Farm + Forest Maine
Like my father, I like to take the scenic route. I like to take my time, a planner, researcher, and list maker. But, once a decision has been made I jump right in, all the way, no second thoughts. My creative, entrepreneurial journey has been just like this since the beginning. Everything I have gathered along the way has led me to Farm + Forest. Now let’s jump in…
In 2007, two years after graduating with a marketing degree from Providence College, I began Parrott Design Studio. It was actually called “Things are Better with a Parrott,” no lie. My first business card and Etsy shop says so. I worked a day job, which I really enjoyed at a non-profit in marketing and event planning, then came home to work until 2am, designing and print greeting cards and eventually wedding invitations. I began with small Print Gocco, an inexpensive and easy to use screen printing tool from Japan that I purchased from eBay with my tax return money. I printed on my tiny apartment kitchen table. That same year I took my first course in letterpress.
In 2008 I purchased my own press, an 1898 Golding Jobber platen press. At the time there were no courses to learn on that type of press, and I spent a year teaching herself how to use it! I eventually enrolled in a Print Design + Production certificate program at Rhode Island School of Design and took various letterpress courses at RISD and AS220’s printshop. 2008 and 2009 saw the addition of our two amazing rescue pups, Simone and Scooter.
In 2010 I left my day job, and began Parrott Design Studio full time, focusing on custom wedding invitations. I worked with over 400 couples over the course of 12 years (and I lived to tell the tale!). I also got married that year, to my husband, Rich and we began dreaming about moving to my home state of Maine, buying a farm, and creating a wedding venue. Crazy, I know! But hold on…
Wanting to get back to my greeting card routes, in 2013 I debuted a line of greeting cards at the wholesale trade show, The National Stationery Show in New York City. It was a successful launch and I was able to shift my focus back to greeting cards, selling to over 200 wonderful shop all over the world, including dream stores like Anthropologie and Paper Source. I went back to the National Stationery Show 4 times over the course of 5 years. In the meantime, that crazy farm dream? We did it. We purchased our farm in Sebago, Maine in early 2015, and began renovations for our wedding venue, Garden Gate at Haley Farm. Along the way we added two adorable kiddos, Richard and Evangeline.
In October of 2017 we hosted our first two weddings at the barn. In December my father, with whom I was extremely close, passed away. I spent most of 2018 in a fog, going through the motions and in survival mode. Meanwhile my son and daughter were growing up before my eyes and I wanted to spend as much time with them as I could.
2019 had me spending more time with my children and our wedding venue as we booked more weddings. It was our busiest year hosting weddings and we booked a full season for 2020. I continued to struggle with what to do with Parrott Design Studio. This year I celebrated 10 years of working for myself, and I missed designing and printing, and made the commitment to enter 2020 with clearer eyes for all my creative endeavors. Of course we all know what 2020 had in store for us…
But, ever the optimist, glass is half-full, it will be okay, everything is fine kind of person, that brings us to now and Farm + Forest! 2020 became the year I decided to bring all home, and put all the things I have loved and learned in the last 13 years in one place. In 2020 we also found out we would be welcoming a third little one, and in 2021 we welcomed our girl Amélie!
At Farm + Forest you will find me sharing my letterpress work, candle making, my cut flower garden and arrangements, my love for interior design, and other happenings around the farm.
Whether you have been following my journey for the last 13 years or you are just joining me, I am so happy you are here!
