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366 Bow Ties: Not 100 Days Old

This is what a Presbyterian church looks like 3 minutes before a service starts. From the front. From the preacher. Who should probably not be snapping photos with his iPhone. From behind the cover of the church bulletin.

Moving right along ...

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Day 210. Sunday I wore this beauty. Gold with paisley on one side; red linen on the other. Straight batwing.

I hate it when I forget to have someone else take my photo, and have to take one myself. I look like so much of a goober when someone else takes the photo. And much more of a goober when I take it myself. Ah, well....you already knew that.

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Day 211. This is what a fella who wears a bow tie every day looks like at the pub on a Monday night after opting for a Woodchuck Apple Cider, wearing Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots and socks (he never wears socks in the summer!). [Photo credit: CL].

And here those boots are, in all their glory. [Well.... in most of their glory---no natural light, since the sun has already gone down.] Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots. These good folks sent along this gorgeous pair of boots (along with one for Mrs Churchman) in support of our 366 Bow Ties for Haiti project.

There. That's better. Gorgeous boots. Fall, come-on, baby.

Oh yeah---the bow tie. [Thanks a lot, Wolverine, for stealing our thunder.].

Club diamond shape. Fully awesome. Yours for $29. 

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Day 212. Got a couple new oxfords. By chance, the bow tie the Church Belles made for me today had blue and yellow, as did the oxford I picked out. Nice.

I'm loving my re-soled Bass Weejuns, by the way.

Used to be a Nautica necktie. Flags. Nautical, I imagine. (Who knows---it's an outdoor sport so, beats me.) Yours for $29. 

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Speaking of sports: congrats to all the athletes who "went out there and did [their] best", "gave it [their] all", "just went out there and had fun", and managed to memorize the only post-competition interview script ever used in any post-competition interview in any sport at any time since the advent of sports. 

I promise that when I hit my first home run in Saturday morning softball, if someone interviews me, I'll tell them that I can hit home runs in my sleep without even trying, and that I never practice, and basically sit on the couch all day eating potato chips.

Seriously, though, I'm loving the Olympics and all the #NBCfail tweets. 

Enjoy the bow ties.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: More Catching Up!

Day 190.

I'm pointing at the bow tie, but everyone assumed I was showing off my freshly shaven baby face. People! Let's not get distracted from the nicely coordinated ensemble here. Red chambray Levi's shorts, blue oxford button down. Red, white, and blue seersucker check bow tie in classic cut.

It's a sharp tie; there's no denying it. Yours unless you tarry.

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Day 191

It's an honest, and an important, question. But let's put the on hold for the moment. The real question is, do you own a hot air balloon bow tie? It's 492% more likely that you've hugged a Presbyterian.

This unique number was once a neck tie. You can kind of tell if you look close at the knot, which just so happened to show the seam where the emblematic fabric was brought together to form this bow tie. (Usually it is discretely hidden.)

This is really gone forever and ever and ever, amen, once it's gone. Buy now or regret later. (How's that for a pushy, decidedly non-Presbyterian altar call sort of approach to sales?)

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Day 193

It's my firm belief that pink is a very legitimate color for any men's garment, save briefs. Pink chambray in a punchy diamond-point cut. Can't go wrong. You get an extra credential on your Man Card. And buying it sends $29 to children in Haiti.

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Day 194

I'm sorry, but you've just got to love this. Yes, that's two shades of gingham patched together on one 'wing' of this classic butterfly cut bow tie. The scale variation in the navy gingham is also a subtly awesome touch.

You're probably going to want to grab this now while it's still summer. Then wear it every day until Labor Day.

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Well, that's four new ones for you to goo and gah over. Enjoy.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 200!

Well, for Day 200, The Perfect Melancholies had a gig at The Old Town Market, but alas, the rain prevailed and we (probably wisely) opted for non-electrocution and threw on the towel. Too bad. But on the bright side, we got coverage by our local daily without actually having to perform.

Erica entertained us on the banjo while the rain did its rainy thing.

