Detroit News Feature 10.1.20

Catching Fireflies in downtown Berkley is among small businesses that are finding ways to keep their doors open as they struggle with the unprecedented circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

April McCrumb, who owns the “fun gift gallery” with her husband, Steve, said one of the keys to their survival was being able to “supply something that everybody needed” — masks. “It was a way to support another Michigan maker, as well as be able to bring in money.”

 

The masks were made by a west Michigan crafter and sold for $11.95 each. “We are still selling them, and we’re still buying them from that one maker,” said McCrumb. “With these kinds of situations, it’s all about pivoting and because we’re a small business, we could act quickly and source things locally. We were able to pivot and find success in that.”

 

And, in a recent email, she noted, “Even when our doors were closed for a few months earlier this year, our fans still shopped online and kept us afloat during trying times.”

 

Making all the right moves at the onset of the pandemic, and with an already well-established online presence, played major roles in the fact that this month, the Beverly Hills couple will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Catching Fireflies. “As long as we are able to create smiles and lift spirits, I believe we’ll continue to be relevant for another 20 years,” she stated.

 

In the past 20 years, she and Steve have seen babies grow into teenagers, and mothers become grandmothers, so to celebrate the two-decade milestone, they’re inviting those who shopped at the store to share their memories, some of which will be highlighted during the month of October on their social media platforms. Twenty participants will be rewarded with a $63 shopping spree as a “thank you” for sharing those memorable moments.

 

McCrumb said, “Memories could range from finding the perfect gift for a special situation to just visiting our shop in search of some sunshine on a dark day. The idea is to reach out to our Firefly fans who have shopped with us as a way to celebrate 20 years of making days brighter. We are a gift store, but we take pride in sending people off with a happy smile.”

 

Persons interested in taking part in the contest are asked to email their entry to service@catchingfireflies.com with the phrase “Catching Fireflies Memory” in the subject line. Share your shopping experience with a few sentences, and include a photo, if you’d like. Entries must be received by Oct. 11, 2020.

The couple is also planning to celebrate with a 20 percent off sale Oct. 9-11, that will allow customers to shop either in-person, or virtually at catchingfireflies.com, using coupon code: BIRTHDAY.

 

There will also be a sale at their other business, Yellow Door Art Market, located  at 3141 W. 12 Mile, next door to Catching Fireflies. “We will have a sale there the same three days. We opened it 10 years ago. It’s a different business platform. It’s 70-plus vendors with their own small space that they rent and display items they made.,” explained McCrumb.

 

Everything at Yellow Door is handmade in Michigan, however, many of the items sold at Catching Fireflies are not only handmade but from people all over the world. Some are imported items, as well.

 

Catching Fireflies in Berkley is just one of three locations. About 14 years ago, April and Steve opened a second one in Rochester at 203 E. University, and seven or eight years ago a third location was opened at 419 Detroit in Ann Arbor.

 

“We really enjoy what we do, and we feel grateful that we’ve been able to grow over the years,” McCrumb stated. All four shops have reopened since the shut down created by the pandemic.

 

Detroit News Columnist Jocelynn Brown is a longtime crafter. You can reach her at (313) 222-2150, jbrown@detroitnews.com or facebook.com/DetroitNewsHandmade.

making days brighter in 2018

One new year tradition we enjoy is looking back at the past 365 days and reflecting on how we made days brighter. Here are some of our favorites…

146 sherpa socks given away to firefly fans on Small Business Saturday
 
93  twenty-seven dollar charity gift cards donated to local non-profits for fundraisers
 
137 pins placed in different states & countries from firefly fans visiting our Ann Arbor location
 
3193 dollars given to Judson Center, Career Dress and Michigan Alzheimers Association from change collected from our firefly fans
 
36 sixty-three dollar shopping spree winners
 
48 letters sent to kids from ‘Santa’
 
1560 dollars donated to charity water from selling over 390 mudlove bracelets
 
204 seeds of happiness sent to people who could use a smile on World Smile Day
 
973 dollars donated to THAW from gift wrapping tips during the holiday season
 
Thank YOU for sharing these great times with us in 2018!

