I saw it with my own two ties!

September 19, 2011

If it seems like I’ve begun my last two or three posts with some major whining about being behind on my tie posts, it’s probably true.

But, I’m done complaining, and will just get to it. I will post all of the ties, but not in the order in which they were worn. We’ll just post the last one I wore, and go backward in time from there. And, if I wear another tie, I’ll post that one as I wear it.

If it seems like I’ve made these kind of promises in the last two or three posts, it’s definitely true. No more promises, I’ll do what I can.

Hmmm…now what do I say?

Oh, yeah, I know…on this particular day in question, I wore two ties. Let’s get to them…

Diamonds are Forever...or at least until you wear another tie

I had some sales calls to make downtown with Few Spirits, so I got gussied up in Tie du Jour numéro un, this geometrically-unchallenged strip from Burberry. After meeting with the beverage director at Mastro’s Steakhouse, I went for a little walk, stopping in at several places, ending up at the grand opening of Cantina Laredo, version Chicago. Delicious mini-fish tacos…or were they fish mini-tacos? Fish taco minis? Either way…yum.

Then, I got home and wanted to be a bit fresher for the 2nd Annual Evanston Business Mash-Up, which is run by my former employer, the Evanston Chamber of Commerce. It was such a nice night (like last year’s event), right on the beach at Northwestern (like last year), and I was able to go home straight after (unlike last year). Paul and I sampled some Few for the masses.

Part of my fresher ensemble was cedntered around TdJ#2, my bow tie from Paul Fredrick, picked up on their website recently. This is that cornflower blue that I love, and the fabric is just top-quality. This and my diamond-patterned shirt went nicely with my new Astor & Black suit. I’ll have to make an ensemble photo with that soon.

Although there were many ties at the Mash Up, I only took one picture, as I was more in Few Spirits mode. But, since this FSFAWT (Former Senator, Former Ambassador With Tie) was wearing a scarf around her neck, I figured that was enough of a tie to make it into 100D100T. Say hello to Senator Carol Moseley Braun, holding her very own bottle of Few White Whiskey.

At the risk of being simply satisfied that I have actually completed a posting, I’ll rest my case here.

Thanks for reading…Brooke

 

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Born on the 4th of Jutie

August 10, 2011

OK, I’m starting to feel better. After taking about six weeks off and getting incredibly behind, I’ve now waited a whole 33 minutes before starting my next 100 Days, 100 Ties post.

Ironically, I chose a national holiday for wearing Tie No. 306. I needed to set up a meeting with some folks (Psst…it was about my next tie thing, and you’ll love it), and our only available time was the morning of July 4th. Oh, well, I didn’t think I could show up to a meeting about a tie company idea without actually wearing a tie. So, I chose one with a little bit of patriotic oomph (emphasis on “little bit”).

This TdJ’s brand is Albi, and it’s from the Paul Giddings collection. Paul is my friend who, along with his wife Cease, owns Folk Works Gallery here in Evanston. He’s a retired Army officer who spent a long tour in Germany. To me, this tie has the perfect air of, well, an Army-officer-stationed-in-Germany. Wonder if he ever met John Winger and Russell Zisky (the heroes from Stripes).

Thanks for being independent, America! And thanks for reading…Brooke

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Tied to the Whipping Post

August 9, 2011

OK, I’ve done the crime, 20 lashes for me. I have officially set the record for procrastinating in posting about a worn tie. It’s been so long I won’t even admit it, but rest assured that it’s been over a week. Plus, I have two more that I need to write about. For shame.

Uh, yeah, that extremely long paragraph was penned about 10 days ago, so my break in procrastination was very short. Sheesh. I’m now up to about seven ties that I need to write about, or at least record. Let’s get to them. Or, perhaps I can save this as a draft and sit on it for another few weeks.

No, wait, what do we have here? Yes! I’m going on to another paragraph, it looks like the wait is over! We may get to an actual blog post here! We may have a tough couple of minutes while I retrieve my phone, to refresh my memory as to which tie I’m actually writing about.

Ah, yes, here we go…I was able to wear this Tie du Jour on my first public appearance with Few Spirits. Let me rephrase that…my first appearance with product from Few Spirits. By the way, at press time, Few is sooooo much further along. I’ll try to avoid spilling the beans (or spilling the gin, rather) until I catch up a little bit.

