You may not know this about me if you haven’t hopped over to my wedding blog, but I have a favorite animal.
image via allaboutwildlife.com
I love giraffes! I think they are so wonderful and unique, and slightly awkward, which is fantastic. They’ve always been my favorite animal, ever since I was going through the Zoobooks magazine in first grade and came across the giraffe edition. I was hooked.
Now, I love me some giraffes and giraffe printed things, but I don’t want to become “The Giraffe Lady” who has giraffe stuff everywhere because people know it’s my favorite animal so they gift me giraffe stuff exclusively. The thought is actually very sweet. My sister used to only get Betty Boop items because she loved Betty Boop when she was younger, but she certainly outgrew it, and her shelf of Betty went away soon after high school began.
I have already accumulated two giraffe statuettes, which is nice. One for the office and one for home. But I think that’s enough statuettes. I saw this giraffe print scarf that I totally almost bought, except for the fear of “TGL” connotation. One time, I went to my favorite restaurant in Santa Clarita, and the hostess was wearing a giraffe charm on her necklace, and I wanted it so badly! And if I look on Etsy and type in “giraffe,” so many cute things pop up that I almost don’t care about becoming TGL! For fear of not becoming the TGL, I will share with you some pieces I wouldn’t mind having.
via BlackSwanJewels on Etsy
I love how this giraffe is sitting on all fours, and is in a different shape than normal. Also, I love that this is a simple charm necklace, my go to jewelery nearly everyday. Read: It will actually get used.
via Collage-o-rama on Etsy
Giraffe? Check. Shopping? Check. Words on a page? Check. Wow, this print gets me. 3 of my absolute favorite things combined into modern deliciousness? Nice. Although, I do have to admit, this is more modern than my regular tastes.
via paintallnightstudios on Etsy
I LOVE this! How could you not?
via kikuike on Etsy
SO CUTE! Squealworthy, really. I’m still in love with them. And from the wedding post I did about these cake toppers, my friend sent me a T-shirt that is so freakin’ adorable, I want it:
"I'm Like a Bird" designed by Lim Heng Swee via threadless.com
Hmmm. I don’t think I’ve done a very good job convincing you that I am NOT “The Giraffe Lady.” I walk a fine line daily. I don’t like to tell people that I love giraffes, because I like other things too. And sometimes, I need something other than giraffe note cards, coasters, statues, and t-shirts. But if you got me one, I don’t think I would mind all that much. I mean, I’m pretty sure only 5 people read my blog. That’s not too many giraffe things, is it? Haha, I’m sure E would truly appreciate it if you kept my giraffe hoarding to a minimum.
Long story short: You CAN have too much of a good thing. Heed my warning, and avoid becoming an “[Anything you like a little more than average] person.”
Ayestria Abridged 
Oh man. We are totally going to be friends. BLOGROLLED.
YESSSSS
Fantastic. “Blogrolled.”
Love that paintallnight portrait. So precious!
That is an interesting animal at least, even if you become TGL. I knew someone who always demanded not to receive ornaments for her birthday. Ever since, I’ve thought of her as the no to ornaments girl. Wonder which is worse.
I LOVE GIRAFFES as well… That cake topper? I die.
The cake toppers are SO cute!
I used to like lighthouses. I collected prints, coasters, towel racks.. I know. My son was 12. He summed it up – “you’re getting a little scary with all the lighthouse stuff”. I quit being so fond of them. At that point the attraction or need to fill in some blank space in my bored existence evaporated and the need to collect this stuff went away. Children are like mirrors – we can often see more of ourselves through them than we will ever admit. Good luck not being dubbed the giraffe lady:)
I collect cats – have more dust-catcher cat ornaments and cat-adorned clothes than I can count. Once in a while, a horse ornament intrudes. I totally understand! Enjoyed your post!
Too funny, giraffe lady…thanks for the laugh!
😉
My best friend and her hubby used to be “lighthouse people.” Until their house practically became a lighthouse based on all the memorabilia and figures and prints they received from well-meaning friends…
My father loves lighthouses. Though
common since told everone to stop
buying them long before it got out of
hand. Most people I know would buy
me one collectible then move on to
other things – assuming I had enough.
I guess when someone knows nothing
else about you . . .
I feel your pain so very, very much.
For a while, I was “Cow Print” guy. And then a while later, friends found out I liked penguins, and I was Penguin guy.
The cow print shaped magnets for a white fridge were kinda of kitschy fun and some of the t-shirts were amusing, but I had to draw the line at the penguin shaped cookie jar that made penguin noises when you open the head. ::shudder::
I know what you mean about having too much of something. For me, it’s chickens. I have a few chicken knickknacks, and I always look at chicken art and stuff, but I’m picky about what I actually buy. (Let’s face it, some of it is ugly.)
The cake toppers are cute (are they edible?). But I like the collage of the giraffe going up an escalator. That’s fun. 🙂
My coworker has a chicken purse that you might like! I find it quite fun. I know what you mean about being picky. I am also a huge Disneyland fan, but I rarely buy anything when I’m there. I only buy things I know I will use and always love.
They are not edible cake toppers, but I love them and could keep them around. Thanks for reading!
Yes, thanks to my mother-in-law, my husband’s family believes that each and every gift presented to me must have some connection to penguins. Subsequently, I have a shelf full of stuffed penguins and every penguin-shaped Christmas ornament ever made. All because I think I once made the comment, “Penguins are cute!”
That is exactly what I want to avoid. My future mother in law and my best friend say that they have to refrain from buying me giraffe things every time they see me because they know what that could turn into. Thanks for reading!
Oh, geez. That would be hard to deal with. Thanks for reading!
Uh-oh…you might get more giraffe things now – slightly more than 5 readers today, I imagine! 😉
Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
P.S. The painting of the giraffe and the little girl is my favourite…so sweet!
Yes, that is also my favorite! Slightly more? Like 300 more! Normally, I have 2 readers a day: my best friend and her sister. This is so exciting to be featured.
So you’ve increased readership by 150%! Good for you! You deserve it… 🙂
That was my favorite too!
I love the hook with the giraffs and then you nailed it with the fun feel of your writing. Totally cool. 🙂
Thank you. I really appreciate that you read my blog.
I’m totally recommending you to my friend who loves giraffes. 🙂 I didn’t even see them in Africa but still 🙂 I think these are awesome. Did you ever see the live giraffe web cam 24/7? It’s so cool. Addicting though!
Aw. Thank you! I haven’t seen that, but I expect it will become my new addiction.
I love them all. My favorite one has to be the one with little girl(:
Yes, that is currently my desktop wallpaper. I love that one! Thanks for reading!
For me, it’s dragons. I have a collection, but it’s a couple pieces of this, and a couple pieces of that and everything is spread out. That way, I can hide the fact that I’m the dragon lady. ^.^
Oh, and the painting with the little girl? Too precious for words! (I wonder if I can find one with a dragon like that…) ^.^
Maybe someone can custom make it? I think I secretly (not so secretly any more) love being the giraffe lady.
Then it sounds like it’s a good way to be. ^.^
I like drawing dragons – I don’t think there is any thing
I enjoy drawing more – All my decorations are rustic and
fantasy oriented, but no one buys me decorations, I
choose them myself. Here’s an idea – if you don’t already
have one – a smoke breathing dragon insence burner is
an awsome idea. Also – please check out my site if mythical
creatures are your thing, I have several drawings posted.
I am the giraffe lady! I am drawn to them like nothing else. I have packed away most of my collection, but there is at least one giraffe something or other in every room in my house! My favorite? Giraffe print sheets! Oh! And my scooter’s name is Freeka (short for Africa – get it?) and has a giraffe print seat cover on it!
I already love you. Thanks for reading, and for making me feel mostly normal.
