the man of the hour.

To my precious husband, John...

my husband & his work-stache

You turned 25 yesterday and it was glorious. I thank God for bringing you into this world, and more importantly for bringing you to me! I can't believe you are a quarter of a century, but I love it. You are so supportive, devoted, & will always make me laugh. What more could a girl ask for? Here's to you, Birthday boy!

Love you.

Happenings...

I feel like we've been all over the place lately, so try to keep up.

Memorial Weekend at the Lake was a blast for all. The boys are spoiled rotten and lounged under a canopy umbrella.

Courtesy of mi padre, Rick: SHRIMP BOIL

No, I did not eat all of it despite what you may think.

Miller Outdoor Theater with Adam and Clelyn was such a treat.

a. It's completely free & makes me feel like Houston has it's own little Central Park.

b. It was a beautiful night + zero humidity

c. Esperanza Spaulding. Can I please have hair like that one day??

d. Perfect opportunity for a photo op with my hubbie. I simply don't have recent pictures of us. We met our quota on August 30th. ;)

Most recently, we went to my childhood friend's wedding in Dallas. Holly and Trent had a gorgeous wedding, and their marriage will be even more beautiful. We got to eat at Twisted Roots Burgers, which I highly recommend. They were voted Best Burgers in Texas and were featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. (Totally unrelated to the wedding, but worth mentioning)

And wouldn't ya know... we cleaned up nice enough for me to snag one more pic.

PHEW. I am exhausted. Good times.

I am about to start my teaching certification course on Monday. Could you (my two dear readers) lift us up in prayer? After it's all over, I hope to have a great post about a new job! We'll see...

Read a recent post from MckMama & it really hit home for me.

I have been fervently praying for God to give me a new job.

I want to teach art, and I am taking an Alternative Teaching Certification program in about three weeks. I have to pass a Content Exam at the end of June to prove I know my shapes, colors, techniques, art history, etc... Unfortunately, school districts can't hire you until you've passed the exam & received a "highly qualified" letter from your certification program. By the time that can happen, we are creeping into the beginning of July and most positions will be filled. I'm just stating the facts, not trying to be negative.

I can't help but be consumed by the thought of teaching, which naturally makes me think it is the correct route to pursue. I am trying to be hopeful that things will work out, because I am desperate to get out of retail. I navigate my life far too often & have finally decided (at least for now) to let go. Even though it seems the odds are stacked against me, I love knowing the HE sees the big picture. I can be at peace knowing HE will make my path straight.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8-9

Dear Lord, thanks for the reminder. Amen!

michael jordan weekend celebration.

I turned 23 this past weekend.

I can't quite believe how time flies these days. But, it sure is a great reminder to enjoy it & that's exactly what we did this weekend. I got my haircut by Denni ... she is an amazing woman/stylist & I highly recommend her for moral support, a listening ear, mad art skills, and genuine friendship. I've only seen her twice... that should tell you something!

Nicole Lynnette and I had bellinis and lunch at Onion Creek. It was delicious & there was a farmer's market ending right as we got there. I'll have to check it out earlier on my next Saturday off.

My super, amazing husband surprised me with a trip to at&t for an iPhone! How did I ever function properly without it. I have entered a new realm of technology that I am thrilled about. I took a picture of it (and maybe my new haircut) at Marshall's when John & I were wasting time before dinner.

We had the world's best dinner at Backstreet Cafe... and by world's best, I mean bacon wrapped quail, coffee crusted filet mignon, and a seafood sampler including a lobster tail. WOW. Sweet, sweet time. 

By Sunday, the fun should have been over. I already had the best weekend... but it kept going! We met Natalie and Matt at Onion Creek (yes, this was the second time in one weekend. no judgement.) for breakfast & then had lunch at The Daily Review with my family. As Jenna would say in 30Rock, "me want food!" .... except NOT because I am stuffed from a weekend of FOOD. No mas por favor. 

 

Such a delightful weekend & now, back to reality, as a 23 year old. yipee! Thanks for making my weekend so special and memorable friends & my love!

rain, rain, go away.

I've been absent for quite some time, but I must say I am feeling truly uninspired by my day to day activities. I wasn't sure if my life was dynamic enough to post about, but looking back on the past couple of weeks... I realize there is a common theme.

RAIN and more RAIN.


