Firefly Blog

About

Erinn

I’m Erinn. I have two exceptionally cute shops on Abbot Kinney in Venice, CA. Firefly + Kid Firefly.
This is where I catalog my inspiration, among other things.

visit us

firefly 1409 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice Beach, CA 90291
(310) 450-6288
shopfirefly.com  /  map >

Kid 1405 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice Beach, CA 90291
(310) 450-6283
kidfirefly.com  /  map >

Project Run Away

Are you like me?  So many ideas, so little time?  I started this project and about four hours in, I realized I vastly underestimated the time it was going to take me to finish.  I intended to wrap the entire branch most of which is not shown in the photo.  Eventually I let the project go.  Let this be a reminder to all to be forgiving as we try with best of intentions to craft Halloween outfits, plan Thanksgiving dinners, shop for table decorations and quell the urge to reorganize the home for family that are coming to town.  Most of all, keep your wits about you when once again, no matter how many times you told yourself this past July you would do things differently, you find yourself paying for rush shipping and wrapping presents in the wee hours of the night knowing that you have to be at Aunt Suzy’s house at 7am with coffee in hand.

posted 10/21/2011

labels: Craft 0 comments

Tracey Tanner continues to sparkle

My love for shiny and metallic objects is being tested here at Firefly.  We just got another shipment of Tracey Tanner wallets, make up bags and bracelets and her new color assortments are crazy good.  I’ve asked myself if it’s the wallet I really need or perhaps a zip clutch.  Truly the only thing that has kept me from buying a new one is my inability to choose.  They’re all good.

I’m always a sucker for little bags that you can put things in.  They are perfect for when I am going out on the town.  Fits my phone, keys, a lipstick and some cash.  Also a hit are the wristbands.  Somehow they are feminine and tough all in one which I think is a winning combo.  Her wallets?  Forget about it.  You’ll find a tiny bit of joy each time you pull out your debit card.  I actually say hi to mine which is something I probably shouldn’t admit.

 

Tracey is pretty awesome.  We don’t live in the same town anymore, but every time I get the chance to chat, I feel really good about supporting her.  She is truly in her studio/sweatshop sewing these with her own hands.  I just love that.

Donna Wilson. You are Amazing.

I am such a huge, huge fan of Donna Wilson.  I’ve owned one of her pillows for years, and I covet it every bit as much as the day I bought it.  Her bright pop and folksy sense is just outrageously great.  I feel nostalgic, silly and basically utterly happy when I look at her designs.  She is one crafty lady.  I’m waiting on a pouf that’s coming our way, and I can’t wait to rest my feet on it after a hard day’s work.  Just look at this fab couch I found via Home Shopping Spy:

 

I brought a blanket home for Mia as I couldn’t help myself, but the husband asked if we really needed it, so back to the shop it went…(for now).  Aren’t these the best looking hot water bottles you’ve ever seen?  We have all sorts of items now in the shop and more are on the way.  In addition to hats, gloves and scarves, we’ve got plush at Kid and just about the cutest baby blankets and pillows you’ve ever seen.  That Donna is clever.  I have a terrible sense of direction and am a bit slow when it comes to left and right.  When I saw these gloves, I couldn’t resist.  I’ll be seriously laughing at myself all winter long and will probably need to wear these in yoga class so I know which leg to lift when the teacher calls out a sun salutation.  Namaste.

 

 

 

Where the Bison Roam

It’s been so warm these days that I have been reminiscing about the fun times I had this summer, so I wanted to share some of the adventures I had.  Each year, about a dozen friends head to Montana for our annual summer vacay.  After an arduous trip to Costco where literally three carloads of food is packed in, we head Northeast to the middle of nowhere.  After we’ve deliberated where we’re all sleeping, we head on out to the dock and remain stationed there until it’s time to head home.  Some read.  Others waterski.  My brother always drives the boat.  Everyone drinks Fat Tire.

Options include kayaking, biking, hiking, fly fishing, swimming, cooking, star gazing and always an occasional game of Scattergories.  We look forward to the trip and each year brings subtle differences (now we have child in tow) which make each year unique.  I highly recommend the  Hiawatha Trail where you bike (literally coast) down an old railway for pretty much 3 hours.  If you ever have an opportunity to do this in your lifetime, do NOT pass this up.  This summer’s highlight was a brief trip to see bison.  I had heard that a neighbor (and by neighbor, I mean a 40 minute drive) had a small herd, and I just insisted that I go see for myself.  I mean, how often does one see bison?  While our trip was brief and the bison were, in fact, roaming right out of our range for the night, I was overwhelmed by their majestic stature.  They seemed unbelievably timid yet strong, like warrior strong, ultimately making them the most human of animals I relate to.  It was an honor to be in their presence.  While it was also a trip where we pretty much parked the car, snapped a few photos and headed back to the cabin, this animal had a profound affect on me.

