Sunday, November 20, 2016

Pregnancy: Gender Announcement

Hi there!

I had some fun with this one...

Pregnancy gender announcement.
All from OPI: D.C. Cherry Blossom, Shorts Story,
Senorita Rosalita, Pink Flamenco, Strawberry Fields,
Elephantastic Pink, La Paz-itively Hot, and (of course) It's A Girl!

... it's the photo I used on my Facebook page to let my family and friends know the gender of the bitty baby buttercup growing in my belly.

I was afraid it would fall on deaf ears... or blind eyes, I guess, since most in my community aren't so polish-savvy. BUT THEY GOT IT! Well... either they were really happy that I posted a bunch of pink nail polish or they were really happy from the message they gathered.

Now I'm curious. What are some ways you have announced (or want to announce) gender to your family and friends?

If you're interested in a baby themed nail polish list, click here. It's a list I compiled a few years ago, so it's likely a smidge outdated. I'll gladly add to the list if you have suggestions!

Until next time...

Monday, February 22, 2016

Random: What the heck

Hi there!

I was just browsing newly released baby clothing online and I came across these...

"Kiss my butt" baby leggings.
Photo source: Walmart.com

"Kiss my butt" baby leggings.
Photo source: Walmart.com

I have many, many opinions... most are some variation of disgusting.

But I'm very curious if you'd honestly ever have your kid wear them? And why?

Until next time...

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Rant: Terrible Customer Service

Hi there!

I am SO annoyed!

I had the perfect idea for a corner in our backyard where the shrubs hadn't yet matured. I thought I'd place a distressed looking fence plaque there to give the area something more to look at.

This one...

Bad customer service from Champions on Display.
Photo source: Walmart.com

The stock picture makes it seem like a nice vintage-typed piece of work. When I received and opened my package, I immediately thought, "what is this!?" It is so UGLY! Fugly, even!

It's a particle board piece of junk. The image is awful. It's stretched as if they tried to put a small image on too large an item. It's difficult to photograph, but the the image is also very pixelated. Imagine opening a .jpeg in a paint program and using a blur tool to mess it up. Then zoom in to 300% where you can see the dots that make up the image. It's amateur...

Bad customer service from Champions on Display.

And get this- it also says "INDOOR USE ONLY!" on the packaging! That makes sense considering it's particle board. But I'm pretty sure I bought and paid for a wood sign...

Bad customer service from Champions on Display.

Since I ordered the item through walmart.com, I first contacted them to see what could be done (I had already known that a third party seller, Champions on Display, sold the product through Walmart's website and they charged a 20% restocking fee + shipping). With regular Walmart items, returns are free... no questions asked.

Don't get me wrong- if I had ordered the product and then changed my mind about it, I'd understand having to be responsible for it. Since the item was simply not as depicted, I didn't want to be responsible. Anyway, Walmart's customer service gave me Champions on Display's contact information.

I wrote Champions on Display, included pictures, and very nicely asked for a prepaid return shipping label and for the restocking fee to be waived. The item is still in its packaging. That's how awful it looks- I didn't even want to open it!

A few days later, Champions on Display wrote me back essentially saying "too bad!" WHAT!?

I replied saying I know the item is supposed to look distressed. That is what I anticipated. A distressed item is not what I received. And I reiterated the problems regarding the image.

TEN days went by with no reply. I wrote again, simply saying I was still awaiting a reply and that I looked forward to a resolution.

I contacted Walmart's customer service department again (I felt like I was "telling mommy" on Champions on Display). The person I spoke with seemingly didn't have access to the marketplace sellers' disputes, so he escalated my claim to someone else and told me that someone from Walmart would get in touch with me within a week to get this resolved.

I'm guessing Walmart got in touch with Champions on Display right away- because the next business day, I received an email saying I'm responsible through and through. Oh, and that my eyes deceive me because the item I received IS as pictured. Ummm, no it's not... not at all. They signed off with a very smug "thanks for your patience and understanding."

At that point, I switched from annoyed to livid (ever so briefly). All of this over the matter of a $27.99 item?

Bad customer service from Champions on Display.

It's laughable now. But that's not what had me so mad. It was the principle. The Champions on Display customer service people are RUDE! Okay, it was about 90/10 principle/money.

I replied asking for clarification- that the product in person is SUPPOSED to look awful!? I suggested they at least update the product description to include "warped, pixelated, and amateur." Then I stooped to their level with the smugness and signed off with "my readers will have fun with this one."

I don't know why I said that. Sure, I did already know I was going to write something about my experience. And I knew their mind was made up. All along, they've had the same "customer is wrong no matter what" stance. I guess I wanted them to know other people (perhaps potential new customers) would be hearing about it.

I felt a huge sigh of relief, though. I said everything I could have said to explain the situation. I was specific and, more importantly to me, polite. My values didn't diminish. It was then I knew I'd just take a loss (after the cost of shipping and the restocking fee, I'd only get about $7 back). It is what it is.

