Warning - Don't Sign Up For BMG!

Just a quick warning to my friends to not sign up for BMG, based on the horrible experience I just had about...oh 5 minutes ago. I decided to finally redeem some of my free CD's, so I added the 4 that I wanted and went to the cart to checkout. I selected the Free CD drop down list and selected that I wanted to redeem 4.

I clicked the Update Your Cart button...nothing happened. Hmm...I clicked it again...again, nothing happened. I guess there's a bug in the system? I didn't get any error messages. Well, maybe I'll click Submit Order, and I'll get a page where I get to validate my order looks correct.

I click the Submit Order button - I get "Thank you, your order has been placed and a confirmation email has been sent...yada yada." But wait, I wonder, how will they know where my order is going? Oh, silly me, I forgot that I setup the Express Checkout...and yet they still don't display the shipping address...why? That should be on the screen so you can confirm.

I go to my email...surely there the order has been updated so I'm not being charged for all these freakin' CD's. No...my order is still $60! Ouch...I just wanted to redeem my free CD's.

Ok, I'll call the company, I think. I search the customer service page...no phone number...listed...ANYWHERE! What the...? Luckily, I do a google search and find this site (click here). Here's the BMG phone number: 317-692-9200 (just in case the other web site ever closes or whatever). Coincidently, the site also has Columbia House's phone number.

So, I call the phone number and get someone on the phone who tells me that the CD's I ordered are "Premium Titles", which means that you cannot redeem them for free. Huh? How am I supposed to know what a "Premium Title" is? I don't remember seeing that these aren't available to be redeemed for free! "Click on the info button for the CD and it tells you there," she says. What info button? I never found one...I can only assume she meant this one - Sales Exempt:

After you click Sales Exempt, you get a little pop-up that says, "Already specially priced, not part of regular sale, or available as a bonus or free selection, or free with Music Points." Now, how on earth was I supposed to know I had to check that little link to see if the CD was ok to redeem for my Free Music?

Oh ok...my bad. Well, let me cancel my order, I say. No...can't do it. I ask to talk to the manager...still can't do it. I just placed this order, literally 3 minutes ago...I can't cancel it!? Nope. No can do.

FINE...I want to cancel my membership. But, you have 8 free CD's they say. I know that though...I just feel so deceived, and so tricked into spending $60 when I expected to spend $10, that I don't even want them. Much like breaking up with an A-hole who has some of your stuff at their apt...sometimes you just have to "cut your losses," as a good friend once told me. BMG could have easily displayed bolder messages to alert people that these CD's are not available to be redeemed for free, but instead, they try to hide this fact and trick their customers into buying CD's they don't want to buy. If I wanted to pay money for these CD's, I'd go to Best Buy, or a used CD store, where they are much, much cheaper.

It doesn't end here...

Well, I tell them I want to cancel my membership and update my shipping address since it's wrong. They say they can cancel my membership, but they can't update the shipping address. What? You can't just change the address? No can do. Why not? I just can't do it b/c blah blah blah...something about the shipping and billing address being different (which the order confirmation doesn't say). I mean, I understand if the order has already been processed ...or shipped...that you can't change the address, but it hasn't even hit the system yet! It's been 4 minutes! You can't change it? Nope.

FINE! BMG, you stink! I'm never using your service again, and I'm warning my friends!

Sorry for the rant, friends, but I do want to pass on what I feel is an important warning.

Comfort Food-Inspired Dinner

I'm getting ready for a craft show this weekend, but with all the eating out I've been doing lately, I wanted to make something simple, but tasty. I decided to try one of those recipes on the sides of the Campbell's Soup cans I always see. This is the chicken and rice bake - recipe on the Cream of Chicken soup can:


You stir the soup with water, rice and onion powder, then top with the chicken, then bake for 45 minutes. How simple is that? It was a real crowd-pleaser too...or an SO-pleaser, since I just cooked for two. I just served the chicken and rice with frozen, mixed veggies. I think the meal took about 10 minutes prep time total. per request of my SO, this one's going in the regular rotation.

