About Me

Hi all! My name is Collette, t-shirt and vinyl designer extraordinaire:)) My love for design began when I was a little girl, watching my father hand paint designs on race cars. As his business grew, so did his need for help; this is when I made my appearance into the world of t-shirt and vinyl design. Although my pay was meager (you know how dad's can be), I loved the process of design -- taking one person's idea and watching the look of excitement on their face when I handed them the finished product; a product I created. Now, nearly 20 years after working for my father, successfully tackling every challenging task he gave me, I am on my own. Proudly, I present to you: Collete'sTshirts&Vinyl. I invite you to read my weekly posts for updates about my new adventure. Check in for regularly for information about the world of graphic design, but most importantly, think about me when you want your next hoodie, t-shirt, hat or bag. I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Dirt track racing

Our first weekend here we took a little break from all the headaches of moving and went racing. It was a great way to learn more about the local culture. We loved it! The whole night was very entertaining. Its true we are easily entertained. Example the red clay or as we called it "orange dirt". All night we kept pointing it out to each other. "Look at the orange dirt on the cars!" "See the orange dirt on the walls!" When the cars really got going..."Look at that orange dirt FLY!"
 The people around us must have thought where are these morons from?
I loved the southern rock music blasting, all the children dancing. During cautions the announcer would tell us jokes and play music.
 My sons favorite part was the candy! They called all the kids to an area below the balcony and they throw candy to them. It looked like it was raining candy. Now we have hyper children all around us dancing to sweet home Alabama.




Can't wait to go again!







Friday, August 19, 2011

Last day of work and the bird that saved the day.

On my last day of work for my Dad I spent most of the day trying not to get all weepy. I plugged away trying NOT to think about things like... how long I've worked for him. Or I'll never be able to look across the shop and tell him my goofy story's, recap survivor, or cry on his shoulder...sniff sniff .
Then a humming bird saved the day! It flew in the shop and could not find its way out. Poor thing. Papa was worried. The last time this happened he spent hrs. trying to carefully get the humming bird out the door unharmed. In the end Papa was standing in the door way holding a hand full of tail feathers. The humming bird sat on the electric wire staring at him. As if saying " Why did you do it to me man?"
 This time the bird made it feathers and all!  He didn't move for a long time just sat in the palm of Papa's hand . Papa set the bird on a grapevine. The poor thing flipped over upside down. Papa held him upright until the bird caught his breath and flew away.   Now Papa and I have this cool memory for my last day instead of awkward silence :)

Friday, August 12, 2011

A New Beginning

Hello all! I thought it would be nice to talk about my new beginning; the move from one state to another that essentially prompted me to start my own t-shirt and vinyl graphic business.

My husband, who recently retired after more than 30 years of teaching Automotive Technology for Alfred State University in NY, presented me with the idea of moving to NC. Apprehensive at first, I warmed up to the idea as the thought of starting my own business excited me. And where better to do this than the heart of racing country? So after years of planning and months of packing, our adventure began. My husband, with a loaded truck and trailer, and me, with a 10-year old co-pilot, two Bassets and a turtle, set off on the open highway.

I learned many valuable lessons about moving, especially when it's a 12 hour move. First, don't let your 10 year-old control the iPod. You are bound to hear the same song over and over, whether you like the song or not. When you stop for gas, make your HUSBAND walk the dogs. Next, make sure you read the packaging on the curtains before buying the panels. I now have multiple rooms with uneven panels that I must hem with a sewing machine. With everything I must unpack, I surely do not have the extra time for this. And always remember where you pack your cell phone charger. As I dig through box after box, trying to locate this all-important electrical cord, here my phone sits, deader than a doornail.

Through it all, though, I wouldn't change any of this. I love my new home, and look forward to my husband enjoying his much deserved retirement. Most of all, I wait with bated breath for my first vinyl or t-shirt order to come. I feel like an anxious child at Christmas, wanting to make others happy with the artistic ability God gave me. When you walk down the street and say to yourself, "Damn, did you see that shirt? The design was awesome!" I want it to be one of my shirts you are in awe of. I look forward to designing shirts, hoodies, hats, bags and cars for any person, for any occasion. If your son's baseball team needs matching caps and shirts with the  team logo, I can do it. Race car drivers, give me a call. My husband is a sprint car driver, and I have designed his shirts for more than 10 years. If you have a unique design specific to your personality, not a problem. I have multiple colors for you to choose from, and the perk? You can contact me by phone, or online, and I can ship anywhere in the U.S.

My business will be up and running in approximately one week. I'm simply waiting on the manufacturer of my equipment to process the order and the UPS man to deliver them. You can reach me by phone at 704-240-4093, or email me at collettestshirts.com. Thanks for reading and I will catch up with you soon:))