The great thing---a true providence, I would reckon---was that we got to dine at Erin's Restaurant on its opening night in its new Old Town Rock Hill location. It was a fantastic, and historic, experience.

The bow tie was a  straight batwing shape (an obvious choice for the eve of the debut of The Dark Night Rises) reversible with a complex plaid on one side and a simple, wonderfully textured pale teal linen on the other side. I twisted the bow to show off the teal linen in the knot---one of the many possibilities when you're rocking a TCC reversible. Grab it here.

Eat local. Listen to local music. Wear bow ties. Especially ones that put your money toward a local, homegrown business which employs local artisans, and which also puts a small dent into the hope-thirst of a few dozen Haitian children.

And smile.

And eat dessert.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Catch-up Post

It's time to do some catching up.  This batch has some of the handsomest bow ties---I'm comfortable saying---that I've ever seen.  Enjoy!

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Day 188. A handsome green, blue and white seersucker. Maybe the awesomest seersucker ever.

Still liking the Levi's chambray shorts. Red this time.

Grab this seersucker for just $29, the whole of which goes, as you know, to children in Haiti through MTW.

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Day 187. Magenta chambray? Yes please!

It's pretty hard not to love this magenta chambray. Classic cut. Pops like nobody's business. Puts a punch of sophistication in a farmer outfit [pictured here]; or take it on the town or to the playhouse.

Grab this winner for a mere $29 and send all that cash to a school in Haiti where children are being given a rare fighting chance.

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Day 186 really struck a chord on the Instagram and Twitter feeds.

Chicken is not included, although, if you sponsor a child through MTW's OneChild sponsorship program, I'll make you an omelet fresh from our backyard hens.

Better grab this straight batwing bow before it's gone. That's going to happen quick, just FYI.

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Let's pause for a little silliness, shall we?

Deacon is on a roll with cupcakes. He always picks the toughest ones to do, but he [read, Ellie] always pulls it off. Not bad, here, not bad

And then, I find this, opening my Bible for my daily reading. I hadn't heard of this book before. Pretty saucy reading, though.

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Day 184: An archival TCC madras, and still one of our favorites.

So awesome that you don't even have to feel like you need to button your top button, especially if it's 108 degrees out.

Grab this classic-cut madras for just $29 and make a difference in Haiti.

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Enjoy, and wear your bow ties in good cheer.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 170

Q: What's more quirky than a guy who wears a bow tie every day?

A: A guy who wears a bow tie every day, on a wild goose chase in a new city for raw fruit juice.

We had a really great time in Louisville, as I've indicated already. I'll be posting the bow ties worn during the PCA General Assembly over the next few days. You can grab this killer reversible combo -- linen and chambray -- right now. But not for long. It's a favorite and it'll be gone quick.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 172

Louisville really impressed me. Neighborhood after historic neighborhood flanked by main drags of all kinds of quirky shops and eateries. A historic downtown with lots of new energy. I could easily live in Louisville.

I've never seen so many shotgun houses outside of New Orleans. I'd love to sell off 1/2 of our belongings and move into a teensy house like this.

Dr. Harry Reeder of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham came by to buy an official "Stated Clerk" bow tie. I had to tie it on him. He's a jolly guy. Very kind, very funny. I ran to grab my blazer in order to be 'equally yoked' sartorially with him, but he insisted that his good looks can't be competed with, blazer or no blazer. Sounds like something I would say if I were he. Awesome.

My Day 172 bow tie is handsome. White with green and blue plaid. This photo is taken under fluorescent light, and so it's kind of lame. But it's a smashing bow tie. Cut like a diamond.  (ID Badge rope not included.)

This fella made me a delicious beet-carrot-ginger-celery-cucumber-who-knows-what-else juice.

Scottish person.

Run and grab your Day 172 Bow Tie now, before it's gone forever!

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 177

Jump on this chance to get a never-before seen Cordial Churchman bow tie. 100% cotton awesomeness. Handsome, complex pattern in striking colors. Yours in exchange for 29 bones, all of which will go to Haiti to enrich the lives of school children. That's something you'll want to be a part of.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Days 161-162

Wisconsin indeed.

