a must stop shoe shop
I must always make a stop at my favorite NYC shoe shop, Infinity Shoes. Thanks to them, I’ve become an official collector of Miz Mooz shoes because I always end up purchasing 2 pairs every time I visit. (thankfully that’s only twice a year)
This time my friends, Michelle and Jenny came along for the festivities and we all walked out with snazzy new soles.
Michelle picked out these cute Oreo Boots and Jenny got some cute western mules.
And I indulged in these sweet green Maries and classic Casidys.
good friends, good food, good times
Whenever people ask me if I visit New York for business or pleasure, I always have to say both. Even though I sell my goods to various stores at the gift trade show during the day, I always have fun dining out with my artist friends (Amy Peters , Michelle Allen & Jenny) in the evenings.
One of our first stops was Carmine’s in the theater district. They serve HUGE family portions of Italian dishes. We split a bowl of tiramisu that was a big as my head!
Another night was ended up at Sushi of Gari where I tried green tea ice cream for the first time. Isn’t it pretty?
And my favorite stop was at Max Brenner – Chocolate by the Bald Man … where else can you find a bar filled with amazing goodies that’ll melt any chocolate lover’s heart? (in case you were wondering, those are big slabs of chocolate in front) …salivating yet?
There is also a chocolate shop attached to the restaurant where you can buy loads of yummy goodies.
…like artfully designed truffles
… and for the serious addicts -they even have chocolate syringes!
They have loads of creamy chocolate drinks to choose from.
We indulged in their fabulous fondue for dessert.
cookie pop valentines
Surprise your classmates, co-workers, friends or family members with a sweet valentine treat this February! These cookie pops taste delicious and are super-duper cute!
Valentine Cookie Pops
by Amanda Formaro
20 vanilla wafer cookies
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 6-ounce bag white chocolate chips
1 6-ounce bag semi sweet chocolate chips
colored candy sprinkles, red & white
pink and red gummy or sour patch bears
Cake decorating writer gel in green, pink, red, black, and white
1 tube each of white, red, and pink cake decorator frosting with flower tip
red food coloring
ice cream or lollipop sticks
wax paper or paper plates
Instructions:
Spread peanut butter onto the flat side of the cookies. Place an ice cream stick into the peanut butter on half the cookies. Top with another cookie so the stick is sandwiched between the two cookies.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, one minute, then in 20 second increments, stirring until smooth. Before melting, seperate the white chips into two bowls. After melting, add a few drops of red food coloring to one of the bowls of white chips to make pink chocolate.
Dip cookie pops in the melted chips, covering completely. Roll pops in red and white sprinkles and lay or stand on waxed paper or paper plates. Place in refrigerator to chill.
Fun Variations
Drizzles
Alternating between white chocolate, pink chocolate and semi sweet, drizzle melted chocolate over the cookie to create a cool look!
Writing
Write fun Valentine shorts on plain pops such as "Love" or "Hug". Add a gummy bear.
Hearts
Use the decorator gel to draw on hearts and hearts with arrows.
Flowers
Using the flower tip, pipe on pink flowers with cake decorator icing. Use green gel to add stems and leaves to the bouquet.
Note: Another variation is to use vanilla or chocolate frosting instead of peanut butter for the filling.
These can also be made without sticks. Use one stick to be able to dip the cookies in chocolate and roll in sprinkles, then remove the stick and put on wax paper or paper plates, then chill.
artworks by karen fincannon
I first met Karen Fincannon when I was selling my handmade wares at various art shows around Michigan. I’m proud to say I have an eclectic collection of her fanciful artworks including floor cloths, sculptures, ornaments and tiles. She truly is an amazing talent and is always creating new and wonderful goodies. 
A quote from her artist statement reads, "I am originally from Hamburg, New York and have also lived in North Carolina and Michigan. I received a BFA with a concentration in Photography from SUNY-Potsdam, and now work and live in Tucker, Georgia, with my husband and two crazy cats.
I have loved looking at and making art my whole life. Whether it is clay or paint or fabric or metals, there is always something new to discover. I am truly fortunate to be able to spend my days making discoveries through art!"
