Sunday, May 9, 2010

Monday, April 12, 2010

Well - it seems I've been neglecting the blog world, other than peeking in at my regular haunts.

I have today off and thought I would catch up a bit.

 I had taken a few pics of my purple day at the office.  I had training to do and thought I'd do something a little different.  I usually wear purple with a black suit.  Today I wore navy blue pin strip suit.  The same suit as a previous post.  Purple argyle with black shoes - I don't remember where I got the shoes, but they were made in Italy.


Since part of the sock is a blue/purple I figured a blue shirt would be OK and picked out one of my favorite purple ties.



So what to wear for cuff links - I thought about the same gold pair then remembered I had a pair with some blue in them.


The blue is actually much lighter - it's closer to a Tiffany's blue but it came out darker.  OK - I'm rather proud of these - notice it's the presidential seal?  I didn't wear my jacket during training because the room can get rather warm.  I don't usually do that but...well I just did.  Not a single soul asked about the cuff links!

I know - how could they not?  I figured I'd share them with you all.  This pair is from the White House.  No you can't buy them at the gift shop - they do sell cuff link and I'll go into that in a moment.  This pair was from my cousin who worked at the white House during the G.W. Bush term (number 43).  She was Special Assistant to the President.  I think for economical development - not sure.  Anyway, we visited her in Washington and had a tour of the West Wing (yes - the WEST WING) with her as our tour guide.  She had some great stories that really gave a human side to "Gee Doubaya".  As we were leaving she gave us some things to remember the trip - one was this pair of cuff links.  From what I understand, they are given to staff of the white house to give away.  The blue is the same color as the background of the carpet in the oval office - well, at least when GW was in office.  I don't know if it's still there with the new administration. 

There is a "gift shop" for the White House.  It's actually in the bottom of the administration building and is really a very small closet. But it has things they don't sell in "The White House Gift Shop" down the street.  The pair of links I bought there have a nave blue ring around the outside with a gold field.  I'll have to get a picture of them too to compare.

As long as we are talking about cuff links - the other pair I featured was a pair from either my father or grandfather.  I'm not sure which because I have the same pair from both of them.



It's hard to see, but there is a set of initials HDG.  The other side of the link has the initials KAG.  And each link is the same.  So you could wear them so each set of initials is facing out. OK that sounds confusing but I think you get what I mean.  They are 14k gold from Cartier.


So here's the story behind them - years ago when "Big Blue" (IBM) was still a major force in the business world they gave gifts to direct family members when they were hired.  My grandfather was an engineer there and when my father was hired they gave both of them a set of cuff links and a leather two suit suitcase.  That was when it was still expected that men wear a suit to work.  My mother received a gold compact and a leather train case.  I don't know what ever happened to her fathers cuff links.  Yes, I'm an IBM brat.  Most of my friends growing up were children of "zipper heads" as they were known.  IBM is no longer the company it once was but that's another story.

More later
DAG

Thursday, April 1, 2010

April Food Day



Drop some food off over here

Sorry for the absence lately - life sometimes gets in the way.

More later -
DAG

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Socks, Shirts, Ties oh my

Socks - I collect socks almost as much as I collect ties, shirts, boxer shorts and shoes.

The issue I have is I'm never really quite sure what to wear with what.  I kind of have a rebel side and would like to wear bright red socks with my blue pin stripe suit - just to throw people off.  Then my little self says "what would the boss say?"  Should I really care - well no, but I do.

So I was getting dressed this morning decided to wear said pin stripe suit (blue with white),a "banker" shirt (blue stripes with white collar and cuffs (french or double)

 (The cuff links are either my fathers or grandfathers.  I have the same pair from each of them.  They are small rectangles on each side.  One side with my fathers initials and the other side with my grandfathers initials.  I think I'll wait to post more on those later.)


and gold tie with small navy spots.


 (The shirt is originally from Bergdorf Goodman - but I got it at the thrift shop for $2.99.)

Then came to the socks.  Do I go with the safe black or navy or do I go a little over the top?  I really try to go with something that goes along with the tie, but today that wasn't possible for it seems the sock elves decided to take away my blue and gold argyle.

So I went with these - they don't match one thing I was wearing, well not that was visible anyway, but what the hell.



They are green, blue and tan argyle.  So what - and the boss didn't say anything.


More later -

DAG

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Happy St. Patricks Day

Today everyone is Irish!

Courtesy of karenswhimsy.com - public domain images

Work has been rather crazy as of late - will be back soon.

More later..
DAG



Monday, March 8, 2010

St Pat's Parade

I was planning on doing another jacket post.  But the combination of my camera and the lights in my office just really threw that out the window this time.  Once I get it sorted out I'll get back to the inventory.

For now - we tend to have our St. Patrick's Day parade early around here so we can get some of the better pipe bands in from the surrounding area.  So here's a pic blog of the day with some short explanations.

 
The crowd was pretty big this year. Thousands according to the local print media. 



 
  
Saw this guy right away.  Had no idea who he was at first - other than some college kid in green suit and by all appearances is naked under there.  Turns out to be "The Green Man" from a show called "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" . Maybe someone out there can shed some light - I've never heard of it.  He wasn't in the parade - just standing there with friends.





Local Celtic Kazoo band. Over 130 members playing Kazoo in parades during the "holy" season of St. Patrick's Day.






Look real close at the hooves - green and sparkly. 



One of several Irish Dancing groups.



 
Small group of Mummers.

There were many, many more groups, bands, trucks floats...this shindig started at 1:30pm.  We left at 3:30pm and it wasn't quite over yet.  You always know the end because it's fire truck after fire truck after fire truck...

I love the pipe bands.  I don't know why - there is something about the slightly haunting sound that draws me to them.

More later - 

DAG

Monday, March 1, 2010

Snow and Jacket II

We finally got shoveled out.  School was canceled on Thursday and Friday.  We ended up with 22" in our front yard of blowing, grainy, snow.  We closed the office early on Thursday.  I finally got to the office at 11 on Friday. 

 
Drive way to the family manse (mom's-not mine).
This picture was Thursday early afternoon.  We had only gotten about 10" at that point.

It's pretty but I'll be glad when it's gone.


Jacket Colletion II

This is one of the jackets I got mostly for fun.  It's an old GAP jacket - wool, green with camel and navy plaid with a small red stripe (comes across more like orange in the bottom photo). Three button on both front and sleeve, no vent.

I wouldn't usually have gone for this, but like I said - it's fun. I think it will look great with jeans on the week end or "casual" days at the office.  I wore it with khakis and a camel color cashmere v-neck sweater and white broad cloth button down.

 

  

The pictures don't do much for it - again the office lights.
But take a look at the pockets and sleeves.  If it weren't for the small darts at the waist, the lines would go all the way down across the pockets to the bottom and across from one sleeve to the next.  The cheaper brands today don't pay attention to that today.  It's fairly heavy and thick, good for the cold days.

At the moment it's pressed at the top button.  
I think I'm going to re-press it as a 3/2. 
Maybe. 
If I'm ambitious.

More later.

DAG