sunday morning started off pleasant enough. i woke up without my alarm, feeling rested and content. did our taxes, and actually thought about opening a barbri book or two. i was going through our mail and paying bills when...
ok, i actually need to stop for a minute. i just re-read the past few sentences and realized how much my life has changed over the past 3-4 years. filling out IRS form 1040 and paying bills is the start to a nice little sunday? ohhh, back to college, and sundays past... a nice little sunday started around noon with brunch at the caf, where friends would regale you with tales of what you had done the night before, and everyone shared some disgustingly greasy hashbrowns to ward off impending hangovers. actually, i'm fairly certain hangovers weren't even an issue in my world, at that point. but okay, i digress. just had to point out that, yes, i absolutely do understand just how odd it is that taxes & bill paying are current weekend highlights.
but, ok, back to the VISA statement. i open up the bill and see the amount due: $321.21. which would probably be "in the ballpark," if i weren't so OCD about constantly checking my account balance and knowing exactly how much i've charged. but since the aforementioned is true, i was sure that the balance due should have been something around $290-ish. so i'm looking over the bill, and i see the following, in tiny INCONSPICUOUS print near the top:
"To avoid initial interest charge: If you pay your new purchase balance of $296.96 by Feb. 23, 2010, your initial interest charge of $24.25 will be refunded on your next statement."
ok, are you kidding me? i am pre-emptively being charged interest? there are no less than three locations on the face of my bill where, IN BOLD, my balance due is shown as $321.21. apparently the friendly folks at macy's VISA are hoping i don't read the small print and just pay that extra $24.25. their "disclosure" is completely misleading anyway. the initial interest charge will be refunded? that raises two questions: (1) do i pay the $321.21 to avoid penalty, thereby giving macy's VISA the additional $24.25 which can then be refunded? (2) do i simply pay the correct amount of $296.96? because if i do, then what does macy's VISA have to refund?
the ambiguous disclosure prompted a call to macy's VISA customer service and, as you might imagine, left me feeling less than satisfied. the customer service rep (and yes, i know, it's not her fault; she has no control over the credit card policies being implemented or changed at macy's VISA) tried to explain the policy to me, but couldn't quite explain what the disclosure meant. she did reiterate that i was to pay only the $296.96, but agreed that the disclosure was misleading and that the average consumer would have no idea how to proceed without potentially incurring late fees/interest charges. then, the kicker. i expressed my surprise at macy's VISA's decision to implement this new pre-emptive interest charge policy in the face of all this new, supposedly consumer-friendly, protective legislation recently enacted. and the customer service rep. responds, "well, actually, that's exactly why macy's VISA did this. we're trying to help our consumers and protect them."
ummm, whaaaa? by adding a charge not yet incurred in the hopes that your customers mistakenly pay that amount? there are lots of other ways to protect consumers, IF that were the true goal. perhaps macy's VISA wants to show customers the interest charge they will incur if their bill is not paid in full by the due date. that type of disclosure could be duly noted at any number of locations on the bill. and the "balance due" amounts shown could, and furthermore SHOULD, reflect the actual charges incurred (minus the bogus interest charge).
yeah, so i'm fired up. and, obviously, it's not because i was duped. it's because i'm fairly certain that this new practice will result in customers paying charges they absolutely should not be paying. (and if my interest fee was $24.25 on a $296.96 bill, imagine what other fees would be for larger balances!) predatory practices like these are exactly the types of things that should be targeted by new consumer protection legislation. because $25, $50 or $75 a month more in the pockets of american families can be vital in this economy. it might pay for the additional heat expenses incurred during the winter. it might buy a week's worth of groceries. it might pay for an unexpected doctor's visit. the reality, like it or not, is that we are a credit card carrying society. some people make their financial situation work because they are able to take advantage of the predictable policies of, for example, credit cards. when credit card companies change those policies willy-nilly, it's unfair and can cause real financial stress for real people.
