Business manager by day and content creator by night, Florence has been a papercraft lover all her life. A California native, she had been at the forefront of the scrapbooking and planner community since 2012, when she first created “LIVELIFEANDCREATE”—an Instagram account where she started just sharing her love for happy mail and paper crafting. Today, it had evolved into an online shop and a brand that continued to bring people around the nation together to celebrate the love for analog and journaling.
At the beginning of her creative journey, she was introduced to TRAVELER’S notebook by a friend for her birthday. It was a black Regular Size TRAVELER’S notebook, and it took her only three days to fill up the entire insert. “TRAVELER’S notebook was my first love”, she said. Florence has tried out many kinds of planners and notebooks but always came back to the simple and down-to-earth look of TRAVELER’S notebook. Today she switches between her brown, olive, and black TRAVELER’S notebook cover to plan (in the Weekly Vertical Diary insert), to scrapbook (blank and Kraft paper refills), and to journal (lightweight paper refill).
When Florence turned 30, her grandmother passed away, and she knew it was the year to start living more for herself and actively check off her bucket list. She brushed aside societal conventions of “timeline” and “expectations” and started working remotely so she can create more time for herself to explore and adventure. TRAVELER’S notebook is the perfect venue for her to document those changes and growth. Starting this year, she uses the 013 Lightweight Paper Notebook to document each year of her life in volumes. Filled with words and reflections, it’s a way for her to capsule precious memories.
“TRAVELER’S notebook is my holy grail. For the past 8 years, there hasn’t been a time where I didn’t use it for journaling or planning. I love blank inserts. Inserts are story pages that are filled with our lives and once it’s completed, we get to have this priceless keepsake. I can use my TRAVELER’S notebook to let my creative juices flow. It’s where I feel most at home”
Florence loves traveling and long rides, especially in her home state California. It’s so huge, one could easily live on the road for six months or more if they want to explore all the sights. Since the pandemic had halted all international travel, Florence had turned to travel closer to home by driving to nearby national parks and destinations. She even started a new hobby: camping. She started out camping by the beaches on the California coast, where she enjoys the music of the waves and being with herself in nature (and her pet dog Sadie). Then she started camping at Yosemite where it’s a bit more challenging, but the experience even more awe-inspiring.
“There’s something about nature. It’s just so beautiful. To take it to another level, where you’re waking up to fresh air…it makes your mindset so different, where you start to appreciate the smaller things.”
“I travel with my TN pretty much everywhere and always create a new insert when I vacation. On trips, I love dedicated a “Short Trip Refill” to each destination. I currently carry the dated vertical, monthly, and a lightweight insert. The TN is a definite staple piece especially when it comes to traveling. This leather cover can hold quite a bit and I just love when it’s filled with maps, menus, receipts, business cards, and being able to use that to create pages in my journal when I document the trip.”
On these long drives, Florence usually puts on her favorite music or catch up on a podcast. She’s now used to driving up to six hours at a time. Her tips to travelers who are unsure about long road trips are to look forward to the destination and the amazing encounters you’ll have there, whether it’s for an adventure or to see loved ones. It’s a therapeutic experience because you can also learn to enjoy time with yourself and enjoy your own company.
On her travels, she carries a blank TRAVELER’S notebook refill where she writes for 10-15 minutes each day, just jotting down the highlights during the day through text. She believes that by putting pen to paper, the act will reinforce your memory and help you enjoy the experience even more. When she gets home, she will then revisit the journey by creating beautiful spreads in her TRAVELER’S notebook, documenting in colorful ways.
“This year I also started creative journaling zoom meet-ups to gather those who have a love for journaling. It’s held at least once a month when I have time, and it has filled a huge void of being able to gather with friends in person. Just by gathering with like-minded individuals who share the same love for stationery, I always leave feeling inspired. At the end of the day, I know I am supposed to use my social media platform to share my creativity to inspire others. Almost 10 years later I believe I’m fulfilling that purpose. “
Florence plays a big part in cultivating the TRAVELER’S notebook fan community in the US. Back in 2013, she started an online challenge with monthly prompts that will encourage users to jump into the blank pages of a TRAVELER’S notebook refills. When she has time, she also likes meeting up with local friends and scrapbooking aficionados to journal together and enjoy the TRAVELER’S notebook comraderies.
We asked Florence to describe TRAVELER’S notebook in one word:
“I say it’s magical because that’s another word for happiness. It’s my happy home, a place where I feel comfortable. It holds your secret and whatever story you want to tell. Once you find your purpose in TRAVELER’S notebook, you will love it just as much as I have throughout these years. I feel like this is one of my longest relationships (ha-ha)! Creativity is magical as well and sometimes you don’t know how the page is going to be pieced together but once it’s completed, it’s satisfying!”
To her, TRAVELER’S notebook is “magical”. It is simply magical to see a blank refill transform to filled inserts with stories and marks of the journey. Florence believes that everyone has endless creativity, and TRAVELER’S notebook is the perfect medium for people to tell their stories, whether through planning, arts, scrapbooking, or simply as a diary.
Whether you are thinking about documenting your travels in TRAVELER’S notebook, or am already a seasoned user, we hope you enjoyed reading about Florence’s story with TRAVELER’S notebook and how it continues to be a reliable companion on her creative journey. We hope her adventures will encourage you to start yours today too!
Have a nice trip!
PROFILE:
Florence Antonette – Business Manager and Content Creator
Based in Northern California, Florence is a business manager by day, but a creative entrepreneur by night. She is a shop owner, content creator, and product designer for her stationery and lifestyle brand @livelifeandcreate. Florence is a big advocate of living an adventurous lifestyle – since she started working remotely in 2015, she had been on many trips locally and internationally that inspire her daily life to be more courageous and creative. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, trying out new food, crafting with friends, going on adventures with her dog, and going to Disneyland! You can find her and her creative ventures at livelifeandcreate.com.
