Jenni + Chris Wedding Weekend

Jason and I had a busy weekend (2 weekends ago) celebrating the marriage of our two friends Jenni & Chris! 

Chris and Jason grew up together in Corsicana and are still best buds.  We were so happy when Chris moved to Houston a few years ago. 

Jenni and I used to work together at the HBU (neither one of us are there anymore!).

Jenni and Chris met at the rodeo cookoff a few years ago (exactly one year after Jason and I met at the same rodeo cookoff...whoa!!).  The day after they met, Chris called me and Jason saying that he met a girl that I work with and asked if I would help connect them.  That next day I ran into Jenni, brought up Chris and asked if I could give him her email address...the rest is history! 

Friday night we attended their Welcome Dinner "Fiesta' at the Woodlands Resort & Conference Center.  It was great to connect with friends we hadn't seen in a while, the food was awesome and the bride and groom looked happy and relaxed.  Too bad this is the only picture I took of the entire evening!   

Saturday the boys golfed and I got a much needed haircut.  The weather was beautiful and we were all ready for the wedding at 6pm outside on the Forest Deck at the Woodlands Resort.  Jason was an usher and didn't trip once (except for after the wedding which doesn't count).

Jenni looked beautiful and Chris looked handsome.  The ceremony was gorgeous and sweet.
(Some of these pics were taken by friends and pulled off FB...gotta give credit!)

The cake was sooo yummy! 

My handsome husband and me

Jeff and Jason back together!  These boys lived together when J and I started dating.  We miss having Jeff in Houston.

Lindsey Jo and me

Great toast Cory!

My favorite part was the game they played at the ceremony

And then the dancing started...

I wanted to show you Jenni's two beautiful dresses since I didn't get any pics of her in the second dress, I pulled these from her gorgeous bridal portraits by Mia Bella Photography:

Ceremony Dress and veil

Reception Dress and hair piece

Congratulations Jenni & Chris!!!  We are so happy for you two.

Surprise Date Night 10.29.10

Friday night I surprised Jason with a fun, Halloween-themed date night on the town!  Jason is majorly into ghost stories and paranormal activity.  I have wanted to go on the Ghost Walk of downtown Houston for years and I thought Jason would love it.  

After a little research, I learned that the Spaghetti Warehouse in downtown Houston...just minutes from our tour, is known to be one of the most haunted places in Houston so we went there for dinner and drinks first.

  

2nd Floor of Spaghetti Warehouse...where the ghosts hang out!

The tour was pretty cool.  We stopped to hear stories about hauntings at La Carafe, the Donnellan Crypt, Brewery Tap, and Spaghetti Warehouse.   

At Brewery Tap in the middle of the tour

The best part of the tour was that my husband turned into the Ghost Whisperer.  Believe what you want, but according to our tour guide, Jason kept picking up orbs in our pictures.  Call it a bad camera, but we have tons of pictures without the orbs.  Check it out yourself:

The Donnellan Crypt

Brewery Tap

Regardless of what you think, it made Jason the celebrity of the group.  Everyone kept coming up to us asking to see our pictures.  After the tour, we went back to La Carafe for a drink and hopes of seeing the ghost bartender.  No luck on the ghost, but it's such a great place.  Definitely worth checking out if you're in Houston.  We had a great time and surprise date night was a success!

Happy Halloween!    

Update: The Rare Short Sleeve Turtlneck

I wrote about my desperate search for short-sleeve turtlenecks earlier this month.  I'm happy to report back that I found a great deal on short sleeve turtlenecks at JC Penny. 

Liz Claiborne has my perfect sweater on sale now for $27.00 (originally $36.00) in three colors: black, creme and purple.  Originally I just ordered the black to replace my ratty one from last year.  But once it came in the mail and fit perfectly I caved and picked up the two other colors at my local JCP.  Yes, I've already worn all three! 

So worth $81.00 for all three! 

Happy Halloween - Chihuahua Style

Tucker loves Halloween (aka, we love dressing Tucker up at Halloween!).  Jason and I are slackers this year - it's Halloween weekend and we still don't have anything for him.  I'm sure all of the smalls sizes are picked over now, but hopefully we will find something cute.  Here is what we are competing against:

Tucker 2007:  Captain Jack Sparrow

Tucker 2008:  Dorothy

Tucker 2009: Bumble Bee

Happy Halloween!  We hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend. 

Love, Chelsea, Jason & Tucker

P.S.  If you are looking for something spooky to do this weekend, Paranormal Activity 2 is hands down, one of the scariest movies I've ever seen and I have seen them all!  You can skip Wes Craven's My Soul to Take.  So stupid and not scary at all.  We even saw the 3D version, yawn.  

Just Because

Jason surprised me today with a necklace I've been lusting after since last May, no really, read here.  I came home to a scavenger hunt and found an Anthropologie gift card that I earned last week from my weight loss game (that's another post) and my very own Bullet Girl necklace!!! 

I love that there is a disclaimer on the Bullet Girl website that says to not wear your piece at the airport because you will not make it through security.  You know this has happened to a few people.  Definitely check out their line.  One of the designers is Houston based.  The line took off after Kim Kardashian flashed a pic of herself wearing one of the necklaces on her Twitter account. 

From the Bullet Girl website: Bullets symbolize violence but our new line of jewelry shifts the paradigm, transforming them into symbols of inner strength, personal conviction, and unflinching affirmation of self.

