Duck Butter, Mushroom Cake & Bow Ties

(Aforementioned Mushroom Cake)

Tonight was a ton of fun. It was the annual Black & White Gala for Give Kids The World. This event supports a great organization, and luckily, my company bought a table. Otherwise, that $200 a plate is a little out of my price range.

That's the good news. The bad news is that one picture was the only acceptable shot I was able to get the entire night on my substandard camera phone (Read: HTC Hero blows). It does however, give an impression of the excellent presentation the Peabody Hotel had for tonight. As mentioned in the title, the butter for the rolls was shaped in the likeness of a duck, Peabody's theme, and made people laugh; it also made for discussion as to whether or not it was more humane to terminate said "Duck Butter" by removing the head or body first (Hint: Take out the head first). The main dish, a perfectly medium filet, with some mashed potatoes and assorted veggies. Awesome free dinner: Check!

The best part about super fancy Black & White Galas though:

Getting to wear an awesome tuxedo and bow tie. Pictures to come tomorrow. 

This brings me to my main point; bow ties are awesome but underused and the few times they are, it's usually a clip-on. As my friend Veronica would say, "That makes me a sad panda."

Do it up right and whether it be for a prom, wedding, gala, or some other formal event, complete the outfit with the bow tie as the accessory of choice. A real bow tie can be the symbol of a proper gentleman, or a complete badass. Badass pictured below:

Now honestly, when has 007 steered you wrong when it comes to clothing? Never, that's when.

   Bond would never wear a clip-on because, quite simply, it looks like a clip-on. Real bow ties never look perfect, and it adds to the charm. So go out and buy one already. Surely, there are those that would say, "I can't find them anywhere" or "They are way too expensive". No excuse. I bought a silk bow tie for $7.99 at Burlington Coat Factory. It's a cheap investment, but a necessary one to achieve any level of Bond like cool. 

The most common complaint and one that nearly had me give up, is the difficulty in tying one properly. I will be the first to admit that I spent over 30 minutes watching YouTube videos, checking infographics and how-tos, and still coming up short; that is, until I stumbled upon a video by some folks by the name of Howdini. Their little instructional video (shown below) forever dispelled the mysteries of the bow tie, and did it in under 3:00 minutes.

                                                                                                                                                                   

Now that you've figured out that they are an inexpensive, easy to find item, and learned to tie one properly, go forth and rock a bow tie to your next formal event! You will not regret it. If, on the other hand, you decide to chicken out and go the clip-on route, just remember, Bond is watching you...

With a silenced Walther PPK.

-Lou-