Browsing Tag

Jennifer R. Cote

Maternal Instincts

My mother swinging me around, giving me a unique view of the world at an early age

Although I’m not a big fan of Mother’s Day and all its Hallmark-Crown glory, I couldn’t help thinking of my own mom whenever I saw the maternal-themed balloons, bouquets and jewelry billboards this weekend. She is not the kind of lady who covets jewels, new clothes or flowers, though, and this means all the gaudy decorations of the world only further remind me of what she’s taught me. Since giving birth, my mother has been a master of making something from nothing – she sewed almost all of my clothing herself, made popsicles, bread and every imaginable other food item from scratch, and even crafted homemade Care Bears and Cabbage Patch dolls for me and my sisters. She was able to camouflage any tight times by turning cash-saving projects into adventures, and yet one thing she never camouflaged was herself and her flaws. My mom taught me that being a woman isn’t just about being pretty and applying lipstick, and she showed me this by example – I don’t think I ever saw her wear makeup, wrinkle creams or something that remotely resembled control-top pantyhose. Instead, she painted her face to play make believe, let us dress her in our own zany designs, and sacrificed beauty rest to drive me to late-night theater rehearsals…

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Every Hipster Poops

Southern Comfort

Happy Holidays, Yo

May 9, 2011 by Jennifer Coté

Oh Baby

Gisele Bundchen and son Benjamin Rein, photographed by Patrick Demarchelier for Vogue April 2011

Images of women and infants have permeated human culture since the beginning time – from cave drawings, to the Madonna and Child, to photos of the Material Girl and her very own brood. These images have whispered subliminal messages to me my whole life, but none quite so clear as the recent photos of Gisele Bundchen and her newborn son in Vogue Magazine. These photos basically scream at me (and any other girl who views them for that matter), “Motherhood is sexy, and you are not a real, sensual or whole woman unless your womb bears forth babies.” Perhaps I’m being a tad dramatic and this isn’t exactly the message Vogue was trying to convey, but why would they have renowned fashion photographer, Patrick Demarchelier, capture Gisele bra-less and caressing her own pregnant belly (and post-baby-skinny riding a horse on the beach with a bare midriff) if they weren’t trying to sexify motherhood? Not only does Vogue’s sexification of Gisele and Child stir up an array of emotions and primal urges in me, but it makes my practical side ask this simple question: are airbrushed glimpses of motherhood really what our society needs right now?

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Big Things

Life Lately 2024 Edition

Complementary Colors

April 18, 2011 by Jennifer Coté

Inspiring Tidbits, Love

Glances

My fiancé and I sharing an afternoon of glances with the amazing Jamie Conlan

Great loves, friendships and rivalries are all made up of a billion glances – when you understand this, you grasp almost everything there is to know about visual storytelling. Sometimes these glances are through flickering candlelight, over cups of coffee or amidst the clacking of light sabers, but, no matter the locale, they are the heart of any emotional tale. On the first weekend of April my fiancé and I romped around our backyard with a photographer who I quickly learned understands this concept better than anyone. This incredibly talented shutterbug is Jamie Conlan, a guy I’ve known for several years as someone who can get my love talking for days about German cars and taco stands, and he remained the very same guy when he wielded a camera in his hands last weekend. Not once was I aware of him posing us or shushing silly conversations; he kept us rambling away with each other, rolling eyes, punching arms, keeling over in laughter, and even making psycho eyes at our dog. And, I eventually realized there was a stealthy method behind his casualness – while my fiancé and I were goofing off, Jamie was busy capturing genuine moments in time.

