This post is going to have a lot of pictures and some of you won’t be interested but I just have to GUSH about my new stuff. I met this super nice lady/girl/woman on some of the old blogging family’s blogrolls. Her name is Odette Valentine. Her blog is Little Miss Firefly and she lives in Dublin Ireland. She makes hand-made items and I’m telling you RIGHT NOW, I am in love with the stuff she makes.
It’s also not all about “what” she makes but a lot of what I love about her stuff is the presentation. I get a wave of nostalgia or something that washes over me. I can’t really explain it. Take a look at some of her stuff that I just got.
This is how everything arrived. It came all the way from Ireland in just one week. I couldn’t believe it. Isn’t everything wrapped up cute?
Check out this tape you guys. It’s like someone typed on an old-fashioned typewriter. Raise your hand if you remember those. I fell in love with this tape.
If you want to see anything closer up, just click on the image and it will enlarge.
Next up was this cute tin. I had no idea what was inside. I mean I knew what I ordered but the way she wraps them makes it like a fun surprise. You never know what’s going to be inside what. The way she packages everything is so unique.
How cute are these pins? They come in a little cork-board tin. I am IN LOVE WITH THIS. Here is a pic of the back of the darling tacks. One of them is a broach and the two small ones are push pins.
I saw these old-fashioned looking coasters and I just had to have them. They take me back to my grandma for some reason. She used to make things like this all the time with leftover pieces of material. I love these. Here are both sides. There are 4 of them in the pack. Then I saw these darling tags and I thought either plain or with some scrap-booking stickers, they’d be darling tags for gifts.
On this one Odette wrote me a handwritten thank you note and it made everything feel so homey and so personal. Like she made this stuff JUST FOR ME. I know how stupid that sounds but I can’t explain it. Anyway, this is some tape I got Trinity for her birthday goodie bag. She will love it.
I saved the best for last. This was the last goodie I opened. It’s also what took me to this site at this time too. I do go there every now and when but Odette posted these on Facebook, I HAD TO HAVE THEM.
These are jumbo paper clips and she’s put these cloth like buttons on them and they are absolutely adorable. I had a hard time just ordering and picking out two packs. I know eventually I’ll have them all. I am such an office product whore. I like them because in a book, it sticks out a little bit and I think for a teacher or something, these would be a great way to remember what’s clipped on which clip.
The mailing address is friendly and pretty. The stamps were amazing to look at. All the way from Dublin. My father in law would have been thrilled to get stamps from Ireland.
I very rarely gush about stuff but this truly made me happy when it came and I took my sweet time opening it and I enjoyed every moment. If you have “hard to buy for” people in your life and you value that home-made and old-fashioned value feeling, go over to swann and smerlin and you’ll get a feeling that you matter and you’re not just a number. Odette will treat you like your oldest and dearest friend.
This stuff is perfect for all those little gifts for the little times in your life when you’d like to show appreciation to someone with something little and don’t know what or how. Opening some of this stuff is like a hug.
Do you have a secret thing you just love to have?
Us Girls..Our Views 
My secret thing is kiddy books, especially old ones, and especially old school textbooks. Also, every once in a while I just have to find a book that I had as a kid but never see available anywhere. Then when I receive it, it is like a present to myself. Over the years, I have spent an embarrassing amount of money (and time) on such things. Now that I have kids, it may not look as odd, but this really isn’t about my kids at all. Well, the kid in me, maybe.
That stuff is really cute! It’s always fun to get something and just love it more than you thought you would. I can’t think of anything off hand that I just love to have, but like I said, when something exceeds your expectations it just makes my day!
OHHHh that is too cute! I am going to have to order something just to see what I get 🙂
Odette is a very talented and I think we’ll see her and her crafts on tv someday!
Thanks Lisa. I agree. I’ve gotten her stuff before but this time I was blown away but the uniqueness of it.
Oh, for the love of…. NOW I HAVE TO BUY THOSE CLIPS!!!!
I’m kind of an office supply whore, too, but I’ve cut WAY back because it was taking over. EVERYTHING is taking over, so I’m doing a lot of de-cluttering before I start buying stuff like this again. Although, I really do need a page-keeper for my planner, which happens to be pink with little dots on it……….
I also like shoes. And purses/tote bags. I really have to restrain myself with stuff like that. I just love browsing through magazines, thinking, “I could rock that outfit”… it’s almost as fun as buying it – which I don’t, because nine times out of ten, I have no place to wear most of the stuff that I fall in love with.
The clips are TO DIE for.
Aww Thanks for sharing this with us Joy. All the pictures of all the goodies and treasures are wonderful. What a really fun package to receive in the mail. I’ll have to pop over to her sight and take a look. :+) The little tin with the picture of the girl and the dog I thought was super cute and of course the little tressures inside.
What’s in the tin?
Those three tacks. The two with the tack thing and the one broach. Right under the tin. The tin has a cork on the bottom. I thought the whole idea was cute.
This stuff is adorable and screams JOY!!! 🙂
I don’t know, I don’t collect anything, and can’t really think off hand what I love to have. I do love cook books, more for the way they look on my shelf in my kitchen than anything. The older, the better. It makes me look like I am a good cook!! LOL
LOL!!! You are a good cook.
ooh, I like cookbooks, too, although I actually seek them out and buy them ’cause i know I’m going to be making something out of them. I have a bunch of Wilton books, which I keep around to help generate ideas for my next project.
I’m so glad you’re still posting, Joy – just thought I should tell you that.
I am also now completely in love with every single one of the items you’ve posted. I’m going to HAVE to check out this incredible artist’s website. I love when things are made like this, when they feel homey and old fashioned somehow, as if they just came out of a description in a book….
Thanks Ilana. I knew you’d like this stuff. I saw your name them as well as my own.
Oh. my… gosh. No need to explain that feeling- I ordered and felt that same hug. She had even made me my very own special “JavaQueen” coffee jar with coffee from the Philippines, I believe around the time she had just moved to Ireland to be with her hubs. I consider Odette to be my soul sister. She is, without a doubt – one of the most amazing people I know. ….when you wrote, “I am such an office product whore” – I just thought, “Ahhh, someone WHO GETS IT” – I am THE EXACT SAME WAY! In fact, now that school is starting here, I nearly hyperventilate in the school supply aisle at any store. I have to touch everything and I always buy “something” – now is the time, it’s all so cheap 🙂 Love this post Joy! It takes a special person to “get” the whole Odette thing. You should Skype with her. She’s nothing but fun, so are you! xoxoxo
I used to love “back to school” shopping too. It’s good to see you. I hope you stick around.