Les Merles

Etsy Update: Black and White

2010-03-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

Etsy Update: Leather and Suede until I die.

2009-12-29T15:40:00.001-08:00

http://charlievintage.etsy.com

Yay yay yay!

Franny

Mesh Mesh Mesh, Fur Fur Fur, Studs Studs Studs

2009-09-11T19:32:00.001-07:00

painted fox fur coat by revillon
tulle shift dress w/ velvet trim by christopher kane
stud toe ankle by topshop
pink python clutch w/ crystal bow by chloe
pet octopus ring by pet octopus

I want to focus on the fur coat and the tulle dress. I've been on a hunt for the perfect fur coat for the longest time. I found a great leopard fur coat at a thrift store today, but if the world were a perfect place, I would be able to afford this Revillon and I would probably live somewhere colder, too. I would also be able to afford every piece ever designed by Christopher Kane. He is the master in progressiveness and he definitely makes you feel motivated. I can not wait for his Topshop line to go on sale on Sept. 18. If you haven't gotten the chance to preview it, you best do so here. I am in love with the studded mesh leggings and the one-shoulder dress. All things mesh and studded make me happy.

x,

Franny

I travel a lot. This time I went to Canada.

2009-08-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

And so it goes:

Niagara Falls

Our funny blue ponchos: grandma and mom

Celebrating sister's bday w/ a moose head

Amazing steamed dumplings at Mother's Dumplings in Toronto's Chinatown

Green onion pancake!

Boiled pork and chive dumplings.

Kid portrait artist on Kensington. He drew like a little kid. It made it more endearing.

Homeless stuffed cat. Sad. :(

Amazing amazing amazing art gallery in Montreal.

Mommy outside of Yves Laroche.

Love this photo of naked mannis. Have a couple more on the Flickr.

Part of Parliament in Ottawa.

Lobster Bisque at Aux Anciens Canadiens in Quebec City. No I did not eat this... I don't eat lobsters!

Golden shot of an Asian tourist doing his best Asian tourist pose.

Poutine! We need one here in Austin! I hereby announce that any food stand in Austin that starts selling poutine has stolen my idea. Because I thought of it! It's the only thing that's left! Besides dim sum and dumplings. Oh wait, those are my ideas too. He he.

My collection of candy bars. This is a tradition for me when I go to Canada ... especially Aero, my favorite.

Grandma eating a hot dog ha ha. So cute... her feet can barely touch the ground.

Also, I have started a new blog called The Nom Nom ... nothing's on it now, but I will tell you more as it develops. Can you guess what it's about? ... I will be transferring my food posts to that blog and from here on, all my food posts will be on that. :)

x,

Franny

Gumbo's

2009-08-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

So my new internship comes with certain perks, including going to these fun food blogger events such as this one hosted by Gumbo's.

This martini that I can't remember the name of was way too strong for my taste. In addition, the sugar encrusted rim was distracting and annoying. I think this is a good example of presentation overkill.

This crab cake was great! The sauce reminded me of the spicy mayo that many sushi places use. I'm wondering if it is the same thing ... generally, they use Japanese mayo mixed with Sriracha. It looked and tasted the same. I thought it was great with the crab cake.

I generally don't like mussels or oysters but this was really good. The oyster was barely noticeable, which is the way I like it.

It seemed that the grand consensus on this dish was the excellence of the sauce. It was excellent, haha. The redfish itself was rather bland and forgettable. Not to mention, I just feel like blackened foods is probably the worst thing you can do to food (sorry, I'm at a Cajun restaurant... obviously this should be expected, but whatever)... why would you want to slightly burn food? I would only do that to a smore.

This slice of steak was really good, except for the fact that I only had a fork that couldn't cut this large slice of meat... so I had to stuff it in my mouth and look like a complete pig in front of a bunch of other elite foodists ... great for them, bad for me!

Great bread pudding, but how can you really make bad bread pudding. I mean, if you make bread pudding and keep it warm and put some ice cream on top, I think anyone will like it unless they're retarded.

Those are my thoughts. If you want Cajun, definitely go check this place out because I'm not sure where else to go in Austin! I've heard of the opening of Shuck Shack on E. Cesar Chavez, but have yet to hear much else about it! I'm excited to try it out when I get back from maple leaf land.

x,

Franny

Boots, Studs, and Denim on the Etsy

2009-08-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

More updates to the Etsy: charlievintage.etsy.com.
Does anyone want to help be my model or help me take pictures? I'm really bad with self-timer. Meh.

x,

Franny

We Fuse is Le Fresh!

2009-08-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

I went with my friend Karinne to WeFuse last Friday before going to the Drafthouse to catch Julie & Julia, which was adorable by the way ... and we caught them before they closed! Turns out Jon, the owner, is Karinne's friend and he treated us to some pleasingly fresh dishes. I forget how good fresh fruit and veggies are. Why?!

Karinne ordered this Pear, Walnut, and Blue Cheese salad ... I had a few nibbles and wow. First of all, all the salad is definitely a bang for your buck. Second of all, the pairing of all the flavors topped with balsalmic vinaigrette (probably my favorite salad dressing) was awesome. I don't think of salads as healthy options. I think of them as real deal meals cuz they are darn good!

I ordered the Tuna Tataki with Avocado, Cucumber, and Seaweed Salad. Wow! Do you see that red sliver of sauce? Yeah, that's right ... it's Sriracha. And as all humans should know, Sriracha is an ingredient that should be integrated into everyone's diet. Why? Because it makes everything taste that much better, seriously. But anyway, the seaweed salad was just right. The cucumbers added a nice crunch to the softness of the fresh tuna. And the avocado was a nice textural balance as well ... kind of like sushi without the rice and seaweed paper ... and much bigger. Ha.

And finally, a non grape sangria! It's watermelon grapefruit sangria! Yeah, dude. This is gold. I think they make different fresh fruit juices/sangrias/concoctions every now and then ... and I'm not sure if they are on the menu or if they are free or if they are just ... secret? But yeah, definitely ask and see if they have this when you go!

Anyway, We Fuse is open generally for lunch. He said it gets packed in there, so I'd go early and snag a seat as the place isn't that big. It's located downtown at 2nd and Brazos. Get it.

--

PLEASE listen to this. It's amazing. This band is.
King Tuff - Sun Medallion

x,

Franny

Update to the Etsy page

2009-08-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

Hello world ... the Etsy page is being updated:

Here are some items ...

You can visit the store here: charlievintage.etsy.com

More to come in the near future (when i have another day off...): lace-up booties, fur vests, denim jackets, floral dresses

Yay!

x,

Franny

Where is the spiciest salsa in Austin?

2009-08-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

The English translation for this dim sum dish doesn't sound very appetizing (turnip cake).
But it is the best! This one is from Get Sum Dim Sum on N. Lamar.

Tacos Selene on 7th & Chicon has THE spiciest salsa. it is the green creamy salsa.
Tacodeli has nothing on this salsa... nothing. Not to mention, this place is extra close to all those
hip new bars on the East side, especially Liberty. It's open until like 3 am and it is amazing. Love. Cash only, obviously.

Thinking of putting my cat on the South Beach Diet.

I get bored when I go home to Plano. This is my old room I had in high school. Yeah, wow. But I am in LOVE with these amazing Samantha Pleet shorts I got from Buy Definition. They are amazing. And the creme crop top is also my favorite new article of clothing from AA.

Pretty flowers, yay. :)

x,

Franny

(this blog is slowly dying from no love ... sorry. maybe i'll fix that situation soon.)

Snuggie for Fashion Week?

2009-07-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Never looked better.

Hehehe.

x,

Franny

Inseparable

2009-07-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

x,

Franny

Evil Twin

2009-07-09T00:22:00.001-07:00

How AMAZING is this line? This is just a peak, but according to Evil Twin's creator ... this Aussie line will be available for online purchase in the fall. And supposedly nothing costs more than $160 if converted to USD. Oh the insanity!

x,

Franny

Some overexposed holgas ...

2009-07-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Holga's are hard to control ... i've got to learn how to handle the Texas sun in order to not overexpose every picture. I guess that's why people love and hate these cameras, because you never know how the picture will turn out. I especially like the one of my wet hair and the one of my cat. It looks like his head is coming out of his mouth.

x,

franny

Blast from the Past: Hairbows

2009-06-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

I found some amazing hairbows this weekend that I'm sticking in my etsy store I just started, named after my kitty. If you would like to partake in this project with me, let me know! And by this project, I mean shopping for jewels like such:

x,

Franny

Frozen Bananas and Kitties

2009-06-25T23:55:00.001-07:00

All this rage about frozen bananas plus the 105 degree Texas weather inspired Kathryn and I to make our own fro-nanas.

Dip it in the chocolate...

Sprinkle on the toppings...

Kathryn's frozen banana

My frozen banana. Looks like a pee pee hehe.

Charlie.

x,

Franny

San Francisco in a Nutshell

2009-06-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

After having woken up at 4 am on Friday to catch our flight, we treated ourselves to an excellent brunch at Brenda's French Soul Food while we waited to check in at our hotel. I pretty much found all the restaurants we planned to eat at through Yelp, which is based in San Francisco. I think working for Yelp would be an ideal job for me ... hm ... I can see it now.

Anyway, Brenda's is supposed to be famous for their hearty breakfasts, especially their grits. But to be honest, what swept me off my feet was the biscuit! It was so fluffy/flaky/buttery/crumblinginyourfingers/meltinginyourmouth ... perfection of a biscuit. We were very pleased. :)

We decided to be touristy and go to Fisherman's Wharf ... which was actually kind of fun.

Anyone who knows me well knows I have a fascination with pigeons/seagulls/dead birds.

Mmm, fresh calamari.

Sea lions. So strange.

Then we head up to the Marina District ... pass through the Exploratorium and Crissy Park (what is that place?) ... and then hike up to Golden Gate Bridge ... on Kris's request. I was merely his slave. I probably burned more calories that day than I ate ...

Cold water!!

Still so far to go ...

The night ended with dinner at Sushi Zone in the Castro... it supposedly has the best sushi in SF and it's all reasonably priced. $5.50 for most rolls? Yes? And we saw Thao Nguyen there! We waited more than 2 hours but it was worth it. I recommended the Hawaiian Roll. Who knew macadamia nuts could taste so good on sushi?

Chinatown on Saturday after eating a decent lunch at R&G Chinese Restaurant and getting some BBQ Pork buns and Chinese style rice krispies. Yummy.

On the trolley down to Union Square for some shopping.

Dinner at Little Star in the Mission. Supposedly the best thin crust pizza? Seemed like most people were getting deep dish though. I think pizza in Austin is better. Buscemi @ Eastside Pies. Yes. And Conan's. Yes.

On the way to do some thrifting and eat lunch at Taqueria Can-Cun we see Frances Hotel! Yay. Then we head over to do some more shopping in the Haight Ashbury area ... no pictures oops. And then we got some excellent shabu with my cousins at Mr. Shabu ... which was mmm.

Vacation over.

Boo.

x,

Franny

SFSFSFSF

2009-06-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Expect major photo bloggage next week. I just developed a roll from my Holga today and then this weekend will provide even more stuff.

Woo!

x,

Franny

Tamale House: Recession Migas

2009-06-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

After reading reviews on this joint via Yelp, I had to go check it out with my friend Kathryn. Someone described them as having the best migas in town ... and I had to go see for myself. Besides that, they have super super super super cheap breakfast tacos. I mean $.85 a taco. And they get them out fast.

So alas, my migas...

