The delightful Amber of the Viva Voce blog thinks our flower fan is the perfect desk accessory.
"Our office gets pretty toasty in the summer despite the running air. I love this personal fan, so fun!! It would look good when not in use too."
Thanks Amber for spreading the news about how to stay cool and fashionable.
Meet Susan & Connie. These two women are friends, colleagues, moms, volunteers, optimistically active members of our global community and the creators of the Blessing Bowl.
Their business began with a simple holiday gift eight years ago.
Susan, mom of four children, created the original Blessings Bowl for friends and teachers who had touched her life during the past year. Starting with beautiful, unique bowls, special paper and ribbon tailored to the bowl and the friend, she wrote poems expressing her gratitude for the special gifts these people had given to her life. 
And then she asked each recipient to think about and write down the blessings they had in their own lives, furthering the spread of awareness and gratitude. The response from her children’s teachers and many friends convinced her that others in the world wanted to give ~ and receive ~ this kind of gift, also.
A blessing bowl is more than just a gift. It's an opportunity to express, in your own words, how an important person has impacted your life. This is the perfect gift when you are seeking something personal, meaningful, and truly touching. We offer the original polished aluminum style and the the crackled glass style.
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If you're looking for that perfect present to let your child's teacher know she's the tops... look no further. We have loads of gift ideas to ponder...
1. plant nanny $15.50 2. herbs flour sack towel $8.00 3. lavender garden in a bag $8.50 4. create-a-bouquet note cards $12.00 5. flower seed ballz $7.25 6. live love laugh mug $14.50 7. flower trinket dish $9.50 8. hummingbird lady plant stake $14.50 9. sphere posy vase $16.50
1. i.d. holder $14.50 2. personalized wire name $30.00 3. in-aminate stickers $4.25 4. frog tape dispenser $16.50 5. handmade magnetic vase $11.50 6. 'clean desk' sticky notes $4.00 7. lady bug push pins $7.25 8. alligator staple remover $6.50 9. 'because I said so' paper weight $15.50
1. lavender jelly bath foot soak $9.75 2. vibrating back massager $11.50 3. bath tub tea $3.50 4. glass nail files $8.50 5. gel eye mask $5.50 6. chill pill bath fizz $5.50 7. love potion laundry detergent $4.00 8. queen of ice cream kit $21.50 9. chocolate in a can candle $15.00
1. sticky note set $9.50 2. catching fireflies gift card $9.00 3. sustainable shopping bag $9.00 4. flip notes $7.50 5. cell phone holder $6.50 6. window wobblers $6.00 7. key finder key ring $6.50 8. magnetic recipe holder $6.00 9. XL smarties for a super smart teacher $1.25
All these tea-time goodies can be found at our Berkley & Rochester locations.
We also offer the pink and white pouch mug online.
Meet Carla Geraghty of Serendipity Glass Studio in California. She creates delightful little vases that are bound to cheer up any window, mirror or refrigerator.
A portion of her story reads, "I found serendipity to be the perfect name for my glass studio as it was a fortunate accident I stumbled upon the art of glass. I began stained glass as a hobby and quickly it became an addition as well as a career. There’s something about the never ending array of vibrant colors and the feeling of WOW that brings a smile to my face after completing each piece. 
Soon after I began stained glass I branched out to fused glass. After much experimentation I serendipitously created a fused glass vase which has become my signature. Each piece is designed, cut, and then placed in a glass kiln to be fired to 1500 degrees. The glass is then annealed for 18 hours until cooled. All vases are designed to hold real flowers and add a touch of whimsy to any room."
We carry magnetic and suction cup vase styles at both our stores and online. I think they make the perfect little gifts to brighten up a kitchen, classroom, nursing home or office cubical.
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One of our favorite bloggers, Sharla over at Rare Bird Finds thinks our pouch mug is pretty clever.
Eliminate the need for a saucer because once your tea has steeped you just place the tea bag in the pouch until you're done.
Thanks Sharla for spreading the word about this tea-lovers mug!
Also... ApartmentTherapy.com featured this mug the very same day! Here's what they had to say, "We don't usually use a saucer with our morning mug of tea. Instead, the tea bag finds itself on the side of our breakfast plate, steeping in the cup too long, sitting in the sink, or, on particularly bleary mornings, making stains on our wood counter top. All to prevent the need to wash one more dish or make an extra trip to the garbage. Not a problem with the pouch mug."
Give your liquid soap pump or plain-old-bar soap a break this December and brighten up your bathroom or kitchen sink with one of these pretties. We carry a nice holiday selection of locally made Backyard Soaps at our Berkley & Rochester locations.
And as I was strolling through Etsy, I found these very stylish suds too...
Don't these cuties look good enough to eat?
...as well as these yummies
Are you seeing a pattern yet? -maybe I'm just hungry. Ummmm cupcake soaps
I don't think I'd want to get these beauties wet
...and for the naughty girl - a nice sweet smelling lump of coal
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Meet Robyn and Wendy of It's a Wrap Ideas. These two clever ladies design stylish insulated sleeves for your to-go coffee cup. They figure... you personalize your coffee, why not your cup? Plus, it's one step in the right direction of going green.
