Introducing the " Home Town " HipsterCases

So the last month I've been feeling distracted and in a kind of daydreaming mood. I've also been busy planning a trip back home to California! The holiday season is basically here - so that means I can bury myself into the arms of my family and drive them crazy with love. Anyway - because of the daydreaming, feeling lost, and the dawn of a new adventure - I haven't been in the creating mood. 

The weather is changing here in the Netherlands and this always causes me to feel a bit sad, and I blame it on the lack of color! So I thought I'd add some color in my life with my new Home Town line. You won't find any boring color schemes here. Hope you like them! oh and if you don't see your State yet - I'll be happy to make it for you. These are totally customized and the colors can be changed to fit you - as well as the heart location. 

X - Lorraine 

I miss you most at night

I made this card because I miss someone I love, and mostly at night. Night is the time when I feel most awake.. most inspired.. most alive. It's the time when I'm most creative, most talkative, and most in love. I think it's because when night settles.. the stars shine and the moon gives a glow that makes you feel like dreaming. For those of you lucky enough to be with the people you love.. go outside tonight and take a walk under the moonlight. Or if you're like me and can't be with your love -  look up at the moon tonight and smile knowing that at least it's the same sky we share. 

X Lorraine 

Instagram and my not so beautiful life

For longest time I have wanted an Iphone. Not because it's a cool phone and not because everyone has one. I wanted one for only one reason - I wanted to be able to use Instagram. There is something so lovely and nostalgic about the photos that are created by others, and I wanted to be part of it. I was taking photo's with my Samsung Android phone and sharing them on Facebook. So Instagram was the next logical step. Besides all my friends were doing it (smile). 

Once I finally got the Iphone - which was only about 2 months ago - something happened that I wasn't expecting. I got extremely click shy - and couldn't think of anything to take to photo's of. I found myself taking the standard cliché  food, coffee, and feet shots. How boring, right? I also discovered that my life isn't as interesting as I thought! Big shocker. So I didn't really use Instagram much, and my new shiny white Iphone became just another fun gadget. 

Also - I wasn't really into using Instagram because my normal daily life isn't that beautiful! I don't have this gorgeous house filled with beautiful lovelies. I don't make arty meals and display them on delicate plates with silk napkins to wipe my polished hands on. I have houseplants that misbehave, I eat pretty normal food, and although I love beautiful things - I have never actually liked "stuff" - I've never been in any one place long enough to even start collecting beautiful things. 

To be honest I still even have most of my clothes in a suitcase and if I had to move tomorrow - Everything I wanted would be able to fit into a small weekend bag, and of course I'd grab my birds! 

Anyway. So I have been using Instagram. I decided to embrace that it might not be that impressive - but it's my life. My story. It's not that beautiful - but it's real and it's me. 

So I'll start sharing. If you look at the tab on the top of this blog for " Instagram" that is where I'll be posting my photos. I tried to catch up a little bit and put up some a few collages of whats when been going on!

and here I just posted the two latest Instagram photos. Lewis and I saying hello, and a pile of cards I printed two days ago.

X Lorraine 

will you be my boo?

Happy October! The month of orange and black is finally here. I have three cards in the shop to celebrate Halloween this year. I hope you like them! I'm going to be adding a Halloween special in the shop today. Buy two cards in the shop and get a free Halloween card of your choice. Why am I being so cool and nice? Because it's Halloween! The one time of the year where large doses of sugar are allowed. So I'm giving you some sugar.

You can choose between these three cards:

First Option

Second Option

Third option.

X Lorraine 

Travelogue Diaries : Entry No. 02 - Sweden

I've never been interested in Paris like most women. I'm sorry but it's true. In fact I have to admit that I haven't had such great experiences involving French... things... but this isn't about Paris - or French things. I only bring it up to say that - My " Paris" has always been Sweden. In other words.. I've been dreaming about Sweden since I was little girl. It all started in grade school.The teacher wanted to excite us about the world and get us interested in other cultures. Great teacher! 

It must have worked because ever since - I have been excited about other countries and cultures. The teacher dropped a bunch of books on the table and said pick one that appeals most to you and explain why.

Well I've never been good at " picking one" of anything. In this case - I was. The only place at the time that appealed to me was Sweden. That was the easy part. Explaining why was less easy.

So " less easy" that it led me to commit one of my first biggest crimes in life. I hate to admit what I did - but it's part of the story. I couldn't find a way to explain how I felt about Sweden. I could only "feel" what I felt about Sweden. The photographs touched something inside my heart and made me feel like there was magic in the world. I decided that one day I had to live there.

How do you explain this in an essay? At the time I thought it was impossible. So I did the only thing that made sense at the time. I wouldn't write an essay. I would show the teacher. 

So that's what I did. I went to the library and found the best book on Sweden I could find. I ripped out all the best photographs and I taped them lovingly onto a piece of paper - and turned it in.

I know - I'm a bad person. The funny thing is - my crime earned me an A. The teacher made a comment to the class about how only one person got it right - and winked at me.

I'm pretty sure she knew what I had done, and I promise I have never ripped photographs out of any book since - at least not books that weren't mine. I'm also pretty sure- that wink taught me how to be a bit fearless in life. Sometimes you have to break the rules to portray how you feel... and I've been doing it ever since. So thanks teacher! ( I don't remember her name)

So finally my dream came true in December, 2011. I had just come back from the U.S. - to be reunited with my boyfriend Paul. I had been for gone for about 3 months due to some visa problems I was having with the Netherlands at the time. He surprised me with tickets to Sweden! So we went. 

It was very cold. So so so cold. 

and so so beautiful.

We were in time for the  celebration of Santa Lucia. It takes place on December 13. Here is what it's about according to Wikipedia: 

In the Nordic countries

In Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, Lucy (called Lucia) is venerated on December 13 in a ceremony where a girl is elected to portray Lucia. Wearing a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head, she walks at the head of a procession of women, each holding a candle. The candles symbolize the fire that refused to take St. Lucia's life when she was sentenced to be burned. The women sing a Lucia song while entering the room, to the melody of the traditional Neapolitan song Santa Lucia; the Italian lyrics describe the view from Santa Lucia in Naples, the various Scandinavian lyrics are fashioned for the occasion, describing the light with which Lucia overcomes the darkness. Each Scandinavian country has lyrics in their native tongues. After finishing this song, the procession sings Christmas carols or more songs about Lucia.

Here is the link to read more about it : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucy's_Day

I found a real life red riding hood! We were walking around a closed fairground and saw her wandering around. So cool right?

So I'm pretty pleased that I have my own photographs to share about Sweden now. I would like to go back again when it's not so cold, but I'm really glad I got to witness the winters in Sweden... because maybe I don't want to live there after all! It's just a little bit to cold - the blurry cold kind of cold. I do have more photographs floating around but for now - these are the ones I'm sharing today.

X - Lorraine