I call them Recession Migas because they came with 3 tortillas, and after making 3 migas tacos out of that, my plate still looked like the above pictures. I barely made a dent and I was stuffed. At first they weren't my favorite because they were a little soupy ... and I like my migas drier. I also prefer black beans to refried beans ... but those were still good. And the potatoes were nice and peppery. But after eating them as leftovers, I decided they tasted a lot better than I remembered ... not that they ever tasted bad. Maybe I was just hungrier? Or maybe it was just too hot outside? Or maybe I was just too shocked by the gargantuous amount of migas handed to me the first time around. Anyway, they are recommended. Still not my favorite ... but a great cheap filling brunch for sure.

To make the experience sweeter, this guy came up and gave Kathryn a cupcake ... thanking her for her beauty, hahaha. This wasn't a cupcake he made himself, don't worry. Tamale House sells homemade cupcakes as well, ha.

Where should I go get migas next?!

x,

Franny

Mamboberry: SoCo's foodstand cure for heatstroke

2009-06-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Austin has been swept with froyo... forget TCBY on MLK ... who goes there anymore? That is fake froyo. I'm talking about real froyo like Yogurt Planet and newly opened Swirll on The Drag. But you know what has been around the longest? None other than Mamboberry! I first caught wind of this place from my coworker at Sweet Leaf last semester while I was interning there ... but never got the chance to check the place out. Now that they've permanently planted themselves on South Congress next to the other foodstands such as Hey Cupcake! and The Mighty Cone and it's goddamn hot outside ... I decided to give them a try.

our Mamboberrys ... I got green tea w/ cap'n crunch, blueberries, and chocolate chips. She got tart w/ cap'n crunch and strawberries.

the Mamboberry menu ... they have tamales too?! yep. And if their no egg tofu salad sandwich is the same as Jo's, I can vouch for its goodness.

Do you see that ungodly amount of toppings? Do you want to know why? It's because if you mentioned their twitter, you got unlimited toppings. yes!

Follow them @mamboberry and get amazing deals such as free toppings, $1 off, combo deals

I'm definitely going to be going to this place a ton more now that I work down there almost everyday during the week ... score. I heart you Mamboberry!

x,

Franny

Tacodeli

2009-06-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

mmm, good saturday.

but is tacodeli better than torchy's? i'll have to try it again to make a real decision.

x,

franny

Rainbow Arabia = Summer

2009-06-04T18:41:00.001-07:00

courtesy of rcrdlbl

I am loving this band and these songs ... it is what summer should sound like.

mp3: Rainbow Arabia - Holiday in Congo
mp3: Rainbow Arabia - I know I see I love I go

---

what a great fire hydrant?

x,

franny

On the road again

2009-06-01T22:07:00.001-07:00

I accompanied Charlene on the road to LA this past weekend because she needed someone to drive with her there to move-in before her amazing internship with TOMS (yay!). I snapped a few pictures along the way ... nothing too special. I wish I could have gotten closer to those windmills... and I really wanted a badass picture of a cactus, but every time I saw a good one we drove by it too fast and it was gone. Sigh! I read today in Elle magazine on the plane about families who live in "food deserts" ... and that is exactly what the roadtrip was. Low income families ... such as those who live in these ghost towns along I-10 ... can't afford to buy healthier food ... especially since there really is nothing else there besides KFC and Taco Bell. What is one to do!? Plant your own garden in the desert?

In regard to locally produced food, I got some yummy pesto at the farmers market in LA ... it's called Goober Pesto and it's good and spicy. I made spicy chicken pesto pasta tonight and it was so yum. Much better than KFC. And if anyone knows, I hate Taco Bell. Taco Bueno is more bueno, duh.

Anyway, first day of my internship with the Statesman tomorrow! Wee!

More pictures on the flickr.

x,

Franny

L to the AAAAA

2009-05-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

2 trips to Cali in one month.

---

i also caught Rudo y Cursi with Kathryn @ the luxurious Dobie. The whole storyline of brothers being brothers but also vying to be better than the other ... made me wonder if Carlos Cuaron had any awkward tension with his brother, Alfonso Cuaron, as his producer ... anyway you should go see it. Diego and Gael. muy sabroso. I think Diego was cuter in this movie. Just sayin'.

Lastly, I must have this!!!! I've had my little "jitterbug" for years now ... as Elliott calls our dinky phones. And it's about time Sprint gets a nice phone ... much less a phone that's supposedly the most hyped phone of 2009 and better than all other phones ... All I care about really is the fact that it is cute and it looks like an egg and I want to pet it ... ha. Palm Pre, I want you. :(

x,

Franny

Detouring America With Horns

2009-05-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

flamingos // charlie high on catnip // seoul garden soup dumplings, kalbi, korean pancake // le mixmaster // sensual pool at hotel saint cecilia // fishtank at el gallo

x,

franny

See By Chloe Zip Front Black Dress

2009-05-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

So I am selling this because it's too big. Oh well! It's my first Ebay posting. Hopefully, there'll be more to come... Haha.

Here are some pictures if you're interested:

The ebay listing is here if you are interested. Or you can e-mail me with a good offer. :)

The item is new with tags, size 6, and awesome.

x,

Franny

What a steal: Vintage Bottega Veneta Booties

2009-05-21T13:41:00.001-07:00

Vintage Bottega Veneta fur-lined booties. A great find at Dallas's (normally overpriced and relatively shitty with this exception) Buffalo Exchange on Lower Greenville. To sell or not to sell?

x,

Franny

Oh Hai.

2009-05-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry I am so MIA... I'm currently on hiatus in Dallas where all you can do is read a book or spend money... fuck!

Anyway some things for you to look forward to:

I intend to redo this blog. It looks like poopoo. I'm just too lazy. Will someone teach me HTML? I only know how to bold things. And put in images. Hehe.
Pictures of my new finds ... See by Chloe, some amazing sample AA pleated shorts omg, and mommy's closet. And I am pretty sure I'm not keeping all of this shit so I'm either going to sell it on here, shoesandyourmom, or I'm going to start my own Ebay store ... sigh. Keep your eye out?
I'm going to make risotto next week ... I'll probably blog about that ... seeing how all I blog about is food, shoes, and Lost. hm.

lol! so true.

franny

Who is John Locke?

2009-05-14T10:21:00.001-07:00

As always, Paste has a funny review about last night's LOST episode.

Here are some of my questions:
1. Who is John Locke? Is someone possessing him? Is he dead? Can he be dead and alive at the same time?
2. What time period was the beginning of the episode with Jacob and his friend? They were dressed ... hinting to ancient times with the roped belts and linen tunics ... not to mention a complete insane statue, not just a foot ... and the boat had actual sails like the fucking Mayflower.
3. Is Juliet dead?
4. What language was Richard speaking when he answered "what lies in the shadow of the statue?"
5. The book that Jacob was reading: Everything that Rises must Converge by Flannery O'Connor ... right when Locke fell. What does that mean?! Time must converge? Or Locke's risen body must converge with someone elses? So he is still Locke but he's also someone else?

ah!

x,

Franny

Balmain and the Beatles

2009-05-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

If someone can find a good imitation version of this jacket or afford to buy me the real deal ... LET ME KNOW. I must have it!

x,

Franny

Goodbye People I Never Knew

2009-05-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

In light of the new twitter setting, now you can't see your friend's replies to their friends of whom you aren't friends with but have always dreamed about being friends with...

Hahaha. Read more here.

Someone should make a website of funny tweets... just sayin'.

Franny

If You're Going To...

2009-05-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

x,

Franny

All I Do Is Eat.

2009-05-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

MAKE ME STOP!

Jalapeno Cornbread at Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill

Pecan Crusted Catfish with a side of Baked Macaroni and Steamed Vegetables

Vegan Sandwich with Spicy Chipotle Sauce at Cafe Mundi

Love Migas at Magnolia Cafe (maybe my favorite migas so far!)

Not only is money tight now, but so are my pants.

Hehe.

x,

Franny

PSHS Band Student vs. Swine Flu!

2009-05-05T08:39:00.001-07:00

This is kind of amazing. What do you think? I found it through one of my old teachers on facebook.

Letter from a Plano Senior High School Band Student
Friday, May 1, 2009 at 6:36pm

Dear Dr. Otto,

Today, at 3:45 PM, approximately 21 hours before I was to leave for Corpus Christi on a band trip that had quite literally been planned since the beginning of the school year, I was informed that the trip was cancelled, due to concerns over swine flu. I do not know if that decision came directly from you, or from someone in your office, but as you are the superintendent, I thought writing to you would be appropriate.
Shame on you, sir. Shame on you for succumbing to the scare tactics that the media has used for years and years. This swine flu is just the newest mutation of the flu virus, a mutation that occurs every single year. A quick chat with any of the AP biology students in your district could have told you that a mutation in the flu virus is a normal occurrence, natural and expected. A talk to one of the history students in your district might have revealed to you that this same frenzy over superflu, or avian flu, or SARS, has become almost a yearly occurrence. Had you asked one of the AP statistics students in your district, you might have learned that with 26 cases in the state of Texas as of 4:54 PM today (April 30, 2009), a state with a population of 24,326,974, according to the US Census Bureau, the chances of any one person getting swine flu is 4.1106 x 10^-8. Or, if you like, a .0000041106% chance. If you apply that to the band trip, a trip which would have encompassed 170 people from Plano, and let us say...500 outside people? I think that's a rather liberal estimate for a trip in which we would have been sequestered in a condo resort and beach all weekend. But if we assume those estimates are reasonable, the chance of someone catching swine flu in that group jumps to .000027541, or .0027541%. The odds of dying in a car crash in 2006 was .0001538, or .01538%. If we apply those odds to 670 people, we realize that the odds of someone dying in a car crash on the band trip are .0876, or 8.76%. I don't recall you or your office banning cars or driving to school in 2006. The chances of dying while crossing the street are 1 in 48500, or .0000206. Applied to the whole band trip, that would be .003502, or .3502% chance that someone would be killed crossing the street while on the band trip.
Odds are, you did not bother to read that math, or at the very least, your eyes glazed over. I don't blame you, it was rather dry. Suffice it to say, you cancelled the band trip, a trip into which thousands of dollars had been sunk, hours of planning had gone, and a trip for which most of the band looked forward to all year--based on the chance of something happening that was more unlikely than someone being killed while crossing the street. I notice that you do not implement crossing guards at PSHS. I would have thought that would be a better, more cost-efficient, and less inconvenient option to reduce risk to the students of PISD.
I would also like to point out that no Americans have died of swine flu. The large number of deaths in Mexico can be attributed to Mexico's inferior health care system, and the one death that did occur within the US borders was the death of a 23 month old toddler (who, by virtue of his age, was already at a greatly increased risk from most disease), a toddler who was vacationing from Mexico, and who had flu-like symptoms before he and his parents left to vacation in Houston.
I also must take exception with Deputy Superintendent Jeff Bailey's letter regarding school trip cancellations. Why is it that swine flu is so serious that trips in and out of the district must be cancelled, yet gatherings of students not transported by district buses, such as "Banquets for student organizations that are held on and off campus," are allowed? Is it the actual school buses that are causing the swine flu? I do not understand why this distinction has been drawn. In addition, if this flu is so very dangerous that we simply cannot allow students to travel and come into contact with other people, why are the schools open at all? You have no control over the people the students come into contact with over the weekends, or outside of school, yet you allow every student to mingle with every other student, bringing in who knows what toxins to the school with them. It seems that if this behavior is acceptable, then going on a band trip should also be acceptable.

