Introducing Cypress and Park
My name is Emily McHenry and I am based in West Monroe, Louisiana, where I live with that beauty in the picture with me, my ‘dog’ter Cookie and my future husband, Josh. I am quite obsessed with them both, as you will soon come to find. I have been teaching for around 7 years, this is my 5th year teaching kindergarten and I previously taught 4th and 5th grade. Cooking, Baking, and killing plants is a passion of mine, as well as traveling, music, and making dumb TikToks.
How It All Began
I have always been my own worst critic when it comes to selling my art and creations. I have always been computer savvy, and when I got my Silhouette Cameo machine, I owned it for a year or two before I realized that I could turn my hobby into a side hustle. I started selling personalized Christmas buckets on Facebook Marketplace. This business evolved into snowman mugs, ornaments, and personalized gifts for each holiday. I took hundreds of orders that first holiday season and became addicted to creating custom gifts.
I didn't have a heat press at the time, so my cousin Katie and friend Courtney would let me come over and press shirts on theirs whenever I needed to make a shirt for school, but I wasn’t ready to bite the bullet and buy my own press.
Flash forward to March 2020 and the beginning of the pandemic- I had a ton of spare time at home because my school switched to distance learning, so my wheels were turning about things to do to pass the time. Of course, I start dreaming about opening my own design company and selling shirts and things, but money was tight. Out of the blue, my friend Alisa texted me and says that she has a crazy idea, and I am like, Alisa, alllll your ideas are crazy and wonderful, and I am game every time! She said that she wanted to buy me a heat press to get my business started, as well as make her shirts. What an answered prayer! She'd kill me if she knew I am writing this, because she is so humble. I went in with her to buy a heat press and the fun began! I was able to do so much more with a heat press at my disposal!
Shortly after, I began to move away from solely using heat press vinyl and began using sublimation. I love working with the graphic design aspect of personalizing gifts. I now source customized boutique apparel and accessories.
The thought of my products being a part of a family's memories through the pictures that they take and the conversations they hold, makes me so happy
If you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out to me on Facebook, Instagram or cypressandpark@gmail.com. I look forward to making your vision into a reality.