her a calligraphy set for her birthday.  From that moment, she was hooked.  She became intrigued by the art form.  Over the next couple of years, her family and friends allowed Jen to practice her calligraphy style on their cards and envelopes.  As a college student, Jen began taking calligraphy courses which increased her love for lettering even more.  Jen’s career path started in graphic design and eventually led her to freelance work designing advertisements that have been featured in national magazines like Better Homes and Gardens and House Beautiful to name a few.

Once Jen began having children, she decided that she wanted to stay at home with them.  When her 1st child, Stella, was 3 weeks old, she decided that she couldn’t give up the dream of owning her own business.  During nap and bedtime, Jen began the process of coming up with a business centered around creating designs by hand.  She was approached by a Rhode Island wedding planner (Jen just moved here from RI) who needed an artist to create theme oriented wedding invitations and paper products for a few of her brides.  Voila!  A business is born.

Jen finds that juggling her business and raising her kids is challenging.  She only takes on what works with her kids’ schedules.  Her kids (Stella – 5, Ruby – 4, and baby Maton on the way) are her true passion and first priority.  Jen never over-books herself and only takes on jobs that are not rushed.  She also networks with other moms and will often kid-swap when work gets busy.  That way her kids can play and she can save money by not hiring a babysitter.

For more information on If So INKlined, please visit Jen’s website.

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Tired of going in the same jewelry shops only to find the same old jewelry they’ve had year after year.  Is there a piece of jewelry you’ve had on your wish list for years, but can never seem to find the exact piece you like??  We’ll C’Ville, we have custom jewelry designer, Tavia Brown of taviametal.

Taviametal creates one-of-a-kind and limited edition jewelry in sterling silver, gold and titanium.  Tavia enjoys creating unique custom jewelry for her clients, whether it’s an engagement ring, a piece to commemorate a special time or a memorial object.  She describes her style as industrial,  yet sweet.. elegance with an edge. Tavia’s artist statement sums up her beautiful work and matches the style of her art:

“My jewelry is both industrial and delicate, it is edgy and sweet. Inspired by the dichotomy of life, my style of elegance with an edge connects me to this duality that exists within my life. Being a mother and an artist is a constant balancing act of two things that at times seem extreme opposites, yet at other times appear to be born of the same seed. My inspirations come directly from life experiences, namely family and memories, but they are also derived directly from the material which I am working, the tactility of textures and the awe I have for nature.”

Tavia is a born and raised artist.  Her passion for arts and crafts began at age 6.  In college, she found her niche in jewelry and dreamed of one day owning her own studio.  After college, Tavia worked as a bench jeweler for a local designer for 4 1/2 years and started her business on the side in 2001.  She began taviametal full time in 2007 and hasn’t looked back!  Her work has been featured in Elle magazine (look for her “Encircled” necklace and “Pentamic Nubby” ring on the TipsnTrends page in this month’s issue), parenting.com, coolmompicks, on the new Scout Charlottesville blog and  the Charlottesville Wedding Blog.  Taviametal was also a 2009 Niche Award finalist in the silver category for her necklace “Golden Halo Moonlight.”

Tavia says that she loves having the flexibility of being her own boss.  Her children (ages 4 and 15 months) attend preschool/daycare full time, but she feels lucky to have the flexibility to spend a morning or afternoon with them if she chooses.  Tavia states that sometimes it requires more balancing when a surprise day off occurs (ie. sick kids), but as a mom, finding balance is an everyday occurrence.  All in all, Tavia is a happy mom with happy children.  She has an outlet for her creativity and having this outlet makes her whole.  Tavia and her husband are both entrepreneurs.  He owns Frontrunner Sign Studios. Together they teach their children to reach for the stars:  have a dream and follow it.

If you would like to learn more about taviametall visit her website www.taviametal.com.  You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.  Taviametal’s studio is located in the Old Linen Building on East Market Street.

A note from Entremom:  For years my husband and I have been looking for a new wedding band for me.  We knew exactly what we were looking for, but couldn’t find it anywhere.  We scoured many shops along the East Coast as well as jewelry stores in every port of call throughout the Caribbean.  Turns out Tavia created exactly what we’ve been looking for right here in Charlottesville!  How beautiful are these rings?  So, nudge, nudge Christopher… Here it is!

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Attention Charlottesville Moms:  Your child’s birthday party just got easier!  Can’t find the perfect cake to go with your child’s party theme?  No Worries!  Charlottesville has Maliha Creations.