I also question your decision to close Wilson Middle School yet allow every other school to remain open. My sister has been attending a drum major clinic after school this week. At this clinic, she came into contact with students from several area schools, two of whom have siblings at Wilson. If swine flu is so virulent as to cause you to worry enough to cancel the band trip, it seems like it would very easily spread from someone who was exposed at Wilson, up to their siblings, and from there to me at PSHS. And that is in just one household! Imagine how many hundreds of such connections exist between people with siblings or friends at Wilson whom they see frequently, even daily! It seems that if you truly thought swine flu was so dangerous, the only policy that would truly address that threat would be to close down every school in the district and quarantine each student in their own homes, as every single school has been exposed, to one degree or another, to the possibility of swine flu, and every school is a breeding ground for sickness. Think of all the thousands of students coming into close contact, being sneezed on, coughed on, and otherwise exposed to the possibility of contagion every single day. If swine flu is truly as virulent as your actions seem to indicate, it is almost unconscionable for you to allow the schools to remain open.

Shame on you for not using logic, for not thinking critically, and for not learning any lessons from past years. It really is sad that you decided to cancel the band trip, and any other field trips, but what is sadder is the fact that you apparently have not learned any of the lessons you seek to impart on the students in your own district.

- Ben Barishman
Plano Senior High School 12th grade

x,

Franny

Lifesize Uglydoll / Pillow / Happiness

2009-05-04T22:45:00.000-07:00

Those who know me well enough know that I have quite the obsession with Uglydolls. I've wanted a life-size one for quite some time now. The biggest I've got is probably the size of my pillow. They're expensive! These life-size ones go for almost $1,000. Sigh. Apparently they sell out extremely fast though. I remember going to a specialty store in Plano and the next ones were already on hold. Who is buying these and if you read this, will you buy one for me? I think I would probably be close to the happiest Franny in the world... God I don't even know what I would do. Maybe it would be like Lars and the Real Girl, except it'd be Franny and the real Ugly. Sigh! If you don't know these cute babies, you should get to know them. I know they are sold at Toy Joy (who used to have life-size ones but I guess someone bought them). And no, I don't know who that Asian girl is in the picture. It's not me. I wish it was!

LE SIGH.

Also, the ACL Line-up for Friday, October 2 (coincidentally my birthday) is probably my favorite out of the 3 days. Probably a more affordable birthday present than a life-size Uglydoll ... just sayin'.

mp3: Cats on Fire - Higher Grounds

x,

Franny

Sampaio and Heath Bar goodness

2009-05-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

I went to Sampaio on Friday for my friend Angela's birthday. It's a Brazilian restaurant next to Blue Star Cafeteria up on Burnet and 45th. I really like the area. They have some good vintage shops up there and restaurants like Hey Cupcake! and Omelettry. I got my tattoo done up there too and scored a $10 vintage Polaroid camera, so woohoo.

Anyway, what did I think about it? The waiter was definitely very attentive. I thought caiprinha I ordered tasted like a non-frozen margarita. And the frozen ones tasted like margaritas. I'm confused what the difference is? They were pretty good though nonetheless.

I ordered the Sesame Crusted Salmon, which was sitting in a spicy coconut tomato broth that was amazing. It reminded me a lot of thai curry, haha. I got my good fill of curry this week anyway at Clay Pit yesterday. I've decided tikka masala could probably be my last meal on earth. Anywho, Angela's pork tenderloin in a spicy cherry sauce was pretty damn good too. It came with some risotto that was the special for that day which wasn't very good... atleast not as good as FINO's.

Sesame Crusted Salmon

Then me, Jen, and Kathryn made a cake for Angela.. which consisted of two layers of yellow cake... chocolate Kahlua frosting and crumbled Heath bar on top. It was pretty satisfying to the taste buds and unsatisfying to the thighs, which i guess means it was good!

mmm

angela sneaking a drink

bonus picture!!! kitty love.

x,

franny

Stylish Swine Flu Masks. YES!!

2009-05-01T00:16:00.001-07:00

Yoriko Yoshida has provided us with these, so you won't have to worry about trying to not catch germs and look ugly.

I might just wear these instead of my real face from now on.

x,

Franny

Peep Show!

2009-04-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

thanks to my sister for sharing this with me.
now the real question is, did she set this all up? or did she just find it online.
i have a feeling she set this up, which makes it 1000x better.
** update: damn, my sister didn't do this haha. WHATEVER i just made chocolate chip cookies. peep that!

i hope this distracted you from whatever you were trying to be distracted from.
in my case, it's reading my ginormous business law textbook. yahoo!

don't forget, Moschino Cheap & Chic sample sale on Ruelala tomorrow at 10 am!
can't miss it. ahh!

x,

franny

Bennu is the new Epoch

2009-04-29T22:47:00.001-07:00

Why?

1. They don't play obnoxious music. As much as I love Epoch, there is always the chance that some crazy gypsy music or a soundtrack from a musical will be blasting to the point of where you can't concentrate and your ipod headphones will not suffice. Granted, I love musicals and bands that I love to sing along to like Queen and whatever, but when I need to get things done ... man I can't focus! Bennu was playing some good jams, and it wasn't all sleepy music shit either, so no worries.

2. They have more drink choices and special coffee drinks. I always either order an iced coffee (or iced mojo from Epoch) or a regular coffee, but from the looks of what other people got, their mochas seem pretty intense.

3. They have yummier cookies.

This chocolate one was delish. I had a peanut butter one at Epoch the other day and was very unsatisfied. It was hard and crusty. Those 2 words should only be used for a crab.

4. Their couches don't sink to where you can feel the springs underneath your butt. And they have more than 2 couches.

5. They have plenty of outlets everywhere. So you don't have to worry about stretching your cord to one and tripping everyone.

The only bad thing was the internet was cutting out a lot, but I figure that's because they just opened and are getting things settled. I'm sure, since internet is probably the single most important thing in keeping customers there, they'll fix that asap. Otherwise, it was pretty packed for having opened so recently! It's a bit smaller than Epoch, so the seating is more limited, but I gather you can find a place to squeeze yourself in.

Oh and their bathrooms have chalkboards in them. How interactive, haha. I guess you can think about what you want to contribute while you pee.

Be sure to check out this 24-hour coffeeshop goodness on E. MLK. It's right after the light at Poquito on your right.

---

*** So update from the owner of Bennu (how exciting!). She told me that by Friday/Saturday there should be a second network for users to log into which should help out the internet situation immensely. And they're getting more tables, chairs, and bar stools to accommodate more seating. Yay. I think I'm actually about to go there right now to study for Business Law, so whoop whoop.

x,

Franny

CRUGGS. the end is near.

2009-04-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

O M G
should i jump off a building now?

x,

franny

Rudo y Cursi

2009-04-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

A movie I am very excited about ... 2 of my favorite actors. :) I once had a dream that me, Diego, and Gael went to a circus and hung out. Hahhaha! I can't wait. And the soundtrack looks good too. Black Lips singing in spanish and Devendra Banhart, to name a few!

x,

Franny

what i eat everyday

2009-04-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

+
+
+
+
+
=

x,

franny

I Have It.

2009-04-26T22:46:00.000-07:00

I am feeling lonely.

Yo La Tengo - Superstar-Watcher
Yo La Tengo - Nowhere Near
Yo La Tengo - Little Eyes
Yo La Tengo - I Feel Like Going Home

x,

Franny

CHIA Obama

2009-04-24T15:21:00.001-07:00

I was JUST talking about chias yesterday with Karinne!!! She just may have a present coming for her soon, since this one is way too good to pass up!!

"Can you grow one? Yes you can!" Get yours here!

x,

Franny

Counter Cafe & Art City Austin

2009-04-23T21:16:00.001-07:00

I vowed not to eat out this week, but obviously I couldn't do it. Why is it so hard? I have been making some bomb stir-fry though. I have been so obsessed with Sriracha lately, that I've simply just fallen into a black hole of spicy sauces. I don't even know how to eat non-spicy anymore! Well, that's not true. But I do have my fair share of chili oil and now Zen's Spicy Sauce (thanks Karinne) to play around with ... sigh.

But anyway, I ate at Counter Cafe today with Karinne and had myself a non-spicy amazing vegetarian sandwich. No, I'm not vegetarian. It just tastes good sometimes. I like to pretend I am one sometimes so people will think I'm trendy. No, I'm kidding. You can still be cool and eat chicken, friends. Just don't eat lobsters!! Like the one below. This was tied to someone's bike basket outside of the cafe. How sad!

Sad lobster.

We also went over to Emerald's afterward since it's right nextdoor. When did their shoe collection get so shitty? I mean, it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't anything spectacular. They used to have such great brands. Where did my beloved Jeffrey Campbell go? Boohoo.

Lastly, I will be working this event all weekend. Come and check it out and pay me a visit. Yay!

Beck - Chemtrails

x,

Franny

Flower Power

2009-04-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

cheers to a winner i found at feathers the other day.

also in other fashion news, American Apparel's new model slideshows feature American Apparel sheets! (?!?!) i really hope they hit stores soon. my body would be so happy.

x,

franny

The Hustle for Mayor

2009-04-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

Cool happenings at Mohawk tomorrow.

I'm interested in this "rhyme-off" ... and what it entails.

If anyone wants to go with me, give me a call or a tweet. Haha.

x,

Franny

Raspberry Cupcakes

2009-04-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

I felt like inventing my own cupcake last night before watching Free Willy with Karinne, so this is what I came up with. The result was super tasty ... Maybe I can sell my idea to Hey Cupcake!

Makes 12 cupcakes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
about 3/4 - 1 cup of flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp milk
1 jar of raspberry preservatives or jam
buttercream frosting from any brand

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put cupcake cases in muffin pans.
Put the butter, sugar, & vanilla extract in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add eggs, flour, baking soda, and milk until well mixed. Spoon a large spoonful of batter into each case.
Spoon a small spoonful of raspberry preservatives on top of the batter in each case.
Fill each case with batter over the raspberry preservatives about 3/4 of the way.
Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. Let cool.
Put on the icing and enjoy!

x,

Franny

Tonight You Belong To Me

2009-04-14T21:36:00.001-07:00

This is maybe my favoritest cover of this song ever.

Josh Ritter and Blake Hazard - Tonight You Belong To Me

Hope you have a good hump day. :)

x,

franny

i am only going to eat grapes

2009-04-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today I have eaten:
vanilla yogurt w/ some captain crunch sprinkled in it (breakfast at 9 am)
half a bag of peanut m&m's
my fake vietnamese sandwich concoction (lunch at 12 pm)
half a bottle of diet sweet leaf tea original
thunder tofu (dinner #1 at 3:30 pm)
bubble tea
chicken fried steak w/ mashed potatoes and macaroni (dinner #2 at 8 pm)

I went to dinner #2 with my roommates. I am going to die of double-chin complications. I am only going to eat grapes for the rest of the week. And I am going to fail my retail merchandising test tomorrow, oops. Oh ya and thanks to Charlene for telling me about how to die of a heart attack.

x,

franny

why would you want to know about anyone else?

2009-04-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

wah! i smell pretty kitties. daisy?

forgetting something?
'buy a snuggie' is my personal fave.

homemade mole?
mmmm. its good to have a boy who can cook.

ill have entries of more substance soon enough.

x,

franny

the uncontradictory libra.

2009-04-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

I used to be really into reading my horoscope. And then I got really into the characteristics of my zodiac itself and how it applies to me... but with all those horoscopes out there, how can they all be true?!

