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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: Day 199

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 173

After a week of hawking bow ties to Presbyterians under fluorescent lights, generally keeping legs, arms and tattoos appropriately covered, it was time to get some shorts and short sleeves on and get some sunshine.

It was also the penultimate day of my and my right hand man's juice fast. So we decided to go hard core and hit some wheatgrass shots. I expected it to taste like grass clippings, but it actually tasted very sweet, and quite delicious. (Apparently this depends on the variety and the quality of the shot.) We're weird. Oh well.

I really like this bow tie. A very handsome pattern that remains--in my reckoning--masculine, despite the pale purples and dusty pink.

As I've said before, there's definitely a clowny element to an outfit that includes short sleeves and a bow tie. Add shorts ('short pants') and you're really just one foam ball nose away from actually being a clown. But then there's the tattoo! Saves the day! You're a bad mother after all.

So shall I tell myself.

Run and grab. Do hurry. 

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: Day 174

Travel Day. And a gorgeous one it was. Akron to Pittsburgh to Rock Hill, mostly via West Virginia. Usually we're strictly an I-77 family, but a stop in Pittsburgh meant some unfamiliar road, which is always welcome.

Pittsburgh is really fantastic. After dropping honorary Churchman Casey Mink off to catch a bus to DC, Deacon and I headed to the Strip District for some coffee and doughnuts.

21st St Coffee was the joint. Intelligentsia coffee. $5. I have no problem spending $5 on regular coffee when the regular coffee is anything but regular. Single-cup brewing by pour over. Rare Kenyan beans. Mmmmm....

(St. Stanislaus church in the Strip District. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam)

The New River Gorge. Possibly the oldest river on the continent. Definitely one of the eldest in the world. Definitely also not new. The bridge is the 2nd tallest in the world. A Washington Monument and two Statues of Liberty tall.

Short sleeved madras - Vintage Gant. Grantham bow tie in straight batwing shape. Great texture to this bow. 100% linen. Kind of looks like vintage UNC-Chapel Hill. Get it while you can. Just this one is on sale.

You've got to make the best of your road trips. Especially if you have the luxury of not having a 15 month old baby and a 3 or 4 year old, stop and smell both the coffee and the roses.

Coming Soon: photos and info about our project in Haiti. Don't forget that 100% of our revenues from the 366 Bow Ties in 2012 project go straight to this project, which directly benefits children in this still-very-much-hurting country just a short distance south from the USA.

Also Coming Soon: a round-up of our week at the PCA General Assembly.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 164

It's already spoken for, but I thought I'd show it off anyway.

All kinds of bizarre stuff at the Dells. Like upside down White Houses. But also, apocalyptic sunsets.

Cordially,
Andy

366 Bow Ties: Day 159

That's my boy. When he last swung on this swing on the church playground at Draper's Valley Presbyterian Church, he was but 2 years old. It was a delight to give him a push and watch him fly above the Virginia cattle country landscape.

It was a travel day. Shorts: red chambray. Blue oxford.

And a red gingham // blue & white reversible cotton classic-cut bow tie. A pretty stellar creation by our Churchbelles, if you ask me.

I'm going to leave it at that, and let you peruse the slide show. Baby deer; swings, swings, and more swings; the manse we lived in for a summer; it's view down the valley to the church and graveyard; our children; etc.

Enjoy.

Cordially,

Andy

[slideshow]