Haymarket/Gainesville Lifestyle Magazine February 2022

FEBRUARY 2022

H A Y M A R K E T / G A I N E S V I L L E L I F E S T Y L E

FAITHFUL FRIENDS: Meet Our Community’s Pet Power Trio LOCAL HERO: Renee Small and Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary; loving and caring for rescues since 2017 OUR NEIGHBORS: Erin DeSalvo and Acorns to Oaks Childcare offers education, fun, and lots of love to our little ones

Meet Duke

Your Choice for Cutest Pet!

Today

At Fauquier Health, we assess and treat a range of spinal we are making problems, including those caused by work related or other communities healthier. injuries, geneticourabnormalities, and diseases like sciatica. By For nearly a century, your health has been priority. That’s why we’re continuing to work hard offering minimally-invasive robotic surgery options, you can to provide our community with high quality care close to home. Over the past several years, expect to get back on your feet sooner due to improved accuracy we have invested more than $30 million in facility upgrades and advanced technology to meet the and safety. Let us design a treatment and rehabilitation plan that healthcare needs of the community. As a leader in our region, we have paid over $30 million taxes, will help getin your back in action, today and every day.

Don’t let back pain stop you.

contributing to local projects, road maintenance, infrastructure and schools. We are proud to provide community benefits programs that help support We are taking extra steps to ensure a safe environment local organizations and community events. Our when you come for care. commitment to you is creating a health From enhanced cleaning procedures, mask system our community can count on today andsocial every day. requirements, and adjusting waiting rooms for

To learn more, visit FauquierHealth.org or callhealthier.

540.316.2696 Today we are making communities distancing, your health and safety remain our number one priority. So, don’t let back pain hold you back. Now offering minimlly-invasive spine surgery, we can customize a plan For nearly a century, your our priority.

That’s why we’re continuing to work that willhealth get youhas backbeen to a more active lifestyle. hard to provide our community high pain, quality care close to home.

If you with have back learn more about your Over the past several years, we have invested more than $30 options. million in facility upgrades and advanced technology to meet the treatment

healthcare needs of the community. As a leader in our region, we have paid over $30 million in taxes, contributing to local projects, road maintenance, infrastructure and schools. We are proud to provide community benefits programs that help support local organizations and community events. Our Visit FauquierHealth.org commitment to you is creating a health system our community can count on today and every day.

or call 540.316.2696

Learn more by visiting FauquierHealth.org/Today

Today we’l help

Enhanced cleaning, mask requirements and social distancing to help keep you safe.

get your back in action.

We are taking extra steps to prepare for your healthcare visit— Enhanced cleaning, mask requirements and social distancing to help keep you safe. from enhanced cleaning procedures throughout the day, to

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F R O M T H E

E D I T O R

C O N T E N T S

S

o how cute is our cover pup, Duke? I think he’s simply adorable and I can’t thank all of you enough for entering your sweet pets in this year’s Cutest Pet Contest.

We had quite the collection for voters to choose from. And speaking of voters, thank you for doing so!

Because this is, after all, our annual Cutest Pets issue, you’ll find several terrific pet-related features inside. There’s a piece about Duke, of course, and another about our second and third place winners, Annie and Ollie. There’s also contributor Beth Luna’s terrific feature, Get to Know Your (Interesting) Neighbor that I think you’ll find…interesting, and a super article by contributor Christine Craddock on three local pet businesses who’ve teamed up for the health and happiness of your four-legged loved ones.

And finally, because so many of us are such animal lovers, don’t miss this issue’s Local Hero feature. Written by contributor Annaliese Kreutzer and photographed by Paul Lara, the spotlight is on Renee Small and her Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary. Since 2017, Small has rescued more than 200 animals, about whom she says, “We have a goose and a dog who are best friends, and that same goose has a pig that he loves. If they can get along, why can’t we figure out how?”

It’s an excellent question, in an excellent feature. I hope you enjoy it and all the articles in this issue!

