In & Out.

OBSESSED with this song right now.

Seriously. We could cry a little each time we hear it? Is that normal? What is normal??? We also cried yesterday because a) we were finishing our most recent book and b) one of the characters fucking died in it! Life and literary surprises are just not fair sometimes!

Q of D from Jennifer Weiner's latest:

"Everyone has sorrow. Everyone has obligations. Everyone keeps going. You lean on the people who love you. You do the best you can, and you keep going."

which definitely reminds us of a certain Disney fellow, but we love it nonetheless.

cry a little if you need to, but not too much,

*f

Messy Thrilling Life

photo love, via cup of jo

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We. Love. This. Photo.

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It calms.

It breathes easy.

It represents all that is not loneliness.

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And we know that that last sentence doesn't really make sense, and we know that we don't always really never know what we're talking about, but it still feels good to put it out there, put it all out there in full heart and breath and moment.

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We feel tired and a little meloncholy today, and we're not going to re-spell melancholy with the 'a' because we just don't want to, and because it's okay to misspell and misread and mess up. Often and a lot, again and again. We spilled our coffee on the way to work today, after sleeping in but before second-guessing ourselves. It happens. Some days you brush it off and giggle, other days you look down with a frown.

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We referenced Messy Thrilling Life this weekend, quite the book of all girly books. And sometimes - okay all the time - we feel that that title is our title, the lead of our story that says it all before anything's been written. If you haven't, go check out that book, dearies. It's a page-turner and a heart-sweller.

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And that's all for now. But know this: we. love. this. photo. And at the end of the day, we can look about and think, what a wonderful world we live in.

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Happy Monday, maniac magees.

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*j

One Seussical Whirled.

when we think our problems are

big big big big bigger then most..

we think of other people,

and that helps a little.

when we are uninspired and not impressed.

not particularly enthusiased. and we happen

to see the city skyline. specially at dusk.

we think things are beautiful.

when we have good friends closeby.

and we are skiing in a snowy playground.

we think life is good.

and we love it!

*f

Peace Monkey.

patience is a virtue

life is a waiting game

peace must be nurtured

and all the money in the world

can buy you nothing

let me tell you that.

-corinne bailey rae

*f

Cupcake Zen Moment

photo love

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The lake is halfsies-frozen today. It looks a bit like those giganto vats of ice cream our grandpapa used to bring us when everything about us was wee. What was that called, that ice cream? It was chocolate and vanilla and fudge all swirled togetha. Anybody? Anybody? Bueller? Oh, how we adored it. We'd sit around it with our sistas and dive in headfirst and not stop until our seams were bursting, or Mom made us.

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Whenever he brought it it was like this frozen gem sitting in our freezer, tempting us to sneak it away with us when Mom was busy doing other motherly things. Oh! Marble ice cream. Marble!We think that's right on the money... Wait, is it?
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*j

Every Little Thing.

is gonna be alright.

do not worry about your life. what you will eat.
what you will drink. about your body. about
what you will wear. look at the birds of the air.
are you not much more valuable than they.who of you,
by worrying. can add a single hour to his life?
-the big book

*f

Some Of You Will Really Hate This Song

We know, things change. We threw out the Top Gun baseball hat and scrunchies when our first issue of Seventeen arrived in the mail. We donated The Bodyguard soundtrack to Goodwill, where it probably still sits in a bin, waiting for someone to love it as much as we loved that booming sound just before Whitney belts out the third chorus of 'and iiii...'. We mailed our comic book collection to a crush we had in junior high, hoping to win him over but only losing Wolverine (in plastic sleeves, mind you).*

And we know, some things never change. We still love airports, and all the possibilities they hold. We still get quiet when we feel intimidated and can't take a joke to save our life. We still, on some days and in certain moments, wish we were cooler than we are. We still love Neil Young and Bobby D. (because, as Emma put it so eloquently in the divine Love Actually (because we still love romantic comedies), true love lasts a lifetime.).

So yes, our taste has changed over the years, but our general leanings remain pretty solidly intact. And so, the same rings true for the songs that make us stop and hold our breath. Some of them are really quality music from really quality musicians. But some, alas, are not (ahem, that one fab electro track on Zombies' crapfest of an album). We will always be a sucker chick for a cliche pop tune with a catchy beat. And so, we have now explained the presence of the above song, brought to you in video form, unfortunately. And so you have above Timbaland's kissably perfect fine-tuning of OneRepublic's 'Apologize.' Press play, but please try to ignore the supreme douchiness of the lead singer's repeated molestations of the camera lens (or that general vicinity).*

Thank you, and have a nice day.

*j

*Er, wait, we might still be pissed about this one.

*We mean, seriously, what is he doing?! Has he even seen someone accomplish a smoldering look? Has he ever seen a Sting or U2 video? We are frightened for him, and all that his future brings him, douchebag looks and all.

Nothing Good Comes Easily.

but what about gumballs.

*f

Sunshine & Snowflakes

"the beautiful is everywhere;
perhaps more in the arrangement
of your saucepans on the white
walls of your kitchen than in
your eighteenth-century living
room or in the official museums."

