{"id":15492,"date":"2020-10-03T13:55:30","date_gmt":"2020-10-03T17:55:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catchingfirefliesgifts.com\/blog\/?p=15492"},"modified":"2020-10-03T13:57:01","modified_gmt":"2020-10-03T17:57:01","slug":"detroit-news-feature-10-1-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.catchingfirefliesgifts.com\/blog\/2020\/10\/detroit-news-feature-10-1-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Detroit News Feature 10.1.20"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Catching Fireflies in downtown Berkley is among small businesses that are finding ways to keep their doors open as they struggle with the unprecedented circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

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April McCrumb, who owns the “fun gift gallery” with her husband, Steve, said one of the keys to their survival was being able to “supply something that everybody needed” — masks. “It was a way to\u00a0support another Michigan maker, as well as be able to bring in money.”<\/p>\n

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The masks were made by a west Michigan crafter\u00a0and sold for $11.95 each. “We are still selling them, and we’re still buying them from that one maker,” said McCrumb. “With these kinds of situations, it’s all about pivoting and because we’re a small business, we could act quickly and source things locally. We were able to pivot and find success in that.”<\/p>\n

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And, in a recent email, she noted, “Even when our doors were closed for a few months earlier this year, our fans still shopped online and kept us afloat during trying times.”<\/p>\n

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Making all the right moves at the onset of the pandemic, and with an already well-established online presence, played major roles in the fact that this month,\u00a0the Beverly Hills\u00a0couple will\u00a0celebrate the 20th anniversary of Catching Fireflies.\u00a0\u201cAs long as we are able to create smiles and lift spirits, I believe we’ll continue to be relevant for another 20 years,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n

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In the past 20 years, she and Steve have\u00a0seen babies grow into teenagers, and mothers become grandmothers, so to celebrate the two-decade milestone, they’re inviting those who shopped at the store to share their memories, some of which will be highlighted during the month of October\u00a0on their social media platforms. Twenty\u00a0participants will be rewarded with a $63 shopping spree as a “thank you” for sharing those memorable moments.<\/p>\n

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McCrumb said, “Memories could range from finding the perfect gift for a special situation to just visiting our shop in search of some sunshine on a dark day.\u00a0The idea is to reach out to\u00a0our Firefly fans who have shopped with us as a way to celebrate 20 years of making days brighter. We are a gift store, but we take pride in sending people off with a happy smile.”<\/p>\n

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Persons interested in taking part in the contest\u00a0are asked to email their entry to service@catchingfireflies.com with\u00a0the phrase “Catching Fireflies Memory” in the subject line. Share your shopping experience with a few sentences, and include a photo, if you’d like. Entries must be received by Oct. 11, 2020.<\/p>\n

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The couple is also planning to celebrate with a 20 percent off sale Oct. 9-11, that will allow customers to shop either in-person, or\u00a0virtually at catchingfireflies.com, using coupon code: BIRTHDAY.<\/p>\n

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There will also be a sale at their other business, Yellow Door Art Market,\u00a0located\u00a0 at 3141\u00a0W. 12 Mile, next door to Catching Fireflies. “We will have a sale there the same three days.<\/strong> We opened it 10 years ago. It’s a different business platform. It’s\u00a070-plus vendors with their own small space that they rent and display items they made.,” explained McCrumb.<\/p>\n

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Everything at Yellow Door is handmade in Michigan, however,\u00a0many of the items sold at Catching Fireflies are not only handmade but from people all over the world. Some are imported items, as well.<\/p>\n

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Catching Fireflies in Berkley is just one of three locations. About 14 years ago, April and Steve\u00a0opened a second one in Rochester at 203 E. University, and seven or eight years ago a third location was opened at 419 Detroit\u00a0in Ann Arbor.<\/p>\n

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“We really enjoy what we do, and we feel grateful that we’ve been able to grow over the years,” McCrumb stated. All four shops\u00a0have reopened since the shut down created by the pandemic.<\/p>\n

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Detroit News Columnist Jocelynn Brown is a longtime crafter. You can reach her at (313) 222-2150, jbrown@detroitnews.com or facebook.com\/DetroitNewsHandmade.<\/p>\n