EDITOR

Susan McCorkindale

P.S. If you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll follow us at @HaymarketGainesvilleMag, for more on the wonderful people, places, and things that make our beloved communities so, well, beloved.

18

Local Hero

8

HGBA Meet & Greet

Renee Small and Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary

Sandy Surabian, Surabian PC

24

10

Rising Stars

Meet the Winners

Kelsy Dominick of DiDomenico Design

of This Year’s Cutest Pet Contest

28

12 Your (Interesting) Neighbor

Our Neighbors

14

Erin DeSalvo of Acorns to Oaks Childcare

Get to Know Faithful Friends

ON THE COVER: Our Cutest Pet Contest winner, Duke and his sister, Brenley Tedder. Photo by Christine Craddock

Get to Know Our Community’s Pet Power Trio

H A Y M A R K E T / G A I N E S V I L L E L I F E S T Y L E

CREATIVE

SERVICES

DIRECTOR

Jay Ford creative@whglifestyle.com ACCOUNTING

Celebrating Western Prince William County

The Haymarket Lifestyle Magazine is published monthly and distributed to over 11,500 selected addresses. The Gainesville Lifestyle Magazine is published monthly and distributed to over 8,000 selected addresses. While reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Haymarket and Gainesville Lifestyle Magazines, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to any such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. While ensuring that all published information is accurate, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any mistakes or omissions. Reproduction in whole or part of any of the text, illustration or photograph is strictly forbidden. ©2022 Rappahannock Media LLC.

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FEBRUARY 2022

Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle 7

greeting cards to local seniors and I’m embarking on a new project to gather gifts for isolated seniors for the holidays.

meet&greet

Valerie Meale Comfort Keepers Manassas 9720 CAPITAL CT, STE # RM 2, MANASSAS 703.283.4272 VALERIEMEALE@COMFORTKEEPERS.COM CKMANASSAS.COM

Please share one of the greatest moments you’ve experienced in your current profession.

Fortunately, in this field there are moments of joy whenever I get to interact with our seniors. I call bingo for a couple of communities and as part of the experience, I give the players pom-poms so that they can cheer whenever we have a winner.

They just laugh and laugh and it warms my heart every time.

Tell us about your experience with HGBA.

I have been to several HGBA meetings at this point but the most powerful was when we hosted the session at Winery At La Grange. I announced our Art4Elders project and I was astonished that so many people stepped up to color greeting cards. It was a wonderful thing to watch - coloring, networking and wine! What more could you want?

How has it supported you and your business?

Through networking, camaraderie and exposure.

What are the top three business tips and tricks can you offer other professionals?

Be noteworthy. If you’re not doing something that is interesting enough to talk to people about, find something and do it.

Send out an email newsletter. If you can’t figure out what to say in said newsletter- see tip #1.

Make genuine and true connections. If you’re operating from your heart, the business will come.

Are you from this area? If not, what brought you here and what do you like about our town?

I was born and raised right here in Prince William County. These are truly my people.

What is your favorite season in this area, and why?

I love all the seasons here! Each has its own merits!

What are some hobbies you enjoy?

I’m a creative, so anything that serves my creative spirit is a win for me. I’m a mosaicist. I crochet, read, refurbish furniture and I love Zentangle.

What is your favorite restaurant?

There is no way I could choose a favorite. There are so many incredible places to choose from!

Are you involved with any nonprofits?

If so, which one and why?

I am heavily involved with Leadership Prince William because it increases my ability to influence my community across many platforms.

When and why did you decide to join this nonprofit?

A few months back I received a call from a long time friend, Anthony Fiore. What I thought was going to be a chat to catch up with one another turned into a job offer.

Anthony is the owner of Comfort Keepers Manassas. I had always admired the soulfulness with which he approached his business and I leapt at the chance to become a part of an organization that operated in that way.

How does your business serve the local community?