-fernand leger

(or perhaps in our case, the beautiful is a poster on jude & howe's wall),

*f

Poodles, Moppets & Pretty in Pink

art love

Meet Elloh. Elloh makes pretty ditty pictures based mostly on pop culture mavens and mavericks and some inbetween. When Elloh was little, she wanted to work for National Geographic. And although that hasn't happened, she did get to meet Mr. Rogers, and who doesn't love that little crabapple of a poodle's mother?

So here's to doing what you please,

and cheers to cubicle escapism.

Now go paint us a pretty picture, moonpies. Because a giggle a day keeps the wolves at bay...

*j

Thoreau.

simplify
simplify
simplify.

*f

Muy & Mucho Colore!

photo love, via it's nice that

We just thought the bloggg needed some color on this fine almost-Friday afternoon. Bitchin' Illinois photographer Daniel Everett fancies structured photos of man-made city structures you wouldn't normally take as art.

See, sugar loafs? We walk by loveliness every moment of the day, and we blink and it's gone.

Purty, purty...


*j

Starry Eyed Twinkle Toes

stars love

If money grew on trees (as it does at our deary friend Jennni's abode) and Santa was our homeboy, we would ask for this little laddy for Christmas this year. We would curl up with our wool socks on and our zombies mug in hand, and we would look up at our ceiling with yummy relaxation and stars in our eyes. We would count the constellations and borrow Orion's sword and we would love. every. minute.




product love


*j

Once Upon a Dreamy Booksy Dream

photo love

Over the good holiday weekend, we met friends, made friends and visited old friends. On one such fine morn (well, really afternoon since holiday days start much later and happily much slower), we strolled across the river and through the streets to our neighboring town and into our cousin's bookstore. And as we breathed in the smell of fresh espresso and heard the flipping of old books, we sighed dreamily and though, 'Ahh, we're home.'

Picture this: head to your cutesy bookish store in the early morn, kicking leaves along the way. Sip steamy cappucinos and chat with customers about your new favorite reads and your oldies but goodies. Play in-store deejay all afternoon while stocking books and ordering new prospects. Switch to some Billie on the stereo, some red vino in your hands, and welcome stray friends as you turn on the 'Closed' sign. Proceed to clean up and catch up with friends and cheap vino, then home to pet the dog and kiss the man. My, my, what a plan.

Ahh, well. We can all dream, deary moppets. And what would be your dream, if all the world and all the world's money were given to you one fine day?

*j

Haaaappy Turkey Day, Week, Party!

photo love
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We are so very thankful for so many lovely bunny spoonfuls of sugar this fine year! And many because of you deary moonpie readers! Oh my, oh yes, this year we will be thanking bunnies and parrots and the blog and you and us and turkeys and pie - lots of pie! - and cupcakes and hot dogs and new jeans and old songs and car rides and breaky with our boy and lots of love from everyone in our little lives!*


*j


*We are also thankful for exclamation points, because we heart them. !

A Tuesday Truth.

crib love

sometimes all we wanna do
is live in the tiniest yellow house
surround ourself with the
tiniest most lovely puppies
drape ourselves in jewels
no clothes
chanel no.5
eat bonbons
drink champy
little cheeseburgers
little diet cokes
strum on our little pink guitar
go drinkin' at the local bar
every night
in our red cowgirl boots and dress
dancin'
one watermelon margarita for me
one watermelon margarita for you
another for me
another for me
another for me
whoopsies tipsy!
and never get cramps again.

the end.

*f & j

YUM, With Sprinkles on Top

photo love

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Oh, oh! Deary readers, guess what. Well, you probably won't so we'll just share. We just got the sweetest of sweets package delivered right smack dab to our desk at work. Straight from Sweet Mandy B's (hurry out and try their cuppity-cakes today, pretty please), we've devoured one already and are eyeing the others. Oh, how sweet is life. We thank Oprah every deary day for our friends, our Fridays and our cupcakes.

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Send someone a note, flower, cupcake, or kiss today. Because today is what we have to work with, so make the most of it, pets. Love you dearly...

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*j

It's a Girl! Jack Johnson.

Please excuse the vid, or lack thereof. BUT, we love Colbie Caillat (daughter to Ken Caillat, record producer known for working with Fleetwood Mac). And of course we love the hit that made her fame (Bubbly). And we kinda think she is..... Jack Johnson trapped in a girl's bod. Soothing. Calming. Makes us want to curl up in our hammock on the beach. Dangle our bubble toes at the water's edge. Eat some banana pancakes. And reason that yes, another margarita would be great. Because it's always better when we're together. Tequila and us, that is.

*f

It's Like Red, But Not Quite.

*shout out to rhianna above in her bubblegum glow but it's pink that sings those lyrics below. pink, it was love at first sight and it's pink when you turn out the light. and pink gets us high as a kite. and we think everything is going to be...alright.

if god is a dj

life is dance floor

love is the rhythm

and you are the music.

*f

Dalai Lama for President '08

photo love to the magnet from Whole Foods on our refrigerator

Something to stir your thought powders up with this fine Monday morning ( Hello! Is anyone else as overjoyed as we are about this fabulous fall weather? Halloween time iz de best time!) Anywayz, we thought the following passage from Eat Pray Love was interesting. Not exactamundo what we believe to be true, but provocative nonetheless. What do you hold to be true, strangers and non-strangers? Tell us. Expand your brain powders and let's chit and chat.

"...She says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the worlds looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't, you will leak away your innate contentment. It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis is passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to it's good attainments."

*f