Last Night As it Stands Today

Okay, so last night (better associated with this morning, really early) was one for the memory books. My little angel woke up at 1 a.m. releasing the food from the night before all over her sheets and pajamas. We didn't realize this until we walked in to the room and the aroma hit us like a Mike Tyson when he hit Zach Galifianakis in "The Hangover". I cuddled my baby for about 20 minutes before I was able to get her in to the bathroom, the entire time I was 6" away from the mess at hand. Very, very tough to stomach and maintain super daddy status but I did. Within the next 30 minutes I had acquired some coke, sprite and crackers from a local grocery store and Eden was feeling like a champ. We washed and sanitized (Ashley washed and sanitized) the room and all the sheets and Eden got to sleep in her Hello Kitty sleeping bag, she was elated, not to mention she was able to consume the one product we withhold from her most diligently... coke. I found myself, hours later, tossing and turning, in a slight bit of pain and discomfort all the while a bit discombobulated. I realized that I may have been contracting whatever my daughter had. Ah well, I'm tough I thought... I thought. I moved the sofa around 3 a.m. Tried to sleep but that task proved too difficult. I remember the clock said 4:26 and the next thing I knew I was face down on the bathroom floor drenched in sweat and freezing cold, it was 5:30. I had never felt so miserable in my life, I contemplated going to the hospital, I thought I certainly needed an I.V. from all of the fluids I had lost (and yes I am sparing details). It was approximately 6:00 when I recovered from the floor, I think now that some of my time down was selfish as the floor felt absolutely amazing and I saw fit to enjoy my time uninterrupted by ailments for the time being. I returned to the sofa, as I did not want to bother my sleeping wife and honestly started to feel a little better, then I tried to turn on my side, that's when I made the phone call to work, it wasn't going to happen today. I am big on listening to my body, but I am also big on not getting backed up at the office. I have an amazing colleague that is taking care of my work today, I owe him big. I don't even know if he knows I have a blog, but I am still indebted to him until further notice. I am moving around now, I arose from the dead at 9:30, Eden slept till 11:30 (lucky) and now I'm spending some great time with the family, oh yeah, and television sucks during the day. So far I've watched "Ellen" a show I normally love, because I love Ellen, but today the "Jersey Shore" was on... nuff said. Then we watched Family Fued followed by the Price is Right. Ashley informed me that this is her daily routine. Be that as it may, I am enjoying my time home as it has been so little as of late. An episode of Tom & Jerry (yeah, I still watch that show) just started so I'm out... Deuces!

1/2 Dozen One Way, 6 Another

It's half a dozen one way, six another. Your wardrobe doesn't need to be flooded with clothing wherein only certain ties can go with certain shirts, or certain shirts can go with certain slacks. I think that association to the foundation of anyone's wardrobe is all too common, and grossly misguided. I have found my self at times trying to pair or bundle or match different items in stores and once that dynamic has been committed to a static selection, your mind predestines that clothing to always be as it is there. But a mere change in color can change the approach of an entire ensemble. In these pictures here you have a summer, spring-esque appeal for a bright and sunny day, while the other photo leaves the outfit a bit more conservative, more appealing to the gravitas of a serious or not quite as charismatic situation as its counterpart. I think at the end of the day, it's all about perception, or perceived value. I am not a conservative dresser, I find my style in the individualism and charisma of my fashion, yet it is my success of those parts that allow me to call it "style". 

Whole Foods Just Got Real!

Found this on yahoo news! Pretty funny. I don't know how Whole Foods feels about it, but I thought it was hilarious. 