Elevating the human spirit is a way of life at Comfort Keepers. We serve the community by delivering joy into the lives of seniors in our care every day. Additionally, I have created an Art4Elders program to deliver hand made

8 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle

FEBRUARY 2022

What was your first job, or your most interesting job prior to your current profession?

My position as Business Development Director for Whitlock Wealth Management allowed me to completely reshape my life. It was definitely the most impactful job I’ve had and that made it the most interesting.

The Haymarket Gainesville Business Association was established in 1990 and is the premier association supporting business and community involvement in the Haymarket-Gainesville area. They offer a forum for information sharing and contribute to community projects that positively impact businesses and residents. Want to learn more? Visit www.HGBA.biz

2-21-22 Haymarket-Gainesville 1-2 page_Clipper 1/2 page 7-9-08 1/23/22 8:19 PM Page 1

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FEBRUARY 2022

Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle 9

And your choice for cutest pet is….

Duke

S

weet, loving, cuddly, and smart are the words that embody Duke, the Tedder family dog who helped heal their hearts. Ashley, her husband Mike, and daughter Brenley were grieving the loss of their 8-year-old Bull Terrier Destro - and not looking for another dog - when a photo of Duke was posted by a friend in Kentucky. Brenley and Ashley fell in love. They begged Mike to get him and were surprised when he agreed.

Duke was 10 weeks old around the time of Thanksgiving in 2018, so while the Tedders were visiting family in Indiana and Kentucky over the holiday, they picked him up and brought him home to Gainesville.

Now three-years-old, Duke is a fun-loving pup who creates immediate friendships with both animals and humans wherever he goes. He enjoys playing with his dog friends, and when resting, can be found cuddling his favorite stuffed animals, hedgehog, and hamburger, as well as his people, especially sister Brenley.

Any vacation that allows pets will include Duke, although he and his sister share a carsickness trait. On one trip home from the beach, both Duke and Brenley had made it all the way home without an incident. But 15 minutes from home, Brenley threw up everywhere, including Duke’s head.

The poor pup just looked up as if to say, “it wasn't even me this time." Duke loves the beach but not the water. He chases crabs but runs away from the waves.

Always ready to snuggle or brighten their day, Duke waits for his sister to awaken each morning and get home from school each day. At night, he makes the Tedder family laugh with his late-night zooming around the house. It’s no surprise that the Tedders cannot imagine their lives without Duke.

He’s named after the good guy in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero animated series.

10 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle

His most recent birthday celebration included a visit to Vint Hill dog park, a pup cup from Swirlies, and a new bed.

FEBRUARY 2022

The low grumble he makes when he encounters anyone coming to visit or when his humans return from school or work is his version of conversation.

BY C H R I ST I N E C R A D D O C K

Fast Facts About Duke

Duke’s cute contest entry photo captured the hearts of voters.

affo And our cutest pet be runners up are…

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2nd place, Haymarket

This adorable Aussiedoodle came to live with the Freiheit family at Christmas of 2021. Clearly she knows how to pose for a picture and we just love her stylish black and red jacket. It’s perfect for keeping her warm this winter!

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3rd place, Gainesville

Just look at this sweet boy! Ollie is a 2-year-old beagle/terrier/border collie mix who was rescued by the Robin family at just eight weeks old. His mom says he loves to “Play at the dog park, eat socks, and wrestle with our 9-year-old.”

FEBRUARY 2022

Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle 11

faithfulfriends

Get to Know Your

(Interesting) Neighbor

BY BETH LUNA

There are some unusual pets that live among us that go beyond the typical dog and cat set. Here we present three of them, introduced by their owners. Enjoy!

Hobbes the Ferret

Adelina and Keith Blankenship, Bristow

Hobbes is the most interesting animal I have ever encountered. He has a shockingly high IQ, the self-esteem of a British commando, the ethics of a mob boss, and the affection of a grandmother. Hobbes is more clever than any border collie I’ve owned – and my current border takes trash bags to the trash can. Hobbes has several stuffed animals that he likes to hide around the house and, if moved, he returns them to their “regular place.” He likes sitting on the dashboard while I drive and playing on hay bales at Battlefield Park.

