Hanging Mail Organizer From Records

I found this idea on Pinterest. You can see the original blog post here. I pretty much followed it to a T, except I only used two rivets, mainly because I hate the rivet tool! It takes a lot of arm muscle, which I do not have. I also personalized the record labels. Since this was a gift for my step dad, I used Publisher to print out the names of his past bands and current one. (He and my mom have been playing in a band since I can remember. They play rock music like Metallica, KISS, AC/DC plus newer stuff like Weezer, STP and Foo Fighters. Mom plays bass, step dad plays guitar and sings.)

I'm so sorry I don't have a video or photos to show you these steps. It is easy and difficult at the same time... If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask in the comments!

 Items you'll need:

• Records--I got mine from the $.25 bin at our local music store. Make sure you have extras in case you screw up like me. :)
• Rivets and rivet tool--I got mine from Menards, the cheapest ones they had
• Drill bit (and drill) to match the size of your rivets. I believe I used 3/8" but it really doesn't matter (as long as it's not like a 3" rivet, that'd be ridiculous).
• Old T-shirt
• Aligator clamps
• Iron
• If you personalize the record labels like I did, you'll need Mod Podge or glue. I used Mod Podge to help protect the paper from being torn.

To shape the record, I put it in an old T-shirt and then ran my iron (set to the hottest temperature) over the bottom half for quite a while. Once the entire bottom half is flexible, I wrapped it up and over a paper towel cardboard tube. It's important to make sure the record is heated through the center where the label is so you can begin your bend there. That's where you place the cardboard tube, and then you just flop the bottom half over that and hold in place until cooled.

I bent it while it was still inside the T-shirt because I did not have work gloves, and didn't feel like burning my hands. I found this worked fine, but if you have work gloves, by all means you can take the record out of the shirt before bending it over the tube.

To avoid rippling in the record, I tried to hold it as still as possible and only touching the parts that wrap around the tube. Try to make this as smooth and level as possible because you string the records together by adding rivets to the back of the first record and the lip on the second. If there's rippling on the lip that you bent, it may crack when you put the rivet in. (Which I learned the hard way, so please learn from my mistake.)

Also, when you bend the record up to form the lip, it's best to line the top of the lip the center of the label (where the hole is). I found this to be the best way to measure.

Once all the records were shaped and cooled, I began drilling the holes. It really helps to have clamps to hold the two records in place while you drill. I did not have clamps and I wanted to cry. But, as you can see below, it can be done! If you want to be really picky you can use white out or something to line the rivets up evenly on all your records. I just eyeballed it.

As I said above, you place the back of one record to the bent part of the second (as shown in picture above). Once the holes are drilled, the rivets secure the two records together. I pieced together the chain of records one at a time. So I drilled, then put the rivets in. Then I drilled the next record on and put the rivets in.

I added the personalizations at the very end, but if you're not adding those, then you're done! Read no further! I did not add a hanger to the back of it, because you can hang it by a nail through the the top record's hole.

To make my labels, I scanned my step dad and mom's bands' CD booklets into my computer, and used Paint to trim them off--which was a pain in the A. If you've ever used Paint for an actual project you'll understand.

I put their band name into 5.2" circles so they were a tad bit bigger than the original label. I put Mod Podge down on the existing label, and placed my printout on top and smoothed it out. Once it was in place, I added some Mod Podge around the edges to prevent peeling. And then I was done. Thank God, because this was a hard project for me! Worth it, though, since he loved it!

Do Not Broil: How to Not Cook Porkchops

Mike was super excited for some stuffed porkchops we bought at Festival. I'm not a big fan of pork, and have never cooked it before, so when I asked Michael what to bake it on, he told me to use our glass dish.

After 30 minutes of baking at 350 degrees, they were almost done. He just wanted to brown them a bit, so he bumped up the temperature. After about five or 10 minutes he announced that they were "browning up real nice" and he turned the oven off. Not one minute later do we hear a shattering crash from the oven. Mike opened the oven door slightly to find the pork chops resting on a cushion of broken glass. He was right--they were browned up real nice.