Here are all my horoscopes for tomorrow:

You need to maintain a balance between work, family, friends and personal projects. You may feel a bit out of sorts if you focus too much energy on any one thing, so keep flitting back and forth. - Astrology.com

Your day may start off slowly because it takes a lot for you to shift into gear today. You know that there are exciting things waiting for you just around the next bend, but you're not quite ready for them yet. Still, the energy picks up as you become motivated to do something just for the fun of it. Don't wait until it's too late. Plan an enjoyable activity while there's still time. - AOL horoscopes

Duties and obligations seem burdensome or at least emotionally restricting to you, and you may feel self-pity or temporarily down in the dumps. You are not in a sociable, gregarious mood no matter what surroundings you find yourself in. - Homepagers.com

It may feel as if you have to overcome the resistance of others at work. You are ready to do whatever it takes to be a part of the team, but it seems like someone is working against you for no apparent reason. Instead of trying to create an emotional connection, try backing off just a bit. Once the other person has more breathing room, then he or she might be more willing to meet you halfway. - Tarot.com

Your value system has changed considerably in the last couple of years, and with those changes your social and personal needs have changed as well. Don't be afraid to explore new things. Invite fresh experiences into your life. What you need now is out there waiting for you, but you have to go out and get it. - Cafeastrology.com

hm...

I guess none of them really contradict too much. I was hoping that one would be like "you are going to have the best day ever" and the other would be like "you are going to have the worst day ever." bummer. maybe they have like secret nightly horoscope meetings where they read out whatever bs they are going to tell you the next day and make sure that it's not contradictory... or maybe there is a magic to this crazy shit.

who knows.

x,

franny

Hyde Park Bar & Grill: Healthy Heartattack...

2009-04-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

So I have been consistently bugged for the past few months to check this place out. I finally got around to it today with my friend Angela. I can merely describe it as a healthy heartattack and that doesn't even make sense... I guess you can say that the things we ordered sounded somewhat healthier than just a plain-old kobe beef burger, ha ha ... (which I need to try next time) ... and they sounded super super sabroso. The inner me knew that they were in no form or fashion healthy haha, but at least I got some vegetables out of it. I mean, to be honest, the contents were not so much different than going to FoodHeads, one of the tastiest sandwich places in Austin ... I guess it was just much more gourmet (and greasy). And the decor of the restaurant seemed much more geared toward couples, families, and old people... woo! But let me tell you, the fries were fucking amazing. And the sauce they came with too. I finished my sandwich first so I could barely get through half my fries ... but if I had the stomach capacity, I would have finished them. And then we got the peach pudding because people wouldn't shut up about it on Yelp. I thought it was okay ... not my kind of dessert, but not bad. It reminded me of cornbread with pudding ... on it ... and heated... haha. ...I should not be a food critic.

Fried Eggplant Sandwich
Thick slices of eggplant lightly breaded and fried then smothered with smoked Gouda cheese and a sautéed mix of onions, mushrooms and red bell peppers. Served on a sprouted wheat Hoagie bun with green leaf lettuce, tomato and shaved red onions.

Yellowfin Tuna
Seasoned and grilled or blackened with spicy Cajun seasoning. Served on a Romano and parsley foccacia bun with lettuce, shaved red onions, tomato and remoulade sauce.

famous Hyde Park Fries
voted best fries in Austin for who knows how long...

a close-up of my eggplant sandwich, mm.

Wom Kim's Peach Pudding

x,

Franny

Everyone Poops

2009-04-08T21:51:00.001-07:00

this makes more sense if you watch the Where The Wild Things Are trailer.

x,

franny

Nice Snuggie

2009-04-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

more pictures from laurel & scott's bday on the flickr

x,

franny

Oh Sriracha

2009-04-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

oh sriracha
you make my heart sing
i like to put you on everything
in between two slices of bread
with turkey and cheese
and cilantro and carrots
on my chicken
on my turnip cake, what? yeah...
in my noodles
you leave my mouth on fire
to where i can barely breathe
and it hurts a lot
but it's a good hurt
i like it
i used to not like you because you look weird
but obviously i've gotten over it
i'm really glad about that
sometimes i can't get the top open
but then i get it open and i'm happy
my mom bought me an extra bottle of you
so i won't run out
because h-e-b was out of stock of you
and i can't deal with that!
please don't ever change
i need you
love you sriracha

x,

franny

Britney Spears and Pacman Donuts

2009-04-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

Monday night I ventured to Dallas with Karinne after working at both jobs. The drive was relatively smooth until maybe around Waxahachie when some cloud decided to wreak havoc on my car to the point of where I couldn't see at all and my brights only made it worse and I might have well been driving underwater and could have still thought I was above ground. This all lasted probably 5 minutes. It was bizarre. Yeah, Texas!

We finally make it into Dallas and up to my neck of the woods... I show her where the Dr. Pepper headquarters are and I feel warm feelings and happiness all around, hehe. Then we go to my house and pass out.

In the morning, I have to run some errands up in Frisco and we stop by Mug & Mouse. I have always disliked this place because it's got a shitty name and shitty decor. Everytime I heard someone reference it, I thought they said Muggin' Mouse ... which sounded like a ghetto Chuck E. Cheese ... which is already lame. But this time they had Pacman donuts ... and I was like ... awessssssomeee.

sick donut.

And then of course, the real reason why we were in Dallas:

BRITNEY!!! Haha, you can barely tell but... yay! She's totally back. Totally. Oh man.

In honor of her comeback:
>> Britney Spears - Womanizer

Finally,

Don't make me go alone, pleasey!

x,

Franny

Julio's, Flashlight Party, Mommy

2009-03-29T22:10:00.001-07:00

Julio's is a small Mexican restaurant tucked away next to Quack's on 43rd & Duval. My first time coming here was probably around a year ago and I've only ordered one thing since then... and by looking at my picture, I'm sure you know why. Their chicken nachos are kind of the best thing ever. I still have 2/3 of it left over because it's that humongous. I'm pretty sure they use Mexican mozzarella cheese for their nachos ... which is SO yummy. You can get some at H-E-B... it looks like a big ball of cheese. And then their chicken is super tender ... and with the beans and chips, it's just delicious. If you live in Austin and like to call yourself knowledgeable about Mexican food ... then hold your tongue until you try this place. It's my favorite. :) Remember to bring cash too.

some pictures from Flashlight Party. More to be uploaded to the flickr.

Lastly, an unfinished drawing of my mommy... I've been working on it. Yup!

---

I am going on a picnic tomorrow during my break from work #1 cuz the weather is gonna be awwwwesome!

x,

Frances

Perez Hilton, Fires, Sunsets, and Dead Birds

2009-03-27T15:28:00.001-07:00

I didn't mean to :( Ahhhh...

Here I am mourning... And the gun has no connection with the bird, hahaha.

I'll put everything on Flickr soon.

Finally, another picture taken by Mike Simpson.

x,

Franny

Trying to look decent on a rainy day.

2009-03-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

Taken by Mike Simpson. what a balla.

I don't think I'll ever cut my hair short though. Not for a long time!

x,

Franny

Fin.

2009-03-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

what's next? i want to go to pitchfork in july. :)

Bands I caught at SXSW:

Flosstradamus - finally caught this act despite the fact that they've come 10,000 times in the past year. mi mal.
Ringo Deathstarr - when are they going to be a big deal? i'm waiting!
The Von Bondies - pretty horrible
Peter Bjorn & John - even worse. they had to restart maybe 3 times. and they took an ungodly amount of time to set up. and started late. i wanted to die.
Thao Nguyen & The Get Down Stay Down - she makes me want to be in a band. i guess i do feel the asian connection, i'm not going to lie. we could be cousins.
Passion Pit - uh, marry me? i have a feeling they won't stay very big for very long though. :(
3OH3! - i don't even care to look up how to spell this band's name. i was forced to watch them while waiting for Andrew Bird. i wonder if this is how my mom used to feel about my music when purevolume used to be cool.
Meat Puppets - why did they play after above-mentioned band? a completely different crowd... obviously.
Gomez - once again, completely different crowd. but great performance.
Andrew Bird - i died, and revived myself, and died again.
Crystal Stilts - first time to hear this band and i thought they were pretty amazing. the sound was great inside the tiny tiny room... like echoing through my brain cells.
Little Boots - super cute
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - pretty okay. once again, i want to be in a band.
The School of Seven Bells - i think the girl guitarist models for AA. pretty sure.
Third Eye Blind - they didn't play Semi-Charmed Life, what's up with that? It's ok, it's still fucking 3EB.
Wavves - hipster hyped, but i surely enjoyed it. Sho 'nuf definitely helped out the show.
Mika Miko - i was laughing at this girl's poodle jacket and poodle purse until i realized she was also in the band
No Age - mosh pit
Soft Pack / Muslims - i liked them. but i can't get over the fact that my hamburger cost as much as a beer. or maybe i should say the beer cost as much as the hamburger... ok it was $5. that's fucked up.
Ladyhawke - tiffany, is this where you got your blog name?
Solange - hm. i think this is about the point in time where i was starting to pass out...

lol yep.

x,

franny

Passion Pit, Thao Nguyen, Andrew Bird, and more

2009-03-20T19:55:00.001-07:00

Peter Bjorn & John
maybe the worst show I have ever been to.

Andrew Bird, Gomez, Meat Puppets, and Ben Harper Showcase
a. bird, sigh.

Passion Pit at Paste/Brooklyn Vegan
maybe the cutest band ... ever? maybe the cutest keyboarder... ever?

Thao Nguyen at Paste/Brooklyn Vegan
long lost sisters? don't be racist.

Crystal Stilts at Club 1808
awesome venue, very sweaty

Margaret Cho, Cut Off Yr Hands, Cold War Kids and many more at Carrera Artist Lounge
Maybe my favoritest part of SXSW haha... top notch free booze, food, and famous people everywhere, yay!

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures today. But, I did catch a couple bands today at the Pitchfork/Windish Agency bash... I kept thinking Little Boots' boob was gonna slip out. The keyboardist of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart seemed like she was either a happy zombie or... a happy zombie? 3EB didn't play Semi-Charmed Life or Narcolepsy, wtf!

Will someone please get me into Perez? kthx.

x,

Franny

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS!

2009-03-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

Fisheye adventures... rest to be on Flickr soon enough.

Sweet Leaf Stickering Adventures on South Congress:

---

Ok, now I have to go to work and then dance party after, yeah...

x,

Franny

ONE NIGHT IN AUSTIN

2009-03-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

straps, straps, straps

2009-03-13T21:57:00.001-07:00

1. Pour La Victoire - Pascale Heel $359
2. Giuseppe Zanotti for Balmain $1195
3. Daniblack - Rambo $185
4. Theory - Cameo $375
5. KORS by Michael Kors - Sage Banded Platform Heel $375
6. Bottega Veneta - Woven Leather Sandals $875
7. Pedro Garcia - Vero Molded Last Double Strap Sandal $375
8. Thomas Wylde - Riad Skull Sandals $950
9. Sigerson Morisson - Strappy Leather Sandals $575

donations?

Santogold - I'm A Lady

x,

Franny

YELP! at SXSW

2009-03-11T22:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to miss Michaela for showing me these yummy deals! I'm excited.

