hummin’ to mumm-ra
HBO has been playing 500 Days of Summer lately & I was reminded how much I love the ending credits song by Mumm-ra.
A review reads, “MUMM-RA are often credited with being indie eccentrics (especially since their name originates from the main villain of the 1980s cartoon, Thundercats).
Recent single She’s Got You High provided further compelling proof of the band’s musical ability.
The track bore all the hallmarks of classic indie-rock material, beginning with a soft and deeply melodic guitar riff and then building emphatically towards a rousing chorus and some Beach Boys-style vocal layering. It’s an incredibly shimmering track that’s perfectly placed to become one of the summer’s breeziest anthems.”
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Observer Eccentric Article 10.10.10
Berkley artist, entrepreneur keeps expanding
by Steve Kowalski
Owner April McCrumb (left) and manager Cheryl Jones are busy preparing the Yellow Door Market in Berkey for its Oct. 28 opening. (John Stormzand | Staff Photographer)
BERKLEY — Shortly after graduating from college, April McCrumb started experiencing success on the art fair circuit, selling handmade paper frames as far away as New York City
McCrumb had a degree in special education from Eastern Michigan University. The teaching career remains on hold 14 years later, and she credits her mother, Karen, for sparking an interest in art.
“My mom always encouraged me, ‘Instead of buying gifts for your aunts and uncles, what can you make? Be creative, make things,' and that was a big part of it,” said McCrumb, 36. “I've always been a creative person. That's one of the talents I've been given and I use that to the best of my ability to be a light in this world.”
After dabbling in making and selling art in college, McCrumb took the talent more seriously once she graduated. Within a couple of years she chose to sell art wholesale, which required a change in business operations.
“Doing a wholesale show meant we needed to hire people,” McCrumb said. “We couldn't have five people working in our Oak Park bungalow basement. We couldn't fit them in there.”
She and her husband, Steve, rented a 500-square foot building at 3117 12 Mile Road in Berkley, and named their business, Catching Fireflies, where people could purchase baby gifts, wedding gifts, unique home decor, personalized gifts, jewelry and handbags.
The front part was for sales, the rear for production, a business model that remains a decade later.
“Initially when we first started (looking) any spot we looked at was double the house mortgage,” McCrumb said. “It was definitely a leap of faith.
“We found that if we sell enough in the front part to pay part of our rent that was cool, that was our ‘business plan.' That was sort of our goal, and we did that and more.”
The McCrumbs picked Catching Fireflies as a name because it was also the title of the first art piece they purchased for more than $500, she said. It's also a nostalgic phrase for her, remembering the fun she had trying to catch fireflies as a child, she said.
Four years ago the McCrumbs opened another Catching Fireflies location in downtown Rochester and now is time for another, more ambitious, expansion.
On Oct. 28, the McCrumbs are opening the Yellow Door Market, um, doors away, on 12 Mile Road, inside a 3,600-square-foot building where dozens of artists will sell their creations at different stations.
Within five weeks, McCrumb said, 70 spaces were rented to local artists looking for a place to sell their wares, especially in the colder months. There is a waiting list of eight, McCrumb said.
“It's like (the artists') own little shop,” McCrumb said. “They don't have to worry about staffing, payroll, marketing. We take care of that for them.
“We use alternative displays, doors, cabinets, an old bathtub, kitchen sink. One of the spaces an artist rents is a physical door and we put shelves on it, jewelry on it. In a sense they are renting a door. Doors represent the possibility and a fun journey for the customer to go through.”
McCrumb said Berkley, and the surrounding communities, have been the perfect fit for her art pursuits to thrive and expand.
“The community right around us is real supportive of people doing unique things,” she said. “There are not a ton of big box stores in the Woodward area and that helps us grow. Berkley has been good to Catching Fireflies.”
2010 MHS Mega March
It was a sunny, yet chilly day for our 5th Annual Mega March Walk. Thanks to our generous firefly fans, we were able to raise $750 to help our furry friends find forever homes!
Since the temp was a bit nippy… lots-o-dogs were sporting their stylish winter-wear;) It's not everyday you see doggy leg warmers!
This gal has to be Dumbos long lost cousin… don't you think?
Nothing like a gurgling fountain of water for a little refresher.
Whoo Hoo! Another Mega March completed in record time!
Love, Gus & the team
time for tailgating!
Are you prepared to show your school spirit at the BIG Michigan/Michigan State game next week? Whether you’re having a party or tailgating, we got some blue & green goodies that will add some flair to your celebrations.
Get these great grilling accessories, platters & napkins at our Berkley & Rochester locations. Unfortunately, the Michigan State grill toppers won’t be in stock until November:(
What are you going to fill your thermos with? Green or blue hot chocolate?
Or if you’re cozied up on the couch watching the game… these mugs were made for colored cocoa!
Whether Michigan wins or loses, it’s always nice to reminisce about past victories.
And it’s never too early to teaching your kiddos about the best school in the state;)
Cheers to a amazing game next Saturday & may the best team win!
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stop for a minute
Enjoying the latest release from Keane…
and the lucky birthday girl is…
Thank you for participating in our Birthday Giveaway! You guys definitely know how to celebrate a birthday. Also,
thanks for spreading the news to your friends
through facebook, twitter and email forwards. Word of mouth has always
been our best form of advertising and we couldn’t do it without YOU!
