You're Not in Kansas Anymore

Why I Haven't Been Writing

2009-06-05T12:28:00.002-04:00

So here's why I haven't been writing: I'm pregnant.At first, when I wanted to write about it, I couldn't because it was too early. And later, I just didn't feel like writing. At all. About anything. I don't know if it's simple tiredness or what, but I don't feel like doingmuch of anything. It's like all my creative energy is sapped and I can't write or finish (or even work on) any art projects.

Birthday Wishes

2009-05-22T15:54:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is my 32nd birthday. I just got back from Paris about an hour ago (more info in the next post), so I'm a little jet-lagged and tired, but I wanted to log on to thank Drew for continuing to remember to send me birthday wishes. I'm such an old lady now! But it's nice to think fondly of you and college when I wasn't so old (or so much of a lady).

Back from Hibernation

2009-04-29T17:20:00.003-04:00

My self-imposed hiatus is over. I'm sorry I've been absent. I really have no excuse other than suckitude. So, what's happened recently?My sister had her baby in mid-March and I'm totally in love. He's soooooo cute and sweet and loveable. He was a little small (4 lbs 6 oz) but is growing and gaining weight like a champ. I went to KC to see him for his bris and now that he's close to 7 lbs he

My New Website

2009-02-05T13:44:00.003-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA. Some stuff has been going on that I can't write about, but what I can write about is my new website! I finally have enough pictures up on my etsy site and I'd be so happy if you checked it out!You can either click on http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5743952 or type in jensimon.etsy. comI make handmade mezuzahs out of stained glass and enameled copper. Mezuzahs are the

Wedding Hightlight Video

2009-01-13T14:24:00.003-05:00

My God, it seems like the wedding posts will never end. After this one there'll be one more and that's it. Promise. Here's a link to a video of our wedding highlights. It's short (4 min) and sweet. It made Matt cry! Super cuteness.http://creativevideokc.blogspot.com/2009/01/jennifer-and-matthew.html

Stacey's Wedding Speech

2008-12-30T10:47:00.002-05:00

The speech my sister gave at my wedding was very sweet, but she kind of ad-libbed it so I wasn't able to post until now. We just got the video from the videographer and Matt transcribed it. Of note: Stacey's husband is also named Matt. Also of note: Matt's mom made several references to us staying in Brooklyn in her speech the night before.For those of you that don't know me, I'm Stacey. I used

Bah, Humbug

2008-12-25T17:06:00.003-05:00

Matt and I spent our Christmas going to see a movie and eating an excellent meal that he cooked for me. Since we're Jewish, we don't celebrate the holiday and since we don't have kids, we're not really doing anything for Hanukkah either.I don't like this time of the year. In fact, I kind of hate Christmas. For a few reasons.1) It's cold and it's only getting worse. There's a huge buildup to

Matchmaking in NYC

2008-12-01T14:32:00.002-05:00

I have officially turned into an old Jewish lady.Here's the story: Matt and I are sitting at a small restaurant for lunch on the day after Thanksgiving. Since we're in NY, the space is so small that we're nearly at the the same table as the three guys next to us. And since I'm a busybody, I can't help but listen in on their conversation. It is seriously the strangest conversation I have ever

The Long and Winding Road Through Jen's Brain

2008-11-18T10:28:00.003-05:00

I hate my next door neighbors. It's heart-racing, vitriol-inducing, teenage-drama hate. When the weather is nice on weekends and often on week days, our neighbors (in their late-teens and early twenties) will gather on their stoop, sometimes to party, sometimes to drink, sometimes to cheer on racing cars or motorcycles, and sometimes just to yell and scream at each other. Unfortunately, the

My Night of Fandom

2008-11-09T21:55:00.004-05:00

I've never been a 'team' person. What I mean is, I've never really rooted for anything or anyone. When I was in high school, I usually snuck a notebook into assemblies and cultivated active disdain for sports players and cheerleaders. I'm not a fan of any sports team and don't understand why others are. But for one night, on Tuesday, November 4th, I finally felt swept up, rooting for someone,

Facebook Friends

2008-10-29T10:37:00.004-04:00

So many people have written about what Facebook, Myspace, and their ilk mean to society that I won't go down that road, but I will say I think it's so strange that I'm getting friend requests from people I haven't talked to or seen in more than a decade. Recently, my 3rd grade boyfriend, 3 friends from 6th grade, and 2 of my sister's high school friends friended me on Facebook. Why? Just because

The Best Wedding Present Ever (Part 1)

2008-10-19T21:59:00.002-04:00

If you've read my other wedding posts, you already know that my sister is pregnant, but how I found out deserves its own story.First, you need to know two things about my sister.1) She has always been tiny. I don't mean just skinny, I mean teeny tiny. Although she's only two and a half years younger than me, my friends and I used to carry her around the house as if she were a baby. I actually

The Best Dress EVER

2008-10-06T10:13:00.002-04:00

Of my mom's 17 friends who came to my wedding, three of them wore the same dress. The exact same, deep v-neck, empire-waisted, skirt of many-tiers, shimmery dress. Sure, two wore it in black and one in red, but it was such a distinctive silhouette that there was no escaping the fact that they looked like a group of backup singers on break.Skip to this weekend. Matt's firm held a retreat in

Rehearsal Dinner Poem

2008-10-01T11:27:00.003-04:00

My cousin Lynn and her husband Sam have a habit of writing fun poems for people. Below is the poem they read at my rehearsal dinner. Of note: my sister's rehearsal dinner was a year earlier at the same restaurant.I came here tonightAlong with the rest of youIt's eerily similarI'm feeling Deja vuLynn, Stacey and now JenChose August to marry their spouseTheir unfortunate outcomeTheir fathers end up

Guest Blog: The Tao of My Bloody Valentine

2008-09-24T10:43:00.002-04:00

Need a break from all wedding, all the time? My good friend Kara is taking over to guest post. Please enjoy her amazing story about New York, karma and love.When the guy I lived with for two years got a little lost this spring and IM'd me from LA to say that I wasn't "someone he saw himself marrying," I was gutted. On my saddest days, I clung to something Thoreau once wrote: There is no remedy

Advice for Brides

2008-09-23T16:54:00.002-04:00

When people find out that you’re getting married or just got married, their first reaction is usually to say “congratulations!” The second? To offer you advice. I’ve heard so much wedding/marriage advice in the past year, but what did I learn? That you rarely hear what you really need to know. Below are my suggestions for all the future brides reading my blog.