"During the ten days of SXSW, Yelp is working with a variety of local eateries to bring you Yelp Deals at SXSW Week, where each participating restaurant will choose one or more menu item to discount 50% during from 3/13-3/22. Bon Appetit! "

Uchi
Shag Roll
Tempura fried bond roll with salmon and
squid ink sumiso sauce
Regularly $14.00 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $7.00

Paggi House
Bigeye Tuna Tartare
Ponzu Aioli, Wasabi Tobiko and Sesame Crisps
Regularly $14.00 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $7.00

Sugar Mama's Bakeshop
The Black & Tan Cupcake
Rich, chocolaty Guinness Stout cupcake topped with scrumptious Irish cream cheese frosting
Regularly $2.50 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $1.25

Buenos Aires Cafe
Any flavor empanadas
Regular Price $2.49 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $1.25

House Wine
Two Cheese plate
Choose two cheeses, Tuscan olive three cheese spread, assorted crackers and pistachio nuts
Regularly $12.95 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $6.50

Cuba Libre
Lump Crab Toastadas
crab ceviche, mango, chipotle aioli
Regularly: $11.75 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $5.88

Andiamo Ristorante
A variety of desserts offered
Tiramisu: Regularly $8 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4
Zabaglione: Regularly $7.50 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $3.75
Cannolo: Regularly $8 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4
Chocolate Mousse: Regularly $8 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4
Bocconotti: Regularly $8 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4
Gelato: Regularly $6.5 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $3.25
White Chocolate Cheese Cake: Regularly $8 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4

Taste Select Wines
FOOD: Prime Beef Carpaccio with cheese puffs, horseradish cream & herb oil: Regular price, $8; During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4
WINE: White, Red, or Sparkling House Wine (glass): Regular price, $7; During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $3.50

La Cocina de Consuelo
Tostada Plate
Beef, chicken or avocado tostadas (crispy corn tortillas)
topped with beans, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese
Regularly $6.99 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $3.49

Sao Paulo's Restaurante
Bife a Milanesa (Beef Milanesa)...South American pan-fried steak lightly breaded and topped w/mild ancho sauce. Served w/garlic potatoes and veggies.
reg price..10.95 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $5.48
Feijoada (black bean stew)....Brazilian soul food staple dish, w/combination of sausage, pork and beef, slow cooked with black beans and spices. Served w/traditional sides of white rice, collard greens, farofa and orange slices.
reg. price...10.95 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $5.48

Taverna
Margherita Pizza
$9.00 regular for lunch / During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4.50
$10.00 for dinner / During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $5.00
Paciugo Gelato
Small Affogato al Caffe - 2 scoops of Velvety gelato melting in a shot of espresso. Sugar + caffeine in one tasty treat:
Small - regular price $5.29 / During Yelp Deals @ SXSW $2.65

Imperia
All large & small size infused sake and hot sake for 50% off.

Hot Sake
Lg reg $8 Yelp Deals @ SXSW $4
Sm reg $4 Yelp Deals @ SXSW $2

Japanese Mojito, Nirvana, Almond Joy
Lg reg $8 Yelp Deals $4
Sm reg $5 Yelp Deals $2.50

Green Dragon
Lg reg $9 Yelp Deals $4.50
Sm reg $6 Yelp Deals $3

Honeycomb
Lg reg $9 Yelp Deals $4.50
Sm reg $6 Yelp Deals $3

Lychee
Lg reg $9 Yelp Deals $4.50
Sm reg $6 Yelp Deals $3

Sake Hurricane
Lg reg $9 Yelp Deals $4.50
Sm reg $6 Yelp Deals $3

Fuzzy Sake
Lg reg $9 Yelp Deals $4.50
Sm reg $6 Yelp Deals $3

Uncorked
Truffled mushroom & spinach risotto
Reg $13 Yelp Deals $6.50

Cover 3
The Cover 3 House Frozen Margarita
Fresh lime juice & tequila blended with a subtle hint of orange
Reg $7 Yelp Deals $3.50

x,

Frances

SXSW Select.

2009-03-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

With all the shows finally confirming, I've prioritized... and these are the shows I am super pumped for. I hope I'll get around to most of them... can you believe it's so soon?! (more to be added):

Vice Saves Texas
sad poster :(

RSVP

Levi's & Fader Fort
yes.

RSVP

Gorilla vs. Booze III
The flyer is enough to make me want to go.

Japan Preview Show
that's what's up.

Paste Magazine
both days look amazing. be sure to RSVP.

RSVP

Mess With Texas 3
this was my favorite event last year, so what does that tell you?

Knuckle Rumbler
The lineup is already amazing, I can't imagine who the Special Guest is... plus free Sweet Leaf! lol.

RSVP

Quack Media & Found Magazine

RSVP

Imeem.com
Sat. 3/21 11:30pm-5am, partyyy
Special Guest: Starts with a MS ends with a FT & DJ Klever
RSVP

Under the Radar
I just want to see this band that is trying to be me...

x,

Frances

The Incredible Moses Leroy - Fuzzy

2009-03-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

And you are
soft and cuddly
and you are
warm and fuzzy

Lonely blue eyed
nazi prom queen
Bruised knuckle boy
tired of crawling

Lets paint the town red
like Carrie
because I am your I am your toy
foxy lady

And you are
bright and starry
I'm not that bad
just got lucky

and heaven and heaven can wait
I'm standing
You on my shoulder
demanding

And you are
soft and fuzzy
and you are
truly lovely

You are
my itchy sweater
you are
my lovely love get-ter

yeah


x,

franny

True Texas Fashion

2009-03-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

In the words of my boss, I got up "stupid early" this morning to work an event called the Cowboy Breakfast to kick off the Austin Rodeo. And by "stupid early" I mean before 5 am. It was pretty much a huge free breakfast at Auditorium Shores which was awesome! The crowd was a mix of cowboys and homeless people. There were some random Asians. I was like what are you doing here? And then I looked at myself. But anyway, there was some noticeably trend-setting fashion, ladies and gentlemen.

Here we have the true outlaws. I can't see the detail closely enough, but if the guy on the left isn't wearing a bolo tie I'm sure he owns one. Button up vests? And the patterns on their dress shirts! So stylish. Plus, beards automatically make you cooler in anybody's book.

Scary farmer-wife cow-woman! I don't know if this is a cute picture or a scary picture. You tell me. Would you want that cow standing outside your window?

What a great shirt. And then after I took this picture, his wife came up wearing the same shirt and a high-waisted denim long skirt. Wow.

This lady is by far the winner. Do I even need to explain myself? She seems so happy, what could possibly be wrong with her outfit?

Where is Charlie's head!!!!

The end.

And for those of you who are too dense, most of this was sarcasm. I just really hope you don't walk away from this entry taking me seriously. That would just be ... bad.

---

I think I'm getting sick.

x,

Frances

The Woodland - Austin Restaurant Week

2009-03-03T20:42:00.001-08:00

Rachel, Karinne, and I decided to go to the Woodland located on S. Congress instead because it was cheaper and I just feel like Louie's 106 may have just been too stuffy of an environment for us. Anyway, it was really yummy. And excuse these shitty pictures, I don't know how to use my new point-and-shoot. It's retarded ... or maybe I am. I'm a lot better with complicated cameras, haha.

Pork Empanadas
I actually think these were my favorite. It seemed like we all liked our appetizers the best... to the point of where we didn't want to share. Haha! It reminded me of those curry-stuffed dumplings, but with really soft pork instead. Yum.

Meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes & green beans
Ordering this made me feel super American... haha. But since I'm Asian too, I never eat this shit. Anyway, it was pretty good. It was a little dry I thought. I wish there had been more of a sauce. It wasn't gourmet by any means and I don't think it was supposed to be...I think it's more of just a comfort dish. How can you make gourmet meatloaf? Is there such a thing?

Chocolate Cream Pie

As you can see, this restaurant is all kinds of unhealthy. It's interesting... now that I think of Louie 106's menu which consisted of like... tuna tartare, racks of lamb, and some fancy fish dishes... and stuff haha. But this fit more into my neighborhood of eating... and it was good. I like fruity pies better, but this was still really good. I think they specialize in pies to some degree or something, because they had a ton to choose from. I want to be a pie maker.

Anyway, there you have it. My first Austin Restaurant Week experience. It was a nice way to end a somewhat hectic day of finding out someone had drilled a hole into my car window and shattered it, then stolen my ipod, then ran to class frazzled to turn in a marketing paper, and then having to take an essay test explaining why I want to be a woman in Salem during the witch trials... yeah.

John Lennon - Oh Yoko

Until next time!

x,

Frances

Austin Kite Festival

2009-03-02T23:55:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to get some of these on here before I have something else to post about, haha... which is going to be my Restaurant Week experience #1 tomorrow at Louie's 106. Stay tuned.

Might I add, I tried Kebabilicious for the first time at this amazing event. And it was AMAZING. Awesome. I intend to get it more often when I'm downtown... woohoo.

Also, an exciting headliner for Forty Acres Fest has been confirmed. I will tell you when I'm allowed to. EEK!

Animal Collective - Bluish

x,

Frances

wrapping my brain around SXSW.

2009-02-28T19:10:00.001-08:00

I just made an embarrassingly large amount of spaghetti and then I ate it all.
Also, my cat keeps on peeing on my roommates' towels and blankets. Why! Lol.
anddd, I am drinking champagne vodka right now and it is y-u-m-m-y.

There's been tons of talk for SXSW lately. Both of my places of employment are hosting events so I'm quite excited. :)

Here are some of the things I am super excited for:

American Apparel Flea Market:
3/19-3/21 11am - 8pm
American Youthworks Building, 4th & San Jacinto

Expect merchandise starting at $1, unique samples, and vintage pieces, yay! You just might
see me there ringing you up so be sure to say hi. Also, live DJ sets, music by Viva Radio, and ICE CREAM!!! sweet.

IFC Crossroads Party: The Decemberists and Gomez
Details on the flyer.
It's FREE and it's OPEN BAR, but you have to get your ticket at Waterloo.
I love both these bands so I really want to go, fo sho!

---
Blackberry SXSW Showcase
Cedar Street, 208 W. 4th St.
Wristbands required or forking up a small dime and standing in line. :]

Thursday 3/19

8:30 Arkelis

9:30 Sam Roberts

10:30 Delta Spirit

11:30 Black Lips

12:30 Primal Scream

Friday 3/20

7:45 Pete and the Pirates

8:45 Beach House

9:45 Bedouin Soundclash

10:45 Peter Bjorn and John

11:45 Grizzly Bear

12:45 Dinosaur Jr.

I'm super super super excited about Friday's line-up.

---

Rose's Mojito & Rachel Ray's "the B Side"
3/21, 12 - 5 pm
Maggie Mae's, 6th St.
First come, first serve.

The Hold Steady
New York Dolls
The Airborne Toxic Event
Ra Ra Riot
Bob Schneider
The Cringe
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Semi Precious Weapons
The Thermals
John Pringle

um, do we get free food?

---

Village Voice Free SXSW Day Show
3/20, 12-5 pm
La Zona Rosa, 4th St.

M. Ward
Cursive
Gomez
Bear Hands
Crystal Antlers

omg... Cursive? no way.

---

Andrew Bird, Ben Harper, Gomez & Katy Perry
3/19, 7 - 2am
Stubb's

OMG ANDREW BIRDDDDDDDDD

---

SOUNDEXCHANGE/MusicFirst present:
3/20, 6 - 2am
Stubb's

Electric Touch
Parachute
White Lies
Razorlight
PJ Harvey
The Indigo Girls
Third Eye Blind

3eb!!!!!!! omg.

---

that's all I can wrap my head around for now. There are so may bands I want to see that my head wants to explode. Gravy Train!!! w/ MSTRKRFT @ Radio Room, Dead Prez @ Austin Music Hall, Yelle @ Emo's, Japan Nite, White Shoes & The Couples Company @ Submerged... my brain!!!

sigh.

x,

Frances

Your 3 Favorite Movies and a Praying Mantis

2009-02-25T22:29:00.000-08:00

HEY. I've been so busy, I'm sorry. All work and no play, I'm serious. But then again work is play, hehe.

Currently, I'm listening to this ridiculous NPR recording for my advertising class. I have a test tomorrow. One thing I did learn in class is that... people like ads with animals. So, here's a picture of everybody's favorite cat, YEAH!

charlie is thinking about what he wants to make for dinner. tuna tartare? and maybe a cookie for dessert. okay this is getting creepy.

well you don't know creepy b/c what the fuck is this:

... but a praying mantis by La Tazza Fresca. duh. what else?

speaking of, they have yummy Tomato Basil Soup!

