Get Up Offa That Thing

 

It’s been a week since Brett and Kat’s wedding so I figure my photo’s will have reached an expiration date if I don’t get the rest of the reception shots up! After the appetizer portion of the party came dinner and dancing, and Monica and I didn’t let up on either fronts.

For example, here I am acting like I don’t want to push down that little girl to my left in order to get to the chocolate fountain:

There’s a strawberry in there somewhere, so get off my back already Michelle Obama!!!

 

SELF PORTRAIT!

 

Monica managed to take a surreptitious shot with the bouquet

 

The bride and groom dancing with the band. 

 

You might notice that Kat has a fuchsia fedora (that sounds much fancier than “pink hat,” right?)—you can always tell a good party when props are passed out.  In addition to hats they also had GLOW BRACELETS and BALLOON INSTRUMENTS and OTHER VARIOUS ENTERTAINING PARTY FAVORS (oh my!)

“Rockin’ out” (part two of two of Monica looking good fake-playing an instrument)

 

I was havin’ a bit of New Years Eve flashback with my new neon neckwear!

 

Dad, who stayed out and partied hours after I was home and in bed (… seriously)

 

The fam!!!!

 

Monica with Bucket Bull David, a groomsman, former roommate of Matt and Brett’s and winner of the garter.  And by winner I of course mean he was the lone male standing closest to it when it fell on the ground

 

L to R: Kat’s hand, Brett, Matt, some-girl-I-don’t-know, Joanie, some-other-hand.  Doing an Aggie song/ritual thingy.

 

Needless to say the whole day was loads of fun (I mean, I did get four blog posts out of it, so that’s not too shabby!) and I am unbelievably happy for Brett and Kat. 

 

Artist: James Brown/ Album: Sister Act 2

The Play and the Wedding

 

Our next installment of Joseph and Monica enjoying the wedding festivities comes in-between the ceremony and dinner/dancing… we took full advantage of the fact that no one really knew who we were at the aperatif portion of the reception and decided to do a bit of playing around!

Everyone looks a little better with a gold tint

 

 

Not so cool as it may seem… that’s a zucchini stick I’m holding and not a cigarette (You know, because cigarettes are cool!!!)

 

Part one in a series of Monica looking good fake-playing an instrument

 

I LOOOVE this picture!  We found a phone booth type area and I said something like: look really tragic.    It actually reminds me a lot of the woman in one of my favorite Edward Hopper paintings…

 

New York Movie

 

We’ll never know what was happening on the other end of that phone call to prompt such a weary pose.  Oh… guess it coulda been this:

“I TOLD YOU TO WEAR YOUR HAIR IN A BUN!!!!!!!!!!”

 

We also had a little too much fun with the staircase… … …

  

Monica sliding gracefully down the banister.                      Joseph falling quickly down the banister.

 

TAH DAH!!!

 

Artist: Stephen Warbeck/ Album: Shakespeare in Love

Married with Children

 

As I mentioned in a post on Friday, my friends Brett and Kat got married this weekend here in Houston and I was honored with being able to sing a couple of ditties at the wedding (Panis Angelicus is totally a ditty, right?)  I also might have mentioned that my nephew, Luke, was the ring bearer.  From my vantage point in the organ loft I was able to snap a couple of surreptitious pictures of the ceremony…

He did such a great job!!! It was a cautious walk for about the first third and then a mad sprint to the finish line after that

 

MONICA! You can’t take pictures during a wedding!!!! (Glad she did though!)

 

 

                           Not married…                                                                  MARRIED!

 

So look for a couple of more posts over the next few days… Monica and I basically had a photo shoot at the reception.  PLUS, mom and dad rocked it on the dance floor and I have photographic evidence!

(And not that it necessarily needed explanation, but the “children” referred to in the title would be Luke… in case any of you dainty Southerners were about to have a spell)

 

Artist: Oasis/ Album: Definitely Maybe

Love and the Rehearsal

 

Tonight I attended the rehearsal dinner (and of course actual rehearsal) for my friend Brett and his fiancée, Kat.  In a nut shell, Brett was my brother’s roommate during their tenure at Texas A&M and has since become a close friend of the family.  Matt is a groomsman, my nephew, Luke, is the ring bearer, and I’m singing… it’s basically Robert’s-palooza 2011 here in Houston this weekend! My friend, Monica, is my date for the weekend and was able to attend the rehearsal dinner with me at Ouisie’s Table.  Let’s enjoy some photographic evidence of the evening, shall we?!

Lamenting the fact that, although the party was decorated immaculately, I CAN’T GET AWAY FROM POTTERY BARN PRODUCTS!!!

 

Mom, Myself and Monica.  I always appreciate some good alliteration!

 

Dad couldn’t help but get in on the action (Facebook style).  Also, I have a bit of crazy eyes going on in this one…

 

Monica, an avid jogger, pointing out that the pan roasted chicken was served with “running gear”  (whatever the eff that means)

 

Me entertaining Luke with an Alphabet book.  (“P” is for “Pig” btw… in case you weren’t already aware)

 

Dad entertaining Dad with Luke’s Etch-a-Sketch.  THIEF!