Out of all our entries, our winner is Brooklynn and her favorite birthday treat… “Nothing beats Sander’s Bumpy Cake”
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!
It’s our Birthday Giveaway!
Since our Berkley location is 10 years old this month, we’re partying hearty with goodies like our birthday book, colored flame candles, cupcake note cards, the hidden cupcake tradition & treat shaped crazy bands ($60.80 value)
So how can you get these birthday goodies for free?
There are 4 ways to enter – you can do 1,2,3 or all 4 to better your chances.
1.
Comment at
the bottom of this post and let us know what’s your favorite birthday treat.
2. Spread the word about our giveaway on your Facebook page by clicking the Share on Facebook link below then comment on this blog post saying that you did.*
3. Tweet this link: http://bit.ly/ItsOurBirthdayGiveAway
4. Post our It’s our Birthday Giveaway on your blog (Feel free to copy our photo & info) Then
leave a comment on this blog post so we know that you did.*
* just let your friends & followers know if they happen to win, you get some of the goodies too :-)
We’ll draw the lucky firefly fan name on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 and post it on the blog.
Have fun, good luck and thanks for playing!
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art, art… I want you
I got the most delightful link to this song & video from the always inspiring Jo Dee Foster of Cutting Up. Thank you girlfriend…. so-so lovely!
A little bit about Tanya Davis, “This spoken word poet/performer masterly cajoles
language into brief, simple songs embodying universal themes such as
love, loneliness, loss, infatuation and art. She’s catalogued her deep
pockets of syllables, synonyms, verbs, adjectives and nouns into a
debut disc dubbed Make A List.
“I’ve been writing since I was very little, it was the first thing I
ever wanted to do when I grew up,” says Davis, over morning coffee in
Halifax. “Growing up on P.E.I., there wasn’t a hell of a lot to do, as
I’m sure like it is growing up in many small towns.
“I think it influenced me to write a lot. There wasn’t really another option.”
Nova Scotia recently adopted the burgeoning wordsmith, as the local weekly The Coast
pegged her as “one of Halifax’s most mesmerizing performers.” In her
late twenties, Davis seems to be spilling the ink from her pen anywhere
and everywhere. Since her humble beginnings softly sputtering words
from scraps of loose leaf at quiet cafes in Vancouver and
Charlottetown, she decided to hang her literary hat in Halifax.
“I try and write every day,” says Davis. “I just moved into a new house and I can feel I’m not writing as much.
“I didn’t know anybody at first, so I just wrote. I moved here
because I wanted to make music. I wrote every day. That was my work.”
Davis draws inspiration from personal experience and the surrounding world.”
–by Shannon Webb-Campbell (CHARTattack)
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our very first celebrity gifting gig
So it turns out that the beautiful Kate Bosworth just started filming The Reasonable Bunch near Rochester yesterday. And to celebrate this new project, her peeps in California wanted to give her some delightful goodies to make her stay a little sweeter.
I'm assuming they googled super cute goodies + Rochester and found us! We were thrilled to help pick out some fun finds to make her days in the mitten a little brighter.
Stephanie wrapped & ribboned everything pretty pretty…
And here's what the lucky gal got…
CinemaTherapy Book, bucky balls, life is touch water bottle, Best DVDs You've Never Seen, locally made soy candle, signature scent shower bursts, cupcake dental floss, 101 things to do Before You're Old & Boring, tiara mug, mood buster shower bursts and cotton candy toothpicks!
We hope you enjoy your goodies Kate!
talk about some sassy curls!
Meet Laura Torchia of St Clair Shores, Michigan. She is the sassy gal behind these cute clips for little girls curls. We carry an assortment of her pretties at our Berkley & Rochester locations, plus she also sells her goods through etsy.
I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her crafty business…
What inspired you to start creating cute hair clips & how did you turn it into a business?
My Daughter Olivia was my inspiration for creating my first clippies. I
was buying tons of expensive bows and clippies that were poorly make
and after wearing them a couple times would just fall apart. So i tried
making some myself and i had so much fun doing it that i haven’t really
stopped. I had gone to a Mom 2 Mom sale and saw a woman selling baby
slings that she had handmade herself and thought why cant i do
that….. So in August 2007 Sassy Girls N Curls was born it was a long
process of trial and error to get to where i am today first starting
out selling at Mom 2 Mom sales and craft shows and then on Etsy in
March 2008.
What do you most love about the creative process?
I love
experimenting with new fabrics, ribbons….really anything i can get my
hands on. Being a Stay at home mom its a great outlet for me. After
everyone’s asleep I’ll start making something and the next thing you
know i look at the clock and it 1 am. I Love what i do and am happy
that i can contribute to our family while still being able to stay at
home with our daughter.
Is there anything that makes your hair clips unique?
I love
working with different textures and colors mixing dots and stripes and
just making cute Clippies. If it turns out to be something cute great
if not i still had fun trying.
I take pride in the fact that my
items are handmade by me so i am able to pay extra attention to every
tiny detail. All of my Bows, Flowers and Posies are hand sewn not just
hot glues together. I make sure all my ends are heat sealed so none of
your ribbon edges will fray over time. I know my customers are going to
walk away with a high quality product that will last. That and superior
customer service keep them coming back.
Thanks Laura for making little girl’s hair-dos even cuter!
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