choose our birthday charity

Can you believe our Rochester location will be 6 spankin’ years old this March? To celebrate we’ll be offering 20% off EVERYTHING at both our locations on Saturday, March 10 + donating 7% of all our sales that day to a Detroit charity. There are so many fantastic non-profits making a difference in our city, it’s hard to choose just one.

So we need your help! We’ve selected 3 charities and would love for you to vote for your pick.

The Focus:Hope mission: Recognizing the dignity and beauty of every person, we pledge intelligent and practical action to overcome racism, poverty and injustice. And to build a metropolitan community where all people may live in freedom, harmony, trust and affection. Black and white, yellow, brown and red from Detroit and its suburbs of every economic status, national origin and religious persuasion we join in this covenant.

They’re changing Detroit by educating for the future, transforming communities & fighting hunger.

For more than 19 years, the readers of the Detroit Free Press have supported metro Detroit camps with donations to Summer Dreams. The 53 camps benefiting from this year’s program serve more than 20,000 children, 57% of whom are minorities. Of the camps, 36 serve children of low-income families, 14 serve children from middle- and low-income families and three serve children of all economic backgrounds.

Cass Community Social Services is dedicated to making a profound difference in the diverse populations it serves by providing for basic needs, including affordable housing, promoting self reliance and encouraging community inclusion and improvement.

Some of the many creative ways they’re fighting poverty & creating opportunity is through green industries & micro-enterprises.

We’re looking forward to blessing one of these amazing groups this March.  And don’t you agree… it’s soooo hard to choose!  Help us decide with your vote below.  Thank YOU for helping us make days brighter for those in our community.

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volumes of valentines!

I spent my Saturday afternoon sorting & organizing hundreds of your creative Valentine cards that will be traveling to Children’s Hospital of Michigan on Monday.  This is our 3rd year playing cupid & I’m always impressed with your crafty talent.

Ever wondered what 1,100 Valentine cards look like?  And this isn’t even all of them!  No doubt the kids are going to be showered with love all day long on Tuesday.

I couldn’t help to share some of my favorites with you…

There are LOTS of way to say ‘I love you’.  Can’t help to be  a bit partial to the basset hound in the beret sticker ;-)

Awwwe… look at those fun love bugs.  Plus this gets the GINORMOUS CARD award!

Thank YOU Thank YOU Thank  YOU for helping us make this Valentine’s Day one to remember for kids that could really use a smile.  We have the best firefly fans and they have definitely mastered the art of sharing some serious love.  You make us PROUD!

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valentine bling rings

I loved this clever valentine goody as soon as I saw it.  Chocolate & a faux diamond ring in one?  I needed to make these for my girlfriends this V-day.

Just pick up  a package of shiny pipe cleaners at your local craft shop & a bag of kisses.

Flip it over & your kiss or shall I say sparkly chocolate diamond should be secured.

Then all slip the edible bauble on your finger…

Tie a sweet message to them to turn them into a Valentine card.

Happy Heart Day!

Like to get a little crafty every now & then?  Simply subscribe to this blog and we’ll email you a few of our snazzy ideas.

Rochester Post Feature 2.1.12

Handmade valentines spread joy to sick kids

By Mary Beth Almond
C & G Staff Writer

ROCHESTER — As a child, April McCrumb loved getting out her construction paper, scissors, doilies, glue and crayons to make homemade valentines for family and friends.

Now the owner of Catching Fireflies gift shop in Rochester and Berkley, McCrumb still loves to use her creativity to craft valentines for those in need of a smile.

For the second year in a row, Catching Fireflies — at 203 E. University Drive in Rochester and 3117 W. 12 Mile Road in Berkley — is collecting blank handmade Valentine’s Day cards, which will be delivered to sick children at DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

“I grew up loving to make valentines. … They are a fun way to spread love, so I thought it would be fun to encourage our customers — adults and kids alike — to get out their scissors, construction paper, and make some old-school valentines to help bring a smile to kids who really could use it, because who wants to be at a hospital on Valentine’s Day?” McCrumb said.