Currently we carry an assortment of her sculpted hearts that read true, happily ever after, believe and laughter. (more styles are available at our stores) Each heart has a wire on the back for ease of hanging on a wall.
money pots make marvelous gifts
If you’re ever in a quandary of what to buy someone who has everything… search no further – a money pot is your answer!
Here are just a few reasons why they make the perfect gift…
– they’re handmade in Italy and hand painted in London (anything European is cool by default)
– they have been traditionally used in Italy for over 2000 years and their design has remained unchanged. The British Museum houses examples of these ancient money pots (hip history)
– once the first coin is dropped the money pot must be fed until full upon which time it must be smashed while making a wish. It is customary to replace the pot and spend the money on ‘good things’, they bring good fortune (timeless tradition)
– since there are a variety of colors and designs to choose from, you can give money pots to celebrate a new baby, anniversary, retirement, wedding, graduation, birthday, house warming, engagement … the possibilities are endless!
We offer the blue-purple wash , black dot and white-silver dot online and other varieties at our stores. If the pots are filled with a good mix of quarters, dimes and nickels they hold up to $500. I love the idea of slipping some cash into one before giving it as a gift… what a nice surprise!
Money pots are sometimes used to house a candle or a plant once smashed. The best way to break your money pot is to get a chisel or the back of a hammer and place it inside the money slot – slowly lever the top and you should be able to pop the top off – you can now use the money pots to house a plant, sweets or pens.
lots of creativity at cafe press
When our a.i. paper warehouse shipping assistant, Natalie came to work with this unique Detroit Tiger’s tee on (Jim Leyland is the team’s coach), I inquired on where she found such a clever top. And it turns out that her friend designed it at cafe press and had a few of them printed when the Tigers were in the World Series.
This perked my interest so I visited the site and became enthralled with looking at all kinds of people’s design handiwork. What makes this site so cool is you can just design stuff for yourself or you can choose to sell your designs through their marketplace… pretty snazzy!
These are some of my favorites I found…
Here are some fun facts about cafepress.com:
artful time pieces that’ll warm your heart
Meet Duane Scherer of Royal Oak Michigan. He is a talented local artist that makes telling time a little sweeter. A portion of his artist statement reads, "He designs time pieces that are truly eclectic by combining many different elements and styles to create a wonderfully inspiring collection of work. Duane connects and finds joy in a variety of materials. He loves to explore the endless expression hidden within them."
We love his heart themed and love bird designs… what a thoughtful gift for a special someone to let them know how sweet it is to spend time with them.
We carry a large variety of Duane’s clocks at both of our stores and well as select styles online.
‘visit detroit’ magazine feature
Visit Detroit – January-March 2007
Once upon a time, Rochester was a sleepy little burg with a traditional one-street downtown. Now, thanks to the effort of the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce, it has become a bustling city of new restaurants and shops, including the playful gift shop catching fireflies. Despite these changes, Rochester retains a small town feel, reminding visitors of times gone by.
don’t miss the magic
Feel like a little reminiscing? Just start flipping through some old photos and Jamie will do the rest. I love the chorus: "When I look back on my ordinary, ordinary life, I see so much magic, though I missed it at the time."
Here’s what Joan Anderman from the Boston Globe has to say about Jamie, " ‘Jack of all trades, master of none.’ That’s how Jamie Cullum, the young British singer, songwriter, and pianist described himself in an interview last year. Technically, he’s right. At 26, Cullum is neither a gifted jazzer nor an accomplished pop craftsman. But what he lacks in chops he makes up for in spirit and swagger. Cullum’s love for playing music is ferocious, and it’s precisely his scrappy nature and devil-may-care approach that make Cullum’s new album, ”Catching Tales," a pleasure."
chocolates too pretty to eat
Surprise your sweetheart with these unbelievably realistic glass chocolates. There’ll be no calories to worry about and they make wonderful little art pieces to collect. catching fireflies doesn’t carry these lovely candies, but many galleries across the country do.
Patty and Dinah Hulet are the creators of Hulet & Hulet Glass Confections. In their home studio on the rural coast of northern California, they have been perfecting the recipes for these treats for some time. They strive for the perfect balance of color, texture and design to lavishly translate the sinful decadence of gourmet chocolate and candy into the tasteful persona of art glass.
