keep on preaching india arie

I stumbled upon one of India’s latest releases There’s Hope while driving the other day and couldn’t get it out of my mind… which was a good thing because it has an uplifting message that’s important to remember.  In addition to the catchy back beat the chorus goes a little something like this:

There’s hope. It doesn’t cost a thing to smile. You don’t have to pay to laugh. You better thank God for that.

treadmills as an artform

I appreciate unusual creativity wherever I see it.  Ironically I first spotted this unique ‘ok go’ on vh1 while working out on my treadmill.   

Who would have thought that 8 treadmills lined up in two rows could be so amusing?

tsubo style

Tsubo’s won my heart when it comes to these sweet tennies.  Here’s why these shoes are the tops…

1. aqua and chocolate color combo (yummy)  2. lots of fun texture combinations including velvet, suede, leather and subtle iridescent ribbon & trim 3. super comfortable & very stylish  4. they’ll make you want to skip down your nearest sidewalk

Best of Berkley 2006

Recently the Berkley Beautification Committee conducted a poll where the residents of Berkley voted on the best things in their city.  I’m happy to announce that catching fireflies won in three different categories: the best place to shop, the most unique shop and the best window displays!

Thank you Berkley residents for thinking so highly of us and supporting our little gift gallery for the past six years. You are an important part of our inspiration.  We are truly honored.

We look forward to bringing you many more unique and whimsical goodies in the years to come.

merry miniatures

Meet Thomas von Koch of wgk glass.  He is the talented artist behind the adorable and quirky glass miniatures we’ve recently started carrying.  He originally is from Germany but now resides in Delaware. His exceptional craftsmanship and wonderful details make his work a joy to own. 

You can start your very own special collection today.  Each ‘one-of-a-kind’ creature measures less than a half of inch and is only $4.00. There are many animals to choose from and each one has their own personality.  Because every piece is unique, these little guys are only available at our Berkley and Rochester stores.

artsy indigo shoe

Since I’m on a bit of a shoe kick, I have to share another beauty  I picked up while I was in Santa Monica this summer.  I love the subtle color combination and the mixture of textures on this shoe style.  And since Indigo is made by Clarks, they are comfortable to wear too. (always a must in my book)

the spin from ‘me too’

Just a couple of days after I posted the article about Northville, I received a gift certificate from that lovely little shoe boutique Lorla’s.  So I scooted back to snatch up my new favorite fall shoe.  They are really comfortable, super hip and go with just about everything.  What’s a girl not to love?

autumn in northville

I just love Northville, Michigan. Steve and I rented a house there shortly after we were married and have very fond memories of our stay. (eventually we had to buy our first home and as you can tell by the downtown, the houses were a little out of our price range at the time)

At any rate, we stopped by this charming town recently and I’d like to share some of my favorite stops with you.

One of the most unique attractions is their fabulous children’s theatre.  It has lots of wonderful history and puts on great features for the whole family to enjoy.  Of course there are plenty of shops to peruse including some great clothing stores and one of my favorite shoe stores Lorla’s.  Some other great stops include Dancing Eye Gallery, Traditions, and The Stampeddler.

 

After you’ve worked up an appetite you can stop by Rebecca’s for a scrumptious lunch (the sweet potato fries are my fav) then get a flavor-full gelato for dessert from American Spoon.

 

And if you’re lucky enough to visit in the fall, a cider mill stop is a must.  I’ve been to my share of cider mills and Parmenters has the best fresh cinnamon-sugar donuts around… and of course their cider is pretty swell too.

This is just a small sampling of Northville’s offerings so I highly recommend you check out this sweet little downtown for yourself.

miss maude of ludington

I don’t need too much of an excuse to get away on the weekends so when our friends invited us to stay at cabin near Ludington, Steve and I were on our way.  It was the first time I ventured into this paticular lakeshore town and was pleasantly surprised by this fanciful store filled with lots of personality. 

Miss Maude herself greets you as you wander into to this eclectic mix of art wares.  I must say the setting for this quirky artist’s garage is quite lovely and the vintage truck filled with garden goodies is quite a sight.

And just a few doors down I enjoyed a wonderful art installation inspired by the owner of Maude’s and sponsored by the Ludington Arts Council titled The Windows of our Lives.  It’s the collaborative work of over seventy artists of all ages.

Now for the sad part of the story… unfortunately this colorful art show will be turning into lakeshore condos next year along with Maude’s Garage.  I’m happy to have experienced this small town street scape when it was alive and full of art.  After all, it’s far more interesting than rows of boring condos!

This one is one of my favorites.

the celebrity next door

Ever wonder where you rank in the celebrity pool?  Wonder no more with this highly addictive website myheritage.com.

The site was originally designed to make it easier for people around the world to use the power of the Internet to discover their heritage and strengthen their bonds with family and friends…. but of course I couldn’t help to be drawn to the superficial option of celebrity face recognition.  So here’s where the fun begins… 

Simply upload a face shot of yourself, friend or family member.  Then the program scans your face and searches for similiar looking celebs  all in a matter of minutes!  Turns out Alyson Hannigan (of American Pie) is one of my matches.  I guess with a little red hair dye… I can see it.

 

So I couldn’t resist putting my handsome husband Steve in this fancy celebrity matching machine and ta-dah…  turns out that Mr. Matthew Perry is his man.  And after watching Friends all these years, it never occured to me that I was married to a Chandler look-a-like…. not too shabby!

And just for fun I put our ‘camera shy’ Berkley Store Manager Danielle in the mix.  I didn’t think she’d mind considering Andie MacDowell was one of her matches… I mean, who didn’t love her in St. Elmos Fire?