keep austin wierd

I thought I would fill you in on some current happenings in the Weaver family. I finally convinced myself that it was okay to ask one Saturday a month off (retail hours are delightful), so John and I went down to Austin this past weekend. My mom, aka: Gigi for her grand-dogs, and dad took the boys to the lake... bless their sweet souls. It is amazing to live life without the responsibilities of a pet. The thought of children seems so schematic to us at this point (by schematic, I really mean out of the question). I already clean up throw up, break up fights, search high and low for their missing Kong toys, and pay way too much money for grooming/veterinary visits. So, I think we are just fine with our boys for now.

The real reason for our visit to Austin was for the Capital 10k. Nicole Lynnette asked me after the first of the year if I wanted to join her on weekly runs. I accepted knowing it would be so great to see her every week & to get in shape. Working out has never really been on my agenda, so it's been challenging. I LOVE food and life can be super stressful. We really are trying to make healthy choices, but as you all know, "it's a lifestyle". grrrrr.

We met up with Stu and Nicole Smith who live in an amazing place downtown! They are great friends of ours & it was so nice to see them in their city for a change. We had a very delicious lunch at Chuy's - 1st time there, too! Thanks for spending your Saturday with us, Smith fam.

I had looked up a few shop must-sees from DesignSponge's city guide. I was very impressed with the recommendations. Our first stop was finch... sooo divine. John found an awesome hand stamped card with a simple art deco graphic of an anchor. Another favorite was Uncommon Objects . Check out the "peepshow" on their website to get a look inside. It was FULL of antique treasures. I adore other people's trash, if only I had room for it. The last two jackpot spots, were New Bohemia & Service. New Bohemia is a retro resale store has the most amazing selection of cowboy boots I've ever seen. Ladies, if you have a foot smaller than size 7.5 ... GO, run, don't walk. Of course, all the 8-9 sizes were slim pickings. John found so many pairs that we actually had to decide which looked/felt the best! We decided on a caramel colored, iguana skin pair for $63 tax included! Awesome. Houston Rodeo 2010, here we come. Service Menswear was a tiny treasure tucked away. John bought Levi's and looks fierce in them. I also loved the Jack Spade merchandise. He is a relative of Kate Spade, and his designs are clean and simple. Great gift idea, noted. 

After a very successful day of vintage/boutique shopping, we decided to grab a bite to eat at Threadgills. It was conveniently located right next to the hotel, and I was craving some carbs before the race. As we walked up to the front of the restaurant, we saw a live concert on the patio. To our surprise, it was WILL TAYLOR AND STRINGS ATTACHED. They definitely played at our wedding ceremony and reception. How bizarre!! It is such a small world. We settled into the Homestead Suites with the McCollough family and played a little "empire" - great game.

RACE DAY: Rise and shine, 7:45 am. I suited up in my new Raider Red dry-fit shirt from Nicole & we were off. I tackled the steep hills semi-gracefully and saw my hubbie at mile 5 for a refreshing push to finish strong. I am extremely proud to say we finished! 1:08 was just peachy for my first 6.2 miles. I feel so motivated to keep it up & even if I wasn't, Nicole would probably convince me. I may try the Aid Sudan run at the end of the month... 

GREAT TRIP! Miss it already. And, John won't quit talking about how awesome Austin is. I agree, but H-town is a super home.

Courtesy of photographer John: 

no turning back

I am pleased to introduce: 

Kirby & Guinness

born February 4, 2008

litter mates, brothers

These sweet boys came into our life right about the time I started my new job... bad idea for anyone considering it. We were at the bayou city art festival in Memorial Park when my mom called from a plant nursery up the road and said we HAD to come see west highland terrier pups that were for sale. John agreed, having no idea what was to come of our little adventure. As you can imagine, I was not okay with leaving one little puppy behind by himself, so after much convincing (also known as begging), we had our hands full. Potty training took forever, and it took me about two weeks to not run to their whimpering cry in the middle of the night. I am sure this was great practice for our far-distant future. But we LOVE them and can't imagine life without our boys. So, take a peek at some of our favorites from the year... 

          

Big jump from puppies, but like I said, life got a little hectic last year. I will do better with my real kids. Check on John's facebook mobile uploads for great current pics!

occupational hazard.

Definition:
A working condition that can lead to illness or death. Often, people in jobs which pose a high level of risk are paid more than similar but less risky jobs to compensate for the danger involved.

Let's begin . . . Around the middle of April, last year, I made the decision to expand my professional horizons and venture into the world of retail. I left my comfortable, delightful job as an 'administrative assistant' with The Crossings Church in Katy where I was spoiled with warm hot bagels, biscuits, and coffee ALL the time from my favorite, Lori. I helped design t-shirts, organize events, create a web-site (so challenging & educational), and got to eat Chick fil A almost every Wednesday with the mom's and nuggets group. I pretty much had the best job in the world, and Bishop Matt Powell should be up for Best Boss Award, if one exists.

Well, my mother stumbled across her college roommate and discovered she owns a home decor/gift boutique in River Oaks. Marci, roommate, was desperate for help, and I saw a lot of potential for networking and recapturing my passion for all things interior design. So, here I am today. We sell mostly handmade artisan merchandise - lots of tabletop pieces. I truly love about 75% of the store, but I try to only bring home items with manufacturer defects or damages... out of respect for my checking account. Those items are usually free & John won't have it any other way. I don't know how to cover my feelings or experiences over the past year without writing a novel, but it has been eventful. I have survived retail in the midst of planning a wedding, Hurricane Ike, the holiday shopping card that comes once a year, Christmas, and the worst economic recession of our time. Thank goodness I had my dear friend Meredith as a sidekick for 3 months or so. She moved in with the parentals and I, and helped maintain my sanity through it all. I probably should write an entire post on my gratitude for her friendship. That Meredith is a smart lady, though. She moved on to bigger and better challenges, working for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Team in Training! And I am pretty sure she is running like 20 miles a week now... literally leaving me in the dust. Ü

Now, insert 'definition: occupational hazard' here. I began with the term, and end with it, merely because it is my current state of mind. NO my job is not leading me to death, but quite frankly it does cause me to be ill. Not physically ill that I need a sick day, because that hasn't happened in a YEAR. I have no idea where this job is taking me and/or how it is enhancing my professional life. I can only live & embrace it day to day. But, should you hear of an amazing work opportunity up for grabs, I'm your girl. 

You try telling a billionaire lady that our return policy is 'store credit only', and no she cannot be refunded the money for the gift she brought back 2 months later. I try not to take backlash from customers personally, but it is tremendously hazardous to your health and not to mention a huge joy sucker. For now, it's a chance for me to meet people, some Cruela-like, some pleasantly delightful. Either way, it is a great test of patience and challenges me to be a Godly woman. So, with all that being said... COME VISIT ME at Telfair At Home! I love smiling faces.

-a

Allow Me To Catch You Up To Speed...

So, let's just say the remaining months of my engagement proved to be ridiculously hectic, and so much so that I haven't updated our blog in over a year. As I sit here today, on my wooden stool at Telfair At Home (which I will tell you all about in due time), I've decided it is time to revisit the blog world we all know and love. I couldn't possibly cram 13 months into one post, so check back... I plan on highlighting the most exciting times of the past year, alongside current happenings in the Weaver family. I am elated to be back, and hope my small following of blog friends will forgive my absence! Until I can become extremely blog savvy, you will have to excuse the mediocre layout update... new colors for Spring are sufficient for now. I need a tutorial from a graphic genius... any out there?
be back in a flash. waiting on john's computer to be fixed by apple-whiz zachary.
-a