What’s not to love about a giraffe? Please try to find someone who can say one negative thing about a giraffe?
My fiance said that they do something foul, but I won’t write it here. We, as humans, do many foul things, so who is to judge? Thanks for reading!
Some are homosexual but there is nothing wroung with
that! As a rule, if a living creature is able to do a thing –
It will do a thing – I used to imagine all the horrible things
a villin could do when I wrote my first stories – Lator I
discovered that many people would do such things for
real – things that seem to have no other purpose then
to be Evil – It was almost funny – but also left me
dissipointed by my very own species.
Lots of animals do foul things. Ducks, frex, reproduce almost entirely by rape. Oh, and dolphins sometimes kidnap females and rape them. Seriously, dolphins are jerks. You can tell just by looking at their smug, arrogant faces.
Ahem, anyway, with me, it’s butterflies! I used to have a butterfly charm on my bracelet, before it snapped off, and now I have butterfly hairclips. My success at avoiding to become Butterfly Lady has hinged on my ability to own only one butterfly-related object at a time (albeit on a daily basis). And the weird thing is, I can’t even stand real butterflies. Insects freak me out. But I love butterfly-inspired objects, if that makes any sense.
I clicked on your post SOLELY because of the giraffe picture. I have loved giraffes since I can remember. I even crawled under a fence at the zoo to hug one (I was three). Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed, and I hope you get all the COOL giraffe stuff you love and none of the weird, creepy giraffe stuff you see in old lady stores 🙂
Thank you for reading! And I hope so too!
I am just starting to notice that I might be having the same Gifiting issue with plush Totoros (a bear like character from an animated kids movie My Neighbour Totoro). It seems that people just love to give me this adorable guy and at first I loved it but now that my Totoro count is closing in on the double digits I am worried that it might start to get a bit weird.
Hmmm, you can’t help it if people give it to you. It’s only weird if you seek out those things and buy them. Maybe. Because maybe you’ll see something Totoro that you absolutely love, and you should get it. Look at Hello Kitty’s empire. Thank you for reading!
I’ve always loved giraffes too. I also used to really like owls, but then owls got really hip and became overproduced and exposed, so I’m keeping my giraffe love on the down low.
Haha! I was trying to keep my love on the down low, but I guess the cat is out of the bag now. I was entirely surprised at how much giraffe stuff exists in the world, but it’s nowhere near the popularity of owls. Thanks for reading!
My name is Ariel…. which means Little Mermaid memorabilia galore. I’ve gotten so many Little Mermaid dolls, pictures, books, keychains, etc. I now have an entire box dedicated solely to the Little Mermaid. I used to hate it, but I’ve learned to accept it and not mind when I introduce myself to someone and they say, “OH! Like the Little Mermaid?” Yes. Like the Little Mermaid. I suppose if you can’t beat them, join them.
Oh, goodness. I have the same last name of a certain prince in a popular Disney movie, and there’s even a song! I used to hate it when people would sing the song at me, but I’ve gotten over it.
One of my posts features
professional mermaids –
check it out.
I loved collecting candles. It does get quite daunting though when people continue to pile them on you.
Congratulations on being freshly pressed!
Thank you! At least, you can burn through candles and have yummy smells. My mom collects candles, but she uses them often in our home to absorb the smells of her cooking.
Hi, yes, when people know what you like it is at least easy to get a present for you. Unfortunately it gets too much sometimes. – Two comments above are about lighthouses and you also made a comment about your mother-in-law! Anyway — I love lighthouses and every Christmas my mother-in-law gives me a lighthouse (lighthouse lamp, miniature of a popular lighthouse, or simply a lighthouse that has no use at all). Now that is exciting… until I started receiving the usual blue and white lighthouses! I still like them but I find that when something is too accessible, it just loses the magic.
You may not believe this, but giraffes have been my favorite animal since I was a little girl (I just turned 50!, yikes); I don’t remember how the collection started but literally now numbers more than 400 — the last time I counted was many years ago. Lots of those are jewelry, socks, pictures. I’ve really toned down the ones I leave out in the house, preferring the functional ones like giraffe salad tongs and letter openers. But needless to say, when new people walk into the house, they ask who loves the giraffes. I could overload you with “stuff!” They are fascinating animals, having this unique combination of being graceful and clumsy all at once. Even with all my “stuff” they remain my favorite animal, though dogs rank very high and the animal kingdom in general is always amazing me. Congratulations on being FP’d and also with your wedding!
This is great-and congratulations on being freshly pressed! I know what you mean about having a favorite thing, I think people feel compelled to get you gifts related to it, especially when your favorite thing is an animal. I’m a beagle lover myself-admittedly, they’re a lot less exotic than giraffes, but I love them! Last year though, my stepmom bought me a housewarming gift and… well, it’s the thought that counts, I guess. It was a Bassett hound statuette, not even a beagle, and it’s just awful. I don’t have the heart to throw it away though, so it’s tucked away in a corner where no one can see it!
Oh, thank you so much for reading! Oh, gosh. Is it the Basset hound statue that wears a tux and holds a tray, like in Modern Family? I would hide that too. Haha! At least giraffes are pretty distinguishable from other animals.
It’s even worse! He actually looks kind of drunk!
This post is really sweet and unique! I actually think that as long as you have different types of giraffe-themed objects, you’re ok. And if they’re subtle and unique–like the necklace (not giraffe colors, can’t see the spots)–that helps too.
Congratulations for being on the front page! This is hilarious. You can’t have too much of your favorite thing, unless it’s a food that will make you ill if you eat it a lot… like me and apple pie.
Yeah, it gets touchy sometimes saying that you like something, because there’s always the potential that it’s what you’ll get “known” for and/or given – whether trinket, gift or food.
I am a fellow giraffe lover.
There was one called George *who apparently was the oldest/tallest on record* but that was about 40 years ago. He’d be visible at the bottom of our garden which backed onto a national game reserve.
Thanks for the post. Love it.
I guess it gets hard when people focus on one thing you love. I’ve found that I only tell a few people about one of my favorite things, then tell another group of people about my others. (i.e. lots of people know I like penguins but not many people know I like cows). So maybe spread the love a little. Great finds on Etsy though!
Love it! There was actually a giraffe at the petting zoo at The Delaware State Fair this year, and you could feed him carrots! Best petting zoo. Ever.
I have a friend who is like that with frogs, though. She eventually told everyone to stop giving her frog-themed presents because it was making her sick of frogs, haha.
And congrats on Freshly Pressed 🙂
missredreflection – am I your frog friend? Because that’s totally my story. LOL
People always say I’m impossible to buy for. Maybe I need an animal… Look what you started! Congrats on being FP.
Haha. “”I’m pretty sure only 5 people read my blog”
Congrats on being freshly pressed!
Congrats on bing Freshly Pressed! What a fun post! You are going to have a giraffe gift avalanche! : )
I once told people I like tea pots and tea. I have not have a set of six different ones and I didn’t have to buy tea for three years….I hear ya. -Abi
whoops! I meant to write, “I now have six different sets.” I don’t know where my grammar is today.
Do you Eddy Izzard’s evil giraffe?
As the resident “Giraffe Man”, I can totally relate.
Just in case you don’t, here you are:
(And it’s Eddie, not Eddy.)
Very entertaining blog post. Loved the giraffe shirt! Also loved the part where you said probably only five people read your blog, lol! Grats on being freshly pressed! And, bibliophiles RULE!
Hmm… You weren’t quite convincing…I’m about to go search “giraffe” on Esty myselft!
