The Memorial Buzz - June 2015

Brad and Brittany Dinerstein

Wedding Stories

by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld

Mini (Honey)Moons Bridal Brunches Class of 2015 Involved Grandparents

Houston, TX

Online Neighborhood

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Local Beer and Good Eats

EDITOR’S NOTE Have you ever had a severe case of the giggles? I got mine in the middle of our wedding ceremony. We were married in Carmel, Calif., under a perfect sunset. All the planning had come together. I looked over at my dad and there was a fly buzzing around his ear. He kept swatting at it, but it would not leave him alone.

My friends thought I was crying because my veil was bobbing up and down. Husband-to-be Michael gave me a look like, “What's wrong with you?” Which made it worse. I did finally pull myself together. And 26 years later I still get the giggles. And Michael still gives me that look. Why am I remembering this story? I think it’s because this month’s issue highlighting weddings and high school graduates makes me think about important, sometimesstressful ceremonial occasions. Now that I’ve made it through just about every kind of ceremony there is, I’ve realized that the best thing to do is just let go and laugh at your imperfections, and let joy, if you’re fortunate enough to feel it, bubble on up. joni@thebuzzmagazines.com

THE BUZZ MAGAZINES BELLAIRE • WEST UNIVERSITY • MEMORIAL • TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS Published by Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401 info@thebuzzmagazines.com • p: 713.668.4157 • f: 713.665.2940 Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter thebuzzmagazines.com Editor Publisher Associate Editors Design Manager Staff Writers

Contributing Writers

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Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Cheryl Laird Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld John Duboise Tracy L. Barnett Sharon Albert Brier Andria Frankfort Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Michelle Casas Groogan Dai Huynh Annie Blaylock McQueen Cheryl Ursin Alexis Daily, Christina Frederick Megan Hundahl Streete Russell Weil Jay Janecek Andrea Blitzer Leslie Little Kim Montgomery Darsey Swaim Helen Hamilton Michele Luke

On our cover: Brad Dinerstein and Brittany Bloom tied the knot with family and friends at The Houstonian Hotel.

Cover photo by J. Cogliandro Photography The Buzz Magazines has made all reasonable attempts to verify the accuracy of all information contained within. Advertising claims are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Copyright © 2015 Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this magazine by any means without written permission is strictly prohibited. Printed on recycled paper. Please remember to recycle.

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MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 5

MAILBAG

Your letters, thoughts, opinions From plane and train to page Wonderful article about the Mother/Daughter travels [Travel Buzz: Like mother, like daughters, by Tracy L. Barnett, May 2015]. Friends from Alaska to Argentina, Norway and many in between have read it and sent greetings and comments on the quality of the writing and photos. It is an honor and pleasure to be in one of your stories, and I now realize how much effort goes into each of them.

I reread previous travel articles and had missed Tracy’s fabulous December article about her trip with her father to Mexico. Also noticed a delicious recipe I will try soon. Thanks for a fine locally owned, focused and operated publication.

Terry L. Elizondo Editor’s note: Thank you for the kind words. We are glad you took the time to share your family’s inspiring tales and that you had a chance to work with our delightful, expert Travel Buzz writer, Tracy L. Barnett. To read more of Tracy’s stories, go to thebuzzmagazines.com and click on Travel.

Editor’s note: Who would have thought that an article about a small Greek island would touch such a nerve in our community? This story by veteran news writer Cathy Gordon – who won our hearts when she told us how, at Texas A&M long ago, she took notes for classmate Lyle Lovett while he wrote lyrics – has been especially popular, judging from the feedback. Thanks for writing us and for reading The Buzz.

Photos and words captured Greek island A big thank you to you [editor Joni Hoffman] and [publisher] Michael [Hoffman] for allowing Larry and me the opportunity to share our lifechanging Patmos, Greece, Easter-travel experience with The Buzz readers. So many of our friends and relatives responded with such enthusiasm to Cathy Gordon’s vivid and heartfelt glimpse into a part of our world – not to mention photographer Michael Hart creating interest by capturing the beauty of the religious artifacts. Working with The Buzz staff was a most memorable experience. We look forward to enjoying future Buzz stories.

Carol Senkel Send letters to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.

We’re going to Disneyland We have been avoiding Disney for all the same reasons [Here We Go: Doing Disney with a disability, by Michelle Casas Groogan, May 2015]! We’d been considering Disneyland in L.A. (we know people there) for a couple years. Thanks for pushing us to probably bite the bullet this summer!

Catherine Burch Graham Editor’s note: Have fun on your trip! We want to thank writer Michelle Casas Groogan, as well, for so helpfully detailing her Disney adventure with her family, including 11-year-old son Garrett, who has autism.

Patmos story close to home I was deeply touched by the article about the island of Patmos [Patmos Paradise: Easter on the sacred Greek isle, by Cathy Gordon, April 2015]. It was a beautifully written article about a beautiful place that I have a strong connection to because my late mother is from there.

Imagine my surprise when I flipped through my Buzz, turned the page, then saw an almost identical family heritage. I discovered it just before Greek Orthodox Easter, so it meant even more. Thank you for the article and reminding me of the special family memories.

Mary Cramer MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 6

What’s your story?

We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Know an interesting neighbor to profile.

• Participate on Facebook trading or information groups.

• Have pets with unique or strong personalities.

• Had a positive or not-so-positive experience with a loved one in hospice.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 12.

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NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

More than Grandparents Jordan Scheiner Photography

A second set of parents

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or sisters Ellyn Haikin Josef and Jennifer Haikin Zach, grandparent involvement in their children’s lives was guaranteed years before either thought about having children.

“When we were babies, my great-grandparents, my grandmother Sally’s parents, would help my mom with bath and bedtime every night while my dad was working,” Ellyn says.

“They would keep us when my parents and grandparents would travel together.”

That level of engagement set the tone for four generations of multi-generational parenting.

The girls’ grandparents, Sally and Bernie Fuchs, followed suit. “Growing up, we lived around the corner from my grandparents [their mother, Roslyn Fuchs Haikin’s parents],” Ellyn remembers. “My grandmother was such a phenomenal cook that Jennifer and I would figure out what she was making for dinner and we would just leave our house and go over there.

We would have dinner with them a couple of nights a week, if not more.”

But dinner was just the start. As children, Ellyn and Jennifer were always in different schools. And because they were four years apart, their extracurricular schedules differed significantly. Each afternoon, both were dismissed from their respective schools – Ellyn at St. John’s, and Jennifer at Shlenker, St. Francis and then Episcopal – at the same time.

“My grandmother would pick one of us up every day after school, which was a huge help to my mom,” Ellyn says. Sally even dressed up as Raggedy Ann for Ellyn’s St. John’s class, one of many contributions as a volunteer for her granddaughters’ schools.

Beyond school, Sally and Bernie went with their daughter Roslyn and son-in-law Ricky Haikin to “every visiting day at camp, every parents’ weekend at college, every graduation.

There was no day-to-day or life-cycle event they missed,” Ellyn says. “[My grandmother] was 42 when I was born, so we just had another set of parents. There was no distinction. That was for better or worse: They didn’t get the grandparent best behavior like others did, because they were just our other parents.”

Jennifer says, “We didn’t have the grandparMEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 8

SPECIAL BOND Bernie and Sally Fuchs (center, seated) set the tone for an exceptionally close family, including (standing, from left) Roslyn Haikin, Ron Zach, Ellyn Josef, Adam Josef, Jennifer Zach, Ricky Haikin, (seated, from left) Hudson Zach, Ryan Josef, Avery Josef, Harper Zach and Hogan Zach.

ents who said, ‘Oh, you’re perfect and wonderful.’

I’m 36 and still get told to put makeup on. Now my grandparents call my kids and ask what they made on their tests. There’s an expectation there that some grandparents don’t necessarily have.”

Now that Ellyn and Jennifer have five children between them, ranging in age from 3 to 10, Sally and Bernie – along with Roslyn and Ricky – continue to be present for every occasion in their great-grandchildren’s and grandchildren’s lives.

“It’s seamless,” Ellyn says. “My mom picks up some of the five at school a couple times a week, whether we need it or whether she wants it.” All five attend The Shlenker School. “My mom is just as involved at school as most parents, and more so than some,” Ellyn says. “Because I work full-time [as pro-bono counsel at Vinson & Elkins], sometimes we need a parent. When I can’t be there, there’s no distinction between my mom and dad and me.”

As she shared her family’s stories, Ellyn said, “Right now I’m watching my dad walk between two Little League games. Four out of the five grandchildren are playing Little League, and my dad made a spreadsheet schedule so that he could come to all the games.”

Ellyn’s and Jennifer’s father, Ricky Haikin, says, “It’s all about the priority we placed on family ahead of everything else and on impressing on our children and now our grandchildren how important that is.

“It’s a natural thing, there’s no resistance. It’s just the way it is. We’re part of our grandchildren’s daily lives. We get to spend incredible quality time with our grandchildren, and they get to spend incredible quality time with their grandparents.

They’re learning how important family is.”

Ellyn echoes her father’s sentiment. “You get out what you put in,” she says. “The most significant thing is the bond we have. When you put in all that effort, you get it back exponentially.

Just a few years ago was the first time we had ever taken a family trip without my grandparents. It’s not an obligation. We just truly want to be together. I think it’s because of the effort and time that my grandparents and then parents put in.”

Jennifer agrees. “For me, my grandparents completely influenced my upbringing and my person. Now my kids have that relationship with their grandparents, and that has trickled down as traditions and appreciation for family. I feel like I’m already instilling that in my children.”

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MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 9

NEIGHBORS

Online Neighborhood Sharing and shopping on Facebook This is the first in a series of articles on community Facebook groups.

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hare, tag, tweet or follow, “Like” it or not our communities are formed more by our online activities than by our zip codes. Or, in some cases, by both.

I recently moved back to Houston after almost 20 years away. Everywhere I turned, Houstonians were directing me to online Facebook groups. So I decided to turn to the Internet instead of the country club to get reconnected. I had no clue what I was getting into.

In addition to “Friending” individuals, you can join various Facebook groups. There are groups for kids’ clothing, lost pets, crafters, man caves, real estate and lovers of Houston food.

Some are further narrowed, limited to people who live in your physical neighborhood. It didn’t take long for me to get hooked.

When I searched for groups in The Buzz’s communities, I found hundreds, most for either trading/selling or information exchange. The trading and selling groups are like online garage sales. Using your phone or computer, you post a photo of an item you want to sell and browse others’ items to purchase. In information groups, members share insight and advice. For example, “Looking for a ballerina cake for my child’s party.

Any suggestions?” or “Need a reputable tree trimmer. Has anyone had good luck with someone?”

I started by clicking “Join” on the page and then being accepted as a member by a moderator. (Moderators make and enforce rules, sometimes banning participants if necessary.) In trading groups, potential buyers type “Interested” in the Comments, and the buyer/seller work out details of meeting. This is not an auction, like Ebay; instead, the first to type “Interested” gets first dibs.

I quickly became obsessed. I sold a rug, fabric, baby items and a mattress. In my first few months, I not only gained back valuable space in my garage, but also over $2,000 in sales.

Robin Lutz is the administrator for the West University Trading Facebook group, whose membership has increased 25 percent in the past 5 months, with over 5,100 members. “I want to MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 10

lawellphoto.com

by Megan Hundahl Streete, contributing writer

help bring people together,” says Robin, a retired IT executive.

“These sites are a wonderful way for our communities to interact. I have lived in this neighborhood for 27 years, and had it not been for these groups I would have missed out on meeting my favorite friends.”

Katie Bennett, who is originally from Alabama, modeled her local groups after similar ones in her hometown of Birmingham. “I started FACEBOOK FRIENDS When Walker Johnson was seriously injured in a baseball game, members of the Memorial Information Trading Facebook group supthese because I saw how ported him and his mom Christy by filling their yard with baseballs covered in useful location-based supportive messages. social-media groups are flood their front yard, each one bearing a handin other cities. You can feel lost in a city the size written message. of Houston.”

“I was overwhelmed with the support from One of Katie’s groups, Memorial Area this online community,” said Christy. “I turned Trading, quickly blossomed to over 10,000 to MIT in a moment of shock and can say the members. Due to its popularity, Katie now keeps response supported us through this crisis.” a tight rein on who she accepts as new members.

The Johnsons started a non-profit organizaThe trust that members have for each other is tion called Walker’s Warriors to place defibrillastaggering. Strangers ask other strangers online tors at Houston baseball fields. Many MIT memfor advice ranging from their child’s health conbers have contributed to the $6,000 raised so far. dition to family dilemmas and vacation spots.

For those looking to join online neighborChristy Johnson, a sales consultant at A hood groups, both Katie and Robin encourage Perfect Fit resale boutique, leaned on a newbies not to give up if they aren’t immediately Facebook group, Memorial Information Trading, accepted into one particular group. Search for after her child’s near-death experience. other groups in your neighborhood or consider A few months ago, her 13-year-old son Walker starting your own group. was pitching a baseball game and was struck with Many people have said that social media is the a ball. His heart stopped, and he was rushed to death of real person-to-person contact. As I watch the hospital. A few days later, worried and needthese members interact and see new kinds of coming support, Christy turned to the Memorial munities emerge, I could not disagree more.

Information Trading (MIT) group. She explained what happened and asked for prayers.

Editor’s note: Writer Megan Hundahl Streete has Her post received over 1,000 “Likes” and over been a senior producer for CNN news shows and a 200 written responses. After Walker returned creative consultant for TV producer Shonda home, strangers from the group dropped food Rhimes. She currently works in client communicaand notes of support on the family’s doorstep. In tions, including marketing and social media. a special tribute to Walker, baseballs began to

NEIGHBORS

by Alexis Daily, contributing writer

Class of 2015

Joe, David and Jenny Fox

Where are they headed?

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rand-new high school graduates are preparing to set out, going on adventures, getting jobs and heading for college.

We asked graduating neighbors about their plans. What do they hope for the future? What advice would they give their kindergarten selves if they could?

