Go Out & Smell the Flowers!

art love, via ffffound

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Happy Friiiday, ya cheese monkeys!

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Cheerio Now, Lads & Lasses!

art love, via Oh Joy!

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Oh, those Brits, they sure as sugar have the perfect retort to every situational hazard. Right you are, Queenie, right you are! This saying fits quite nicely on our swollen brains today. Do you ever feel like it's all too much? Some days we do. Now, let's not go overboard crabcakes, we realize our life is pretty darn dandy and all, but yea, sometimes we wallow a bit. Don't we all on occasion?

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The rent's due,

a million emails to write,

an apartment to decorate,

heck, an apartment to deep-clean.

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Phone calls to return,

Magic 8-Balls to query,

movies to watch,

music to buy.

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Lists to make,

parties to plan,

presents to buy,

books to read.

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So yea, sometimes it all seems to much. But then we sigh, and breathe, and eat a cupcake. Where's that champy? And we take a deep breath, make a new list, and smile at the macaroon crumbs dotting our scarf.

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Keep calm, and carry on. Everything will be alright, moonpies.

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Cubicle Escapism 101

photo love

Two beautiful-quirky city dwellers who skipped town and cubicles to embark upon a new adventure and an promising venture: a kitschy-classy store called The Curiosity Shoppe. In need of a whittling kit? Searching for un perfecto slingshot pencil for the bus driver who failed to STOP or even slow down at your bus stop this morning? And a new pinhole camera to capture the moment? Well oh boy, we know where to send ya. And if you just need some inspiration on a Tuesday when your brain is foggy and your glass is half-empty, then head over and get your fill. Because the world is full of possibilities, and we're just waiting to see what you come up with, mon cheries. Time to get crackin'...


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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!*


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

The Fridge.

cartoon love

Are you the kind of person who walks by dumpsters, checking them out for any forgotten or buried treasures? Do you wonder why Daughtry is famous? Do you believe, to this very day, that Carmen Sandiego is still out there somewhere? Do you feel kinda guilty about that? Guilty cause your inept computer skills at the Super Sleuth level just didn't cut it. Do you ever wonder what you wouldn't do for a Klondike bar? Do you tend to make friends with those that are smart, thoughtful, drunk, and slutty? Do you ever catch yourself wondering sometimes 'I am wondering what ever happened to Sally Jessy Raphael. I wonder about that sometimes. Then I catch myself wondering about that, sometimes.'

Good. Us too. And we love that about you and us. We share that really special connection. It's just like, with some friends you don't have to talk everyday. You just get each other. And in our case- we mostly just talk and talk and talk, digitally. And you, being the good friend that you are- just listen quietly, digitally. Sending us support in a silent, yet ultra cool and uber-supportive way. We guess what we're trying to say is, you're a really great listener. You really are. Love ya like a sister or L.Y.L.A.S. We love you 'til the rain bows and the butter flies, girlfriend. Friends forever.

Anyho.

Where are we going with this?? Um, Monday fuzzy Monday. Umm...oh yeah. Well so, do you ever feel that sometimes you just go days. Minutes. Decades. Or eons (for you melodramatic folks), just feelin' like nothin' ever happens to poor little you? You sift through your day to day life like flour poured into the Sifter of Life. Sifted together with The Butter and The Sugar (The Good Times) and The Baking Soda and The Salt (The Salty Times) all to contribute to The Big Cake (Your Life)? We know! Us too. God we are like twins or something. Blood brothers, at least.

But then BOOM! You get a new refrigerator (we have named it Perry. It's so big and muscular, how could we not? It has more strength than that of 1000 fridges combined!) And like, your life totally changes for the better. Your dude actually wants to hang at your apartment now. Your friend Tom doesn't get food poisoning any more (Sorry Tom. We still feel just terrible about that). And you are like a real person now, man. You kinda wish you could do a little jig with Pinocchio, hold hands, and celebrate your realness together. You have appliances. And they are fuckin' cute as shit too.

Appliances are just the neatest thing. We just really love our new refrigerator. It can make so many things cold. It's big and white and clean. It has tons of shelves for drinks. Two huge drawers for veggies and fruits. Even a cute little like put-your-eggs-here-kind-of-egg-hole -thing. We love it so much, we might just fuggin' marry it.

Do you love appliances? Yardwork? Your washing machine? Have a household item fetish? Do you name inanimate objects kinda often/all the time? Please share.

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Ode To My Frances

Date: Saturday, Nov 10
Timeline: 12:03am

Jude: (groggy) Hello?? (Interior monologue: WTF time is it?)
Fran: Hellloooooooo! Hi, hello and howdy, little poppit you...
Jude: I'm sleepy. Are you drunky?
Fran: Poppit love monkey zombie cowgirl, whatchya whatchya doin?
Jude: I'm (pauses to yawn) sleeeeepy.
Fran: Hi, hiii, hi, hiii! Don't be sleepy, Judy. I'm so happy I could fly. Flyyy, fly, flyyyeee... I want a hot dog. Judy? Jude? Hello?? Judy-jude-jude???