Molly the Pig Heidy Knighting, Warrenton

“His favorite song to whistle is the Addams Family theme!”

R2D2 (R2 for short) the Cockatiel Valerie Boykin, Haymarket

After much research, we decided to get our gray cockatiel for my son's birthday. He was hatched on May 4th, so we chose a Star Wars name – R2D2 – or R2 for short. R2 sleeps in a separate room because we have three cats that he doesn’t like. In the morning we move him to his downstairs cage, and he hangs out on our shoulders and flies around a bit. He loves giving kisses and singing, and he does the cutest head tilt when he's trying to figure out what's going on. His favorite song to whistle is the Addams Family theme!

12 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle

FEBRUARY 2022

Molly sticks to a certain routine. If I don’t get up at 6 a.m. to take her out, she oinks at the bottom of the stairs. After she does her business, and maybe pays a visit to my neighbors, she wants her breakfast and some love, then it’s back to bed. During the day, she lounges and plays with our cats, including our kitten, Timmy. He’s her baby. She snuggles and kisses him whenever he’s near. When my youngest daughter walks Molly, a neighbor comes out to give her a snack. If the neighbor’s not there, Molly will wait on her steps for 10 minutes!

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Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle 13

faithfulfriends Meet Our Community’s

Pet Power Trio FEATURE AND PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE CRADDOCK

From left: Meg McAuliffe of Meg’s Loving Pet Care, Andrea Payne of A Pup’s Valley, and Claudia Montoya of Miss Kibbles.

14 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle

FEBRUARY 2022

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They spend time with us, so they’ll spend time with YOU When readers turn to our pages, they see people they know and others they’d like to know – local heroes, amazing kids, neat neighbors, and rising stars. They see beloved businesses, favorite mail carriers, and long-standing members of the community. They see their family and friends. They see themselves. And when you advertise in Lifestyle, over 65,000* of them see you.

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Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle 15

W

orking together for the benefit of our furry friends is the mission of three local business women. Claudia Montoya, Meg McAuliffe, and Andrea Payne share a love for animals and a commitment to meeting their clients’ needs. Together, they form our community’s pet power trio, caring for the health and well-being of our four-legged friends.

Meg’s Loving Pet Care

Bristow | @megslovingpetcare

Meg McAuliffe’s love for all animals is so evident her friends call her a modern day Snow White. Employment with pet sitting businesses gave her the knowledge and experience she needed to pursue her dream of owning a small business and, six years ago, she opened Meg’s Loving Pet Care.

“Not many people can go to work and have animals jumping up for joy and giving them kisses every day,” said Meg. She and her dedicated team love what they do and it shows.

“Meg did an outstanding job watching all my animals for a week,” said Broad Run resident and client, Carla Valentino. “It was not an easy task trying to keep up with all of them. She even sent us proof of life photos and we enjoyed seeing everyone happy and healthy.”

The great reputation Meg’s Loving Pet Care has garnered allows it to stand out in the community. Meg especially enjoys that she can give clients peace of mind while they are working or traveling knowing that their beloved pets are in great hands.

Miss Kibbles

Bristow and Gainesville | @misskibbles

Launching a small business in the middle of the pandemic wasn’t ideal, but Claudia Montoya was ready. When Miss Kibbles opened in Bristow in June of 2020, Claudia began working to address the nutritional needs of pets in our community. When she realized she was making a difference, she hustled to open a second location in Gainesville last October.

“Finally, a knowledgeable pet retailer in the Manassas/ Bristow area,” said Manassas resident and client Heather Patterson. “Miss Kibbles knows her stuff, and can help point you in the right direction for all your pet needs, from food and treats to grooming and toys!”

