Undomestic Diva

Congrats!

First they were too hard and now... to easy?!? Angie had it right - it's none other than a box of boring old envelopes. I wish it were the filter to a brand new air conditioner... but it's not. Have I mentioned the record 100+ degree heat we're having this week? Yeah.

Anyway, a big congrats to Angie... who will be receiving one pound of the Kopelani Coffee Beans that debuted at Starbuck's yesterday.

I'd write more, but I've got a sore throat that makes child birth seem tame. (OK, so not child birth. BUT IT REALLY, REALLY HURTS. If I were a man, I'd have spent the day in bed, watching a Bonanza marathon and dozing in and out. But I'm a mom, which, APPARENTLY, is a whole different thing and hypocrisy does not apply to me. (Although I wish it did.))

Guess That Photo Contest

In celebration of Starbuck's debuting their new Summer drinks today (which may or may not include energy drinks, double-shot espressos among summery blended creations), I thought I'd do a "Guess That Photo" contest where the winner will receive one pound of the just-on-the-shelves today Kopelani Blend Coffee Beans. It's a medium blend of African, Latin American and Kona Coffees and Starbucks should REALLY be paying me for saying all this. But they're not. I'm just an addict who can't help herself. (Good thing my vice is espresso and not alcohol. Am I right?)

Anyway, rules are same as always. Put your very, very specific guess in the comments section of this post. You may guess as many times as you'd like through 8:00 PM Pacific tonight. If more than one person guesses correctly, the prize goes to whoever either guessed first or was more specific. 

The photo has been cropped, but not skewed in any other way or fashion.

If no one figures it out, prize goes to the most creative guess. Good luck!

And the winner is...

So... we have a winner. Honestly, I don't know how you guys figure it out. OK, so most of you don't, but I wouldn't even know where to begin. Sometimes I look at the cropped picture and then think, HUH? even though, um hello! I'm the one who took it. So, I guess what I'm sayin' is MAD PROPS to all you guessers. I think your creative off-the-wall guesses are more entertaining than the contest itself, but whatever.

It shouldn't take you long to figure it out once I show you a few photos from Friday's outing with my guys and stepdad Wild Bill.

It was such a beautiful day... not that I need it to be beautiful or even slightly better than treacherous to go to my local Starbucks where everyone knows my name. Seriously. It's a problem. Actually, it's a problem when my local Target Starbucks knows my name, because, well, they probably serve thousands and thousands... I guess I just? stand-out? go too often? NAH.

Wild Bill and E-man, enjoying the 'Bux. Wild Bill's drink is a venti non-fat carmel macchiato with no foam. I don't know what this says about him, but I welcome suggestions.

On the other hand, Big T would just like me to remind you to "STAY AWAY FROM MY EFFING COFFEE, OK?? LADY WITH THE CAMERA (YES, YOU MOM!) BACK UP." 

L-Dub cannot be bothered either. Because he's got that bad boy gone before you can beg, "Can Mommy have a drin--- Oh. All gone?" He doesn't mess around. That's my kid!

Mmmm... yummy.

So have you figured it out yet? You know. The photo? Oh yeah...

Frankly, all of you should really be ashamed of yourselves for not IMMEDIATELY recognizing the Starbucks green. HELLO. IT'S ME, remember??

Actually, I couldn't believe anyone even came close. But Suzanne did with her winning guess "I think it shows a Starbucks drink, the top part is the lid." CLOSE ENOUGH. But ohmiGAWD, if you did not read the other guesses, you must. Us (as in the other wacky people who guessed and myself) are all one in the same: CRAZY. Just my style.

Congrats to Suzanne who is the very lucky recipient of Rebecca Woolf's (of Girl's Gone Child blog) book (SIGNED!!) Rockabye: From Wild to Child which comes out THIS WEEK.

Oh, but you are ALL winners today, because I am bestowing upon you this FREE priceless (hence FREE) piece of advice: If you need a cheap, easy way to entertain your kids (big or small) for a few minutes, all you have to do is ask them if they can reach their toes to their nose.

I know. I know. You can thank me some other time.

With luck like this, you better go out and get you a Lotto ticket.

UPDATED: Guess That Photo CONTEST

Alright. I admit, this one was more difficult since I jacked with the colors. So here's a different version of the same photo, only the colors are correct. Think people, think.