To find out where more local 2015 graduates are going to college and what they will study, check out – and contribute to, if you haven’t yet – our annual database of college-bound Buzz-area seniors. See thebuzzmagazines.com and click on the blue box labeled Class of 2015: Where Are You Headed?

Joe, Jenny and David Fox – Rummel Creek Elementary, Memorial Middle School, Stratford High School Triplets Joe, Jenny and David Fox have been together since birth and are heading three different ways in the fall – Joe to study engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, Jenny to study accounting at Baylor University, and David to study mechanical engineering at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Joe would advise his kindergarten self not to do his homework at school and to develop the habit of getting it done at home, instead. In college, he hopes to gather a group of friends he’ll stay in touch with for the rest of his life. Jenny would tell her kindergarten self to be confident and “you don’t have to be the best nap taker of the class, but you will find special talents of your own.” She’s looking forward to cheering on the Bears in McLane Stadium.

David also brings up kindergarten naptime and he would tell his kindergarten self to actually sleep during this time. He hopes to attend at least one football game in college.

Brian Lake – Memorial Drive Elementary School, Spring Branch Middle School, Memorial High School Brian would tell his kindergarten self a lifealtering piece of advice: Girls do not have cooties. As he prepares to attend Baylor University in Waco to study mechanical engineering, he says he still wants to have fun in college. Brian wants to attend all sports events and MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 12

said while in college, he hopes to storm the court or field after a big win.

ball game and watch her school beat the national champions.

Abby Mueller – Hunters Creek Elementary School, Spring Branch Middle School, Memorial High School Unlike Brian, Abby would confirm her kindergarten self’s suspicions that boys have cooties. Abby will travel to North Carolina to attend The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. However, as an international business major, Abby said she hopes the traveling does not end here. She said she is most excited to attend the Duke vs. UNC basket-

Blake Berry – St. Mark Lutheran, Spring Branch Middle School, Memorial High School After years of experience, Blake would remind his younger self to stay focused and not to worry about bad test scores or a bad game. As he prepares to attend The University of Texas at Austin and major in biology or biomedical sciences, he says he wants to try new things in college, particularly playing sports he did not get the chance to participate in during high school while playing basketball. (continued on page 14)

Brian Lake

Abby Mueller

Blake Berry

Zishuai Wang

Nicholas Moriarty

Morgan Jones MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 13

(continued from page 12) He said he particularly

wants to try ultimate Frisbee, flag football, soccer, golf and rock climbing.

Zishuai Wang – No. 81 Elementary in Shijiazhuang, China, No. 40 Middle School in Shijiazhuang, China, Alexander-Smith Academy When he thinks about his time in China, Zishuai wishes there was more meat in lunch and dinner when he was growing up. The extra protein would allow him to accomplish one of his aspirations in college: to compete in a professional bodybuilding contest. Zishuai will be majoring in kinesiology at The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Nicholas Moriarty – Ascension Episcopal School, Holy Spirit Episcopal School, The Briarwood School Nicholas would advise his kindergarten self to keep on digging in the dirt and playing in the water, even though it is the opposite of what his parents and teachers tell him. This passion for being outside and exploring nature has developed into Nicholas’ desire to pursue a major in geology when he starts school at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches in the fall. He is the 10th person in his family to attend the school, and he said he is excited to finally participate in the school’s many traditions. While in college, Nicholas hopes to take advantage of field camps and trips around the United States to gain handson learning experience in geology.

Morgan Jones – Askew Elementary School, The Monarch School, The Briarwood School “Whenever you get the chance, run long distances at Terry Hershey Park, with your parents, of course,” Morgan would tell his kindergarten self.

“Trust me, it’s a satisfying future.” As Morgan prepares to attend Trinity University in San Antonio, he wants to join a club with a focus on public speaking so he can improve his people skills.

Sarah Kate Thomas – St. John’s Episcopal School, All Saints’ Episcopal School, Memorial Middle School, Memorial High School Sarah Kate would encourage her kindergarten self to work hard and enjoy the little moments.

As she prepares to attend Wake Forest University in North Carolina in the fall to major in finance and business, she will take her own advice. Sarah Kate said she is looking forward to rolling toilet paper down the quad at Wake Forest, a long-standing tradition of the university that students do when something exciting happens on campus.

Reed Fredricks – Hunters Creek Elementary School, First Baptist Academy, Houston Christian High School Reed would remind his younger self that it is important to work hard and do well in school, but having fun and never giving up on your dreams

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Sarah Kate Thomas are equally important. Reed will follow his own advice during college, studying business and real estate at The University of Texas at San Antonio and hoping to continue his baseball career by playing in college for the UTSA team.

Graham Doll – Frostwood Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Holy Spirit Episcopal School, Houston Christian High School “Be a leader, not a follower,” Graham said he would tell his kindergarten self. He said he would also say that being a good leader would make him successful. As he prepares to study business at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Graham is still focused on being leader, hoping to partake in the Chancellor’s Leadership Program and various sports on campus.

Teresa Haney – Duchesne Academy of The Sacred Heart Teresa would break the unfortunate news to her kindergarten self that bowl cuts will not make a comeback, so she should grow out her hair. Teresa has grown up significantly since these early days and will begin her career at the University of Dallas as an economics student in a few months. While there, she said she plans to take advantage of the study-abroad program, hoping to go to Rome and Spain.

Forrest Harrell – Yeager Elementary School, Bleyl Middle School, Houston Christian High School When asked what advice he would give his kindergarten self, Forrest said he would say,

“Focus more on the grades and less on the babes.” He said when he was younger, he may have focused too much on girls and not enough on grades and he has realized there is a time to hone in on his dating skills. While he is in school at the University of Tulsa studying exercise science, he said he wants to become a leader on campus. Additionally, he said he hopes to play in a bowl game or score a game-winning touchdown as a new member of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team.

Jack Goss – Wilchester Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Stratford High School Jack would tell his kindergarten self: “You’re gonna get picked last a lot on the playground, so get used to it, kiddo.” Life seemed to turn out fine for him, though, as he’s looking forward to starting at University of Notre Dame in Indiana and studying economics in the fall. He hopes to work as a manager or stat-keeper for one of his college sports teams.

Amberlea Tribble – River Oaks Baptist, Alexander-Smith Academy Amberlea would assure her kindergarten self that waking up at six in the morning on Saturdays for horse shows eventually pays off.

Additionally, she would tell her past self that hard work pays off in the end – and it certainly did. In the fall, Amberlea will begin her career at The University of Texas at Austin, joining the business honors program. She hopes she discovers new interests and makes friends for life.

Graham Doll Kay Marvins Photography

Reed Fredricks

Teresa Haney

Forrest Harrell

Jack Goss

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Afrin vs. Flonase In 2014, Nasacort became available without a prescription. Nasacort is the inhaled nose spray of triamcinolone, a corticosteroid (steroid). You may have heard of injectable triamcinolone by the name Kenalog. Nasal steroids are the first drug of choice for prevention of allergic rhinitis (hay fever). This class of meds is totally different from the other nose sprays available OTC, such as Afrin, Vicks Sinex or Dristan. Those decongestants provide rapid but temporary relief of nasal congestion. The problem with the nasal decongestants is that the more you use them, the less well they work. In fact, continual use leads to a physical dependence, or addiction.

Nasal steroids, such as Nasacort, Nasonex or Flonase, are a different type of decongestant. They work by preventing the inflammation that leads not only to congestion but also the nasal itching, sneezing and runny nose. If you wait until you have a stuffy nose, they are no more effective than salt water. If you use them on a regular basis, they can prevent not only congestion but also nasal itching, sneezing and runny nose.

Is it safe to use nasal steroids long term? After >25 years of use, we think so. These are microscopic doses of steroids that are effective only because they are applied directly to the target organ (i.e., the nose). Nasacort contains 55 micrograms (55 mcg) of triamcinolone. Meanwhile, your adrenal glands produce 5 milligrams, or 5,000 mcg, of cortisol each day. So a couple sprays of Nasacort in each nostril is inconsequential, unless you are taking additional types of steroid.

Like Claritin going OTC in 2002 being followed by Zyrtec in 2007 and then Allegra in 2011, Nasonex will probably be the next nasal steroid to go

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OTC, probably after it goes generic in a year or so. For patients with high co-pays, it may be less expensive to buy name-brand Nasacort OTC than to get the generic as a prescription; plus there’s a $4 coupon on their website.

If you use a nose spray regularly, there are three important facts in the user’s manual: 1. Even though Nasacort has been proven effective at 2 sprays each nostril once each day, it works better if you use 1 spray twice each day.

Once a day works “better than placebo,” but it’s rare we have a patient come in saying he or she wants to feel “better than placebo.”

2. Inhale the nose spray SLOWLY & DEEPLY, so it gets distributed over a wide area inside the nose.

3. Aim the spray AWAY from the nasal septum in the middle. Aiming laterally reduces the chance of getting a nose bleed.

No one nose allergies like we do.™ Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board-certified allergist to address individual medical needs.

Alnoor A. Malick, M.D., The Allergy Clinic, 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77054, 713.797.0993, *1200 Binz, Suite 180, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.522.9911, www.allergyclinic.com, *Operating as Houston Allergy & Asthma Clinic

Wedding Stories

by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld, staff writer

Ben Godkin with Caroline's Collective Photography

Memories from the big day

SPECIAL CEREMONY Laura Bagwell and Casey Doherty married at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Father Daniel Lahart, the president of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School, was at Strake when Casey was a student, so the ceremony was personal.

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wasn’t nervous about marrying Matt. We’d already been together for more than seven years, and, as corny as it may sound, we both knew within six months of dating that we would marry each other one day, even though we were still in college at the time.

But I was nervous about tripping down the aisle. Or falling up the aisle. I worried about stumbling during our first dance. (Notice a common, klutzy theme here?) I envisioned fainting while reading my vows. The scenarios of embarrassing situations played out in my mind for months during our engagement. However, I was determined that, no matter what went wrong, nothing would ruin our weekend. And thankfully, nothing like that happened in real life. Our wedding weekend, except for a few minor snafus that I didn’t even learn about till later (thanks to my detail-oriented wedding coordinator) was perfect.

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The real reason I was able to stay calm, despite my pervasive fear of tripping and ripping my dress, was because of my bridesmaids. These girls, some of whom I’ve known since elementary school, demanded that I drink lots of water – through a straw, so as to not mess up my lipstick – and eat a substantial amount of food.

They put my shoes on for me so I wouldn’t have to bend down in my dress. They made sure I had everything I needed and, more importantly, that I laughed all day long. They goofed around, making me (and our hair stylists and makeup artists) laugh, and made the day, which had felt so full of pressure, feel light, like the fun, joyful day it should be.

The process of planning and executing a wedding is made up of tiny details, all of which feel so significant. And at the end of the day, it generally comes together the way it should. No mat-

ter what happens – even if I had tripped down the aisle – the most important thing is marrying the person you’re meant to marry and enjoying the moment with your best friends and family.

I returned from our mini moon (see this month’s Travel Buzz column on mini honeymoons on page 30) in Wimberley at Blair House Inn and got back into the wedding spirit all over again by asking Buzz residents to share highlights of their recent weddings with me.

Laura Bagwell + Casey Doherty (Feb. 7, 2015) One of Laura Doherty’s good friends had told Laura for years about a friend she thought would be a perfect match for Laura. Casey had been on the East Coast for college and law school, and Laura didn’t get a chance to meet him till he moved back to Houston much later. Turns out

Ben Godkin with Caroline's Collective Photography

their mutual friend was right: Their personalities meshed seamlessly.

Casey, an attorney, brought up the idea to meet Laura, a high school counselor, at her parents’ house on her last day of school to celebrate and so she wouldn’t have to commute in rushhour traffic that day. Once she arrived, she headed to her parents’ backyard to find Casey on one knee surrounded by sweet mementos of their time together. He had arranged for her family, including her sister and her family, who live in New York, to be there to celebrate.

Their wedding ceremony took place at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, and the guests proceeded to La Colombe d’Or to celebrate. One sentimental aspect of their ceremony was that the lace around Laura’s bouquet was from her mother’s and grandmother’s dress, and the lace for their ring bearer’s pillow was made from the lace from Casey’s mom’s and grandmother’s wedding dress. “No one else really knew that, but it felt really intimate and special,” Laura said. “All of the important women in our lives were equally represented in some way.”

Also, the priest who married them, Father Daniel Lahart, who’s the president of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School, was at Strake Jesuit when Casey was a student, so the ceremo-

Ben Godkin with Caroline's Collective Photography

CHAMPAGNE TOASTS After Laura Bagwell and Casey Doherty’s wedding ceremony, guests headed to La Colombe d’Or for the reception. The band The Royal Dukes kept everyone dancing past midnight.

ny was much more personal, since he knew Casey and got to know Laura as well through the planning process. Laura described the wedding night as “warm, intimate and fun” and loved that everyone kept dancing past midnight.

Vendors + Venues Rehearsal dinner: River Oaks Country Club; Church: Holy Rosary Catholic Church; Reception venue: La Colombe d’Or; Wedding coordinator: Lauren Carrillo, Something to

Celebrate; Wedding gown: Joan Pillow; Bridesmaid dresses: Weddington Way; Groom’s tux: Brooks Brothers; Florist: Blooming Gallery; Band: The Royal Dukes; Cake: World Catering; Photographer: Caroline + Ben; Videographer: Robert Oberg Wedding Films; Bridesmaid gifts: Robes and monogrammed tote bags; Groomsmen gifts: Monogrammed Patagonia fleece vests; Rings: Queen of Heirs; Honeymoon: Hawaii (continued on page 20) MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 19

Composure Studios

Composure Studios

Composure Studios

FAMILY TIES Top right: Stacy Shapiro and Zach Samet married at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, which was especially meaningful because Zach’s grandparents, parents and siblings all got married there, too. Bottom right: They had a five-tier, traditional wedding cake, and Zach’s groom’s cake looked like his favorite dish, a big bowl of matzah bowl soup. At left: The synagogue was transformed with flowers and candles. (continued from page 19)

Stacy Shapiro + Zach Samet (March 7, 2015) Stacy and Zach Samet, both originally from Houston, were living in Dallas. Stacy was teaching, and Zach, who works in real estate, had been sent there temporarily for work. They met at a Jewish young-professionals event, which Stacy had planned. “I thought I had met every Jewish guy in Dallas. Apparently I hadn’t,” she said. They started dating, and, when Zach moved back to Houston soon after, they had a long-distance relationship for about six months before Stacy decided to move back to Houston, too, and started teaching second grade at The Shlenker School.