Brennan Bergeron, Off to West Point

Okay, so Brennan is the guy in the hat. Now that that is clarified here is the story. It's really impressive for the 17 year old Tuerlings Graduate to be accepted to West Point yes, but the more impressive aspect of the story is his journey there. I'll say this, 15 years ago, Brennan and I would not have been scheduled to take this picture, according to doctors. See, Brennan was diagnosed with cancer at birth. I have been knowing his family since before he was born. I remember the phone call, we had just opened our 3rd restaurant (where this picture was taken) and his wonderful and loving parents had given birth to a miracle, Brennan. It was shortly thereafter they found out he had been born with a rare form of cancer. He immediately underwent treatment and according to the doctors he would not live past the age of 2, well 2 came and went and then Brennan was 6 (against the odds issued by his doctors) and life was pretty good for Brennan. We joke a lot about being pampered because he wasn't expected to have a normal life and now look at him. He has played All Star Baseball, played football, and workouts with some of the toughest people in the gym, of course it's all paid off now. I'll spare a long story and say at age 13 Brennan beat cancer. Ironically, this is where life got tough. For 13 years Brennan lead a life of a kid who was not going live very long. All of his friends and family patronized that theory which lead Brennan to want for nothing, now, at the ripe old age of 13, at the height of his adolescence, he goes from a pampered life of luxury to being treated like a "normal" kid. (I use the word normal because most kids expect to live to 13, Brennan wasn't expected to live past 2). He was being punished for disrespect and reprimanded for insubordination and he really didn't know how to accept it, I was witness to it all, it reminded me a lot of my trek at that age, although there were some differences... Remember when I said he had loving and wonderful parents? Yeah? Good, because I wasn't just saying that to be nice. These folks never stopped trying, they never stopped loving, and certainly never let the situation get the best of them. Now, to this day, Brennan eats lunch with his parents everyday. He is one of the most respectful and reverent kids of his generation. 6 months ago he and I were sharing a smoothie at Planet Nutrition in Broussard, that's when he told me he wanted to go to West Point. I could not express my deep level of appreciation and pride for him in that decision. It came as no surprise when I got a text message saying he had gotten in 2 weeks ago. Last night was his going away party at Ruby's. A 17 year old son is going away, there was a guest list of 125 people, 250 showed up to see this young man off. He leaves next Sunday for New York, once on campus his parents have exactly 90 seconds to say good bye. I chatted with his mom last night and she was in great spirits. Considering what she has been through I can't imagine that life can throw anything at her that she couldn't handle. I won't go in to the major situations that arose when Brennan was young, I want to stay positive, but I cannot say with certainty that I would've been able to rebound from life with such fervor and exuberance. I wish Brennan the best, he and I will be in touch, if not then I will definitely be in touch with his family as I see them once a week for lunch. If there is need I will get updates accordingly. 

Family Photo's... Well, Quasi Family Photos

My wife decided some time ago that we should take family photos, and like a good endearing husband, I fought the idea for months. But, like all things husbandly I lost that one. So, this past Thursday we hired a photographer (Ashley's cousin Kylie Boggs) for some family photo ops. Here is a sneak peek to what can be found here. All the photos were taken at my parents house, it was 3 in the afternoon so it was HOT! Poor Eden was so flushed here cheeks had the "rouge" all day. She is still my little princess face though.

Light & Bright

"The difference between fashion and style is quality" - Giorgio Armani. I've always said that having a lot of inexpensive clothes is not near as important as having a few quality pieces that cost a little bit more. Style will always be the staple of success, substantially more than mere fashion statements ever will. I don't have as extensive a wardrobe as my friends may think, it's just established with the finest clothes my small pocket book can afford. I focus strictly on style and make sure I can interchange many of my slacks and shirts, but it all starts with one piece. I have pictured this shirt 3 times on this blog, it's a pink and white striped Ghirardelli. When waking this morning I decided to take the opportunity to play with a few color schemes I had been surmising over the past few days. Considering the heat I wanted to stay cool, but I didn't want to sacrifice aesthetics, so the quest was on. The slacks were a no brainer, had to be a wool/linen blend, although a pure 120's or 150's wool would have been quite alright. These are a deep grey with a very light very faint brown pin stripe. The tie is a newly acquired Burberry with myriad of colors and patterns. Truthfully I've wanted to see the turquoise and red plaid against a pink-esque striped shirt for long time, I just never had the exact schemes in the same closet at the same time... until now. The shoes are Romano Martegani Pisa (if you don't own a pair of Romano Martegani's, I beseech you to acquire a pair, seriously, you will call me and thank me, in fact, if you call me I will go with...). The belt is Stefano Corsini, a direct color match to the shoes which is sometimes difficult to do, and the socks are a wool and linen blended Canali gray and brown. I wanted bright and light and I think it was accomplished. I stayed relatively cool all day and looked great. This photo was taken today while walking up to my parents house courtesy of my loving wife. But there is more to staying cool and dry than picking the right habiliments, it starts with proper hygiene, choosing the right deodorant and lathering with the right soap. Outside of that it takes the correct under shirt, I prefer the "A" frame knit (commonly known as the wife beater). 