I’m guessing more than 5 people will read your blog now (congrats on being FP!) Your story made me think of how all my friends now know me as “The A-Team lady”. Long story. But yes, too much of a good thing can ruin that good thing. Hard lesson to learn. I really enjoyed reading your post.
hahahah ‘TGL’, i loved the part about only recieving giraffe themed gifts if your status as TGL became official! When i first started listening to the Beatles it was all i would talk about so i got Beatles cards, beatles make up bags, beatles things that you put your tea cup on (forgot what theyre called just now). ect.
And love the giraffe painting with the girl, now you mentioned it giraffes are pretty interesting !!!
Lol! I’m sorry, but you ARE TGL 😀 That’s okay, it could be so,so,so much worse! And to start you off in claiming your true TGL nature, I have a story for you: I have three sons, and it took forever for labor to actually kick in with the youngest. It would start, and then stop. Start and then stop. This went on for about a month (he ended up being two weeks late). The day he was born, I was woken early in the morning in the middle of the craziest dream. Three guys dressed in giraffe suits were doing a vaudeville act on a theater stage. They were singing “Yessir, That’s my baby, No sir, don’t mean maybe, Yes sir, that’s my baby NOW!” And on the word “now” there was a loud, thunder-like clap, and I was definitely in labor for real. The birth of my now 18 year old son was heralded by giraffes.
That is a really cool story! Heralded by giraffes 🙂
That’s so funny that I found this, because I was literally just talking about this like a few minutes ago. I commented on some cute Hello Kitty stuff a girl had, and she said something to the effect of not being “that Hello Kitty girl”, but that she did think it was cute. I feel the same way! There are some characters and animals I love (I’m really big on dinosaurs), but I don’t want to get ONLY dinosaur or Hello Kitty stuff. haha. My dad used to be a huge fan of Snoopy, but he started getting Snoopy presents non-stop, and ended up telling everyone he didn’t like Snoopy anymore. (He does still like him, he just doesn’t want everything he owns to be Snoopy-themed.)
Another thing that sucks is when your “thing” gets really popular. I had a few friends who collected frog stuff, but then frogs started getting really popular. It just wasn’t fun for them anymore, because it was too easy to find.
I used to tell people I liked something no one had ever
heard of like – fire brats – (An insect related to the earwig
– I still think they’re cute.) Just to issue a challenge. Thanks
to the internet though, that’s no longer possible – you’d be
surprised what people will put on a mug or a T- shirt, no
matter how unconventional it sounds, it does exist
somewhere.
Cute! I loved this. I can’t help but think, at least it is an attractive, passive animal. I mean, it could be terribly wrong, and you could be facing TSL (sharks) or TBL (bears) or something worse. Giraffes are definitely good.
I really like your logic, well done on the blog.
http://misshughesesblog.wordpress.com/
my favorite is elephants!
-grace
Their brain’s are larger then
our own and they have done
some things that totally rock
my world view – not only do
they look tremendous – An
Elephant could hold my attention
with it’s behavior alone. Do you
Know they have funerals?
Yeah Giraffes are beautiful. I love how they are so lanky and yet they manage to be graceful somehow. I love books too 🙂
My mother had that happen with cows, and now she doesn’t want anything having to do with cows. You have to find a line and draw it, like getting the necklace and the scarf but telling other people specifically NOT to give you giraffe things. Really, if they don’t know more things you would like than just another giraffe statuette they are the kind of friend who should stick to giving you gift cards. 🙂
Congrats on the FP!
My aunt loves cows! Loves to
raise them, eat them – breath
them – (They stink) After all,
she is a farmer – but her nick
nack passion is sheep – still –
everone gives her cows for
some reason.
great post – I love that you have found unusual Giraffe pictures – particularly the “I’m like a bird” picture.
The only creature that and litterally and figuritively
have its head in the clouds.
Definitely a cute blog. I love all the pictures, especially the cake topper. You definitely have more than five people who read about your giraffe addiction. I thought I should share with you a hilarious Youtube video about a giraffe: http://youtu.be/oqmnitGfaI4. BTW, is your last name Charming? (Just kidding.)
I totally get this! I like butterflies, and yes I even have one on my blog now, but my ex’s mom once got word that I liked butterflies and then every Christmas, there was a butterfly item under the tree for me. Like a necklace. Or a sweatshirt with a butterfly on it. She was a wonderful lady, and they were great, thoughtful gifts, but I didn’t want so many butterfly things! And, since I don’t want to be the butterfy lady, I restricted my butterflies only to things I really love. But my wedding was sorta themed butterflies…. until we cancelled it… but I digress. 🙂 Loved this post and congrats on the Freshly Pressed.
Giraffes are the BEST! How could anyone not love giraffes? 🙂 great post; made me smile. inside and out.
Aw, don’t fret. lol. It’s okay to be “TGL”. I was surprised at this really. Most woman I know love cats, and that, my dear gets out of hand. Just imagine feeding five or six giraffes instead of cats. (Hmm….)
It’s fun to enjoy collectibles. Try not to overwhelm yourself though. Actually, you’ll be the first to know I love collecting Japanese Manga. I love art. (Shh…)
Looking at Manga taught me that
drawings could be quick and simple
and still appear as if you’ve slaved
over them – My short novel – RUST.
Is posted on my site – I’m told I should
make it a graphic novel – check it
out, and tell me if you agree.
Cute photos!
http://www.thecameraangle.wordpress.com
Totally speaks to me. I am now officially “the penguin guy.” I told friends about my liking of penguins and had gotten myself a couple of penguin items which reinforced them to now bring me or buy me anything with penguins. Help me lol
I must agree (: I let it slip once in the 4th grade that I liked turtles. (Outgrew that a lot time ago.) However, that did not stop people from buying me turtle items ALL THE TIME. And even after I was over them I would still get them as grifts from people. I mean the thought was great…but when you have whole shelves of just turtles…..
OH my. I understand this. Love giraffes, but unwilling to be the TGL. The receptionist at my middle school was The Elephant Lady, and her entire office was full, and I MEAN FULL, of elephants. Unfortunately I became the Aaron Carter Girl at a young age. My mom sent me a picture of him two days ago that she found on the top shelf in my bedroom closet (this is 9 years post AC phase) – alas, I thought I had purged myself of the entire collection of photographs and other memorabilia. Best of luck striking the balance between admirer of giraffes and TGL.
But giraffes are so worth it.
I love giraffes too! They are amazing ceatures!
I really like koi. They’re my favorites and my friends all associate me with them now, which I don’t mind 🙂
One of my friend’s name is Koi….I’ve always found it odd.
Koi? That’s actually pretty unique.
My favorite domesticated fish is the
Plecostomus, aka the algae eater.
What can I say? I like ugly fish. 🙂
I love giraffes too – I’m a huge animal lover. Great post – I love the pictures, especially the last one of the giraffe with his head in the sky with the birds.
My favorite animal is the wolf.
“I’m like a bird” reminds me of a certain picture that twitter made famous: http://www.yiyinglu.com/sc/illustration
I once brought my fiancee and her (then) 9 year old little sister to the zoo, they had this tower where you could feed the giraffes cabbage leaves. It looks like these disembodied heads, hovering and following your movements; I’ve never fed an animal while not being able to see its whole body before. It was quite unique.
Congratulations on FP
Great post! It’s cute, i like it. Congrats on being FP! 🙂
Giraffes have always been one of my favorite animals, and I worry about the same thing. I think the solution is to not really tell anyone that it’s your favorite animal, and only buy what you love, not just because it has a cute giraffe on it. My last three giraffe purchases: a fabulous charm necklace I wore all summer long, a giraffe print scarf (modcloth- is that the same one you were looking at?) and tickets to the Philadelphia Zoo. And as far as I can remember noone has ever bought me anything giraffe related, or called me TGL! Congrats on being freshly pressed!
I love this post. It’s so true! Elephants are my favorite animal, and I recently asked my family to stop buying me elephant items, or else my house was going to get ridiculous!