“Words cannot express my gratitude,” says Claudia, of her fulfilling and rewarding work. Her business means more than just healthier foods for pets; it’s truly about building relationships, sharing experiences, and raising awareness. Coming from the perspective of a passionate pet parent, Claudia says, “I will speak to you from the bottom of my heart and advise you in your pets’ best interest.”

A Pup’s Valley Haymarket | @apupsvalley

Cage-free daycare with indoor and outdoor playrooms for dogs is what makes A Pup’s Valley unique. But that isn’t all. They also offer grooming and on the day of the appointment, the dog gets three hours of free daycare. There are private kennel suites for dogs that haven’t been spayed

16 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle

FEBRUARY 2022

Top: Some of the nutritious treats available at Miss Kibbles. Bottom left: Sweet Max, a client of Meg’s Loving Pet Care.

Bottom right: One of the handsome guys who enjoy cage-free daycare at A Pup’s Valley.

or neutered or aren’t friendly with other dogs, and larger VIP suites for families with extra large pets or more than one pet who want to stay together.

“My fur babies love it there,” said Marshall resident and client, Deborah Trnka. “Everyone is so nice and friendly.

Plus they really love my dogs and take great care of them.

This is the only place we will board our pets.”

A Pup’s Valley serves as a solution for families who need short or long term boarding for their pets, including those with severe separation anxiety. And they give back, too: A Pup’s Valley offers free boarding for those who come to stay at the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run.

Give the Pet Power Trio a Try

When Andrea encounters pets with nutrition needs or skin or health issues, she refers them to Claudia. Puppies who age out of A Pup’s Valley daycare if they haven’t been spayed or neutered are referred to Meg’s Loving Pet Care for dog walking and pet sitting. And Meg also provides taxi service for pets to come to A Pup’s Valley for grooming or boarding.

As you can imagine, the response from the community has been positive and supportive, with many clients using all three services.

“We are stronger working together for our furry friends,” said Andrea.

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localhero

Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary Giving a new lease on life to animals who’ve had it tough

BY ANALIESE KREUTZER PHOTOS BY PAUL LARA

E Renee Small, founder Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary.

18 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle

FEBRUARY 2022

very animal at Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary in Nokesville has a story. There’s Shiloh, an eightmonth-old lamb born with a nutritional deficiency that affected his muscles in his legs and caused them to fuse in an improper position. There’s also a horse named Bailey who was starving because his former owners kept him in a stall with a stallion that wouldn’t let him eat.

Despite the hard times endured by some of its resident animals, Hope and Serenity exudes an air of contentment.

A gaggle of geese waddles by busily honking to each other.

A guinea pig snuggles with a large rabbit inside a plastic igloo, and mother and daughter donkeys Delilah and Violet approach the fence to greet newly arrived visitors.

“Animals have a lot of love to give. They’re way more than just food for people, and I’m hoping people will see that and make responsible choices,” said Renee Small, who worked as a veterinary technician for 30 years before founding Hope and Serenity. Some of those responsible choices might involve choosing which animals to keep as pets, whether to breed animals, what food people choose to eat, or where they get their food. “Instead of getting meat from a grocery store, you can go to your local butcher and support your local community farmer who will treat that animal humanely while it’s alive,” Small said.

Hope and Serenity is home to cats, dogs, goats, sheep, pot-bellied pigs, farm pigs, horses, donkeys, geese, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, alpacas, and more. Small has rescued more than 200 animals since founding the sanctuary in 2017. She doesn’t adopt out or breed any of the animals. All the rescued animals live out their days on the farm, and if a rescued animal is pregnant when she arrives,

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such as Poppy, a pot-bellied pig who gave birth to nine piglets a few months ago, then the whole family stays together on the farm.

“We have a lot of involvement from the animals’ previous owners,” Small said. “It’s not fair to the animals that they wound up in a new situation, and a lot of them are very bonded to their people,” she said. One such animal is a pig named Oliver. His owner had to sell her farm, but she loves him very much. “She visits him at least once a week. She provides beds for him and treats and lots of love,” said Small.