Last year, approximately 1,500 valentines were collected and donated, and McCrumb hopes to collect even more this year.

Catching Fireflies is asking the public to get involved by donating a blank handmade card or two through Feb. 12.

Deanna Scanlon, child life projects specialist at DMC Children’s Hospital, said the blank cards are made available to all staff and the children at the hospital Feb. 14.

“The staff sign the cards, and if they have any interaction with the children on Valentine’s Day, then they can give them a card. It’s really kind of neat because it gets the staff involved, and the kids are getting personalized cards from the staff members and people that they know and are involved in their care,” she said. “We also give the children these blank cards so they can sign them and give them to the staff.”

The project really has a big impact on the staff and the kids, Scanlon said, especially those in the cardiology unit.

“It does really make a big difference to the kids that are in the hospital because it normalizes hospitalization and brings something familiar to them that they can do on Valentine’s Day that they would be doing at school,” she added.

As a thank you to those who bring in three or more handcrafted cards and make a purchase, Catching Fireflies will offer a “joyful heart” necklace.

“To sweeten the deal and make it a little more fun, we have these lovely little necklaces that are handmade by an artist out in California. They are really simple. They have the shape of a heart and they have a little word, ‘joy.’ Joy comes from giving to people, so it’s just a nice little token to remember that they are spreading joy by taking time out and making a lovely valentine,” McCrumb said.

Scanlon said the Valentine’s Day project, which is one of her favorites, wouldn’t be possible without support from the community.

“We wouldn’t be able to do something like this without Catching Fireflies and support from the community because we’re a 228 bed hospital — that’s a lot of kids that could potentially be here on Valentine’s Day,” she said.

our favorite valentine gifts

Looking for something special to surprise your sweetheart, friend or family member?  Team catching fireflies thinks these goodies are pretty great…

There’s nothing better on a cold winter day than snuggling up with a warm cup of coffee or tea. Now I can keep my hands extra cozy with this handwarmer mug. They have been flying out of the store since we put them out! $21.95

The beautiful quotes in this book are a great way to show how much you appreciate your mother. It is also really simple to personalize by including special pictures and stories that fit each of the quotes. $14.50

My hands get extremely dry during the winter. I’ve tried many different types of lotions but this product works the best for me. I strongly recommend it.  $10.95

Love these body bursts, especially when they are paired up with a shower burst! They are exfoliating and moisturizing while leaving the aromatic scent on your skin all day. A great gift for yourself or others! $4.25

A girl can never have too much jewelry (in my opinion)…and this great piece has a nice message :) Looks great on its own or layered with other bracelets. $15.95

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a vase of pretty posies, but I love the idea of creating a permanent bouquet that I can add to throughout the year. A flower for valentine’s day, birthday, anniversary, mother’s day or just because. In no time, I’ll have a wall of flowers that I can enjoy all year long. $31.50-$47.50

I have a friend who loves Valentine’s Day. So I decided to bake her some heart cupcakes and give this cute oven mitt with them. $15.95

It’s easy to take your partner for granted. These cards will give you simple things to do so you never forget why you fell in love. A great small gift that will mean a lot! $6.95

Going to a party or hanging out with your fiends, these bracelets are perfect addition to any clothing attire. Love the response when given as a gift. $12.95

I love this purse holder. It’s a great way to keep track of your purse when your out to eat instead of keeping it on the floor. It’s a great Valentine’s Day gift also because it comes in an adorable heart shape! $11.95

I love this cute sign! I’m giving it to my sister who is the cupcake queen! Its also an adorable way to let someone you love know just how awesome they are this Valentines Day. $8.95

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.

hug mug giveaway

Have you hugged your mug today?  Cuddle up with your favorite hot beverage & warm up your hands up with our oh-so-clever handwarmer mug.  These lovelies come in a variety of colors &  are handmade in Oregon by a family owned pottery studio.

