Meet this week’s guest editor, Vana Chupp. As the founder of Le Papier Studio, Vana wants to help Richmonders keep special memories close. Her RVA based product line celebrates present moments and turns them into heirlooms to be cherished and passed down to the next generation. Vana says her mission is to inspire joy and to always choose present over speed living. Take it away, Vana!
My family and I made Richmond our home 5 years ago. We’ve been so impressed with everything this city has to offer and often find ourselves bragging about it to our out-of-state friends. Richmond is indeed a wonderful place to raise children! Although life has taken some twists and turns since the current health crisis, I’ve tried to remain positive and focus on making lasting memories with my family - my husband and two boys, ages 15 and 8. With school being officially done (e-learning and all!), we are gearing up for making the most of our summer with some special, at-home activities while supporting local small businesses. Here are my three tips for celebrating this place we love to call home.
DIY Custom
Silhouettes
I’ve been using silhouettes to document my children’s growth for over a decade now. Not only that, but my boys have witnessed me hand-draw thousands of custom silhouettes for parents around the country, my customers at Le Papier Studio. Through this, my sons have come to understand first-hand the importance of making memories as a family.
This past month, I sat down with my youngest to create his very first custom silhouette. Despite the short attention span of an 8-year-old, he had so much fun outlining his profile and cutting his very own silhouette. It’s an easy and relatively fun activity the entire family can participate in.
We miss the experience of going to the movies every so often, but we didn’t want to let the pandemic ruin this family tradition. After a little planning and many hours of Pinterest browsing, we decided to create our own backyard movie theater! You can go as fancy or as low-key as you wish on this project. You will need a projector and screen (we like to use this one), some comfortable seating (try a mix of bean bags and plush cushions), string lights and some popcorn. This activity is fun for the whole family, but also a unique mom and dad at-home date night.
It Takes
a Village
My company Le Papier Studio recently launched a new campaign in which we will highlight a small, Black-owned business each quarter for a year. To start, we partnered with another Richmond small business, Little Nomad. Shop owner Anthony Bryant (pictured) carefully curates children’s clothes, gifts, toys, and books that are equal parts fun and functional. Le Papier Studio will match dollar-for-dollar every purchase from Little Nomad with a gift card from our shop through the end of September. Click the link below for more details.
Have you stumbled upon the Dear Richmond mailbox in the James River Park System yet? This community journaling project by Richmond Grid and Here Weekly is hidden along the trail and has quickly become a spot for quiet contemplation and reflection. From time to time we like to share some of the anonymous posts left by Richmonders—many of which document our current challenges as a community and as a nation, our hopes, our fears, and our appreciation for those pushing us forward.