Also, I too am a bibliophile with a love of contemporary fiction. I look forward to reading more of your blog:)
I feel like I am reading a blog post from my future self 🙂
And I must admit…that shirt is SUPER cute! My friend and I are going to get t-shirts made that just have a chicken (a real picture of a chicken) on the front. And that’s it. Just because. So when people ask why we have a chicken shirt we can simply say: I don’t know….
I really like sloths myself. Unfortunately, I don’t own any sloth-related paraphernalia. 😦
Love this post! ‘I’m like a bird’ lol! My mother was the ‘duck lady’ until she protested. My ‘motifs’ are koi (hello Chelsea), sunflowers, dragons, peacocks and prehistoric horses (what is the connection? no idea)…but like you, I don’t generally broadcast this fact, as I’m picky about the pieces and don’t need hundreds.
Oh, my gosh! Great blog post! When I was younger, I loved everything Paris! The Tower, books, kissing…everything was about Paris. Well, that was before I had a boyfriend and was hoping to find my Prince. It’s twelve years later and I’m still receiving pictures of the damn tower, that my house is beginning to look like a souvineer shop in the place that is made for lovers. I’m now a married woman and we are trying to create our own taste, and Paris has nothing to do with it. My question is, how do you tell someone that you’re not that much into things that you once loved?
I guess you just have to say, “Thank you for thinking of me, but my husband and I are moving into new decor. We want to feature the best Eiffel Towers you have given me and not let them get lost in the shuffle.” I don’t know. Maybe?
That’s alright, you be TGL with pride! All those things are super duper cute! I’m a butterfly lady myself and I try to keep that pretty secret because I don’t want to be a crazy butterfly lady, so I can understand. Oh, and that’s why I stay off Etsy, too many adorable things.
Very cool.
It is funny how different people like different animals – my friend is crazy about penguins, or more we think he is crazy about them so he always gets penguin stuff 🙂
Enjoy your FP!
I thought my mom was the only person in the world who was crazy about giraffes 🙂
The same thing happened to me with frogs. My friend drew a picture of a frog one day and I made a comment on how cute it was and that I liked it. Before I knew it, I received all sorts of frog things for my birthday, Christmas, etc. My family thought I had this secret obsession with frogs. I just played along… for 4 years… It’s stopped now.
Me too. Frogs. Cute ones. Frog candles, stuffed animals, pots, plaques, even a sterling silver necklace. But when I started getting frog potholders, oven mitts and kitchen towels, I had to ask all to cease and desist!
Oh…I forgot to mention, I only bought ONE froggie thing. Everything else has been a gift. Sheesh.
I used to be the sheep lady when I was younger. Now I’m the wombat lady.
“squeeze worthy!” those little giraffes are too cute! I tried to find a cute top to wear going out the other night and every store I walked into was FILLED with animal prints…looked like a zoo!
http://cookingthroughcollegeblog.wordpress.com/
I can totally relate. I myself don’t like being identified with something. With regards to dressing up for instance, I don’t buy clothes of similar styles no matter how much I like them. When jumpsuits became a big hit, I wanted to buy all that I’m seeing but the thing is, I don’t wanna be ‘the jumpsuit girl’. Actually judging from the things I own, no one could guess that I love pink and yellow or anything vintage and actually, I prefer that. I love the cake toppers by the way 🙂
I like the I’m like a bird concept. lol 🙂
Nice one and congrats for being FP!
People often call me a giraffe because of my height (I’m 6’1″) but I, like you, find giraffes fascinating creatures. They’re not my favorite animal, though, that’s panda bears. When I was younger I was THE PANDA BEAR FREAK. I’d have panda bear and Australia stuff everywhere. I even bought this nice little eucalyptus paper weight because it had two panda bears sitting on it.
Yep, I’ve outgrown my obsession, but I still love panda bears. Oh, and as for the giraffe items, I swear if I were you I wouldn’t have been able to resist the two giraffes getting married.
Ashley
i want to buy a giraffe statue for my interior decoration at home … i’ll make a post, it’s beautiful, you would love it
Best freshly pressed post I’ve read to date. LOVE the picture by paintallnightstudios on Etsy.
Oh my goodness. Thank you so much for the compliment and for reading! I truly appreciate it.
I actually went straight on to Etsy after reading your post and discovered paintallnightstudios have closed down their Etsy shop because the redesign dropped their traffic down to almost nothing. Perhaps your post will rejuvenate their business 🙂
x
http://ailsapm.wordpress.com/
I have a friend that kissed a giraffe while in Kenya. She had the giraffe eat food from her mouth. You can always say that at least you haven’t gone that far.
I can relate to this blog post so much! When I was about 14, I went through a phase of really really liking frogs. I would get all excited whenever I saw a frog thing in a shop window, even. My friends thought this all very endearing and piled on the novelty gifts like there was no tomorrow. I grew out of it after a few months, but even now I’m still clearing out frog cards, trinkets, picture holders, stickers. People are just very enthusiastic when it comes to a fail-safe present I think!
Anyway, cute giraffes (;
Aw, how sweet. Esp. those cake toppers, I wish they were stuffed animals. You make giraffes more cool but I’m more a polar bear type of girl.
I’m officially the “owl and skunks” lady. People can’t ever resist force-feeding a collection once you start it!
Congratulations “The Giraffe Girl” you hit the mark!! Nice post.
nice blog…..keep it up….:)
Thank you!
wow..! the cake-toppers are so cute!
I wanna have them too!
i agree with this post in anyway.
Since a lot of my favorite thing became not-so-favorite for me anymore..
i remember i do collect a lot of Garfield toys but nowadays i hardly do so.. i believe that seasons really change as well as people’s every taste..
CONGRATULATIONS for making it at the freshly pressed! 😉
I know how you feel. I like people-watching. You know, going to a mall or something and just watching people walk by. So I have all these pictures of random people that I got by buying picture frames that came with a cardboard stock photo of someone – I just don’t take out the photo, and presto! Pictures of people that I can watch!
My mam used to like elphants, and still sort of does, but was never a complete fanatic. She has some really beautiful jeweled little elephants, and some made out of silver, and a beautiful handbag embroidered with one. But now she all but groans when someone gives her a present with an elephant theme… she’s recieved a few too many ugly tea sets and soap dishes I think! Still, if faced with a choice between a plain throw or one printed with an elephant, she’d pick the elephant…
I love the way you write. I felt like we were having a conversation while flipping thru your photo album. Fun!
Thank you! That means so much to me! And thank you for reading.
D’aww! Those cake toppers are adorable!! That college print is really cool too, I’ve never been particular to Giraffes (nothing against them or anything, they are pretty rad) but I would actually probably consider buying that print 🙂 Nice finds!
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HAHAHA and I used to think I was the only one feeling this way!! It’s lambs for me 🙂 They’re cute and cuddly and I have more than 10 lamb plushies on my bed (with more than half are gifts). In all honesty, I like being called the lamb girl, but there are other animals which I like as well… like giraffes. It’s funny to think that once you’re associated with an animal, you seem to be stuck with it the rest of your life. Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
All of those items were either adorable or absolutely gorgeous. Don’t feel any shame. Especially that tee-shirt. It made me glee inside.
But you are better off with those giraffes than Spain’s former president who in the beginning, when he was new to the job, announced that he loved bonsais. He thought this way he would get the presents that he really wanted and not the gold salt shakers and silver ashtrays that other presidents get.
Bonsais he got, a forest.
There are worse things to be than TGL. In fact, I know one. Her entire kitchen is filled–towels, paintings, statuettes…it may be classified as a bit weird, but it’s rather endearing.
Plus…giraffes are absolutely adorable. 🙂 Anyway, great post!
