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366 Bow Ties: Day 152

How do you celebrate having made it through a 2-hour timeshare sales pitch in order to get free tickets to Disney? By eating at "Indian Restaurant", of course.

I quickly distinguished myself among the vast timeshare sales staff as the "guy with the suit and the bow tie" and "the best-dressed guy in the building". Of course, I wasn't wearing a suit, but blue jeans and an all-weather blue blazer. But they were correct: I did, in fact, have on a bow tie.

In the end, The Cordial Churchman did more business with these folks than they did with us. We took free tickets, and didn't even ask a question about the pitch. And many people wanted business cards or To-Tie-Your-Bow-Tie cards.

We win.

It's a pretty handsome bow tie, you'll surely agree. Colorful, but in a checked pattern that keeps it in the ballpark, style-wise. Made from leftovers of a customer's custom bow tie, the material of which came from a brand new Gant shirt. Yours for a song. 

The most amazing thing of the day was this stork, who crossed at the crosswalk, while the 'walk' sign was lit up. But he was so slow that the traffic had to wait for him to finish crossing. Crazy.

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

366 Bow Ties: Day 153

What follows is a pictorial account of our final day in Florida and our trip home. Highlights: a visit to the home of our good friends Sarah and Kirk of Bird and Key; a stop in seaside Brunswick, FL; and plenty of caffeine.

The bow tie of the day is a green and blue two-toned chambray in classic cut.

[slideshow]

366 Bow Ties: Days 142 & 146

Every now and then I goof up and wear the same bow tie twice. Sometimes that even happens in the same week. How could that happen, you ask? Because I'm wearing a bow tie EVERY SINGLE DAY. Look: one loses track.

The other way that it happens is that I subconsciously convince myself that I have not yet worn a particular, favorite bow tie, and so--on it goes for a second tour.

It's a little more subtle here, but this is a double-gray reversible chambray classic cut bow tie. When you've got a wild shirt (like this all-the-colors-of-the-rainbow seersucker Brooks Brothers score from the thrift store [the collar of which disintegrated upon one wash, very sadly]), the gray solid bow tie anchors things down.

This was Day 146, the 2nd go-round for this bow tie.

Day 142 was the first--also worn with seersucker (also part of the subconscious double-draw to this double-chambray bow tie).

Double-gray chambray reversible bow, short sleeved blue seersucker button-down and Bill's Khakis M3s: a winning combo to looking simply stylish and stylishly simple, while allowing for increased freedom of movement to chase kids around at the farmers' market.

The convenient thing about my having worn the same bow tie twice is this: as soon as I posted the Day 142 photos, my man Rev. Bobby Griffith (a fellow Presbyterian church planter) hit me on Twitter indicating his sincere desire to own the pictured piece of haberdashery. I aim to please, so I saved it for him and didn't post it to the store right away. (Note:  not posting these things to the store right away has NOTHING to do with my procrastination.) (Note: I just lied. How uncordial of me!)

The good news for you --- if you're still reading --- is that now you have a shot at your very own double-gray reversible chambray classic-cut bow tie. The Churchbelles indicated that the fabric is in inventory, along with their willingness to make another. Now you just have to slap down a mere $29 (all of which will go to our project in Haiti to help build furniture for a school), and it's yours.

Cordially,

Andy

366 Bow Ties: Days 150 & 151

Day 150: Had to be a handsome one. And this is. It's our old Vito pattern crossed with a pinpoint linen that used to be the Barrett. Pretty stunning. Yours for $35.

Another reason to be handsome---or, to wear a handsome bow tie: video shoot.

Day 151: This is subtle: see what's happening? Bias-cut on one half of the bow tie; non-bias cut on the other. See the knot? Cool yeah? Yeah!

Yours for $29.

A good bow tie for a road trip.  Above: Jacksonville.

Ellie hand-rolling pocket squares in the car.

Legos at Downtown Disney

Okay, off to a timeshare presentation. Should be glorious!