She says her parents were thrilled, and the couple visited with both families frequently. One night, they went to Zach’s parents’ house for dinner. Stacy didn’t suspect anything when he called her into the backyard. She walked out to a lit-up backyard filled with lights, candles and flowers, and he got on one knee to propose. She realized both families had been hiding, waiting to pop out and celebrate.

“Everything for us was about family,” she said, MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 20

describing the wedding weekend as very familyoriented, starting with the proposal. They had the wedding ceremony and reception at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, which was special because Zach’s grandparents, parents and siblings all got married there, too. The large size of the synagogue meant that both the ceremony and reception could be held in one spot. “It was important to me to have it be convenient, and not a lot of places around town can hold more than 300,” said Stacy. “The room was really transformed; it was so beautiful.”

Lanterns with romantic candle lighting lined the aisle during the ceremony, and the chuppa was composed of elegant chiffon draping with two small floral pieces on the sides. The ceremony was a traditional Jewish wedding, and many aspects of the ceremony honored family members in some way: They exchanged gold bands, both their grandparents’ rings, they used Stacy’s late grandfather’s tallit that he used at his Bar Mitzvah in 1939, and they sipped from Zach’s late grandfather’s Kiddush cup. They were also able to honor friends during the ceremony, asking their best friends come up to read blessings.

Food was catered by Beth Yeshurun, and

Three Brothers made their five-tier, traditional cake. Zach’s groom’s cake was a big bowl of matzah ball soup, his favorite dish, which said “Zach’s Bowl.” They had a s’mores bar, since Stacy loves s’mores, as another dessert. Then, to top off the party, the couple had a “bagel bar,” a nod to Stacy’s family’s bagel shop, Bagel Express in Sugar Land. Guests filled a bag of bagels on the way out and chose a cream cheese; it was a perfect after-party breakfast for the next day.

Vendors + Venues Rehearsal dinner: Cadillac Bar; Venue: Congregation Beth Yeshurun; Hotel for the guests: Hilton Post Oak; Wedding gown: David’s Bridal; Bridesmaid dresses: Pearl’s Place; Groom’s tux: Jos. A. Bank; Groomsmen tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse; Flower girl dresses: Monsoon; Florist: Plants n’ Petals; Photographer: Anthony Dinh with Composure Studios; Videographer: Crescent Video; Band: Password Productions; String quartet: Avalon Music; Rings: Dubin’s Fine Jewelry; Bridesmaid gifts: Kendra Scott custom earrings and a monogrammed button-down shirt to get ready for the wedding; Groomsmen gifts: Engraved mugs, monogrammed suspenders, bow ties from the Tie Bar; Honeymoon: St. Lucia

Kelli Elizabeth Photography Kelli Elizabeth Photography

Kelli Elizabeth Photography

MEANT TO BE At left: Jessica Sowers and Casey Holm first met at West University Elementary. Bottom right: Casey wrote these love letters to Jessica in fourth grade. Top right: The couple married at The Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C., but tried to infuse a Texas twist into their wedding, such as these cowboy and cowgirl cake toppers.

Jessica Sowers + Casey Holm (Sept. 27, 2014) Jessica and Casey first met in kindergarten at West U Elementary. It took a few years (read: fourth grade) before Casey discovered he had a crush on Jessica and wrote her “love notes” in Mrs. Williams’ class. The two stayed in touch, as he went on to Pershing Middle School and Lamar High School and she went to St. John’s School for middle and high school. They dated on and off, but it wasn’t serious until 2011. They remained long-distance for a few months until Casey joined Jessica in the Washington, D.C., area, where she had moved for graduate school.

Not too long after, the two traveled to New York together to visit Colgate University, where Jessica had attended college, for homecoming.

On their trip, they visited Willow Path, a treelined pathway on campus. Legend has it that the person you kiss on this pathway is who you’ll marry. Turns out the legend came true for them because, in May 2013, Casey gave Jessica a bouquet of flowers with a postcard of Willow Path.

On the back, it said, “Will you marry me?”

Jessica, now a clinical psychologist, and Casey, who’s the CFO of a chiropractic company, chose to get married in Washington, D.C.,

where they currently live, though they made sure to give their wedding a Texas twist, such as including local favorite Tito’s Handmade Vodka in the gift bags. Jessica wanted an all-white, romantic, classic wedding, so there were white flowers everywhere, plus touches of ivories, gold and champagne to accent. Jessica said a lot of people had advised her not to worry about small details; however, “I’m a very sentimental person, so the details were very important to me.”

On the morning of the wedding, she gave Casey a charm to put on the inside of his jacket that had a picture of his grandfather, who passed away, and a picture of his best friend, who’d passed away in a car accident. She also gifted him a signed photograph of Andre Johnson wishing them congratulations. “The whole weekend was especially sentimental for us because we’ve known each other for so long and there were so many people there who’ve known us our whole lives,” Jessica said.

Vendors + Venues Rehearsal dinner: La Chaumière; Venue: Fairmont Washington, D.C.; Wedding gown: Town Shop Bridal; Bridesmaid dresses: Bella Bridesmaid; Groomsmen tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse; Florist: Distinctive Floral Designs by Alison de Wit; Band: Mutual Fun Band;

Photographer: Kelli Elizabeth Photography; Videographer: Sweet Start; Party favors: Homemade, knotted “wish bracelet” for each guest that said, “Thanks for helping us tie the knot”; Registries: Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel; Bridesmaid gifts: Robes from Love Ophelia, plus a framed photo and a jewelry dish with their initial; Groomsmen gifts: A golf game and a golf accessory; Rings: Mervis; Honeymoon: Antigua

Michelle Benson + Soyyar (April 17, 2015)

Alfred

Michelle and Alfred initially became friends during college at the University of Houston.

Years later, they became friends on Facebook and started dating soon after.

Napa Valley was one of the first vacations they took together, so they decided to go again as an anniversary trip. Michelle thought they were at a vineyard for a wine tasting when a man asked if they would be interested in a horse and carriage ride through the vineyard. They said yes and, toward the top of the vineyard overlooking the valley, Alfred proposed.

They decided to get married at The RitzCarlton, St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, as they had visited the year (continued on page 22) MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 21

Blue Glass Photography

Blue Glass Photography Blue Glass Photography

(continued from page 21) before and loved it. “We loved the views and surrounding islands,” Michelle said. “The hotel was breathtaking.”

They kicked off the wedding weekend with a rehearsal dinner on the beach, including a steelpan band and a fire dancer. The ceremony took place on the hotel’s cliff-side gazebo, draped with white sheer drapery with floral sprays on each side. The celebration went inside for the reception, decorated with tall, floral centerpieces and white, sheer drapery throughout.

Festive Caribbean dancers started the party after Michelle and Alfred said their “I dos.” The guests totaled 50 close friends and family members, including Michelle’s matron of honor and her husband’s best man, his cousin. The adventure continued for their honeymoon, as they traveled to the Maldives for their honeymoon and stayed in an overwater bungalow.

Vendors + Venues Venue: The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas USVI; Wedding coordinator: Kaley Houdyshell; Wedding gown: Winnie Couture; Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal; Groomsman tux: Macy’s; Florist: East End Flowers USVI; DJ: Eric Snow; Photographer: Blue Glass Photography; Videographer: Chris Bramley; Registries: Bed Bath & Beyond and Crate & Barrel; Bridesmaid gifts: Robes from Plum Pretty Sugar to wear while getting ready for the wedding; Groomsmen gifts: Cuff links; Rings: Nacol & Co. (engagement ring); David Yurman (wedding band); Honeymoon: Maldives

Brittany Bloom + Brad Dinerstein (Sept. 6, 2014) DESTINATION WEDDING Top photos: Michelle Benson and Alfred Soyyar married at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Bottom left: Fifty close friends and family were present for the ceremony and reception, including Michelle’s matron of honor, Salena Wang, and Alfred’s best man, George Bohnisch.

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 22

Brittany had just moved back to Houston to attend law school at the University of Houston Law Center after graduating from

J. Cogliandro Photography

J. Cogliandro Photography J. Cogliandro Photography

PERFECT MATCH At right: Brittany Bloom and Brad Dinerstein were set up on a blind date by mutual friends. Top left: Brittany’s wedding party included (from left) Jenny Sangalis, Lauren Lestin, Leila Ladjevardian, Whitney Wolfe, Kate Wilson, bride Brittany, Gracey Winters, Brooke Grisebaum, Ashley Bush, Julie Petry and Victoria Pappas. Bottom left: The centerpieces included elegant arrangements of flowers in shades of blush pink and ivory, surrounded by candles.

Southern Methodist University. Mutual friends had set her up on a blind date with Brad, an apartment builder and developer based in Houston. “Brad is nearly five years older than me, which seemed really old at the time,” said Brittany. So she cancelled on him, more than once, but Brad remained persistent and asked again. Brittany’s mom insisted that she meet him for a first date and, thinking Brittany would not show up again, actually showed up at the restaurant, RDG + Bar Annie, on their first date. “She introduced herself to him on our first date,” said Brittany. “He probably thought I was crazy.”

Even after that first experience, the two started dating, and two years later, Brad bought a house to tear down and told Brittany he needed to show her something he was planning to salvage and reuse for the next house. When she walked in, she saw that he had spray painted on the wall: “Will you

marry me?” Shortly after, he led her to his parents’ home for a surprise celebration with family and friends.

The two were married at The Houstonian Hotel. Brittany wore her grandmother’s original wedding ring for the ceremony. The color scheme was blush pink, metallics and ivory, and the room was decorated with tons of flowers, including a ceiling piece with roses and orchids hanging above the dance floor. “There were over 350 people there, but we tried to make the room and reception feel as intimate as possible,” Brittany said.

The seated dinner featured steak and lobster, and the wedding cake by Susie’s Cakes was white with raspberry filling. Instead of a groom’s cake, Brad opted for a bananas foster station. For guests craving salty treats after all the dancing, they offered late-night burgers and truffle fries. The bride and groom exited the celebration in Brad’s father’s 1966 Corvette before honeymooning in Maui.

Vendors + Venues Rehearsal dinner: St. Regis; Rehearsal dinner décor: Plants n’ Petals; Venue: The Houstonian Hotel; Wedding coordinator: Jennifer Hobson, Keely Thorne Events; Wedding gown: Ivory Bridal; Florist: Wedding Flowers by Lisa; Band: Big Blast and The Party Masters; Cake: Susie’s Cakes & Confections; Photographer: J. Cogliandro; Paper products and photo booth: Joan Lebow; Registries: Williams & Sonoma, KuhlLinscomb, Bering’s; Honeymoon: Maui

Lauren Baughman + Barrett (March 28, 2015)

Max

Lauren, who works in public relations, met Max Barrett, an investment banker, at a party that mutual friends hosted several years ago. At first, Lauren “didn’t give him the time of day,” but things changed and they started dating. One night, they went to a black-tie gala, and, afterward, he “kidnapped” (continued on page 24) MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 23

Chris Bailey Photography

Chris Bailey Photography Chris Bailey Photography

I DO Top photo: Lauren Baughman’s wedding party included (from left) Emily Brents, Katy Odom, Anna Domning, Samantha Sebastian, Heather Gates, bride Lauren, Kimberly Horowitz, Blair Barrett, Jackie Sibley, Ali Gray and Sarah Watts. Bottom photos: Lauren and Max Barrett married at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and then headed to River Oaks Country Club for the celebration. (continued from page 23) Lauren, not letting her

ask questions about what they were doing next. (“I ask a lot of questions – I’m not very go-withthe-flow,” she laughed.) They ended up at Ruchi’s, a now-closed Mexican restaurant where they used to hang out a lot when they first started dating. Max had rented out the space and filled it with flowers and a mariachi band to set the scene for a celebration with friends and family as he proposed to Lauren.

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 24

The wedding day, for Lauren, started off with relaxing at her parents’ house in River Oaks with her bridesmaids as they got their hair and makeup done and sipped on champagne and rosé. Max enjoyed lunch with his groomsmen at Brooklyn Athletic Club and then got ready at his mom’s house in River Oaks, just a mile down the road from Lauren’s parents. A boys’ choir sang during the traditional ceremony at St. Luke’s Church. Then, guests headed to River

Oaks Country Club, which was decorated with big, white flowers with lots of leafy greens.

Lauren particularly loved the chandeliers in the ballroom, decorated with green foliage. Each chandelier had 100 candles dropping from it.

There were several symbolic pieces throughout the ceremony and reception, including the cake topper on their wedding cake, which was the same one that topped Lauren’s parents and her sister’s wedding cake. Throughout the wed-

Heather Crump Photography

Heather Crump Photography Heather Crump Photography

PERFECT TIME At right: Gina Garcia and Casey Gallio married at Agave Road estate and did a “first look” (pictured) to see each other and take photos before the ceremony began. Top left: Casey’s groom’s cake looked like his Rolex watch. Bottom left: Blush pink accented the ceremony and reception décor, including Gina’s bouquet.

ding day, Lauren wore her grandmother’s hair pin, which was her “something old” and her way of honoring her.

The food was catered by River Oaks Country Club, with several stations, including beef, fish, chicken, pasta and veggies. After dancing had been in full swing for hours, the couple brought in Whataburger taquitos and honey butter chicken biscuits, which had personalized labels on the wrappers that said: What-a-wedding.

