So I know you are probably thinking it should say 'About Me' but I would like to also acknowledge my other little Displaced Texan who really is called The Yankee with the shop.
The Displaced Texan
I am Lauren V., the owner of The Displaced Texan Gift Shop. I was born and raised in Texas and never thought for a minute growing up that I would ever live outside of Texas. Then I met my husband, who was born and raised Long Island, while on a trip and the rest is history. While Texas will always have a hold on my heart, I must say I do love New York and especially Long Island. I love the seasons, the beaches, the history, the proximity to everything, and just the overall of Long Island.
I was raised around arts and crafts and grew up learning how to sew by hand, crochet, and so many others. I have been crafting for decades. I remember by Grandma Boyd teaching my sister and I how to crochet on her back porch one afternoon. I remember my Grandma Reed always making dolls or sewing some new creation. I remember my mom sewing curtains because she could not find exactly what she wanted at the store and making custom clothes for my barbies. She used to also make stuffed animals and photo albums that she sold at a local shop when I was little. I have a rabbit she made years ago that goes out every Christmas. She inspired me to make couch pillows for my first apartment when I could not find the right style, but I did find fabric I loved. I also have a cabbage patch style doll my Grandma Reed made with eyes hand painted to match mine that sits in our office at home out of reach of little nieces and nephews. My Christmas tree every year has a lot of ornaments that my Grandma Boyd made or that my daughter and I made over the years. There are so many things in our home that are handmade: some were gifted, some were made by me, and some were purchased at various craft fairs.
Years ago I was in an accident that caused massive injury to my left arm and my right hand. I went through several surgeries and worked on the function of them. Crafting was my outlet and helped with the function of my hand. It has helped me with my stress in life as well. It is a hobby that worked for me in many ways. I have been making so many different items for decades and have been encourage by family and friends for years to finally try my own hand at craft fairs and make a site to sell. After a lot of thought I finally took the plunge and here we are! The Displaced Texan Gift Shop was created. This is my own little shop to showcase my creations and maybe you will find something that I love just as much as I do. I make so many different things and am working on slowly adding them into the shop.
The Yankee Corner
Now, let me introduce you to my daughter, Emma. She is soon to start college and has been crafting with me since could walk. It started with making Halloween decorations (her favorite time of the year!) and then expanded into our annual Christmas ornaments where she picked out a style and we would make them and add them to gifts. As she got older she realized that she also loves trying out new crafts like I do. This year for example she tried out needle felting. She loves it and took to it quickly. I have yet to try that one... She really is quite talented and while I know I can be biased, she really is. Some of her different things are up around the house. She was in advanced art classes. She has done wood burning and wirework too. Unlike me, she has a very steady hand and hopes to go to medical school.
She is quite the artist and truly enjoys her digital art it seems most of all. She writes stories in her spare time as well and will make these detailed scenes and character drawings that just brings it all to life. It really is something to watch her create digital art. She goes down to the pixel level. She also makes fan art from various fandoms like Pokémon and Undertale. She reimagines the characters or has them doing various things or even puts them into her stories. She is one of the many who has told me for quite some time to open a store or go to an event and she was the first person I told when I decided to give it a try. She has decided to join me and will have her own section of the table that we have dubbed The Yankee Corner Shoppe. We are thinking she may have some of her ornaments in the winter. She also makes amazing scented soy candles that she wants to sell. She is looking into making some prints or stickers of her artwork. My mother has put one of her works onto a water bottle in the past. It looked great! She is planning on trying her hand at a con next year. We will see how it goes and I know I am definitely looking forward to seeing what she makes!