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*Jude might have taken some liberties with the above dialogue in said scene. But we love Frances so, so much, our heart bursts every time we think of her and of fun phone calls during sleepy nights. So cheers to Fran and cheers to you and cheers to good nights of traipsing the city.

Tea for 2

photo love

THIS inspired us, from the divine Miss Ali

1. empty coffee cups on my desk

2. me and him

3. on my wall

4. on my arse

5. cupcakes I want to eat riiiight NOW

6. until the weekend

7. better than one (for the most part)

8. balls

9. scuffed boots on my feet

10. purses I'm currently lusting after

11. Fran & Jude.
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What's the 2 in your life?

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Wake Up, Sally

photo love via monoscope

"I, who wished to read the book of the world and the book of my own nature, did presume to despise the letters and signs. I called the world of appearances, illusion. I called my eyes and tongue, chance. Now it is over; I have awakened. I have indeed awakened and have only been born today."
-Hermann's oh so lovely Siddhartha



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Hot Diggity-Doug

photo love

We here at the Frances and Judy Show love hot dogs. 'No secret there,' you might lovingly chuckle to yourself. 'They sure do,' you may snort out loud. But any way you grill it, we heart hot dogs and we don't settle for anything less than the juiciest (unless it's 3a.m. and we're really jonesin').
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Enter Hot Doug's. This dandy Chicago establishment not only serves one helluva Chicago-Style, it also creates some of the most creative yet still utterly blissful hot dog concoctions EVER. Plus, our buddy Doug uses the freshest of fresh ingredients and smiles when he serves us. (*sigh* starry eyes hot dog love *sigh*).
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Some of the deliciously yummy-sounding specials on el menu:
1. Mexican Chorizo with Jalapeño Mayonnaise and Hanañero-Jack Cheese
2. Roasted Pepper and Garlic Chicken Sausage with Roasted Garlic Dijonnaise and Goat-Cheese Stuffed Green Olives
3. Spinach and Feta Chicken Sausage with Tapenade Aioli and Feta Cheese

Clearly we like the heavy, cheese & sauce-laden ones. But whatever blows your hair back, Doug will have it and Doug will serve it up fresh as a spring rose.

We are, indeed, smitten. And so you should as well. Hit it up, and let us know of some other fab hot diggity sources in Chicago and the wide world beyond.


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Our Hearts' Desires

Oh how, oh how, Mr. Ian artsy student, do you know our deepest depthiest desires? Well, aside from facial hair implants of course (of course!)… our elective surgeries could span the width of the wide world on some days. We like ourselves for being ourselves of course (of course!) but then again, sometimes it's nice to wishful think away the afternoon, dreaming of such and such and the other... For examples and samples,

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1. Having all books (all books!) inside our heads for reading whenever we like

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2. Having absolutely all junk foods (esp. jalapeno poppers) be healthy and nutritious, full of antioxidants and omega-all-numbers and all things good, really

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3. For coffee to actually quench our thirst instead of igniting it (in the same surgery, coffee breath would go far, far away)

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4. Every time we take a drink from a drinking fountain, our most desired drink at that moment comes shooting out of the fountain. Sometimes water, sometimes a cinnamon dolce latte and sometimes a shot of vodka lemonade (is this an elective surgery?? Perhaps the surgery would be on our finger and not the fountain. We're still working this one out, but it will happen. It WILL.)

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5. For all elective surgeries to be covered by insurance and, hence, divinely free

Now, darlings, what are yours? Do tell, do tell...

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Thought #546 For Your Monday: Girly Inspiration

When you're alone and life is making you lonely (read aloud in head in sing-songy voice to the tune of "Downtown." Trust us dearies, it makes it sooo much more delightful) and you're feeling stuck to the creaky plastic seat in your office cubicle, ponder this:

Gurej, a rockin' new chick-run company. Gurej is the creation of Heather and Margo Harrison, two fabulous sistas from Houston, TX who love traveling the world in search of unique fashions. Their latest venture, Gurej, will feature everything from chic, hard to find staple garments, to unique pieces never before seen.

They're talented. They're smart. They're cute. And they have escaped life in cubicleville. Hellooo creative thinking. Get it dears.