We've got ourselves a nice little set up here in the Dells, complete with a ZipLine right behind our dwellings. They even zip at night, with headlamps and lanterns and all the rest. Cool stuff. And that skyway will take you all over the county, it seems, from one water ride to another.

The bow tie is cotton, patchwork in diamond point. The obvious uniqueness here is the stitching zig zag thing. Pretty great. I think it went well with the pale green oxford button-down.

It's odd being away from my work, especially when the enterprise is technically little over 2 months of age. I was able to sneak into the Courtroom and catch a glimpse of the Sunday evening service via FaceTime. Did my heart good. They are in good hands.

It was mighty hot yesterday, which means chambray shorts, green classic cut seersucker bow tie, and a plaid shirt.

In case you're ever in an indoor play land and your children don't have on the requisite socks: behold. I was thinking I'd grab a mid-morning snack, but this is not what I had in mind. Ah well.

(Tough Guy Pose) (You have to muster up a little 'Tough Guy' when you're wearing as ridiculous an outfit as I was.)

Vacation has been good so far. Good times with family. Good Wisconsin brew. Good journaling. Good reading in Genesis. Good reflection on prayer from Paul Miller's A Praying Life. Good times.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 152 -- Disney

Walt, Minnie, and I started the day right: by posing on Main Street, USA. I just now noticed that was Minnie and not Mickey. Bow on the the top of the head instead of around the neck---that should've been my clue.

I bought some chambray shorts in red, blue, and gray at the Levi's outlet in Orlando---and I'm very happy with them. There's no way that I'm not going to wear shorts all summer, just because I'm wearing a bow tie every day. These are cool because they can be worn full-length and they're long and straight--kinda 'hipster' or whatever; or they can be rolled up a few times and they look more preppie.

The Belles made me this necktie specifically for Disney----black silk with red/white ovals on them. Very fitting. A good use of an old necktie.

These photos all look like I'm having a horrible time. I'm not. It did rain all day. But I think I was just squinting or something. It was a fun day.

Now that I look at it, the above photo makes my shorts look stupid. I don't think they actually look that stupid. Oh well.

Even if I looked stupid, I still got smooched.  I'm married to a beautiful lady who is also my best friend, and I have three delightful boys. I'm blessed.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Couple days at Synod

The week started off with a rainy, slow, relatively back roads trip characterized by trucks like this plodding along. Kind of an apt metaphor for how the proceedings went this week. You can rock a bow tie (as, I'm happy to report, many delegates did), but zippy style by few doesn't make for snappy procedure by the many. Even if Robert himself was rocking the bow, his Rules don't lend themselves to much but plodding. Probably wise in the long run. But slow.

Turns out even Mr Snappy Bow Tie Guy wasn't so quick to snap the day's bow tie picture. So the mirror of the Black Rose Pub in historic downtown Hendersonville will have to do.

Straight batwing bow tie. Madras on one side; brown chambray on the other.

It was probably worth all the plodding of Tuesday to experience the sunset.

Wednesday found me downtown for a long afternoon break. I found a fellow bow-tie-every-day wearer downtown and he agreed to have a photograph made with me.

The bow tie is actually a gingham / silk reversible. The silk side has this cream and sky blue striped pattern with yellow flowers.  It can be had here. 

The evening's proceedings included reports from fraternal delegates of sister denominations. Dr Roy Taylor, the Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church in America, rocked his custom Cordial Churchman bow tie, which was designed for him, and named after him. The Cordial Churchman will be at the PCA's General Assembly in a few weeks, where we hope he'll rock this bow tie again. If you'll be there, you can get them there. If there are any left, you'll see them on the webstore afterward. It's a cotton blue and white stripe bow. More later on this.

We finally seem to be getting down to business here on Thursday morning. As you can tell by the above photo, it's moving at lightning speed! [Psyche!]

Red linen and Vito Madras. Two toned.

I love my friends in this denomination, and I kind of like Roberts Rules, a little pomp and circumstance, and even a little bit of controversy. So all in all, a good week.

Cordially,

Andy