And the power (or threat) of social media is intense. Only 30 minutes later, Champions on Display wrote me back saying they were sorry I felt the way I do (this time it actually seemed truthful) and they would be happy to re-evaluate the situation. Hahaha, finally!? Then they requested more pictures.

Nope, nuhuh. I'm done with you.

I don't know what will happen now. Champions on Display has my contact information. They have my payment method. They know how to make this right. I don't know what to expect when I hear from Walmart's customer service team. If nothing more happens- it's disappointing... but like I came to accept: it is what it is.

One good thing did come of this experience. I realized an AMAZING gift I can give to one of my friends. He is a major Seattle Seahawks (big rival of the San Francisco 49ers) fan... and he enjoys target practice. This thing will be perfect!

I'd love to hear about your customer service issues! Were they resolved?

Until next time...

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Hoarder Time: Coffee

Hi there!

Project restock is in full force. Here's my latest coffee shipment...

K-Cups haul.

I don't even drink coffee, but I couldn't help myself! We host a lot of guests this time of year, and our Keurig machine seems to always be brewing something for somebody.

I picked a bunch of seemingly new flavors- even holiday gift packs to slide under the Christmas tree.

Do you drink K-Cups? What's your favorite flavor?

Until next time...

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Redecorating: TV Stands

Hi there!

I'm now on the hunt for a new TV stand. The one we have currently is glass and open-faced. The kidd thinks the shelves are stairs, and he loves to switch all of the electronics on and off. It doesn't bother me so much, but it drives the hubby bonkers. What bugs me is the visible cords.

See?


I taped pipe insulation to the edges (more on that later... maybe). There was a piece attached to the top shelf, too, but the little stinker figured out that it was extremely fun to bite into the stuff! I feel I should also mention that the TV isn't broken- that's bubble wrap taped to the right side to hide the buttons.

Annnyway. So I stumbled upon this unit and couldn't help but share. Just take a look at this screaming deal...

Jofran Antique Media Unit.

You can save a whole penny!

While pretty, it doesn't really compliment the majority of our dƩcor, so I'm still searching. Wish me luck!

Until next time...

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Redecorating: Vagina Chairs

Hi there!

I've really been in a mood to redecorate lately. So far, I've spruced up everything from fixtures to furniture. Anyway, there was a spot in our downstairs family room that seemed to need... something. I figured two comfy chairs would do the trick...

Hudson Swoop Chair - Pearl.

I had them sitting there for a couple of days before something entered my mind and just wouldn't leave... VAGINA! That's all I could think of when I looked at the chair on the left.

It's just BING, BANG, BOOM! Three right in a row!

When I went online to order a replacement, they were no longer on sale! I had a little bit of a panic attack (for real!), but was quickly brought back to reality. It's just a chair, it's just a chair.

Luckily, they were on sale again in the matter of a week. I reordered two new chairs just to be sure!

Hudson Swoop Chair - Pearl.

This is the combination of chair backs and bases that I ended up liking best. The chair that's now on the right is similar to the chair I initially had, but it isn't as in your face.

Other than the print snafu, I really love these chairs. They're sturdy, comfortable, and they've held up to the peanut buttered fingers of my kid 

I'm happy now. I'm not nuts for thinking what I thought, right?

Until next time...

Friday, September 25, 2015

Random: It Made Me Laugh

Hi there!

I was browsing random things online when I came across this...

Hot dog scented nail polish.
Image source: Amazon.

They're scented!? Hahahaha! I just can't imagine having my nails smell like this! Bubblegum, maybe. This, just... NO!

This makes me wonder what the strangest nail polish set out there is. Any ideas? I'd love to know what you've come across!

Until next time...

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Review: Lady Queen Stamping Plates

Hi there!

It sure has been a while since I've posted a manicure of mine...

My nails painted with China Glaze - Spontaneous.
Stamped with Essie - Good as Gold and
image plate hehe006.

Lady Queen offered to send me a couple of items to review, so I figured "heck yeah!"

I chose stamping plates 006 and 019...

Image plate hehe006 and hehe019 from Lady Queen.

I was honestly very skeptical at first. I had tried cheaper plates in the past with little satisfaction, and the price of these kind of lead me to believe they'd be the same disappointment. I was wrong!

These are etched perfectly! I had absolutely zero problems with scraping and transferring the image to my stamper and/or my nails. The only thing I don't loooove is that there is no backing on the plates. I didn't cut myself or anything- I just think a backing makes the plates easier to handle.

So now there's this... Lady Queen offered to sponsor a giveaway if 10 people make purchases using the promotion code TGGT15. It's good for 15% off of your order and shipping is free worldwide.

Are you going to try any of their stamping plates? Or anything else?

Until next time...
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...