Customer Collaborations: The Stories Behind the Tees

Some of my most favorite designs have come from custom orders. Today I want to share a few of the stories behind them. I'm honored each and every time a family asks me to be a part of their special events, family announcements, and memorable gifts! (I think) because we have so much for getting to know each other & creating the perfect heirloom tshirts they always come back for more! Squeezes and hugs to all of my past customers & future ones too!

Preparing to welcome a newborn nephew into the family, Deborah (of  Mini Me Woolies ) was already stitching up a storm creating a special welcome home knit sweater using Lets Rock buttons from Tessa Ann. Her brother, the drummer for JodyBoss, was in for a real treat- he and his wife delivered a healthy baby boy and brought him home in his custom made rock'n'roll garb. 

More baby love, this custom order is really special to me. A friend of mine from college reached out to and asked if I would work with him to create a monster tshirt for a close friend of his. Brian's buddy, an Afgan vet, is a hero to our country and when Brian shared that he was hoping to get a camo monster truck made I took it one step further. I threw out some ideas of retro military kaiser (m715) or jeep with a white star on the side. (I happen to know Brian is a Jeep enthusiast) He dug both ideas. Brian pushed back- and his idea for me is what really sets this design over the edge. He sent me his buddys actual fatigues, which were cut up and used in the humvee design you see here. It melts my heart #1 because holy cow what a thoughtful gift!! #2 the thought that this little guy will have a piece of his daddy wrapping him tightly even when he's far away #3 because in some teeny tiny way I've been able to give back to a family that have sacrificed so much! 

Meet the Nichols family = Adorableness! I've had the pleasure of working with Stacey to create birthday tshirts for her entire family on several occasions. She is always celebrating the boys birthdays with fun and exciting themes like this one: monsters driving monster trucks! I delight in her unique ideas and wish I could attend the parties myself!

 

This is a work in progress I tweeted out when creating Amanda's SECOND custom rig tee. No, there was nothing wrong with her first order but when he son began to outgrow his favorite tee and she heard I was closing custom orders, Amanda emailed me in a frenzy! Her family spends their weekends in the back woods testing out their rock crawling, mountain climbing, nothing gets in our way off roadin' rig. (You know I can relate!) Do you think they'd let take it out for spin?

and I can't talk about custom orders & the personal connections between buyer/seller without mentioning one of my most loyal customers Jennifer W. 

A mama of 2 boys, Jennifer has commemorated birthday celebrations with a pair of matching tees. She has so many now, we've already began discussing turning them into a quilt! (She has a total of 9!) I love love love working with her because she brings the ideas to the table and gives me full creative reign! If you're in the Dallas area... there is a good chance you might catch a TrashN2Tees tee abound! Wondering how the super dino tee came about? When her oldest son was about to turn 4 he REEEEEALLY wanted to have a superhero/space themed party but then when the local museum had a dino dig he may have had a slight change of mind. I loved the idea of smooshing the two together and the rest is history!

Hey handmaders, thinking about the benefits of custom orders but not sure how to get started? I invite you to check out my latest post Navigating Custom Orders on Oh My!

I would love to hear your story: Have you purchased a TrashN2Tees tee or custom order and care to tell the story behind it or share with us your own celebration? Catch up with me using the social media buttons on the top right or email directly (contact AT trashn2tees.com)
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