Our Story

Mission:

30% of the profits from every sale at UseSmallWords.com go to buy books for children in Pakistan and Afghanistan for community-based education initiatives through our friends at CAI.  So for every shirt you buy you are also buying a book for someone who really needs it.  Every shirt will include a card explaining the donation you have made.  We're working to integrate business and philanthropy, profitability and social responsibility and growing this business as a model for others in the same trend as our friends at Tom's Shoes.  Get in touch with us with your feedback and ideas by emailing us or joining our Blog and posting your comments there.  Be a part of the change we're making.

Who:

Kris Sparks: Concept Development & Operations
Esther Sparks: Artist & Designer
Jon Dale: Biggest Fan & (Pro Bono) Marketing Consultant
Matt Lewis: Graphic Design
Jodi Lewis: Art & Design Direction
Aaron Deckler: Web Development & Design

What:

T-shirts, other clothes, pint glasses etc.

Everything we make is based on the musings and sarcasm of the great minds of all time. We combined art and quotes and printed them using the best methods on the finest shirts we could find. We combined them with other super-cool swag and packaged them in Burlap.

When:

In early 2008 we started talking about this idea over a cup of coffee. Before we really thought about it we were drawing sketches over glasses of wine at the kitchen table. We took our pencil drawings and ideas to Matt and Jodi. They took the ideas and made them into complete designs that accurately represented the quotes. A short time later we were printing trial runs of t-shirts, pint glasses, stickers, buttons, tags and so on.

Where:

We lived in New Orleans for 11 years. For 2 years after Hurricane Katrina we spent our time and energy rebuilding our lives and the city. Most of our friends were displaced and settled in other parts of the country.  A lot of new people came to the city, but it was a different place for us. Tired and ready for something different we started looking for a new place to live. In the summer of 2007 we traveled across 13 states playing music and visiting friends. Through an ongoing set of circumstances we played a gig in a small town in the mountains of Colorado. We loved it. Right after the New Year we packed up and moved to Woodland Park, where we conspired with our new friends to create UseSmallWords.com.

Why:

We were bored. We wanted to do something new. We love wit, sarcasm and humor. We love t-shirts. We love the people of history and literature who influenced our society and culture. They are the proverbial rock stars of our past. It was a natural conclusion for us.

How:

We try to do everything as equitably and responsibly as possible. We only use shirts that are made under the strictest human rights monitoring. Currently we are using American Apparel and Alternative Apparel.

We use lightweight, junior sized, high thread count t-shirts and hoodies for a soft, comfortable fit. Make sure to take a look at the Size Chart, since all the shirts are very form fitting.

We work one-on-one with local printers using high mesh count screens, precise automated screen printing presses and good plastisol inks.

All of our packaging is recycled and/or reusable. The cardboard boxes can be reused for shipping, gift packaging or storage. The packing paper is reused newspaper. The burlap bags are made of jute and vegetable oils. They are biodegradable. You could even eat them (but our attorneys tell us we can't recommend that to you).

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Kris & Esther