I will check back later tonight or early tomorrow to see if anyone's come close. If not, there will be one more clue or version of this photo.

So you listened, huh? Greedy bastards. Kidding. You're going to be really happy you came by - well, happy if you win is probably more like it - because there is a sweeeeet prize involved.

Rules are same as always: You can guess the photo as many times as you'd like in the comments section of this post. Guesses should be very specific, as there is only one prize. If more than one person guesses correctly, it goes to 1. the most specific answer and/or 2. whoever guesses first.

The photo has been cropped and jacked with in Photoshop, so this is just a piece of the big puzzle.

Oh yeah, you wanted to know what the prize is? Fine. But just know that I am extremely jealous. In the spirit of the upcoming Undomestic Reader's summertime book club, the winner will receive a SIGNED COPY of the not yet released (coming April 1st) book "Rockabye: From Wild to Child" from Girl's Gone Child author Rebecca Woolf. SIGNED, people. I WANT ONE.   

Anyway, contest runs through Sunday, March 30 until 8:00 PM PST with the winner announced Monday. Check back regularly thru the weekend - if no one has come close, I might just add a clue or two.

Good luck and good guessing!

We have a winner folks!

Oh my god, I loved your guesses. According to all of you, this balloon weight (it's what's inside of that foil-y shiny thing that holds down a balloon bouquet) is actually quite the multipurpose tool... a butt plug [?!], a garden statue, my meatloaf [wait a second...], a piece of the moon cut with "super kinzu knives" by a surgeon, molds for Madonna's bra... and so much more. If only the cement-cone-making people knew this, they'd be selling these like hot cakes.

Anyway.

Congrats to Trixiefan who guessed correctly, first. There were a few others of you who also ended up figuring it out, but the prize goes to the first person to post. Thank you to all of you who came up with the wild ass guesses. It was highly entertaining and you are all either completely whacked out of your minds (like me) or just, at least, highly imaginative.

LAST CLUE - Guess That Photo CONTEST!

OK, final clue(s): It is unwrapped, stands approximately 2.75 inches tall and is heavy, which only makes sense... if, of course, you figure out what it is.

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OK, so maybe this one is a tad bit more difficult than previous "Guess The Photo" contests. So I'm gonna just give you a photo of the whole thing. In all it's completeness. This is it. I couldn't show you more of it, because, well, there isn't more of it.

If no one gets it, prize will go to the most creative guess.

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It's that time again... another Guess That Photo contest.

Guess as many times as you would like in the comments section of this post. Be very specific, as there is only one prize. And here's your big clue: It's made of cement. So don't guess: "Is it cement?" Yes, yes it is, but that's not what I'm looking for.

Contest will run through the weekend, ending Sunday at 7:00 PM PST with the winner announced Monday. Winner will receive a $20 Starbucks gift card.

Here is the cropped version:

Good luck!

Wiiiiinnnnnnaaaaaa! AND the idea

OK, next time I swear I'll make it a little easier. Janelle in IL was the closest with her "two artfully placed clementines." Not to be too nit-picky or anything, but it's actually two oranges hanging from a branch. Congrats to Janelle who seems to have knack for creative and correct guesses.

Honorable Mentions to Alison for her guess "a chihuahua being sucked into the black hole;" Tommi's guess "someone holding up a giant origami duck against a blue backdrop;" and Sally's guess "it's a box of cereal(on the right)with a bag of chips on top and a banana on the left." Very specific, people. I like it!

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About the Not-A-Book-Club Book Club:

Seems like a lot of you guys are interested. COOL. If you haven't voted already, I've added a nifty little poll to the right where you can cast your vote for the Not-A-Book-Club Book Club. (It changes names frequently.) We may just get that baby going sooner than expected. Perhaps this is where you realize how un-cool I am as I get overly excited about a book club... that's not a book club. Club. Whatever.

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Check back later for another post, sometime after 10 am PST.

*UPDATE* An idea AND A CONTEST!

OK, maybe this photo is a little too difficult. Candy Ass told me no one would ever get it. Fine. Whatever. I guess I'll post a more PAINFULLY OBVIOUS photo. (Yes, I realize it's only painfully obvious to me because I'm the one who took the photo, but...) Don't forget to also give me the thumbs up or down on the non-book club book club along with your guess.

