Our First Lehigh Valley Mini Maker Faire

On Saturday April 26,2014 my family attended the 1st Lehigh Valley Mini Maker Faire. We had to take our little Princess to Graphic Design class first. It was the last day for the Spring section. My husband and I stop at the Rose Garden to look for a flower tree that I love to take photo off. I took some photos and while we were there we saw a group of people doing Tai Chi. It was cool how at the end they made a circle and lock arm in arm. We then went to pick up our daughter at 12:00p.m I was happy to hear that the teacher will put all her work on a disk and mail it to her:)We stop at Little Caesars for a large peperoni Pizza and we bought sodas at the Dollar store. Then we headed to Bethlehem PA to attend the 1st Lehigh Valley Mini Maker Faire. We sign in and got our wrist band and I also sign that it was ok for my daughter to do the activities. The first place we headed to was the painting section. Roey's paint box showed the children how to paint with acrylic paint on canvases. My little Princess painted a Cherry Blossom for me. Then She made a cast of her hand. Both gift will be treasure for ever. The best gift are my daughter homemade gift. She also got to make Japanese Style Manga Paper doll from Akiko Inoue she is a Manga artist from Japan. I spend some time talking to her She is a very lovely lady and a awesome artist. She also sat on a large canoe outside that it had a string instrument inside that the children played. I called this 1st Lehigh Valley Mini Maker Faire a Success! My family always support our local events.The fireworks that I saw from my window during the night. A Beautiful way to end our night.

Our First Lehigh Valley Mini Maker Faire written by the Morning Call April 24,2014

Whether you know it or not, you are probably a "Maker." If you have ever toyed around with Legos, tinkered with your car or built mudpies in your backyard as a child, then that makes you … a Maker. This is an idea Lehigh University professor Marc de Vinck is hoping to spread throughout the Lehigh Valley. De Vinck has co-produced the first Lehigh Valley Mini Maker Faire in hopes of encouraging the "Maker" in all of us. The free event Saturday at SteelStacks in Bethlehem welcomes people of all ages to explore the magic of creativity. "I looked at the Lehigh Valley and saw that there's so much going on here," de Vinck says. "Even from a personal level, and I just wanted to know more." De Vinck has helped produce Maker Faires — known as the "greatest show and tell on Earth" — across the country. They grew from an organization called MAKE that aims to bring attention to the DIY culture worldwide. The group has a magazine and a website. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The one-day Lehigh Valley event will feature about 75 exhibits from local companies, inventors and performers, each oozing ingenuity and do-it-yourself flavor. MTS Ventures will help guests to build paper rockets, which will be launched hundreds of feet using compressed air. Kraemer Yarns, which spun the yarn for the U.S. Olympic uniforms in Sochi, will host an interactive "Learn to Knit" lesson, providing needles and yarn for anyone who wants to learn. Roey's Paintbox will hold lessons for children on how to paint with acrylic paint on canvases, and USB Typewriter will show how to convert an old typewriter into a fashionable, retro keyboard to use on your desktop. At one booth, representatives of Make Lehigh Valley, will teach you how to solder, providing iron and sponges. At others, you can build a Japanese-style manga paper doll, remote control aircraft and a robot using K'nex. De Vinck has been involved in the maker movement for about eight years. While at grad school at Boston University, he met Phillip Torrone, who was a senior editor at MAKE magazine. De Vinck started writing blog posts for MAKE and soon became director of product development for Maker Media, which produces MAKE magazine. He helped build and develop educational kits that teach about micro controllers and electronics that were sold in RadioShacks across the country. De Vinck came to Lehigh University in 2012 to join its Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation as a professor of practice in creativity. It was there that he met Lehigh Valley Maker Faire co-producer Lisa Getzler-Linn. According to Getzler-Linn, Lehigh's Baker Institute "supports and promotes courses and extracurricular programming that want to change the world by using creativity to solve problems and create value by starting companies and organizations to get those solutions out to the world." While the Mini Maker Faire is not associated with Lehigh University, the Maker movement certainly echoes the mission of the department. "I have only been aware of the Maker movement since Marc came to Lehigh and he brought the culture with him," Getzler-Linn says. "What I have learned about it since then is how much of the Maker culture already existed, but we weren't tapped into it. Since Marc's arrival we have been able to embrace it and celebrate it." De Vinck and Getzler-Linn got to talking about the wealth of creativity in the Lehigh Valley and decided that the Lehigh Valley would be a great location for a Mini Maker Faire. The closest Maker Faire is in New York City — the World Maker Faire, the biggest in the world. "Because Marc had been an instrumental participant in Maker Faires nationally, we realized we had this asset in our backyard," Getzler-Linn says. "It would be a very exciting thing to bring to the Lehigh Valley." With promotional help from PBS 39, the Lehigh Valley Mini Maker Faire was launched. It's called a "Mini Maker Faire" instead of typical "Featured Maker Faire" because "minis" are community organized, whereas the featured faires are put together by MAKE. For de Vinck, Maker Faires are maybe less about actually "making" things, and more about forming relationships. "I think one of the biggest things, and it may not be the most obvious, is building the community and creating relationships between people who want to create and share what they do," he says. "It's one of those overlooked aspects of a Maker Faire." He hopes the event will help connect fellow Makers, who can inspire each other. He sees a Maker Faire as a breeding ground for innovation, and one of the only opportunities where the Makers from the area can link up and share ideas. By Dan Beck, Of The Morning Call 11:38 p.m. EDT, April 24, 2014 "I didn't know about all these different artists and makers and engineers in the area and all of a sudden they kind of came out of the woodwork," de Vinck says. "It's for the community, but I saw that there's so much going on here and nobody really knows anybody." Both de Vinck and Getzler-Linn agree that this weekend's faire is for everybody, not just techies or professional engineers. They say it is not a craft fair or an electronics show, but, instead, offers a little something for all types of people. "There's something for my 3-year-old niece and there's also something for my 90-year-old grandparent," de Vinck says. "My hope is that people not only learn something new, but I hope people make connections within the community and they form relationships with people who like to do similar things, or form relationships with people who do something that is completely out of their area, but something they'd like to learn more about," he says. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ultimately, the Mini Maker Faire is an opportunity to find the inner-Maker inside all of us. "We want people to recognize their own creativity," Getzler-Linn says. "When people see lots of different examples of creative making, they realize that they, too, are makers and that they use creativity to make the world a better place." LEHIGH VALLEY MINI MAKER FAIRE •What: First annual celebration of innovation and creativity featuring 75 performers, tech enthusiasts, crafters, engineers and others, and many hands-on activities. •When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday •Where: SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem •How much: Free •Info: MakerFaireLV.com Read more: http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/events/mc-lehigh-valley-mini-maker-faire-steelstacks-20140424,0,2983101.story?page=2#ixzz306D9wgq4 Follow us: @mcall on Twitter | mcall.lv on Facebook Copyright © 2014, The Morning Call Read more: http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/events/mc-lehigh-valley-mini-maker-faire-steelstacks-20140424,0,2983101.story#ixzz306Cqb5aD Follow us: @mcall on Twitter | mcall.lv on Facebook

