100 Days, 100 Ties

Casual TieDay, Freebie Friday. Today I had a big decision: Which of my ties to sport and then give away. I think I picked a good one. Perhaps too good…

This tie can be YOURS! Just send three box tops...

It’s from Geoffrey Beene, and it’s a beauty. Purple with rows and rows of blue, white and purple dots. Knots well. I’ll miss it. It was a great find at Unique Thrift Store a few months back.

So, here’s the deal with the Friday Freebies on Freebie Friday: If you would like to have the tie, for yourself or for someone else, just post a comment, saying why you, or a loved or liked one, should get it. Pam Daniels, a fellow Lincoln parent, suggested this morning that her husband, Mark, should get it because she “likes that tie.” So far, folks, that’s a winner. If you’re local, I’ll deliver it. If you’re not local, or if you’re local and more than 1 suburb away, then I’ll drop it in the mail to you. Provided of course that you give me a valid mailing address.

I hope to do this every Friday, so please participate. At the very least, tell me to send/donate it to someone who never wears ties, etc. But by Monday, I hope to know who’s getting it.

Baby, you're a Star(r)

Today on the 8th Floor at One Rotary Center I ran into Steve Starr, a Chamber member who had been calling on a client. Steve owns Stephen B. Starr Design (yes, they are related), a graphic design/website design firm here in Evanston. Guys With Ties, baby.

Have a great weekend, everybody! Thanks for reading!

One of the first things we learn as kids, after “Don’t touch the stove” and before “Don’t play in the sandbox after the cat”, is the primary colors. Red, blue and yellow. Mix them with each other to get purple, green and orange. Mix them all to get a sloppy brown sludge that resembles a skid mark, and doesn’t come out of your Garanimals, either.

Cock-a-doodle-do

The Tie du Jour represents the 3 primaries. I have had this tie for a long time, though I had long since graduated from even the Crayola box of 64 (raw umber and burnt siena RULE!!). I’m sure I picked it up at a resale shop in Chicago. The brand is ‘Rooster’ and I have never seen another with this label.

Despite the basic coloring of this tie, I have always had trouble pairing this with shirts. As you can see, I have gone with a plain white shirt, perhaps for the first time since 100 Days, 100 Ties began. I’m also pretty sure that I haven’t worn this’n since I started to work at the Chamber.

Michelle, My Belt, These are words that go together, um, welt.

Despite the fact that I would have worn this eventually, as part of the project, one reason I put it out there now is that I found a belt that goes perfectly with it. Here’s a shot of the ensemble, ensemble…

Go Cats! (except on Nov. 20)

I had lunch today with John Mack, an Associate Athletic Director at Northwestern. Mainly we chatted about this year’s NU-Illinois football game, slated to be played at Wrigley Field on November 20. He was kind enough, after the meal, to give a great smile while joining the legions of Guys With Ties.

Thanks for reading…Brooke

Great day. Great. Day.

Nutshell. Received emailed membership application, just after midnight. Hosted successful Networking Breakfast. Got Julia to school on time, fed and happy. Made a potentially major connection between two members. Sold a major sponsorship for one of the Chamber’s annual awards. Had a perfect patty melt at Edzo’s with two of my buds. Welcomed a new member to Chamber HQ, who brought a check. Got Julia to soccer practice on time. Met with same business owner from aforementioned post-midnight email. Picked up Julia from soccer practice on time. Received phone call from the aforementioned business owner from aforementioned post-midnight email. Perhaps sold him on the idea of an even MORE major sponsorship, like maybe 10X bigger.

So, Burglar. Thanks for the karma. Hope my wedding ring that you stole is stuck on your finger and that your girlfriend (who doesn’t like you anyway because you’re a miserable thief) gets pissed off at you for being married.

Too bad, you're plaid

Okay, on to the tie at hand (this IS, after all, a tie blog). May have to think of it as a lucky tie, I guess, after the day I had.

Well, the Tie du Jour is from Cignal. It’s purple, black and orange with a little white thrown in there. Sounds hideous, but ties are enjoyed with the eyes, not the ears, so hopefully you’ll agree that those colors work together here.

Unfortunately, my gingko biloba usage merely started yesterday, so my previously accumulated memory loss ensures that I don’t recall which visit to which thrift store brought this tie into my closet. This may be closing-barn-door late, but perhaps I should mark ties as they come in; or, what if I go through the remaining ties, figuring out which came from where? I’ll figure it out.

At the aforementioned Networking Breakfast, we had a bunch of attendees sporting ties. And, kids, do you know what that means: Multiple Guys With Ties! Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Even on a Tuesday, that’s fun to say.