Vendors + Venues Rehearsal dinner: Max’s mom’s backyard, catered by Elizabeth Swift, with an island theme in honor of the couple’s St. Lucia honeymoon; Venue: The St. Regis; Day-of wedding coordinator: Allison Williford of Soiree Bliss; Wedding gown: Casa de Novia; Groom tux: Wayne Jones Custom Suit & Shirtmakers; Groomsmen tuxes: Jos. A. Bank; Flower girl dress: Jenny Kim; Ring bearer tux: Tuechild; Florist: Events In Bloom; Band: Tenacity; Cake: Who Made the Cake; Photographer: Chris

Bailey; Videographer: Cakewalk Films; Registries: Neiman Marcus, Bering’s, Williams & Sonoma; Bridesmaid gifts: Monogrammed GiGi New York clutches; Groomsmen gifts: Monogrammed Smathers & Branson belts; Rings: Herfort Diamond Ring Factory (engagement ring), Deutsch & Deutsch (wedding band); Getaway car: Monarch British Limousines; Honeymoon: St. Lucia

Gina Garcia + Casey Gallio (March 7, 2015) Casey and Gina Gallio met at Midnight Rodeo, a country-western dance bar, and instantly hit it off. After dating for a while, Casey, who works in the oil and gas business, told Gina, a substitute preschool teacher, that they were attending a friend’s party in Corpus Christi. They were enjoying a nice day on the beach when one of their friends started playing the guitar, and Casey confessed that they weren’t really there for a party, but for him to ask

her a question. That’s when he got down on one knee to propose.

They married at Agave Road estate in Katy.

Gina’s dad, Omar Garcia, who’s the missions pastor at Kingsland Baptist Church, officiated the wedding, which “made the day 10 times more special,” said Gina.

The décor for the ceremony was “simple,” Gina said, with minimal flowers and blush-pink chair sashes. For the reception, the centerpieces included lanterns surrounded by flowers and pink berries on top of ivory tablecloths with glass charger plates, lined with silver beads. At the party, they especially enjoyed having the photo booth. The wedding cake was a four-tier, white, cream cheese-frosting cake with pink roses. The groom’s cake was a marble cake with chocolate ganache that resembled the face of Casey’s Rolex watch, which “looked super realistic,” according to Casey.

The last song of the reception made the celebration come full circle for (continued on page 26) MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 25

Kelli Elizabeth Photography Kelli Elizabeth Photography

Kelli Elizabeth Photography

LIKE A DREAM At left: Jordan Magaziner and Matthew Steinfeld made sure to include their dog, Yogi, in some of their wedding photos during their “first look” before the ceremony. Top right: The chuppa, decorated with white, sheer fabric and topped with white flowers with green accents, was lit up by a crystal chandelier.

Bottom right: Jordan’s wedding party included (from left) Jennifer Caplan Barks, Lisa Paquette, Rachel Dodkowitz, Teresa Sisro, Amy Alexander, bride Jordan and groom Matthew, Sasha Bloch, Alli Gold Roberts, Carla Brun, Michelle Goldberg and Sara Steinfeld. (continued from page 25) Casey and Gina: Casey’s

best friend, who had been playing his guitar during the proposal, also played the last song at their wedding reception (Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran).

Vendors + Venues Rehearsal dinner: Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille; Venue: Agave Road; Wedding gown: David’s Bridal; Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal; Groomsmen tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse; Florist: Agave Road; DJ: DJ Ivan Rojas; Cake: Edible Designs by Jessie; Catering: Three Olives, Frana Old World Catering; Photographer: Heather Crump; Videographer: Sweet Spirit Productions; Registries: Honeyfund.com; Bridesmaid gifts: Monogrammed makeup bags from Etsy with useful items for the wedding day; Groomsmen gifts: Charging station from Agave Brothers; Rings: Klein’s Jeweler (engagement ring); wedding rings (Etsy); Honeymoon: Antigua

Jordan Magaziner + Matthew Steinfeld (March 14, 2015) I remember a moment right after we got engaged. My mom said, excitedly, “I’ll call the rabbi!” and I said, casually, “That’s okay. I’ll call the rabbi.” And she was silent. We had entirely different ideas of who was supposed to do what.

My dad called himself “Switzerland,” and my now-husband, busy with law school, mostly MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 26

wanted to show up to the wedding without knowing too many details. Later, my mom and I agreed that having a wedding coordinator was the best decision we made. Our coordinator, Resha Zazueta from Something to Celebrate, made the wedding planning process go smoothly (or as smoothly as can be when a mom and daughter have such different styles and ideas) and helped us execute a vision that we both ultimately loved and truly made us both happy.

The ceremony was decorated with lots of white, romantic flowers with touches of green.

The chuppa had white, sheer fabric and was lit up by a crystal chandelier, and the aisle was lined with stands of white flowers with some subtle crystals coming down. We had written our own vows and worked closely with Rabbi David Lyon and Cantor Daniel Mutlu from Congregation Beth Israel on our ceremony, which felt personal and intimate, especially as songs that were meaningful to us were performed by the pianist.

Better Together by Jack Johnson played as our wedding party walked down the aisle, I’m Yours

by Jason Mraz played as I walked down with my parents, and Rather Be by Clean Bandit played as Matt and I walked down together.

We tried to infuse our wedding with beautiful décor but also incorporate what’s special to us; for example, the table with the place cards was decorated with a cherry blossom, symbolic of

Washington, D.C., where Matt and I met during college. Our white wedding cake also had sugar cherry blossom flowers down the sides, though Matt loved his groom’s cake shaped like Yankee Stadium even more. (He grew up in upstate New York and is a big Yankees fan. I still root for the Astros.)

The reception was decorated with four, tall columns made up of white flowers surrounding the dance floor and the band played lots of fun, modern tunes, which kept guests dancing past midnight.

Vendors + Venues Venue: Hilton Post Oak; Wedding coordinator: Resha Zazueta from Something to Celebrate; Wedding gown: Winnie Couture; Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal; Groomsmen tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse; Florist: Wedding Flowers by Lisa; Band: The Pictures; Cake: For Heaven’s Cake; Photographer: Kelli Elizabeth Photography; Videographer: Click; Registries: Bed, Bath & Beyond, Crate & Barrel, KuhlLinscomb; Bridesmaid gifts: Monogrammed zipup hoodies from American Eagle and personalized clutches from Etsy; Groomsmen gifts: Cufflinks from groomstand.com; Rings: Charde Jewelers (engagement ring) and Shaftel Diamond Company (wedding bands).

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MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 27

FOOD

by Christina Frederick, contributing writer

Cooking Buzz

Grab-and-go bridal brunches

Cooking Buzz is produced in partnership with the Junior League of Houston, a women’s charitable and education organization founded in 1925.

I

t’s wedding season, and nothing is more exciting than the actual wedding day. Until then, the parties leading up to the big day are managed by your friends and family, but on your special day, the roles are reversed. It’s now your job to host your loved ones as a special thank you for their support.

One of my favorite trends is the wedding-day bridal brunch. Often, bridesmaids live in multiple cities, making it hard for them to get together for every shower, or the bachelorette party.

Instead of asking your friends to make yet another trip for one of these events, you can honor them on your special day with a casual, graband-go bridal brunch.

Between getting hair and makeup done and trying to spend time together, it is important for everyone to eat. A brunch menu can cover breakfast and lunch to make sure everyone will be happy until dinner.

I love the fruit- and nut-filled Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins, Almond Polenta Muffins and Apple Pecan Muffins in the Junior League of Houston cookbook Peace Meals.

These can be made a day or two before the wedding. Mini muffins are perfect for brunch, but consider a mixture of small and standard sizes so guests have a choice.

Another recipe from Peace Meals is Cinnamon Pear Scones. Once you create the base dough, you can change out the cinnamon and pears with a multitude of options. Consider combinations such as pecans and orange zest, lemon zest and blueberry or even a savory option like cheddar and smoked bacon.

Peace Meals is also home to my favorite granola recipes, Cherry Almond Granola and Peanut Butter Granola. They both pair wonderfully with yogurt and fresh fruit. As a bonus, granola can be placed in small bags for wedding-party members to take to the wedding location as a snack.

If you don’t want to cook, you could buy some items at the Pantry at the Junior League of Houston. Good options include the Breakfast MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 28

Sausage Tart and Quiche Lorraine; they are frozen and can be heated when needed.

And the famous Orange Rolls are always a popular choice.

No brunch is complete without beverage options, from the traditional mimosa onward.

The Pomegranate Peach Smoothie from Stop and Smell the Rosemary is a fun spin on a traditional fruit smoothie. Pomegranate juice adds a fun, refreshing surprise.

A punch for the blushing bride is the CINNAMON PEAR SCONES This tasty scone recipe pairs the sweet, spiced flavors of cinnamon and pear, but consider a savory version as well, such as Peach Champagne cheddar and smoked bacon.

Punch from Peace together the remained cup of sugar, the baking Meals. It’s the perfect bubbly-pink punch to powder and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cinmake the night before the big day. Serve in a namon and the salt in a large bowl. Using a fork, punch bowl and add mint leaves to float on top. mix in the 1 cup of butter. Add the cream and You can also prepare this punch as a mocktail by mix by hand (up to 3 total cups of cream can be leaving out the champagne. added until the dough is sticky). Add the cooled pears to the dough and gently fold in by hand.

Cinnamon Pear Scones Form the dough into 4-inch discs and place on From Peace Meals the prepared baking sheets. Bake the scones for 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 tablespoons unsalted about 30 minutes or until light golden brown. butter, softened, divided For smaller scones, form the dough into 30 21 cup peeled and diced fresh pears inch discs and reduce baking time to approxi1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided mately 18 to 20 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon cinnamon, tablespoons of butter and brush the top of each divided scone; generously sprinkle the scones with addi8 cups all-purpose flour tional sugar. Makes 15 large or 30 small scones.

3 tablespoons baking powder 1 tablespoon salt Editor’s note: Junior League member Christina 2½-3 cups heavy whipping cream Frederick, a wedding and event planner, owns Christina Leigh Events. To buy a Houston Junior Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line bakLeague cookbook, see jlh.org or call 713-871-6608. ing sheets with parchment paper. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the pears, 1 tablespoon of the For other recipes mentioned in this story, see sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and sauté thebuzzmagazines.com. until the pears are softened. Set aside. Mix

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MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 29

TRAVEL

by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz The mini (honey)moon

M

aybe it’s taken all you’ve got to just tie the knot, and Bora Bora or even the Riviera Maya are a little out of reach.

Maybe it’s just the timing that’s off; you’d rather plan your escape to the tropics when it’s cold and gray at home, or when it fits in a little better with other life events. Whatever the reason, many couples are opting to delay their honeymoon. But as three Buzz couples learned, that doesn’t mean you have to jump right back into business as usual.

Enter the mini-moon: a quick escape a little closer to home.

For Leslie Carrigan Simmons and Charles Simmons, it was clear from the outset that they wouldn’t be able to do the Bora Bora honeymoon they had planned right away; Charles was finishing his first year of his MBA with an internship and couldn’t go too far until that was finished. Instead, they stayed closer to home and put their energies into an all-out kind of wedding: a full Memorial Day weekend at Barton Creek Resort and Spa. They began with a big welcome party on Friday night and held a golf tournament for the guests on Saturday, followed by a rehearsal dinner. They culminated the gathering on Sunday with a picture-perfect wedding and a party that lasted until 1 a.m. – after which a limousine whisked them off to a getaway at Lake Austin Spa Resort.

In retrospect, they say, it was the best thing they could have done. “We were there Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night, visiting with over 600 guests and eating too much and drinking too much and hardly sleeping at all, and the last thing we wanted to do was get on a plane at 5:30 a.m. and travel 12 hours to wherever,” said Charles.

There would be time enough for that 12-hour trans-Pacific flight later. For now, they slept in as long as they wanted to, ordered room service and just relaxed.

“It ended up raining the whole first day, which we really loved,” said Leslie, who works in interior design. There was no temptation to go out and do anything other than just relax and enjoy the views of Lake Austin from their lakefront suite.

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 30

LOVE BUG Debbie and Arturo Karakowsky escaped to La Cantera Hill Country Resort for their mini-moon, where a golf cart was essentially their car for three days.

“The first whole day we sat in big comfy robes on our beautiful porch looking at the water,” Leslie recalls. “We ordered all three meals from room service and just literally sat on the balcony with a glass of wine and watched the storm.”

After 24 hours of doing nothing at all, they took advantage of the spa, getting three different types of couples massages and then a good workout in a spinning class. Finally the skies cleared up long enough to enjoy the lake, so they got a pair of kayaks and kayaked down Lake Austin.

The resort is tucked away on a peaceful side of the lake, giving it a private feel, Leslie said.

The delayed honeymoon was Charles’ idea.

“I never dreamed of not going on my honeymoon right after my wedding – but the way we did it was perfect. I wouldn’t change anything,” Leslie said. The mini-retreat gave them a chance to reflect on the whirlwind they had just passed through and look ahead to what would come next.

Three months after the actual wedding, the Bora Bora retreat was like a dream: over-thewater bungalows, a romantic sunset cruise, a surprise encounter with Jennifer Aniston. There was time to think about what they wanted and plan it out, and even after the 12-hour flight, there was energy to do it all: snorkeling in the

coral reef right outside their door, paddle-boarding, parasailing, swimming, jet-skiing, taking an ATV to the top of the mountain to gaze out at the infinite variation in shades of blue that surrounded them.

“If we’d gone right after the wedding we’d have been completely exhausted and wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much,” said Charles. “The way we did it, we were well rested and really looking forward to it. We had full energy and were able to do everything we wanted.”

