Melissa MAKER's EDGe Waco

We recently had a "Preview" party at the space, so friends and interested onlookers could walk our chalky halls and check out the Edge.  Surprising to us, we heard the same exclamation repeatedly, much to our chagrin.  "Wow, I didn't know you would have this many tools in the space."  Clearly, I'm not communicating clearly all of the exciting things we have planned.  What a tragedy, as talking tools is high on our list of "get to's" and not have to's.

Right behind community, but right in…

What does it take to hang a sign in Waco Texas?  It seems like a clear enough question to answer.  You have a good idea, you put the design down on paper, you send it off to the printers and you hire someone to hang it up...
Ok, so clearly that's not what I really thought.  But I hadn't foreseen the road blocks, misdirections, lack of sleep, endless rewrites, financial pressures and insecurities (and did I mention planetary levels of insomnia?) that come along with a devotion to a great idea.…

So, you may ask, "What is final?"  Could it be the building? Our signature on the bank's bottom line?The floor plan? The first tool purchase?  Our first scheduled class in our new, awesome membership software?  YES!
Us celebrating at Torchy's Tacos the day we signed! So, to the most impt:  So many thanks to Mike Beard and all those at First National Bank McGregor (Misti is our new best friend).  They have put their trust in us, and our business plan, and have given us the loan needed to move…

So I don't know if you've picked up on it, but we've located THE perfect space. Basically, a 70 x 86 ft space begging for us to come and make inside it. I thought I would give you the general layout of the space as is, if you have any grand ideas, shoot me an attachment. But, here is our first go of it:As you can see,it's laid out with plenty of room for the wood shop, metal works, conference area and workspace. However, I wasn't satisfied with the convoluted entrance area. And, not enough…

There are a lot of new things happening in the world of Maker's Edge.  My trusted advisor is always warning me that I say too much too soon.  How can that be when it seems that I know so little.  I write this at 12:37 am, though I won't post till the morning. "Why," you may ask. Well, short answer, I can barely operate my auto-correct after two cups of coffee. There is no hope after midnight. Its so late, even my dog won't humor me by staying up. 
We have had a lot of amazing responses to the…

We just happen to align our spring break trip with this year's SXSW in Austin TX.  Accident???  I think not!  It was an amazing time of meeting with other makers, techies, (and for the kids) gamers. I also got in a little shopping. Check out these neat pendants etched on the back of Scrabble tiles with a laser. Can you say "Etsey" anybody?
There was also a huge tent sponsored by MAKE, loaded with creative ways to use and reinvent the tools around you. Lydia and I loved the DIY fingernail…

Well, I've been sitting for hours trying to clean up some work on our business plan.  Then, 5 seconds too late, I remember the #1 rule of the modern age..."Save early, save often!"  It is a battle cry at my house.  But alas, we don't always live by our own motto, and I now find myself sullen and counting the many little tiles on the floor of my favorite coffee shop.  I could get back to work, but I feel the need to wallow in my own despair before I put my big girl pants on and get back to work.…

Oh My Gosh!

So, this phrase is oft overused in our sea of texts and emails.  But in this case, it is totally appropriate.

In the last two weeks we have located a very sweet space, worked on a business plan, signed up for a 2.5 day entrepreneur class at Baylor and had a request for a potential floor plan.  And we celebrated like Dr Woody on Psych when we got verified on Google+.  Who knew that this would be an accomplishment! Also, we currently have a secret agent on deployment scouting out…

When I was growing up, my husband and I both lived in a tiny Missouri town roughly the physical size of the Waco airport  and the population of a Walmart on Saturday morning. What I'm saying is, it was small, and the streets didn't have names, but everyone knew which one to take. The one blinking red light tripped up some people when it was added to the main strip. But it was really a small inconvenience as it was hardly used, and taken down just a few short years later when it's cost didn't…

So, my only excuse for radio silence in the last two weeks is the flu.  It's nasty to be trapped in bed for 6 days without the energy to actually accomplish anything.  And I had every opportunity to try.

I have the sweetest spouse, and like any engineer believes that having the right tool will make you more productive.  And in his mind, what better time to be more productive than when you're laid up in bed all day.  So with a gleam in his eye he went to work.  He had rigged the Bose to an…