Too funny…just went to wordpress and saw your blog entry. Last night i gave into my love of giraffes and created this etsy treasury. Many many great things on etsy…it’s a little dangerous. Take a peak if you get a chance. Cheers, Brooke
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjI1MjM5M3w3NjUwNzk0Mjk/giraffe-love?ref=pr_treasury
Alright. This is a fantastic blog, really! And of course you know this thing uptill now, because “THERE AREN’T ONLY FIVE PEOPLE WHO READ YOUR BLOG!!”.
Not only did 88 people have already read and liked it, but alot have just commented..!!
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed. I never really “thought”, or should I say, “liked” Giraffes before, but believe me, these cute n cuddly pictures make me LOVE them!!
Thankyou for the post. Enjoyed it pretty much.
I love giraffes too! Those cake toppers are adorable!!!
Awwwwwwww… That pic with the giraffe and the birds is adorable… I want it… I don’t know why though…
Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, ummm… I’m just a little obsessed with something too… can you guess… Yupp, Harry potter:)
i have a thing for cows. It’s kind of twisted. It got to the point I had to tell everyone, NO MORE COWS! I have a tea kettle shaped like a cow. Stuffed cows. A cow candle holder. Cow dish towels. My childhood stuffed animal? …Cow. I really don’t wanna be TCL. I think it’s too late.
I know EXACTLY what you mean! If my parents know I like something, they’ll find it for ALL my presents for YEARS. Because it’s easy, and they think I’ll always like it. It’s like, “I ONLY LIKED THE COLOR YELLOW FOR LIKE 5 MINUTES. HOW DO YOU EVEN REMEMBER THESE THINGS? While standing in a yellow room in yellow clothes holding my yellow pillow.
I totally agree. In fact, its even worst with your favorite restaurant. If you go to your favorite place to often, you give them to many opportunities to screw it up, then its no longer your favorite.
It might be time to embrace your inner TGL. 🙂 It sounds like the world is waiting for one!
Great post!
Me too. I collect elephants – but I LOVE giraffes 🙂
Love the cake toppers! So creative!
We would love for you to follow are blog that we just started! We just started following you! http://adventuresofbrittania.wordpress.com/ We hope you enjoy!
I go nuts for dragons! The live lizard sitting on my head
right now had the misfortune of haveing ‘dragon’ in it’s
name – that was the straw that broke the camel’s back
for my mother – who wanted a clone of kermit the frog,
and an understanding daubter to care for it. See, she
has a terrible fear of roaches – guess what ozzy eats –
bingo. Now I’ve made it clear to everyone who knows
me that that I don’t want to own too much stuff – so it
really doesen’t matter what I like, but to be on safe side
maybe it’s best to chose a favorite thing that isen’t alive.
You never know when you’ll be saddeled with a real one. 🙂
Cute story about your lizard. I love dragons too, and have since 3rd grade. Have a small collection but one can never have too many dragons;)
Hi there,
I also clicked on your blog because of the picture. I loved the pictures and I think the one with the girrafe and child is my favorite! You’re also a good writer. Thanks for sharing your love of that gorgeous, elegant creature.
This is great. I never hid the fact that I like giraffes, and it is a very (very) common gift item from people. I have so much giraffe stuff. I’m cool with it though- now I want the shopping collage.
Too funny. I remember wanting something with ducks on it when I got married and sadly ended up with an entire kitchen full of ducks and no money to replace any of it for many years. There’s cute and then there’s truly overboard. My sister-in-law unintentionally went the route of roosters for her kitchen and we still occasionally find her the odd rooster object to pick on her. Mostly she’s the “no rooster” lady these days. Yeah, having a favorite thing can make it your not favorite thing.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. I said i liked sponge bob square pants once..next thing you know i had car mats, 10 stuffed square pants characters, and even a computer mouse pad… All from a little comment… i’m 30 years old…seriously?
I love potato chips and sadly I am the product of my obsession. Love the pics …
Love this post!! And I love giraffes 🙂 My old bedroom was covered with different giraffe style items. At my new flat I’m trying to calm it down a bit though. I also have a shop on Etsy. Unfortunately I don’t sell giraffe items 😦 ColourWheelCrafts
I know, right?? My brother loves elephants. He should be elephant-ed-out by now. I know I would, but then again he’s a strange bird. Or, it’s like I’ll love this one song – I’ll listen to it over and over. Then, when it becomes everyone else’s fav, I’m over it because I’ve done it to death!
Once you make something your favorite thing… u can lose out on other equally cool animals. Luv giraffes though check out my blog http://twalker123.wordpress.com/intern-photo-gallery/
I like Giraffes,very benevolent looking animals,gracious without being posers 🙂
Embrace the “TGL” in you! Buy the things you want to buy.We all have things we love, but you dont have to worry about being seen as overly crazy about it because unless you grew up at a safari full of giraffes only,you have other things that you love to balance out the giraffe is you.
I’m going to be an old creepy cat lady before I reach the age of 50. I just know it, even though I try my hardest best not to buy anything with cute kitties on it. It’s so hard not to!
Thank GOD I’m not the only one out there! Whew! 🙂
Aww.. So cute giraffe cake topper. 🙂
visit please
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I love giraffes too. I’ve fed one at a petting zoo and gotten slobbered on by its spotted tongue. I have a pewter figurine of a giraffe playing a flute (!) but that’s because I’m a flute player, not a giraffe lady. I do agree with you that they’re so sweet, but I’d say they’re graceful rather than awkward. Congrats on being Freshly Pressed.
Ok…if you have a giraffe print wedding dress, all bets are off! 😉
Giraffes will not be making an appearance at our wedding. But thanks for your reading and for your concern.
It’s camels, for us. When my husband and I were dating, he had ordered me a BIG SURPRISE birthday gift that didn’t arrive on time. So, of course, I had to needle him endlessly about it. Finally, he just snapped “It’s a camel!” at me, rolled over, and pulled a pillow over his head. So, a few weeks later, for our first-date anniversary (which we have been celebrating for 12 years, now) we got each other stuffed camels. Completely accidentally, without any consultation, we bought each other exactly the same stuffed camel from the same little shop. Sickeningly cute, I know, but it stuck!
Those prints are lovely. Thanks for sharing them with us.
Love love giraffes too! Just embrace being the giraffe lady. I really love cats and have realized that having a lot of cat stuff makes me happier than not so I have learned to just not care if people think I’m a freak.
I have been through this very thing more than once in my life! Thanks to that I may tell people what I like but then ask them not to go overboard with it (especially my mother). I had to rein in my new roommate last year who kept buying me teapots because I love to drink tea. They were great, don’t get me wrong, but who needs 20 teapots when they aren’t giving regular garden parties? lol
I ran across your blog because of the giraffe pictures. Since I AM the giraffe lady, you have nothing to worry about–title taken. I did go through a phase where everyone wanted to give me giraffes, but I think I’ve broken them of that. For one thing, I’m picky about the giraffe’s appearance. They have such beautiful faces, but some images just don’t capture that. Probably the most unusual giraffe item I have is a giraffe-patterned computer bag. I travel a lot, so I don’t have to worry about someone picking mine up by accident that way.
Anyway, I’m glad to see all of the other giraffe lovers commenting here.
I enjoy giraffes as well, especially since we call my youngest daughter a giraffe. She is very tall, has beautiful red hair, and skinny legs with knobby knees.
So funny! I know what you mean. I once said that I like Pink and now it looks like Pepto-bismol spilled in my entire house!