The TdJ is from Kolte. It’s a very dark blue with gray paisleys. It’s very rare to see paisleys marching in such an orderly and homogeneous fashion. Usually they are multi-sized, and swimming all over the dang place.

I wore this lovely strip to a gala charity event called Artopia, hosted by the Open Studio Project. OSP is an Evanston non-profit that helps underprivileged kids connect with their artistic side by providing them with art projects. One of the auction items was a bottle of Few White Whiskey, along with a barrel naming. I attended and gave taste samples of the FewWW. How nice, eh?

Show your Ties!

There were a couple of other ties at the event, but they all paled in comparison to this one. I failed to retain his name, but let’s just call our newest GWT Marty Graw, since he was in his French Quarter outfit.

Well, let’s hope that this gets me going in terms of catching up. Only six more posts to go until I am…

Thanks for waiting and reading…Brooke

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Bermuda Tieangle

June 24, 2011

I reached the monumental pinnacle (is that redundant?) of wearing a tie two days in a row, a mere couple of weeks after basically wearing one for 300 days in a row, save for weekends and the occasional Sanity Day. It’s been pretty nice to see that I’m still getting a few dozen page views per day, so thank y’all.

My Tie du Jour was not worn for the full Jour, so it may need to be called the Tie des Deux Heures (2-hr Tie). I’m getting the feeling that it may become a regular feature here at 100 Days, 100 Ties.

Tie No. 304 was sported, as you can see, with my distiller’s shirt from Few. Paul and I were guests of the Kiwanis Club of Evanston, and we gave a short presentation to their members about the new business. This wool strip is from a store called Trimingham’s, a department store that was a fixture on the island of Bermuda. It’s strange in a couple of ways. It was the first tie I’ve worn that could have been tied with either end being in the front – both ends were the same width. And, the tips had fringes on them (you can see it a little bit in the photo). Not sure if that is a Bermudan thing, but I doubt that they bother with ties very much anyway.

MDWT

I captured a shot of Master Distiller, and many time GWT appearer, Paul Hletko, describing the magic that happens at 918 Chicago.

We had a tie-wearing visitor to the distillery. Bayo, who works for Charter One Bank, braved the heat and put on a tie, not knowing he’d get on the internet for his troubles.

Thanks for reading…Brooke

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Oh, to be a tie on the wall

June 21, 2011

I’m not an eavesdropper, but I will admit that I have something of a spidey-sense of the conversations going on around me. Every once in a while, I’ll own up to it by proffering some sage bit of advice to complement or correct: “Those scones are actually made right here in Evanston”, “You know, Vladimir Ilyitch Lenin carried his childhood blanket every day of his life, even through the revolution” and “Ma’am, Michael Jackson was NOT killed by the CIA” are all examples of things I have NEVER said. Thank goodness. But, you get the idea.

This post is not about my eavesdropping in on a conversation, but about being the eavesdroppee. Twice! And basically in the same spot. Maybe I just talk loud. Anyway, I was talking about Few Spirits at the YMCA on Saturday and Sunday, and two women approached me to enquire about the status of the first distillery in the heart of Prohibition. I just thought it was funny that it happened two days in a row.

Sunday, for Father’s Day, my Dad and I went to Prairie Joe’s, and I was amused by several tie-wearing paper heads, with quirky comments bubbling from their bodiless visages. Here are three of them…

Monday I was able to get my tie on, for only the 3rd time since No. 300. I definitely miss the daily wearing and the daily writing, but will soon be back on a normal tie schedule.

I had a meeting downtown with my friend John Betterman, about my tie project, and I wore a good one. Somehow that opinion wasn’t shared by its creators at Express Design Studio, as I found it in the clearance section at TJ Maxx. It was specifically picked to match up with the blue threading in my new Astor & Black suit, and look electric at the same time. Not bad for $6.99.

Like an out-of-practice idiot, I forgot to add John to the GWT menagerie. However, I did bring him a tie, in thanks for meeting with me, so I’ll get him to get a shot of it when he wears it.

Thanks for reading…Brooke

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And here’s tie you, Mrs. Robinson…

June 16, 2011

GWTAS (Graduate With Tie And Seductress)

I’m surprised to find out that it’s been six years since Anne Bancroft (The Graduate‘s minxy Mrs. Robinson) passed away. But, my title is not in homage to her, or to Dustin Hoffman, who played Benjamin, the actual graduate/seductee. I actually had a graduation on Tuesday evening. It was a dinner and small ceremony marking the end of my year participating in Leadership Evanston. Although, you know…commencement is not an ending. It is a beginning.

