Jeff’s 3 Favorite Things – March 2019

Jeff Wilson's Top 3

Figural Napkin Rings 
FIGURAL NAPKIN RINGS

Growing up, everyone in my family had their own napkin ring. These weren’t particularly fancy but they were a part of every meal, and a memory I cherish. Flash forward to my present fancy self and the desire to create new memories for our kids. But if you thought Jeff Wilson would be satisfied with plain bamboo bands from Pier 1, guess again! Back in the Victorian era, rings were used to identify cloth napkins for family members between washings. Guests, however, were offered a clean serviette at every meal and therefore not allotted a ring. First of all, my family does not reuse dirty linen. Secondly, guests should feel like family. Hence, my new penchant (some would say obsession) for collecting ones I find whimsical or charming for our visitors to enjoy. Naturally, I do not haul napkin rings back and forth between our city home and country home. This logic has empowered me to clean out inventories on Ebay, Etsy and even LiveAuctioneers.com! I may have paid WAY too much for these at the Baltimore Antiques Show, purchased from a dealer who literally wrote the book on napkin rings. But in a world where so much feels fractured and fleeting, recreating a treasured tradition makes me happy in the simplest and most heartfelt of ways. So have fun hunting, and please, wait to start your own collection until I’ve found all the super cute ones for my own 🙂 Please send me images if you buy one or more. Enjoy! 
Logo Contest / Logo Tournament 
LOGO TOURNAMENT / LOGO CONTEST

If you know me, you know I like nice things. I also like control and options—lots and lots of options. Finally, I don’t like overpaying (unless it happens to be napkin rings). A recent quest led me to Logo Contest and Logo Tournament. These sites allow you to create new logos for a competitive cost, to exercise massive levels of control and input, and to have up to several hundred entries to select from. This might seem overwhelming to some, but it’s all kinds of AWESOME to me. First, you set a price you’ll pay. If you go higher, better designers jump in. You give initial input about style, type, color and the vibe you want. The designers respond with options and from there you rank them. The top designers (and others) come up with even more options and you can request specific changes on any of them. In the end, you get EXACTLY what you want, and that’s always good. I’ve created three logos here, LifeAtTheTop (see below), Jeff Wilson DC and Doors of DC. Each is completely different, and I think, perfect for the purposes they were created for. Have fun with this and show me what you have created! Check out Logo Tournament HERE.  Check out Logo Contest HERE.
Gabriel Iglesias 
LAUGHING WITH GABRIEL IGLESIAS

I have a pretty twisted sense of humor, at least I think I do. But you don’t need that to laugh ‘til you’re crying with Gabriel Iglesias. He’s super funny and I love his whole “Fluffy” persona and positive outlook on life. The youngest of six kids, Iglesias was raised by a single mom. They were constantly on the move before landing in Section 8 housing in Long Beach, California. But he chased his comedy dream from biker bars to sold-out shows as a headliner at Madison Square Garden. He’s so real and transparent that you can’t help but love him. It’s a classic case of both heart and humor, and that always gets me. When you need a little pick me up, check him out HERE. Iglesias is currently working on a new Netflix series in which he plays a good-natured public school teacher. Plus, he’s in the middle of his “Beyond the Fluffy” World Tour 2019 which hits about 50 stops between now and August. If he comes to your town, book tickets early because there’s never an empty seat. And, invite me. I’ll be there in a flash!
Let me know what you think. The good, the bad, the ugly, the sublime! Reply to this email or give me a call anytime at 301-442-8533.

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