Before coming to the sanctuary, Oliver was a lone pig for most of his life, so he has trouble being in a group with other pigs. He prefers to spend his time in the farmhouse yard and with the children who come to the farm for preschool two days a week. “Oliver loves to be part of story time and snack time with the preschoolers. They sit in a circle, and he’s right in the middle, usually with a few chickens,” said Small.

Keeping the Ship Afloat

“All the animals are here because the people who had them and were unable to keep them were willing to donate either money or time,” said Small. “Unfortunately, I have to decide which animals to take in, and donations sometimes make the difference.”

Small operates numerous programs to raise money for the nonprofit farm sanctuary, which receives no government or county assistance. Visitor fees, donations, animal sponsorships, and non monetary contributions are crucial to its survival. In addition to the preschool, Small offers a

20 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle F E B R U A R Y

2022

Above: Since its founding in 2017, Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary in Nokesville has rescued more than 200 animals. Above right: This is Dottie, an 8-year-old Nubian cross goat who calls Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary home.

homeschool program on Wednesdays, an after-school program on Fridays and summer camps.

“You have to be super-creative with ways to make money,” said Small. The farm is open for tours five days a week.

There is a gift shop on-site, and this fall, Small started offering movie nights. People can also sponsor an animal for $25 a month.

It’s All About Relationships

Hope and Serenity fosters a supportive community among its volunteers and visitors. Volunteers make a big difference in keeping the farm operating, and there are chores for every skill, interest, and age.

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Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle 21

We have a goose and a dog who are best friends, and that same goose has a pig that he loves. And Wilbur, a 1,000-pound farm pig, is best friends with a pot-bellied pig named Hank. If they can get along, why can’t we figure out how?”

Above: Volunteer Emily LeClair and one of Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary’s very pretty chickens.

Left: Wilbur, a 1,000 pound farm pig, getting a loving pet from Renee Small.

Some volunteers come from Patriot High School’s EMPLOY program for autistic and intellectually challenged teenagers working on their job, communications, and teamwork skills. Volunteers also come from the Transitions program of Fauquier County Public Schools, which is made up of adults who have graduated from its EMPLOY program and continue to work on their skills. “We also get a lot of moms who come to the farm while their kids are in school,” said Small.

The farm not only provides an environment for people to learn about animals but also to learn from them by observing the interspecies relationships. “If they can get along, why can’t we figure out how?” Small said. “We have a goose and a dog who are best friends, and that same goose has a pig that he loves. Wilbur, a 1,000-pound farm pig, is best friends with a pot-bellied pig named Hank. They find each other every night, and they fall asleep together.”

Hope and Serenity is such a special place, it’s no wonder InsideNoVA.com named it the 2021 Best Farm and Best Agritourism Attraction/Event in Prince William County.

Maybe it’s a coincidence that Hope and Serenity’s founder Renee Small’s first name means “reborn” in French, or perhaps she was meant to give these animals, and the people who interact with them, a new lease on life.

Support Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary Financial and volunteer support is critical to keep Hope and Serenity Farm Sanctuary operating and open to the public.

Visit hopeserenityfarmsanctuary.com to make a donation, sponsor a resident animal, click through to the sanctuary’s Amazon wish list, learn about volunteering, or make a reservation to visit and tour the farm.

22 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle F E B R U A R Y

2022

FEBRUARY 2022

Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle 23

risingstars

She Chased Her Dream Now Kelsy Dominick of DiDomenico Design wants you to chase yours

BY HANNAH SAMLALL

24 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle F E B R U A R Y

2022

Dominick in her studio in Haymarket.

P H OTO S BY L I O N E L M A D I O U

W

hen it comes to chasing your dreams, there is no time like the present. Kelsy Dominick of DiDomenico Design in Haymarket was working a government job after graduating from Virginia Tech in 2013 with a double major in International Studies and Fashion Merchandising and Design when she started making dresses as a hobby. Fast forward to today, and having just celebrated its seventh year anniversary, DiDomenico Design is the leader in custom dress couture in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Kelsy’s story is one with a rich cultural background that should inspire us all to follow our dreams.