 

ludington love

Steve and I try to live the Lake Michigan life for at least one week during the summer and this year we decided to explore Ludington and weren’t disappointed!  We squeezed our seven days of fun in just over 3 minutes in our little vacation video.

Here are 10 things that made our stay special.

  1. Because we have a four year old who is part fish, we started our search for a place that offered a pool and beach.  Ludington Beach House fit the bill perfectly.  You can’t beat the location and the recently updated suites were lovely.  The pool is heated to a very comfortable temp and has a large 3 feet deep section which was great for the littles.
  2. Stearns Park beach is a half mile long of happiness.  It has has an equally long shady grassy area with plenty of picnic spots… not to mention a first rate skate park, cute mini golf course, shuffle board courts and free parking.  The half mile walk out to the light marker makes for a lovely sunset stroll.  We enjoyed all amenities and now Marlo is a bit obsessed with mini golf as she is certain the first one to get the ball in the hole wins every time… no matter how many strokes it takes.
  3. We happened to be there while the Western Michigan Fair was in town and while we typically don’t go to these types of events, we couldn’t resist the nostalgic blinking lights and classic carnival rides.  Steve also got to share his country roots by exposing Marlo (and me!) to our first tractor pull.
  4. Sometimes in the mornings we would grab some donuts and head down to Waterfront Park where there is a really large play structure, beautiful sculptures and walks along the harbor.  It also is a great place to see the SS Badger up close!
  5. Speaking of the SS Badger, it is always fun to see this gigantic steam ship come and go throughout the day.  It’s so big you can even see it way off on the horizon as it returns to port around 7pm each day.
  6. Another Ludington must stop is House of Flavors.  This ice cream company produces 25 million gallons of ice cream annually (the biggest in the state!) Along with its unending selection of ice cream flavors, it also has an adorable 50’s themed restaurant open from breakfast to dinner.  It like a few other businesses also has a piano outside waiting to be played by little hands.
  7. For more outdoor fun, you can also venture out to the state park.  We didn’t spend a ton of time here because little legs can only hike so long but we did explore the skyline trail which is completely elevated so you’re walking among the trees.
  8. Another state park that is just 30 minutes south is Silver Lake Dunes.  Talk about feeling small… you feel ant sized as you wander through these giant beautiful hills of sand. You can also watch the dare devils jump their dirt bikes on the part that is sectioned off for motor vehicles or rent one yourself for some off road fun.
  9. On your way back make sure to stop in the cute lakeshore town of Pentwater.  We enjoyed watching the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory under the stars for their summer movie series and made sure to stop by Cosmic Candy for snacks.
  10. If you’re a fan of blueberries, make a point to visit Couturier Farm for some seriously good picking.  They are the best we’ve had!

We packed a LOT in and since the weather was so nice we didn’t even make it to the very popular Sandcastle’s Children’s Museum.  I guess it will have to wait until next time, Ludington!

 

fox 2 think spring segment 3.10.17

fox 2 spring blog

Thank you Fox 2 for inviting us to show off how you can bring a little spring to your home this chilly Friday in March.  Shop for some of these cheerful finds HERE.

our little firefly

When your mom owns a store called catching fireflies, you know it’s only a matter of time before she dresses you up as one for Halloween.  diy firefly costume

I know there are not many years left where I’ll be able to influence Lolo’s costume selection for Halloween so I took advantage of dressing her up as one of our ‘mascots’ this year.  I took a stroll through Michaels for some inspiration and found almost everything I needed to turn our toddler into a too cute firefly.

firefly costume antennae

A few pipe cleaners, some pom poms and barrette blanks are all your need for your antennae.  This would also work great on a headband.

firefly costume wings

I’m not sure what this woven fabric is used for regularly but I envisioned it to be firefly wings.  I cut a couple feet off and folded it over and used a pipe cleaner to cinch the center.  I then tied 36 inches of elastic in a circle and added it to the pipe cleaner center twist to create arm loops.

firefly costume

Next came the tutu… because everything is cuter with a tutu, right?  I purchased 20 yards of glitter tulle (be warned… glitter gets on EVERYTHING) and cut them in 2 foot sections.  I ‘bookmark’ tied them on 2 feet of elastic to create a full skirt.

firefly costume

I was unsure what I was going to use for ‘the light’ until I came across this giant yellow pom pom  (again, not sure what this is typically used for either but it was going to be my light!)  I just sewed it on with some dmc floss and added it to the tutu.

firefly costume

We already had her shirt and leggings so after putting it all together we were ready to go catch some fireflies!

toddler firefly costume

Lolo had lots of fun buzzing around the back yard doing what she does best… making days brighter.

kids firefly costume

Even though firefly season is long gone in Michigan,  this little lightening bug will definitely be shining her bright light come Halloween night.

