Winter Break

Who: Lizzie

What: a t-shirt

When: November 2010

Where: Brooklyn

Why: Break, break, break. Lizzie's taking a winter break. You're taking a winter break, and the t-shirt project is taking a winter break.

No One I Know Owns These T-Shirts, LA, CA

Who: no one

What: t-shirts

When: today, December 28th, 2010

Where: East Los Angeles, CA

Why: A little local color.

Silvia "Not a Teenager in Trouble", Pima, AZ

Who: Silvia

What: 50/50 cotton/poly, size medium

When: er, the 90s? '92 or '93

Where: From Mr. Smouse, CHS Drama

Why: I found this t-shirt while digging through an old costume box at my parent's house. I knew what it was as soon as I saw it: CHS Drama, Troupe 2683--I remember the thespian troupe number. I mean, I remembered it when I saw the shirt. I probably wore this shirt to drama club meetings. I went to a lot of them. By the time I was a senior, I was the president. I must have also worn this to Thespian conference. Maybe that's where being troupe 2683 was important. It reminds me of high school, but mostly of the portable classroom that was the drama room. I thought of Smouse (the drama teacher). He had one of these t-shirt too, though his was quite tight.

I'll probably wear this to bed now. At least to bed. Maybe on Saturdays.

The T-Shirt Project Chirstmas Break

The T-Shirt Project is on Christmas break.

Break, break, break.

Carrie "Will have these someday", Rexburg, ID / Provo, UT

Who: Carrie

What: t-shirts

When: the future

Where: a future place

Why: I was looking at The T-Shirt Project, and I liked the post about nerd shirts. I don't have many super-cool nerd shirts myself because I have a hard time spending more than $7 on any article of clothing. However, I wanted to send my nerd shirt wishlist. Because it has to do with t-shirts, and this is a t-shirt project, that's why. My favorite is the I Love Lucy because I'm not even an anthropologist and I know what it means and that makes me feel smart.

Annie "Isn't above petty crime", Winston-Salem, NC

Who: Annie

What: very old, soft, and ratty Hobie surfboard tee shirt

When: 1960s

Where: Winston-Salem, NC

Why: This t-shirt belonged to my college boyfriend, and I took it for my own. If he sees this blog, he will probably come after me to reclaim this prize because it was his FAVORITE shirt. He was a surfer...at least as much of one as he could be in NC. For years I used this as a "sleep shirt", but now I am afraid that it is too fragile for use as anything other than a memento.

*Ever stolen a shirt from someone you love (you know you have)? Send it in valeriestheteeshirtproject@gmail.com

Brooke "Doesn't Fit In Either", Idaho Falls, ID

Who: Brooke, 28

What: cotton, medium

When: I know I've had this for as long as I can remember, so probably 2003-ish

Where: JCPenny, men's department, holiday novelty tee table--actually, this one never made it to the table

Why: I worked in the men's department at JCPenny for YEARS (4 or so). Anyone who's worked retail over the holiday knows how exciting that gets. I'd spend hours and hours folding and re-folding t-shirts and wondering why Charlie Brown and the Grinch always got all the attention. Then, we got this on in. I bought it straight from the box. I wanted to by the whole box, but JCPenny didn't pay me enough to afford such a treasure. I've grown up watching this movie and was so excited to see Rudolph and Hermey get a little publicity. Besides, I'm definitely a misfit. Who can't relate to an elf who'd rather be a dentist? Talk about an identity crisis in its purest form.

Think of it as a gift guide

Bright and early Monday morning, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programing of t-shirts on people that I (more or less) actually know. Or stopped on the street. Or weirldly approched while they were running a ferris wheel.

But, for now, consider this a kick-a gift guide.

A t-shirt for your little sister, who loves irony and obscurity only a little more than she loves Shark Week: I love you but I've chosen . . . Shark Week.

Or this one. I mean, it's practically the reason for the season. Get it for your older brother with whom the only peaceful time you had together as children was watching tv, and, more specifically, this movie.

