All posts by Robin Ridley

Hiking for Mental Health

50/50 Hiking Project: Crested Butte Foothills

Anyone will tell you that I’m a hiking addict. Just a half-hour from my door, Colorado’s foothills feed my habit and coax me into hitting the trail. This obsession with fresh air and solitude also fuels my creative process and (seriously) keeps me sane! In January of 2021, I set an impromptu goal of going on fifty hikes in a calendar year. In addition to celebrating my half-century mark, I… Read more ›

Bodega Life + Winter Light

Plantega Logo + Tagline: "Grab Some Good Stuff"

 We’ve each known varying degrees of darkness in recent months, but light is tenacious, shining through wherever we give it the smallest opening. This theme held true for my 2020 experience, both personally and professionally: things felt difficult, but I was determined to find those elusive silver linings. In the end, they found me first! Way back in May, I teamed up with Effect Partners, a Minneapolis agency committed to solving issues around climate… Read more ›

Black Lives Matter: Taking Action

Black Lives Matter Artwork

It feels like a lifetime ago, but in a recent newsletter I stated, “If 2019 was a year for reflection, then 2020 is a year for taking action!” One global pandemic + economic recession + (long-overdue) social justice movement later, and those words seem like both a premonition and a challenge. I’ve always considered myself a vegan activist, doing my part to decrease animal suffering and share the benefits of a plant-based… Read more ›

Three Little Words

Three Little Words Blog Post Illustration

There’s something magical about the number three…just ask Aristotle, Goldilocks, or that fearless trio of Gryffindors. Whether the end result is a three-act play, a fairy tale, or a bestselling novel, it’s no secret that wordsmiths (like me) rely on the Rule of Three. Of course, this approach isn’t limited to writers. Artists, composers, musicians, dancers, photographers, scientists, and even mathematicians employ some version of this rhythmic rule. A triad… Read more ›

Answering a Simple Question

"We know you've been wondering…Why Go Veg?” (fresh facts for veg-curious folks)

A handful of years ago, I chose to channel my creative energy toward a specific audience: vegan + eco-friendly groups + businesses. While researching this decision, I gradually shifted from a long-time vegetarian to a full-blown vegan. During that transition, I scanned through dozens of articles, images, and books about our catastrophic dependence on the meat, dairy, and egg industries. I remember wishing for a free resource — one that… Read more ›

Raising Awareness in Australia

Be Fair Be Vegan Melbourne Campaign

The first time I saw the Be Fair Be Vegan message was in 2016, splashed across sky-high digital displays in Times Square and on Manhattan billboards. Its black and white images were stunning, and its message of equality was eye-opening. So, when Be Fair Be Vegan mastermind, Joanna Lucas, asked me to help her with the campaign launch for Melbourne, Australia, I jumped at the chance! This version of Be Fair Be Vegan would… Read more ›

Biz Mama Interviews Yours Truly

Robin Ridley and her son

It was such fun to be quizzed by Biz Mama, an online hub where business-minded moms support one another and share their stories! Enjoy this brief interview, re-posted below… ********** Biz Mama: Can you give our readers some background info about your business? Robin: 
I launched Parfait Studio in 2007 with a focus on “multi-layered” concepts. Like the dessert that inspired my business name, I prefer ideas that are great… Read more ›

Plant-Based Poster Boy

Poster with headline: "Join Paul McCartney and Go Veg During October"

When one of the Fab Four asks you for “Help!” it’s hard to say no. Okay, so technically it wasn’t the knight himself who called me up, but when the wonderful folks at Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge needed a poster designed in his honor, I was happy to oblige!  Longtime vegetarian and founder of Meat Free Mondays in the UK, Paul McCartney is an animal activist as well as a… Read more ›

#HashtagsAreLazy

It’s hard to believe, but we’re coming up on the hashtag’s tenth anniversary. Love them or hate them, these social media standbys have been around long enough to seep into our collective subconscious. But has the hashtag forever changed the way we write and communicate? The punctuation formerly known as the pound sign has made its mark…permanently. We’ve memorized its spot on our smartphones. We’ve accepted the fact that our posts are… Read more ›