 
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dining under october skies

I have always enjoyed hosting little get togethers but all too often time gets away, parties don’t get planned and general busyness fills up those calendar boxes.

fabulous fall dinner party

A girl’s weekend trip to the Belong Tour this summer reminded me that I get to choose how I want to use my time and spending time in community needed to fill a few more of my boxes.

cameron strang dinner party

So when I scrolled down my instagram feed and saw this amazing dinner party I was inspired to create a little magic of my own.

autumnal themed dinner party

I poked around Pinterest to get some inspiration for a fall flavored menu.  I needed the recipes to be fairly simple with a hint of fancy and here’s what I decided on…

harvest salad

I often make salads with candied walnuts and dried fruit but have never tried the combination of dried apricots and pistachios… such a delightful twist.  The salad dressing is what really makes this harvest salad stand out.  I substituted a blood orange olive oil in for additional flavor and it turned out amazing.

truffle salts

Speaking of olive oils… pour a little of this heaven with a sprinkle of truffle salt for a bread dipping experience that is oh so tasty (sorry Whole 30 friends)

herb roasted potatoes

I was going to do a roasted root vegetable dish but decided to rely on a classic instead. These parmesan herb roasted redskins go with everything and hold up great for leftovers the next day too.

roasted asparagus

Another easy-peasy veggie recipe.  There’s hardly any prep involved with roasted asparagus and they only need to be in the oven a short time before your guests arrive.

spinach and feta stuffed chicken

The main dish is a great way fancy up a baked chicken breast.  I used fresh spinach, feta and cream cheese for the flavorful filling.  I ended up cutting the breasts in half since we had so many other sides to fill up the plate.

fall dinner party menu

And there you have it… a most delicious medley everyone enjoyed.  The best part… it really only took me a couple of hours to make it all.

pumpkin cheese cake

A couple of our guests brought warm apple crisp and homemade pumpkin cheese cake with a ginger snap crust for dessert… such a sweet way to end a most fantastic fall evening.

under the stars dinner party

While the food was delicious and the atmosphere charming… really the company of people you don’t see often enough is what was most wonderful.  I couldn’t have asked for a more magical fall night under the October stars.
 
I wanted to blog about this because I need to remind myself that nights like this are important to make happen.  Yes, they take time to plan – Yes, it’s hard to find a date where all your friends can attend – Yes, it takes energy to get your nest looking lovely… but YES they always end up being the nights you remember and cherish.
 
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color play spray chalk

diy spray chalk paint

Miss Marlo has never met a spray bottle she didn’t love so I was quite certain she would have a happy time playing with these pretty primary colors.

diy spray chalk paint

You most likely already have a few of the ingredients you need to create a colorful sidewalk in your kitchen already.  You could use food coloring to color your concoction or for a more stain friendly option choose washable tempera paints.  I picked up my spray containers at the dollar store.

Here’s what I put in each spray bottle:
 
1/4 cup corn starch

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 cup hot water

a good squirt of paint or coloring
 
diy spray chalk paint

After all your ingredients are in the bottle, shake, shake, shake until they are all mixed together.  Since the corn starch does settle over time, you do want to shake again periodically.

fun summer toddler activity

Now comes the fun part… spray, spray, spray away!  Since I selected primary colors, I had fun showing Marlo how when you mix them together you make other colors.

colorful sidewalk chalk activity

She was more focused on spraying the sidewalk… and me :-) (consider yourself warned) After Marlo tired of the color fun, we put some vinegar in another spray bottle to get some bubble action.  I’m sure there is a science lesson in there but we’ll tackle that in our next sidewalk session.

diy washable sidewalk paint

After the vinegar we transitioned to spraying just water and that really blended the colors together.  In the end it was a fun little activity for an August evening and we still have plenty of paint to do it a few more times.
 