Turns out he cranked the eat up to BROIL. While I wouldn't have suggested broil, I also wouldn't have known that my glass baking dish cannot survive that kind of heat. I'm just glad it happened in the oven, not in Mike's hands. It seemed like it broke downard, rather than a full-blown explosion, but we didn't risk eating the porkchops just in case there were some shards jammed in there.

Mike felt horrible about it, saying it was the stupidest thing he's ever done. I'm just glad I wasn't on cleanup duty. We don't have a broom/dustpan, our handheld vacuum doesn't have good suction, and we weren't really comfortable using our actual vacuum for glass. So, Mike used tongs, a spatula, a serving spoon and a damp rag to get all the glass out. There may or may not be some undetected sandy pieces still at the bottom.

Shooting Range Excursion

Yesterday my friend came to town to go shooting with Michael and me. She's shot a deer rifle before, but that's it. So, even though it was a SUPER windy day (25 mph winds), we headed to the outdoor gun range. It was pretty busy considering the weather. We started out shooting Mike's AR. That's always fun; it's my favorite!

This is my friend Mindy shooting the AR. She is now addicted! (Notice her hair being whipped around from the wind!)

This is me with the AR from a different range we went to in September. (I don't have one of me from yesterday's excursion.)

The picture of the target below is my bullseye with the AR from January when Mike and I went to test out his new scope I bought him for Christmas. He did not get a bullseye that day ;)
 

The range we went to yesterday is in the process of building the seven yard area for shooting hand guns, so normally we'd shoot from the 15 yard range. But, it was so busy that there wasn't a spot open, so we shot from the 25 yard range. The distance was bad enough, but with the horrible winds it was even worse. But, I just had to shoot my lavendar lady... It had been too long.


                                                                       Isn't it pretty?

I'm so glad Mindy came to the range with us, because I think it's important to be comfortable with guns. Naturally she was nervous. There are tons of things to think about--flying bullets, the kickback, misfires, etc. But she had a blast, walked away with knowledge and feels confident handling them (she even wants to buy one now). When Mike first introduced me to guns I was super nervous. I wasn't around them as a kid, so I was as far away from comfortable as you can get--simply touching one made me edgey. Shooting has definitely become a fun hobby for me now. My aim still needs some work, but who knows, maybe if I get really good you'll see me on Top Shot.

Lyrics Necklace

My first Pinterest project I did, was this necklace. I changed it up a bit from the original post, which you can see here. Unfortunately I only have an after picture. I got all my supplies from Hobby Lobby.

Supplies I used:
paper
printer
Mod Podge
paint brush (a foam brush may be better)
30" chain (I chose gun metal color for chain, clasp and jump rings)
clasp
jump rings
beads
lighter (the long candle ones)
needle nose pliers
chain cutter

Instead of using book pages like the original tutorial, I printed out lyrics in different fonts to some of my favorite songs by my favorite band, Alkaline Trio, along with their heart skull symbol. The original tutorial used foam board, and I really wish that I had, too. I used regular computer paper. It works, and it's still pretty (I think), but the charms are so light that they flip backward a lot when I wear it. I think that if they were heavier (like foam board) they'd stay put better. I have been thinking about adding weight to the backs of them. Maybe smaller buttons or something?

So, after printing out the lyrics I wanted, I cut out five circles and covered them in Mod Podge. A lot of Mod Podge (both front and back). Be patient, wait about 20 minutes in between coats. I think I did like three layers of it. Also, if you use a regular paint brush be careful not to leave lines from the bristles. That's why I think a foam brush would be better. I used a damp paper towel to help clear any lines I saw. I'd recommend Viva Towels, because they're unquilted so they won't leave more lines. After about five to seven minutes of drying you can start to tell if it will be liney, so that's how long I recommend waiting to see if lines form.

