I Heart T-Shirts

I just realized that I'm back in a wacky t-shirt phase. It's good to know that as I'm getting older, I'm becoming more like a 5th grader.

From middle school through early adulthood, I went away from the wacky shirts. There was the very girly middle school style (James Avery, lots of bows). There was early high school style (baggy jeans, button-downs, converse). There was late high school style (vests, blazers, jeans with no belt). There were occasional suspenders. There were always hats.

But I'm glad the wacky shirts are back. Here's a look at some old and new faves:

5. Fuzz Aldrin

Just bought this shirt a few weeks ago, but I'm going to kick off the list with it in order to celebrate (1) my return to wacky t-shirts and (2) my official transformation into a crazy cat lady. I love this shirt. I get compliments on it all the time. I want everyone I know to buy one.

4. People Who Think They Know It All Are Particularly Annoying To Those Of Us Who Do

Red shirt with black lettering. Worn all throughout elementary school. An excellent shirt because it had a lot of text, but the words KNOW IT ALL were giant and in the middle. You get the drift. What's great about this shirt is that my older brother and I both bought them at the same time, then after I grew out of mine, I just wore his. You can't just let a shirt like that go without a fight, people.

[Not pictured. Sadly!]

3. Milton is a Shitbag

I made these t-shirts to promote my short animated comedy (and MFA thesis film!) called Milton is a Shitbag. You used to be able to order them off the website. They were pink for girls and brown for boys, and you could pick your fave Milton picture (sitting or jumping) and your fave Milton saying (I peed on it!, I have a tiny brain!, etc.)

But I most often wore the original one I had made to promote the film at the Austin Film Festival. It was royal blue with Milton sitting, no caption. I wore it until a couple of years ago when the iron-on started cracking pretty bad.

This series of shirts started my love of DIY iron-ons (and subsequently DIY fake tattoos!)

2. I'm Not Deaf I'm Ignoring You

The very best of the sassy elementary school shirts, because I wore it in my 6th grade school portrait. And it wasn't like I didn't give picture day any thought. I gave it a lot of thought.

I remember my Dad looking at this photo and asking, "Does your mother just let you wear anything in your school photos?? Do you even brush your hair?" Nice.

1. Dr. Pepper

Not particularly wacky, but a Courtney Davis classic. Bought in college at the Fiesta supermarket in Austin, TX. Worn constantly and delightedly, as I was in perhaps the hardest-core phase of my lifelong love-affair with Dr. Pepper. I remember my boyfriend at the time thinking I was nuts once when, in the middle of drinking a Dr. Pepper and wearing the shirt, I held up a six pack of Dr. Pepper to him and asked, "Do you want something to drink? I think all we have is Dr. Pepper."

10+ years later, it's still in my dresser drawer. Has a hole in it, is a rarely worn. But always there if I need it.

Go team DP!