Sorry, I’ve heard that speech at every graduation except for this one, since it actually was an ending. Oh, I guess I’ll take part of the Evanston Community Foundation‘s alumni activities with LE, so maybe this is just a beginning. Either way, it was a great experience; plus, it’s good that it’s over.

Of course, I can’t go to any kind of ceremony without sporting a tie, and I was actually excited to put one around my neck. I am having major withdrawal pains from the lack of blogging about the ties.

So, here we go. Tie No. 302 was another from my friends at Paul Fredrick. This one, I actually bought. Although I’ll talk about the ‘why’ very soon, I have to say that Angela and Scott from PF gave me some more ties to support a new venture. 30, to be exact. THIRTY! They are all truly lovely strips.

Anyway, this number is the epitome of multi-colored, as it just exploded my plain-ish blue shirt. Had I gone garish with the shirt, I may have set off car alarms.

I have captured, photographically, a couple of new GWTs in the past week or so, and I’ll gladly share them with you here. First is Graeme Murphy, a freshman in Northwestern’s engineering department. Graeme, sporting a cool Escher-printed tie, and his project team worked with Few Spirits to come up with a plan to reuse our spent grains, and presented it before me and their class. It was one of those ironic days where I chose not to wear a tie, while every other guy in the room had one on. So embarrassing. But, I did have one of my new Few shirts on, so at least I played the part of ‘client’ rather well.

Sunday evening, my dad and I went to dinner with, Pat Green, one of my best friends from my high school days (the first time I had to wear a tie every day…well, actually, that would be the 2nd time. Junior high was tie time, too). We went to Tavern on Rush, and sat next to a GWT. Or, should I say, a RPCLWT (Rainbow PUSH Coalition Leader With Tie)? Yes, Rev. Jesse Jackson was kind enough to show off his tie with two goofballs from Memphis.

Well, that felt good. I’ll be wearing another tie on Thursday, methinks (which is actually today)…

Thanks for reading…Brooke

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Rarin’ to bow

June 7, 2011

Well, my two-day tie-atus came to a sudden end on Saturday night, before going to Mudlark Theater‘s Wine (and Chocolate) Tasting affair at Vinic Wine in Evanston. My friend (and GWT alum) Mike Miro is the Managing Director, and he and the board asked me to join their board. ‘Tis yet another step towards my goal of galactic rule. My first decree: Ties for all! Oh, and universal (truly universal) healthcare. I’ll eliminate the DH, too.

In a rare display of brain activity (apparently brought on by dreams of sovereignty), I remembered that I still had a bow tie/cummerbund set with champagne bottles (and glasses) all over it. Very powerful, wouldn’t you agree? I ditched the cummerbund, of course, and sported my new BTdJ. Sandeep over at Vinic liked it so much he asked if he could have it (and the cummerbund) to display with his champagnes.

All is well over at Few Spirits. Getting my bearings as we all get into the work flow. I’ll have much more to report soon. I should have my first outing in the next couple of weeks, and I’ll wear a tie, of course.

Thanks for reading…Brooke

 

 

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Once…Twice…Three Ties A Lady

June 3, 2011

Three hundred ties, that is…

Lionel Richie (is it he you’re looking for?) takes us in for a smoove landing, calling to mind some of the cheesiest songs (and videos. and haircut) of the 1980s. Do you remember wishing your house could spin around like the video for “Dancin’ on the Ceiling”? Yeah, me neither.

Kind of strange that I should wear Tie No. 300 on this day, as it was my first at Few Spirits. But, there was a networking event – Lawyers, Guns & Money – that I basically had set up, so I wanted to be there. More irony when I was about to go figure out which tie to wear…on my first post-chamber workday, Billie Kershasky from Astor & Black gave me a call and said my new suit was ready.

So, my Tie du Jour, also from A&B, comes with a full ensemble photo. I present my kickass beauty of a suit. It fit like a dream, and it had plenty of sweet details. I’ll reveal a couple with this photo (more with subsequent pix – I’ll wear it a LOT): 1) blue threading on the lapel button 2) the pocket square is actually the pocket turned inside out. Love both of those touches…

On ThreeHundo Day I did manage to get a new GWT: Ramsen Isaac is a Chicago attorney who has come to a couple of LGMs. Thought his strip was pretty sharp, and the crapiPhone captured it pretty sharp-ly.

