personalized license plate sign giveaway
We’ve been getting some wonderful Greatest Gift Challenge entries this month. We’ll be collecting your stories through the end of the month so there’s still time to enter. Get more details HERE.
There’s no doubt that personalized goods are definitely a meaningful choice when it comes to finding a perfect gift. Our Rochester team member, Kim experienced this first hand when she gave this handmade license plate sign to her grandparents. Now you too can score your very own personalized sign with this month’s giveaway. (up to a $62.95 value)
We’ll draw a lucky firefly fan’s name on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 and the winner will be listed on this post.
Have fun, good luck and thanks for playing!
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a happy shuffle
Since converting to spotify, discovering new tunes is one of my favorite pastimes. That’s how I found this delightful indie English quartet.
A review reads, “It starts with a sun-soaked piano splash. This is accompanied by angelic backing-vocals courtesy of Lucy Rose, bursts of pert bass and percussion claps. Jack Steadman delivers once again with a charming chorus that slips into a harmonic groove. “Shuffle” enshrouds the listener in a dreamy whirlwind as the words “Once you get the feeling that” charm the ear.” – Jack Crawley
Take a listen & try not to keep your feet from wanting to move.
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our greatest gifts
Since we’re collecting stories & photos from our firefly fans about the greatest gifts they have given or received from catching fireflies this July, we thought it’d be fun to share our team’s favorite finds.
I have bought so many great gifts, fun & sentimental, that it’s hard to choose. But given that I need to pick just one, it’s got to be my Sugarboo frame that I bought for Mark on our anniversary last year. It’s the Winnie the Pooh saying; “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I would never have to live without you.” It is hung over our bed and I cherish the loving message everytime I look at it!
The greatest gift (s) I’ve given are the sticky bellies. They are my go to gift for every shower I go to. As a busy mom of two little ones I wasn’t as organized as I should have been and didn’t always write down the months the pictures of the kids were taken :(. I wish I had sticky bellies then I would not be guessing their ages! It’s a great gift and a great way to mark special milestones in each babies life.
The best gift I have given to someone from Catching Fireflies isn’t exactly one that would seem to make the list. This past Mother’s Day I wanted to get my grandma something small, just to give her a smile and let her know how much I appreciate her and everything she has done for me over the years. After a debate between a few different items, I looked up by the counter and the quirky little seeds of happiness caught my eye. I thought that would be the perfect little gift to get my message across. Giving the gift to my grandma, I did not expect such a reaction. She loved it! I didn’t know something so small could bring so much happiness to one person. Today, every time I go over to visit with my grandma, the tiny seed of happiness is smiling on her window sill and she still talks about how much that gift meant to her.
I spent my summers growing up at my grandparents lake house up north. A couple years ago for Father’s Day I decided to purchase a license plate sign for the house. My grandparents loved it and hung it so whenever you walk out onto our back deck you are greeted with the sign and the lake. It’s a beautiful addition to my summer home.
The greatest gift I gave was to April. Buying for April is a real challenge, similar to stepping on the floor with NBA players and expecting to compete. For Christmas 2011, I asked Kandy Myny to do a special picture of our Berkley Catching Fireflies and Yellow Door Art Market. Kandy is one of April’s favorite artist and we also carry her work on consignment at the Rochester store as well as Yellow Door. I could hardly wait for Christmas morning to give April her new artwork. She was surprised and absolutely loved Kandy’s interpretation of our two storefronts. It now hangs in our office at home for all to enjoy. Slam dunk!
A few years back we got in the book called ” I love monkey” at the store. Considering my affection for primates and the adorableness of this book, I knew I had to have it. Unfortunately working at cf requires restraint, and in the end I decided that I could not justify the purchase. So I was so excited on my birthday to receive from my coworkers not only the book, but the book signed with birthday wishes from all of them. It was so thoughtful it definitely brightened my day.
The minute I saw the cute felt birdhouses that we got in, I knew that my mom would love one. Since her birthday was coming up, I picked out my favorite, wrapped it up and sent it on its way. A few days later, she called and was thrilled with it! She’s always “keeping up” with all the birds in her yard… now she had added this to her existing birdhouse collection and can enjoy watching them all year round in their adorable new home.