Like the Simmons, the Karakowskys weren’t ready for a big honeymoon after their January 2008 wedding, but for different reasons. Debbie and Arturo met as counselors at a summer camp when they were just 18, and their story went like a lot of summer romances. The two became fast friends and a few years later began dating; a year later, they were engaged, and started dreaming of the big traditional wedding. But there was a twist. Arturo was a Mexican citizen, and Debbie was a law student in Austin. They immediately began the drawn-out and costly visa process that would allow Arturo to live and work in the U.S. “It was a really crazy time for us, “ recalls Debbie, now an attorney with the litigation boutique Yetter Coleman LLP. “We were only 23, I was in the middle of law school exams, Arturo

MAKING THEIR ESCAPE Charles and Leslie Simmons were whisked away in a limousine from their three-day wedding at Barton Creek Resort to their mini-moon at Lake Austin Spa.

was finishing school and getting his professional licenses, we were both entrenched in our job searches, trying to plan a large wedding, living in different countries, and then on top of all of that, we were trying to navigate the immigration process.”

But the challenges just made them stronger.

Arturo’s visa process proceeded on time, and the two made it to the chuppah as scheduled, in January – but Arturo couldn’t leave the country until March, when his visa would be finalized, so the tropical beach would have to wait.

“Instead of a big trip to an exotic country, we needed to stay local so we figured we might as well take it easy and stay in Texas,” Arturo said.

So the couple chose a quick, uncomplicated getaway before plunging back into the thick of things. After the wedding they headed west on I-10 to La Cantera Hill Country Resort, just outside of San Antonio.

“It was actually exactly what we needed – relaxation, recovering from the wedding, down time, reading, enjoying each other,” said Arturo.

It was off-season, and they had the place virtually to themselves. It couldn’t have been more peaceful.

“We had a beautiful casita, and there was nobody else in the village – it was silent. We literally slept for three days,” said Debbie. “A lot of people jump on a plane after their wedding and fly to Bora Bora; I woke up the day after my

wedding and literally didn’t have a voice. I couldn’t imagine grabbing a big suitcase and flying 20 hours to a faraway destination.”

Arturo enjoyed the short breather for other reasons, too; he was in the middle of getting the licenses he needed for his work as a financial advisor. “It was intense – if you fail, you lose your job,” he said. “So Friday of the week before, I drove to Austin to get married; then Monday morning we headed to La Cantera for two nights. I was in the middle of my training – so the final morning of our mini-moon, I put on my suit and headed back to work.”

Come Spring Break, both of them would have a little more time to jet off to an all-inclusive resort on Saint Lucia, but despite the glistening sands and placid Caribbean waters, their Hill Country retreat still stands out as one of their best memories.

But nobody beats Kristina and Neville Ramroop for close-to-home convenience for their post-wedding retreat. They knew they’d be headed to Neville’s homeland of Trinidad for their big wedding with the family and a real tropical honeymoon a few months later. Their Houston wedding was in March on a yacht in Kemah, where they were married by the captain and danced the night away with an on-board DJ. Several family members had flown in from Trinidad, so they enjoyed each other’s company until Monday, when the Trinidad Ramroops

boarded a plane and the Houston Ramroops took a week off and spent it relaxing and playing like kids in a mini-moon staycation.

“It was just me and him and spending time with each other,” said Kristina. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world – you sleep late and wake up in your own bed, and you could do anything or nothing if you wanted to.”

Some nights they went out for late-night movies and dinner at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema; other nights they played Top Golf until they closed the place down.

On Friday night they treated themselves to the romance package at The Houstonian, with champagne, strawberries and breakfast in bed.

They swam in the heated pools, enjoying the forest-like ambience. “You’re in the middle of the city and don’t even know it –you’re surrounded by the trees and completely secluded,” said Kristina. “You wouldn’t know you’re a block and a half from the freeway. It’s like an escape within an escape.”

The best part of their staycation-mini moon, Kristina said, was the sense of freedom. “What I liked about was that we planned it as we went.

With Top Golf, it was like an hour before: ‘Let’s go play golf.’ With The Houstonian, it was the night before. You don’t have to have something planned every day,” said Kristina. “I had enough stress trying to put a wedding together. This was exactly what we needed.”

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 31

NEIGHBORS

.

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz Baby

When the fourth arrives

Buzz Baby is a column about life with babies from the perspective of a first-time mother. If you have baby stories to share, leave a comment under this article at thebuzzmagazines.com or email info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

S

ince I became a mom last summer, I’ve gotten really good at multi-tasking. I recall a moment in our kitchen. I was rocking my daughter in her rocker with my foot, holding my son (her twin) and feeding him with the bottle propped under my chin, on the phone with their pediatrician’s office – while feeding the dog.

Most moms are notoriously good at multitasking, and they seem to get better as each kid comes along. This month, I dedicated Buzz Baby to moms who have four little ones.

Mom-of-four Mary Kathryn Aston recently found herself on her 6-year-old daughter Caroline’s school field trip at the Houston Zoo. She brought along Caroline’s third and newest baby brother, 5-week-old Davis.

“That’s the biggest challenge with having four is that there is just not just enough mommy to go around. I have an incredible amount of mommy guilt,” said Mary Kathryn.

While most new, first-time moms are home in pajama pants, trying to figure out how to nurse, moms of four don’t always get that luxury.

“Caroline was like, ‘Oh Mom, aren’t you going to come on the field trip?’ So I nursed my way through the field trip because I do not want to say no to anyone,” said Mary Kathryn.

Mary Kathryn and her husband Brian, a natural gas broker, have dated since the ninth grade. She attended Stratford High School, and he was at Bellaire High School.

“We always wanted number four. Even before we got married. We just weren’t planning on it at that moment,” Mary Kathryn said, laughing.

As far as the older siblings, Thompson, 4, Brooks, 2, and Caroline, adjusting to life at home with a new baby brother is going all right.

“Caroline is obsessed. I might as well been a surrogate for her. If I wasn’t nursing, I don’t think I’d ever be allowed to hold him,” Mary Kathryn said.

“Brooks is the one that when he [Davis] came home, he kicked the baby swing and said, ‘I MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 32

PARTY OF SIX The Mandola family, including parents Ashley and Dominic, keep full schedules of sports, birthday parties and school activities for their four kids: baby Anna, 5 months, Dominic Jr., 5, Ryan Elizabeth, 6, and Gia, 3.

don’t like that baby. Get that baby out of here.’”

Now, she says, he says, “I love my baby. That’s my baby.”

“But the holidays [when the kids are grown] are going to be so fun. I’m so excited for those times. Hopefully we’ll have a full house,” said Mary Kathryn. “Even if someone can’t make it, there are three others who can.”

Stay-at-home mom Leslie Mathers and her husband Jason, owner of Monarch Landscape Management, were high school sweethearts and have been married for 15 years. They weren’t exactly planning all along on having a fourth baby, but say it’s been a blessing to them.

“I remember the day I found out. I was so surprised. My husband was in a meeting with his employees and could not answer the phone so I sent him a text,” said Leslie. “He was so excited and came home to give me a kiss.”

Don’t be so quick to give away all those baby items and clothes, warns Leslie. “I was so nervous because it had been six years since I had a baby, and we did not have [any baby gear]. I had given everything away so we were starting over.”

To throw a little more in the mix, the family was in a temporary home as they remodeled their home. “I thought to myself, ‘How am I going to

do this?’ We actually moved into our home two weeks before her arrival,” said Leslie.

They welcomed Helen Monroe eight months ago, along with with older siblings Addison, 11, Jack, 9, and Ella, 7. “They fell in love with her the moment she arrived. I can’t imagine life without her,” said Leslie.

Ashley Mandola, a real estate agent, and her husband, Dominic, owner of Ragin Cajun and L.A. Bar restaurants, had their fourth child, Anna, in November. Anna was welcomed by older siblings Ryan Elizabeth, 6, Dominic, 5, and Gia, 3. Ashley and Dominic had always wanted four children.

Although most times are fun, having four kids can get hectic and, well, messy. “I remember one day I was unloading groceries. It was raining outside,” said Ashley. “My kids discovered dog poop [an accident in the house]. It was all over the walls. All over them. I was on edge that day. Once I got through it, I was fine. You just gotta let go.”

She reminds other moms to enjoy this time that flies by. “It’s like one day the back door blows open, and children come in. The wind blows through the house, which is where we are at. Then the wind opens the front door, and the children will go out.”

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 33

NEIGHBORS

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by Sharon Albert Brier, staff writer

Rumor Has It Look what we won! Twelve ladies purchased a one-week stay at La Servitella Vecchia in the Umbria region of Italy at the Hunters Creek Elementary School auction. It was generously donated by owner Ludovica Giuriati, with his son Roscoe as driver, tour guide, chef and body guard. Denise Campbell, the organizer, and Sheryl Doyle, Carolyn Hortenstine, Kay Peeples, Suzanne Wooten, Michelle Williams, Susan Cravens, Colleen Marks, Kim Conrad, Karoline Carlson, Melissa Bennett and Charlene Needles made daily excursions to Florence, Siena, Assisi, Orvieto and Rome, where they had a private tour of the Vatican during Holy Week. There was music in their ears at Il Paradiso Di Frassina (the Mozart vineyard), where loudspeakers play outside, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Let’s eat flowers. The Memorial Drive Garden club featured Monica Pope of Sparrow Bar + Cookshop, who demo’d edible flowers and made a tasty salad. Don’t try this at home as not all edible flowers are equal. Kristi Barnhill’s home was a beautiful setting as Sue Shefman installed new officers. Former president Suzy Godwin gave former board members The New Southern Living Garden Book for their service.

Suzy received a hydrangea for her second year as president and passed the bell to Alice Sadeghpour, the new president for 2015-16.

New officers are Lisa Kline, Susanna Jeu, Karen Bloomfield, Julie Brann, Elaine Roach, Diane McDaniel and Suzy Godwin, with committee members Kristi Barnhill, Susan Diehl and Sharon Brier. The theme, determined by Lisa Kline, is Go Local.

Houston meets New York. The moms of Laura Max Nelson, originally from New York, and Houston’s Benjamin Harwood Rose had a hunch that these two should meet, and it paid off … eventually. They married at Congregation Beth Israel, where Laura’s great grandmother, grandmother, mother and aunt married. The wedding and aisle featured a canopied arch of branches and flowers, and rose-adorned halos hung from the ceiling. The reception at The Houstonian sparkled with mirrored tables. The couple rode elephants in Bali, did a day-long sushi MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 34

and cherry blossom tour in Tokyo and saw Lee Kuan Yew’s memorial in Singapore. Parents of the couple are Leisa HollandNelson and Robert Nelson and Cindi and Franklin Rose.

Face it! Jenna Jackson’s Fun-tastic 40th Masquerade was an attempt to hide from the dreadful milestone. SOUTHERN BELLAS Atop the fortress walls of Fortezza dell’Albornoz in Orvieto, However, Jenna, Italy, are Houston friends (from left, front row) Kim Conrad, Karoline Carlson, Suzanne Wooten, Michelle Williams, Charlene Needles, (back row) Colleen Marks, dolled up in pink Sheryl Doyle, Kay Peeples, Carolyn Hortenstine, Susan Cravens, Melissa Bennett with handsome and Denise Campbell. hubby Brendan (born March 6), with parents Tara Brivic and Gilbert at her side, looking like a Hollywood couReed Looper. Sadie wore pink, and just like a ple, faced it quite well. The 65 guests partied at future diva, had two fashion changes. The showThe De Gaulle and continued the after party at off party was hosted by Matt Burus, Michael the Hughes Hangar party tent. Partying on were Pearce and Kim Padgett. Beaming grandparents Tiffany Wong, who celebrated her slightly older are Molly and Allen Brivic, Marsha Looper, birthday, Randall Wong, Stephanie Deverka, and Cara and Don Looper.

Angie and Bill Zartler, Kelly and Sam Siegler, Nature called. A miserable, rainy mornKelli Weinzierl, Glenda and Danny Moore, ing was expected, but 1,000-plus walkers John Raley, Marcie McFarland, Chip Lewis and enjoyed instead a breezy, cool day at the fourth Julie Bailey, and Susan and Baris Ertan. annual Walk for the Woods. Local volunteers Petticoats to parasols. An unique fashwho walked in the East End along Buffalo ion show highlighting fashions through the Bayou, passing historic spots along the way, were decades – for the Whispering Oaks, walk founder and president Steve Rosencranz Sandalwood, Memorial Forest and Tealwood with his wife Tricia and Carlton and Kathy ladies clubs – was presented by the CypressCook, Sydney and Parrish Isaacs, Mary Woodlands Junior Forum, with proceeds from Harvey and Kenneth Schneider, Jamie and the event donated to the forum. Talented forum Howard Strong, Betsy and John Long, members acted out behavior through the Adrienne and John Shanks, and Sue and Greg decades, with the ’50s and ’60s being particularly Kelly. The Walk for the Woods project uses memorable. The 190 guests enjoyed the event wilderness experiences, trips and education to organized by co-chairs Nancy Telkins and Pat develop self-reliance, grit and tenacity in lowMadden and committee members Cecily income high school kids in Houston.

Burleson, Christina Morse, Susan Bermack, Kathy Ehlinger, Della Marston and Ana Lips.

Vintage centerpieces of gloves, boots, bags and See thebuzzmagazines.com and click on The vases with faces made a lasting impression.

Hive for additional photos. Have some good news Oh, baby, it’s a girl. A sip-and-see to share? Email us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. brunch was held to introduce Sadie Bella Looper

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SPORTS

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by Todd Freed, staff writer

SportzBuzz D

espite graduating five senior starters who are now playing collegiate softball, it was another magnificent season for the Bellaire Cardinals softball team.

After defeating Cinco Ranch in the bi-district playoffs, the Cardinals raised their record to 25-6 on the season. Bellaire was 14-0 in district to win its 17th district championship in the last 18 seasons.

In the bi-district victory over Cinco Ranch, junior Destiny Barclay connected on three home runs in game two of the series, including a grand slam in the ultimate 10-2 victory. “Three homers in a playoff game is remarkable,” said

Cardinals head coach Brien Tuffly.