I had a three day weekend for the first time ever a couple weeks back, so I spent the majority of my time at work trying to plan a blowout schedule of events for my hubbie and i. Don't judge me for not working... the current economic crisis has turned even the affluent River Oaks community into a frenzy & i simply have no one to entertain.


We started out Saturday morning, sleeping in with the boys, but woke to a rainstorm. Go figure. Not wanting to have my perfectly planned weekend ruined, we pressed onward & had a potentially heart-attack inducing breakfast at HOUSE OF PIES. Acapulco breakfast is John's fave & I am obsessed with their coffee (of course I eat breakfast, too, a lot... but the coffee is worth highlighting).


Next stop, 12:45 deadline for the main event at 1pm. Over the river and through the woods we traveled to a warehouse district for a Saturday tour and tasting at Saint Arnold's Brewery! Best Wife Award granted upon arrival. I recommend you do not attend this delightful tour on a rainy day. Yes, you will have to wait outside in the line, and no, an umbrella will not protect your pants or shoes from completely drowning. Regardless, it's only $5 for a ticket which includes a great little tasting glass & four drink tokens. Aside from the old boot/wet dog smell, it was a great success. We literally waded to our car in nearly knee deep water... good times.


The evening events were an alteration to the original plan, but as you can imagine, we have the rain to thank for that. It proved to be worth it though, because we went out to Katy to see John's family, including Papa Norman and Nunu - his amazing grandparents that moved here recently from SUNNY Florida. I love me some pizza time !! Norman always captures candid moments on his digital camera and prints out a variety of sizes on photo paper for us to take home. Wallet sizes available upon request.


I am suddenly realizing that my "not so interesting life" is turning into a very lengthy post and i apologize for that. We'll wrap it up to say that Sunday was a trip to Discovery Green downtown. We had hot dogs at the Lakeside Cafe & brought fresh organic produce from the farmer's market (Sundays noon -4). It is a GREAT place tucked away in the middle of the concrete jungle.


Monday was a shopping day to the "semi-new" outlet center off 290. I bought an umbrella from Gap. That's right... no shoes, not a single summer scarf, or even discounted running shorts. Just a great striped umbrella. It felt very appropriate for the current weather conditions, and I truly didn't think it would EVER stop raining, except that God promised we won't need another ark. We stopped by Whole Earth Provision Co. on the way home and picked out a pair of TOMS for each of us. Have you heard of these treasures? Well, it's one for one - you buy a pair, they give a pair to a child in need. Brilliant, if you ask me! Aside from being vegan friendly, they have great styles.

You may be wondering about vegan shoes & i like this link b/c it is informative and to the point. Click the dots located on the shoe for more info. I am not a crazy activist, but this sure does pull on my heart strings. I love animals.

Super successful weekend to say the least, and I am so thankful for sweet time with my hubbie. It is rare we get more than one full day together, so this was such a treat. I think I am over retail and working on Saturdays... I'm convinced this lifestyle is way more fun.

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

...Bowling with the Stars

Have you ever bowled in the depths of space?... Me neither, but Cosmic Bowling on a Friday night at Time Square on Grand Pkwy is about as close as I think I'll ever get.  Allison wasn't feeling well this weekend and retired early on Friday night.  There was only one thing to do... get together a brodeo.  After many calls I had come to terms with the fact that many of my friends work early Sat. morning now which made the entourage a little thin (me and A buddy).  With only two of us we decided going to see "Be Kind, Rewind" at the Alamo Drafthouse was probably the better choice over bowling... so naturally we chose the 3 hour special from 11 to 2 AM that we like to call "Cosmic Bowling".  I gotta say, it was kinda weird at first having just two of us (who both suck at bowling), but after finding our lane among the crowd of mostly Seniors in HS it was a quick paced string of games and a bunch of fun!  I have to say, if you haven't been bowling... than hurling a glowing ball down a long wooden lane towards a huddle of short objects (shaped like everyone's favorite uncle) while drinking cheap beer from a pitcher (yes, I temporarily ignored my calling to higher standards in beer) must sound pretty stupid.  Well it is... yet so awesome!  The best part of the night for me was the end of our second game where on the 10th frame I bowled a turkey (my first and last of the night).  anyways, all that to say... If you haven't hurled a ball down a lane in a smoke filled environment in a while, dust of your bag and call the Flinstone's because it's good for the soul.  As they say, "the Dude abides..."

If you don't understand this last statement, please just go watch "The Big Lebowski"

JW 

would you like some vino with your valentine's?

