2008 humane society mega march

It was a magnificent day for the 3rd Annual Humane Society Mega March.

Gus, Steve & I met the rest of team catching fireflies admist the load of other animal lovers.

Meet our 2008 gals: Sara, Danielle, Courtney, me, Steve & Judy (not pictured – Angela)  Together with your help we raised $1462!!!  Thank you so much for your support! 

The reason why we’re walking?  Meet our fantastic 4 legged team members… Roxy,

Miss Lucy,

and our goofy Gus!

Here are some fun snapshots of the sunny day…

Gus happily trotted the 2 mile jaunt with no problem… sniffing everything and everyone along the way (and with that many dogs – that was a LOT of sniffing!)

The kitty cat cheerleaders welcomed all the dogs back to home base.

After Gus’ downtown Detroit adventure, he quickly settled in for a long Sunday afternoon snooze.

my favorite fall breakfast treat

My autumn Saturday breakfast: toasted raisin-cinnamon bagel with whipped pumpkin cream cheese and a hot apple cider… ummmm!

I got this tasty treat from Einstein Bros Bagels, but you can whip up this sweet cream cheese for yourself.

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sass in the city – girls night out

The Rochester catching fireflies gals got all decked out for the ‘Sass in the City’ girls-night-out theme this past Thursday.

…right down to our shiny stylish shoes!

The weather was a little rainy, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the lovely ladies who came out to have a fun time.

The talented Eric Fritts rocked the house with his sweet tunes…

while many wonderful women perused our whimsical wares.

Lots of laughs were had over the retro flavored Mik Wright note pads,

and the oh-so-funny Dolly Mama cards.  Just one of the many signs of another successful girls-night-out!

cool baby kid feature

Cecilia over at Cool Baby Kid thinks catching fireflies is pretty snazzy.

"My daughter eats crayons. My husband and I long for the day when we can go out to eat and have a ready-made activity in coloring, but since she insists on eating crayons, currently this is difficult. When she finally decides to create her first masterpiece, we have the perfect place to display it…on a brag board handmade by a.i. paper design at Catching Fireflies. Choose from boards inscribed with everything from "The Latest Masterpiece" to "Super Student" with or without a personalized photo. So much more special than the refrigerator. The adorable brag board pictured is just a small sampling of the products offered by Catching Fireflies, an online shop inspired by two storefronts in Michigan of the same name. You will spend more time than you have browsing this whimsical shop…from inspirational products (a personal favorite of mine), to kitchen decor and girlie goodies, if you can imagine it, you can find it at this super cool store."

Cool Tip: Looking for unique Halloween tricks and treats…you’ve come to the right place!

Thanks for spreading the word about our whimsical site!

football food fare friday – hot chicken wings

Looking to spice up your fall football parties?  Hot wings are always a hit!  Sandy has been told by New Yorkers that these are the closest to authentic as they’ve tasted.

5 lbs chicken wings

Bake at 350′ for 1hour and 15 minutes.  Drain off broth and save for later if desired.

Mix together:

1 stick butter (not margarine)

1/2-3/4 bottle of hot sauce (I use Louisiana Hot Sauce)

Pour mixture over wings to coat and bake 1 hour longer.

Serve with blue cheese, celery sticks and enjoy!

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fun and flirty handbags

Meet Amy Kos of Dearborn, Michigan.  She is quick with the stitch, has a great sense of style and creates fun, flirty purses. We carry a variety of her lovely handbags at our Berkley location.

I had the chance to ask Amy a bit about her bags & business.

What inspired you to start creating art and how did you turn it into a business?

I’ve always loved art.  Growing up it was always a favorite hobby and to have art class in school was a plus.  Family and friends complemented my work whether it was drawing, sewing, etc.  They said I had a special ‘eye’ for it.  I started looking through books and magazines and craft shows realizing that I could definitely do the same type of work and make a business of it.

What do you most enjoy about the creative process?

I love when a project comes together.  Whether it’s the materials or the color scheme.  It’s a rush of energy that is exciting to me that makes me want to create even more!

What is one thing that makes your items unique?

Most of my bags are one of a kind!

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cool kid activities for ages 2-12

Looking for clever activities to pull your kids away from the tv?  Need some restaurant tricks to keep your little ones entertained?  Siblings getting a bit feisty in the back seat on the way to grandmas? 

You’ll find loads of great answers to these questions and more on the blog, Today is Fun!

This jam-packed blog is dedicated to helping adults entertain the kids in their lives. The ideas here will keep kids happy and occupied for hours on end, without you having to spend money or buy more stuff. The tips are always entertaining, often educational and developmentally appropriate. It is a great resource for parents, home schoolers, teachers, and more!

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I’ve been bit by the fall knitting bug

I took a community ed. knitting class about 12 years ago during my college days.  I had big plans to knit this fantastic sweater, however my lack of patience and desire for quick results got in the way… hence I ended up with a lonely sweater sleeve.

One thing that hasn’t changed in 12 years is my love for rich colors and scrumptious textures.  So when I stopped by Berkley’s cozy knit shop, Have You Any Wool? and saw Bridgette’s latest project, that tiny knitting bug started whispering in my ear again.

Bridgette wanted to create a textured throw for her living room so she took in a few of her pillows and pulled complimentary yarn colors in a variety of textures.  I love this idea!  It’s far more simple than any sweater sleeve, the constant changing of yarn will keep my ADD at bay, plus I have a feeling it’d be forgiving of my many mistakes.

And lucky for me she’s offering this workshop on Sunday, October 19 at 12:30. 

So I’ll be there rummaging through the many bushels of fabulous fibers. If you have a knitting bug tickling your ear, come join me in my fantabulous fiber adventure.  Bridgette is a blast and good times are sure to be had by all.

Have You Any Wool? is located just a block from our Berkley catching fireflies.

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playful paintings

I attended a friendly little get-together a couple weekends ago and commented on a fabulous canvas painting above the dining room table.  Turns out it was done by a friend of the hostess.

I love the playfulness, delightful subject matter and all the yummy colors… (go figure – being that whimsical is my favorite adjective)

All these pieces are painted by the talented Sarah Fitzgerald of Los Angeles.

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the national

A friend of mine asked me if I liked these guys a while ago and I finally had some time to explore their tunes.  Their song Fake Empire really resonated with me.

A review reads, "The rhythm section puts some momentum behind the deep, dark, mumbled impressions of “Fake Empire,” and then the twin guitars of Aaron and Brice Dessner fire off a distorted salvo to offset a punchy horn arrangement. That tension between joy and despair plus Matt Berninger’s distinctive delivery — the gently laconic half-muttered croon of a melancholy manchild with a saber-sharp tongue — have made Brooklyn’s the National a highly regarded sleeper." -Matt Ashare

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