Once they're dried, I burned the edges with a long lighter. I did this step over the kitchen sink, and had the water running from the faucet the whole time. I held the charm with piers in one hand, and ran the lighter over the edges with the other. I blew out the flame when it was singed to my liking. It wasn't as scary as I anticipated. I also tested Mod Podge's flammability on a plain piece of paper first. No scary moments happened, so hopefully you have good luck as well! Like I said, keep the faucet running just in case!

Once they're all burned, I painted some more Mod Podge on them all again to protect them, and keep the burned edges from just falling off. I added another couple of coats. The ashes can blur into the words, though so be careful. Paint inward out.

Next was the hard part (for me anyway): putting the necklace together. First I attached the clasp to the chains, one strand being shorter than the other so that the two strands wouldn't be on top of each other. I don't know if there's a better way to do this, but I just put it on in front of a mirror, held my fingers to the length I thought was best, took it off, cut the chain and voila! There are mannequins you can buy to help fit and make necklaces, but since I'm not a serious jewelry maker, so I didn't have one!

Those darn jump rings are tricky. When I do other jewelry I like to use the keychain-looking jump rings, but because these charms were so fragile, I used the normal ones. I put the charms on first, eyeballing it to where it would look good. Trying it on many times and then placing the charms on. I used two links of chain to attach the white beads over top of the charm.

It's a time-consuming project, but I love my necklace! I get compliments on it whenever I wear it. :) I hope all my steps make sense, but if you have any questions please ask them in the comments and I'll be happy to answer!

Scaredy Cat Syndrome (SCS)

As many of my friends know, I'm a jumpy person. I startle too easily. I'm the person who jumps when the toaster pops. I have an anxiety attack anytime I need to open a tube of Pillsbury biscuits, because I know that at any moment it's going to explode. General Mills should really invest in a new opening system for those... Just sayin'.

I'm probably going to have a heart attack by the time I'm 30 because I am incapable of relaxing. I've read mixed things online about this jumpy behavior correlating with stress, so who knows. I saw someone ask how to control this problem on an online forum, and someone suggested to have people scare him on purpose all the time so he gets used to it. I don't think this will work. Two of my old roommates attempted this (not because they wanted to condition me, but because they were entertained), and it just made me more skiddish. 

My grandma was a little jumpy, so perhaps it's hereditary; although, I believe I've taken it to an all new level of ridiculousness. I know I live with Michael. I know he's home at the same time I am. But if he suddenly decides to walk past me without subtly letting me know, I jump 10 feet into the air! I have even been known to freak out over a dark shadow that looks like a person/bear/dog/cat just standing there. Sometimes I don't jump or show physical signs of anguish, but I still get that shock of adrenaline (followed by a minor hot flash).

It's really getting out of hand, so I searched for daily relaxation tips hoping to find some wonderful ideas, but  found nothing of use. Examples included take a bath, aromatherapy, read a book, listen to music, meditate and don't worry about time. Maybe I'm just too cynical, but I feel as though that's not going to help reverse 24 (almost 25) years of Scaredy Cat Syndrome.

Here's hoping I can learn to go with the flow and be less high-strung...

Continued Credit Chaos & Home Loan Woes

Early in February I had to dispute seven claims on my credit report that were not mine (you can read about it here). Finally, I got an email saying that the results were in, and I am happy to announce that they were all deleted from my credit report! But, the next day I received a letter addressed to this person who has all this negative information on my credit report. I open it, and it's from the collection agency in Chicago needing over $2,000 for unpaid rent. The letter explains that I need to send in documentation to support my claim that the information is false. But they do not say what documentation is required, and the bottom of the letter says "Enc." yet, there is no enclosure. Plus, it's addressed to the other Jessica. So, really good.