Kelsy was just nine years old when she learned how to sew. “My mom taught me to sew and my dad taught me about art,” she said. “I was attracted to anything artistic and anything clothes-related. Eventually, that culminated in my desire to major in fashion design.” Shortly after graduating, she took a government job but was left feeling unfulfilled.

FEBRUARY 2022

Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle 25

P H OTO S BY J O N AT H A N L I P K I N G

“I remember sitting behind a desk and feeling undervalued,” Kelsy said. “It was a blessing in disguise because it pushed me to make a decision about what I wanted to actually do. I never wanted to feel that way again. I wanted to feel in control of my destiny and what I was doing.”

For the first year of business, Kelsy juggled her government job with making dresses for friends on the side. One day a friend sent her a link for a fashion show in New York City. “I applied and heard back at the last minute,” she said.

“I thought to myself, okay I got into this big show. Now I have to actually make the clothes. I had just three months to design a whole collection and present it at New York Fashion Week.”

26 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle F E B R U A R Y

2022

Top: Kelsy Dominick, third from right, surrounded by models wearing DiDomenico Designs in front of Cuba’s National Museum of Fine Arts. Bottom: From left, Kendra Dominick, Kelsy’s sister and creative director of DiDomenico Designs, Mario Freixas, Cuban model, and Kelsy Dominick Hall enjoying the opening night of Cuba’s largest fashion event, Arte y Moda.

After that, things took off pretty quickly. “We got invited to go to a fashion show in France,” Kelsy said. “It was going to cost $40,000, so we started a fundraiser called 40k to France. We’ve now done shows in a number of different countries and were the first Americans to do a fashion show in Cuba after they lifted the embargo.”

Prior to learning how to sew, she was no stranger to hardworking craftswomen. Kelsy, who grew up in Haymarket, is of African American and Italian descent and comes from a long line of entrepreneurial women. On her Italian side, her great aunt crafted gowns on a sewing machine from 1914 that sits in Kelsy’s studio today. On her African American side, her grandmother ran an upholstery business to support her 11 children. In addition to running the business, she made clothing for all of her kids, as well.

The name of her business, DiDomenico Design, includes the original surname of her family before it was Americanized. “It means the Day of God,” she said. “It was something I wanted to incorporate. I felt it was a representation of the gift that God gave me.” The logo for her business, to no surprise, also has family ties. “It was my grandmother’s signature. Everyone called her Queen Eleanor,” Kelsy said.

“In the last years of her life, she lived with us. I had her in my photoshoots and I incorporated her into a lot of what we did.”

In addition to her passion for her heritage, Kelsy feels very strongly about philanthropy. “I grew up going on mission trips. I had a goal of doing one every other year,” Kelsy said. “In 2015, I began a journey to ‘Sew the World’ with my trusty sewing machine sidekick. During this project, I visited 20 countries and styled photo shoots everywhere from the middle of Egyptian deserts to 60 feet under the surface of the ocean.”

In the years since then the project has evolved into so much more. “My reasoning behind doing this is deeply rooted in my belief that women can overcome insurmountable things,” Kelsy said. “I have always watched strong women in my life manage families, birth babies, and still hold strong careers – still build businesses.” Now, Kelsy travels all over the world teaching women how to sew so that they can start their own businesses and earn their own income. “Women carry so many different roles that are so heavy, they should be given every opportunity to make those situations better,” she said. “I want to be able to help women reach their highest level of self through skills they can really use, whether it’s here in the US or overseas.” To date, Kelsy has taught more than 250 women around the world to sew.

Kelsy’s advice for making your dreams come true? “It’s either ‘one day or day one,’” she said. “When it comes to chasing your dream, start yesterday.“ She hopes to pass this mentality onto her daughter, Cora, as well.

