One of the Things I'll Miss Most

Uni Sushi is one of those things that I seek out. Every time I have sushi, I order 1 piece of Uni Sushi. One of these days I'll be pregnant and that means no more sushi for 9 months. Oh, Uni, you will be missed but the trade off will be so wonderful.

xo
Janice

Movies I want to see in 2010 so far

- The Town
- All Good Things (Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, comes out Dec 3rd)
- Easy A
- The Social Network
- Wall Street (why not?)
- Catfish
- Secretariat
- Hereafter
- Eat, Pray, Love (I didn't say these had to be good movies)
- Machete
- It's Kind Of a Funny Story (Zach Galifinakis, Emma Roberts and some dude)
- Let Me In (which could be nowhere as good as the original "Let the Right One In")

Tour Widows Unite

I've been married to Stu for a little over a year. He's been home 14 weeks since Sept 11th 2009 (the day we got married at City Hall) up till now and he's still not back. I'm not complaining. Yes, I miss him. A LOT. I really get so much done when he's out. I've placed songs on commercials and television shows, I'm about to finish another EP. I make Dora the Explorer, I direct music, I watch A TON of television (what? it's like homework!), I go to the gym or exercise at home. I've just closed on an apt for us (woohoo!). I'm planning 2 baby showers. I'm about to start my second cycle of IVF. I definitely keep myself busy while he's gone. And when he gets home. I don't see anyone, I don't record music as much. I go to work and I come home to spend time with the love of my life. And it makes all of the 14 hour work days completely worth it. I know there are a bunch of others out there that have their bf's or husbands out on the road the majority of the time and I toast to you (even tho I don't drink). Respect and love to those strong strong women who love men that are never home.

Tour Widows Unite

Personalized Stamps!

Today I ordered some personalized stamps using the photo from the Save the Dates. I'm interested to see how they turn out. I know I've been trying to keep the cost of postage down (hence emailing as many Save the Dates) but after looking on Martha Stewart Weddings I became obsessed with making our own stamps. Luckily, after ordering I googled "stamps.com promo codes" and found a 30% discount that actually worked! This saved me about $75!

I also, approved the proofs for our invites today. Thanks to my friend Jessica, I discovered www.weddingpaperdivas.com. They make EXTREMELY affordable, quality invitations that are beautiful as well. We picked an invite that is flat (as opposed to folded) so that really kept our postage down (each invite with the RSVP cards and an 8.5"x11" insert inside are still under 15oz so it ships as a regular letter). I highly recommend getting your wedding invites from here! thanks, Jessica

3 1/2 Months

Is this true? wow, we are so close and I haven't done so much! I JUST ordered the Save the Dates last night which were made by Rich Bloom, styled by Mark Holmes and photographed by Stephen McGinn. Stu and I really LOVE the way they turned out and I can't wait to send them out. I've decided to send most of them via email for a couple of reasons. 1.) to save paper and 2.) to save of postage. Hopefully people understand haha... PLUS, most people are computer savvy enough to figure out all the details online via the website, right? www.stuandjanice2010.com

I went to Kate's Paperie with Jen and Trisha yesterday and bought some wedding stationary essentials like, table cards, blank thank you cards by crane (which I'm going to "personalize" with a cute bird stamp they had), envelopes for the save the dates and 3 nice pens to address all of these Save the Dates and Wedding Invites.

Stu's in Europe right now until Thursday and then tours the states until December so I guess I'll be doing the bulk of this planning...yaaaaay haha
Can't wait to see all of you...

xoxo
Janice

Thanks To A New Friend

I just had to mention that the website I put up (www.stuandjanice2010.com) would NOT exist without the help of Jessica Maria Johnson. I pretty much copied everything I saw on her website and THEN, as if my lack of originality wasn't enough, she offered to help me make it what it is! What a sweetheart. She also gave me the website where we are buying our wedding invites as well (www.weddingpaperdivas.com) and then sent me an EXTREMELY detailed email with dozens of wedding blogs to help me prepare for the big day. Below is what she sent me. Maybe it'll help you along the way as well, if you're going to be planning a wedding. This list is so informative. She is truly an amazingly organized and generous person.



http://littlewinterbride.blogspot.com/
http://bklynbrideonline.com/

Little Winter has a lot of stuff in her links that are "NYC" for each thing like florist, venues, etc. Might be a good place to start! ---

venues

* 632 Hudson, nyc
* alger house, nyc
* apple barn farm, livingston, ny
* brooklyn historical society, brklyn heights
* carriage house center for the arts, nyc
* harvest on hudson in hastings, ny
* historical rental sites in nyc
* jefferson market garden, nyc
* lady mendles, nyc
* lotos club, nyc
* pratt mansion
* public, nyc
* salmagundi club, nyc
* society of illustrators, nyc
* the foundry, nyc
* the metropolitan building, LIC
* the players club, nyc
* top of the rock, nyc
* villa antona traversi, italy
* zeze flowers, nyc


They're both more creative/indie than stuff that's on weddingbee or theknot.com - my personal favourites below are also a little more indie/rocknroll!