I call the collection agency to see what they want, but no one answers, so I leave a message. (I'd like to point out that the phone number was not listed on the letter, so I had to Google it.) This was on Saturday. Never receiving a call back, I call them on Thursday, and tell this lady my story to which she replies, "OK. Hold on please." I get transferred to a ringing phone with the an answering machine at the end. So I leave my name and problem on it again. How frustrating!

Michael's mom does collection stuff at her job, and told me that the agency needs to prove to me that I lived in these apartments that I owe money to, and because I never lived in Chicago it's obviously not a problem.

So since my credit report is cleared of all information that isn't mine, I made an appointment with the bank for our home loan. Michael and I had our appointment yesterday, and while the information was deleted, and my credit score skyrocketed, the new credit report still showed the wrong information. I guess some credit bureaus only report once a month, so it may not be actually removed for a bit yet. But the bank lady wasn't sure why my score skyrocketed if these claims are on my report still. So, that's a mystery. Regardless, my new credit score put me in the bracket that qualifies for the best APR rate on a loan! I am so proud of my score!

We were pretty much about to be pre-approved, though, when she asked about my employer. Turns out there's absolutely no way around being a temp employee. They sell their APR rate, so it's this secondary market's rule. I was so bummed, because the first bank we went to told me that since I'd been there for a year, it wasn't really a problem anymore. But this loan lady told us that she had someone who had been a temp employee for four years, and was still denied. I did SO much back and forth with these people, and it could have all been avoided if she looked at my employer and the check-mark I put by "temporary staffing agency" or whatever it was that I checked.

Next steps? Call the first bank back and set up an appointment. I hope that this "one year" rule still applies for the loan we need from them, otherwise we're going to be renting for a long time. It's so discouraging for me.

Zombie Apocalypse/End of the World

Mike and I probably talk more about zombie apocalypses than our future house or wedding. Normal, right? Well, ever since we discovered that Doomsday Preppers show on TV, we've been expanding our conversation from zombies to general end-of-the-world talk. If you haven't seen Doomsday Preppers, it's on the National Geographic channel, and expertly assesses people's end-of-the-world plans and preparedness. These preppers are storing food, water, weapons and securing their homes for a self-sustaining life when the economy collapses, an earthquake hits, a nuclear bomb drops, etc. Because of all the food they store (some have enough to last two years!) I suggested to Mike that they should become extreme couponers to save some money!

Some people have extremely detailed, well thought out plans on how to survive when shit hits the fan. It's incredible! Some guy changed his outdoor pool into a mini ecosystem, containing fish and produce that keeps growing on its own. I'm still blown away by it. And after every episode, despite the disclaimer that professionals feel the scenarios the preppers are prepping for are extremely unlikely, I feel super paranoid about how under-prepared Mike and I are in comparison.

What really sucks for me, is that when the end of the world comes, if it comes in my lifetime, I will be screwed. I mean, Mike can only keep me alive for so long. I don't really have a sense of direction, I am still working on my aim, I have no physical stamina, I startle easily, I don't want to touch worms and then stab them onto a metal hook to fish and then touch the fish. Once it's caught, I don't want to gut it. I don't want to eat rabbits and squirrels, I can't start a fire without a lighter, I've only touched a horse once, and it was big and scary, so riding one is a little intimidating for me.

While I'm not a good fighter, I don't fear being chased by a zombie, or being exposed to toxic chemicals from a nuclear blast. No, I fear having to eat disgusting things, like beans in a can. I am a picky eater, and I'm really nervous about the foods I'll need to eat to survive. I don't even like tomatoes or bananas, but these are things I'll need to eat because it'll be all that is available, either freeze dried or canned.

Another negative to the end of the world, and living off the land, is that I'll finally lose all this weight (ya know, from being malnourished and running from jaguars all the time) and have no one to show, no new dresses to wear, no gala affairs to attend.