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I have a little idea I want to throw out there to see if you guys would be interested in a little something-something for summer. Yes, it sounds like a geeky book club, but really, it's sooooo much cooler. It's a second UD blog (for the summertime only) that features fun books to read and discuss. I know, it sounds like a book club. But it will be sooooo much cooler.

How? you ask, will this book club be soooooo much cooler? Well, let me try and come up with some good BS reasons.

[ahem]

1. Um, hello, it's my book club

2. We will give it a name that's soooo much better than just "book club." (And this could come about via a contest)

3. The book recommendations are going to be fun, not over-the-top profound literary accomplishments you had to read in college. (Hey, it's summer.)

4. We'll kick it off with a big contest in April or May.

5. Did I mention it's my book club?

So here's the deal. I need your feedback on the non-book club book club and I also need you to *surprise!* GUESS THAT PHOTO!

So, in the comments section of this post, please give a "yes" or "no" or an "interested" or "your idea really sucks" in addition to your guess for the following photo I've jacked with in Photoshop.

Guess as many times as you would like and be very specific. If more than one person answers correctly, it goes to the person who posted the correct answer first. Only one winna! winna! winna! of a copy of this lovely book my sister RV gave me for Christmas (that I am currently reading) shipped to you from Amazon.com:

How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else by Michael Gates Gill

Good luck and good guessing. Contest ends Sunday at 8 PM Pacific Time.   

Winner!!!!! Of a THONG!!!

Wooooooooooo-hooooooooooo!!!

Evil Chef Mom is the proud new owner of the Starbucksoholic thong, an amazing gift anyone should be so lucky to own. Evil Chef Mom came the closest with her guess "matting for photos." In actuality, it is a stack of photos, not matting, but what the hell, she was closest and she wins. The end.

I would like to give Honorable Mentions to Jenny who guessed "looking down into a file drawer of bills that have been paid with thoughts of 'there goes more money' and 'why is it so expensive this month?'" because, well, it just as well could have been; to Mechelle for her guess "pages of the latest sleazy novel you are reading?" because, I so wish; to Dawn for her mean-spirited - yet honest - guess "a vacuum filter that has never been cleaned since the first time it was used...... 5 years ago?" and last but not least, I have to give mention to Tommi who embraced the thong and expressed a need for one with "I need a thong like this to go with my smokin' espresso cup covered bra. It's just natural, really." Where do I get one of those????

You guys rock.

See you Monday, bright and early. Have a great weekend.

[I'll stop with the uncharacteristic cheeriness now and be back to bitter by Monday. I promise.]

**UPDATE** Guess That Photo CONTEST

Ok, people. It seems I made this one a teensy bit more difficult. Or is it that you just don't appreciate the Starbucksoholic thong? Because really, I don't expect you to wear it. I don't even expect you to tell your mother you won it. But I do expect you to wear your sense of humor and L-O-V-E it on some level, even if it's a rather disturbing level.

Since no one has figured it out, I'm posting a non-Photoshop'd photo instead... it's in its original form with the exception of being cropped. And because I'm feelin' kind nice, I added a second picture, a different cropped section of the original.

A couple clues: It is not edible and actually has nothing to do with Starbucks or the thong itself. It is actually many of the same kind of thing.

Contest continues until 8:00 PM PST Friday now, and if one has figured it out by then, the GLORIOUS thong goes to the most creative answer. Remember to be very specific.

 

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In a surprise turn of events, I am hosting another Guess That Photo contest, right here - right now. And you'll never believe the prize awaiting the winner... (If you missed yesterday's post, then this prize may not make a whole lotta sense.)

It turns out that the company AA ordered my new favorite pair of underwear from mistakenly shipped the package to the wrong state and therefore sent out a second pair in addition to re-routing the original order. So now I've got two. And too much of a good thing is, well, too much. 

So here are the rules: Enter as often and as much as you would like in the comments section of this post. Be very specific, as there is only one prize. If more than one person guesses correctly, it goes to whoever posted first. Contest runs until 8:00 PM PST Thursday with the winner announced Friday morning.

As usual, I've jacked with the photo in Photoshop just a little... to throw you off a bit and drive you crazy crazier.

Good luck and good guessing!

The photo:

The prize:

(But still in the plastic - OBVIOUSLY untouched, un-worn, never ever used. And if you win and do decide to wear them, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW.)