a little example, from la casa de fueger. i get paid twice a month, on the 5th and the 20th. regardless of the number of weeks, etc., i can count on those two paychecks each month. now, this can be a little dicey at times (esp. in those months where there's an extra week, which means more groceries, more gas, and larger utility bills, but the same amount received). additionally, it seems that 75% of the bills we pay are due between the 25th -- 3rd of the month. the last few days before my paycheck on the 5th could be a little stressful, but since our credit card statement closes on the 16th, i can always charge groceries and pay our credit card bill with my next paycheck. this works well, and has for the past 6 months. but let's say the statement end date/billing date changed. i mean, i guess we'd just rely on savings and replenish that amount later in the month, but what if we didn't have that option? because, especially in this economy, i don't know that a lot of american families have savings accounts to rely on. and this BS policy pisses me off. it's a company taking more money out of the pockets of its consumers completely unnecessarily. and you can bet that if i paid the $321.21 listed as due, macy's VISA would not be refunding my $24.25 with interest calculated from the time it wrongfully accepted the extra funds. oh god no. but if we, as consumers, pay our bills even ONE day late, we're going to accrue fees and charges, no matter what.
i get that credit card companies are running a for-profit business. they wouldn't provide these "services" if doing so wasn't incredibly lucrative. and i agree, if you don't pay your bill in full or on time, then you have to deal with the consequences of that decision. however, to pre-emptively take more consumer money underservedly is a different story, in my opinion.
what's the solution? i guess cancelling my macy's VISA is one option. and i can't imagine that the company is going to do anything in the face of my cutting-up-my-card defiance. but i do hope that this long, ranting post will encourage you to take a look at your own credit card statements a little more closely. i have to believe that if macy's VISA is doing this, then other companies are getting in on the fun, too. don't give out an interest-free loan in the form of an un-incurred interest charge! just. say. no. power to the people! haha.
(i will return to my regularly scheduled posts involving felt, silk and adorable creations later this week!)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
quo?
i write this for no other reason than because i wish to share with you my pure joy over the following:
after long last, i. have. beaten. john. at. scrabble. it's a little like the proverbial beating mr. so and so at his own game. yes, that's exactly what it's like.
it was slightly rewarding when sir johnny thought he'd won the game on his second turn, with the word "quo." turns out quo, in and of itself, is not a word.
though i can't really blame him. i was convinced, up until awhile ago (a short while ago), that "cloe" was a word. cloe... you know, the singular form of clothes? some clothes, one cloe. riiiiight? apparently not.
but... i digress. the point is... i won. i'm the winner.
and victory tastes a little like winking owl chardonnay!
we (ok, me) are currently enjoying this victory (ok, he's pouting in his recliner) while sipping wine (ok, he's sipping on a cool one) and listening to michael buble on SNL.
sooo, now that you know the rest of the story, i'm going to get back to making these adorable little creations.
(yes, that is a barbri book hiding under the little flower pins. sort of summarizes the level of priority at this point.)
after long last, i. have. beaten. john. at. scrabble. it's a little like the proverbial beating mr. so and so at his own game. yes, that's exactly what it's like.
it was slightly rewarding when sir johnny thought he'd won the game on his second turn, with the word "quo." turns out quo, in and of itself, is not a word.
though i can't really blame him. i was convinced, up until awhile ago (a short while ago), that "cloe" was a word. cloe... you know, the singular form of clothes? some clothes, one cloe. riiiiight? apparently not.
but... i digress. the point is... i won. i'm the winner.
and victory tastes a little like winking owl chardonnay!
we (ok, me) are currently enjoying this victory (ok, he's pouting in his recliner) while sipping wine (ok, he's sipping on a cool one) and listening to michael buble on SNL.
sooo, now that you know the rest of the story, i'm going to get back to making these adorable little creations.