The things I'll miss most (in no particular order) during the zombie apocalypse/end of the world:
Pillows
Coffee
Lotion
Makeup
Contacts
Pasta
Clean underwear
WordFeud
Heat and air conditioning
I Love Lucy
Endless supply of drinkable water
Knowing the time
Toilet paper
Indoor plumbing and electricity
Fossil purses and wallets
Hospitals with plenty of medical supplies, doctors and nurses

Garbage Warning

I was cooking dinner when there was a soft knock at my apartment door. It was the property manager, there to tell me not to set my garbage next to the dumpster. Apparently the garbage men had a fit, made her dig through my garbage to find out whose it was so they could fine me $50. She kindly convinced them not to charge me. From now on, I need to truck the garbage over to another dumpster, or chuck it on top of the already overflowing tower of trash. The funny thing is, when I took the garbage out, I really thought about it. I thought putting it on the ground, leaning up against the dumpster, was better than having it teeter on the top of the pile, since the cover wouldn't close. I see other garbage bags sitting on the ground from time to time... I don't know if they fall off the top of the garbage stack, or someone places them there. I wish I thought to say it must have fallen. Obviously I need to practice my lying-on-the-spot skills! Not to mention brushing up on my citations/fine knowledge. 

She left just in time for my pot of water and milk to bubble over on the stove, causing a smokey, burnt mess. Awesome.

Ever since she told me she went through my garbage, I've been racking my brain trying to remember if anything extremely gross was in it. I just remember that this particular bag was leaking, so it was double bagged. I had to clean out the garbage can too. If the garbage men were the ones issuing the fine, I don't understand why they didn't search it. I'm assuming I had an envelope in there, giving away my identity. I'm usually pretty good about recycling paper, though... I feel so bad the manager had to investigate my empty wrappers, unwanted food and dirty paper towels. Yuck!

As a side note, I reported my heating problem on January 20th, had two follow-up conversations about it with the manager, and it's still whistling so loud it wakes me up in the middle of the night. Either Mike or I get up one to two times a night to adjust the thermostat. No big deal. Who needs a full night of sleep anyway?  

Distracted Drivers

I wish I could remember useful, important things--like what six multiplied by 12 equals, but no, instead I remember lame things. For example, when I was in 8th grade, our school counselor told us that if we're not comfortable riding with a driver who is also on their cell phone, we should speak up for ourselves and voice our concern. This was even before text messaging existed, or at least it wasn't popular. (Wow, that makes me feel old and I'm only 24.) While talking and driving has never made me fear my safety (with most people), texting and eating do.

When we're out of breakfast food at home, Mike and I stop at Kwik Trip before we get on the highway to come to work. So with one hand he'll eat his croissant sandwich and hashbrown sticks, while driving 60 mph through bumpy construction and a cement wall inches from me. Sometimes knees are used while he unwraps, or sips some O.J., because God forbid I assist. And that's when panic mode begins. Knees don't have thumbs. Hands have thumbs, and that's what should be used to steer a car. My heart races as my eyes dart from the steering wheel to the cement wall. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, grasping the door handle for the slightest sense of security.

And while I express my concern EVERY time, I'm told that it's fine. That he's never been in an accident before. Well guess what, just because you haven't yet, doesn't mean you won't in the future, and I don't care to be in that crash. I don't care for you to be in it either. All I ask is for ONE hand on the wheel. ONE. Because you don't know that your knees can steady the car if you go over a big bump in the road. Or if the car next to you decides to cross the center line. Or if the car behind you pulls into your trunk.

Of course Michael is not the only distracted driver I know. I see them daily on my commutes. Sometimes even I don't dedicate 100% of my focus to driving (sometimes Chapstick is more important). But I trust me. You'd think I'd trust my fiancé, too! Grandma never handled Grandpa's driving well either, though. I am just like her. She used to get so worked up and nervous just driving down the street. She'd blurt out, "John!" as she reached for the "oh shit handle" even though nothing was wrong. Six-year-old me was too carefree to be scared of his tailgating or abrupt stopping patterns. Grandpa and I just laughed, because obviously she was being silly.

