I had a little time to kill, so when I saw the sign for Frances out of the corner of my eye, I pulled a U-Turn and turned into their lot.
I'd just read about Frances the other day and I'd wanted to check it out. For some reason I thought it was in Ahwatukee, but maybe that is because these boutiquey places have been popping up here lately.
Turns out Frances just celebrated their 5 year anniversary this month. I can see why.
They have a lot of kitschy stuff in there. And most of it is really cool! I like the Tyvek wallets and kids' stuff, especially. I also like their sister store, which has home goods.
I couldn't leave this place without buying SOMETHING because I'd browsed for so long. I ended up buying a dog toy for my shih tzu... on sale for $5... and a $1 eraser from Japan that looks like a Geisha. My dog loved her toy and my daughter will be surprised when I pop that eraser in her school bag in a couple months.
As for the clothing, it is not my style. Nor is most of the jewelry. But they have a lot of very nice (and pricey) items that would make great gifts for any occasion.
I will definitely take my sister in here when she is in town, but I'm just not cool enough to wear these clothes. ;)