(yes, that is a barbri book hiding under the little flower pins. sort of summarizes the level of priority at this point.)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
the sweater series, part II.
ok, so i promise that i will not make this blog a chronicle of my attempts to re-create ann taylor cardigans for a fraction of the price. however, i do want to share this second sweater project because i made it without the use of my sewing machine (take note, future mrs. rhino!), and it turned out super cute!
i had this tired white cardigan lying around from an out-of-town wedding weekend where the temperatures on arrival were surprisingly low, and i had to run into target at the last minute to prevent frostbite. two years later, it was looking a little sad and was, therefore, the perfect candidate for my next attempt at cardigan embellishing.
first, i took 1/2 yard of white silk (in retrospect, i could have used 1/4; i have a lot left over), and attached it to a cardboard piece to pull it taut. i attached clothespins around the sides to accomplish this task. the silk was folded in half before attaching it to the cardboard (so when i cut the circles -explained below- there would be two circles each time). i traced around a soup can approximately 30 times, and cut out the circles (i ended up using approximately 60+ circles).
once the circles were cut out, i folded each one in half twice and set to work sewing them on the sweater. some were folded more loosely, some tighter, to create the finished look. each little circle piece was affixed by a few hand-stitches. all in all, approximately 2.5 hours of work, but i think it would take less time the second time around as i found some time-savers while working on the project.
happy handstitching!
i had this tired white cardigan lying around from an out-of-town wedding weekend where the temperatures on arrival were surprisingly low, and i had to run into target at the last minute to prevent frostbite. two years later, it was looking a little sad and was, therefore, the perfect candidate for my next attempt at cardigan embellishing.
first, i took 1/2 yard of white silk (in retrospect, i could have used 1/4; i have a lot left over), and attached it to a cardboard piece to pull it taut. i attached clothespins around the sides to accomplish this task. the silk was folded in half before attaching it to the cardboard (so when i cut the circles -explained below- there would be two circles each time). i traced around a soup can approximately 30 times, and cut out the circles (i ended up using approximately 60+ circles).
once the circles were cut out, i folded each one in half twice and set to work sewing them on the sweater. some were folded more loosely, some tighter, to create the finished look. each little circle piece was affixed by a few hand-stitches. all in all, approximately 2.5 hours of work, but i think it would take less time the second time around as i found some time-savers while working on the project.
happy handstitching!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
if you want to destroy my sweater, hold this thread as i walk away...
you know that old cliche? something about your eyes being too big for your plate? or maybe it's your stomach? i can't remember. but i experience that phenomenon with fashion... and my budget. no, really. that ann taylor is such a b*tch! if she were a real woman, i'm sure i'd hate her. she'd be the all-too-perfectly groomed woman who has it all together, effortlessly juggling a successful career, motherhood, etc. ughhh. ok, but anyway, the real point of this is that every so often, i get this urge to go on more than a little shopping spree, but my financial reality doesn't always allow for these expenditures. so. today i decided to take a proactive stance against my shopaholic compulsions.
i started with this plain purple cardigan i got on clearance at target for $3.99.
a trip to joann fabrics later, and i had the necessary supplies... and set to work embellishing.
i replaced the purple buttons with black ones, and added some lace on both sides. i have to admit... i'm pretty satisfied that i didn't end up ruining the cardigan altogether! besides my budgetary constraints, i also suffer from an amazing ability to overestimate my own abilities. i always see projects and think "oh, i could do that" or "i should make that," and sometimes i'm just a little too ambitious for my own good. this sweater project, thankfully, was not one of those times. i'm excited for some more new projects... and to try my hand at revamping some of the more tired members of my closet!
i started with this plain purple cardigan i got on clearance at target for $3.99.
a trip to joann fabrics later, and i had the necessary supplies... and set to work embellishing.
i replaced the purple buttons with black ones, and added some lace on both sides. i have to admit... i'm pretty satisfied that i didn't end up ruining the cardigan altogether! besides my budgetary constraints, i also suffer from an amazing ability to overestimate my own abilities. i always see projects and think "oh, i could do that" or "i should make that," and sometimes i'm just a little too ambitious for my own good. this sweater project, thankfully, was not one of those times. i'm excited for some more new projects... and to try my hand at revamping some of the more tired members of my closet!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
southwestern bean casserole.
