under the sea with anthropologie
Back in New York City for the summer gift show and you know what that means (well, new goodies for the stores) but also – Anthropologie windows….
They have this sea-scape shell-barnacle theme going on and all of them are made from a large variety of cupcake-like liners.
… a close-up of these shell-like pretties
… small strips of sheet-like material create a calm ocean-scape background for these delightful outfits
… love this one with the ship scene (that’s just pvc pipe for the rail)
These old sea baskets have dim lights and set the tone for an underwater dinner scene.
…til Jannuary 2009!
10 ways to brighten someone’s day with a card
We’ve been getting loads of fantastic cards in recently… in fact you can virtually browse some of the selections on the very side bar of this blog —>
Like Avanti …they have mastered the hilarious animal card (and did you know they are based in Detroit?)
This one says, "Did you know how fast you were going over that hill?" (this one is going to my dad in September)
And Dolly Mama always puts a silly spin on things. Inside it reads, "I enjoy every minute of it! Have a wild & crazy birthday"
Laini’s Ladies are a card and gift in one because the fanciful center piece is also an ornament of sorts.
Kathleen Taylor’s quirky characters have a subtle way of telling it like it is.
Quoteable cards – there’s always a number of them that speak to my heart. I love this quote – what a great reminder to have on my bulletin board.
Then there’s the always funny, Mina Lee
And the heartfelt Curly Girl. ahhh… the colors, saying, composition – love everything about this design.
I have to say there is something very special about getting a card in the mail just because. A hand addressed envelope amidst the stack of bills and other offers always makes my heart smile.
And what’s even more exciting is finding a surprise goody inside the card like…
1. skeleton key covers $6.50 2. make a wish token $2.00 3. bath tea $3.50 4. artsy bookmark $6.00 5. million dollar bill $1.00 6. make a wish necklace $24.50 7. glass nail file $8.50 8. pocket peeper $12.50 9. rare bird magnet $5.00 10. funny luggage tags $12.50
Hmmmm… who could I surprise this August? It’s fun to spread a little unexpected joy around.
All the card styles are available at our Berkley & Rochester locations (except Avanti is only at Berkley)
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dolly mamas – laugh about life
Meet Joey Heiberg (a.k.a. the original Dolly Mama) of Allentown, Pennsylvania. She has mastered creating colorful broads with quirky quips that are sure to give you a good grin.
While growing up, Joey had always thought she would end up in advertising, publishing, or as a back-up dancer for Tom Jones. Little did she know that she would become a successful artist instead.
She had always loved crafting things and by her 33rd birthday had become one of those "I could make this myself" artists, anytime she saw beautiful pieces in stores. The truth is, she never did do it.
That is until she visited a local store called West of SoHo. Upon learning that Joey was an artist, the store owner, Yvette immediately asked if she would be willing to make her some window displays. Within two months she had made Yvette some very cool displays, so cool that they sold right out of her window. Yvette had become Joey’s mentor and nagging friend. Joey had become a working artist.
Her greatest success did not come, however, until she began sculpting her quirky "Dolly Mama" ladies out of thin metal. They became super popular and pretty soon she had the opportunity to create many other items like cards, napkins and notepads.
We’re happy Joey found her inner mama because her ladies remind us to take life a little less seriously. We’re proud to carry many of her hilarious cards and cocktail napkins at our Berkley & Rochester locations.
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car parts never looked so good
Meet Catherine Ivins of Olive Bites Studios in Farmingdale, New Jersey. She is the clever gal who had the vision of turning a car part, button pin top and magnet into a fashion-forward green interchangable necklace.
I had the chance to chat with her about her crafty talents…
What inspired you to start creating your art and how did you turn it into a business?
I have always been making things out of found and repurposed items. I remember my poor mother having to carry around a pocketbook made of a plastic baggie I had glued hot pink feathers to, for months. I want to live simply and use things in multiple ways. People would ask me to make things for them that I had made for myself and my family and that was the seed that began my little studio.
What do you enjoy most about the creative process?
By far, the initial stages of creating something when it is new and exciting. My dream would be to spend my days creating new things; each unique and one of a kind. But in the practical terms of making a living by creating; time must be spent perfecting (not in the sense of seeking perfection but just in a general sense of making things as long lasting, beautiful and useful as possible) and then, of course fabricating and then the dreaded ‘s’ word- selling. But it is all part of the process and I really do enjoy it all.
What is one thing that make your items unique?
I always seek to repurpose and recycle things in beautiful ways. Making something that might at first appear cold or harsh or industrial into something more- allowing people to see it in another way.
Most of the steel we are using today has been recycled and almost all of it will be recycled again. My steel lockets are made from a little auto part (most cars have several). Steel being magnetic it allows me to create many different locket lids, creating many different looks for the user and enabling us to do more with less. Doing more with less, using sustainable, recycled and industrial materials are what I am committed to and what I believe makes my items unique.