Or, perhaps this little beauty for your older sister, who, if you think about it, you've can't remember her actually wearing graphic tees, but, come on, this is adorable. Who wouldn't want it?

In the nick of time

found here.

Nerd tees on a Nerd day

from here.

just nerdy enough.

from here.

If you get this one, you might just be nerdy enough to be my bff.

from here.

Oh man.

p.s. finals are almost done. i know you're all waiting with baited breath for more t-shirt tales. you and me both, gang. soon.

Johnny Cash, and guess who's still working

found here

Johnny Cash died while I was in college, and James wore all black to commemorate the event. If I recall correctly, his black shirt had a bit of a sheen to it, which sort of makes sense.

If I were buying t-shirts today, instead of stubbornly not showering and looking at everyone with a manic look in my eyes, I would get this t-shirt for James, and remind him of that day.

T-Shirt Bonanza, or, guess who's got a final?

found here

found here (look familiar?)

found here

from here

Brant, Allentown, PA

Who: Brant, older than 29

What: cotton, large

When: Oct. 5, 2009

Where: American Print and Screening, Rexburg, ID

Why: It was a gift from my sister for my 29th birthday. Stacy had my mom buy it in her stead (Stacey is a grad student in the UK) for my first birthday as a father. My son Weston got a matching onesie.

Lila, Raleigh, NC

Who: Lila, 2

What: cotton

When: last month

Where: Old Navy in Raleigh

Why: Because that's where she goes, she's a product of Duke Hospital. I guess I should say she's a product of me and Ben, but Duke kept her alive after she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She was just wee, three months old. She is now 2 years and 10 months, and two years cancer free. This was her two year remissionversary. We tried to tell her what day it was--in the simplest terms: we told her that when she was a baby she was really sick, and that she'd been healthy for two years, and where did she want to go to celebrate? And she chose Red Robin. She really likes their mac and cheese. Kimmy (Lila's aunt) told the the waiter why we were there, and the wait staff all chipped in and bought her a bear. Her name is Red Robin.

Scott "Was on Jeopardy, pal", Chino, CA

Who: Scott, old

What: cotton

When: 2009

Where: Chino, CA

Why: It was the 2nd year in a row I won the local ping-pong tournament. They made the shirt in anticipation of me winning. After the contest, I went home and wrestled with my grandchildren.

Dan "Can eat Your Weight in Cheeseburgers", Portland, OR

Who: Dan

What: i'd bet cotton

When: a little while ago

Where: Walmart in Sahuarita, AZ

Why: It should be the Cheeseburger Shirt. Gayle (sister-in-law) found this shirt at Walmart in Sahuarita, Arizona and thought it would be perfect for Dan. It was on sale for $3 and we couldn't pass it up. Dan has been a connoisseur of the cheeseburger all his life. He definitely has his favorite ones picked out through all of his vast traveling. In Oregon, Burgerville offers one of his all time favorites with their most inexpensive small cheeseburger. In his hay-day, Dan could put down 5 or 6 of these tasty treats. He also enjoys Burger King dollar double cheeseburger with fries and white milk. Wendy's makes the ever reliable jr. bacon cheeseburger. We once made an estimate of how many cheeseburgers Dan eats in a year, including his Dad's home grilled ones during the summer months. I can't remember what it was, but it was a lot. Dan has slowed down in recent years, but still loves his three or four outings a week to get his wonderfully yummy burgers with Mom and Dad.

Annie "Knows the difference between Lay and Lie", Winston-Salem, NC

Who: Annie

What: 100% cotton, rarely worn

When: late 1970s

Where: Winston-Salem, NC

Why: My sister-in-law had the lettering put on this tee shirt for me. At the time, tee shirts were usually plain, but logos were beginning to show up on them. I hated the idea of advertising on my chest, so I often stated that printing on tee shirts irritated me. She came up with double entendre sentence which we found highly amusing. These days, people wear all kinds of rude sayings on their shirts, but I seldom wore this one because of its double meaning. Amazing that I had such delicate sensibilities.

*love Annie? me too. read more about her here.