i'm sitting here in my pretty pink snuggie, trying to concentrate on a stack of cases involving workers' compensation notice requirements, but am not-so-secretly distracted by a nagging worry involving poor circulation and fingers as cold as icicles. not exactly the most eventful tuesday night. but anyway, i digress.
it's cold and foggy outside, which john eloquently described as "eerily peaceful" awhile ago. just one of those nights where curling up on the couch (minus the workers' comp stuff) in a snuggie is about the best idea around. and a perfect dinner on a night like this was... southwestern bean casserole.
it's not going to shock anyone that i have a slight touch of OCD-ish-ness, and this means that yes, i do like to plan out meals for the week before going grocery shopping. the motivation behind this is threefold: (1) it saves a lot of time by eliminating the 30+ minute "what are we going to have for dinner" dance; (2) it is the most effective way to reign in my food budget (i'm what my mother-in-law would describe as a "foodie;" i love to cook and i'm always up for buying exotic ingredients to try new dishes. left to my own devices at the grocery store, john and i would be poor beggars with very discriminating palates); and (3) it ensures that we always have the necessary recipe ingredients on hand. i happen to have a fairly extensive collection of recipe books, and one of my favorite weekend pastimes is spreading them all out and pouring through while searching for new ways to spice up fueger family dinnertime. cooking/sharing the dinner meal is my favorite part of the day. cooking was definitely a stress outlet for me in law school, and it's continued to be something i look forward to on a daily basis. i think its partially due to the fact that i can lose, or maybe even find, myself in cooking, and no matter how crappy my day might have been, spending the time to prepare something for john and i to eat as we share a conversation about our days is enjoyable and rewarding. it's also satisfying to know that john's more than proficient and willing to pick up the slack on the off chance i don't feel like cooking. i guess that's why cooking has yet to feel like a burden to me. but anyway, one of the cookbooks newly added to my collection is "the best of cooking light: everyday favorites," a christmas gift from john. tonight i made southwestern bean casserole. it was comfort food with a little kick. it would be a great go-to recipe when you're low on time (or need to feed a small crowd on a small budget; all the ingredients are reasonably priced and probably already adorn the pantry shelves of the economical chef). so, without further ado: here's the recipe. enjoy!
1 tsp. canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup canned, no-salt added cream-style corn, divided
1/2 cup drained canned chopped green chiles, divided
1/2 cup bottled salsa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. gr. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 (16 oz.) cans pinto beans, drained
1 (14.5 oz) can no-salt added stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 cup reduced fat shredeed Cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk (I always keep the powdered mix on hand; it worked perfectly, as usual)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 mins. Add 1/2 cup corn, 1/4 cup chiles, salsa and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 mins. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese; set aside.
3. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a med. bowl. Combine remaining corn, chiles, cheese, buttermilk, 1/4 cup oil, and egg whites; add to cornmeal mixtur, sitrring until just moist. Spread corn bread batter evenly over bean mixture. Bake casserole at 375 for 25 mins. or until corn bread is lightly browned.
it's cold and foggy outside, which john eloquently described as "eerily peaceful" awhile ago. just one of those nights where curling up on the couch (minus the workers' comp stuff) in a snuggie is about the best idea around. and a perfect dinner on a night like this was... southwestern bean casserole.