Like to see how I spend my time away from catching fireflies?  Then sign up to receive blog posts like these in your email inbox HERE

 

Oakland Press Feature 4.26.16

Beverly Hills artist builds handcrafts stores one step at a time

april mccrumb oakland press

April McCrumb is the owner of the Yellow Door Art Market in Berkley, which showcases more than 70 local artists and their handmade goods. photo David Brown
 
When April McCrumb, a special education teacher from Beverly Hills, was taking down colorful bulletin board paper in her classroom one day, she decided not to throw away the scraps but recycle them instead.
 
When she was a child, McCrumb used to make her own greeting cards and would write April’s Ideas (a.i.) on the back of her cards, just like Hallmark did. Her love of paper and cards were rekindled that day in her classroom, and a paper artist was born.
 
McCrumb started designing whimsical paper photo holders and colorful, thoughtful picture frames.
 
“When I design frames, I always have in mind of what memories the piece is going to hold or what message is going to speak to someone,” says McCrumb. “I want my pieces to be a part of someone’s story.”
 
In 1996, with her husband, Steve, McCrumb started participating in local art fairs on the weekends while still teaching during the week. After succeeding for a number of years at the local fairs and acquiring a healthy number of wholesale accounts, McCrumb decided in 2000 to become officially incorporated and make a.i. paper designs official.
 
McCrumb and her husband then set out to find a location close to home that fit their vision for a brick-and-mortar store. McCrumb opened Catching Fireflies, a whimsical gift gallery, at 3117 12 Mile Road in Berkley.
 
“We feel very blessed that the Berkley community has embraced us and helped us grow into what we are today,” McCrumb says.
 
The store is bursting at the seams with handmade and Michigan-inspired products. At every turn there is something colorful and beautiful to look at. Many of the card frames and photo holders are inspirational and humorous. The store also offers many custom and special design options.
 
“Seeing the customer’s face when we show them a frame with their child’s name or wedding date always feels wonderful,” McCrumb says.
 
McCrumb used her wholesale business to fund her first store space in Berkley and then asked her art fair friends for products to fill her store on consignment.
 
In keeping with the art fair vibe, in 2010 McCrumb spied an empty storefront at 3141 W. 12 Mile, a few doors down from her Catching Fireflies location in Berkley and decided to open up The Yellow Door Art Market, a year-round indoor art fair with more than 70 local artists selling their handmade products.
 
“We want it to be a space where local artists can grow and expand their brand,” McCrumb says.
 
One way McCrumb has attracted shoppers to her stores and to downtown Berkley in the past 15 years is by hosting the Berkley Art Bash. This is a fun event for the family and for shoppers who love handmade Michigan products.
 
“We are continually blown away with our customers’ choice to support independent businesses like ours. None of this would be possible without the support of the Catching Fireflies and Yellow Door Art Market fans,” she says.
 
The Fireflies store motto is “Making Days Brighter,” and McCrumb has made many days brighter for her customers — as well as for people around the country, where her a.i. paper products can be found in more than 400 stores in the United States, as well as in her Ann Arbor and Rochester Hills Catching Fireflies stores.
 
The Berkley Catching Fireflies opened in 2000, followed by a Catching Fireflies in Rochester that opened in 2006, and Catching Fireflies in Ann Arbor opened in 2012.
 
McCrumb is busy designing new a.i. paper products. She releases two to three new design products a year and is working on new flower-themed photo holders for the spring season.
 
Many people dream of opening their own stores, and McCrumb has a few tips from her experience.
 
“I am a believer in baby steps. It is how we grew our business to the size it is today,” McCrumb says. She suggests testing the market by participating in local art and craft fairs and starting with an online store.
 
“This will help you navigate what direction to take so you can grow your business in the upcoming months and years,” she says.
 
Catching Fireflies also has locations at 203 E. University, Rochester, and 419 Detroit St., Ann Arbor. For more information, email service@catchingfireflies.com or visit catchingfireflies.com and yellowdoorartmarket.com.