If you are blessed with a special someone to call your hunny, then I hope you enjoyed your Valentine's Day yesterday. For many, it could have been a unique tribute to Singles Awareness Day. John and I had the opportunity to celebrate Valentine's with a few of our loved ones. We decided on a great little place sometime last week, and decided we would splurge in honor of Valentine's. I explained the extensive itinerary for the evening to my dad, who seemed very intrigued. He politely asked if John or I would mind if my mother and him joined us. I insisted that would be perfectly fine and sure enough, earlier this week, we added Ab (my sister) to the reservation so as not to leave her out of this 'family affair'.

We arrived right on the dot at 6:30 to a quaint little restaraunt, Salud! Winery. We were greeted with imported cheeses, meats, and a glass of pinot noir. Yumm-o. Next came a delicious caprese salad that brought back wonderful memories of Firenze, Italy. There was a small kitchen in the back of the restaurant where they ferment and bottle their own wines. I am going to skip over the details and terminology of the process, because that seems to be John's specialty. Let's just say - it was neat.

The remainder of the night consisted of chicken parmiagan, pasta with zucchini and squash, fried cheesecake and a chocolate covered strawberry. Oh, and more flavorful wine pairings of course (including a chocolate orange port - a fav of john's). We each got to take home a bottle of the wine we prepared, after we labeled it with a cutom label from the event. Check out our sweet bottle! I sent the picture (our first post!) to Salud earlier this week, and they printed it onto one of the Valentine's label. What a great idea.

It was such a treat to be eating dinner with my whole family, which is a rare occasion these days. My dad is the sweetest man alive and will always be #1 - he picked up dinner for the whole table! We had the best time, and I couldn't be more thankful for their generosity. They are so understanding to the fact that John and I are soon-to-be poor newlyweds.

"The more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people." -Vincent Van Gogh

peace.love.joy
-aj

i love crafts

Well, I recently added a link to one of my favorite blogs, design*sponge. I haven't visited in so long, so I have spent the last hour or so skimming the archived articles for tips & treasures. It is a surplus of resourceful information for any diy project, including a t-shirt quilt! If you had the pleasure of being in a sorority (or clubhouse, as john calls it) during your college days, you probably have about six bags (or $400 worth) of t-shirts depicting greek paraphenalial. Why I thought I needed to purchase one for every single event, still boggles me. I always have hopes and dreams of starting great craft projects. They are intriguing in my mind, but never seem to evolve in reality. However, I committed to sticking to this one, and I pledging on our blog for all to see ... and by all, I mean Lori, Tabaitha, & Donna (you are the only viewers we have right now) ;) I am going to compile my t-shirts together and finish a glorious Chi Omega quilt for my unborn girl who will surely be a legacy. John is definitely rolling his eyes right now. But, I would love accountability, so I am posting the instructions below if you would like to co-craft with me! I have to give credit to 'derek & lauren' from design*sponge in case they happen to meander across our blog and accuse me of plagiarising. happy quilting.

Here’s what you’ll need:-15 shirts-solid-color duvet cover-rotary cutter (you can buy one at jo-ann fabrics)-ruler-self-healing cutting mat -sewing machine-iron

1. Our duvet cover measures 80″ x 80″, so we cut out 64 squares, each measuring 11″ x 11″(32 from old shirts and 32 from the top piece of our existing duvet cover, which we took apart at the seams.) We were able to get 2-3 squares from each shirt.
2. Lay out squares on the floor in an 8×8 grid and arrange them into a pattern that you like. Pin numbered scraps of paper (1-8) onto the first square of each of the 8 rows so they stay in order as you stack them up and bring them to the sewing machine.
3. Using a 1/2″ seam allowance, sew squares with right sides together to create strips. Press open all the seams with a hot iron.
4. Once all 8 strips have been sewn, attach strip #1 to strip #2 and press open seam. Attach strip #3 to strip #4, press open seam, and then attach to strips 1 and 2. Repeat with remaining strips until they are all attached. Make sure to pay attention to the numbered squares so they stay in the right order!
5. With right sides together, attach top (patchwork) piece to the bottom piece of your old duvet cover, leaving a 3′ opening at the bottom.
6. Turn right side out, fold up raw edges at opening and attach 3-4 buttons (from one of the shirts!) to the bottom piece. Use the buttonhole function on your sewing machine to create buttonholes on the opposite piece.
7. Insert your comforter or duvet, button it up and settle down for a cozy afternoon nap!

