King Pin Lawn Service

It's not everyday that a pro-bowler mows your lawn.

Oh, wait!  That's not a pro-bowler... that's my Uncle Jim!  Sometimes in the office we get a hold of sample shirts or mix up's that we don't know what to do with.  Well when your Uncle is a pack rat (I say that in the nicest way possible and he knows it's true) I just give them to him.  He is not bothered about silly things like style or fashion.  And even though I pick on him quite a bit he knows that I only pick on the people I like the most.

As a matter of fact when people ask me how to get started in business I tell them that you have to have the support of family and friends or it doesn't work.  And when I say that I always think about Uncle Jim the most.  You see, most people don't realize what a huge role Jim has played in my company.  And even though he will be angry at me for telling this story I'm going to tell it anyway.  After all, he can't stay mad at me for long because I give him free shirts and he loves free junk more than anything in this world.

When I first started my business I was working out of my parents house and trying to figure out how to make my crazy idea of a shirt shop work.  And one day out of the blue my Uncle Jim called and said, "hey, you know I own the old hardware shop in town and I was thinking you might want to use it for your new place."

I was super excited that he had offered it but I really didn't know how I would pay rent and afford everything I needed since I was just getting started.  I explained that I appreciated the offer but maybe when I save a little more money I can make it work.  And what he said next launched my entire career... "that's okay, why don't you just use the building and pay the utilities and we will worry about rent after you're there for a year."

That actually was the nicest, craziest thing anyone has ever done for this company and my crazy shirt shop idea.  I have a lot of people in my life to thank for helping me out along the way but Uncle Jim is at the top of the list.  He still to this day comes to pick up the rent check every month and tells me that if I don't have the money this month to just let him know and I can pay him later.  That makes him the worst landlord ever, but the best uncle on the planet.

Thanks Uncle Jim!  By the way, there will be no questions this month when my rent is higher because I published this and secretly took pictures of you mowing my grass at the office in a bowling shirt.  It was just too funny to pass up.  

Triad Middle School presents... "The Music Man"

I remember when I was in junior high and we would put on school plays and sing a few songs in the middle of it and our parents would suffer through and act like it was the best performance that they had ever seen.  Times have changed!  The Triad Middle School puts on some of the best musicals that I have ever seen.  They have some really talented kids and they take it very seriously.  My good pal and office security, Kodey, is in the musical this year and has rehearsed some of the music in the office for the shirt ninja and I and we LOVE it!  

I have been printing the shirts for the musical for the last 9 years and the performances get more elaborate each year.  Just when I think that they can't out do the previous year, they do.  And this isn't like when I was in school and everyone drug their family along to suffer through my solo. (Shout out to Mrs. Bernaix, my favorite music teacher who gave me solo's to practice so that I would quit talking during chorus practice.)  Triad Middle School has advance ticket sales and usually sells out every show!!!  It is hugely supported by the school and the community.  That is why I am proud to announce The TMS musical is this weeks client of the week!

I already have my tickets for the Friday night performance and I can't wait.  If you have time bring your family out to see a great performance by a great group of kids.  Tonight is opening night and the show starts at 7.  Friday and Saturday have performances at 7 as well.

Break a leg Kodey!

it's a piece of cake

the kelly tracy advertising and design client of the week is "it's a piece of cake" bakery in st. jacob.

when cathy gillomen, the owner and baker, first came in around this time last year and asked me to create a logo for her new business i was really excited to work with her.  and not just because she brought me cupcakes.  (although that didn't hurt)  it was because she's one of those business women that had a good idea and works as hard supporting her brand as possible.  i love it when people have a fire in their belly for what they do and have the confidence to pursue their amazing, yet super scary goal of a new business.  cathy is one of the sweetest clients on the planet but everything she creates is almost to pretty to eat!  don't worry, i struggle through and eat it anyway.

 


kudos to cathy and her staff at "it's a piece of cake" on a job well done!  stop by and support her bakery and treat yourself to a cupcake, pastry, breakfast sandwich, doughnut... okay i have to stop.  now i'm hungry.

client of the week

insomnia + crazy ideas + adele playing so loud my ears burn = 3 foot chalk board in the office window.

every time i walk into 222 bakery i get chalk board envy. they have such a cool vibe and i'm convinced that it revolves around their chalk boards (the super nice staff and amazing coffee has a lot to do with it too). since i have the kind of boyfriend that never says "no" to crazy ideas i asked him to build me a 3 foot x 3 foot chalk board that hangs on chains from the window last week. he didn't even ask why and just said, "sure." and that's only part of why he's perfect for me.

 i have always had a vision of what i want the office to look like and every year that i am open i get closer to that vision. celebrating our 9th year in business this month only created more ideas. there are big changes to the company coming our way soon and i'm so excited about them it's almost painful.  this morning i snuck up to the office while it was dark, cranked the tunes and produced an idea for the chalk board.  i realize that working in my pajamas in the office at 5 on a saturday morning makes me a wierdo, and i'm okay with that.

i'm pretty pumped with how it turned out and i can't wait to use it to help my clients advertise too.

this weeks client is nonster concrete. dave nonn, the president of nonster has been a long time client of ours and we really appreciate that. thanks for the business dave!

 we plan on supporting someone new every monday so stay tuned from week to week.