The hard-hitting Bellaire lineup featured several players with battling averages well over the .400 plateau, including junior third baseman Julissa Duenas, junior shortstop Beth Castillo, senior centerfielder Kaelyn Kringle and second baseman Maegan Hollins. In addition, freshmen Jolie Doung and sophomore Chelsea Baxter not only hit above the .400 mark, but both put forth sensational seasons on the pitching mound, with 0.90 and 1.1 ERAs, respectively.

At Memorial, the Mustangs softball team won its first district championship in over a decade by going 12-0 in district. With a bi-district playoff

victory over Cy Falls, the Mustangs raised their overall record to 23-5 on the season. “The really big thing about this team is that the girls hit the ball extremely well. We had 34 home runs in the regular season, which is pretty extraordinary,” said Mustangs head coach Stephanie Mosley.

The biggest homer of the season undoubtedly took place in game one of the bi-district playoff series versus Cy Falls, when sophomore Kaleigh Stallings hit a walk-off, game-winning, threerun homer in the Mustangs’ dramatic 8-7 victory. For the season, Stallings boasted a lofty .632 batting average, with nine home runs.

Other big bashers for the Mustangs included

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MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 36

Emily Ellis with a .576 average and 10 home runs, Kara Kennedy (.518 average), Kayla Keeling (.475 average/9 home runs) and Jenny Drago (.453 average/4 home runs).

For the first time since 2006, the Kinkaid Falcons are Southwest Preparatory Conference baseball champions. Kinkaid won the crown by defeating Dallas St. Marks 5-3 in the title game of the SPC tournament. The Falcons also beat St. Andrews and Episcopal by identical 6-3 scores at the tournament.

“It’s a very intense single-elimination tournament, so there’s an immense amount of pressure,” said Falcons head coach Steve Mass. “I’m really proud of our guys. They’re an extremely hard working and deserving group of players.”

Pitchers Will Gaus and Michael Goldack both had great seasons capped off by victories in the SPC tournament. Gaus, the winning pitcher in the win over St. Andrews, had a 9-1 record on the season. Goldack was 7-3 on the season, highlighted by a victory over Episcopal in the SPC tournament.

Falcons third baseman Neal Bhatia, who led the team in hitting with a .383 average, drilled a two-run homer in the championship-game victory, while first baseman Joe Beeler hit a sparking .500 for the tournament. “Joe was tremendous,” said Maas. “He was our most influential leader this season.” Defensively, Maas had high praise for junior catcher Matthew Cox. “He’s

one of the best defensive catchers I’ve ever had.”

For the third consecutive year, the Episcopal Knights ran away with the SPC boys track and field championship. The Knights were led by a spectacular meet from Texas Longhorn signee Travis Toliver, who finished first in the high jump and pole vault, while also running on the Knights’ winning FALCONS FLY The Kinkaid School Falcons earned the SPC baseball championship trophy after defeating Dallas St. Mark’s in the SPC title game. It was 400- and 1600-meter Kinkaid’s first SPC baseball championship since 2006. relay teams. triple jump, while also finishing second in the Episcopal’s Jack Neary won the shot put with 300-meter hurdles and third in the long jump. a school-record throw of 58-3, which was the Twin sisters Devina Schneider and Jahnavi fourth best overall throw in the state. Jordan Schneider were outstanding, with Devina winBooker won the 400 meters while also running ning the 800 and 1600 meters, and Jahnavi grabthe anchor leg in the Knights’ two relay victobing gold in the 3200 meters. She also finished ries, while Joel Latson and Jaylen Waddle ran second to her sister Devina in the mile run. on the winning relay teams. “Our guys simply performed incredible. In a championship meet, Editor’s Note: Todd Freed is the Emmy Awardyou want to perform at your best, and that’s winning co-host and producer of the KUBE what they did,” said Episcopal head track and SportsZone, which airs Saturday and Sunday at 6 field coach Marc Klinkerman. p.m. on Channel 57-KUBE. To submit high school Meanwhile, the Episcopal girls finished secsports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, ond at the SPC meet. Georgia Wahl set school please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com. records in winning both the high jump and

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SPORTS

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by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

SportzBuzz, Jr. W

elcome to SportzBuzz, Jr., a column spotlighting neighborhood athletes in elementary and middle school.

Swim-bike-run St. Francis Episcopal Day School fourth grader Katelyn Cutter (top photo) raced in the Houston Kids Triathlon. The annual event is the largest kids’ triathlon in the country, and is held at the University of Houston.

Katelyn and her siblings, John and Lauren, were among this year’s 2,600 participants. The event is divided into two age categories, and Katelyn raced in the senior group with a 200-yard swim, six-mile bike and one-mile run. She placed in the top quarter of girls in her age group. “It’s a good challenge, and she really feels a sense of accomplishment when she is done,” said Katelyn’s mom, Adrienne. Swimming is Katelyn’s favorite portion of the race, and she is well conditioned by swimming with the Dad’s Club year round.

Court and pool champions Rebekah Stephens, Elizabeth Fisher and Madeleine Baird (middle photo, from left), all 13, recently finished winning seasons in both volleyball and swimming. Along with their teammates on the Grady Middle School seventh-grade volleyball team, the girls won first place, overall, in the district, and also won first place at the Welch Invitational Tournament.

The Grady seventh-grade swim team also had a great season. Rebekah, Elizabeth, Madeleine and Anelisa Coronodo placed first in the district in the girls’ 4x50 freestyle relay. In addition, Madeleine set a new district swim record in the 100-yard freestyle event.

10-year-old Ironman Liam Amling (bottom photo), 10, participated in the MS 150, a fundraising bike ride from Houston to Austin. Sponsored by BP, the event raises money to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Liam and his grandfather, “Opi,” worked together to raise more than $800 for the event. Because of weather conditions, the first day of the race was canceled.

The Amling family camped out in La Grange, and Liam and his father, Stefan, woke up early in the morning to ride from La Grange to Austin. To prepare for the race, Liam and Stefan rode every weekend for five months.

Competitive racing runs in the family, as Stefan is training for an upcoming Ironman competition. In addition to the MS 150, Liam competes in four or five triathlons each year. In January, he ran the Houston half marathon with a time most adults can only dream of: 1 hour and 47 minutes.

Editor’s note: Send your best high-resolution photos and behind-the-scenes stories about young local athletes, in both team and individual sports, to SportsBuzz, Jr. at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Include all contact info, names, ages, grades and schools. Featured athletes must live in Buzz-circulation neighborhoods. Items will be published on a space-available basis.

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NEIGHBORS

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by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz About Town From the heart

party for Autism Rescue Angels, a new nonprofit organization that offers financial assistance to local families who have a loved one with autism. Pictured (from left) are other board members with Thompson, including Jim Turner, Elaine Turner, Lisa Graham-Garza and Penelope Khuri. Most of the board consists of parents of special-needs children, and the board’s passion is raising awareness and funds to help families. See autismrescueangels.org.

Marching on Memorial resident Jenny Jumonville Thompson (pictured, at left) hosted a launch

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 40

Amanda Janacek’s friends and family assembled “Amanda’s Army” for the ninth consecutive

year to generate funds in an effort to fight cystic fibrosis. Joined by cousins from Austin, (pictured, from left) Payton and Price Janecek, along with her sister Caroline, Amanda had the support of other Memorial Drive Elementary classmates too, including Tyler Minter, Caroline Howell and Carolyn Branca. The

team walked in the annual Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides event at the Lynn Eusan Park on the University of Houston campus. Over 750 walkers generated more than $800,000. Of that amount, more than $20,000 came from Amanda’s Army.

Falcons return to the nest

old photo albums and all the yearbooks from the four years at Kinkaid. Thirteen classmates came into town for the event, and a total of 59 classmates joined in the fun – half of the whole class.

Catching up on old times were Carter and Mary Groves, Megan Metcalf Williams, Stephanie Schulz Green, Lindsay Wadler Hyman, Brooke Dawson, Monica and Curtis Bickers, Casey Ford, Sam Cruse, Brian Dinerstein, Brian Ross, Deborah Vest Brown and Ryan Heine, Ashley and Louis Pearce, and Erin and Wil Brown.

Education Foundation’s Running for the Arts, which raised money for Spring Branch Independent School District’s ARTS Partners Program and the SBISD Health Fitness Program.

Pictured are (front row, from left) Ivy Oliver, Avery Anderson, Samantha Bailie, (back row, from left) Jenny Robertson, Meaghan Conrad, Kim Conrad and Keri Wagner.

Learning through nature

Georgia Arnold

In the mix

It may be 2015, but The Kinkaid School Class of 1995 partied like they were teenagers at their 20th class reunion at the home of Embry and Robyn Lee Canterbury. Reunion co-chair Leisa Ladin Dillon, host Robyn Canterbury, cochair Meredith Riddle Chastang, and co-chair Mary Sommers Burger Pyne (pictured, from left) enjoyed Pappas catering as a DJ spun tunes.

Everyone brought fun mementos such as old field hockey and lacrosse sticks, cheerleading pom-poms, old jerseys, class of ’95 T-shirts, mugs,

Students at Hunters Creek Elementary embraced leadership roles to promote the Spring Branch

A group of Frostwood Elementary School students planted a piece of history on the Frostwood Tiger Prairie, the school’s on-campus pocket prairie, which was developed with the Katy Prairie Conservancy (KPC). Last year, bee balm (a native mint) and Virginia wildrye seeds from the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site were col- (continued on page 42)

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lected and conserved

by KPC’s conservation education director Jaime Gonzalez. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department approved the plants being replanted at a Prairie Builder School. Frostwood joined this program last year. Students, including (pictured) fifth grader Archie Martin and third grader Luke Chipman, helped plant some of the bee balm. Their moms, Kristin Martin and Lisa Lauter, along with Andrea Eubanks, helped develop the pocket prairie.

(continued from page 41)

Reporting live

the first successful year of School Buzz at Island Grill. Students from different schools got to know each other over strawberry smoothies, hummus and pita chips, burgers and fries, and, as a party favor, bundtlet cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. Some 2014-15 School Buzz correspondents celebrating a great year are (back row, from left) Mark Cox, Matt Gregg, Scott Kennedy, Erin Rice, (front row, from left) Emily Hallmark, Cyrus Pacht, Grace Armstrong, Mackenzie Ward and Sena Sarikaya. To hear student correspondents tell what it was like to contribute to the blog this year, see their video at thebuzzmagazines.com.

Or, are you in high school and love to write and take photos? Go to The Buzz website and look for School Buzz.

Lend a paw

The Buzz Magazines’ School Buzz blog launched last fall and, since then, nearly 50 local high school students have taken the opportunity to showcase what’s going on at their schools.

They’ve covered academics, arts and theater, clubs, sports, fashion, school trips, school news, student opinions and more. The Buzz celebrated

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 42

Todd and Hayley Stewart and their family are saving lives in their Memorial home through Pets for Vets Houston, a nonprofit that provides professionally trained shelter dogs as companions for military veterans with PTSD, anxiety or depression – at no cost to the veterans. Training takes three months; during that time, the dogin-training lives in foster care. The Stewarts are fostering Gracie, a shepherd mix. Pictured (from left) are Annie Stewart, Gracie, volunteers and Memorial residents Jessica Devitt and Marleen Bergman, and trainer Cherry Windinger.

Veterans are on a waiting list because of the need for foster families. To foster, contact Pets for Vets Houston at houston-tx@pets-for-vets.com.

Great work, guys Five Boy Scouts, (pictured, from left) Tristan Benwell, Bryson Phillips, Nathan Vickery, Trey Lowe and David Horsley, were awarded the rank of Eagle Scout at a Court of Honor ceremony for Troop 599, sponsored by Memorial Drive United Methodist Church (MDUMC).

Benwell and Phillips are juniors at Memorial

High School, Vickery is a senior at Westchester Academy for International Studies, and Lowe and Horsley are seniors at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory. To earn the top rank, Benwell built toy shelves for the Larkin Center, which is a MDUMC outreach center for parents transitioning into the workforce. Phillips designed and organized construction of a footbridge and wood chip path through the courtyard at Shadow Oaks Elementary School. Vickery planned and coordinated the construction of six benches that were installed in the courtyard for Westchester Academy for International Studies, providing much-needed seating for students dur-

ing lunchtime. Lowe’s project involved building a 41-yard brick and crushed-granite sidewalk for Angela House, a residential, transitional facility for women exiting the criminal justice system.

Horsley designed and constructed six 6-by-8foot wooden shelves for a children’s ministry storage room at MDUMC.

That’s a wrap

What a show Rummel Creek Elementary second graders, including Isabelle Wright, Jacquelyn Walton and Ava Le (pictured, from left), recently got

Stratford High School’s Playhouse finished out the season with 39 Steps, a melodrama adapted from the Alfred Hitchcock film. The play’s concept calls for the entirety of the show to be performed with a cast of only four players. Jack Goss played the hero, Richard Hannay, while Keeley Flynn played the three women with whom he became involved. The remaining two actors, Cameron Munoz and Dustin Nichols, played every other character, from heroes to villains. The show required precision dialogue and lightning-fast costume changes.

ready for the annual Bugz Play performance.

Students memorized songs and choreography, with enthusiastic help from teachers and parent volunteers. Since the new Rummel Creek Elementary is under construction and the school is housed at a temporary location adjacent to Westchester Academy for International Studies (WAIS), the play was performed in the WAIS auditorium.

Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Items are published on a space-available basis. Also share your photos and videos, plus upcoming-event listings, on thebuzzmagazines.com.

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 43

KIDS

by Michael Eubanks, age 8

Buzz Kidz

Sports in Motion Photography

SWIM, BIKE, RUN Michael Eubanks, a third grader at Frostwood Elementary School, loves competing in triathlons. Most recently, he participated in the Houston Texans Kids Triathlon, which he completed in 19 minutes, 53 seconds.

Triathlon challenge

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wim, bike, run. Twenty-one minutes of pure exertion and exercise, from jumping in the pool to the last seconds of the run.

My favorite part is the biking and trying to pass people up while going as fast as you can manage.