Here's my blog list for inspiration, information, etc. I think it's best to keep up with these things in an RSS Feeder like Google Reader (http://www.google.com/reader) so it's all in one place and you don't have to deal with bookmarking and going to each of these websites every day or however often you want to check in. It all travels to one window :) You can click through these here though and see if any are your style/not your style, etc., etc.

Personal favourites:

http://offbeatbride.com
http://rocknrollbride.com
http://littlewinterbride.blogspot.com/
http://eastsidebride.blogspot.com/
http://bklynbrideonline.com/
http://www.elizabethannedesigns.com/blog
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/ (lot of great "inspiration boards" to think of colors and stuff!)

Others I keep up with:
http://www.apracticalwedding.com/
http://tenthousandonly.blogspot.com/
http://stanleymakes3.blogspot.com/
http://www.artoflove.com/blog
http://www.blisseventgroup.net/blog/
http://classicbride.blogspot.com/
http://craftybride.blogspot.com/
http://www.dcnearlyweds.com/
http://www.diybride.com/
http://etsywedding.blogspot.com/
http://dancerdiva25.blogspot.com/
http://junebugweddings.com/blogs/what_junebug_loves/default.aspx
http://community.theknot.com/cs/ks/blogs/wedding_style_file/default.aspx
http://luckyorchidwedding.blogspot.com/
http://blogs1.marthastewart.com/weddings/ (Martha's planning has some great stuff!)
http://mindyweiss.com/blog (Gwen Stefani's wedding planner's blog, HA)
http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/
http://www.oncewed.com/
http://perfectbound.blogspot.com/
http://ritzybee.typepad.com/my_weblog/
http://www.stylemepretty.com/
http://thebridescafe.typepad.com/my_weblog/
http://finestationery.blogspot.com/
http://theunbride.com/
http://thoughtfulday.blogspot.com/
http://www.weddingchicks.com/blog/
http://blog.weddingpaperdivas.com/ (the blog of the company we used for our invitations - lots of great and relatively cheap designs and whatnot!)
http://weddingsbysocialites.blogspot.com/
http://www.weddingbee.com/ (the BIGGEST wedding blog out there probably; all written by waves of planning brides. Interesting, and the website itself has some great resources for vendors and frequently asked questions)
http://with--this--ring.blogspot.com/

Married on Sept 11th, 2009

On Friday September 11th, 2009, Stu and I went down to City Hall (actually now the City Clerk's Office) with Stu's parents and a group or our closest friends (mostly our NYC wedding party). We had no idea that it would turn out to be such a beautiful and sentimental experience. It seemed pretty empty for a Friday but we attributed that to the first day of rain. At first, we got in line to get our "number". It was amusing to be in line in the dress that I was supposed to be wearing in our Hawaiian ceremony waiting to "take a numba".

While waiting for our number to be called we took advantage of the AWESOME City Hall backdrop they painted. Our number was called, we signed our papers, paid fees and went to another line. Within a few minutes, we were in Chapel A (the purple one on the left) and the 12 of us piled in. Our minister was really quite sweet. She took her job seriously and some of us swear that we thought she might even cry herself. The ceremony was perfectly succinct and regardless of it's briefness I managed to cry my heart out. After all, It Has Been My Dream To Marry Stu Brooks!!

But about getting married on September 11th, in New York... Both Stu and I were here in 2001. I was on the F train when the 2nd plane hit on my way into work. We could see it from the train. Stu was still sleeping but had a rehearsal a few blocks from ground zero at 11am...it never happened. Of course, we'll never forget what happened on that day. On the morning of 9/11/2009, the day we were going to get married, we watched some of the memorial service on CNN. I couldn't hold back the tears. It seems that the further away 9/11 gets the more emotions seem to come out and here I was crying from sadness on the happiest day of my life. But it didn't get me down knowing that we were about to be wed on a day of such tragedy. It brought light to a day I normally associate with sadness. I'm proud to be married on this day. And when we went to Starbuck's (of course we did) right after our ceremony, a couple of firemen were touched by the fact that we chose to be married on this day. As the saying goes, "we will never forget", and yes, We Will Never Forget, not only because of tragedy, not only because it's our best friend's birthday but also because it is the day we specifically chose to make our proclamation of love legal.

