Tie a Day, Number 30

Boy was I surprised today! I went looking for a tie this morning to go with the shirt and pants I wanted to wear and I found this little beauty. The surprising part was that I swear it was a new tie!

I don't ever remember seeing it before, and never remember wearing it, but as hard as it was to believe I must have worn it at some point and I have not received any new ties in forever. I mean it is not like I have a tie farm and and they are mating in the closet when no one is looking. Maybe my wife is messing with me...

This tie has all my favorite colors in it which guarantees that it will work with all of my clothes. The shirt is not a faded 80's jean shirt Cathy! It is a grey shirt that is fairly new - with in the last 5 years (I am a teacher after all and don't buy clothes that often because I can't afford to). Blue, purple, tan, black, grey with some green in there too. I really like this tie.

Maybe I just never looked at my ties like I do now, but I just can't shake the feeling that this is a new tie. Kind of like tieja vu...

Tie a Day, Number 29

This tie represents the only Halloween themed tie I own. I know, I am surprised too, but this is actually a very nice tie. The dark background has bats and spiders on it that are outlined in blue. The tie goes very well with this shirt and the blue outline is pulled out by the blue shirt.

The funny thing about this tie is that hardly anyone noticed what was on it! It was like wearing no tie at all. My youngest child took the picture this morning, that is why the tie looks extra long - I was leaning over, and he didn't notice it until this afternoon when I took him out of the car. "Oh cool! Bats and spiders!"

I was kind of bummed that no one noticed the tie I had been saving for this one special occasion, but maybe everyone was distracted by my bad hair day.

Tie a Day, Number 28

Today's tie has a pearlescent quality to it, it is a glossy tie that catches the light in a nice way. I am not sure what color it is. I thought it might be a pink color but I just couldn't decide.

I think I was matching today, but really, I have no idea.

Almost up to 30 ties! It seems like only yesterday I started this ridiculous parade of ties...

Tie a Day, Number 27

The last of the pink ties... I might find one more, but I doubt it. Really, the amount of pink in this tie was questionable to begin with, but I have found that most good ties have a lot of different colors in there so you can wear them with almost anything.

My father was color blind. I never really believed him in that annoying way children have, "Na uh!" But thinking back, I remember him checking out ties and asking people what colors were in them and what shirts the ties went with. Maybe that was why he gave me so many ties. After a shirt wore out, he just didn't have the patience to try and figure out what ties went with which new shirt.

This swirling paisley tie has brown, blue, pink, green, yellow and purple. I like this tie but the big purple part sort of looks like a hidden alien head tilted sideways.

Tie a Day, Number 26

This interesting tie has many small paisley designs all over it. Green, blue, pink, grey and white are all mixed in there. It is kind of busy to be matched up with this shirt, but life is about taking chances every once in a while.

I have been wearing pink ties in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month but I have failed to mention one important fact. Men can get breast cancer too. Even hard rocking, face painting, manly men.

I am almost finished with my pink ties... just one left. And somewhere in there next week I have to get my only Halloween tie in the lineup.

Side note- Every morning I have one of my kids take my tie picture before I leave for work. It is now almost a fight in the morning to see who gets to take a picture. I usually do a couple to make sure I have a clear shot. I guess I will just start having each child take a picture. One good thing that has come from this tie a day thing, each of my kids can use a camera...

Tie a Day, Number 25

Yesterday I attended a professional training activity on Tech4Learning products in Richmond, VA. I didn't think a tie was needed to learn about Pixie and Frames. So the ties stayed home.

Today's tie is a continuation of the pink tie theme for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

This tie is ok, I do like it, but I am just not that enthusiastic about ties today. I have this strange feeling like my tie and collar are conspiring to put a squeeze on my neck. I know it is only in my head because the shirt is pretty loose, but it feels like a boa constrictor gently squeezing me and I am about to jump up and rip the tie right off! Maybe I have had too much coffee today, or I am having a seizure or something.

I have worn about 1/6 of the ties needed to reach my goal of a different tie everyday for the whole year.

Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!

Tie a Day, Number 24

Pink with large paisley prints, this tie is not a favorite! But I support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Please make sure all the women in your life know about things they can do to prevent breast cancer.

My only pink tie problem I have- I don't have enough to finish out the month.

Tie a Day, Number 23

Today I continued the Pink Tie Parade. The tie went very well with the shirt that I ironed on Sunday, so I wore it.

That is the type of thing a guy does when the power knocks the alarm clock out and you wake up late. He grabs the 1st thing he can get his hands on before running off to work.

Today's tie is a wrinkled Countess Mara tie, circa 1983.

Tie a Day, Number 22

Today’s tie is pink. I mentioned before that I am not a huge fan of the color, but if the NFL can wear pink, then so can I!

I am wearing pink to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Besides, I do have a few ties that have the color on them, so it is a win/win situation. I can wear my pink ties and show support for a great cause. Really, I was surprised that I didn’t have more pink ties than the few I found.

Bonus- the tie also has paisley in it!

This tie has the most pink of all the pink ties I could find, so I chose it to kick off my personal “Pink Tie Plan” for October. The tie is a Britches of Georgetowne tie. I tried to research a bit on this company, but I am not sure that it exists anymore. It doesn’t seem to have a web presence, and if it is not on the web, can it really exist? I think not.

Support Breast Cancer Awareness month, and wear pink!