it's not going to shock anyone that i have a slight touch of OCD-ish-ness, and this means that yes, i do like to plan out meals for the week before going grocery shopping. the motivation behind this is threefold: (1) it saves a lot of time by eliminating the 30+ minute "what are we going to have for dinner" dance; (2) it is the most effective way to reign in my food budget (i'm what my mother-in-law would describe as a "foodie;" i love to cook and i'm always up for buying exotic ingredients to try new dishes. left to my own devices at the grocery store, john and i would be poor beggars with very discriminating palates); and (3) it ensures that we always have the necessary recipe ingredients on hand. i happen to have a fairly extensive collection of recipe books, and one of my favorite weekend pastimes is spreading them all out and pouring through while searching for new ways to spice up fueger family dinnertime. cooking/sharing the dinner meal is my favorite part of the day. cooking was definitely a stress outlet for me in law school, and it's continued to be something i look forward to on a daily basis. i think its partially due to the fact that i can lose, or maybe even find, myself in cooking, and no matter how crappy my day might have been, spending the time to prepare something for john and i to eat as we share a conversation about our days is enjoyable and rewarding. it's also satisfying to know that john's more than proficient and willing to pick up the slack on the off chance i don't feel like cooking. i guess that's why cooking has yet to feel like a burden to me. but anyway, one of the cookbooks newly added to my collection is "the best of cooking light: everyday favorites," a christmas gift from john. tonight i made southwestern bean casserole. it was comfort food with a little kick. it would be a great go-to recipe when you're low on time (or need to feed a small crowd on a small budget; all the ingredients are reasonably priced and probably already adorn the pantry shelves of the economical chef). so, without further ado: here's the recipe. enjoy!
1 tsp. canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup canned, no-salt added cream-style corn, divided
1/2 cup drained canned chopped green chiles, divided
1/2 cup bottled salsa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. gr. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 (16 oz.) cans pinto beans, drained
1 (14.5 oz) can no-salt added stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 cup reduced fat shredeed Cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk (I always keep the powdered mix on hand; it worked perfectly, as usual)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 mins. Add 1/2 cup corn, 1/4 cup chiles, salsa and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 mins. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese; set aside.
3. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a med. bowl. Combine remaining corn, chiles, cheese, buttermilk, 1/4 cup oil, and egg whites; add to cornmeal mixtur, sitrring until just moist. Spread corn bread batter evenly over bean mixture. Bake casserole at 375 for 25 mins. or until corn bread is lightly browned.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
"flea market" style.
i have what i think can best be described as "flea market" style. the eclectic mix of things that adorns my walls and clutters my corners tells lots of great stories and could ignite many interesting discussions, but collectively lacks a coherent, pulled-together, pottery-barn-esque theme. and it's not that i don't want that. because i admire that pulled together, pristine, tastefully decorated living space. i really do. i spend hours perusing home decorating sites, and i have high hopes for re-creating the ambience i can almost feel from the pictures. i'm content wasting hours in stores like crate & barrel and pier one and anthropologie, and no, i don't need anything... i just like "looking" and admiring all the pretty, tasteful "things." but when it comes right down to it, i guess i'm just happier with these randoms odds and ends i've acquired. in fact, this accumulation trait has earned my abode the "hodge podge lodge" nickname from my sister (she even found a sign bearing the moniker, and it's proudly displayed on the tv stand, explaining the decorating scheme to otherwise bewildered guests).
anyway, my mom and i share this love for interesting pieces (though mom is disproportionately more skilled than i at tying everything together), which usually translates into me stealing her decorating ideas and sometimes even the objects themselves. which brings me to the. red. stool. my great-grandpa's red stool. it's just a simple antique step-stool. i've seen the likes of them at antique stores galore; they're not even that expensive. but, i've been in love with the thing since my mom "inherited" it. and if we're being completely honest here, i've been pretty vocal about my love for the stool, as well as my own personal opinion that it would look great in my kitchen because of its similarity to my prized carnation cabinet. (see below. a one of a kind find, that i just had to have. i may have threatened john with divorce in between assorted bouts of bad behavior before he finally said, "fine, get the cabinet. i just don't understand why something that old would cost more than something new.")