I’m a total cow woman lol I can totally understand not wanting to be “the _____ lady” but that cake topper almost converted me– TOO CUTE!!
i love it! many of my favorite things lost their luster too. overkill. my favorite animals (unicorns), my favorite color (orange), my favorite songs (overplayed), and of course my favorite men. no longer my favorites 🙂
http://www.icouldntmakethisshitup.wordpress.com
GIRAFFE’S ARE MY FAVOURITE TOO!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD, I AM SO EXCITED RIGHT NOW…
My personal must-get is giraffe blanket cover & pillowcase set.
(rolls over from over excitement…)
🙂
uponatlas.
in any case, i think being TGL is much better than being, say, “The Mickey Mouse Lady” (i know a few of those!) or something …. although, I for one would probably be “The Muppet Show Lady” if i let on in public just how much i truly love the all things muppets, so maybe i should not throw stones 🙂
aha ,ugg boots
I totally enjoyed reading this blog. Reminds me of my sister, The Tiger Lady (TTL).
Hey everyone(: I loved this post 😀 I really enjoyed reading it and the pictures were really nice. I haven’t posted much but what I have posted, if you’d like to read it, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂
The giraffe is my favorite animal as well! Those who know me best always get me giraffe related gifts for my birthday and holidays every year. There were many giraffes around my room when I was a child and every since I’ve just been in love. I have everything from a giraffe printed shirt and towel, a giraffe head mask hanging on my wall, a giraffe wine bottle holder, numerous stuffed animals, a giraffe head shelf, etc.
I absolutely love those cake toppers! Congrats to you!
your blog made the best read in a long time.. I wish more people were like you .. the world would truly be a better place. My pet presently are green parrots as I have them living in the trees all around my house.
I seriously love that cute giraffe cake topper! Too adorable! Even though I’m not really that big of a fan of giraffes, I think I wouldn’t mind getting one of those for whatever occasion.
Nice post TGL! Don’t worry, I know you’ve got other likes too, so rest assured I won’t be going around telling everyone that you’re THE TGL. Or wait, on second thought, I might. 😉
Hahaha that’s cute. I use to love them too.. then they scared me after I went to the zoo.. they stuck their head in the car and tried to lick me………
It is so hard to restrict yourself, but you know it’s worth it. When I was little, my aunt gave me a nutcracker (wooden soldier man with a square movable mouth?), and then I read the book and saw a movie or cartoon, and my fascination spread from there. When I was an adult I started buying more. I did not go insane, maybe only twenty. Even so, a few years ago, I put them on the mantle for Christmas and cringed. The amount belittled the meaning behind that very first one, my affections for my aunt (who died a few years ago), and the fact that it was the story that I trully fell in love with.
But, dragons are to me what giraffes are to you. No one is allowed to buy me any, cause I’m picky. And also, like with the nutcrackers (I know, every time I see the word I start smiling. Stop giggling!), I learned that the best way to showcase your obsession is with a very limited amount. The pieces you keep about a certain thing should have a deeper meaning to it than just the image. The pictures and statues I have- I remember where I was in life when I bought them.
I enjoyed reading your post, thanks for sharing 🙂
My sister loves loves LOVES giraffes. Her room is full of giraffe stuffed animals, giraffe prints, anything giraffe. I call her the giraffe lady. And my other sister is the elephant lady. I always joke with them that they have a mini stuffed animal zoo in their bedroom.
Giraffes are beautiful! I plan on visiting one in its natural habitat sometime in the future =)
Sounds like all you guys are sticking to the ornamental animals. You really need to be concerned when your collection is living furry things.
They cost me a fortune. I bet the cake toppers would eat less!!
I completely agree, a friend of mine can’t stop getting Marilyn Monroe gifts and another friend of mine comes across as sexually frustrated because everyone knows she loves the colour purple and buy her gifts accordingly.
Owning a giraffe would never get old. How could it? I’m sure you can ride a giraffe, essentially it’s a giant horse. You could put armor on it. Who is gonna mess with you when you’re riding a war giraffe? That’s a ticket to do whatever you want all the time.
I am like this with Gingerbread Men/ Women related items. Can’t seem to stop adding just one more to the collection. Christmas time is always tough for my habit due to all the Gingerbread men decorations! 🙂
*Squeals* the wedding giraffes are so cute!
Cute cake toppers! Giraffes are certainly an animal that is unique and I dont know anyone who loves them as much as you, which is a good thing! People will remember you for this since its so different.
– lisaalinh.WordPress.com
lol…it is like i was reading a story about me;) I’m also like a giraffe lady to my friends and have a lot of giraffe presents including statues, bracelets, toys etc. What the hell am I supposed to do with these?!?!?! I just like the animal and that’s all. Does it mean when somebody loves dogs his house must be filled with these kind of garbage? Not that i don’t like them…but one of a kind is enough…..
Cheers:)
My cousin’s ex-mother-in-law loved (!!!!) roosters. Everything in her house had chickens featured in it: napkins, figurines, platters, pillows… even her toilet bowl cleaning wand/brush! We also had a family friend who was obsessed with elephants.
But, it’s good to have a favorite thing! I don’t necessarily have one, so my and my boyfriend’s apartment kind of looks like an eclectic mix of hand-me-downs from the 90s and an Ikea catalogue.
What a worthy object of admiration!
On one of the last days of my first safari in Africa I was sitting on top of the over-lander truck wallowing in the sun, the sky and the vast savannah of Kenya. It was there that I realized that at the top of my very long list of things that I would miss about Africa, seeing the giraffe roaming wild over the land they have graced for millennium would be at the top. There is something so ethereal about how they move, someone nailed it when they described them as the ships of the savannah.
If you haven’t seen them wild it is my hope that someday you will & know that you indeed picked wisely. In case you are interested in supporting this wonderful animal, check out http://giraffesanctuary.wildlifedirect.org/.
Happy collecting.
awesome so cute..
loved the charm =)
I am a cat person and when I say that it gives some people a lot of ideas, you know. Like how I might be catty, rather mysterious (more like ‘creepy’) and like the typical old spinster with lots of cats around her.
The ‘Oooh Cat?’ has tired me endlessly, so these days I just do the boring old ‘Yeah, dog.’ Not that I don’t like dogs, they’re wonderful creatures, but yeah, I don’t want cigar-smoking men to send me LBDs and leatherbound Anna Kareninas just because I mentioned that I like black cats.
So favorite thing, is now a secret favorite thing, haha.
My daughter loves giraffes too – and has since she was a teeny tot. I think your love is something to be celebrated as it makes you a little different from the rest.
Cute<3
so i’m going to quote you here…
“I love giraffes!” … me too 😀
I love dolphins. I used to collect art of them and figurines and tshirts. I looked around and there were lots. I now only have 1 dolphin figurine and 1 dolphin tshirt. I collected so much that I got tired of seeing them. I do love to see them in real life though. I have seen them in the ocean and at sea world.
I LOVE giraffes! I used to love pigs when I was little, and everyone would get me things with pigs on them. I didn’t always mind, but sometimes it was a little crazy lol
Enjoyable post, Thank you
Now I feel I must chose a favorite animal. 🙂
i ‘ve had one of these for years..i just always thouht it was a puppy…no wonder i can’t find a leash that’s long enough.
All of these are totes ‘dorbs!!! :-). Great selections!
Oh yes, I am in love with elephants and for a while in my early married years that was what everyone got me. After a couple of moves and not unpacking as many each time folks have finally got the idea. One good alternative would be to find a wild life fund that targets giraffes or elephants and donate to their preservation instead of buy more stuff to clutter up their earth. Although I do have to admit the girl and the giraffe painting is adorable.
Giraffe’s have this ‘thing” about them. I love the picture “I’m like bird”. simply, pretty, unique, and halarious. Just like giraffes!
The giraffe going up the escalator print is brilliant!