Maliha Creations is a custom cake bakery specializing in unique and edible art.  Anita Gupta (founder, owner, artist and baker extraordinaire) creates one of a kind cakes specific to your desires and your needs.  She creates cakes for any occasion:  weddings, showers, parties and celebrations.  All you have to do is simply contact Anita with your ideas, theme, color, etc. and she creates a one of a kind cake unique to your event.

Is Sally having a Princess Tea Party for her 4th Birthday?

Is Carter having a bug party for his 1st Birthday?

Are you throwing a baby shower for your sister, Jane?

Maliha Creations is proud to not use any trans fats, shortening, boxed mixes or other artificial ingredients.  Flavors range from the Traditional (chocolate fudge, red velvet, chocolate chip pound) to Maliha Creations “Specialty” (Coco-retto:  double chocolate cake layered with Amaretto-Mocha buttercream, Orange Crush: orange scented cake layered with Grand Marnier infused butter cream or Berries and Cream: sour cream almond or vanilla butter cake with fresh seasonal berries) just to name a few.  Anita is also more than happy to customize a flavor just for you!

Anita, who has a Masters in Public Health and a background in Biostatics, always had a passion for being in the kitchen.  She enjoys both cooking and baking.  When her first daughter was turning one, she wanted to find someone to make an all natural cake that featured her birthstone, pearls.  She couldn’t find anyone in Charlottesville to make the cake, so she did it herself.  Eventually, people started asking her to make their children’s birthday cakes and from there she decided to find out what it would take to have a fully licensed and working kitchen in her home.

So, how does Anita find the time to bake such beautiful cakes for the people of Charlottesville??  Anita has 3 children:  Asha (6), Sahana (3) and Ayyan (7 months) and says that they are her first priority.  She, therefore, only takes a few orders at a time.  This way her family is well taken care of and her customers are always satisfied because she can give them the personal attention that they deserve.  She does most of her work at night after the kids are in bed.

Maliha (a word meaning “beautiful” in Hindi) Creations has been featured in several local publications in the area, but relies mostly on word of mouth from satisfied customers to spread the word about these beautiful cakes.  If you are interested in having Anita create your next cake, you can visit her website (www.malihacreations.com) or email Anita (anita@malihacreations.com).

A note from Entremom:  I was truly blown away after seeing some of these cakes.  I was working on this feature when my daughter (Trudy age 3) woke up from her nap.  She literally came and sat in my lap for 20 minutes looking at and drooling over these cakes.  She picked out all of her favorites!  Looking at these cakes honestly made me want to have another wedding & soon!  They are just stunning.  So, here are my favorites (in no particular order):

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I was first introduced to Crozet local, Amy Thornton’s, “it’s a jem” bags about a year ago. I commissioned her to make the most adorable bag for my older daughter, Trudy, when Joise was born. The pink canvas “Big Sister Bag” features a crown, heart & Trudy’s 1st initial. I gave Trudy this bag when she came to visit us in the hospital & filled it with lots of goodies. To her, it was a present from her little sister Josie!

Amy, an attorney by trade, creates one-of-a-kind hand painted canvas bags for children and adults, painted onesies for infants and toddlers and recently expanded her business to include designing and painting small murals for nurseries and children’s rooms. She adds great details to her hand-painted goods . . . gems, bows and personalization. Her bags come in all shapes and sizes and provide many uses: beach bags, everyday bags, Easter bags, children’s purses and even environmentally-friendly grocery shopping bags. The hand-painted onesies are perfect for baby shower gifts. I’ve already given some to friends. She has a wide range of simplistic, yet trendy designs: a monkey on the front with a banana on rear or a guitar on the front with music notes on the rear, to name a few.

Amy realized the need for these bags by chance. Every year she compiled a “goody” bag for each of her children, Jackson (7) and Eli (5), to entertain them during the long car trip on family beach vacations. The year before McKenna (now 2) was born, she decided to jazz up the bags with her boys’ names and a race car design. They loved the bags and started carrying them everywhere. Other moms started noticing the bags and asked Amy where she got them. Voila, a business is born!! The bags were so much fun for her to make, things took off!

How does she juggle owning her own business and being a mom? While McKenna was an infant, Amy often put McKenna in a backpack infant carrier and let her watch as she made the bags. McKenna was mesmerized by the process and was entertained for hours just watching her paint! (All I can say is WOW! WOW! WOW! . . . you go mama!) Today, it is not so easy. She spends most of the day chasing a toddler, preschooler and grade-schooler. She does, however, manage to squeeze in business time after setting the kids up with their own projects or after the kids go to bed. (I can feel you there Amy!)

If you are interested in purchasing a bag, onesie or mural from Amy, you can contact her at amythornton@comcast.net or by phone 434.466.1250. Prices range from $8 to $40 for onesies/bags and murals start at $100.

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