I think triathlons are thoroughly exciting, and they make you exert yourself the most. I started doing triathlons when my friends told me that they were doing them and I might enjoy doing them, and, boy, were they right!

I did my first triathlon, the Houston Kids Triathlon, at the University of Houston in April 2012. I trained at the YMCA in March until the actual event in April. The training prepared me for my first triathlon, as I didn’t know a thing about “transitions” before that.

My first triathlon was pretty much the only

one that I trained properly for, and what I mean by that is that it was the only time I practiced biking and practicing transition. For other triathlons, I always practice running and biking and have generally been swimming. My dad gets me to run longer than the actual triathlon distances, and I always compare my training time or paces to the actual event times.

My first triathlon really freaked me out because I had to leave my parents for the whole thing, which can be pretty freaky for a 6 year old.

So far I have done 12 or 13 triathlons, including two that were in Dallas.

You never know how the triathlon will turn out or how good the people who will be racing against you are or how challenging the race course will be. The run is always the

toughest part for me because after swimming and biking you have to run another half mile to the finish line.

Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.

Carrie Knowles • 713.898.8700 • carrie@barbaracobb.com • www.barbaracobb.com

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 44

Houston’s Best PRISM Grand Award - Remodeler

Craftsmanship By John 2012 GHBA Remodeler of the Year Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR), Graduate Master Builder (GMB) Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS)

www.craftsmanshipbyjohn.com • 713.984.8834

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Realtor Associate/Luxury Homes Division Director Office 713.647.8278 • Cell 713.456.9861 Renee@davyoakumbhhs.com • www.andersonprops.com Memorial 12900 Queensbury Suite 101, Houston, TX 77079 River Oaks 3600 Kirby Suite T, Houston, TX 77019

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 45

DINING GUIDE

by Russell Weil, contributing writer

This Month in Dining

Local beer and good eats

Restaurant Listings $ (under $10) $$ ($11-$30) $$$ ($31-$60) $$$$ (over $60) Prices include drink, tax and tip per person Buzz dining contributor Russell Weil is a native, second-generation Houstonian who loves the history of his hometown and all things burger.

Author of the blog Eat More Burgers, Russell enjoys finding new dining spots with his monthly “Burger Buddy Adventure Group.” Russell also is a longtime docent at Holocaust Museum Houston and a project manager at the technology-communications company ContentActive, where many of his clients are nonprofits, including the United Way, Houston Food Bank, Houston Restaurant Weeks and Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. Check out his blog at eat-more-burgers.com. Regular Buzz dining columnist Dai Huynh will return in a couple of months.

HUGHIE’S TAVERN & VIETNAMESE GRILLE The spicy and flavorful Banh Mi Burger pairs well with Southern Star Buried Hatchet Nitro Stout.

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lthough craft beers entered the Houston scene more than 20 years ago, it’s only in the past five years that the local-brew movement has exploded here. Joining Houston’s 21-year-old brewing company, Saint Arnold, in recent years have been other local breweries, also receiving national attention, among them Karbach, Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company, Lone Pint, No Label, Southern Star and 8th Wonder.

Many of Houston’s bars, taverns and restaurants pair their local, national and international craft beers with delicious food. I recently stumbled across a few new finds that have quickly become my favorites, and re-visited legendary taverns that are Houston institutions.

As I was conducting my “research,” I encountered knowledgeable bar staff who educated me on the beers they served. At D&T Drive Inn, 1307 Enid Street in the Greater Heights, the bartender offered the perfect suggestion of the homemade pimento cheese plate to go with my Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro. At Witchcraft Tavern & Provision Company, 1221 W 11th St. in the Heights, I was offered samples of several beers to pair with my Stilton Burger.

At Saint Arnold Brewing Company, 2000 Lyons Ave. just north of downtown, the Newery – as some staffers still name the historic brick warehouse they’ve called home for five years – now serves lunch, with prime rib dip and jerk chicken emerging as the most popular menu items.

I always enjoy hearing about favorite spots. You can email me at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or share your favorites in the Comments under this story at thebuzzmagazines.com.

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 46

Beer Market Company Craft beer and food Neighborhood: Memorial Heights A recent addition to the Houston craft-beer scene, Beer Market Company offers over 365 beer varieties from around the world. With over 30 flat-screen TVs throughout the indoor and outdoor spaces, Beer Market has a sportsbar feel. But, with 24 taps ready to go, including local Karbach and St. Arnold offerings, this place is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Salads, burgers and tacos for lunch and dinner give way to chicken waffles, short rib eggs benedict and strawberry-banana crepes for Sunday brunch. For those who want to go beyond a beer, they offer a full bar specializing in craft cocktails, including the Moscow Mule (vodka, a spicy ginger beer and lime juice served in a tin cup). 11 a.m-midnight Sun.-Sat. 900 Studemont St., Suite 900, 713-426-9035. beermarketco.com. $-$$

Cottonwood New American food and spirits Neighborhood: Garden Oaks From the owners of Raven Grill comes Cottonwood in Garden Oaks. Part bar, part pub, part band venue, along with an excellent patio (fire pits, games, live music), Cottonwood offers 30 craft beers on tap. From Nitros (where the addition of nitrogen makes smaller bubbles and a creamier experience) to hoppy India pale ales, their list is impressive. (512) Brewing Company out of Austin is represented, as is local favorite 8th Wonder. Their Squirrel Master Burger sports a poblano-stuffed Angus patty, thick layer of creamy pepper jack, crispy bacon and a fried egg dotted with bright green flecks of fresh jalapeño.

Besides salads and sandwiches, Cottonwood also offers a Sunday brunch featuring Tres Leches French Toast. 4 p.m.-midnight Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. 2422 N. Shepherd Dr., 713802-0410. cottonwoodhouston.com. $-$$

Crisp Gastropub Neighborhood: Houston Heights This Heights-area gastropub, serving updated comfort food and craft beer on tap, is hidden among the myriad of townhomes being built on the surrounding streets. With a 5,000square-foot patio/garden, Crisp is a good place to dine or have drinks outdoors after work.

Their menu specialties include a stone deckfired pizza, plus over 100 wines and 24 craft beers on tap. In addition to their pizza offerings, I suggest trying their rich Baked Texas Goat Cheese & Marinara Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce with Soft Garlic and cheesy Drunken Garlic Bread. Crisp’s half-pound burger with Angus beef is also very good, as are the homemade rosemary and garlic fries. 11 a.m.-1.p.m. Mon.-Thu.; 11a.m.-midnight Fri., 10 a.m.-midnight Sat.; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun. 2200 Bevis, 713-360-0222. crispheights.com. $$

D&T Drive Inn Beer garden Neighborhood: Houston Heights This updated icehouse, near Cavalcade and Interstate 45 in the Greater Heights, is a popular neighborhood bar with a knowledgeable staff serving 50 beers on tap. D&T originally opened in 1959, and the current owners have continued the neighborhood bar with the addition of an inventive kitchen. D&T’s food menu has snacks and sandwiches, as well as daily specials, including Tuesday steak night. I had been told by several friends to try their homemade pimento cheese served with Ritz crackers, so I thought this would be the perfect pairing with my creamy and full-flavored Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro. The pimento cheese possessed the right amount of sharpness along

with a slightly spicy kick. On my next visit, I have my eye on the Grilled Brie Sandwich with pickled grapes and ham. With plenty of indoor seating, as well as front and rear patios, and flat screen TVs, D&T Drive Inn could be my new happy hour spot to hang out with friends, watch a game, and enjoy beer and food after work. 3 p.m.-midnight Mon.-Fri., 12 p.m.1 a.m. Sat.; 12 p.m.-midnight Sun. 1307 Enid St., treadsack.com/dtdriveinn. $-$$

The Ginger Man Pub Neighborhood: Rice Village Nestled in Rice Village, The Ginger Man has been serving fine beer since 1985. This Texas chain offers over 50 beers on tap from around the world. This quaint Rice location, with its outdoor patio, is a Houston favorite. Settling in on the front patio with a half-pint of (admittedly non-local) Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I chose to pair my libation with their Pesto Cheese sandwich – Gouda, Provolone and sharp cheddar cheeses, roasted red peppers and pesto on a French roll. While the sandwich was slightly undercooked, with the cheese not fully melted, the taste was pungent and flavorful. Other traditional pub-food items include bratwurst and a jumbo warm pretzel served with mustard. This is a great place to relax and take in the scenery on a Saturday afternoon. (continued on page 48)

Expertise • Service • Satisfaction Blake Vogelsang

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Wendy Bellow and Pat Nimtz

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Connie Wong

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12850 Memorial Drive, Suite 1155 • Houston TX 77024 • www.garygreene.com • 713.461.6800 ©2012 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Better Homes and Gardens® is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Franchise is Independently Owned and Operated.

If your property is currently listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers.

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 47

Petrol Station Gastropub Neighborhood: Oak Forest This Oak Forest gastropub is a favorite of locals who enjoy a neighborhood spot serving a good selection of local beers and breweries by knowledgeable bartenders. Located on a quiet neighborhood street, Petrol Station also offers delicious and creative food. I am a burger guy, and I know first-hand that Petrol Station can claim burgerbragging rights. Other items include their brown ale-infused “Drunken Reuben” sandwich, a smoky mac and cheese, fish tacos and muffaletta.

This converted 1940s-era service station has been neatly outfitted in a streamlined industrial look.

You can choose to eat inside, or enjoy their awesome patio seating. 5 p.m.-midnight Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Sat., noon-10 p.m. Sun. 985 Wakefield Dr., 713-957-2875. $-$$

Revelry on Richmond D&T DRIVE INN The homemade pimento cheese and Ritz-cracker plate hit the spot with a creamy pint of Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro. (continued from page 47) 2 p.m.-2 a.m. Mon- Fri.;

1 p.m.-2 a.m. Sat & Sun. 5607 Morningside, 713526-2770. thegingerman.com/Houston $-$$

Graffiti’s at Union Street Burgers, steaks and chops Neighborhood: First Ward I stumbled upon this nostalgia-filled, Washington Avenue-area, counter-service find.

From old signs and posters on the walls to Astrodome memorabilia at the tables, this place felt like going back home. The craft-beer selections are from local favorites such as Lone Pint, Saint Arnold and Karbach. I got to know my Lone Pint Zeno’s Pale Ale, with hints of citrus and pine, and chose the 409ER – a classic burger with smoked cheddar, mixed greens, housemade pickles, tomato, grilled onions and bacon chunks. Other comfort-food options include chicken fried steak, pork chops, rib eye steak and fried chicken. Service was a little slow when I went, but, since they make everything from scratch, including the bread and grinding the mixture of choice chuck with brisket and short rib, I figured some patience was in order. 10 a.m.-11 p.m. daily. 2003 Union St., 713-8697000. grafittisburger.com $-$$

Hay Merchant Craft food and beer Neighborhood: Montrose Located on lower Westheimer, which was named for the German immigrant and hay merchant Mitchell Louis Westheimer, this craftfood and beer establishment in a rustic setting is a popular spot. Their website proclaims that “beers are always served at the proper temperature, with the correct pressure and gas mix, in appropriate glassware, and by folks who know what the hell they’re talking about.” In addition MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 48

to nearly 100 beers on tap, the food served is darn good as well. I paired a pint of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale with their Citrus BBQ Pork Buns – fish sauce, iceberg lettuce, smoked pork, tomatoes and cilantro on a fluffy steamed bun.

Other food offerings include a warm pretzel with “redneck cheddar cheese dip,” Texas chili with cornbread, and the “Cease and Desist” burger served with hand-cut fries. Be prepared to wait if you have a large party. 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Mon.Fri; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Sat. & Sun. 1100 Westheimer Rd., 713-528-9805. haymerchant.com. $-$$

Hughie’s Tavern & Vietnamese Grille Vietnamese-American tavern Neighborhood: Lazy Brook/Timbergrove I recently noticed a little dive called Hughie’s Tavern & Vietnamese Grille while driving down W. 18th Street near Ella Boulevard in the Lazy Brook/Timbergrove area. As I walked in the door of this former Dairy Queen with a cozy pub setting, I saw numerous blackboards filled with the day’s offering of craft beers. The owners came to this country in the early 1980s after a long scary journey from Communist-torn Vietnam. They created a unique hybrid of classic Vietnamese cuisine with an American twist, adding in over 20 craft beers on tap from local favorites such as Lone Pint, Buffalo Bayou and Karbach breweries. They serve authentic Vietnamese dishes such as banh mi sandwiches and vermicelli bowls. Hughie’s for lunch is quite a treat. I suggest pairing their Banh Mi Burger, freshly ground chuck patty topped with crunchy Vietnamese vegetables, with a half-pint of Southern Star Buried Hatchet Nitro Stout. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon-Thurs.; 11 a.m.-midnight Fri.Sat. 1802 W. 18th St., 713-869-1830.

Hughiesgrille.com. $-$$

Sports bar Neighborhood: Montrose This popular and inviting Montrose area sports and craft-beer bar has an impressive beer and food hamburger menu. With 40 specialty craft beers on tap, Revelry is particularly popular on game day, which is just about every day. Along with offering options from local breweries such as 8th Wonder and Buffalo Bayou, Revelry on Richmond offers up some delicious food, which includes Saint Arnoldbraised short ribs as well as my favorite, the Big Kidz Grilled Cheese (Gruyere, Gorgonzola and Fontina cheeses served on Texas toast, lightly battered and deep fried), as well as some of the best burgers Houston has to offer. Revelry also offers creative fries, my favorite being the Parmesan Truffle. Happy hour & dinner Mon.-Sat. 1613 Richmond Ave., 832-538-0724. revelryonrichmond.com. $-$$

Saint Arnold Brewing Company Craft brewery Neighborhood: Near Northside No beer-with-food research would be complete without including Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Texas’ oldest craft brewery, on the list. A rich part of Houston history, the brewery’s building is a 1914 brick warehouse repurposed into a party-popular beer hall with rows of picnic tables, a view of brewing tanks and a wood-paneled bar offering beer on tap. Long attracting a large following for tours and special events, Saint Arnold started serving weekday lunches two years ago. I ordered a flavorful quarterpound Bishop’s Burger, and my server suggested I pair this with their most popular beer, Saint Arnold Amber Ale. The fruity flavor of the beer was a nice contrast to the salty, spiced taste of the burger. Equally as fun as enjoying my lunch in a brewery was the people watching of those who were enjoying a beer for lunch. Lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.- Fri. 2000 Lyons Avenue, 713686-9494.saintarnold.com. $-$$

plete the perfect burger haven. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Tues.-Thurs.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 11a.m.4 p.m. Sun. 1420 Edwards St., 713-227-4893. stantonscitybites.com. $-$$

Witchcraft Tavern & Provision Co.