Since there are loads of different options, we only offer Catherine’s work at our Berkley & Rochester locations. Each necklace set comes with 3 interchangeable faces and is packaged in a handy storage tin.
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target hit my heart in the shoe dept.
Whenever I make my way to the local Target, I always have to peruse the shoe section to see what styles have hit the mainstream and boy-oh-boy did they get my number for this fall…
I was so overwhelmed with the variety of styles I liked, I didn’t go home with a single pair… but none the less felt the need to share my fall finds with you!
(those purple ones might still be calling my name though… I’m a sucker for fun colors, dainty straps and puckered pleather… in this case)
catching fireflies may be a gift shop, but I still love to talk about shoes. What… you too? Then by all means, stay in the loop by signing up to receive these blog posts in your email inbox.
european soaps – an every day luxury
Now that we’re entering in the dog days of August, nothing feels better than a cool shower to recharge for the next day.
And adding a luxurious soap to the mix makes that experience even more invigorating.
We’ve carried these high quality European soaps at our stores for some time and just got a big batch of scrumptious scents in like lavender with a relaxing aroma.
And the ever popular verbena scent which is known to energize. (Couldn’t we all use a little of that in the morning!)
In addition to the above scents we have online, we also carry the following styles at our Berkley & Rochester locations… coconut which is know for it’s smoothness, argumes refreshes you, linden awakens you and pomegranate is a wonderful detoxifier.
A number of our firefly staffers have become addicted to this soap and can’t bear to return to their old brands they once used. The bars are giant (4" x 2.75" x 1.25") and last a long time, making the $7.50 price tag well worth the indulgence.
Other facts about this soap include: it’s Shea-butter enriched, Parabens, BHT Butyl & Phenoxyethanol free, non-drying because it’s made with pure vegetable oils and it’s not tested on animals.
Do you like to see what we’re stocking our shelves with week to week? Then sign up to receive these colorful blog posts in your email inbox… window shopping has never been so easy!
ballmania – beautiful lip balm
Love, love, love this lip balm. Why you ask? It has a delicious vanilla cream flavor, delivers a crucial combination of oils & butters, has a SPF 20 and the packaging and designs are oh-so-stylish!
I have to say it’s shape also makes it easy to find at the bottom of your purse (that’s from my own experience)
And did I mention Oprah loves it too? I can see these being wrapped up in pink tissue and tied at both ends with ribbon… like a giant piece of candy for girlfriend gifts. Yummm!
Ballmania is only available at our Berkley & Rochester locations.
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Anahata Katkin – Papayalicious!
Meet Anahata Katkin of Ashland, Oregon. She is the inspiration behind a lovely line of uplifting goods called Papaya!.
A portion of her bio reads, "I have had a passion for collage since I was a kid. I cut up words and magazines for comfort. And the tradition lasted as I got older. I turned to sketchbooks and journals as early as third grade for that morsel for expression that magically seems to balance things again. 
I don't know why cutting things apart to reassemble them has made the world right side up for me- but at times it has literally done just that. 
I have a little training in fine arts. Most of what I create now has been a necessary process of exploration in mixed media and art journaling over the years that developed mainly out of creative isolation. (Having to figure out new materials, sizes and techniques is a wonderful way to develop your own style.)
After many years of keeping art journals my mother and I decided to launch an arts business in the stationery industry. Translating original artwork into digital renderings for greeting cards. 
It has been an incredibly wonderful way for me to express myself as an artist. A great bridge for me between my creative life and my mundane life. I have been able to remain creatively free and self directed using the same formulas that kept me company years ago on the couch with only a journal, a cup of tea and some paint to overcome a stressful day.
Overtime I have fallen in love with digital arts and see it as a the ultimate tool. Today much of what I create at PaPaYa! is digital or a combination. I love this balance. When I burn out with digital artwork I play with my hand work. And vice versa.
To me the beauty of so much of the mixed media and journal arts movement is the personal quality of it. I try very hard to create artwork for myself and nothing more. And when I succeed in getting out of my own way- I share it with the rest of the world. That's my formula."
We're proud to carry a few of Anahata's journals, magnets and 'The Art of Mail' stationery sets (I'd love to get one of those envelopes in my mailbox!) online and a number of her canvases and other designs at our Rochester and Berkley locations.
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I can has cheezburger – funny name… funnier photos
Warning… you could spend a good chunk of your time perusing through all these funny animal photos (primarily cats) with even funnier captions.
These are a few of my favs…
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maureen’s magical yogurt treat
I dropped by my friend, Maureen Monte’s house recently and she was taking out a warm pan of almonds from oven. Turns out, just by putting plain almonds in the oven for a bit releases their yummy oils and increases the flavor… and they retain that flavor long after the toasting. Who knew?