Rochester Post Feature 3.29.16

Catching Fireflies to spread smiles on April Fools’ Day

Mary Beth Almond

silly stones

ROCHESTER — While many across the country play practical jokes on friends and loved ones for April Fools’ Day, a local store will be focusing on spreading a little cheer.
 
April McCrumb — who owns and operates Catching Fireflies, a gift shop with locations in Rochester, Berkley and Ann Arbor — said she was inspired to spread a little silliness this April after encountering a curious group of stones while weeding the courtyard of her Ann Arbor Catching Fireflies location last summer.
 
“All of a sudden, I pulled some weeds out and I saw a little family of stones with little eyes on them looking up at me, which I found very amusing,” McCrumb said. “It was a pleasant surprise to find them while I was doing an unfortunate task.”
 
She never found the culprit behind the silly stones, which then inspired her to paint simple eyeballs on some stones and spread them across South Haven during a vacation last summer.
 
“We went back the next day and all the stones were gone, and then I started thinking more about it … and thought it would be a cool way to raise money for a great organization and encourage people to have a little more fun in their daily drudgeries of life,” McCrumb said.
 
McCrumb plans to scatter more stones in Rochester, and the other two downtown areas of each of her store locations, on April Fools’ Day.
 
“We purchased over 70 nice, round, smooth stones and we put eyes on them … and our team is going to go out and distribute them on the morning of April Fools’ Day, just because it is sort of a fun day to launch the project,” she said. “Whether it be on a planter downtown or on the steps of the library, we are going to put them where people will find them to create a whimsical encounter.”
 
On the back of each silly stone is a website address, MakingDay sBrighter.com, which McCrumb hopes will encourage some of the recipients who ended up spotting the stones to share their stories. The website, McCrumb explained, tells the story about the project, encourages sharing of images or stories on social media, and offers the ability to purchase additional silly stones.
 
“The idea is, if you find that silly stone that makes you smile, either keep it or pass it on someplace else in your journey. Maybe leave it with a tip at the place you go for lunch, or sneak it into somebody’s cubicle. We just want to encourage a bit of playfulness,” McCrumb said.
 
Additional silly stones will also be offered at all Catching Fireflies locations for $2, with all profits being donated to the Detroit-area nonprofit Life Builders. McCrumb said Life Builders is a well-established group of caring people who have a heart for the Regent Park community located in northeast Detroit. McCrumb said she also has personal ties to the neighborhood, which is where her adopted daughter’s family lives.
 
The mission of Life Builders, according to Executive Director Larry Johnson, is to restore dignity and provide hope to the residents of Regent Park in Detroit by empowering youth with life skills that will lead to good decisions and a bright future; reclaiming an entire neighborhood from the effects of disinvestment by providing safe, high-quality, affordable housing; and building a community of shared values, trust and hope for the future.
 
“It was a great surprise to us to receive the note from April that she had chosen our organization. We are well-aware that there has been increasing interest in the work that we are doing on Detroit’s northeast side, and to find that she has a family member that actually lived here, which sparked her interest in our work, was amazing. We are certainly grateful every time that somebody shares our work, so we are thankful, to say the least,” said Johnson.
 
Catching Fireflies is located in downtown Rochester at 203 E. University Drive. The store also has locations in Berkley and Ann Arbor. For more information about Catching Fireflies, visit www.catchingfireflies.com.

 

shaving cream shenanigans

Since our lil’ Lolo is almost on her way to being two I thought we could take a shot at dying Easter eggs with her this year.
shaving cream eggs

After perusing piles of egg decorating ideas on Pinterest, I decided that the shaving cream method would probably would be the most fun. (classic rookie mom choice, right?)

shaving cream eggs

Well, I was definitely right when it came to the fun factor.  She got right into the mix and also thought it was a good idea to decorate my hand, counter and herself while she was at it.  I kept the dye color combos complimentary so even if they got over swirled together, they would still look lovely.

shaving cream eggs

I must admit, things did get a little out of control towards the end but her squeals of delight were worth the clean up duty.
 
Like to see how I spend my time away from catching fireflies?  Then sign up to receive blog posts like these in your email inbox HERE

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