I’m a small town girl born to 3rd generation Eastern European immigrants and 6th generation kin folk from Kentucky. I had what you’d call an idyllic upbringing. Picture a two sq. mile, pierogi eating, hard working, blue collar town. My Dad’s father started an appliance/electrical business called John Kay Electric in 1924 which still exists today. We all spent summers at my Grandparent’s beach house which my Grandfather built in 1946 down at the Jersey shore. My mom’s mother who I called Nanny lived next door and had a huge impact in my life. My mom’s father left when she was nine. He was a traveling musician and my Nanny didn’t want that life for her family so raised three children on her own. She was a pioneer woman. Along with being an organic farmer, holistic healer and seamstress, she was a nurse’s aide during World War II.
My Beautiful Parents – JoAnn & John Krasnansky
Married 51 years on February 27, 2011
When I was born and keeping with tradition, I was wrapped in a white blanket trimmed with satin my Nanny (pictured below) made for me. The blanket and I became inseparable. There was something magical I felt when I was with my blanket. It was familiar and made me feel safe. This was the beginning of my inspiration for creating tradition and JennyBenny Blankets. Family means everything to me. I see every person in my family as a thread in the blanket of my life. I was lucky to have grounded women show me how creating tradition is essential to life’s meaning.
My Grandmother (Nanny) Joesphine
Having so much support, I had the courage to spread my own wings and soar. I was on the fast track. By the age of 24, I had two undergraduate degrees, a minor in Theology and a Masters of Fine Arts from Rutgers University. I went seven years straight through undergraduate/post graduate right out of High School. It was in graduate school where I met the love of my life, Steven. We set our sails and headed straight to the East Village, NYC. From there we charted our course to Hollywood, CA.
It was only natural being from a large tribe of over 20 nieces and nephews that getting pregnant would be a likely step on our journey. Steven and I knew in our hearts, parenting or no parenting wasn’t better or worse, just different. I’ve always been so open minded about a woman’s choice of becoming a mother. We all have a sacred contract and as women, the divine feminine will always mother in some way. My journey taught me an eternal truth I always knew in my heart to be true – “we are all here to mother in different ways and you don’t have to birth a child to be a mother.”
Coming from a family of hard working innovators, I coupled the wisdom of my Mother, Nanny and my grandfather who started JohnKay Electric and birthed the Blessing Maven and Jenny Benny Blankets. I believe each soul is a thread in the blanket of our consciousness. I want to recognize that life comes in all forms and deserves to be blessed. Having a baby is a blessing and as a mother you can bless your child and thank them for blessing you.
I feel a calling to create a global blessing movement; creating a sacred tradition around every child being born and will continue to create sacred ritual and ceremony for all stages of one’s life. I resonate with the Sacred contained within every person. It is divine. I’m a non-denominational minister and can easily bridge over to all religions and spiritual paths.
I feel we’re creative beings … each with the ability to tap into our own internal life force and live a life of empowerment. With awareness and development of relationship with self, others, our body, minds and spirit, we can discover whole healing.
I create a safe haven and base my work on intuition, spirituality, wisdom, creativity and exploration. Through ritual, ceremony, meditations and reiki healing, it is my belief that as our hearts remain wide open and ready to receive, we’ll intuitively know and feel that all things, living and non-living are connected. We’re all in this together; beautifully co-creating and collaborating with each other to discover our own individual sacred, divine contract we made to embark on this journey we call life.
I’ve had and have the privilege of working with a Huichol Shaman, two Peruvian Shaman, Mbali Creazzo, a modern day medicine woman rooted in the African traditions of the Dagara people, Mandaza, a medicine man from Zimbabwe, Payjab Rinpoche, a Tibetan monk hand picked by the Dali Lama at the age of 13 and Anand, a Hindu Swami.
Machu Picchu, Peru
To get to know me better, I audaciously share with you my full resume if you will, which is vastly different, yet all connected at the same time. Everything I’ve done in my life has lead me to this moment. In terms of drive, I acquired two degrees and my masters before the age of 25. I also taught basic acting at the University while I was earning my Masters. In terms of loyalty, I’ve been with the same fabulous man since grad school. In terms of courage, I twirled fire, pursued an acting career in the muck and mire of the entertainment industry and had a thriving commercial career. In terms of endurance, I ran a marathon. In terms of moxy, I started my own business from the ground up, teaching myself the entire way. In terms of conflict resolution, I managed a 23-unit apartment building for 12 years. It terms of sauce and sass, I was an event producer for Grey Goose Vodka overseeing major award shows and golf tournaments. In terms of capitalism at its best, I was a desk top publisher for two high profile global investment banking companies. In terms of aesthetic and design, my husband and I took a 1950s tract home and turned it into an architectural gem. In terms of domesticity, I can make one of the meanest chocolate bundt cakes on the planet, create a table scape that would put a smile on Martha Stewart’s face and execute a party for 100 people with grace and ease.
I look forward to weaving you into the fabric of this tribe and giving you, your family and/or your baby a blessing, ritual, reiki healing or ceremony for coming to share your light with all of us on this planet.
Much sweet love and many blessings to you and yours.
In humble service,
Jen Frances
Ollyantaytambo, Peru. An Inca Archeological site just south of Cusco.