winter wonderland windows

Tis the season to dress up our front windows for the holiday season.  It’s something I enjoy doing… but it’s also challenging to come up with new ideas every year.  Lucky for me, an Anthropologie catalog landed in my mailbox and it was the perfect inspiration for one of this year’s scenes.

Tessa & I had so much fun putting this window together last year, I thought I’d revisit the look, only using shades of white for a dreamy wonderland look.

I transferred the pictures in my head to paper & hit the road to buy the supplies.

First stop was Party City.  I purchased plastic tablecloths (which are available in all colors of the rainbow!) to make my mannequins’ dresses and some streamers for the backdrop.  Then off to Joann to find some tulle to make tutus and yarn ‘snow’

I made tutus for my window gals plus a pipe cleaner crown I had fun modeling on our cat, Tuesday.

Next up, I cut out my winter scene silhouettes.  I found a deer image online & sized it on photoshop so I could do my best to draw in life size.  This was Gus’ favorite part of the project because I was right at his level which means he needs to stand right in the middle of whatever I’m trying to accomplish ;-)

And ta-dah!

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jewelry holder giveaway

 

Are your favorite earrings, bracelets and necklaces hidden in a box or in clump on your dresser?  Put them on display in a pretty way so they’re easy to wear everyday with one of our handcrafted jewelry holders.  We’re giving one away to a firefly fan.  ($49.50 value)

Just enter below & we’ll select the lucky firefly fan’s name on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 and the winner will be listed on this post.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have fun, good luck and thanks for playing!  

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savvy shoppers use facebook interest lists

With the holiday season gearing up, many of your favorite shops (including us) will be showcasing fabulous finds, sharing special sales and spreading holiday cheer on facebook.  But did you know that you’ll probably miss most of their posts?

There are two ways you can keep track of your favorite gift gallery. First, you can go to a page and select Get Notifications (under the like button)

And another way to keep up with your favorite stops is by creating an interest list of all the places you like to visit.  It’s simple, fast & easy to do.  Just go to the shop’s facebook page…

Once your list is made, you can click on the link at the bottom left of your screen and see a dedicated feed of your favorite shops.  You could also make different lists for restaurants, blogs, bands or whatever you wish!

Now that you’re in the catching fireflies loop, here’s a little sampling of what you’ll see on our page…

…and even MORE!  Thanks for choosing to see us in your facebook feed and as always we’ll do our best to make your day brighter.

perfect tasting pickles

Growing up my grandma made delicious tasting pickles using her home grown cucumbers and ever since then, I’ve been a bit of pickle snob.  I buy all of my dills in the refrigerated section at the grocery store and also love a local fav, Perkins Pickles.  So when we got this book in, I thought why not give it a whirl myself?

Here’s what you need:

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup pickling salt

3-4 medium cucumbers

4-5 sprigs of fresh dill

1 T pickling spice

3 cloves garlic halved

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 5 1/2 cups of water, both vinegars and salt.  Bring to a boil, stirring several times; boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Cut up your cucumbers however you wish.  Place half of dill sprigs in a large bowl or 5 quart ice cream pail.  Add cut cucumbers, pickling spice, garlic and remaining dill sprigs.  Pour cool vinegar mixture over cucumbers & set plate on top to keep cucumbers submerged.

Cover and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours stirring once or twice, if desired.  Place bowl in refrigerator to store pickles for up to one month.  This same recipe can also be used to soak whole baby cucumbers too.

Oh yes indeed… these turned out really tasty, plus they were so easy to make! I sliced mine so they could be used on sandwiches & burgers or just eaten as a side dish.  I have no doubts you would be the hit of the party if you brought these homemade dills to a summer bbq.

For more simple recipes that you can make in minutes, check out this great book.

a pair of breakfast puns

After searching high & low for clever costume ideas, Steve & I finally both agreed on breakfast foods with a twist.  The concept was simple, funny & perfect for a couple’s costume.  So may I present to you, Kevin Bacon and his darling deviled egg…

Here’s how I made these quirky costumes:

I dragged Steve with me to the fabric store to help bring my vision to life (luckily he’s a good sport when it comes to my crazy craft stops)

We bought: 1.75 yards of maroon felt, 1.25 yards of white felt, .5 yard of pink felt, .25 yard of cream felt, .25 yard of yellow felt, 2 foam core boards and a 2 yards of white ribbon

Since the maroon felt was already 72″ wide, I left it folded in half so I only had to sew one side and the top of the bacon costume.  You could also easily hot glue the seams… just  remember to leave room for the arm & head openings (see measurements below)

Once you have a giant maroon rectangle, it’s time to dress it up with bacon fat.

Fold the pink and cream felt so they are long and narrow & cut wavy strips to resemble bacon fat.  Hot glue the strips on the maroon base.  Glue 3-4 strips on both sides of the costume.

Trip the excess strips so they are even with the bottom of the costume & make a extra large name tag that reads, Kevin.

Now for the egg… I basically did everything by feel and afterwards realized that maybe my egg costume was a little too large.  So I suggest cutting your foam core to a slightly smaller size or wearing it vertically as opposed to horizontally if you plan on eating at your Halloween party :-)  (still not sure how I’m going to pull that off since I can’t put my hands together when I wear this costume)

Cut the foam core, punch holes, string ribbon through and tie (approx 30″ long).  Cut the white felt into a large egg shape & glue to foam core.  Cut yellow felt in yolk shape & glue to white felt.  Do this on both sides.

You could easily go and buy a devil’s horn headband  and tail, but I had extra maroon felt so I just made them.