Okay, sorry…I was all set to get this out before midnight last evening, but I kept dozing off. After I typed this “kjjjjjjjjjjkjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk” I figured that it would be a good time to finish in the morhgi. See…that was supposed to be ‘morning’. Good night.

Alex Vizzy in the hizzy!

Bonjour, buongiorno, buenos dias. Hopefully, I’m well-rested enough to avoid typing errors such as last eveninhdsis. Ah, that’s better.

Our first GWT is Alex Voschenkov, a brand spankin’ new member of the Chamber. Alex V, as he advises most call him, is with Interface Financial Group, who offer alternate financing to small and medium sized businesses.

The streak of light across Joe's face can ONLY be accomplished by an amateur photog

GWT II is Joseph Pizzo, who is a photographer who owns Joseph Studios, which shares space with Ayla’s Originals, an international bead bazaar on Sherman Avenue. Oh, and Joe and Ayla…they’re married. Kind of intimidating taking a picture of a professional photographer with an iPhone camera.

Who can make a rainbow?

Our last Guy With Tie is David Levine, owner of Illinois Nut & Candy on Dempster in Skokie. Walking into the store is like a dream for kids–and adults–of all ages. The showroom is choc (candy pun) full of delicious indulgences in every shape and size. He is a marketing and networking expert, and, yes, gosh darnit, I’ll admit that I hope he gives me a free piece of chocolate for putting him in 100 Days, 100 Ties.

Thanks for reading…Brooke

Well, they’re hazel actually…and I’m a guy.

What can Brown do for you?

Well, if you live in Cleveland, Jim Brown, of your football Browns, could have given you several reasons to watch professional football, back in the 60s.

If you live in California, Jerry Brown could have served you as governor of your fine state. He wasn’t a bodybuilder or a box-office movie star, like the Austrian dude who currently serves you, but he is your Attorney General and is attempting to terminate the incumbent.

If you are pondering an Ivy League education, and the post-graduate sense of satisfaction that goes along with it, Brown University is your place.

If you are a cruel, power-hungry 6-8 year old, and you yearn for a sucker to try to kick a football that you hold tantalizingly a thousand times, only for you to yank it away at the last second, then Charlie Brown is your fool.
And PS…Lucy, you’re a byotch.

How now, brown cow (with orange and maroon spots/stripes)?

My Tie du Jour, with its brown background with orange and maroon stripes, got me thinking brown today. It’s from BCBG, their ‘Attitude’ line. If memory serves (and if my Gingko Biloba helps in that service), I got this from Crossroads Trading. I think one of my Ties du Last Week was from Crossroads, too. So bully for them.

What about Bob?

We have an entry for Guys With Ties, taken over the weekend at Dominick’s at Dempster & Dodge. Store manager Bob Devereux, who is a very friendly guy, was kind enough to pose; plus, he was fashionable enough to mention that he wished he had worn one of his favorite ties. Oh, well, next time, Bob.

Have a great week, everyone. Thanks for reading…Brooke

I was robbed.

Three simple syllables. Sometimes they convey a feeling of being slighted, by a prospective employer or by a panel of award judges. In my case, it goes deeper than the ‘we wuz robbed’ category; my new apartment was broken into yesterday. My laptop (recently backed up, incredibly), camera (obsolete) and my wedding ring (um…) were taken, along with the 100% great-to-ecstatically perfect feeling that I have had about my new place. The robber–burglar, thief, asshole, punk…take your pick–was too stupid to take a couple of things that were really valuable in here, so I have chosen to take a lighter view upon the situation. Funny is how I roll.

And so, I beg you, dear reader, to forgive me for not posting yesterday’s tie until now. Without further ado, or further larceny, I present the Tie du Yesterday. It’s from Jones New York, and it’s definitely one of my favorites. I think this may be one of the most photogenic of my ties, at least so far. My flash-less iPhone camera makes it look metallic to me in this shot…

The Evanston Chamber hosted its monthly Business After Hours, so I had to get into full peacock mode. I hope this ensemble passes muster.

At last night’s event, I was able to snap a couple shots of Guys With Ties…

Here’s the President of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, Randy Usen. He’s a Senior VP at Evanston’s First Bank & Trust, and he’s been great to get to know during my time here at the Chamber. He sports some great ties, and this multi-blue striped number is no exception.

Next is one of my bestest buds, Paul Hletko. Don’t ‘hlet’ that loosely tied, unbuttoned shirt fool you…he really doesn’t like the suit/tie look. He is a man of many talents and careers: mild-mannered patent attorney by day, he also is the founder of Custompbox, a maker of custom guitar effect pedals. He’s also a guitarist for The Canfields, my favorite band, and he distills fine spirits in the comfort of his own home.

Well, gotta run…thanks for reading. Brooke