GRAFFITI’S AT UNION ST. Try the 409ER Burger with a Lone Pint seasonal.

Stanton’s City Bites Burgers Neighborhood: First Ward This First Ward hamburger haven is second generation-owned by the family of the late Art Fong, and its burgers are deliciousness defined.

The meat (chuck) is ground daily on site with

brisket for a sweet taste to balance out the salty flavors of the burger. Along with some of the best burgers in town, Stanton City bites offers delicious crunchy egg rolls and crispy fried pickles. From Saint Arnold to Shiner, thirsts are quenched with their endless bottled-beer selection. Folding tables and old wooden floors com-

Tavern Neighborhood: Heights Situated in a small Houston Heights strip center, Witchcraft Tavern has a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere, with dishes such as truffle fries, seared scallops, burgers and salads. I felt right at home. It offers over 20 beers on tap, including Karbach, Buffalo Bayou, and Austin’s (512) Brewing Company. I ordered a half-pint of 8th Wonder’s Alternate Universe. This German ale has a mixture of a malty backbone with a balanced hop bite – smooth and flavorful. I paired this with their Stilton Burger, topped with candied bacon, sautéed mushrooms, balsamic onion and Stilton blueberry cheese. This was not an easy decision considering they also offer short ribs, fried chicken and a Vietnamese charred salad. So, I guess I’ll have to go back. Lunch & dinner Mon.Fri.; brunch & dinner Sat. & Sun. 1221 W 11th St., 832-649-3601. witchcrafttavern.com. $-$$

MORE ONLINE See thebuzzmagazines.com for all reviewed restaurants. Use our restaurant finder to search by area, cuisine and price.

MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 49

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Rebuild on your lot with Avanti

Memorial real estate market

As the housing industry across the nation starts to pick-up, cities are finding themselves with a lack of developed vacant lots. In Houston, where massive suburban developments have long ruled the roost, this land shortage is generating renewed interest for remodeling and rebuilding within the Greater Houston metro.

There are many factors to consider when choosing whether to remodel an existing older home or start over from scratch. One of the most important aspects to consider is the energy efficiency of your home.

While at first you may only want a second story addition, you may quickly find that the plumbing, electrical and even the base building materials are not up to code and will require a total overhaul. This can add unexpected delays in construction and put a huge dent in your budget.

Rebuilding from scratch is often a better alternative. Not only will you get to design the home that most suits your needs, but you will be assured that your home is built in accordance with local codes and energy-efficiency requirements.

With Avanti Custom Homes by Trendmaker, you can choose to modify one of their proven plan designs to suit your lifestyle needs. As a division of Trendmaker Homes, Avanti benefits from the experience, creativity, service and skills of Trendmaker’s 44-plus years in the home building industry. The Avanti team will guide you through the entire construction process, and their award-winning customer-service department ensures a high-quality home that will last for years to come.

For more information, visit www.AvantiCustomHomes.com or call 713-834-2537.

The busy Memorial real estate market makes me remember when my husband and I were buying our Hunters Creek home in 1999. We bought our home the first day it went on the market, afraid it would be sold if we waited even a day! We chose Memorial because of the wonderful schools, which were a great choice for our daughters.

We created wonderful memories that we will cherish forever, and the girls have been well-prepared for their college experiences.

I started selling real estate nine years ago with Bernstein Realty in anticipation of becoming an empty nester. It’s a great outlet for my energy and the perfect way to stay connected to the community. Memorial is an easy place to work because it offers wonderful schools, abundant amenities and close proximity to downtown and the Energy Corridor. People tell me that they love living in Memorial because it feels like a small town in the heart of the city, friendly and welcoming.

The current challenge is the low housing inventory, which can be frustrating for many buyers. We are still seeing multiple offers, particularly in the under $1M market. Corporate-relocation activity remains very active, so I’m not expecting demand to lessen any time soon. There appeared to be some apprehension about the real estate market at the beginning of the year based on oil prices, but so far 2015 is proving to be as strong as 2014.

Please contact Julie if you have any questions about local real estate.

Julie Brann, Bernstein Realty, 9575 Katy Fwy., Suite 205 Houston, Texas 77024, www.BernsteinRealty.com, 713.594.8736

Spacious Charleston-Style Tanglewood Home 5353 Sugar Hill Drive/$3.1 million • 4/4 + 4 half baths 6,092 sf • Large living area, hardwoods, elevator, pool, spacious porches

For Sale by Owner Katie Harrison • 713.927.3216 kathrynharrison2015@gmail.com MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 50

WHERE YOUR PETS ARE

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MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 51

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Updating an out-of-state will

Neighborhood Tails

713.662.2119 www.roveroaks.com

Rickie, age 2, Bearded Dragon, Hunters Creek I am not your usual household pet. I am a bearded dragon, and I love to eat crickets, mealworms and the occasional handful of finely chopped vegetables. Kale is my favorite, and I usually eat it sitting on the counter next to my owner doing his homework. I spend most of my day in my atrium where I get warmth from heating lamps. I love it when my owner pulls me out to play. I like to hang from his shirt and sit on his head and shoulders, and I really like to be wrapped in a blanket to watch TV with him. My best friend and chaser is Wrigley, a Goldendoodle whom I cuddle with “occasionally,” but he likes to lick me a bit too much. Thankfully, I am pretty easy going, unless you’re a cricket or mealworm.

Got a cute critter? Email a picture of your pet with approximately 150 words to info@thebuzzmagazines.com or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401. Featured pets receive two passes to Rover Oaks Pet Resort. Each pass can be redeemed for one day of lodging in a Bunk House Suite, 25 percent off your next grooming appointment or 25 percent off one obedience training class.

Houston is ranked on various lists as one of the top moving destinations in the U.S. With the opportunities the Bayou City offers, and in particularly the Energy Corridor, those individuals relocating will continue to find Houston attractive. Another item to add to an already lengthy moving to-do list is to have your estate-planning documents reviewed by a Texas attorney.

In general, a will executed in another state is valid in Texas. However, it may not contain language specific to Texas in order to make probate easier. Some language that is commonly missing in out-of-state wills is a provision to make the probate administration free from court supervision.

Often this is because other states do not provide for the streamlined probate process that Texas offers.

Also commonly missing in out-of-state wills is a self-proving affidavit. The benefit of this affidavit is that it is not necessary to take witnesses to court to probate the will. Again, the lack of this Texas-specific language does not make the out-of-state will invalid, but it creates an issue for your executor.

Mitzi D. Rivero, Brett M. Moyer & Robert Tarleton are attorneys practicing in the West Houston area. Robert Tarleton is board certified in estate planning and probate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Contact our office to schedule a free consultation for your estate-planning needs.

Sloan & Moyer LLP, 11767 Katy Fwy., Suite 1130, Houston, Texas 77079, 832.327.1180, www.sloan-moyer.com

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Ask Reneé, the Realtor

A minute with Maisie

This month, L. Astophle asks: “Is it necessary to have flood insurance even though our home is not in a flood zone?”

Answer: It is better to be safe than sorry.

Homeowner’s insurance covers “falling” water, and flood insurance covers “rising” water. During a storm, if the roof is damaged and water comes in, it is “falling” water covered by homeowner’s insurance. If the street floods and water comes in the home, it is considered “rising” water covered by flood insurance (not homeowner’s insurance).

“What if a water main breaks?” It does not matter the source – if water comes from the ground (as in a water meter), it would be covered by flood insurance.

I encourage my clients to carry flood insurance on their homes. You do not have to be in a flood zone for flooding accidents to happen. Our bayous back up, our street drains fill up, and water rises very quickly in the Houston area. There is typically a 30-day waiting period, and once a storm is heading here, policies will not be written! Your property is my business, and it is my responsibility to keep you informed.

Reneé specializes in her clients’ goals and is a Houston Association of Realtors Top Producer. She is consistently recommended as the go-to agent. Email your questions to Reneé.

Reneé Davy Oakum Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Anderson Properties, 12900 Queensbury, Suite 101, Houston, Texas 77079 and 3600 Kirby, Suite T, Houston, Texas 77019, 713.647.8278, renee@davyoakumbhhs.com, www.andersonprops.com

Many clients ask me, “Can someone be married without a formal ceremony?” The Texas Family Code provides that an informal marriage, or “common law marriage,” is possible if the parties live together as husband and wife, hold themselves out as husband and wife, and agree to be married. If one party denies the existence of the informal marriage, the parties can litigate these facts and are entitled to a jury on this issue. While there can be an informal marriage, there is no mechanism for an informal divorce. Therefore, if you think you may have entered into an informal marriage, seek the advice of counsel as it does require a formal divorce in order to dissolve the marriage.

Maisie A. Barringer is a partner at Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P., a full-service, boutique, family-law firm specializing in divorce, child-custody modifications, grandparent access, paternity, adoption, and premarital and postmarital agreements. Maisie A. Barringer has been recognized as a Texas Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters service printed in Texas Monthly magazine, for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.

Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P., Maisie A. Barringer, Partner, Board Certified in Family Law, Two Greenway Plaza, Suite 600, Houston, Texas 77046, 713.600.5500, www.jenkinskamin.com

Bengie Molina signing Wednesday, June 10th at 7:00 pm Details at bluewillowbookshop.com 14532 Memorial Drive at Dairy Ashford Houston, Texas 77079 • 281.497.8675 www.bluewillowbookshop.com MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 53

NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Back Porch

Letters from camp

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ummer camp. We research, we prep, we pack, we pay (!), and then we send our darling children off to be managed by strangers for weeks at a time. It’s scary and awesome all at once. For us and our kids. The terror of untethering a 10 year old and sending him or her alone on an airplane across the country (or on a bus up I-10) to be picked up in a van by a Chaco-wearing college student likely in need of a shower cannot be underestimated.

A few days, though, and somehow the temporary routine without children settles in. But then they hit us – the letters from camp. The very first one I ever received, no lie, read, “I am crying as I write this…” Off I went, that first time, into a tailspin so unfortunate that my then-husband said if I couldn’t pull myself together my daughter could not go back to camp. Another letter, from my second daughter’s first trek beyond my grip: “Mommy, please come pick me up now. I MEAN IT.” Verbatim.

A friend’s daughter amplified her own dramatic request. This little girl was at the same camp her mom had attended and loved, but she wasn’t loving it. So she sent a letter, arranging a time and date during rest hour when her parents could sneak in and rescue her. “She had a detailed, hand-drawn map of exactly where we should collect her at the pier by the river,” her mom remembers. “We did not receive this instructional letter until we had returned home from a trip, and the date had come and gone. Poor thing. Her daddy would have sent in a special-ops team to rescue her…. He couldn’t stand summer camp either!”

There was no second year for this camper.

During his first year at camp, Andrew Byrd wrote his parents, “I really miss you. I want to stay 2 weeks [instead of the full three]. If I go to Katy’s [his older sister’s] cabin I will be kicked out of camp forever. I’m scared of the lake swim.

I have to do it. I can’t say no. I am so homesick.

I feel unsafe here. I HATE it here … I will die here.” To make his point, Andrew signed the letter, “Love,” but crossed that out and re-signed it, “From, Andrew.” He also gave his letter a ransom-y feel by using colorful letter stickers in place of random characters in the prose.

More angst, but not the homesick kind: A 14 MEMORIAL BUZZ JUNE 2015 54

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SPECIAL OPS While many parents would send in troops to rescue their children from anything, by the time homesick letters from camp hit our mailboxes, the kids usually are over their fears and having fun.

year old who must remain anonymous wrote his parents, “Yesterday we had the dance because the 4th is Friday. At the dance, I realized that I don’t just wanna be friends with Jennie and that it was too late to change that because she is already dancing and talking with someone else.

I think I know what heartbreak feels like now.

It’s a flurry of anger, envy, and need that rises up in your chest and flies around in your head. Also we were eliminated from basketball yesterday.”

Of course, the letters aren’t all doom and gloom. This is summer camp after all. Grace Evans, when she was 8, used craft time to make a button that read, “Kelly and Scott Evans are the BEST Parents EVER!” She sent the button home in a letter, and Kelly says, “I immediately pinned it on my bulletin board to get me through those trying parenting times!” Kelly is proud that no prompting was reported – Grace “was just suddenly overcome by the awesomeness of her parents.”

And then there are the letters sent from home to our campers. When Holly Yeager was

8, she wasn’t ready to be shipped off, but her sister Melanie Kate was attending Camp Ozark.

Holly sent a newsy letter to her big sister, full of gossip that their principal was having a baby (!!), that the family was going swimming with their neighbors and that Holly’d had a playdate.

At the end of the letter, Holly attached a bracelet she’d made for Melanie Kate out of neon pipe cleaners, along with what her mom describes as “a bit of our cat’s food taped in the middle with the caption, ‘Eaten food from Snow.’” The cat’s name was Snowflake.

My personal favorite letter came just last summer from my younger daughter. She wrote, “I just wanted to say, the girls in my cabin use bad language, and I realize why you say no bad words. It’s annoying, and sounds bad. Love you!”

Victory.

Editor’s note: To share your own memorable camp letters (names can be changed to protect the innocent), comment under this story at thebuzzmagazines.com or email info@thebuzzmagazines.com.