ok, so i wanted the stool, and i made no bones about it. but i really thought that this would be our running joke. i'd continue to whine about how the stool would look better in my kitchen, my mom would continue to express surprise at my brazen ways, my siblings would express disgust at my lack of tact, and my father would continue to yell about how i steal things from my mom. (which is not entirely true, pops. because my mom and i do trade various things. "this would look better with your stuff" 's and "i found this and thought of you" 's are constantly being exchanged)
last weekend, my brothers, dad and sister were all out of town at a hockey tournament, and lest my mother come down with a horrible case of empty nest, i decided to invite her for dinner on saturday night. she took us up on the invite (because john makes a mean quesadilla!) and when she arrived for the meal, she had brought the stool.
the. red. stool.
i tried to convince her to take it back. all the while john is shaking his head and ruefully asking, "when are you going to buy your own stuff and stop stealing your mom's?" i'm actually getting really sappy and sentimental at this point because my mom is explaining how it really does look better in my kitchen, and how she always likes to sit in my kitchen and talk... and how she would rather use the stool at my house. soooo, now the stool is mine.
it means a lot to me. i was fortunate enough to have known my great-grandpa (who was the original owner of the stool) for fourteen years, and i have a lot of wonderful memories of being at his house and spending time with him. when i look at the stool, it is a little overwhelming (i know, i'm being slightly dramatic) because it makes me feel so loved and so grateful to have such a wonderful family.
i guess the moral of this story is that no matter how much time i spend wishing my house looked like the pages of some home-decorating magazine, i really wouldn't have it any other way. i live in a collection of memories that i treasure dearly. i'm working towards embracing my "flea market" style completely.
stay tuned for updates on some projects i'm planning with some of my more unique finds!
anyway, my mom and i share this love for interesting pieces (though mom is disproportionately more skilled than i at tying everything together), which usually translates into me stealing her decorating ideas and sometimes even the objects themselves. which brings me to the. red. stool. my great-grandpa's red stool. it's just a simple antique step-stool. i've seen the likes of them at antique stores galore; they're not even that expensive. but, i've been in love with the thing since my mom "inherited" it. and if we're being completely honest here, i've been pretty vocal about my love for the stool, as well as my own personal opinion that it would look great in my kitchen because of its similarity to my prized carnation cabinet. (see below. a one of a kind find, that i just had to have. i may have threatened john with divorce in between assorted bouts of bad behavior before he finally said, "fine, get the cabinet. i just don't understand why something that old would cost more than something new.")
ok, so i wanted the stool, and i made no bones about it. but i really thought that this would be our running joke. i'd continue to whine about how the stool would look better in my kitchen, my mom would continue to express surprise at my brazen ways, my siblings would express disgust at my lack of tact, and my father would continue to yell about how i steal things from my mom. (which is not entirely true, pops. because my mom and i do trade various things. "this would look better with your stuff" 's and "i found this and thought of you" 's are constantly being exchanged)
last weekend, my brothers, dad and sister were all out of town at a hockey tournament, and lest my mother come down with a horrible case of empty nest, i decided to invite her for dinner on saturday night. she took us up on the invite (because john makes a mean quesadilla!) and when she arrived for the meal, she had brought the stool.
the. red. stool.
i tried to convince her to take it back. all the while john is shaking his head and ruefully asking, "when are you going to buy your own stuff and stop stealing your mom's?" i'm actually getting really sappy and sentimental at this point because my mom is explaining how it really does look better in my kitchen, and how she always likes to sit in my kitchen and talk... and how she would rather use the stool at my house. soooo, now the stool is mine.
it means a lot to me. i was fortunate enough to have known my great-grandpa (who was the original owner of the stool) for fourteen years, and i have a lot of wonderful memories of being at his house and spending time with him. when i look at the stool, it is a little overwhelming (i know, i'm being slightly dramatic) because it makes me feel so loved and so grateful to have such a wonderful family.
i guess the moral of this story is that no matter how much time i spend wishing my house looked like the pages of some home-decorating magazine, i really wouldn't have it any other way. i live in a collection of memories that i treasure dearly. i'm working towards embracing my "flea market" style completely.
stay tuned for updates on some projects i'm planning with some of my more unique finds!
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