Fun Food Friday :: Sandwiches

It's summer and really hot in Texas. What better meal than a sandwich? I thought I'd share some of the out-takes from my shoot for San Antonio Magazine's dining feature on the top sandwiches in San Antonio.



The Tomato Basil Mozzarella Panini from Texas Farm to Table at the Pearl Brewery. I have to say this one was tasty.



This is the Spinach Chicken Salad at W. D. Deli on Broadway. If you know me at all you know I loathe mayo. The sight and smell of it make me nauseous so this wasn't the easiest thing to shoot. That said, the deli is great. Reminds me of someone's hip grandmother's house. I would definitely stop in for lunch, just not this sandwich.



Shrimp Poboy at Podna's Catfish and Poboy's on Austin Highway. This place was fun. I walked in and the cooks were ragging on each other and I was hit with the wonderful smell of fried food. This sandwich was huge, but because of the presence of that offensive condiment, mayo, I only ate a couple shrimpies. They were very, very tasty. Two, maybe three people could share one sandwich.

Have fun and enjoy your sandwiches. Don't forget to pick up a copy of San Antonio Magazine. There are a lot of cool things in this issue.

Wendi

Neal and Allison One Year Anniversary

Happy First Anniversary Neal and Allison. You are one amazing couple and I am so glad we got the opportunity to be a part of your amazing wedding.







I hope this past year has been as fun as the wedding and then some. And may the ones to come continually be filled with joy.

Wendi

Fun Food Friday :: Fried Chicken

Ok, I love Fried Chicken. I'm from the south and growing up I can swear I had it almost everyday. So, In Texas finding that great place for Fried Chicken and traditional southern fair has been hard. Then a few years ago I discovered the joys of Mr. And Mrs. G's in San Antonio. This place is heaven for a southerner. When I worked in Birmingham, Alabama the city was littered with places called meat and threes, which means you choose a daily meat then pick three sides to go with it. That is exactly the description of Mr. and Mrs. G's. They always have a choice of meats and veggies, but I never can sway from the awesomeness of the fried Chicken. It's divine and second only to the now gone (due to Hurricane) Hopkins House in Pensacola, Florida where I grew up. I actually had our rehearsal dinner at Hopkins House for the sole reason of Fried Chicken! That said, I with a crew of photographer friends make special trips to Mr. and Mrs. G's just to get our fix. This was one of those Fried Chicken Fridays from a couple months ago.



Fried Chicken Goodness. You can't forget the awesome black eyed peas and sweet potatoes. Almost as good as the fried chicken.



A Piece of J. Michael Short's Pork Chop.



Part of the photo crew. Mark Greenberg in the center, his wife on the left and Mark Sobhani on the right.



Pie! How can I forget their desserts? They are homemade goodness. I am very partial to the pound cake and the chocolate cake. These desserts look and taste like somebody's grandma made for the church potluck. Delish. How'd that black-eyed pea sneak in there?



I couldn't quite finish it all but tried. Everytime I leave Mr. and Mrs. G's I end up feeling like I just had Thanksgiving dinner. Nap anyone?

Wendi

Angie+Hector :: San Antonio Wedding

Another awesome couple! Angie & Hector were married at the Chapel at Cornerstone in San Antonio with the reception at the Doubletree. I had a great time with these folks. Take a look!



The fabulous printed materials including programs and invitations were designed by the oh-so-talented team of Bobby and Kim at Arispe Creative! They also happen to be the brother and sister-in-law of the bride and my friends!



Just before going down the aisle. This is one of my favorite parts of a wedding -- always filled with such emotion and anticipation.





Bobby, the bride's brother getting his boutonniere.



I just love this one.



Cake fun.



A beautiful moment between the bride and her mom at the end of the night.





Ok this is the first time I've followed the bride and groom to their room, but I'm always up for a little fun and adventure.

Congratulations!

Wendi

Fun Food Friday :: Luling City Market

It's BBQ time! Today we're exploring one of my many obsessions -- BBQ. Luling City Market in Luling, Texas, in my opinion, is the best BBQ ever. Texas Monthly named it to the Top 5 best BBQ places in Texas in 2008.

Here the meat shines! The brisket is amazing and the sausage -- WOW is all that comes to mind. Another really cool thing about this place is, well, the place. It sits on the downtown strip in Luling, Texas and looks like it hasn't be updated since it was built and that's the charm. With no further ado here is a tour of Luling City Market.



I love the cars that happen to be outside during my visit. Perfect.



Ah, the smoke room. You smell so good after you leave. Note the check sign has been up a long time. This was taken a week ago.



Look at those crazy prices.



That is heaven on a plate and only $1.80 a link.



A real Butcher Block.



Can't forget the pickles.



Sad but true I couldn't finish everything I ordered.



I'll leave you with a photo that looks cool to me.

If you're ever in the mood for real BBQ call me!

Wendi

Girlstart

Last month I had the privilege (and fun!) of covering Girlstart's 2009 Epanding Your Horizon's conference. Girlstart is a non-profit organization created to empower girls to excel in math, science, and technology. Founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, Girlstart has quickly established itself as a best-case practices leader in empowering, educating, and motivating girls to enjoy and become more proficient in math, science and technology. Girlstart's Expand Your Horizons conference gives girls an opportunity to sample exciting careers -- from crime scene investigation to dissecting fish and everything in between. Over 300 girls learned about a new math, science, engineering or technology career with the help of some amazing professional presenters and great volunteers.

I love this group and what they are doing. I encourage you to volunteer, make a donation or take one of their Girl Start for Grown Ups workshops.



Dissecting fish. Smelly!



Extracting DNA. CSI is one of my favorite shows so this one was cool to me.



Playing "Cheese or Disease" during the general session.



Learning how to fuse pipe with the gas company.



Learning how to take some one's blood pressure. I always lose count.



Slap games! Remember these? Takes me back to recess.

Wendi

Tyler+Caroline :: Pensacola Wedding

Last month I had the joy of attending Tyler & Caroline's wedding in Pensacola. Caroline is the sister of my good friend Suzie. We all grew-up in church together and I remember teaching Caroline in Vacation Bible school; now she is teaching math with my mom at my old high school. Go Aggies! Well I had a blast at Caroline's wedding and even though I was supposed to be "just a guest" I couldn't resist shooting some fun shots. The ceremony was at First United Methodist in downtown Pensacola, Florida and the reception was at a really cool venue called My Spayce. I also have to put a plug in for the awesome florist, Wendy Childress of Distinctive Blooms and Botanicals, who did some beautiful work and helped Caroline create her dream wedding. The reception was themed A Night at the Movies and it was beautiful.



Such a cute flower girl and I love the head piece.



Caroline looked liked a classic movie star in her dress. The black and white gives an old Hollywood feel.





I love this one because we got mom and grandmom sitting and Caroline's two sisters standing in the background watching the formal photos being taken. Great example of the advantage of having a second photographer.





I love Caroline's dad and this was just too fun. He was very proud.



If you follow this blog you know I love transportation photos and here's a fun shot of Caroline and Tyler on the trolley going to the reception.



One of the cool floral arrangements.



During the toasts.



Caroline's sister Ali and her fiance Will. They are getting married in June and I can't wait for that one too.



You gotta love feather boas.

Congrats you two!

While in Pensacola I also had the pleasure of meeting Lara Casey, of Southern Weddings Magazine at a Social Media workshop hosted by the magazine. Great workshop and not something I expected to see happening in my little hometown of Pensacola. It is getting bigger and better every day.

Wendi