It’s been just over two weeks since our German exchange student, Tessa returned back home. I wanted to give her a going away present that reflected our time together & also celebrated what her future holds so I did what I know best… made her a special picture frame. I created a chronological journey with tiny thumbnail photos of her time with us and used it as a patterned paper for the top of the frame. No doubt she has many more magnificent miles ahead of her, but it’s incredibly gratifying to know that Steve & I shared many steps with her along the way.
I bought this gift for myself but I am absolutely in love. It is the Lulu’s Paw bracelet. I am such an animal lover & the part of the proceeds go to a great cause. After purchasing this, a majority of my friends plan to buy one now also after I posted this photo on my facebook page.
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.
the greatest gift challenge
Have you ever given or received a gift from catching fireflies that was absolutely perfect for the occasion or had special meaning? We want to hear about it!
We invite you to participate in our 1st ever Greatest Gift Challenge this July. Email us a story and/or photo of the best gift you’ve given or received from catching fireflies.
1st place will receive a $123 gift card
2nd place will receive a $103 gift card
3rd place will receive a $83 gift card
Please send entries to service@catchingfireflies.com with the subject line: Greatest Gift Challenge by July 31, 2012 to enter.
We’re looking forward to receiving all your wonderful entries. Thanks for participating & good luck!
Don’t want to miss out on future catching fireflies contests? Be sure to stay in the loop by signing up here and we’ll email our fun-filled blog posts to your inbox!
a journey to remember
It’s been almost two weeks since Tessa, our German exchange student returned to Deutschland… sniff, sniff.
Rewind to August 2011 – When we decided to have a 15 year old girl we didn’t know from another country live with us for 10 months, many people thought we were a bit crazy… and maybe we were, but don’t decisions like those make life more exciting, fulfilling & memorable? (I mean – some people also thought we were crazy when Steve quit his job & we opened catching fireflies 12 years ago)
Fast forward to July 2012 – Looking back at the past 10 months that literally flew by, Steve & I both agree it would have been crazy for us to miss such a wonderful experience.
Officially, Tessa was the one who was on a journey, but her time with us took Steve & me places that we’ll never forget. I wanted to give Tessa a going away present that reflected our time together & also celebrated what her future holds so I did what I know best… made her a special picture frame.
I created a chronological journey with tiny thumbnail photos of her time with us and used it as a patterned paper for the top of the frame. No doubt she has many more magnificent miles ahead of her, but it’s incredibly gratifying to know that Steve & I shared many steps with her along the way. We’re honored to have a chapter in her life story and are looking forward to what she writes next.
If you’re interested in hosting a student, I encourage you to check out YFU (Youth for Understanding). They have been a great organization to work with & they’re still placing students for this upcoming school year. You can view profiles of available students here.
lemonade 4 sale
When June hits, I always have a pitcher of lemonade in my fridge. Something about that combination of sweet & tart makes it one of my favorite summer sips. (especially when it’s mixed with iced tea) Since lemonade is synonymous with summer, I recruited Tessa, our German exchange student one last time to help me with the shop’s windows.
After I finished up our other display window, I popped in to find Tessa creating a lemonade inspired dress out of tissue paper. This picture truly sums up her personality in a nut shell… silly, creative, funny & happy with a side of mischief. She petitioned that we leave the lemon shaped pasties on our mannequin, but she was over ruled by her slightly more conservative host mom ;-)
I put up our faux lemonade stand, while she continued to craft a quite delightful yellow dress & act silly in between.
In the end, we had a very stylish, well covered mannequin serving up a slice of summer. After admiring our window, it occurred to me that we might get asked if we do sell lemonade at catching fireflies & sadly the answer is no… but I did hunt down a bunch of delicious lemonade inspired recipes for you to peruse in our next blog entry. Stay tuned!
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who makes you smile?
Tessa found this happy little ditty on spotify a few weeks ago & it has become one of my go-to summer selections.
