Life Out Loud

Dime Bag

A different kind of dime bag.

This Hollister beach/tote has been my daughter's go-to bag all summer long.

Made sweeter by the fact that I scored it for 10 cents (CENTS!) at a garage sale.

(Hint: Always look on the floor!) it was crumpled up under a table which is why I'm sure it wasn't snapped up earlier.

An Award? You Like Me! You Really, Really Like Me!

I don't usually brag (much) but um -- I WON AN AWARD. The National Newspaper Association awarded me "Honorable Mention, Best Humorous Column, Daily & Non‐daily Division, circulation 8,000 or more, The first cut is the deepest, Kymberly Foster Seabolt."

I have won an actual award for writing! Well for writing and ALMOST SEVERING MY OWN FINGER WITH A MANDOLIN SLICER BECAUSE I'M SIMPLE but really - for writing (and bleeding). I am so excited right now I cannot stand myself. Cue my Sally Field moment "You like me, You really, really like me!"

That, or they just took pity on a bleeder.

When A Bargain is Not a Bargain (Spotting a Fake)

I love a great deal. eBay has great deals! I saved easily 50% off the price of Philosophy's When Hope is Not Enough purchasing it on eBay versus what I would have paid on Philosophy's website or major retailer.

Doesn't this look great?

I loved and used it on my face nightly for at weeks, sure I had beaten the system. What a bargain!

Then I ran out and realized I had no time to wait for shipping (attention to detail not my strong suit). I sucked it up and picked up a bottle at Ulta, a verified retailer of authentic Philosophy products. Sure it stung to pay full price but sometimes a (vain) girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Once home, I placed the new (Ulta) bottle next to the old (eBay) bottle and got an eye opening surprise.

Can you see the difference now?

See how the Ulta-sourced bottle on the left has well placed font and design?

In comparison, the eBay-sourced bottle on the right looks sloppy. The spacing in "May we grow beautiful as we grow wise" is so wrong as to be laughable. It's not properly justified. The spacing may have been created by random use of the "tab" key while drunk. How did I ever fall for this? What manufacturer with the attention to detail that Philosophy products enjoys would have let that fly. I felt so Incredibly Stupid realizing how easily I had been fooled by a great price and what seemed like the same product - but wasn't.

The rear of the bottles tell the final story. The product from eBay is clearly an aftermarket knock off bottle and label. Although I (fortunately) did not have an adverse reaction to the product it contained, I think it's safe to assume that no one goes to the trouble of creating counterfeit packaging in order to fill it with 100% guaranteed original product.

How could I have been so blind? It's a wonder I'm NOT BLIND since I was putting goodness knows WHAT on my face for over a month, thinking I was using a tested and true product. I wasn't.

To reiterate: eBay. Awesome for car parts, trading cards, and random concert tee shirts and collectible plates. NOT awesome for purchase of facial products and skin care.

When purchasing a product priced "too good to be true" and a source that seems suspect at best (who ARE these people with truckloads of beauty products to be sold dirt cheap?) it pays to ask yourself what you would be willing to pay for a no name product of unknown origin. That's all you really "know" you are getting.

When it comes to purchasing authentic product it pays to remember that Hope Is Not Enough - literally.

PreGame

There are numerous action shots taken of the Amazing Athletic Weekend the WonderKids had this weekend. Our daughter, 13, was delighted to be invited to take part in the Adidas National Showcase with her middle school team. Our son, an incoming freshman, was thrilled to attend his first tournament with his high school soccer team. To say we are over the moon proud of these kids and the accomplishments following so much hard work is an understatement!

In all the actions shots, the headers, the amazing grace and leaps and speed there are two photos I come back to time and again as my absolute favorites of the weekend. These are the photos that, if I could only have two, I would keep forever.

To me these photos say it all.

Pray to Play ♥

Bunnehs!

The driveway bunnies continue their bid to not become even a little bit smarter. They remain firmly convinced that all cars will stop and/or swerve around them. This is the evolutionary process IN REVERSE. Eventually someone who is not me is going to come along and not be as invested in rolling down the window yelling "Bunnies. Move bunnies! Shoo bunnneeehhhs" and they are going to get creamed.

Not everyone has the crucial bunny herder instinct like I do.

My hero. That patio table umbrella wasn't blowing away on HIS watch.

Sweden o' the Mall

Ikea is basically a poor man's Pottery Barn. Impossible levels of charm and organization. Ikea also has meatballs while Pottery Barn has foolishly opted not to provide snacks.

I usually head to Ikea with a head full of amazing ideas and possibilities. Then I wander around for a few hours, become overwhelmed with all the choices, lose the tiny pencil they give you to take notes on where to find the items you want/need in the vast warehouse the size of Sweden, and come home with a black picture frame or a new ladle in some color that matches nothing in my house but would work well if I lived in a cool SoHo loft (which I do not). This time, however, I had a Plan. GirlWonder needed a new light fixture - something "funky" and "cool."

There is only one word for that: Ikea!


Admiring the Meatballs. (She actually ordered a salad because she REFUSES TO FOLLOW RULES).

No Idea what these are but they appear to be very well stocked.

Oh, a Snake Back Scratcher (?) Of course! (?) You really can't ever have too many of those.

Yes. This appears Funky Enough.

This is how they fool you into thinking that if you just put all your clutter behind glass front cabinets it becomes Art. The Swedes are a sneaky people.