---

on the topic of food, i had my first "vegan" cake yesterday. ok it wasn't that big of a deal. vegans still eat funfetti, so it's all good. hehe. anyway it was super yummy. better than any cake i ever made.

i haven't felt like this in a long time. it's nice, i like it. :)

---

Sigh, so anyway the other half of the title of this blog... so if you do keep up with my posts, I'm really far behind on my movie-watching. I mean like everyone's favorite movies you know... if you think of one, I probably haven't seen it. What I have seen consists of like ... Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ... hm. SO, I'm asking you: WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVORITE MOVIES... So I can watch them... kthx!

picture from The River Flows East. it was cold.

"godzilla got kinda happy at some point... didn't he?" - my npr recording

x,

franny

Black Condoms, Viet Sandwiches and NEW Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

2009-02-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

My roommate has a great internship. She comes home with surprises like these! LOL!

Black Joe Lewis has a new marketing scheme. Teehehee...

"Just... Want.. to get it open!!!" - Charlie dirty-wanna-be-black-cat Lin.

---

So I drove this baby up to Bee Caves when I was at work the other day to get an estimate. Yeah, no rear-view mirror. Plush seats. I looked pretty smooth, might I add. Not to mention someone's mix cd was left in there that included the likes of Britney Spears, Ghostland Observatory, and Cupid's "The Cupid Shuffle"... yup.

---

So I've been promising you vietnamese sandwiches for a long time. We finally went to LuLu B's on South Lamar across from Bird's Barbershop! We'd been missing it because they had a family death and also they are open at annoyingly inconvenient hours, but whatever! It was yummy. I got the Lemongrass Pork sandwich garnished with daikon, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and chili. It was pretty filling for just $4.50 and with some Sriracha sauce, it was muy sabroso. Definitely check it out if you're in the South Lamar area. There's another vietnamese sandwich place up on North Lamar at Chinatown... that I want to try as well. Yum Yum!

---

Finally,
new Yeah Yeah Yeah's has leaked.
Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Heads Will Roll

---

Pictures from this weekend will be up later. Tootles.

x,

Franny

Plastic Bag Bras and Snuggie Pub Crawls

2009-02-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

At my internship, I've been looking up "green tips"... ways to live sustainably, I suppose. Anyway I have come across some rather environmentally creative ways to be green!! Giggle.

For example: how to make a plastic bag bra!

I found this on the BBC's website after some good google sifting. It was actually written in 2000. So wow, imagine how many plastic bag bras there are now. I would totally write out the instructions for you but for some reason ... it seemed complicated to me ha ha. So here, if you're curious... this is the link and there are pictures like the great one above as well. YAY! haha.

---

I also found this in regards to recycling mattresses:

How long should a mattress life span? Well, here is their suggestion:

A mattress should last about ten years. That's the same lifespan as a pet rabbit. You can buy a rabbit and a mattress at the same time and when the rabbit dies, you'll know that it is time for a new mattress.

The rabbit can be turned into a rich stew. But what do you do with your old mattress? Many landfills are charging high fees for allowing someone to drop off their mattress or they are denying entrance all together. Those landfill people are sure getting snooty.

---

SNUGGIE PUB CRAWL omg
so, I got my roommie a Snuggie for her birthday. They sell them at H-E-B for $15! Omg, so amazing. I especially loved the creepy mannequin just standing there wearing a Snuggie. Like it's a normal thing to do to just go out in public in a Snuggie and not look like a Jedi in blue fleece... or something. Anyway.

---

I leave you with cute pictures from last night... Lykke Li was amazing. Party was ok.

x,

Frances

Crickets at La Condesa.

2009-02-17T22:46:00.000-08:00

The lovely Rachel Myhill treated some friends and I to a complimentary friends & family dinner at La Condesa, a Mexican restaurant opening Thursday on 2nd & Guadalupe right next to Lambert's. According to the Austin Business Journal, the 26-year-old chef/owner, Larry McGuire, of Lambert's is playing a large part in the opening of this restaurant... so I'm sure it will become a well-known Austin establishment in the near future. Anyway, there's a Dallas location in the snazzy Victory Park, but apparently this one's better. Well, I know I had a fabulous time... I love trying new things! And boy did I try new things, lol.

ANYWAY, this is what you really want to see/hear/taste I guess:

Chips & Salsa with Chipotle & Roasted Almond Guacamole
So yummy. I didn't taste the roasted almond, but I definitely felt the chipotle. The salsa isn't pictured but they had 3 different kinds. My favorite was the salsa verde. I think we all had a different favorite. So they all must be good.

Bebidas! The watermelon martini was yummy in my tummy. Good margaritas too.

I don't remember the names to these. The one on the left is Carnitas I believe. Very tender pork belly. It reminded me of this tender pork that us Asians eat and put in between soft buns. The one on the right is some kind of pork ribs. Realllly yummy. I loved the plaintains. They were good and spicy.

Crickets!! In a corn tortilla!! Covered in guacamole!! Ahh!!!

Before and after. Well more like during and after. Honest truth, it wasn't my favorite thing in the world. I mean, it didn't taste bad. I really have a serious mental block toward odd meats. Even duck freaks me out. IDK! But it was worth trying. I would try it if you have the chance! Nothing like some cricket legs floating around your mouth, mmm. Karinne's face is awesome, btw.

Rachel eating the crickets. Why is she so composed?

Dessert. On the left, a goat cheese cheesecake that had a much fancier name. On the right, a molten flourless chocolate cake topped with caramelized bananas and ice cream... that also had a fancier name. The chocolate was my favorite. The cheesecake was too cheesy for my taste.

I also didn't snap a good picture of the tostadas that we tried. There were two different versions, but I only tried one of them. It was a Tuna Tostada ... crispy tostadas topped with yellowfin tuna, pickled cucumber, crispy leek, and chipotle mayo. Mmm, I love chipotle mayo. Especially on a Mopac sandwich...

SIGH, ok. I love free food.

Anyway, I think I am finally going to try those vietnamese sandwiches this weekend. Very excited.

And also, if you still haven't seen Kittens Inspired by Kittens what are you waiting for?! God, best thing ever.

I'm going to start doing hw now... because I'm in school... ?!
Oxymoron.

x,

Frances

Circle One: Yes or No

2009-02-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

yes or no?!

Should Blake and Dov be BFF?
Circle One: Yes or No

Okay maybe not. Since the founder of TOMS (Blake ... not "tom") is probably ... well he IS 1000x more ethical than American Apparel. But on the topic of company comparisons, both companies make a point to publicize how their employees receive more than a fair wage. And I would say their target markets are pretty much the same crowd. Both Blake and Dov have curly hair and live in or near LA. He he? Not to mention the shirt I'm wearing is Tri-Blend American Apparel. Anyway, it was a fun time Saturday... working at the Clinton Global Initiative and giving away hundreds of free shoes for a good cause. Besides the fact that my car got towed and cost me near $200 and being late to my roommate's 21st birthday dinner. SUCKKK.

Andrew Bird, will you marry me?
Circle one: Yes or No.

Maybe one of the best artists to traipse across my path. His whistling melted my heart until it was no longer a heart but an empty place that wanted to be filled. Is that what his music does to you? Make you ache? I guess that's why I like it. I am okay with having Andrew Bird be the reason of my heartache.

Does P.Terry's give you a heart attack whilst being pooped on by birds?
Circle One: Yes or No

Well, I know the answer actually. It's YES. Except I wasn't pooped on by birds. I fully enjoyed my cheaper-than-mcdonalds hamburger while my friends were pooped on by birds, hehe.

Would you use my cat to kill the ubiquitous gecko running around your house?
Circle One: Yes or No

Well I didn't even know there was such an ubiquitous gecko running around my house. I actually stumbled upon my cat playing with this gecko, who I'm guessing (and hoping) he killed ... what a beast. I'm not saying I don't like lizards. I love lizards. I wanted one for a really long time. But I'm really proud of my cat seeing how he is the biggest scared-y cat ever. I pretty much decided he has downs syndrome this past weekend. Sad story. :[

---

My song: The Kinks - Strangers
hmm. :[

x,

frances

FOTOS! AQUI!

2009-02-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

yay!

Dance-a-thon, Birthdays, Charlie, the usual fisheyes

More pictures on my flickr.

Andrew Bird and more food next up.

YUH!

x,

franny

MC vs. FML

2009-02-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

So, I've been an avid Missed Connections reader for the past few months, let me tell you. And just recently, I've been informed about a comic book called I Saw You... that illustrates these silly situations! It's so funny, cuz the Daily Texan was looking for comic artists and I thought that would be a really cool thing to do... and turns out someone has already done it. Well, maybe I can be a poser. ANYWAY. My friend Charlene informed me about another website, F*** My Life - FML and it is pretty darn awesome. So ... I guess this is a showdown? Maybe you'll see why I love these things so much...

Missed Connections:

Girl in marketing with the glorious Heiny
(i only hoped this MC was about me, since I am a Marketing major... sigh... hahaha)

Dear girl who sits in front of me in marketing class,

Let me start off by explaining my situation as this will no doubt help you to sympathize with where I am coming from. This marketing class is not my first attempt at passing this course. It has caused me much stress and many sleepless nights...3 times.....at 2 different universities. That being said I would very much like this to be the semester that I finally master this difficult subject.
Now on to the subject of your heiny. It is a wonderful heiny. It is the kind of beautiful bottom that poets write songs about (e.x. Laffy Taffy by DL4). Today I spent the entire period just admiring it.
Unfortunately this is just the problem. Your gorgeous behind, peeking half way out of those trendy tight jeans, has once again kept me from taking the adequate amount of notes that I so desperately need.
Maybe we can come to sort of compromise though. In this settlement, during class time you would agree to keep your exceptional bottom hidden from my sight. I have a few suggestions, possibly a belt? Maybe a fancy dress? Also you could not sit in the front of the class. At the very least, a pair of underwear?
In return for this concession I would be willing to take any other time out of my day so that you could personally display your bottom to me at the place of your choosing. In fact, I would not find it objectionable to view any other body parts that you feel this desperate need to display. I hope that this post is not to demanding and that we can come to some sort of amicable agreement. Thank you so very much.

Sincerely,
Distracted guy in marketing class

The Wiener of the Karaoke Contest - 69 (The Real Hot Dog King)
(LOL)

You: Unzipped singer flashing sausage.

Us: Horrified yet transfixed onlookers. Can't.stop.staring.at.da.wang.

Lesson: If your pants are malfunctioning, do have the decency to don underwear beneath your trousers.

I looked at your socks today in class. - w4m - 20
(cute. sigh!)

I like your socks.
I like your hair, too because
it does its own thing.
Turn around and
say hi to me sometime.
We can compare socks and
talk about books and music.

F*** my life

Today, I heard my sister masturbating in her room. I took the dog around the block to get out of the house, and I came back to see her exiting her room....my electric tothbrush in her hand. FML

Today, I was tutoring kids at an elementary school. One kid messed up my hair. I said, "Why'd you do that??" He said, "I have lice, now you have lice too!" FML

Today, I was having sex with my girlfriend. Mid-thrust she says "I love you, Jeremy." Then in rapid succession, she fires off 2 other names. None of the names were mine. FML

Today, I went looking for a childhood doll - I remembered that my mum kept her in her bedside cabinet. I could see the doll at the back, but there was stuff in the way, so I reached in and took some of it out, only to find I was holding one of my mum's toys... a big black rubber cock. FML

Today, I had a meeting at work. My boss was there as well as her boss, and a few other managers and directors. We started discussing politics in the context of our latest project. I tried to say "erratic election". I almost succeeded. FML

---

Hope you enjoyed them hehehe.

x,

Frances

Move. Get out of here.