Easter 2014

On Sunday April 20,2014 we were the Greeters at our church for the Sunday Easter service. Everyone that saw my little Princess said "She looks so beautiful" She was dress in a Macy floral Spring dress and look Gorgeous. We brought home the pink Tulips that I bought in honor of my parents and my husband parents. After church we went to take photos at our local park. It is full of cherry blossoms and they also have a Japanese Garden. Then we came home to have a BBQ. We made hamburgers on the grill and Root Beer Floats were the beverage of choice for the family. Delicious! This year we volunteer at 2 celebration. We went to a Easter Celebration at the YMCA April 11, 2014. My little princess had a wonderful time looking for eggs with the rest of the boys and girls. Then they did a Easter egg Hunt for the adults. I found the Golden Egg. My daughter thought it was so cool that her mom found the Golden Egg. I gave it to her. Then we had a Pot Luck Dinner. I made roasted chicken to share. All the food was good. My little Princess and our family also attended the Easter Egg Hunt at our community. On Saturday the 19th we took our daughter to Art school from 10:00-12:00pm. My husband and I went to my daughter school were they had there Ester Egg Hunt. We watched the little children while they pick the eggs. We donated candy to all 3 events. The Gourmet Chocolate covered Truffle and the chocolate bunnies by Lindt that we bought for our family were Delicious! We also made Smores with marshmallow Easter eggs , Hershey bar and graham crackers. So Good! It make us Happy to volunteer and when we see children smile.

Breakfast Date

On Thursday my husband and I had doctors appointments and after we finish we went out to eat breakfast at a Dinner that we keep passing and wanted to stop by and finally we did on Thursday. The food was really good and we enjoyed our self talking to each other. My husband order 2 sunny side eggs, bacon and French toast and coffee. I had a omelette with sausage, onion and green peppers. Hash Browns and whole wheat toast with strawberry jelly ad orange juice. We also saw my little Princess godmother there and we talk for a little while until our food arrive:)My daughter also had a 2nd Easter egg hunt yesterday. She had fun. The 1st one was last Friday April 11, 2014 at the YMCA. She had a Awesome time finding eggs. They also did a Easter Hunt for the adults and the children who got there late. I found a golden egg:) Then we had a pot luck Dinner at the Easter Celebration.

Thank You God

Today as I was walking 3 miles on the track at the YMCA with my husband. I was thinking how Thankful I am for the things that I have in my life. 1. My family has Health Insurance. 2.We have a Family Membership at our local YMCA. We go 6 days a week to exercise in the morning. Monday and Saturday we work on the elliptical, row machine, weights, track, treadmill. We also use the sauna and pool. I also take 4 classes which I love. Tuesday Boot camp, Wednesday Zumba Dance, Wednesday Zumba Toning with the weights and Friday Step. There is always a family event to participate in. Right now they have a Easter celebration which we are going to attend and bring chicken to share and candy for the children. It will be a Pot Luck type of meal. The children will have a Easter Egg Hunt in the auditorium and then the adults will have one too:)3. I am thankful for the House that we live in that we are able to paid every month.4. I am thankful for the Car we have that it is completely paid for it. The most Awesome feeling when the last payment was made.5. I am thankful that my daughter take Art class at the Baum School of Arts for the passed 3 years. The rest of the things that we want we are letting God know what they are, He decide when it is the right time for them to happen. We are not going to stress about it we are just going to save and continue to pray. Thank You God for yesterday church service it was inspirational to both my husband and me and you spoke to us to feel the way I am writing in my post.

Todays Dinner was so Yummy

Today for Diner I decided to make chicken and then I shredded it and put it inside a tortilla shell with Mixed Greens, Tomatoes,and Cheese. A side of Macaroni and Cheese and for Dessert: Strawberries. I took a photo of how cute it turn out.