So how can you get a set of two for free? ($43.90 value)

a Rafflecopter giveawayWe’ll draw a lucky firefly fan’s name on Friday, February 3nd, 2012 and the winner will be listed on this post.

Have fun, good luck and thanks for playing!

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!

birthday balloon surprise

I can’t say Tessa was overly subtle about us making a BIG deal about her 16th birthday, so the challenge was ON to make it a special one.

I’m happy to say Steve & I were quite successful in throwing a fun & memorable party for a dozen of high school aged kids (not bad for jumping into parenthood starting with a 15 year old ;-)  – CHECK

Tessa is also joining us for our week long New York trip starting this weekend which should be packed with ooohs, ahhs & lots of shopping – CHECK

On her actual birth-DAY, she woke up to crepe paper streamers on her door frame and a bathroom filled with oodles of balloons.  Then we made her pancakes while she opened up presents from her mom & dad back in Germany.  She started her day with a BIG smile. -CHECK

I originally got the balloon idea from The House of Smiths & planned on filling her room while she was sleeping… however our cat, Tuesday was sleeping in Tessa’s bed & proceeded to meow whenever I took 2 steps in her room ~ which lead to Tessa waking up & gasping in shock :-)  This wasn’t the surprise I was going after.

So the bathroom ended up as PLAN B

This simple surprise could be fun for any occasion.  But I must warn you, 25 balloons seems like a lot… but when you’re trying to cover a floor, you could always use more.  I ended up adding our left over balloons from the minute to win it party for a bigger effect.

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king of diamonds

This laid back tune by Motopony caught my attention on the radio dial recently…

A review reads, “King of Diamonds sounds like laid-back, latter-day Radiohead, with an honest-to-god melody instead of Thom Yorke’s ambient wailing. This is an album for lazy summer days and hazy summer nights, with enough tricks up its sleeve to appeal to pretty much anybody with an appetite for electronics and guitars. ” – Andrew Leahey

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

whooo loves owl cupcakes?

Tessa is celebrating her 16th birthday with us & since she LOVES owls so much, we found these cuties to make for her birthday party.

They were really quite easy to make &  look fantastic in a big flock.

I like the look of overflowing cupcake tops so my cake mix made 16 giant cupcakes.

Tessa frosted them… aren’t her cupcake nails adorable?  Next comes making the cute owl eyes…

Then place the eyes on the cupcake, add the oreo ears & m&m for the beak … ta dah!

Cupcakes with LOTS of personality! (just like the birthday girl ;-)

wanna help us play cupid?

It’s that time of year again where we like to share some love by giving Valentine cards to the kids at The Children’s Hospital of Michigan.  So we invite you to put your crafty hat on & whip up some sweet sentiments for kids who could use a smile on February 14th.

Here’s a few clever card ideas we found that were TOADally awesome…

Print these quirky cards at Crap I Made

Buy a book of Mad Libs & tear out sheets for these very funny cards ~from Family Fun

Like to play with clay?  How about these salt dough hearts from The Long Thread?

Google eyes always makes things more fun don’t they? ~from Family Fun

Hey matie… aren’t these some grrrreat cards? ~print them at mer mag

Pretty pencil toppers from Alpha Mom

Whooo do you love? ~from Family Fun

Valentine cards from the hardware store?  Who knew paint samples could make such brilliant bookmarks?! ~from Lu Bird Baby

And for those of you who like to color, you can print this cheerful coloring sheet HERE  (if link doesn’t automatically open try hitting the refresh button)

We’ll be collecting and displaying your handcrafted cards at our Berkley & Rochester locations until February 12.  And if you don’t live near by and want to participate, please send your cards to: catching fireflies 3117 W 12 Mile Berkley, MI 48072.

A note from The Children’s Hospital:

When making your cards, please consider not signing the cards so family members and/or staff could personalize the cards themselves and give them to the patients. It means more to the patients to receive a card from someone familiar vs. a stranger. The patients also like to be able to give cards to their family members or the nurses and staff caring for them.