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Languid Language Loveliness

By Candlelight

Why I Write

April 11, 2011 by Jennifer Coté

Movies and TV

Girl Power and Popcorn

Rosie O’Donnell and Meg Ryan indulging in popcorn and old movies in “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993), courtesy of TriStar Pictures; mind you, this flick doesn’t make my list of girl-power classics

Do you ever need help psyching yourself up to conquer the world or just make it through the workday? I know I sure do, and this is one of those weeks when I’d really love to feel as though my life is set to an upbeat soundtrack not to mention feel my to-do lists are capable of being tackled in montage form. Although I have nary a spare second (between plotting a cross-country move, planning a marriage and searching for jobs), my psyche is demanding that I carve out a few hours to indulge in empowering, Motown-pulsing movies tonight. Making the time almost seems like the easy part, however, because very few films of this ilk are actually geared toward my demographic (a.k.a., that pesky 49.76% of the population that is female). While there are thousands of go-get-’em-tiger movies for men (such as, every single “Rocky,” sports movie or war flick), it’s hard to find films about women that get the “you can do it” attitude just right. The few movies led by females often focus too heavily on the romantic stories or don’t pay love interests any attention at all. I used to think the latter was what it took to make a good girl-power movie, but I’ve since changed my mind; negotiating the waters of sexual politics is key to any female’s coming of age, and learning to love yourself with or without a man is a crucial part of becoming a woman. With this in mind, here are my top movie picks for when you want a little girl power in your life…

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Better Than Bromance

Eyewitness This

Not Your Grandma's Christmas Movies

February 24, 2011 by Jennifer Coté

Kitsch Fixes, Love

Kitsch Fix #21: Concrete and Roses

Steel rose sculpture on Park Avenue with a taxi cab and church door in the background

While kitsch is often defined as something that panders to lowbrow/popular tastes, it can also simply mean art that appeals strongly to sentimentality and emotion. Going off this latter definition, I’d say Will Ryman’s current public-art instillation on Park Avenue is the most glorious display of kitsch I’ve seen in a while. The installation features 38 giant rose sculptures that loom on steel stems about two stories above this famous Manhattan street, and the artist himself calls the work his “love letter to New York City.” The roses crawl with painted insects and there are also 20 larger-than-life petals scattered along the Park Avenue Mall between 57th and 67th Streets. It really is a sight to behold on a chilly winter’s day, and I loved the contrast between the biting New York cold and the surreal images of blossoming springtime. If you find yourself in the big apple before March 31, I highly recommend checking out these steely blooms.

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By Candlelight

Fly By Yearly

Glances

February 16, 2011 by Jennifer Coté

Sweet Nothings, Travel

New York Minutes

My ice skate with the Rockefeller Center rink in the background

New York is a a city of dreams, and I’m not just talking about the ones that belong to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. I, for one, always dreamed of living in the big apple and becoming a Broadway actress, and – although my aspirations eventually changed – the city has still played a pivotal role in my life’s dreams. About six years ago, my mom and I traveled to New York City for one last breath of roasted chestnuts before my big move to live in Texas as a bartender and aspiring novelist. That was a tremendous time for me because Austin turned out to be where I became an adult, learned to rue 80-hour work weeks, discovered the art of screenwriting, earned my MFA, and found true love. For this reason, it is only fitting that just one day after officially deciding to build a life for ourselves in California, my fiancé and I spent a sweet Valentine’s weekend in NYC…It seems dreaming does indeed come full circle in this city.

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Coffee In Motion

Complementary Colors

My "When Harry Met Sally" Career Moment

February 15, 2011 by Jennifer Coté

Movies and TV

Not Your Grandma’s Christmas Movies

Gina Davis and Yvonne Zima in “The Long Kiss Goodnight” (1996), courtesy of New Line Cinema

Now that December is upon us, Christmas movies are flitting across our TV screens in rapid succession. Considering the first night of Hanukkah was yesterday, however, I’m inclined to shout at the television to rein in its reindeer, but this is only half an inclination…After I get all the shouting out of my system, I guiltily proceed to let the holiday-themed marathons play in the background for hours. What can I say? I’m a sucker for Christmas carols and nostalgia. And, few things conjure up vivid childhood memories quite like the sounds of holiday classics. It’s these sounds I crave, though – not the elves, talking snowmen and religious platitudes – so if I were to program a holiday marathon of my own it would look a lot different from the typical classics. Because I like this idea of playing movie emcee so much, I’ve decided to compile a list of flicks that will fill you with holiday nostalgia while entertaining you with compelling stories (sans claymation, miracles and any characters named Santa). Up, up and away we go…