A review reads, “Sometimes there’s a song that’s just too perfectly named. That’s definitely the case with ‘You Always Make Me Smile’ from Kyle Andrews’ Kangaroo EP . The track, with it’s whistle line and bouncy bright vibe will definitely have you smiling.”
Take a listen, give your smile muscles a work out & mentally cool off while watching this GIANT water balloon fight.
Like discovering happy tunes that bring a smile to your face? Simply subscribe to this blog and we’ll email you our latest and greatest music finds.
summer sips giveaway
I say this every year about this time… “I can’t believe it’s already July next week?!” No doubt summer does tend to speed by faster than other seasons so let’s not waste any more time & toast to sunny days, fruity drinks & firefly nights.
So how can you get this watermelon margarita mix, cocktail napkins & cute wine glass in a tin for free?
We’ll draw a lucky firefly fan’s name on Thursday, June 28, 2012 and the winner will be listed on this post.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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!
4 fantastic days in northern michigan
It’s hard to believe our German exchange student, Tessa is heading back home in just a few days. We couldn’t let her leave Michigan without a little tour up north so we hopped on I-75 until we hit the bridge and took in all the beauty the mitten is famous for. One way I captured our adventure is with a little help from instagram. If you’re also addicted to this photo app, you can follow us at tuesdaycat.
A tandem bike tour on Mackinac Island
A bike break at British Landing
A delightful discovery in Good Hart ~ a must-stop along 119
Symons General Store in Petoskey
Sweet storefront entrance in Charlevoix
Stocking up on more sweets at the Taffy Barrel in Charlevoix
Searching for stones & soaking in the sun on a road side beach on Old Mission Peninsula after a stop at the classic general store
Lots of yarn bombing sitings in Traverse City
Fantastic shops in Glen Arbor ~ also scored some sweet summer skirts at Cottonseed & had lunch at Cherry Republic
After a swim at Glen Haven Beach, we headed out to see the always stunning Sleeping Bear Dunes
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our father’s day favorites
Aren’t dads some of the hardest guys to buy for? This year surprise him with something different than a tie or gift card to Home Depot.
Lately my husband has been telling some pretty bad jokes so this will be the perfect Father’s Day gift. My girls and I are hoping that this will help him make us laugh instead of us rolling our eyes and saying “stop please”! $9.95
This is a great gift for all of the dads out there who fetch their morning cup of coffee wearing a bathrobe, messed up hair, and half opened eyes while looking to charge their battery for the upcoming day. When the battery runs low he’ll know it’s time to refill the cup. A fun gift for any coffee lover! $10.95
Going to Tiger games every summer was a must growing up. This book, with all the oldies but goodies, will be the perfect gift for fathers day as a reminder of all the good times. $15.95
I love this guitar bbq spatula! With Father’s Day coming up, this is a perfect gift idea for those dads out there that love to rock out at the grill. I will definitely be keeping this in mind for my own dad. $21.95
My dad golfs every week with his buddies and this is a great way for him to keep track of his progress on the green. I’m going to add a golf gift certificate to this and have the perfect father’s day gift! $16.95
This fun mug is the perfect gift for Father’s Day. For people who love coffee, it is known that they aren’t ready to start their day until their “tank” is full. $13.95
My dad retired from General Motors & it’s safe to say he is a bit of a car junkie. He still has his 68 Corvette covered up in his garage of goodies so I’m getting a custom sign made that reads “68 Corvette” for Father’s Day. $52.95 – personalized
On your next adventure, be sure to take a look at these great travel tips. This book is loaded with money-saving ideas and ways to make your trip less stressful. Wonderful gift for anyone on-the-go! $14.95
My dad just loves this branding iron that I got for him last Father’s Day. It’s fun and easily changeable so you can make a message for any occasion. Great for the casual or more serious griller! $21.95
I love this mug. We are huge U of M fans, especially my husband. This mug is a great way for my kids to tell their dad they love him and support his love of his favorite football team! A great gift for father’s day. $15.95
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.