Sarah, Jesse, Kathleen, and Annie, Jolly Ole England, England

Who: (in order) Annie, Jesse, Sarah, and Kathleen

What: cotton. all of it.

When: during undergraduate schooling

Where: Brigham Young University-Idaho, in Rexburg, ID

Why: A while ago you asked for anyone who still had a BYU-Idaho gym shirt. Well, it's taken me forever to gather all of our shirts and take pictures of them, but all of us studying here in jolly ol' England are still remembering our educational roots! Sometimes it is worn to the gym, but mostly it is worn on laundry days or for times "studying" in the house. (Those times are when we , the girls, are really imagining ourselves in the Austin/Bronte era). Jesse has worn it when he is at boxing club as well.

*to read about their adventures in learning British, go here.

Valerie "didn't come by this shirt honestly", Brooklyn, NY

Who: Valerie

What: poly/cotton blend, ladies large, "soft style"

When: um, a year and a half ago, ish?

Where: a gift from James, from 30 Rock

Why: James worked on the 3rd season of 30 Rock and when these shirts were given out at the end of the season, he snagged one for me. They must have only had small sizes left because he doesn't actually have one himself. I like this shirt a lot because 30 Rock is a pretty legit show, millions of dollars are spent, they win awards, blah blah blah. But this shirt feels adorably like a "Seniors, class of '99" t-shirt, with a picture of everyone doing something funny on the back. It's charming. The sleeve detail is the two emmys the show won that season. In that way, it's not really like a "seniors, class of '99" t-shirt. In that way it's different.

Valerie "Kelly Kapowski", Brooklyn, NY

Who: Valerie

What: cotton, size med

When: Nov. 2009

Where: delia's in a Raleigh, NC mall (they have a dozen of them, I don't remember which one)

Why: I got this t-shirt during the Twilight Saga New Moon Trip 2009. I go to North Carolina whenever a Twilight movie is released to visit my bff and fellow twilight enthusiast, Annie. She and I happened upon this very special t-shirt during an otherwise uneventful shopping trip. We both gasped like we had just seen Elton John. I mean, we're children of the early 90s, and very dedicated to Saved by the Bell (I very recently watched the Las Vegas episode where Zach and Kelly get married-finally. and Jessie shows up at the last minute all tan and creepy, straight from her career killing turn in Showgirls. fantastic.). I can't imagine a bigger dream come true than actually being a Bayside High Cheerleader*. This t-shirt comes pretty close. Both Annie and I got this t-shirt, and, if hadn't been so busy seeing New Moon 3 times wthin 48 hours, we might even have had time to come up with the choreography to "We're the Bayside Tigers and we're on the prowl...".

Also, when I took this photo this morning, I tried to pretend I had a side ponytail. Can you tell?

*I also dream of being captain of the volleyball team, the swim team, student body president, and in charge of picking out class rings. Just like Kelly, Lisa, and Jessie.

Christy "married a snowman", Brooklyn, NY

Who: Christy

What: I (heart) Snowmen

When: Christmas 2008

Where: northern Utah

Why: My mom gave me this t-shirt, along with the greatest pair of scrabble-themed pajama pants. I think she picked the t-shirt because it matched the pants, but it's taken on a life of its own*. After all, who doesn't love snowmen?

*case and point: Christy wore this little gem to our Thanksgiving Day race, the Trypto-Fun Trampler.

What's that? Can't get enough Christy? What to read more about food and thoughts and everything else? Then for pete's sake, read more here.

Lizzie "can pull off a half-shirt", Brooklyn, NY

Who: Lizzie, 27 (happy birthday, Lizzie)

What: 100% cotton half-shirt with 100% cotton tank underneath. It's a set.

When: october 20, 2010

Where: Park Slope Ward fall clothing exchange

Why: Um, need you even ask? It's totally awesome. I feel like it's the authentic version of the "I would have been hot in the 80s" t-shirt my sister made for herself. Because when I wear it, I truly feel like I would have been a hottie in the 80s.

Wanna read more about Lizzie? Check her out at the Mother Runner.