Thanks babe...your surprise is coming up next with Surprise Day Night on Friday!  Wonder what we will be doing...

The Newlywed 19

I was reading something the other day about the adventures in being a newlywed and the writer referred to her "newlywed 19" that she acquired her first year of marriage.  Not sure if anyone else has experienced this, but I sure did!  I got to partake in the lovely "Freshman 15" in college and now the "Newlywed 19." 

My weight gain came from eating the same things (and just as much) as my husband.  He orders a plate of yummy enchiladas and so would I...and clean my plate just like him!  Ice cream after dinner, yes please!  Breakfast tacos, bring 'em on!  

Luckily I've put a stop to this way of eating (mostly) and got into an exercise routine.  I'm about 7 pounds shy of beating this Newlywed 19.

Maybe one day I can tackle those 15 lbs that I've had since college. 

Weight Watchers

I recently signed up for the most basic weight watchers plan.  No meetings or check-ins, just access to their website and iphone app.  So far I'm down 9.5 pounds! 

If you are not familiar with WW, the plan uses a point system.  I always thought counting "points" was the same thing as counting calories, but the points are determined by looking at the calories, fat and fiber so I feel that it gives you a more accurate idea of a "good" vs. "bad" food.  Something might be low in calories, but crazy high in fat, or higher in calories, but also high in fiber, thus making it a better choice.  In the past, I've had great success with Jenny Craig, however, I like WW better.  With JC I actually lost more weight, quicker,but as soon as I got off their food the weight would come right back.  With WW, I eat real, everyday food so when I lose weight, I feel like it's "real" weight. 

I also love the WW iPhone app.  I track my points everyday on it.  It also has a calculator so you can quickly determine how many points you are about to consume and can look up dishes at popular restaurants to help you make better decisions.  So far, it's working out great.

By counting points, I have cut my monthly Starbucks habit in half!  I get 22 points per day...my fave nonfat Mocha is 5 points, so I have to really want it.  Also, no more pumpkin bread from Starbucks...this was my favorite treat, but at 9 points a pop, I just can't do it anymore! 

Some of my favorite things to eat now are:

-  Whole wheat English muffin (2 points) and 1 tablespoon of almond butter (2 points)
-  Healthy choice soup- Mexican Tortilla or Chicken Gumbo (2) and 5 Ritz reduced fat crackers (2)
-  6 inch Turkey sandwich from Subway loaded with veggies (6)
-  Smart Ones frozen meals: Three Cheese Ziti (6) is my fave!  Also like Pasta Primavera (5), Three Cheese Macaroni (6), Santa Fe Style Rice and Beans (6), Fettuccine with Broccoli (5)
-  Weight Watchers/Smart Ones ice cream...any flavor (2-4 points)
-  Souper Salad: salad with fat-free Italian dressing and cup of Vegetable Beef Soup- total meal 4 points
-  4 Ginger Snap cookies (3 points)


Anyone else on WW?  What are your favorite things to eat?  Any tips?

Happy Dieting  Eating Right! 

Stone Temple Pilots - Houston Show

I love Scott Weiland and I love Stone Temple Pilots.  I have all of their CD's and even wake up to one of their songs every morning (for the past 2 years-that's love) thanks to a setting on my alarm clock.  I saw one of their shows when I was in college and was floored by how brilliant they were.  It was a show.  Weiland came out dressed as a Priest at one point, followed by him performing the encore naked, except for bring wrapped in an American flag. 

Weiland has been in and out of rehab.  The band has split up numerous times to do their own thing, including Weiland's other band with Guns n Roses members, Velvet Revolver.  I even am a huge fan of Weiland's ex-wife (Sidenote: check out her book Fall to Pieces.)

Anyway, I was beyond stocked when STP reunited and announced a tour stop in Houston.  I paid more than I normally would for good seats and dragged by husband to a Sunday night show (I have to REALLY want to see a band that is on a work night...yes, I'm way lame). 

Doors at 7pm.  We arrived at 8pm.  opening band, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club started about 8:15.  Never heard of them, but they were great...downloading some of their stuff as we speak.  BRMC finished their set about 9pm.  Bathroom break and hurry back for the big STP opening.  My heart was beating with anticipation...

and we waited...
and we waited...
another bathroom break...
lots of people watching...
excitement is dying...
booing...
booing...
hundreds are now booing...
the crowd is speculating if the show will be cancelled...
flashback to high school when Creed cancelled after seeing only one song...
back to reality...
It's 9:50pm and the venue must close at 11pm.  So happy I paid for a measley 1 hour set...

Finally at about 10pm, the band comes out.  Instead of the WOW opening I was expecting, we got Weiland holding a cigarette, staggering onstage and giving a drunken rant about quitting drugs, getting divorced, but still drinking.  Needless to say, I was disappointed.  They played all of the great songs, but they were just off.  I told Jason I felt like I was watching a car crash.

Well, we were.  After the Houston show, news came out that the rest of their shows on the tour were postponed.  Read more below.

I love you Scott Weiland and STP!  I forgive you for going on super late and being off.  I hope everything is okay. 

Houston Press Review

Scott Weiland's Drunk Rant in Houston

Photo from Houston Press





Shot from our seats




Screen shot from out seats



Love this shot of Weiland



Weiland's trademark bullhorn.  When I think of him, this is exactly what I think of.