Well, now I guess it’s up to me to take a few days off from ties. I’m sure that my addiction will win in the end, and I’ll get back to it by Monday. But, I am pretty sure I’ll be down to 2 or 3 tpw (ties per week); maybe 4. We’ll see how I feel getting dressed in the morning.

Thanks for reading…Brooke

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I’m so glad we had this tie together

June 1, 2011

We spend a lot of time leaving places, in so many ways. We leave in a rush. We exit stage left. We beat it, we scram. Sometimes we can’t be dragged away by wild horses. Often we are asked to leave. But, just like the the graduation/commencement relationship (you know, commencement not an ending…it’s a beginning!), a departure only means you’re going somewhere else. Usually. I guess you could be kicked out of a bar after last call (“You don’t have to go home, but you can’t STAY HERE!”) and have nowhere else to go. But, commonly, when we depart in a mad rush, or even on time, we have some place to go. Our destination.

I worked nearly two years at the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, a job that, originally, I seriously thought I’d be nuts to leave. Early on, however, I thought that the only way I would depart (well, aside from their catching me stealing paper clips) would be for an even better job. That day came. It took a while to figure out the logistics of my working relationship with Few Spirits, but it became clear that it would be my destination.

As I have mentioned before, I will still wear ties. When I am out in public for Few, I will be sporting a different tie, I will capture new Guys (and Girls) With Ties, and I will post about my experiences. It just may not be 5 ti(m)es a week.

Speaking, and writing, of ties (since that’s usually what I do here), let’s chat about my Tie du Jour. I went seersucker for day the last, and threw this white strip all up in there. It’s fairly vintage, from Towncraft, and very bright. Thought I’d try to call attention to myself one last time. Oh, and it was hot, so the ‘sucker came in handy.

On my last day in Chamberville, I wore Tie No. 299. Most of you who passed number lines in early childhood can tell that the big 3-hundo is next.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for accompanying me on this next journey…Brooke

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If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand ties…

May 30, 2011

Luckily for all of us, I did not wear a thousand ties today. Unluckily for all of us, I find that I need to refute my little punny subjects. It’s a good way to get into the posts without just saying “Hello. Such-and-such happened to me today.”

So, hello, first I’d like to admit that today is not today. I’m writing about Friday’s Tie du Jour, and press time is actually Monday evening, Memorial Day. I will do my best to avoid ripping the fabric of the space-time continuum (amazing how many movie scripts are googlable) by pretending to only know about the events of Friday. I will not write about my daughter’s surprise birthday party (it was a surprise because it was two months after her birthday…nyark), nor will I write about my pal [RED ALERT! Name dropping warning!] Dave Eggers stopping by the party. Should Julia read this post, she may find out about the party, go back in time and then be completely unsurprised.

Confused? Yeah, me too. Real today has been spent in the sun, so my brain isn’t well too working.

On to the TdJ! It is a special tie, and by special I’m not saying that I got it from one of my grandmothers for my high school graduation (you, know, reader…commencement is NOT an ending. It’s a beginning.). It is special in the holy-crap-I-can’t-believe-this-passed-for-fashion-in-the-70s way, as well as the holy-crap-it’s-passing-for-fashion-in-the-10s-maybe way. This yellow, blue and green polyester (told you it was special) number comes from The Men’s Store at Sears.

Growing up in Memphis, there was a large Sears department store about a mile from our house. I remember spending a lot of time there, but I don’t recall being in the section called The Men’s Store. I wish I could have seen the tie area. They probably had round-the-clock firemen on watch, due to the inordinately high polyester density in the building. And the way people smoked indoors back then, it’s amazing the whole tie table didn’t go up in multi-colored smoke.

After the long weekend (which is almost over now, boo hoo) comes Tuesday, which is going to be quite a milestone. My last day at the Chamber, as I have mentioned, and it’ll be Tie No. 299. Either I’ll wear two that day to get to 300, or I’ll wear another one Wednesday. By any stretch, I’ll probably take a break for a few days, at least through the end of the week. I need to get a routine going with Few Spirits, and with my other stuff.

Thanks for reading…Brooke

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