And giraffes in general are amazingly cute, you should be a proud giraffe lover, not worry about how other people see you 🙂
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Seeing as I am the 159th person to like your post I am pretty sure more than 5 people read your post 😉 -Sooo I hope you got enough room in your shelves, on desktops, windowsils etc, b/c those giraffe accesories will surely be rolling in 😉 Sweet post – I enjoyed it! Congrats on making f.p. 🙂
There’s a related rule to the over-loved animal problem: You can over-love a particular food, and if it’s a little quirky, the manufacturer will discontinue it. Just ask my wife about Choco-Lite bars, crispy Carnation Instant Breakfast bars, several types of gum and at least two juice blends. But please ask her when I’m out of earshot; I’ve heard these stories too many times. 🙂
they are such a majestic animal.
I have the same issue… but mine is with Peacocks… I absolutely LOVE THEM! I am even contemplating getting a big peacock tattoo on my arm. I have a bunch of peacock things but some days I feel like I don’t have enough and Etsy definitely is my worst enemy when it comes to looking at peacock stuff! lol One of my best friends has a giraffe addiction as well… she went to Africa for a trip and came back with so many neat giraffe things… and I swear she just bought at least 10 giraffe print bras the other day when I went shopping with her! lol =)
There are giraffe print bras?! You mean I can always be wearing giraffe while no one knows? Tell me where to go!
For years it was both purple and cows for me. Luckily I have broken everyone of the habit! Lately the funny thing has been dietary requirements—my parents seem to block out that I’m lactose intolerant, but I mentioned once that I was staying off gluten for a while and now they won’t make anything with gluten when I come to the house. Still loads of cheese and dairy, though. Thanks, guys!
But more about YOU, darling. Had no idea what I was going to read, but loved the title so I clicked. Delightful. My favorite was the “I’m Like a Bird” piece. Stay staunch, and love them giraffes!
I also love me some giraffes! They are my totem animal because, like the giraffe, I am tall (6 feet for a girl is tall) and rather ungainly. They have been my animal since a wedding where, while dressed up, I told my sister that seeing me run in heels was like watching a drunk giraffe with a head injury try to run. It stuck.
Very nice post. Adorable.
Oh I sooo get you.
Teapots. I love Teapots. Crazy shapes, old, new, all of them. But I resist the temptation because I don’t want to be TTL 🙂
I saw a giraffe teapot! I wanted it very much because I also love tea, but not necessarily teapots.
Wonderful Post :O)
Thank you for the website recommendation! What a cute project, and one I wouldn’t mind picking up myself.
This is too funny, the irony being that now the millions of people seeing this post on the front page will only be able to remember you as The Giraffe Lady!
I know! Now, people are going to expect me to only blog about giraffes, and not about books, or the rest of my life. Haha! Hopefully, people keep reading. =)
FIrst, I love all the giraffe stuff you pictured! My sister went on a mission trip to Africa and the one thing she bought herself was a beautiful sterling silver giraffe necklace with a amethyst in it… simple and beautiful. I know what you mean, tho – my best friend was terrified of frogs (you know, one of those silly but pervasive fears!) and as a joke once someone bought her a frog figurine – and so it began! She thought it was funny, but it got out of hand when that’s all anyone ever gave her. When she finally got really sick of being overrun with frogs, she began “regifting” them and everyone got the hint!
I love the “I’m like a bird”. I always thought giraffes had a sense of humor about themselves. Never seem grumpy, stuck-up or bored like the other animals can.
wow great pic of the girraffes!!
AHHH I am the giraffe lady… slightly obsessed. Fave and only thing I care to look at at the zoo. Hilarious.. love this post.
these r my favorites http://q.gs/897325/cutegiraffe
My grandma was “the giraffe lady” of which you speak. She had shelves and shelves of little giraffe figurines, plus lots of needlepoint giraffe pictures – yuck! When we moved her into an assisted living facility last year, guess what she chose to move with her? Yep, all those tacky giraffes! You are right, a little really does go a long way…
Because giraffe’s have the largest heart of any land mammal, they’re also a symbol of compassion…so who wouldn’t love a giraffe?
Aww, these are great. Love this post!
A humorous look at an addicting love. (Mine is turtles, the Simpsons and too many cartoon characters to mention.) Love the photos. Great read.
I feel this way about leopards. My whole life I have loved the leopard, every kind. But now that it’s making a come back everyone assumes I should have everything in leopard. Minimalism is nice sometimes. It makes us really love the few items we have 🙂 loved your post.
Oh my! I totally know what you mean. I am the same way but with (shhh, don’t tell anyone) lighthouses. My two-year old son loves giraffes as well. And he is not afraid of becoming That Giraffe Toddler, as long as they are stuffed.
Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
When we had cousins visiting us here in Australia from Holland, my mother mentioned that she loves the black and white Fresian cows so often seen in the Dutch countryside. They started sending her cow and cow-print cards and postcards, and the rest of the family quickly joined in, despite my mother’s protests. She doesn’t keep any of the items out on display, but I still giggle once in a while when I stumble across something hidden in a drawer or a cupboard at her place.
Giraffes are my favorite animals and before moving into my new apartment I just found my box of alllll the giraffe stuff people had given me over the years, I decided to bring out a few select giraffes to decorate my new pad. I can definitely relate.
I used to collect carousel horses, and I ran into that problem where everybody bought me carousel stuff for every holiday! The sub-problem with it is that there are A LOT of UGLY (insert thing you collect here), and it seems like the odds of getting a new item that you actually like from a friend or family member grow smaller with every passing year. Of course you can’t go, “Wow, that’s an ugly giraffe!” and throw it away, because it was A GIFT from someone who loves you. (It makes you wonder about the taste of people who love you, after a while.) So while it’s okay to tell people that you like giraffes (preferably hidden in a list of other things you also like), don’t ever tell anyone that you COLLECT giraffes.
First, Ayesha – Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!!!
I have only been blogging for about 3 months, so I am still such a Newbie! And I do Newbie things, like subscribing to or following numerous (too many) blogs. So, I am trying to get control of this urge. So……. when I saw your giraffe picture on Freshly Pressed, I wanted to find out what lay behind it. But I passed it by for a number of days. I knew if I clicked on the story, I would find a kindred spirit and follow the blog. And if I followed the blog I would want to really follow it!!
Well, I finally caved! I could not resist any longer! Like many people who have commented here, I too love giraffes! To me, in your picture it looks like the bottom part of a heart, in between the giraffes’ necks. And in my mind, I visualize the top of the heart. So this makes the picture even more attractive to me.
My love of giraffes was sealed when I found out that no two have the same spot arrangement! Can you imagine? Just like no two people “have the same spots”. I was hooked.
I did receive a few giraffe items as gifts, but not excessive. And I tied my hands together when passing a giraffe display in retail locations! Just the same as I do when I pass bookstores…….!! When we moved to our current house, I did a big purge of “things” – and some of my giraffes left for a new home……. 😦 🙂 I have had the same relationship with clowns, but over a longer amount of time. So after the purge, I was left with more clowns than giraffes, but for both groups those that remain are real treasures.
I love your other pictures within this post – my favourite is the giraffe with the little girl – priceless!
I also think it is interesting that so many people have the same experience, even though our life experiences are so different – the places we live are so varied! People are people, sounds like that is true!
I think I have used up my time!!
Thank you for this post, Ayesha. I enjoyed your writing and your pictures.
Claim your giraffe identity, it’s glorious!!
Patricia
Choose Joy!
Oops!! Forgot one comment…..
I love your blog’s banner – the books look great!! Great choice!
Patricia
girl you have no idea how much i feel you on this one!! i have a great love of leopards and leopard print. i have leopard print tattooed down my back and it does look pretty cool but since getting the tattoo, i continuously have to tell myself to steer away from the leopard print tops and dresses that i feel compelled to buy.