An excerpt of their bio reads, "We are two friends who also happen to be two artists as well as two moms with kids and dogs and lives sometimes too crazy to even begin to describe. After years of designing theatre sets and costumes for school plays, whipping up prom dresses for daughters the night before, and dappling in all areas of home design, we decided to bring our ideas to market.
The Wrap-a-Latte™ collection was requested by our teenagers, all part of the Starbucks generation. We love finding new ways to put a touch of whimsy on ordinary objects surrounding us. We love original expression. And yes, we both have fabric fetishes and love searching for unique, vintage, and inspiring textiles. We hope you have as much fun using our products as we do in creating them."
Since each 'wrap-a-latte' is uniquely different, we can only offer them at our Rochester & Berkley locations. If you'd like to place a phone order, simply call 248 336 2030. They retail for $9.50 each.
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Meet Robert Rothbard. He is a man of many talents including... independent documentary film maker, inventor extraordinaire, inspired designer and gifted hot glass artist.
His whimsical 'wall flowers' hardly blend into the background. Each vase is one of a kind and created by Robert himself.
He describes the process... "I work with hot glass above 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes two days to get the glass up to temperature, then I work the glass using traditional hand blown glass techniques. After the pieces are blown, they must be held at over 900 degrees Fahrenheit for hours, and then slowly cooled to room temperature.
I make all my own cane, adding colors and patterns to my gather and pulling the hot glass into a rod and then cutting it into sections to add to my pieces. All the wire working is sculpted from one continuous piece of wire.
Much of my work flows from my hands, without the use of drawing. I believe what Alexander Calder once said, 'Above all I feel art should be happy...' "
My personal favorite is this bouncing bud vase... really, what coud be more cheerful than a handful of dancing flowers?
Robert is also our featured artist this month which means all his work is 10% off during the entire month of April 2007.
Having a leaky faucet usually isn't a good thing, but when it drips out paperclips... it can be quite useful. So simply set this silly sink on your desk for all your drip clip needs. (it also works just fine with the plain silver styles as well)
I first met Karen Fincannon when I was selling my handmade wares at various art shows around Michigan. I'm proud to say I have an eclectic collection of her fanciful artworks including floor cloths, sculptures, ornaments and tiles. She truly is an amazing talent and is always creating new and wonderful goodies. 
A quote from her artist statement reads, "I am originally from Hamburg, New York and have also lived in North Carolina and Michigan. I received a BFA with a concentration in Photography from SUNY-Potsdam, and now work and live in Tucker, Georgia, with my husband and two crazy cats.
Currently we carry an assortment of her sculpted hearts that read true, happily ever after, believe and laughter. (more styles are available at our stores) Each heart has a wire on the back for ease of hanging on a wall.
If you're ever in a quandary of what to buy someone who has everything... search no further - a money pot is your answer!
Here are just a few reasons why they make the perfect gift...
- they’re handmade in Italy and hand painted in London (anything European is cool by default)
- they have been traditionally used in Italy for over 2000 years and their design has remained unchanged. The British Museum houses examples of these ancient money pots (hip history)
- once the first coin is dropped the money pot must be fed until full upon which time it must be smashed while making a wish. It is customary to replace the pot and spend the money on 'good things', they bring good fortune (timeless tradition)
- since there are a variety of colors and designs to choose from, you can give money pots to celebrate a new baby, anniversary, retirement, wedding, graduation, birthday, house warming, engagement … the possibilities are endless!
We offer the blue-purple wash , black dot and white-silver dot online and other varieties at our stores. If the pots are filled with a good mix of quarters, dimes and nickels they hold up to $500. I love the idea of slipping some cash into one before giving it as a gift... what a nice surprise!
Money pots are sometimes used to house a candle or a plant once smashed. The best way to break your money pot is to get a chisel or the back of a hammer and place it inside the money slot - slowly lever the top and you should be able to pop the top off - you can now use the money pots to house a plant, sweets or pens.
That's what they'll be asking when you burn this delicious smelling chocolate in a can candle from Aunt Sadies... A great alternative to the obligatory Valentine heart box of chocolates.
Everyone needs a little extra inspiration to get through the 'day to day' drudgery of life... and these vibrantly designed quotes do just that. We carry an assortment of the journals , canvases and magnets online and offer a large selection of cards at our stores. If you don't live near a catching fireflies shop, you can also purchase the cards at propertopper.com.
For a twist on the traditional paperwhites, try planting them in large seashells for an exotic new look. It's pretty simple and Cottage Living Magazine has made it super easy by listing what materials and steps you need to create these little lovelies.
If you're not feeling so crafty, but would still like some pretty posies to brighten up the mundane winter months... We also sell a stylish little kit that'll have you growing gorgeous blooms in no time.