 

   

Dessert Diptych #2 (You might remember #1 from an earlier post)

 

Artist: Stephen Warbeck/ Album: Shakespeare in Love

The Cookie Factory

 

In preparation for Keliy Anderson-Staley’s Imagined Family Heirlooms, Catherine and I decided to have a “theme” to go along with the drinks and snacks for the opening.  Inspired by Keliy’s Baking Pan Series we instantly thought of milk and cookies!

Installation shot of the Baking Pan Series

 

So instead of spending a Friday night out on the town, I attempted to make three different batches of cookies: chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and snickerdoodle. Monica also made a surprise guest appearance to help me out with some of the baking.  Some of you may remember her from my first outing to the John Cleary Gallery oh so many months ago! Let’s see how that turned out, shall we?

So much for homemade… besides, I’ve realized I’m more of an Ansel Adams wannabe than a Martha Stewart anyway!

Looking forward to seeing you all at the opening tomorrow, Saturday March 26 between 6 and 8pm! Come for the chocolate chips and stay for the fabulous photography.  (Well, and the white Russians certainly can’t hurt either)

 

Artist: Danny Elfman/ Album: Edward Scissorhands

9 to 5

 

This past Tuesday my friends Monica and Kris and I got away from the grind of the Barn and headed downtown to see 9 to 5: The Musical at the Hobby Center.  If you’re not a Dolly Parton fan, then don’t continue to read.  (Actually, if you’re not a Dolly Parton fan then we probably shouldn’t be friends.)

Look at those showgirls Monica and Kris workin’ it!

 

 

Getting some coffee before the show

 

Oooooh the antici… … … … …pation

 

 

Being a Tuesday, the audience wasn’t exactly brimming so we decided to take over some box seats that were empty! Ummm… I mean we paid full price for them? :-/

 

Houston’s very own Statler and Waldorf

 

Hobby Center at intermission

 

We’re smiling because there aren’t any customers around

Because we met at the Barn and carpooled (Kris got free valet parking because she drives a Lexus and they are a sponsor) we had to go back to Town and Country to get our cars.  At 10:30 there was still a group there doing Holiday 2 floorset and so as an after dinner treat Monica and I busted in and had some of my CTS cake for dessert.  I’d like to think we were a breath of fresh air after a long evening of putting ornaments on trees, but I get the feeling they were actually pretty grumblies we had been out having a fab.u.lous night on the town without them.  You’ll notice that Kris is not in the cake eating pictures… that’s because she’s a mature adult and decided not to come in… but not Monica and I!

 

 

It’s like looking in a mirror, isn’t it?

You know, ‘cause I kinda had to!

 

Artist: Dolly Parton/ Album: 9 to 5: The Musical

Fear No More

 

Happy Halloween, biscuits!!! 

Now, to be honest, I’m not really that big on Halloween.  Not really for any other reason than that I don’t like putting a costume together.  I dread being invited to a Halloween party with a “costume only” policy.  Ummm, can’t I just go as some tool who doesn’t like Halloween, ‘cause I’ve got that one in about 25 different versions.  I generally just revert to wearing a pair of orange Prada shoes I have and carrying around my orange umbrella, which worked fine in Michigan those four years because there most likely was rain (it’s Fall up there this time of year for those Texans who wonder).  Here, however, it’s currently 82 degrees and freakishly sunny outside. 

Not… amused. At Monica’s (shout out, girl!) after our “candy lock down” because we were out of it in 5 minutes

Don’t worry, it’s not like I was deprived the opportunity to dress up as a kid or anything.  Liz Kelly and I made a pretty fantastic Superman and Supergirl if I remember correctly.  I could be wrong (I was also superyoung) but I think that was the year Jenny Yates’ costume had been professionally made or something… it was all the buzz amongst the Jordan School mom crowd.

I do have one funny Halloween story from Michigan, though.  I went to several parties throughout the evening and woke up the next morning with this voice mail:

“Hey, Joseph!!! So excited to have you joining the band! Don’t forget rehearsal is tonight at 7:30… see you there!”

And then my conversation with my roommate, Drew, who had gone to the party as well:

Me: Um, why do I have this voice mail?

Drew: Oh, yeah… you heard this guy talking about ska music and interrupted their conversation: “I LOOOOVE SKA MUSIC.” Upon hearing this he said: “We’re looking for a new lead singer, interested?” “Well you’re. in. luck, because I am IN SCHOOL to be a SINGER. Plus I have, like, so many songs of ska music on my iTunes.” [I have two.]

Me: Well this should be an interesting phone call to make.

At any rate, today I thought I would share a couple of Halloween flavored items from yet another blog I frequent: i09.com.  It focuses on all things science fiction (and fact)—from astronomy to film to architecture to pretty much anything that makes you say “whoa, that’s pretty cool!” Basically it’s the perfect website for the inner fan-boy in all of us you.

 

John de Lancie reading Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven

 

 

Coffin technologies that prevent you from being buried alive <--- click for full article

   

“In the eighteenth century, rumors swirled about people accidentally buried alive when they lapsed into a deathlike state from cholera. As a result, the safety coffin was invented. Here's how it worked.” … 

 

 

And finally, a picture that probably only one person who reads this will even understand! (Yay for alienating my readers!)

Best. Jack-o-Lantern. EVAR!

 

Artist: Stephen Sondheim/ Album: The Frogs