The first city for the Manolo Big Girls Face to Face will be announced tomorrow!

If you want to cast a vote for your city, be sure to comment. If a city gets enough votes, we’ll try to work it in to this or subsequent tours.

Francesca and Plumcake wish all our Jewish readers a very happy Hanukah!

Someone once said it’s better to give than it is to receive, and while I suppose that’s true in certain areas –social diseases and fruitcakes spring primarily to mind– I say, why pick? With that in mind, here is a list of Plumcake-approved presents for you and those fortunate enough to share your company. Stay tuned as I’ll be doing small, gift-o-the-day segments until the end of the year. Remember, it still counts as a gift if you buy it for yourself!

For the Rock and Roll Novice:
Five American rock albums that changed the face of pop as grudingly agreed upon by an iconic ‘zine publisher, a former editor of Spin and myself

1) Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys
2) Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan
3) The Ramones – The Ramones
4) Appetite for Destruction – Guns and Roses
5) Nevermind – Nirvana

For You:

The 1976 Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll
Psychotic Reactions and Carburator Dung – Lester Bangs (Plumcake’s literary hero)

For Your All-Nighter-Pulling College Friend:

Turkish Coffee Maker

For You:

Hamilton Beach Cappuccino Maker

For Your Favorite Fixer-Upper Fella(c’mon girls, we all have them):

Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion – Alan Flusser (see manolomen for details)

For You:

Valentino scarf in the designer’s signature red

For Your Hot Gay Boyfriend:

A pair of Viv Westwood sneakers

For You:

MORE Viv Westwood (these are the legendary “Prostitute Sex Shoes”)

For the next three weeks, take $30 off at checkout, if you’ve purchased at least $100 worth of items, by entering code WLH4037.

Coldwater Creek is running a sale on their sweaters, many of which are available through size 3X. Though some of the models are too precious for Francesca’s taste, many others would look very handsome on the lady of class.

Francesca says: Do.

Francesca says: Don’t.

Do

Don’t

xoxo, Francesca

Winter is a great time to start thinking about your Spring/Summer wardrobe additions, because there’s so much warmer-weather clothing on sale. Right now, for instance, at b&lu, there’s a dress sale going on. Use promo code DRESSUP and get 30% off dresses.

But dresses aren’t all they have on sale. They also have some pretty, summery tops at hugely discounted prices, as well. Take for instance, this lovely, textured chiffon top:

It’s available in pink or blue (as shown) for just $24.00 (regular price $44.00). I don’t know about you, but looking at this is making me think warm thoughts.

Edited because, really, it’s rude to direct people to a sale and then fail to give them any links. Alas! Twistie is far from immune to the phenomenon known as the brainfart.

Take 25% off your purchase at Avenue.com (sizes 14-32) by entering code 71298 at checkout. This code is good until Thursday.

Look, for those of you who remember fondly the days when pants started at one’s waist, Avenue offers pants with different cuts, those that sit above, at, and below the waist. Francesca knows that some of you have been yearning for pants like this, and is so very happy to find them for you.

See, from their “Classic Fit” collection, which sits at the waist, are these cuffed pants, very nice for work and available in sizes 14-26 – including Petite and Tall versions!

Happy shopping!

xoxo, Francesca

You know, every time I do this, you guys make it harder on me to declare just one winner. No, it won’t stop the madness, by any means. It just means I get more belly laughs every time we play this game, so thank you.

Last week I hit you with this gem of an image:

and you replied with twenty different – and hilarious – captions.

Before I announce the winner, I do have to mention a couple runners-up that made this decision quite difficult. Kudos to LeAnn for:

Bob realizes he just doesn’t have what it takes to join the B-52’s.

and to kayaitch for:

Unfortunately, the offspring of Munchkins were much larger than their parents, and were forced to leave Munchkinland. “Muchkinland Memories Day” was often too sad for Jeremy to bear.

But in the end, there can be only one winner, and today that winner is Elizabeth for the classic:

Nigel was troubled. He had ached to be invited to the tea cozy party, and yet – was it just him, or was his tea cozy smaller than everyone else’s?

Congratulations, Elizabeth, and thanks to everyone who played.