I don't know why, but I also decided to make sugar cookies...from scratch. I used a Fanny Farmer recipe to make these:


They didn't really flatten and smooth out quite like I thought they would, but they were darn tasty! Looks can only count so much...as long as it tastes good, I don't care!

Easy Shrimp Dinner

My SO and I have a favorite shrimp recipe by Rachael Ray - 4 Minute Spicy Garlic Shrimp. It's super simple and super delicious. Although, I did forget the fresh parsley. If you try this...def don't forget the parsley!

Since the shrimp are so easy to make...especially since I got easy peel and my SO was sweet enough to do the peeling for me...I decided to make something special for the side. Using new baking ware, I made scalloped potatoes and just steamed broccoli for a nice, healthy side. Mmmmmm!

Vintage Book - Under the Lilacs

Lookie what I found thrifting:

Under the Lilacs - a book by Louisa May Alcott. I guess since I never read Little Women, I didn't realize this was the same author. I just figured I'd found some random, obscure vintage book, but I guess this one is actually pretty famous. I read a couple reviews on Amazon, and apparently people who like Little Women will probably also like this book. I suppose the fact that this book is written by the same author would make one gather that conclusion, but you never know.


Anywho, I'm not sure exactly how old this book is, but it's about to fall apart...lol. However, I love the vintage binding and the darling drawings throughout. I wonder if the new version still has them? (the images, of course, not the binding)

"Orange and Maroon Effect" day

Remembering the victims killed this past Monday and their family and friends for Virginia Tech's "Orange and Maroon Effect" day

Cottage-y Fabric

Ahhhh...my lovely, always covered dining room table. Here you see it completely covered in a plethora of pink and turquoise. The flowers are for a craft show booth display - I always have lots of flowers in my jewelry displays - and the fabric is to make my first quilt. Yea...not sure when that's going to happen, as hectic as things have been around here, but one day, these lovely fabrics are going smack dab into a handmade quilt...par moi! I got these fab, plastic turquoise plates from Tar-jhay this past weekend...I think I'm going to try to work them into my display, as well, especially since turquoise is my "official" business color. :)

Easter Dessert

Forget Easter dinner...after having given up dessert for Lent, I baked a cake instead of a chicken and booooyyyy was it tasty!


To offset all the cake I knew I'd be eating, we just had a simple chicken dinner on Sunday, but tonight, I decided to splurge a little bit. Not to mention, I just happened to be on the side of town with a Fresh Market, so I had to take the opportunity to get a nice big piece of steak:


I also made garlic-y, herb-y mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. I used a creamy cheese, like Rachael Ray uses all the time, and toasted baguette slices to enjoy the leftover cheese spread. Mmmmmmmmmm! Top it off with a nice glass of red wine, and I'm pretty satisfied with the start to my week! :)

My Pink & Green Swap Goodies Are Here!

Yay! My Pink & Green Swap goodies are here! Check out all the cool stuff I got from my swap buddy, Christina:

Super cute teacup, adorable, porcelain egg-holder, yummy candy, pretty pink tin bucket, craft goodies, party napkins, fun fabric remnants, unique teapot, adorable handmade pillow with button accents

It's all so wonderful! Thanks Christina for doing such a good job! I love it all! Now, I just hope you like yours as much as I like mine!

Thrift Jackpot!

I hit the thrift jackpot this weekend! I found lots of "firsts" to add to my thrift collection, like this apron:

After seeing everyone else's awesome vintage apron finds all the time, I was starting to wonder if I would ever find any. This weekend, I hit up a new Goodwill, and this one was so nice, clean, and best yet - organized! All the fabrics, scarves, bedding, and other fabric goods were all nicely hung up, so I thrifted quite a few nice fabric finds.

I also found my first vintage tin! Lookie! Ooh, and a vintage, cottage-chic style floral pillowcase...

Isn't it adorable? I also found some pink fabric napkins - a set of 4, actually.


I also found these awesome fabric thrifts - a purple/yellow/white/green tablecloth and a set of 3 placemats in a yellow color that almost matches the tablecloth. Also, a sheer table runner, which I think I'm going to use for my booth displays when I do craft shows.

I think I'll be visiting that Goodwill every weekend now!