Here we are having a staring contest.  I was imparting my infinite wisdom upon him while he was looking at me thinking he could probably take me out in one fell swoop.  The American Prairie Foundation is making huge strides in returning our North American native prairies back to their original habitat.  How cool would it be to go on a safari in the United States?  One day this may be possible.

posted 10/18/2011

Have you been to Oscar’s yet?

Have you been to Oscar’s yet?  I found it totally enchanting.  I may have happened to be there on a good night because we were seated right away in their wine room which I highly recommend requesting if you have a large group.  The customer service was beyond exceptional.  I got the feeling that the staff liked to be a part of this local joint.  The GM was so knowledgeable, friendly and warm that if my hands were cold I would have rubbed them together and held them out towards him to bask in the bonfire glow.  I almost called the owner mid dinner to congratulate him on his success.  The decor – forget about it.  I went home and started packing because I was ready to move in.  Modern industrial perfection.  I actually asked if I could buy the table we were seated at because they are planning to replace it with something even better.  Great wine.  Great fish tacos.  I recommend the shrimp.  Good atmosphere led to great conversation.  I look forward to returning.

posted 10/13/2011

That’s Gnome my Name. That’s Gnome my Name.

You know you are going to sing “gnome” next time you hear that song, right?  Well, it’s nearly mid October and that means it’s time to think about Halloween costumes.  I think Mia is going to be a gnome this year.  I haven’t decided but how cute would that be?  She loves gnomes or simply pointing out noses.  If you say gnome, she will point to the nose.  They do sound similar.  Hmmm?

Back in stock at Firefly is the most clever and precious artful book on Gnomes.  I came across this book as an adult and seriously felt robbed of my childhood that I didn’t get to enjoy it when I was eight. After a friend went into animated detail about each of the special things gnomes do, like fill cavities for deer in the forest and what not, I had to get it.  I’ve considered it a treasure ever since.

 

posted 10/12/2011

labels: Books 0 comments

Oh Lotta Jansdotter

Stop being so fabulous already!  I love you.

posted 10/11/2011

Extraordinary Inspiration

There is a part of me that is grateful Mia came along solely for the sheer fact I no longer have to explain why I have so many children’s books.  I am crazy about them and have been collecting for years.  Last night I was doing a bit of rearranging at the kid store after we closed.  I find it’s good to do this when no one is around to distract me so I can turn up the music and revel in creating little vignettes around the shop.  I really love the things we have, and it’s nice to spend time revisiting all the goods.  A new shipment of books arrived recently, and I pulled one from the shelf that caught my eye.  Instantly I was enamored as I flipped through the pages and mentally made a note that this would definitely make it into my personal collection.  I had my work cut out for me and knew I’d be burning the midnight oil if I paused to play with all the merchandise so I decided I would read it later.  Standing on a ladder, I stacked three sea turtles on a shelf and grabbed the book I intended to display.  Guess what I spied?  Total glee.  Total inspiration.  One of the things that makes me love my job.  Not only did I love the book, but I discovered it was illustrated by Lisa Congdon.  It made me so happy.

Many of you may already be aware of Lisa Congdon’s work.  I feel she was light years ahead of the blogging world, and one of the first people I really followed alongside Design Sponge.  I don’t know how or why I found her, but I thought it was awesome that I stumbled upon her way back when.  I was grateful she shared so many wonderful details of her life, and as a follower, I got to be a part of her evolving into the person she wanted to be: a full time artist.  She is articulate, truthful, heartfelt and was always decorating her kick ass apartment like nobody’s business back in the day.  I drooled over her studio, coveting some of the art pieces hanging above her couch and thought she was so clever the way she photographed her dog perched atop a set of vintage suitcases.   I found her totally relatable the way she navigated through life as she shared her transition from being a full time employee doing fun art projects on the side to actually manifesting owning her own store and becoming an illustrator publishing her own work.  I like her style, and I like her story.  She continues to do so many interesting projects and I say Bravo!   She’s just started a new blog.  Check her out if you already haven’t. Hurray!  Mia is off to a birthday party this morning, and you’ll never guess what she is giving the birthday boy.

Sleep masks for hipsters. Finally.

After a big weekend, I am thinking I could really use one of these.  I have family in town, and I don’t know how it is with your family, but our casual dinners sometimes turn into late nights.  It’s starting to take its toll.  I have never actually tried to use a sleep mask before, and now Dreamstate has come up with something so “cool” that I am thinking I am going to give it a shot.  These are so fun, I would welcome waking up and checking Facebook only to find a sweet shot of me sleeping peacefully, with a few likes and a dozen snarky comments.  Come to think of it, maybe I could even get away with actually wearing these to the next family dinner.  With all the yammering going on, maybe no one would notice I was taking a little snoozer.

They’re new to Firefly and with all the hipsters looming outside GTA, they’re sure to go fast.

 

posted 10/02/2011

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