Now let's celebrate together on January 31st, 2010!

www.stuandjanice2010.com

City Hall Tomorrow

I'm getting married FOR REAL tomorrow! I can't believe it. Stu Brooks, my best friend of so many years is going to be my husband. What a dream come true. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I wish my parents, sister and Katie McWane could be here tomorrow. And with the day being September 11th, 2010, it feels even more special. ALSO, our friends of so many years (and bridal party) will be there to join us. I have to admit... tomorrow is my DREAM day... Of course, I'm excited for our wedding in January (and our Hawaii wedding haha) but tomorrow is the day I become Mrs. Brooks.

Okay, enough of the mushy. I have to get back to planning for the big wedding in January.

www.stuandjanice2010.com

Freshly Engaged

That's right, I am finally engaged to my LOVE, Stu Brooks. I can't explain what it feels like for me. I knew I'd be happy but I never knew I would be this happy. Things that used to bother me just don't carry as much weight anymore because I'm engaged to this man.

The ring you see, is not the ring that I have now. It's a long story but the outcome is that we have a ring that we love and there are no negative memories attached to them (Some mean lady at the jewelry store tried to take away our happiness so we gave it right back to her and my mom helped us get another one).

Anyway, we're celebrating our engagement with Stu leaving for tour for 2 straight months...booooo

What's next? Well, does anyone want to help me plan a wedding in the New York area? We haven't decided on NYC, the Hamptons or Upstate NY...I'm a little worried about the planning part. I'm going dress shopping next Saturday and I wish that I could have lost a little weight for that but whatever.

I'm so grateful for all of the well wishes. So much love.

Tratoria Dell Arte in Manhattan Restaurant Review

I'd say this place is pretty good. I've eaten here only 2 times and both times were pretty good. The prices are pretty high but typical of this midtown semi Times Square area (900 Seventh Ave btwn 56th & 57th). This last time I went there was lovely. I was there with friends I've know since I was 5 years old and even someone I played little league baseball with (I was really good, by the way). The dinner was hosted by another good friend that is a distributer of italian wines and this place is one of his accounts so we recieved excellent service and treatment.

We started with an antipasti meat and cheese platter accompanied by a chianti classico and a barbaresco (I apologize because i didn't get the names of the wines because I didn't know I was going to have this blog when I went there...boooo). The meats were excellent and the chianti classico was paired perfectly. Next came the vegetable antipasti plate which I only had the artichokes and the broccoli rabe from. Amazing... then we had this incredible pizza course which I didn't think I was going to be able to eat but the crust was so incredibly thin that it was the perfect interlude course.

For the main course, I ordered the Pappardelle de Mare...PERFECT...Fresh crab, fresh shrimp, fresh clams, pasta cooked to perfection. But I was too full to taste my friend's entrees. They did not skimp on their ordering either. Here's what was ordered... the ossobucco, apparently deeeelicious. The Filet Mignon Tuna steak apparently was the best of the entrees as was said by my friend who had the appetite to taste everything. The Veal Milanese my wine host had and he absolutely loved it so much that he barely shared (heehee). The Lamb Chops ordered by the tasting machine was devoured.

The restaurant sent out a dessert platter with a bottle of proseco. There was a chocolate cheesecake, tiramisu, frozen pistachio angel cake and 2 canolis that I didn't even get a chance to taste because they were devoured in a heartbeat. the end of the meal was topped off with a bottle of the houses finest grappa for the table of 8. lovely

All in all, the dinner was pretty damn good. is it worth the price? i don't think so. but if i knew someone had the money to spend on a place and liked to be a little flashy with his money (I say "he" cos men usually care more about that) then I would reccommend this place.

PJ Clarke's on 3rd Ave. Manhattan Restaurant Review

If you want to eat in the company of beer bloated suits and impossibly boring stereo typically midtown fake blondes then THIS is your place!!! YEEEAHHHHH!!! I walked into this place with some friends that I don't really hang out with enough with the understanding that the burgers were great. We went here because the Tapas place we originally went to was fully booked. So I followed like the sheep that I am in situations like this and relished in the fact that at least I liked the people I was with. As for the clientelle, I looked like a goth worshipper only because I was wearing all black and I didn't have that glassy look in my eye(as most of the girls here did). Embarrassingly enough, a woman spoke up and told us it was safe to hang our jacket on any random hook in the bar because in "all the years I've been coming here nothing's ever been stolen". gross admission. she was gross. for real. on to the food.

We were told 20-25 minutes and waited about an hour so when the appetizers that my friend so thoughtfully ordered for our table arrived it was like feeding the starved. the oystery/clam and shrimp platter was great. all fresh. the ice berg salad great. french fries, good. but the real deterrent in this meal was the entree course. 4 of us ordered the Hangar steak medium rare. all of them came raw. remember, I have extensive experience in comfort foods so i KNOW how these steaks should be cooked. after we piled all of our raw meat and asked them to throw some more heat on them I was already past disgusted but i didn't tell my friend who had offered to pay for my $24 steak (not worth it unless you think "gross" is worth $24). I heavy handedly divvied up the steaks back onto their plates favoring their appetites rather than my pinched one. in fact, when my friends (who were well liquored by this time) weren't looking, I shoved the 2 pieces I had left under my mashed potatoes.

