Most Wanted: Bow Ties

Spring has arrived and with it comes horse races, summer concerts and the our countries birthday, all great opportunities to show off your bow tie collection. Below are my top five most wanted patterns for this season.

1. Pink and Pistachio Floral

This 100% cotton bow tie is machine washable. A beautiful pattern. A flora pattern that is  done in a way that wont emasculate you while you wear it. Buy it here. $36

2.Royal Poinciana – Lily Pulitzer Print

This hand made bow tie takes its shape thanks to a Lily Pulitzer pattern. This will look great with a white shirt, blazer optional. Find it here. $36

3.Southern Stripe Beau Watermelon

There are a lot of Southern Proper ties that I really want but this one is new for this season. It has a similar color pallet as the one above but with a darker pink. The outfit above is a perfect example of how to wear it. Find it here. $55

4.Stars & Stripes Reversible Bow Tie

This is an awesome option for summer parties, the fourth of July and any other occasion that you want to show your national pride. This is a great company making quality 100% cotton ties. Buy it here. $45

5.Cushing Bow Purple/Silver

Not all this seasons bow ties have to involve pastels and stars. This Collard Greens tie has a great navy blue base and great purple and grey accent colors. A great after dark tie for a spring wedding or a late night formal. Grab it here. $55

So next time you are getting ready to go out reach pass your regular ties and reach for a bow tie. They are more fun and look awesome when undone and your collar is loosened.

Collecting Ideas

Tags

Pin Board, Scrap Book

I am a collector of sorts. I have been collecting images that inspire me and items that have memories attached to them since as far back as I can remember. At one time or another I have collected: Stickers, football cards, koozies, bottle caps, magazines, newspapers, Marvel cards, ticket stubs, and coasters, just to name a few. I have a hard time throwing things away. I always feel like I will have a need for it later and would regret getting rid of it.

What I have been doing for about three years now is make “fashion and life style” scrap books. This is a way to cut down on the amount of magazines I have laying around, and to make finding what I am looking for easier.

Pocket squares, khaki suits, and Clarks desert boots.

Seersucker ties and peacoats.

The style book has 147 sleeves worth of clippings while my lifestyle one has about 74 sleeves. Everything from the best way to stock a home bar to different styles of dress socks can be found in these two books. Helpful for me to look through before I start looking to purchase a new item of clothing.

I also collect memories. Ticket stubs, photos, comics, letters, bar wrist bands, and anything else I can stick a pin into, I will save on my pin board.

A cluttered smear of my life.

Bow Tie Friday: 04/06/2012

Tags

bow tie, Friday, Purple, South, Southern Ties, Spring

Purple Gingham bow tie from my friends over at Southern Ties. Looking forward to buying one of their new spring ties.

Civil Dialogue: A brief look at Amendment One and Americas need to listen

Tags

Amendment One, CBI, Charlotte, Community Building Initiative, General Assembly, marriage, NC, North Carolina

On May 8^th a controversial ballot will be up for vote in North Carolina.  If passed, North Carolina would put a ban on all civil unions between same sex partners, making a marriage between a man and a woman the only legal bond in the state. While this act was voted onto the ballot by the North Carolina General Assembly quietly about a year ago, the issue has garnered plenty of attention by both sides since, sparking a public uproar by some and strong verbal support by others.

The issue of legalizing gay marriage has been a headlining subject for several years now, with only six US States making it legal to grant marriage licenses to gay couples. Those who oppose the bill say that equal rights for all must include single sex marriage, and that denying them this right is unconstitutional. Those who are for the bill passing argue that same sex marriage goes against what the whole institution stands for and the legalization of gay marriage would erode the foundation in which marriage was established.  Of course there are many more arguments stemming from both sides, but at a basic level it is the issue of whether or not the religious based institution of marriage should be legally available to more than just marriage between one man and one woman.

In today’s society what tends to happen is that a person will be in full support of freedom of speech and rights of individuals as long as what is being said doesn’t go against what they believe to be right and fair. Once they feel attacked by something they don’t agree with, freedom for others seems to be pushed aside. Freedom of speech is quickly brought to their defense when they wish to make their opinions on the matter heard. Both sides of this marriage argument would best serve their own cause if they took the time to stop and listen to the other side’s argument. If our society truly believes that it is one base on basic human freedoms, we must be able to come together and discuss issues in a manner that is respectful to both parties.

To remain true to the beliefs that the founding fathers laid out as the blue print for this great nation, we must be able to have open and safe discussions on issues such as those covered in Amendment one. It is easy to stand for what you believe in it takes real courage to stand up for the rights of others.

Voting on Amendment One will be held in a month, but that doesn’t mean that this issue will die after an outcome is announced. Instead of making this a battle we must make it a discussion. The Community Building Initiative of Charlotte is an organization built on the grounds that all people regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or economic status should be treated equally and with respect. On May first, CBI will be hosting a community conversation on Amendment One at the Queens Sports Complex from 7:00 to 8:30.  They welcome all to come out and discuss why they are for or against the amendment, or if you one would just like to learn more about what the Amendment entails. For more information on the open forum or CBI itself, please visit their website at http://www.communitybuildinginitiative.org.

Getting Social

Social media has made it easier than ever to share and save images, ideas, stories, and music. I have a bad habit of never throwing things away my whole life. This new world of digital saving and sharing is like a dream come true for me. It gives me away to save images and text that inspire me. So if you want to check out some of my pages the links are provided below.

Instagram: embraking

Pinterest: embraking

Twitter: embraking

Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/embraking  (still working on this one)

Next I will go over my offline ways of collecting ideas and inspiration.