So I'd like to say to my 8th grade counselor that voicing my concerns got me nowhere--thanks for the advice.

Credit Report

I'm currently in the process of being approved for a home loan. Super exciting! But, upon applying I found multiple errors with my credit report. I have a really awesome credit score that I'm proud of, but there were collections, bills, employers, addresses and former names that did not belong to me. After I checked ALL my credit cards and one car loan five times trying to match up the account number, and collected myself from panic mode, I called the bank. They sent over the report they obtained and told me to dispute the claims that aren't mine.

So, I filled out the online dispute form with Equifax, one of the three national credit bureaus. I was doing a live chat with one of the customer service reps, because I had a question about the process and I didn't want to do this wrong. I literally got this as an answer, "I don't know. I don't have access to the website here." To which I replied, "OK." I waited a few moments, thinking there'd be a follow-up of "Do you mind waiting while I check on that for you?" But instead he said, "Is there anything else I can help you with?" I am still in shock. But, I figured it out on my own and they are still in the process of disputing them. It can take up to 45 days, so that's a bummer.

Lesson learned: Check your credit score annually for misinformation! It's free to request a report from each of the three national credit bureaus once a year.

So all of this got me wondering if the girl listed as my former name has my SSN and is using my identity at the hospital, cell phone store and applying for an apartment. Am I victim of identity theft? When I had spoken with a lady at the bank, she mentioned that her husband has a similar name to someone else, so they often have to dispute claims because they get put on his credit report. She made it sound common. I wasn't being asked to pay any of the collections or unpaid bills listed. I was recently approved for a credit card with what I would consider to be a high credit limit. (When I first applied online for a home loan pre-approval I applied for a credit card by mistake. I was approved for $5,000. Not quite enough to purchase a house with though! ;) ) I didn't have any unexplained purchases on my existing credit cards either. So I ruled out identity theft.

How the heck does this happen? I searched online and found some alarming statistics, and very insightful information:

• 46%-70% of credit reports contain mistakes
• 40% of credit reports contain public record information belonging to someone else, credit accounts that do not belong to the consumer or accounts incorrectly marked as delinquent
• 26% of credit errors are serious enough to deny an application for credit, housing or employment (fn1)

Mixed or Mismerged Credit File/Mistaken Identity

A mixed file is a credit reporting error that occurs when a credit reporting agency puts the information belonging to one consumer on another consumer's consumer report. This happens most often when the two consumers have similar names or addresses, but not always. Through our cases and work, our firm has learned that the credit reporting agency has known about this problem for years and can prevent it from happening but often does not.

Inaccurate or Stale Collection Accounts

Debt collection accounts also account for a high percentage of credit report errors. Often the debt collector does not get sufficient information from the creditor to identify the correct consumer or get an accurate account status. As a result, collection accounts end up on the wrong consumer's file or on the correct consumer's file with wrong information. In addition, many of these accounts get "re-aged" by the debt collector, meaning that they appear to be recent delinquencies and end up on the consumer's credit report longer than the law allows. Even if accurate, most adverse credit information can only stay on a credit report for 7 years, 10 years in some instances.


Source: http://www.creditreportproblems.com/common_credit_report_errors.htm

So it seems that there's nothing we can do to prevent these errors, other than to check regularly and dispute them.

I'm always cautious at the store--I don't hold my credit card out of my wallet while waiting. (People can take photos of it with their phones.) I use an actual credit card, not my debit card, to make online purchases. (I learned this one from a friend, who had some purchases she didn't make on her statement. The police told her to be sure she uses actual credit cards because a lot of them have policies where they won't make you pay for purchases made by a thief, and there's not a direct link to your bank account with credit cards). The above link also has some other identity fraud prevention practices if you're interested. Be safe, everyone!