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A Wrinkle a Day...

photo love

Every now and then (or minute or two) we need some happy-dappy-doo-wop inspiration action. And every now and then we come across just the thing that makes our eyes sparkle and our mouths water. So check it loves: Ray Ann, our new bloggette fave. Because nobody has yet summed up our weekends better than our girl Ray:

"Just got out of the shower and into clean clothes. Tried my best to scrub off the stank that came from a night in Chicago filled with too much booze, too many cigs, and an a.m. walk of shame in four inch heels. Smeared on massive amounts of extra strength age-fighting moisturizer...another night that aged me faster than nature planned. OOOhhh...that's gonna to leave a wrinkle."

-Ray Ann

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Girls singing on the bus, fellas kicking up a fuss.

Dear Jamie T,

We are sorry we missed you last night at Schuba's. Ever since our Crazy Cousin Kate (Check her out, she is the Hot Reebok model who 'thinks on her feet.' How gorgeous is she? Yeah, that's right we're blood) introduced us to your music, we have been hooked.

You sound like a hippy hipstery, edgier, cooler beat-prone Jason Mraz produced by Scott Storch or Timbaland or something. Except you're British, only 21, full of anxiety (hence the album title 'Panic Prevention') and even have defeated Thom Yorke for a 'Best Solo Artist' award. Insane, man. We blow you air kisses. Sorry our breath smells of chicken noodle soup though.

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It's Music.

In second grade, Joey D kissed us on the playground during middle recess. We said 'Gross!' and 'You have cooties!!' But, we were thrilled. Then we broke up with him a week later for Nathen S, The New Kid. By third grade we were into the fourth grade flag football players (in the winter) and the sixth grade basketball team (by the spring). We passed them love notes and strutted around conviently close to the football field and/or school gym in our white and gold Paris Sport Club sweatshirt. Peach, turquoise, and purple B.U.M. Equipment ensembles. And Esprit t-shirts with multicolored stretchy pants.

Long story short, our heart has not ached or breaked for long. Which is why we totally get Kyle Ervin's line 'It's music I can't get over' line in 'I lie'. Music is what we have never gotten over. Never been sick of, never broken up with. Never been hurt by, and never been disappointed in. And we think Mr. Ervin must understand this. Err, at least that is what we reason in our daydreamy head.

We don't know logistical things. Like what played or paired with what makes music sound like whaaaaaaaat. But we do know when we like what we hear. And we have now been listening to Kyle since we were underage drinking in Kansas. His melodic and captivating voice is mesmerizing. We like the range and truth we hear in his voice.

Our dad has always said that you can read truth and honesty just by observing someone's eyes and gestures when speaking with them. We think that's pretty accurate. And we think the same thing about what we hear. If you can hear something that sounds like raw emotion, it probably is. And that is a very powerful, compelling thing. Check out Kyle, and keep it on repeat. He will hook, line, and sinker you.

Hop aboard matey! Ahoy.


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It's Friday night and we're Feelin' Alrightttt...

Feel alright with a little vintage Joe Cocker action this fine Friday hour. Whoa. We just turned into a lite classic rock radio dj. Whatever. Turn it up man, jam a little bit. Ya hurrrd! Get down. Go out. Dance and shout.

We are peacin' out and heading to a Hot Dog Party, hosted by yours truly.

Tidings of Joy onto you and Mr. Cocker in those lovely 1989 pleated gray pants!
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snowglobes and monsters.

we love our friends jude and howe so much
we wanna put 'em in a snow globe shake 'em up
and keep 'em in our pocket.

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PYT

Yo playas. Get your groove thing on and have a fabulous holiday weekend, all you muthaeffen pyts. We are outta here to beach it. booze it. dance it. live it up. Get down with your bad selves.

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Love you, no shit.

photo love: Sheldonde!


Happy Friday y'all!

*thanks to Lib & Mary for our new fav shout out.
**and thanks to the lovely worker bees at Sheldonde! for spraypainting stencils (like this one) onto clothing from Goodwill. Give 'em $10 and they'll spray a design and mail it to you. We really love dig their haute economical sensibility. No shit.
***and since we are feeling awfully thankful today, thank you to the inventor of the oatmeal cream pie.

Strawberries Are Made of Love

Hip hop hooray. Ho. Hey. Ho. We love Louis Buchetto's colorful art and philosophy on life. This artful dad owns a hip little joint in Flagstaff, Arizona His co-creator and muse is his 6-year-old daughter, Tirza. This amazing duo gives away equal to 90% of their yearly income...by choice. Hello! Makes us feel like we could manage to skip a few mani/pedi appointments and redistribute a little! His gallery is nestled into the precious hippie village of downtown Flag (we also recommend their annual beerfest, but that's a whole nother story). Louis and Tirza, you are so beautiful.

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Art To Color Up Your Life

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Oh darlings... We have the perfect treat to cap off your Friday-day. Step inside our girl Jill Dryer's mind, and see some art worth rockin' out to. Jill's pieces make us want to dance all night to funky beats and build houses in the woods with no walls... come on in, and let's play in her world...














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