Now before you get super-excited for me, this isn’t a post about a high-paying sponsor.  Nope – we’re not THAT popular….yet. Au contraire, it’s actually a free shout-out…kinda a big THANK YOU to a company that has helped me out with some super-awesome gifts over the years.

New Duds http://www.newduds.net  (Blog:http://newduds.blogspot.com/)

New Duds is a hubby & wife run apparel company in Vermont.  Their designs are handmade, 100% original, they do custom orders, they even make cat-toys!

I enlisted New Duds for a couple special projects over the years.  First was my girlfriend’s bachelorette party weekend.  New Duds designed a T-shirt that matched their fall wedding theme.  We sported them all over Boston during our bachelorette scavenger hunt:

Then, as my Mom’s birthday approached, and after 26 years of gift-giving, I was running short on ideas… so New Duds designed a T-shirt of her very own, custom-made of her favorite person:

And most recently (This morning, actually), we surprised a co-worker on her 50th birthday at work – everyone wearing this shirt, courtesy of New Duds.

Oh, and of coarse Avery sports New Duds. He got this penguin blanket and the pile of shirts on my knee at the baby shower…

So, if you’re looking for some New Duds, or a creative gift – check them out!  You can find them online and here’s a list of shops that carry their goodies.  Or just contact them here.

Do you support any local or family companies?  Would you rather buy something online from a random impersonal company, or go to a local shop?  Did I mention these guys are my cousins?  Pretty awesome, right?!