Cordially,

Andy

Hand Rolled from the Road part 2

Blue, red and yellow madras. Only $20 complete with your very own Disney postcard from The Cordial Churchman himself. Email me to claim it at ellie@thecordialchurchman.com

Hand Rolled from the Road

Just for fun, Ive brought a number if beautiful pocket square fabrics to hand sew while we are on a family road trip.

I'll post them here on the blog and the first person who emails me to claim it gets dibs and from there I'll explain how to pay. I'll mail them while on my trip with a post card from Disney world or the like.

So here we go!

Here is the Blake Pocket square (orange and purple gingham)

$20 email me at ellie@thecordialchurchman.com to claim it.

366 Bow Ties: Day 145

Have I mentioned before that I love our little town? Have I mentioned before that I love our little town's market? Well, it's true. I do. This year the Old Town Market is picking up steam. Several new artisans and farmers are with us, including 4 delightful young, first-time farmers from Braeside Farm, which until now was a horse-riding sort of place exclusively. These days they're growing organic vegetables which taste utterly delicious. And they're fans of The Perfect Melancholies. The problem with all this Old Town Market awesomeness is that pretty soon they're going to be able to have 'real' bands play and we'll be too wimpy an act for their profile. May it be so.

Our three children all have different approaches to Market Night. Owen commandeered Cliffe's stroller and konked out. Cliffe hula hooped. Deacon went around informing people about various scientific observations he had been making. All are appropriate Market Night behaviors, I reckon. This particular night, I just plopped down and listened to the DJ spin his tunes.

Ellie bought a cantaloupe plant. It'll be dead very soon, I'm sure. Cute though.

The Belles made me this handsome cotton madras bow in classic cut from a repurposed shirt. It's one of my favorites of the season. And if you ask me, I think it looks like paired with this old Brooks Brothers university striped button down oxford and a TCC blue chambray pocket square with red stitching.

And I got these new glasses recently too. US ARMY brand. Made in China, naturally. But, you know. American.

Such a lovely evening it was that I sat out on the patio and changed my guitar strings. Been playing lots recently between Hill City Church and The Perfect Melancholies. I even began writing a hymn.

I hope you'll run over to the shop and grab this one-of-a-kind bow. If you don't---fine---I'll just wear it for the rest of my life.  Probably every week for the rest of my life.

I leave you with a photograph that makes me smile, taken during a chicken dance at Deacon's preschool end-of-the-year open house. He's going to miss his best friend and favorite dance partner over the summer. But we're looking forward to reading lots with him. Kid has a stunning mind.

Cordially,

Andy

I almost forgot: Diane! She makes our Market beautiful. Every week.

366 Bow Ties: Day 144

We have this little ensemble. We call ourselves The Perfect Melancholies when we play at the Old Town Market and other things. We also happen to be the music ensemble for Hill City Church, which is the new church we're starting in Rock Hill.

Wednesday night was what my old prof used to call a 'tweener. We played lots of our market tunes (folktified versions of U2 and the Cranberries; a few Over the Rhine, Patty Griffin, and Randy Newman tunes, etc.), but since it was a church BBQ, and the reason we got the gig was because they liked our take on the old hymns one Wednesday night in the church fellowship hall, we played some of those, too.

The home was from the first half of the 19th Century, and was haunted by antebellumness of various sorts. We played on the front porch to a happily BBQ'd audience.

(Above 3 Photos by Bill Marion)

And I wore a snappy combo, perfect for the event---if I must say so myself. Brown chambray on one side; green candy-stripe cotton on the other side, cut in classic shape. Throw in the blue jeans, the suspenders, the new US ARMY eyeglasses, and the bucks, and I think that about did the trick.

Grab this bow tie and get yourself to an antebellum BBQ pronto. Or throw one yourself. Be sure to invite The Perfect Melancholies to play on the front porch.

Cordially,

Andy