Happy Valentine's week to all. May you and a special someone find the joy in each other's company & affection.

peace.love.joy.
aj (as if you thought john wrote this one)

Don't worry... be Hoppy!

Beer... That Hoppy goodness that almost all of us enjoy on occasion.  However the word "enjoy" is used very loosely in this instance.  Allison and I are actually some of those weird people you meet who really do find the taste of beer enjoyable. That is...unless you're drinking some nasty ultra-light lager ( you know, the kind that just tastes like stagnant water).  Yes, that's right... we're "beer-snobs".  From IPA's to unfiltered, full-bodied wheat ales... we love the taste of meticulously prepared beers from different cultures.  Tonight we indulged in a couple pints of "Old Speckled Hen".  This is one of my favorites, seeing as how I prefer the rich, creamy ales to lagers.  Straight out of England, this beer is perfect for a February evening and a good movie.  I could say more but Jason Bourne is waiting for us in 46 inches of HD glory!!!

-Hope for all,

JW

a little r & r

The lovely ladies of The Crossings had a delicious meal at Cottage Charm Tea House this afternoon. I highly recommend the Petite Appetite (even though we all know I do NOT have a petite appetite) - half a chicken salad sandwich and a tiny cup of chicken tortilla soup. yum! I am loving every opportunity to get to know these amazing women more & I am so grateful we had such a nice turn-out. 

Afterwards, John and I took advantage of the beautiful sunshine for a stroll around La Centerra. We made an unfortunate decision to go into Kirklands. I must say, the stench is an overwhelming combo of lavender, pumpkin spice, and vanilla. You must be thinking, what on earth do those three fragrances create? ... let's just say - disgust. We left quickly. 

Then, I received the greatest invitation to accompany the McCollough household to dinner. I just can't get enough Nicole, Michelle, Matt Pee-paw, Momma D, and Mr. Mc-C.  They are the most joyful family with HUGE hearts and I loved being a part of pizza night + the office + mini guitar hero stints. Can't wait for dinner with jane jones and nicole on wednesday! 

That's all for now. Just wanted to update you on my lovely Saturday in k-town. Miss all my Lubbockites, and think about you daily. Hope all is well - keep me posted. 

peace.love.joy

aj.

Greetings everyone- 

as you're soon to find out, Alli and I have very different approaches to writing and self-expression.  I tend to write less detail, leaving more for you to interpret... this is actually a reoccurring theme throughout all the different mediums of art that we explore together.  anyways, we hope that the balance of the two brings a refreshing experience to all of our readers as you catch up on our lives!

Hope for all...

JW

I simply couldn't wait. I had to begin expressing myself via the world wide web. This is a huge step, considering my mass paranoia. I became inspired by http://www.katymom.com/, and that led me to the Smith family blog, and more. Since I moved back to Houston, I am having to go through a few transitions. Hopefully, I will remember to update our blog to share my adventures with you. John is suppose to be simultaneously posting as well, so look forward to his whit and charm.

As for now, I am joyfully experiencing my time working for The Crossings. Matt introduced my position to the church as 'a blessing', but having this opportunity has blessed my life in more ways than you know. I spend a lot of time in a comfortable, red bucket chair at Dunn Bros Coffee in Katy, where the barista has learned I would rather order a strawberry-mango smoothie than a latte. I have the pleasure of running into a new friend, Kyle, and his sweet son, Noah. My duties consist of networking in the community at Chamber meetings, delivering bagels to local schools to show our appreciation for the staff, adding my personal design touches to the worship venue, and assisting in small design tasks for publications. One of the most recent accomplishments is our NEW website that launched today -- check it out! Basically, it's a jack-of-all-trades position, and I couldn't be happier. John and I are constantly praying for this season of our lives. We relish the time we have on Monday nights at the Nelson's with new & old hearts to fellowship with.

Updates on the wedding plans are slim and far between. We have put a few details on hold, so that we can focus on the big things (i.e. Where to live & how to save). We have booked our exciting honeymoon destination - Riviera Maya, Mexico, here we come! Our dance lessons start a week from today, and I am expecting it to be very thrilling. Our Save the Dates should be finished in a week or so, thanks to Matt Powell for taking John and I's pictures last minute. Stay tuned for exciting updates.

Thanks for stopping by. I am new to blogging... so bear with me! Be blessed.
peace.love.joy.
-aj

This is the beginning of our lowly blog!