Today we’d like to introduce you to Franceska Lynne.
Hi Franceska, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, and grew up in Tuscumbia, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia. I have also lived in London, England, Orlando, Florida, New York, New York (Manhattan and Brooklyn), and Los Angeles, California (Hollywood). My family is diverse – my father is Jewish, from Queens, New York, and my mother’s background includes English, Scottish, Irish, German, and Indigenous roots. We are of Cherokee, Choctaw, and Nanticoke descent, which I am enormously proud of. I have an Associate in Liberal Arts from Georgia State University, a Bachelor of Arts from the American College in London, and two advanced degrees: a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from Brooklyn College and a Master of Arts in International Relations from American University in Washington, DC. I have been a professional actor for 40 years and a nonprofit grant writer for over 30 years. Since 2017, my husband and I have owned our own business, Twilight & Lemongrass Vegan Comfort Food and Dyes of the World ATL. We create and sell plant-based comfort foods and original handmade tie-dye creations. You can find us on Saturday mornings at the Dunwoody Farmers Market and on Sundays at the Avondale Estates Farmers Market. I became a vegetarian 40 years ago have been an ethical vegan for the past 36 years.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has not always been smooth, but the bumps along the way have made me stronger and wiser. The people who have been my heroes and mentors have guided me on my journey, and although many of them are no longer with us, they are always with me in spirit, and I feel their presence around me at all times. I believe that no one really dies – their energy moves around us and within us, and they are never far away. I feel my grandmother’s presence as well as those of two very strong Indigenous women who continue to have a huge impact on my life, Georgetta Stonefish Ryan and Myrna Stonefish from the Moraviantown Lenni Lenape First Nation in Canada. I have been blessed to have strong and loving women around me throughout my life. When I have dealt with adversity, I turn to the life lessons that my mother, aunts, grandmother, and the Stonefish women have taught me. They lead by example, which is something I strive to do every day.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My husband and I started Twilight & Lemongrass after we participated in a vegan mac & cheese cook-off benefiting the Humane League, a local animal charity. We have been creating plant-based (and mostly gluten-free) dishes for the last 7 years. Three years ago, we started making tie-dye shirts and selling them at the markets along with our food. To date, we have made tees, socks, hoodies, onesies, scarves, and prayer shawls. We love expressing ourselves creatively through our food and our clothing. I have also found that cooking for people and creating beautiful one-of-a-kind tie-dyes for them brings all of us just a little closer together. We love to watch a customer’s face light up when they sample our plant-based dishes and/or find the perfect tie dye that speaks to them.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I have always found that the best mentors have found me, especially when I least expected it. Growing up as an only child and a “latchkey” kid afforded me the opportunity to become very independent at a young age. I mainly relied on myself for companionship, and the friends and mentors, many of whom I consider family, have had a profound effect on my life. In retrospect, all those that I have learned from, like the Stonefish women, are family to me. I have been enormously fortunate to have them in my life.
Pricing:
- Tie-dye tees range in price from $15 – $18 for toddler sizes (2T-3T, 4T-5T), $22-$26 for youth sizes (S, M, L, XL), and $30 and up for adult sizes (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL)
- Shepherds Pie (vegan, gluten-free) $8 half size, $14 full size
- Lasagna (vegan, gluten-free noodles on request) $8 half size, $14 full size
- Moroccan Pilaf and Paella (vegan rice dishes) $7
- Mac & Cheez (vegan, gluten-free noodles on request) $8
Contact Info:
- Email: vegoutcomfort@gmail.com
- Instagram: @vegoutcomfort
- Facebook: @vegoutcomfort
Image Credits
Franceska Lynne
Warren Gang
