6.27.2016

Summer Vacations

super yummy popsicle I acquired at the TEST Midsummer Market from the fantastic The Pop Stand

I don't usually take time off in the summer. I mean each month has a long weekend built in to them, so I usually just take advantage of the given mini-breaks.

But right now I feel the need to shut it all off and reset. It's been a weird and stressful couple of months, just life in general. And when coping mechanisms are down things aren't likely to get any better. Or get done at all! So time to tune out to better tune in.

That being said, I'm sure all my Canadian peeps out there have all heard about the looming Canada Post strike. While it's not a definite, I am going to take it as a sign to shut down the shop for a bit. So Wednesday June 29th will be my last day shipping orders for the whole month of July. I'm going to stock it up with some new downloads that I've been working on, and going to test out putting some of the cards up as digital downloads. New things. Worth a try! Wholesale sales are still going out, so you can always pick up all the goods at one of our local retailers. And they might even have some new cards in there this month (um... guess I'll have to post those up at some point too!) Of coarse the Society6 shop is up and I'm just starting out on a cool greeting card site based in the UK called Thortful (so really you CAN purchase thunderpeep cards, just not direct from me!) More designs will be going up this week so be sure to check back occasionally to see what's new.

some fun new things I had with me at the Midsummer Market, that will eventually make it into the shop and into shops!


Also to note, the blog will be in summer slow down as well - but if you like all the non-thunderpeep pursuits you can always follow the MichelleInTheSnow blog which is just starting to ramp up with summertime fun.

Enjoy the heat little peeps!

6.04.2016

Ten Trees

photo courtesy of tentree - found here


I don't actually know when I first heard of the company TenTree, but I remember thinking they were the coolest kids on the block right away. But now that I've dealt with them, and am in love with the product I have from them I HAD to share them with you.

Let's start off with a wee bit of the backstory....

photo from tentree.ca

I liked this photo on instagram. Not just because it's a gorgeous shirt, but when I learned the meaning behind the name tentree.
(These guys have the BEST feed, if you're into nature and adventure and all the hidden parts of our beautiful planet. If that's you FOLLOW THEM)

I sent this pic to a friend through instagram.
She loved the picture too.
(we both love the wild and wonderful outdoors)

Months later she came to visit and brought me a belated Christmas gift. It was this - but in the t-shirt version. In green.

Some people just get you!

Let me tell you a bit about TenTree and why you should love them too.


  • They're Canadian - based out of Regina, Saskatoon (not necessarily the first place you think of when you think of big bountiful Canadian forests, but yes, they do have lot's of trees!) Ok, so not all of you reading this are Canucks, but we can all appreciate the feel good of a local company doing good and doing well.
  • The name.... it's not just a name. They plant TEN trees for every purchase made. And they don't just plant trees in Canada, they also plant in Madagascar, Senegal, Nepal, Ethiopia, India, Malawi, Kenya, Haiti and Cambodia.
  • They believe in responsible manufacturing and want to be an example in the garment industry, promoting fair labour practices and safe working conditions.
  • tentree wants to be more than garment company, they are working to leave a lasting impact on the communities they work with. They partner up with not-for-profits and the communities in the areas they are planting, hiring locals to help work and manage the areas.

The list goes on. I love my comfy new tee, and oh yeah, the spring jacket I purchased. I'd been searching for a new jacket for awhile and just couldn't feel good about anything I found. Until tentree.

But wait, there's more...

So, every purchase comes with these cute little tokens. Each one has a unique code on the back, which you can register on the company's site, so you can track the trees that've been planted for your particular purchase. OMG, this right up my nerdy alley!

Now, the first token I got registered no problem. There are my 10 trees, planted in Madagascar. But after I bought my jacket and went to register that second code, I got the worst message ever. "This code has already been registered". Now, ok, this means that trees have been planted. So really I shouldn't be sad. But, like I stated already, the nerdy side of me just wanted to be able to track all my trees. In a cool infographic. So sad.

I emailed tentree. Not to complain, I showered them in all the love I was feeling, except for the nerdy sadness I was having over my already used code. Really just to let them know this had happened, because as a small business owner I know, when you offer such a cool service you'd want to know if it wasn't working. What followed was easily the Best Customer Service EVER. Erin was her name, and she was fully apologetic, and explained they'd had a glitch in the coding and some were duplicated, and assured me that regardless of whether or not the codes get registered, the trees are indeed always planted. Then offered to send me a token. Well now there was no need for that, that's just a waste. So she sent me a new digital code. Now I can track both my tokens and all 20 of my trees. And honestly, this little extra effort is what really makes me love tentree the most. And why I wanted to share them with all my peeps. Even if you're not into stylin' tees like me, maybe you can pass on the story of a good people, doing good things.

You can read all about Madagascan trees here as well as Eden Reforestation, the company they work with. As of this posting 4,666,190 have been planted in Madagascar by tentree. High Fives all around!

You can also follow their blog, which has lot's of info on tree planting and reforestation programs here.

Have any tree planting stories to share? I had some friends who worked as tree planters as summer jobs, and it sounded grueling, but so rewarding. And all that time in the outdoors! Maybe I have a new calling....?

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