Tie a Day, Number 21

My tie today is a dark blue and purple paisley tie with a hint of dark green. I love this tie! I saw it this morning and had to wear it.

I really like paisley as a design. It has a natural feel to it but the design isn’t flowery. Sure there are some bright paisley designs that I hate, but as a group I have to say I like them. There is also a spiritual something to paisley that I have always felt even before I considered that it resembles part of the Yin/Yang symbol or before I knew that it is believed to have its origins in Hinduism.

There also seems to be a strong relationship between paisley and fractals. I am not sure how that applies to me liking the design…

The tie is a Countess Mara tie and I know that my father bought it when he worked at Franco’s in Richmond, VA, in the late 1980’s. So, the tie is a classic or perhaps a dinosaur, if you think I have no taste. Anyway, I like it!

Tie a Day, Number 20

The tie I chose for today is one that I like. It is interesting in another important way- it is one of the few ties that I own that were manufactured in this century!

I was not completely sold on the shirt/tie combo, but I was feeling bold this morning and took a chance. The tie is made from high quality silk and has a really beautiful iridescent appearance. The design on the tie is nice, but to me the striking quality is the way the tie plays with light. This is not a flat, dull tie. The light and dark duality gives it a feeling of never knowing what you will get from this little number.

I felt like I couldn't wear a solid color shirt with this tie because it would overwhelm one color all by itself (although with a suit and a solid color shirt it would be great). The pinstripe shirt was a gamble, but as I mentioned, I thought I could handle it today. I also should mention that this tie goes with my favorite colors, black, grey, blue and purple.

Too bad I can't wear the tie again this year!

Tie a Day, Number 19

This morning I woke up excited for Friday and no ties! Awesome!

I searched for the one collared shirt that I have with a school emblem on it without any luck. I was really bummed, but my closet full of ties did not let me down. Bonus tie day!

I found a comfortable shirt that would not require a lot of ironing, and pants worthy of a Friday. The tie that popped of the rack worked with the colors, but the tie is not one of my favorites.

I was in for a surprise as I found that the tie came from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was not only surprised where the tie came from, but that the museum has been in the tie business for years! Shouldn't I have known that?

I really should pay more attention to the world around me. I have always just thought the tie was ugly.

Tie a Day, Number 18

My school will be holding its 4th annual blood drive today, so I dove into my closet looking for a tie with red in it. I found this classic Countess Mara tie. I had no idea that the little CM on my ties meant much of anything, but it seems that this is a well known and respected maker of ties.

This particular tie is at best, ok. The red is the background and the blue spots are leaves. It is hard to pick out exactly what the tan areas are supposed to be without getting really close. Those spots are animals, specifically, deer, rabbits and foxes.

The little loop in the back that normally holds the back part of the tie down with the front part has come detached on one side. I now use a small piece of scotch tape to hold it down so it doesn't flop all over the place. Classy!

The tie countdown continues (Or is it a count up?).

Don't forget to give the gift of life! I am down for double reds today.

Tie a Day, Number 17

You may not remember this, but in the 80's and early 90's paisley was very popular on ties. At least it was very popular with my father. I have many of these ties hiding in a dark corner of my closet like a nest of vipers waiting to remind me of the fashion of yesteryear.

This tie has a design that is acceptable, but it is a bit in the thin side. Also, I have to say that the tie is a bit wrinkled. I should have ironed it but my father always told me you don't iron silk ties. If that is true, how do you make a wrinkled tie flat again? I would turn the steam function off...

Does it even matter if I ironed it? Ironing won't take the ugly out of it. Wrinkles just underline the age of this serpent. Maybe it is best that I left the tie as it is.

Tie a Day, Number 16

Today's tie is one of my all time favorites! The tie has a repeating pattern of Calvin and Savannah sitting in a little car. Calvin was 4 years old at the time, and Savannah was only a year old (he is 11 now, and she is 7). Amy gave the tie to me in 2003, as a beginning of the school year present.

Needless to say, but I will do it anyway, I think this tie is beautiful. It has made me smile all day. People have stopped me to look at the tie and I am allowed to talk about my children. There isn't anything better than that.

I have two ties like this, the other tie has a younger Calvin that repeats all over the tie. But I don't have a tie with Sam on it. I think I might need to break down and buy one- I already know the picture I want to use. I can't have Sam feeling left out on the ties!

If every tie made me feel this good, I would wear ties every day of the week- including the weekends. And with nothing else on- even in the shower.

Tie a Day, Number 15

Today's tie is a black knit tie that has little multicolored dots spread across the tie in a diamond type pattern. The dots are pink, light blue, dark blue, and purple.

It is not a truly hideous 80's knit tie with a square bottom. It is tasteful, understated and is acceptable with the shirt I wore today. Not the ugliest tie in the world and not the best. The tie of the day is unremarkable- I almost feel sorry for it.

A tie for Mondays...

Tie a Day, Number 14

The other day I mentioned that I don't like floral patterns, but I really like today's tie! I went looking for a tie this morning and came back with a perfect match for my drab grey pants and shirt combo. I picked the shirt and tie out because I was tired, running late, and they required the least amount of ironing.

When I put the tie up to the clothes, it screamed, "Yes! You have kept me hidden for 20 years for this very moment. "

I couldn't argue against that, besides I would scare my family if I was caught talking to my ties.

And so begins the 2nd month of my mission. October is a long month- 16 more ties to come...