It’s a rare day when two shirts I vote $5 on come up for print.  Heck, it’s a rare day when anything I vote $5 on comes up for print…or at least it seems like it some days.  But today, yes today(!), I opened my email and found two alerts telling me that two incredibly designs are up for my (and your) purchasing pleasure:

I loved this design for its beautiful simplicity when it was up for voting and I love it even more on a shirt. Unlike some Threadless shirts, it’s not flashy. It’s not clever or disturbing or just plain weird. It’s…pretty. And festively colored, like by wearing it you could effectively camouflage yourself inside the tropical birds enclosure at your local zoo. (The beautiful parrot that makes up the design wouldn’t hurt your ninja-like fashion skills in that event, either). It’s not the kind of shirt that’s likely to not be awesome anymore a year from now, when the joke runs its course and the concept gets old and tired. Because there is no joke and no fancy concept. Just a beautifully rendered parrot, wrapping around your torso in a birdy hug.  Wear it to the zoo.  Wear it to Carnivàle.  Wear it to the grocery and gloat over the envious looks you get from your fellow shoppers as they admire your gorgeous new tee.

Mr. Choppy didn’t fare so well in scoring, although I gave him my full and enthusiastic $5. He scored a measley 2.18 and yet the Threadless gods in their obvious wisdom chose to print him in all his simulated process, faux-decal, axe-wielding glory. And the kid’s version has orange carrot juice instead of blood! I gather there’s some controversy over whether anyone in their right mind should buy this shirt for their child, carrot juice or no, but you have to admit that there’s a certain awesomeness to the whole vegetable mass murder idea. Mr. Choppy either really loves or really hates carrots. As for the adult’s version, he’s apparently doesn’t limit himself to the vegetable kingdom when choosing his victims. Did some poor misguided soul attempt to separate Mr. Choppy from his foot and met an untimely demise at his would-be victim’s hands? Did Mr. Choppy just snap? Who knows. Who cares.  Plus, it’s printed on Threadless’ new custom tees.  This is the perfect opportunity to try them out without breaking the bank on a Select.