Shape horns out of tin foil and cut felt to hot glue around them.

Glue red ribbon at the base of the headband and wrap it around the rest of the headband.  Pick up a trident and you’re good to go!

Wishing all of you a Happy Halloween with lots of laughs!

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our pet picks

Team catching fireflies loves their furry friends… in fact everyone that works at our shops has a dog or cat waiting for them at home.  So it was pretty easy to pick out some of their favorite pet gifts…

We’ve been selling these towels at the store for almost ten years now and they are still a HUGE hit!! We always love a cute and practical gift. I wrapped up cookies in these towels last year for the holidays. Such a great hostess gift for those who love pets…and cookies. $9.95

Being an animal lover, I absolutely love this sign. Having a cat myself really makes me appreciate this saying even more. This is a great gift for anyone who has or has had a cat in their life that will always hold a special place in their heart. $8.95

My dog is 120 pounds of fur and the day just isn’t complete without a bit of fur on my outfit each day. I always say it’s his way of following me everywhere I go. $7.50

And so true, who can resist the cat stare?!? My sister has three cats and will be getting one of these magnets in her stocking for Christmas this year! $5

Find your key in an instant with these cute key toppers (and they are so much better than just the plain colored ones–cute kitty faces!) $6.95

This is not only true, but it is also the perfect gift for any dog lover! We all know there are so many out there! It can sit on your desk at work or hang on your wall at home. It will remind that person of their special pal daily. $8.95

This sign speaks the truth! A bulldog’s snore is similar to an uncle who falls asleep in a recliner after Thanksgiving dinner, loud and constant. Great gift for any bulldog owner. $21.95

I really need to get this for our super sweet, yet stubborn basset hound, Gus… when he counter surfs & snags a whole sandwich when you turn your back for a minute… when he goes wild if you whisper the word walk – yet ignores you when you yell his name to come inside… and when he surveys the entire yard & decides to pee directly on top of the flowers. Then he cocks his head & looks at us with his big brown eyes – GOOD THING HE’S CUTE! $8.95

I’ve had a dog most of my adult life and have found so much love and laughter with all my precious pups. I can’t imagine not having a furry, loving friend by my side. Words to live by for all us dog lovers; “All you need is love…and a dog“!  $8.95

This is the story of my life! Any cat lover knows that you cannot leave the house without a snuggle from your beloved, and you inevitably get cat hair all over your clothes. Anyone who loves their cats like I do will love this cute and inexpensive magnet! $7.50

This is one of the cutest mugs I’ve ever seen. It explains dog lovers perfectly. It is a great gift to give someone you know that truly loves animals. $14.95

Do you like seeing what team catching fireflies is loving? We’re happy to share some of our favorite finds.  Simply sign up to receive these blog posts in your email and you’ll be in the loop & get our latest scoop.

pass the pasta please

Sticking with the theme of comfort food, I took home our 50 great pasta sauces book for some dinner inspiration this week and was quite happy my recipe choice.

Here’s what you’ll need for four cheese sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese

4 ounces of Gorgonzola cheese (I used feta instead because I don’t like Gorgonzola)

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

salt & pepper to taste

1 pound dried pasta

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

* I also added fresh tomatoes & sauteed mushrooms

*also any combination of soft Italian cheese will work in this sauce… like mozzarella, mascarpone or provolone

In medium saucepan, combine the cream, fontina, feta & ricotta.  Warm slowly over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheeses have melted.  Stir in thyme, salt & pepper.  Set aside & keep warm.

Saute mushrooms, cut tomatoes & boil pasta.

Pour sauce, mushrooms & tomatoes over pasta & sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  Then dig in & enjoy this rich warm dish!

For more delicious recipes like this one, page through this yummy book!

rock your vote giveaway

The big election is just 3 weeks away!  We encourage all our firefly fans to head to the polls and rock your vote on November 6th.

So whether you bleed blue or are all the way red, we invite you to have a little fun with our lighthearted election giveaway.  We’ll select two lucky firefly fans & they can choose the right wing mug, republican wine stopper & book OR the bleeding heart mug, democrat wine stopper & book ($38.95 value)

Enter below & we’ll draw a lucky firefly fan’s name on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 and the winner will be listed on this post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have fun, good luck and thanks for keeping this giveaway friendly!  

Don’t want to miss out on future fantastic firefly giveaways?  Be sure to stay in the loop  by signing up here and we’ll email our fun-filled blog posts to your inbox!

a dreamy ditty

Get ready to sing ooo-aa-ooooo along with this super sweet song by Kat Edmonson.

A review reads, “The delicately effortless quality of Kat Edmonson’s voice makes her sophomore album, Way Down Low, what could be considered easy listening, but its romantic, vintage sound warrants closer attention. Hints of Billie Holiday and a jazzier Feist make Edmonson’s songs feel familiar.” -Nicole Oran

Like discovering happy music that takes you to a pretty place?  Simply subscribe to this blog and we’ll email you our latest and greatest music finds.

toasting to the power of pink

In celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the recent Rochester Girl’s Night Out event was all about the power of pink.

So we got out our mixer & turned on our oven to bake up some pink treats for the ladies to enjoy.

Here’s what we needed to make these mini pink champagne cupcakes.

1 box white cake mix

1 1/4 cups champagne

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 egg whites

4 to 5 drops red food color

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup champagne

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 to 5 drops red food color

Heat oven to 350° and place a paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size  or 48 mini muffin cups.

In large bowl, mix dry cake mix and champagne. Add oil, egg whites and food color. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.  In medium bowl, beat frosting ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Frost cupcakes & store loosely covered.