2009-02-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

This entry is in sequences.

So,

Yeah.

---

Fish tacos, Wahoo's on 6th.
I like mini corn tortillas. Cabbage instead of lettuce was an interesting choice. The rice was refreshing and different. Preettty good.

Dessert selection, Mandola's at The Triangle.
I tried the gelato on the first row in the middle. It was coffee-flavored with something. Damn good.

Also went to the Loxsly, Oh No Oh My! show at Emo's on Thursday.
The most memorable thing was Loxsly's visuals. They were pretty awesome.
I commend whoever did them... I think it might have been a band member?
My favorite were the walking tweezers... or whatever.

Fashion Freakout! at Mohawk last night, as well.
We've started selling tie-dye tights and I hate them.
Well. Laced with Romance seems to think they were cool.
I still don't think they are.
There were a couple nip slips and butt cheeks hanging out, but overall I enjoyed the show.
I loved New Bohemia's elephant necklace. ohh my goddd, how do I get that?!

Sigh.

I'm done.

x,

Frances

Explosive. POW!

2009-02-05T00:26:00.000-08:00

My lobster is going nuts.

Anyway, I've been purchasing quite a few necklaces. Here are a couple that I have picked up recently at Le Garage Sale and the vintage blog sale I talked about in an earlier post. I can't say which one is my favorite. The koi is pretty sweet. I remember my sister had a keychain of that when I was little. And it was ME that had the keychain collection, so you can imagine how badly I wanted to steal it... yeah.

Oh hey!!! I put up my keyboard, yay! :) I finally got rid of my ugly red futon and put up a much more useful object in its place! Fun fact: I used to be really damn fucking good at piano! Haha! Anyhow, if you want me to join your band, let me know. I also own a tambourine. YUP. :) P.S. aren't my decorations awesome? Rhetorical question.

I thought I would post this on here... because after evaluating myself today ... this is an honest representation of me... I think I do this a lot. Why?! I can't explain myself. I am simply an enigma. Mmm.

Finally, I leave you with this visual explosion.

I intend to return next entry with new fisheyes and a vietnamese sandwich review. The end.

Ace of Base - The Sign

x,

Frances

ALPACA!

2009-02-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

I've been making my coffeeshop rounds since the weather's been nice.

Hibiscus Lemonade, Quack's on 43rd.

Mmm... so beautifully unhealthy, i love it.

Goodbye Little Man, hello Alpaca.

I rode my bike to Epoch yesterday for my first real bike ride. I nearly passed out ... someone's completely out of shape. I have a lot of work to do before SXSW. There might have been some other contributing factors, but overall ... yeah, a lot of work to do. I'm just so scared to ride around a lot of traffic. I need to find a safe way to practice ha... man, my legs were so wobbly.

Anyway, the Broken Social Scene concert at Bass on Saturday was amazing. Even though I only knew a couple songs, I was very impressed. One of the members' side project, The Happiness Project ... which is an exploration of the tones and rhythm in how we talk ... was kind of like the coolest thing ever. Imagine a saxophone imitating the way you talk... perfectly.

Sigh.

And then I finally watched The Breakfast Club last night... shut up. I'm telling you I have a lot to catch up on. Anyway, for those of you who didn't know... Emilio Estevez is Charlie Sheen's brother and Martin Sheen's son. He just didn't sell out to a white-people name. Although, I think Sheen is a pretty cool last name. And Emilio is a pretty sweet first one. Emilio Sheen. Ha... no. I learned all this in Spanish 508K... yup.

By the way,

THE MOPAC SANDWICH AT WHOLE FOODS = OMG!?!?!!?!

who's with me.

x,

Frances

Tea & Company

2009-01-31T14:58:00.000-08:00

This is where I'm interning this semester. Very yummy. :)

Jen & Kathryn's 21st birthday party at FINO. My opinion, an overly pretentious restaurant with food that does not serve up to the pretentiousness... haha. But the food is still good. Just not worth being pretentious about... does that make any sense?

Chorizo-stuffed mushrooms. SO amazing.

Crab, Avocado & Espelette Pepper Bruschetta. Also very good.

Calamari. duh. Is it possible to have really bad or really good calamari?

FINO Paella: Saffron rice with Shrimp, Littleneck Clams & Mussels, Calamari, Tomato, Lemon & Paprika. Too lemon-y. But still good.

Birthday girls!

More pictures up later when I get film developed...

Now... I have to go to Broken Social Scene! :)

x,

Frances

Sandwiches, Sangria, and Sexy Shirts.

2009-01-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

Not only am I really good at whistling, I'm also good at alliterating.

Enjoying a nice frozen sangria at El Chilito. They cover the patio in the wintertime and have heat lamps and blankets! So nice. :) And they have a pickle-flavored paleta de fruta. Yeah...

Also, had a little fun con mi camera with Jose and Kris... for an upcoming project that's sure to fill your empty bellies. :)

I'll leave it up to your imagination. :)

Ok, now take a look at this:

Left: American Apparel Unisex Viscose Sexuali-Tee
Right: T by Alexander Wang Black Classic T

Well, I mean if someone bought me Alex's T, I would gladly take it. I mean, I might have to save up for the dress in this collection. But, I must say AA's Sexuali line is probably my favorite and I wear all of my Sexuali pieces probably at least once a week, if not more. Truth!

BTW, good deals all around this weekend:
1. Amazing vintage sale going on here. The Year of Living Thriftily. Already scored myself 2 necklaces, as I am a necklace whore.
2. Sidewalk sale at Blue Velvet (next to Epoch on North Loop). A great place to score belts and accessories, yay!
3. Fetish is closing. 75% off clothes. 50% off jewelry. w-o-w.

x,

Frances

Mao Mao.

2009-01-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

sitting on my shelf.

hanging in my room.

creeping on my neck.

what have you to say about it?

The Velvet Underground - Rock and Roll

x,

Frances

FOOOOOOOOODDDDDD

2009-01-23T23:37:00.000-08:00

My day started off with waking up at 11:30, getting ready, and then going to lunch with my roommate Lindsay at Food Heads. This was my second trip there. This time I tried the Grilled Chicken and Eggplant. Ommmg. "Served on toasted baguette with spinach, tomato, goat cheese & blackberry balsamic vinaigrette." *dies* It was amazing. The blackberry balsamic vinaigrette was so good. I've had a similar previous amazing sandwich experience with a sweet sauce on chicken... at Breadwinners in Dallas... their Raspberry Chipotle Chicken sandwich, omg. But anyway, this one definitely hit the spot. And I don't even like eggplant. He he.

And then, I went to Flip Happy Crepes with Karinne... I hadn't been there before. Since I was so stuffed I just got the Nutella with Banana which is my favorite kind of crepe anyway. I had a meal crepe in France while I was there for the summer, but I didnt like it as much as the sweet ones. It might have been because I got "chorizo"... I remember... and the French version of chorizo is sliced hot dogs. Anyway. Haha.

Then we went to Emerald's which is having a sale. 50% off all shoes, fyi. Walked out empty handed, but that was just because I'm really learning self-control.

Then, we went up to this vintage shop on Burnet that I don't recall the name of... and I scored myself a vintage Polaroid camera for $10 in perfect shape! It has exposure and focus settings. Very excited to bust it out in the near future.

Wee!

I also watched Shawshank Redemption and Empire Records in the past week-ish. Two movies I have finally crossed off my too-embarassed-to-admit-i-haven't-seen list... but then I just told you. Loved Empire Records. Definitely on my favorites now. Next is Trainspotting.

---

By the way, the season premiere of Lost was amazing, duh. Ana Lucia, what?! And where is that old lady from!! I know I've seen her!

P.S. I'm inked.

x,

Frances

4 8 15 16 23 42

2009-01-21T11:59:00.001-08:00

LOST PREMIERES TONIGHT, oh shit!
granted, I have to work til 9. but thank god for DVR!
if you still haven't caught on to probably the best television show to have ever seeped out of the twisted brain of J.J. Abrams, then now is the time to jump on the bandwagon.

I'm so excited to know what happens I might just pee my pants.
2 hours of gloriousness. Apparently someone who was presumed dead comes back this season.
CHARLIE? JIN? CLAIRE?
I hope it's Jin.

sigh.

fotos para ti.

I'm going to go ride my bike to work now. wee!

x,

Frances

oooobama!!!!!!

2009-01-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

"The world has changed, and we must change with it."

x,

frances

"There and Back Again" - A Tale by Franny Baggins

2009-01-18T16:00:00.000-08:00

This is the last time I will be "coming back" for a long time, I think. Once again, I have returned from a weekend's stay in my homeland of DFW. And now I am here sitting on my yellow duvet. This is the real mark of the beginning of 2009, I think. School starts in 2 days and I don't know when I'll be back in Dallas. Although, I left my glasses there and my best friend. :(

I'm ready to feel uncomfortable again. I had this huge long talk with my mom. I think there are those who always want to feel comfortable. And I think there are those who seek to be uncomfortable, hence to make and find more comfort. I think I'm definitely the latter. I don't think I get along well with people who are always comfortable. Life is just too boring that way, in my opinion. But I don't even think I really take the time to judge them until the comfortables starts judging the uncomfortables... what am I getting at! I'm ready to feel uncomfortable again. And if you're not in for the ride, I'll have to move on, I think.

---

I went to Mozart's last week with Jen, Matt, and Kathryn. The weather was amazing and the sunset made for a very pretty picture. :) Did you know their iced tea is bottomless? Yerba Mate, mmm. We then caught Seven Pounds afterwards starring Will Smith. It hit me as a Crash-esque movie... but regarding organs. Haha?

Then, Karinne's 20th birthday commenced. We went to The Melting Pot, which was amazing. The Disarronno fondue, omg. Yes! And then karaoke, of course. More pictures can be found on my flickr.

And also, my dear friend Tari's 21st!! Which her birthday cake picture and Karinne's birthday picture somehow got double exposed on the same frame... weird and awesome. We went to Zenna in Richardson... and they did some crazy Chinese dragon dance with bongos when the clock struck midnight. Hahaha. And then a yummy dinner at Gloria's and of course, karaoke in the k-town. What else?!

---

This upcoming week is going to be awesome. Inauguration. They're giving away free make-up at department stores on Tuesday too! TV is back... with 24 and LOSTogmogaogomgomgomgg. 21st birthdays galore... I'm getting really poor! Blah!!

Le sigh. Anyone want to go to Flip Happy with me sometime?

x,

Frances

The Art of Watercolor.

2009-01-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

So I'm not sure if this artist, Ben Tour, that I just found on ffffound! is using watercolor, but he's very skilled in his shading and outlining, nonetheless.

So I have been trying to get back into doing more art since break started. Basically, just watercolor and sharpie. I've cranked out two and I have another on the way... here's one of them.

The picture is kind of low-res but it's of me and dani baby. Yay for art.

---

It's fucking cold!

Also, HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY TARI! loves. :)

Animal Collective - My Girls

x,

Frances

very strange. very you.

2009-01-13T20:05:00.000-08:00

whatttt? you.

jeremy jay - heavenly creatures

---

i got a bike today.

x,

frances

Bye Dani

2009-01-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

Back to Virginia, my little Dani baby went.

Mmm, Food Heads.

I ordered the Chicken Special which is an explosion of grilled chicken breast on toasted ciabatta with lettuce, tomato, avocado, feta cheese and tarragon mayonnaise. mmm. Plus, it was maybe the nicest day ever outside.