My neighbors ROCK!

Just when I thought that some of my neighbors, Teresa and Ron, had the title of "nicest people on the planet" all locked up, they went and outdid themselves! Today they brought in a homemade pizza with fresh ingredients and a sauce that they created themselves! I'm not positive what the ingredients are but after tasting it my guess is tomatoes, basil and magic. Because it's amazing!



Ron and Teresa have a dream to open a pizza shop someday of their own and by the taste of the creation that they brought in today they are well on their way. A big thanks to my neighbors. And I will return the pan as soon as it's finished... and at the rate Rachel and I are going that should be in about 5 seconds. Well, 10 seconds if you count us licking the pan clean.

I know I mention this in every post but I love this town!

Know your neighbors

I am the person at a party that introduces everyone, sometimes more than once, just so that I have a feeling of friendship in the air. I really hate the feeling of being the only person in a room that doesn't know everyone (which is why I try to know everyone on the planet). But the real reason I love introductions is because everyone has a story. Sometimes it takes a while to get to know truly great tales about people but everyone is interesting in their own way. So I have decided to start writing a set of blogs that introduce the interesting people that I meet to the rest of the world. One of my favorite parts of having a small business in a small town is that I always get to know my neighbors and everyone looks out for one another. That's almost impossible in a big city and it is one of my favorite perks of being the shirt girl.

Stay posted and get ready to meet some really interesting people.

Roger Dodger and the Rooster

My good buddy Rodger came in to the office a few months ago to ask me some questions about an order he needed to place. Rodger Dodger is an all around good guy and would do anything, for anybody. On this particular trip into the shop I noticed that he was carrying a rooster under his arm. He didn't make any reference to it so I didn't either at first. After he discussed what he needed I just couldn't let it go so I said, "Hey Roger, you know you have a rooster under your arm right?" He just smirked. So then I said, "okay, I have to know... why do you have a rooster with you?"

He looked right at me and said, "Kelly, I couldn't just leave him in the truck now could I?"



Fair enough Rodger Dodger. Leaving a rooster in your truck would be almost as crazy as bringing it in to order t-shirts.

Have I mentioned how much I love this town and my job? I really do. Where else would things like this happen?

Our little t-shirt ninja is growing up

This morning I took a trip out to the local university, SIUE, with my assistant and resident "t-shirt ninja", Rachel. Rachel has been coming into my office since she was in the 6th grade. She used to come in and organize my office and clean like no child should have ever known how to. Rachel and her brother Eric were tiny tornados of organization. And the best part was at that age they worked for pizza and free t-shirts. I hired her after she turned 16 and she has been an asset to my company ever since. It was bitter sweet showing her around campus today. I am really happy for her and proud of the choices that she is making but I sort of want her to stay the 13 year old kid that I first met. As I was showing her all of the places I used to sleep between classes she took note of all of the places she could study instead. This kid is going places.

And, since I am the sort of boss that oversteps every boundary I am supposed to have with employees I took pictures like it was her first day of kindergarten while she collected all of the books that she needed for her classes.



Good luck "t-shirt ninja." I cannot wait to live vicariously through you and all of your exciting college adventures.
Apparently I slept through a lot of mine:)

Pecan pie is the best form of payment

I have been craving pecan pie lately. This is not a rare thing. I think most people crave pie and just don't admit it. Every time I think of pecan pie it reminds me of one of my favorite neighbors, Mrs. Brendel. She passed away a while back but I think of her around this time every year. She would stop in the office every now and again and bring me goodies like historic photos of my office building and tell me about old businesses around town. She was the second visitor when I opened my office. She came down and took my picture and grabbed a business card to put in the photo album that she kept of historical facts around Marine. I was proud to make the book!

One day Mrs. Brendel called and asked if I could print some return address labels for her. She said that she needed some for envelopes and to put on some pans when she gave out baked goods. That way people knew who to return the dish to. Now, I don't actually print return address labels but she was one of the sweetest people on the planet so I gladly printed them up and told her to come on down. She came in to pick them up a few moments later and asked how much she owed. I told her it was really no problem and there was no charge. She insisted that she had to bring something but I refused. And thank god I did. A few hours later she returned with two individual pecan pies that fit perfectly in each hand.

They. Were. Amazing.

No offense to debtracy (pronounced as one word said quickly), my mom, but they may have been the best pecan pie I had ever had. And of course they were made from scratch. After that every time Mrs. Brendel needed anything I just said yes. It didn't matter what it was because I knew I was going to get a tiny pie just for me. If she had asked me to wash her windows I would have gladly done it for a pie.

I love that I have a business in a place where people still pay in pie. My waist line doesn't really love it but I do and I hope it never changes.

PE shirts - Triad District

We sell PE shirts all year long in the office but on Thursday the PE season is officially here. I can't believe that school registration is already here! It seems like the kids just got out of school for summer break. Although I'm guessing that parents probably feel much different:)

I will be out at Triad High School taking orders and sizing kids up for their shirts all day tomorrow. If you have a child in 6th grade through Senior I will see you at there from 12 to 7.