Back In Black

"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginable, and black is the epitome of consistency." Although I can't take credit for the quote as I am not Oscar Wilde, I can take credit for letting people know how to avoid the mundanity of wearing black as it is a color that is member to every man's wardrobe. One faux pas of fashion is avoiding black jeans, posh, if you like them buy them but wear them colorfully. I own two pair of black shoes, a beautiful pair of leather lace up Mezlan's, and these black Tony Lama 13" boots. When getting dressed to go to dinner this evening I wasn't sure what to wear, so it was off to the bat cave. I had not worn these casual Gardeur jeans (a fair trade cotton company), compliments of F Camalo, in quite some time so they were a definite. Now the challenge was set, I needed to keep it casual, but not cliché. I thought of a polo, but that was too safe, I thought of a solid V neck t-shirt but that was too consistent (although it's a great look for anyone) then came the shoe dilemma, as in... which pair to wear! I knew I wasn't going to wear the Mezlan's albeit a gorgeous shoe, dare I even say I thought of wearing flip flops, that's just a cop out for such an occasion. So that left the Tony Lama's... okay, let's see how that looks, loved it. So the shirt was left to choose and what you see is a very interesting piece, not in that it's a rare or some off brand piece (it's an Equilibrio), but in it's pattern. I chose a blue and white and black paisley button down. I wasn't sure how it was going to pan out, but at the end of the night I liked it. It really brought color to a colorless ensemble. I don't think it merits an additional pair of black jeans or even justifies wearing black on a daily basis, but if you find yourself having to wear black, remember, it doesn't have to look like you're wearing black.

PS - Eden wore the yellow for effect.

Armani, Burberry, Happiness

I photo'd these ties last night to write the portion I wrote below. Unfortunately, the pic upload didn't work and felt like was stretching throughout the entire post. I'm quite fond of my new purchases. I need solid color button down shirts. I recently purchased my very first all white button down. I realized that I didn't have one so... Ike Behar saw fit to help me rectify. I then noticed that I was lacking in the solid color shirt department. Woe is I, I must go shopping.

Diversify! Multiply! Necktie?

In many venerable professions, such as law and banking, the necktie remains an everyday ingredient of life, but even in those vocations, it is no longer taken for granted as an obligatory part of circadian dress code. Neckties, however remain one of the defining factors of the dress codes for many social occasions. Is it a black tie or white tie event? Must you wear a tie to a funeral? Thus, learning which tie to wear and how to tie it - in a variety of knots - remains one of the rituals of training for the gentlemanly life.

Ever wondered why the "dimple pinch" is such a coveted refinement to the aesthetics of the necktie? Not only does it offer a very beautiful and refined finish, it also keeps the tie itself from over wrinkling while being worn.

When selecting a necktie to wear, I think it all important to have a few directives in mind. Keep in mind these are very rudimentary scenarios but I believe they need to be addressed. First, don't wear a skinny tie, it's dumb... jj, actually I've become quite a fan of the skinny tie, but I digress.

I'll brief firstly on the proper length of a tied necktie. At the end of a brilliant pull, your tie should very delicately touch the top of your waist band, if you happen to have a button or two showing or pershaps the tip of the tie extends past the belt buckle or nearer the zipper of the trousers, retie... don't ever under any circumstance think it's ok to tuck your tie in to your waist band, you will be burned at the stake for this offense. When selecting a tie, please be cognizant of your color coordination, just because you think a tie should go with your suit or sports coat doesn't always mean it does. I am pictured here being very risque with my selection but screw you I look good. But Mark has a bit more of a sophisticated look carefully selecting a tie that complimented his suit in a most amazing fashion. As most anyone who knows me knows, I am major advocate of style, but as I have said many times before fashion has it's place. Don't be afraid to play with colors and designs, it's fun! Also, if you can't be creative, call me.

Ok, so I think I wrote all of this to get to these pictures...

 The bow-tie, my favorite neck line habiliment, probably because it's the most challenging to accrue, holds so much class and so much nostalgia and I am feared that it is losing its place in style and certainly becoming lost to my generation. Here to the come back of the bow-tie. There is not much to say about the bow-tie, just know that if your wear one, wear it strongly, and proudly; wear it passionately and charismatically. I don't think it possible to be unhappy in a bow-tie.

In Stride...

PS - I know these pics are kind of dated, but they are some of favorite. 

Tough Mudder

So I registered for my first Tough Mudder today... a premature decision I finally see, but nonetheless I have been asked to explain the tough mudder many times and it's proving difficult, in fact, when I finish my explanation the event sounds quite lame. Well, these guys break it down quite well. 

No Excuses, Even A Walrus Can Do It

This is pretty funny. I smiled at least.

Eden Getting Ready

My little princess has her very first dance recital today. Here is her costume make up done by her amazingly talented mommy.