For more information on DiDomenico Design, visit didomenicodesign.com and follow the company on Instagram @didomenico_design.

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ourneighbors

Acorns To Oaks Child Care Safety and love are the top priorities for this Haymarket-based childcare facility.

BY HANNAH SAMLALL PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE CRADDOCK

“S

afety and love are the top priorities here.”

When it comes to the future of our country, there are few jobs that are more important than those of teachers and care providers. Erin DeSalvo has been the proud owner and care provider at Acorns to Oaks Childcare in Haymarket since 2015. Acorns to Oaks Childcare is licensed with the State of Virginia and offers programs for infants and toddlers.

DeSalvo, who is originally from upstate New York, studied Spanish, Education, and International Studies. “I knew I loved languages and I fell in love with Spanish,” DeSalvo said. “My degree— it’s a Spanish education degree – covered K-12 Spanish education. During student teaching, we were trained to do all sorts of activities for young kids.”

Shortly after getting married, DeSalvo’s new in-laws suggested she look into opening a daycare because of her background. “My in-laws had a daycare for 20 years in Springfield, which is where we were living at the time,”

28 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle F E B R U A R Y

2022

“I want parents to feel happy coming here and feel that sense of family,” DeSalvo said. “These are their babies and there is nothing more important to them. It’s a big responsibility that I take on and I want them to know it’s an honor.”

DeSalvo said. “They told me I should look into opening one, too. We ended up opening in Springfield and were there for six and a half years. At the time, the daycare was downstairs, and we lived upstairs. After having three kids, we realized we needed more space. When we found Haymarket, we never looked back.”

In May 2021, they moved the daycare to Haymarket.

“When we moved, we couldn’t bring our customers with us, and we had to start over from scratch,” DeSalvo said.

“We transferred our license and started getting our name out there. We had a lot of friends who helped promote us and we used social media marketing. We got a couple of

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people who started in June and then signed up five people in a week, which was groundbreaking for us. We have a license for 12 kids.”

Acorns to Oaks offers enrichment programs for infants that include tummy time, bouncing fun, reading, sensory stimulation, and more. For toddlers, activities include puzzles, reading, singing, pretend play, learning to share, learning numbers, ABCs, and more. “My biggest thing is providing an environment filled with love, caring, and learning,” DeSalvo said. “I think a lot of people get caught up in thinking that in Pre-K the kids need to be sitting down and learning. We’re play-based. I feel like this is the chance for them to get socialization and education through dancing, singing, learning languages, and learning how to interact with others.”

With regard to helping children improve their language skills, DeSalvo said, “The best way to improve language is for parents and caregivers to narrate everything they’re doing and slow the language down. I had a parent who was worried that his daughter wasn’t saying her colors, so I took a video and showed him that she knew her colors, she was just shy about saying them out loud.”

30 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle F E B R U A R Y

2022

With regard to helping children improve their language skills, DeSalvo said, “The best way to improve language is for parents and caregivers to narrate everything that they’re doing and slow the language down.

If a family is interested, they can set up a meeting with Erin. “The kids need to feel like they’re part of a family here and they are. They become family. I want this to be like I'm your family and your kid is just coming over to another family members’ house. As for safety, we want everyone to be safe, so we group kids by age,” DeSalvo said.

“I want the kids to come to me and know that I love them.

I want the parents to feel happy coming here and feel that sense of family. The feedback I’ve gotten is that they do feel that way.”

And they do.

“It takes a village to raise a child and we are so lucky that Erin is part of our village,” said Katie Reyes, a Burke resident whose son attends the daycare. “Knowing that our son is not only well cared for, but truly loved by Erin, her family, and her assistant has made returning to work so much less stressful. We are so blessed to have her in our lives.”

For more information on Acorns to Oaks Childcare, visit their website at acornstooakschildcare.com or follow their Facebook page, Acorns to Oaks Child Care.

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