Integrity Insider is where we highlight the people, businesses, events, and creative voices making an impact in local communities. From emerging artists and young entrepreneurs to new openings, standout small businesses, and culinary talent worth watching, this space was created to share stories that inspire connection, support, and visibility.
Integrity Insider
This fun 4-week challenge is designed to help young writers and families create their very own story together, one step at a time.
Each week, Tegra will share a new prompt to help guide participants through the story-building process; from creating characters and ideas to building a storyline and bringing it all to life.
At the end of the challenge, participants who complete their story and submit it along with at least one illustration will receive a Tegra Drone Books Summer Writing Challenge Certificate of Completion.
Tegra will also choose her top 3 submissions, and followers will get to vote on their favorite. The winning submission will receive an autographed copy of one of Tegra’s books.
Parents are welcome to help younger children write down their ideas, and we’d love to see families share their characters, drawings, and story ideas along the way.
Be sure to follow along, join the fun, and tag Tegra Drone Books in your challenge posts!
For artists, musicians, authors, performers, creators, and creative voices making an impact.
The Creative Current
JB Designs: Handmade with Sparkle, Humor, and Heart
JB Designs began with something simple: a mother and daughter spending time together, creating something fun, and following where that creativity led. What started as a small DIY project with glass beads has grown into a family-owned creative business known for one-of-a-kind badge reels, ink pens, earrings, keychains, and suncatchers.
Jennifer, the creative force behind JB Designs, first saw glass bead projects and thought they would be a fun way to spend time with her daughter, Elizabeth. At the time, Elizabeth was about ten years old, and what began around the dining room table quickly became more than just a craft. For Elizabeth, it was a way for them to spend time together and “figure each other out.” For Jennifer, it became a meaningful opportunity to watch her daughter grow, not only creatively, but personally.
Through JB Designs, Elizabeth has learned about customer service, pricing, time management, business decisions, creativity, and confidence. She has also brought her own personality into the work; especially through pieces that are snarky, sarcastic, animal-inspired, or just plain fun. When asked about one of her favorite sarcastic inspirations, Elizabeth’s answer was perfectly fitting: “In my defense, I was left unsupervised.”
That humor is part of what makes JB Designs feel so personal. Their pieces are not mass produced or cookie-cutter. Jennifer and Elizabeth create from the moment, using their supplies, their mood, their ideas, and their imagination.
Some days that means ‘sparkle’. Some days it means bright colors. Some days it means a bold pen, a playful badge reel, a pair of earrings, or a suncatcher designed to catch someone’s eye and make them smile. And that is what JB Designs does so well. Their work brings a little personality into everyday items. It gives people something useful, giftable, expressive, and unique.
Whether someone is wearing a pair of earrings, using a custom pen, clipping on a badge reel, carrying a keychain, or hanging a suncatcher in the window, each piece carries the time, care, and creativity of the people who made it. Jennifer says a little piece of them goes into every item; their time, their interests, their creativity, and their heart.
That is the difference between buying something handmade and buying something pulled from a shelf. Handmade work carries a story. It reflects the maker. It supports real people, real families, and real dreams. JB Designs has grown from a dining room table to vendor events, a dedicated craft space, and now a permanent booth at Needful Things in Charles Town, West Virginia.
That growth has been exciting, but it has also required hard work, long hours, and family support. Jennifer balances the business with a full-time job, motherhood, family life, and pursuing her second master’s degree. Elizabeth helps create inventory and brings her own ideas to the table, while Jennifer’s husband helps with the behind-the-scenes work that keeps everything moving. It is truly a family effort.
That is why supporting small, local, handmade businesses matters.
When you buy from JB Designs, share their work, visit their booth, place a custom order, or recommend them to someone else, you are doing more than purchasing an accessory. You are helping support a family-owned business built with creativity, effort, patience, and love. You are also helping keep local creativity alive.
Small businesses like JB Designs remind us that meaningful things often start simply; with an idea, a little courage, and time spent with the people we love. As Elizabeth shared, a small business can start as something as simple as a mother and daughter doing something together.
And sometimes, that simple beginning grows into something beautiful.
To support JB Designs, follow them on Facebook at JB Designs or visit their booth at Needful Things in Charles Town, West Virginia. Custom orders and inquiries can currently be made through their Facebook page, with hopes for a website coming soon.
When you support JB Designs, you are supporting handmade work, local creativity, family, humor, sparkle, and heart.
It’s time for Week 2 of the Tegra Drone Books Summer Writing Challenge!
This week, it’s time to let your imagination take you places.
Where will your character’s story happen? Is it at home, at school, in a forest, on a beach, in a magical town, or somewhere completely unique?
Think about what your setting looks like and what makes it special. Bring your story world to life with fun details your readers can picture and feel.
Kids and families — let your imagination lead the way this week!
Like & Follow Tegra Drone Books on facebook and Instagram
I visited The Barn at 678 Vineyard in Barboursville, VA, and it was such a beautiful place to spend the afternoon.
The setting was peaceful and welcoming, the red wine I tried was lovely, the wine slushie was perfect for a summer day, and the live music from James Tamelcoff on the day that I visited made the whole experience even better.
But what really stayed with me was the heart behind the business.
Small business owners put so much of themselves into what they build; their time, energy, money, creativity, and care. Places like this are not just businesses. They are someone’s dream, someone’s hard work, and someone’s daily commitment to creating something special for others to enjoy.
The Barn at 678 is a beautiful vineyard worth visiting and supporting. If you are looking for a relaxing winery experience and a place with real heart behind it, add this one to your list.
Support local. Be kind. And remember there are people behind every small business doing their best to create something meaningful.
For up-and-coming chefs, restaurants, food businesses, pop-ups, and local dining spots worth watching.
Local Flavor
Next Gen Entrepreneurs
For young entrepreneurs under 25 who are building businesses, launching ideas, and stepping into leadership early.
Community Pulse
For local events, openings, launches, announcements, and community happenings people should know about.
National Boss Babe Day, celebrated each year on May 22, honors ambitious, independent, and successful women who are breaking barriers and challenging societal norms. It was created in June 2021 by Heather Schwendeman-Kincaid in memory of her late mother, Donna Schwendeman, who inspired her journey in both business and life.
Today is about celebrating women who lead with confidence, purpose, and vision. It is also a reminder to support one another, share our stories, celebrate milestones, and continue creating spaces where women feel empowered to grow, succeed, and thrive. Whether that looks like encouraging another woman, reflecting on how far you have come, or simply recognizing the strength and ambition of the women around you, this day is a beautiful reminder of what is possible when women uplift one another.
Happy National Boss Babe Day.