I did, however, have a nice dessert there. The Apple Cobbler with cinnamon ice cream (yum!) was great. the ice cream was definitely the highlight of the meal. If I hadn't been there with my friends this would have been an unbearable experience for this Williamsburg fish out of water.

Magnolia Spa in Williamsburg, Brooklyn Review DO NOT COME HERE

My boyfriend bought me a gift package from this little hell hole in the wall. It included a massage, mani and pedi. I was really excited because there's this tiny little spa in my neighborhood. When you walk in there is a framed article touting Magnolia (124 Bedford Avenue) as some sort or treasure...WROOOONG...These people are witches. Not only that, they are IDIOTS. They are the type of idiots and are smart enough to know that you think they're stupid so they treat you like shit to cover it up. The owner or boss is pregnant and she's a complete bitch (I'd like to use other words but she doesn't deserve my energy). not only that, my manicure looked like a blind amputee did it. My pedicure was ok but nothing close to convincing me to go back to Bitch City. not only that, they spent the entire time speaking to each other in their native tongue and laughing and creating an atmosphere of annoyance rather than relaxation. just SHUT UP! People pay money to come here and relax and be pampered. not lied to (I booked a massage and their idiot receptionist cancelled my appointment because she's an idiot and when i came there they straight up lied to me about why I was no longer booked) and treated with hostility. I'd have to say, my Swedish massage was excellent. If you decide to go there because you like to be abused by ugly middleaged women ask for the lovely (and i'm not being facetious) Ewa, pronounced Eva. You will be in your own room and you don't have to endure the site of the offensive owner and manicurist.

I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THIS PLACE AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT EVERY GIRLFRIEND I KNOW KNOWS THAT THIS PLACE SUCKS AND SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN!!!

DRESSLER Restaurant Review BEST DINNER OF 2006

Dressler is a restaurant (located at 149 Broadway at Bedford). It is owned by the same owners as Dumont and Dumont Burger and, if you live in Williamsburg you've most likely eaten at the latter 2, so you know that these are pretty standard examples of the elegant cuisine that represents the fine palates of its residents. Even with it's mature, elegant and graceful decor you will typically see your local rock hero named Danny or Mark (no last names please...from some band you know but can't place which one) in a suit and possibly bow tie. The first time I ate there was this Thanksgiving. Their Prix Fixe menu was priced at $75 and every course was a bite closer to insuring a return visit. I ate there again last night because my best friend wanted to take me there as my Christmas present...lucky for me :)

The way Mark and I like to dine is by ording the 2 top choices under each course category. We decided on the lobster bisque and the artichoke and white been salad. The lobster bisque was velvety and salted to perfection. there was a bagette crouton with a dollop of lobster salad on top of it. Crazy good...The artichoke salad was served with baby spinach, parmesan cheese, white beans and a vinaigrette I can't recall but that doesn't matter because a vinaigrette should bed tho most memorable part of a salad anyway. This viniagrette was elegant, non-intrusive, it was actually serving its purpose--ACCOMPANYING a salad. Restaurants (or dare I say Chefs) these days feel like every single element needs to stand out above everything. It's hard to find a chef with consistant elegance throughout his or her menu. ok...

Next course...we decided on the pork dish and the raviolo. The fresh housemade raviolo are, as per Dumont tradition, consistently delicious. Mayhaps a signature dish for both restaurants. Always the perfect amount of garlic and the perfect amount of al dente (or however you'd measure that, just chalk it up to my writing style) and the perfect amout of sauce. Just enough to dip a few pulls of bread in. And the pork dish, oh wow...this was perfection. The chop was cooked precisely medium as per my order (and also the greenish waiter's learned suggested amount of heat) and was tender beyond perfection. But underneat the chop was there heaven truly lied...Two sliced of pork center cuts were the core of this dish. Buttery in texture and flavors that would linger well beyond the Cote du Rhone that was paired perfectly with it I wondered if I'd still be able to share this with my friend. The other thing I wondered was whether or not I was going to be disappointed by anything of less caliber as the first 2 courses.

For dessert we decided on the Peanutbutter and Chocolate Parfait ($7) and the Cococnut Bread Pudding ($7). We were nowhere close to disappointed. If you are a Peanutbutter fan this is a must. I will be craving this on for many months to come. the parfait is delicious but the peanutbrittle ice cream was the SHIT!!! OK sorry... anywho, this dinner was bite for bite the greatest meal of 2006. EASILY. We are so lucky here in Williamsburg to have such fine culinary fare in our neighborhood.