Loved your post! So innocent and sincere, yet so relate-able. As someone who loves dolphins and unicorns, I totally get where you’re coming from. Congrats on being FP’d!
Love giraffes. I am kinda lucky that I have a wide variety of loves, dragonflys (I don’t know why), geckos, betty boop, PURPLE!!!!! humpback whales, dugongs, wise-owl stuff, hand tooled leather… so there’s a couple of subject areas for people to cover with me.
I am a bit of an insomniac and someone brought me a whale songs CD to go to sleep with, after 5 minutes I realised that the underlying creaking/popping sound through all the tracks was the same sound that the ghost in the hollywood version of ‘The Grudge’ made when it came to kill you… insomnia solution FAIL!!!
Congrats on FP!!!
Wonderful post! I have to agree that Giraffes are awkward but adorable and so hard to resist!
Like you, I am also fond of something, but it’s not an animal but some kind of random weed, 4-leaf clover. Usually, people don’t notice it (coz’ first of all who would notice a weed?) but I got hooked to it until now. My friends soon named me ‘Clover Girl’ because I am currently collecting 4leaf clover items. I don’t mind being called one, but sometimes it feels weird and when people ask me why do I love 4leaf clovers, well, I don’t know a short answer to that. Long story.
Anyway, great post! and love the necklace charm! =)
I just discovered the awesomeness of Giraffes yesterday.
what does TGL stand for?
It stands for “The Giraffe Lady” haha.
Love that paintallnight portrait. So precious!
Too funny, giraffe lady…thanks for the laugh!
A humorous look at an addicting love. (Mine is turtles, the Simpsons and too many cartoon characters to mention.) Love the photos. Great read.
I love giraffes, although they’re not my favorite… I don’t think I have a favorite – anything – really. I envy people who have ‘favorites’ because I’m the total opposite… You should continue your love for giraffes; they’re adorable, God-given creatures.
You have such a charming blog! I’m also very fond of books. Would you mind criticizing my work as well? the boom Flipped was my inspiration 🙂
sorry i meant book!
I haven’t found the giraffes were so cute and wonderful before read your posts,like the giraffe couples on the cake.
My brother has the same love for giraffes. He always wishes he can have one in his garden 😀
I love penguins. When I was in jr. High and High School I collected them. I had hundreds of stuff penguins . I use to beg my parents to take to differnt aquariums to see penguins. I guess I think they are the perfect combination of awkward and cute. Recently , at age 20, I was given the opportunity to pet a penguin at an aquarium in Florida. It bite me. Not only was i incredibly disappointed , I was left with a small scar. Now I hate penguins and have a scar to consistently remind me.
“I’m Like a Bird”. So beautiful image.
I soooooo get you!! I love sheep and now everybody thinks they are all I live for! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Those cake toppers are so cute! I used to collect teddy bears. I have 3 or 4 LARGE plastic bins out in our barn full of bears of all sizes. I think I finally had to tell my relatives that I’m done with that for them to get the hint. My Gma makes us pj’s every Christmas. I love that. But mine are *always* green just because in high school I mentioned that was my fav colour. It still is, but I like other things too.
ps. I have that exact copy of Little Women…the one in you header image. ^_^
Love the cake toppers! My sister loves owls, and I fear that I have mostly bought her owl-themed Christmas gifts. I’m pretty sure 20 years from now she’s going to hate me for that. Refreshingly adorable blog post 🙂
Great collection. Mine was chine, got rid of that collection now its bonsai. A collector will always collect.
One of my distant relatives told me never to tell anyone how much you like a specific animal. She once said she liked Owls and from then on everyone gave her owls knicknacks for over 30 years!
I enjoyed reading this one! Congrats on the freshly pressed spot!
Hey Giraffe Girl! I totally agree with you on how having a favourite thing can make it not!
Eg.1: Setting your alarm ringtone to your favourite song by your favourite singer!
Eg.2: Buying accessories and apparels in a certain shade just because you think it makes you stand out, but ending up with birthday presents of that same colour for people thought you liked it!
Great post! Enjoyed it!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the necklace. Did the etsy store have other animals?
Having lived in Kenya for a number of years I understand the giraffe-omania! Love them…and their babies are utterly adorable. The Giraffe Centre in Nairobi is a must see when next you go on safari. Well written and interesting 🙂
I have two adorable pugs. I love them as my children. Anytime I get a gift nowadays it’s a pug. Sweet mother! i have a pug umbrella, tote, salt and pepper shakers, wall mount thing-a-majig. People in my life are making me the pug lady. I totally feel you on this! great post!
Yeah fellow giraffe fan! I’ve loved giraffes since I was a kid and I have a secret dream of getting to pet one someday. But I know what you mean about having too much of a good thing. I have a small collection of giraffe items, but that doesn’t mean I want (or will like) everything giraffe simply because it’s giraffe. One must have standards after all. 🙂
Oh, sweet cheese, it’s impossible to pick just one thing that I love. Seriously if I posted an entire list, I’d be here a long time. Bibliophile here too, I’ll read anything but romance. Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed, and I totally agree about giraffes. Definitely not got only five viewers now.
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I went through my unicorn phase years ago started by my children who started buying me blown glass unicorns when they were young (probably because they liked them) . Then everyone jumped on the bandwagon until I had to tell them to stop. I finally settled years ago on collecting antiquarian books–something you can never have too many of. Terrific post, congrats.
Hi! I am also “That crazy giraffe lady” and I’ve written a blog post about my favourite treasuries… Guess what one of them is? Oh yes, a giraffe treasury!
I have linked to this post in case people don’t know quite what I mean by “that crazy giraffe lady”!
http://westartandglass.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/treasuries/
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Giraffe’s are also one of my lifetime favourite animals, although my wife chooses to believe that since I’ve moved to South Africa, I should momentarily reach a ‘giraffe-lovers plateau’. Unlikely when I can spot them doing stuff such as this: http://kevdieenglesman.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/img_9642b_small1.jpg
I call my sister a “giraffe”, because she is so tall! 🙂
Thank you for this post! Now I have a lot of pistures to send her and remind her true face 😀
Second last photo…AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW =)
Adorable! I feel that giraffes are proof that God has a sense of humor, but in a cute, sweet way. Thanks for this great post!
Giraffes are awesome. If you were to become TGL, at least you would have chosen it. I know someone who could never think of gifts for his mum. One year he decided to buy her an owl and has been buying them for her ever since. Owls are also awesome, but like you are saying here… too much of a good thing…
Congrats of being freshly pressed! 🙂
Congratulations on being freshly pressed! I was instantly drawn to your page as I too love giraffes. This is mostly because my closest friend is currently living in Kenya, & spends a lot of time at a giraffe rescue centre, so giraffes make me think of her. I love all the pictures, the painting of the girl & the giraffe in particular.
I often buy things that have pictures of birds on, or are bird shaped (like earrings) so I tend to recieve ‘bird’ gifts, especially if they are owl related. I have owl photo frames, cushions, little owls to hang in windows etc. My sister often calls me Owlie because of this, so I understand how you feel!
Extreme cuteness – loved it all…there’s no such thing as too much of a favorite thing. Agreed.
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I’m an TEL myself (elephant) as documented by the 500 stuffed elephants still residing in my parents’ house (aka the Phant family). I even got a pink elephant tattoo when I was 19 (which I still love 10 years later), but I don’t like to tell too many people about it for fear they will get me more elephants.
First time stopping by, I’ll be back!
I guess you probably (might) already seen this site; http://www.onemilliongiraffes.com/ – but if you haven’t I would be honored to be the first one to introduce you to it! A great collection of cute and adorable (and some horrible) giraffes at one place, you can even find mine in there! Enjoy 🙂
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