Elliott and I

I went to the Ringo Deathstarr concert last Friday. They were pretty good. I think after awhile people started to disperse because their ear drums couldn't take the noise any longer, ha ha. They really do remind me so much of Yo La Tengo.

Devorlando

I attempted sleevefacing with my friend Orlando. Prettttty fun.

We had a going away get-together for Dani the night before she left. :[ It was sad times. She gave me a kick-ass postcard. And Smirnoff Ice. Hahaha. Don't know how long it's been since I've drank that. We went to the Omelettry the morning after. It was really good! I wish they had more meat options. And more spicy omelettes. I just really like spicy things.

More pictures are on my Flickr.

I'll leave you with an awesome Missed Connection my friend Charlene sent my way.

We kissed, you farted. - m4w - 32 (emo's)

You said "this always happens when I get nervous." Then turned around and ran out the door. It must have been the cutest thing I've ever seen.
How about we get you some Alka-Seltzer and give it another shot!

---

P.S. I'm so glad Slumdog Millionaire won like every award last night on the Golden Globes. Definitely deserved it. Yay!

I found this site with all this old dance music. The kind you wish every dance party played. Hahaha. Dude, it's awesome. It has everything from Michael Jackson to Diana Ross to Salt N' Pepa. I think it's just someone's compilation of the 100 best dance songs... anyway, they did a good job. You can download all of them here. Amazing?!

Awesome.

x,

Frances

OBAMICON and Clementine's

2009-01-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

Why I love Paste Magazine:

Do yourself here !

Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor dance!!

---

UPDATE:

I'm at Clementine's right now on Manor Rd. Funny enough, I brought clementines to eat HAHA. Anyway, so I'm checking Missed Connections on Craigslist... and today's post of the day is:

that girl was pissed at the clementines boy - w4m (manor rd.)

but i went in there recently for the first time in a long time and was blown away by all the adorable sweet boys working there. i approve.

RE:
Pretty sure that was a guy, posting about a guy. I was there last night too, all the guys working are really sweet. The whole place was full of hipsters, not just the staff - "hipster" is just a style, anyway. Didn't get any snobbery from anyone there, it was probably just shyness, or they were busy.

RE:
Hey! I was there last night too, and I'm not a hipster.

And I totally agree that the guys who work there are really nice. (And cute.) Incidentally, so are the girls. Way to go, whoever hires over there. Maybe the original poster was in a bad mood and had it reflected back on him, but that's hardly their fault.

What I think:
I'm here right now... and there is a cute boy working!!! yummy.

missed connections = awesome.

ANOTHER thing, That Austin Girl also updated about Clementine's happenings this week. Apparently, this is the place to be! I agree.

x,

Frances

EXCLUSIVE: ANDREW BIRD

2009-01-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

OMGOAMGOJALKJDGLOANFOA!!!!

NPR has Andrew Bird's new CD, Noble Beast, here for you to listen to.

Some of his songs have been floating around the internet, due to a leak, but the mp3 police have gotten to those websites pretty quick. Anyway, now you can stream every song on NPR's website. My favorite so far is Anonanimal... a very Andrew Bird-ish name for a song. Although there is not very much whistling, his violin is very beautiful. God, I love him.

Someone PLEASE buy me a ticket to his concert at the Paramount, please!!!

*dies*

x,

Frances

In Dallas

2009-01-04T10:38:00.001-08:00

I came back to Dallas yesterday. It just really needed to happen.

But I'll be back on Tuesday with a barfload of pictures for your viewing pleasure. :)

No worries babies!

---

I went to The Idle Rich Pub in Uptown yesterday. Pretty nice ambiance and crowd. Actually, it was really crowded... but they have a nice selection of beers. Definitely check it out if you're in Dallas and think that there's nothing to do. There is somewhere to go, I promise! Haha.

We then headed over to the Fox & Hound in North Dallas... it was interesting because I recall my sister saying she hangs out here, haha. Their chips & queso reminds me of Taco Cabana. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. But they did have a pretty awesome music selection, hahaha.

---

But, oh yes, my New Years' Resolutions.

1. Not to be taken advantage of.
2. To get a new laptop and a new phone.
3. Really try to seriously start documenting my eating adventures.
4. Start my own Ebay shop of all of my dresses I have collected but never worn, haha.
5. Neuter my cat... this needs to happen before I make him start dating Charlene's cat, Daisy.
6. Take more pictures. Paint more pictures.

I can't think of anymore... that I could list on here, haha.

---

Craigslist Missed Connection of the day:
To all the Asian girls on 6th
HAHA. Awesome.

The Magnetic Fields - I Think I Need A New Heart

x,

Frances

P.S. Why is it so damn cold in Dallas?

New Years Eve

2008-12-31T00:45:00.000-08:00

It's the last day of 2008.

So much of my life has changed this year and I am truly thankful for everything that I experienced. Some people may not know how much they have taught me while others probably don't want to hear another word of it. But I want you to know how much I love you. Hopefully next year will be even better, I really do hope.

My plans: House party on E.16th apparently... seems like this is where my friends are ending up, so I'll most likely be there.

I don't have a New Years kiss. I've never had one!! Wahhh.. :(
Hopefully if I do get one, it'll be the one I want.
You know where I'll be.

---

In the meantime,

- FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO NYLON! yes.

- Ruelala.com is having their year-end boutique sale. If you don't know them yet, they sell name-brands for like 75% off. It's pretty much the most amazing thing ever. Their year-end boutique includes: Kay Unger, Kate Spade, Helmut Lang, Nicole Miller, 7 for all Mankind, James Perse, Theory, Via Spiga, Laundry by Design, Hanky Panky... just to name a few. I scored myself a Helmut Lang sheer tank top for about $30... woohoo! It is invite only, so let me know if you want in. :]

x,

Frances

Post-It Note Art

2008-12-28T19:51:00.000-08:00

Weburbanist.com did some crazy shit with post-it notes. I'm definitely inspired. I brought back the majority of my art supplies from home, so I'm gonna start getting back into the groove of that as well. Anyway, check out this:

Will someone please do that to my walls?

Lanvin <3 Acne

2008-12-27T18:21:00.000-08:00

Lanvin and Acne Jeans have recently joined forces to create an amazing denim line that works creatively with the beloved fabric. Blue denim is definitely making a comeback in all things non-skinny pants! And it's great.

x,

Frances

Chuck

2008-12-26T22:41:00.000-08:00

It's hard to get enough of him, I know. He's a fat and furry. Ladies, he's single. I should really start trying to take more pictures of people instead of my cat.

And I had to include this picture of my two cute Asian parents... haha. Ok, I might have staged this JUST a little bit, but not really even...

---

Anyway, today I woke up to some Dunkin Donuts, drove to Austin, went straight to work, came home and watched CSI. I am exhausted. I hope your day was more interesting than mine!

x,

Frances

fashion faceoff.

2008-12-25T00:08:00.000-08:00

When it really comes down to basics like these... well, the label vs. your pocket...

Old Navy Buffalo-Check Flannel Shirt $24.50 3.1 Phillip Lim Plaid Boyfriend Shirt $250

American Apparel Melange Jersey Pocket Skirt $30 A.P.C. Bow Pocket Skirt $290

Silence & Noise Moto Zip Matte Legging $58 Les Chiffoniers Leather Leggings $955

---

Caught this baby at Northpark today. It started out pretty slow but then it got really intense when they finally cut down to the chase. Really a strange character... movies like these about controversial people are always awkward because it forces you to try to understand where they came from... and then you start to feel sympathetic and then you begin to feel guilty for feeling sympathetic because you're really supposed to hate them because they kind of fucked everything up. So I guess, it worked... because it did get me thinking in the other direction. It started to make me question... meh, well Michael Sheen did a really good job playing Nixon because his voice was creepy as hell.

---

Oh and apparently I'm an advertisement.

Wahhh!!! Weird!

x,

Frances

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

2008-12-23T16:56:00.000-08:00

A genuinely great story. This is the movie I feel everyone looks out for. If you want to see a movie that celebrates life and love, then Slumdog Millionaire is the movie to see this year. It's smart. It's clever. It's funny. It's sad. I wasn't wowed on any artistic factor but in the grand scheme of things, that's not what is important. I don't think it was trying to go out of its way to be an independent film on the level of style. And that's great because I think it might have lost itself by doing that. It was simply a story. A really really good story. Sure to become a lot of people's favorites, no doubt. All I've been hearing are great great great things. The soundtrack is not that bad either. Seeing how the movie was set in India, the popular Sri Lankan, M.I.A., who is rarely shy when it comes to singing about her political opinions... was a really fabulous fit. One of the last movies that you will most likely catch before the year's end, and it'll surely be on the top of your favorites, I promise. It's worth it if you believe in love. Or maybe even more so if you don't.

x,

Frances

Les Merles

Etsy Update: Black and White

Etsy Update: Leather and Suede until I die.

Mesh Mesh Mesh, Fur Fur Fur, Studs Studs Studs

I travel a lot. This time I went to Canada.

Gumbo's

Boots, Studs, and Denim on the Etsy

We Fuse is Le Fresh!

Update to the Etsy page

Where is the spiciest salsa in Austin?

Snuggie for Fashion Week?

Inseparable

Evil Twin

Some overexposed holgas ...

Blast from the Past: Hairbows

Frozen Bananas and Kitties

San Francisco in a Nutshell

SFSFSFSF

Tamale House: Recession Migas

Mamboberry: SoCo's foodstand cure for heatstroke

Tacodeli

Rainbow Arabia = Summer

On the road again

L to the AAAAA

Detouring America With Horns

See By Chloe Zip Front Black Dress

What a steal: Vintage Bottega Veneta Booties

Oh Hai.

Who is John Locke?

Balmain and the Beatles

Goodbye People I Never Knew

If You're Going To...

All I Do Is Eat.

PSHS Band Student vs. Swine Flu!

Lifesize Uglydoll / Pillow / Happiness

Sampaio and Heath Bar goodness

Stylish Swine Flu Masks. YES!!

Peep Show!

Bennu is the new Epoch

CRUGGS. the end is near.

Rudo y Cursi

what i eat everyday

I Have It.

CHIA Obama

Counter Cafe & Art City Austin

Flower Power

The Hustle for Mayor

Raspberry Cupcakes

Tonight You Belong To Me

i am only going to eat grapes

why would you want to know about anyone else?

the uncontradictory libra.

Hyde Park Bar & Grill: Healthy Heartattack...

Everyone Poops

Nice Snuggie

Oh Sriracha

Britney Spears and Pacman Donuts

Julio's, Flashlight Party, Mommy

Perez Hilton, Fires, Sunsets, and Dead Birds

Trying to look decent on a rainy day.

Fin.

Passion Pit, Thao Nguyen, Andrew Bird, and more

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS!

ONE NIGHT IN AUSTIN

straps, straps, straps

YELP! at SXSW

SXSW Select.

The Incredible Moses Leroy - Fuzzy

True Texas Fashion

The Woodland - Austin Restaurant Week

Austin Kite Festival

wrapping my brain around SXSW.

Your 3 Favorite Movies and a Praying Mantis

Black Condoms, Viet Sandwiches and NEW Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Plastic Bag Bras and Snuggie Pub Crawls

Crickets at La Condesa.

Circle One: Yes or No

FOTOS! AQUI!

MC vs. FML

Girl in marketing with the glorious Heiny(i only hoped this MC was about me, since I am a Marketing major... sigh... hahaha)

Girl in marketing with the glorious Heiny
(i only hoped this MC was about me, since I am a Marketing major... sigh... hahaha)

The Wiener of the Karaoke Contest - 69 (The Real Hot Dog King)
(LOL)

I looked at your socks today in class. - w4m - 20
(cute. sigh!)