CSN Stores Product Review

A loooooooooong time coming. We're talking months. Sorry about that. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to review and then I had some shipping issues. When I originally got the product, one of the pieces was broken so I ordered a replacement part. CSN was super fast and efficient on getting that replacement part all ordered and shipped out. Unfortunately FedEx decided that that week they were going to lobotomize themselves.

The replacement piece was originally delivered about a week after I ordered it. And for some reason the driver decided to rescind the delivery and pick it back up. A week later I get a postcard from FedEx in the mail telling me they couldn't find my house. Figure that one out. By that time I've figured the piece is lost so I ordered another replacement piece for the original replacement piece days before. Then I get this notice from FedEx and I call the number and try to explain to them where I am. Mind you I'm in the suburbs, about 100 feet off of a main road. There is nothing stick-like or backwoods or in-the-middle-of-nowhere about where I live.

I had the woman on the phone and she said she plugged my address into Google Maps and couldn't find the house. I put it in there and poof! Came right up. Spelled it out for her. Literally. Her response, 'I don't know which one it is.' How about the one with three storeys, not two, and the one with 31 on the house. For the life of her she couldn't figure it out.

THIS IS A SHIPPING COMPANY. And they can't figure out Google Maps or a GPS? So they're like come pick it up and I go no. You jerkwads are a shipping company that can't find my house and you want me to go out of my way, during the most inconvenient hours possible, to pick up a package that you already delivered and then took back because you can't read street signs or house numbers? No.

Thankfully the replacement piece to the replacement piece was shipped via UPS who found my house without a problem. All of this of no fault to CSN at all. It's all FedEx's fault.

Now onto the review, which will be exponentially shorter than my FedEx rant.

So this time around I decided to get Houdini Burgundy Style Red Wine Glasses. Originally I was going to get a kitchen cart (which I still need but can stave off) but we really felt like alcoholics drinking wine out of glass cups so I had a more urgent gap to fill.

These things are ginormous. Like I could fit my fist inside of them big. Now they're only meant for red wine because the shape of the glass allows for the scent to waft. Well, I'm not a red wine drinker. Just white. I just got these glasses because I liked their shape, not because they were big enough to stick my big guido nose in them.

They're a little big for my hand but I can manage. At least for two proper glasses of wine. Nevermind one of these can hold nearly an entire bottle. Not that that's how you're supposed to drink it or anything.

I like them. Very light and kind of fragile. I wouldn't recommend putting them in the dishwasher and I'd handle them gently. But they work like they're supposed to and they're classy looking.

After the two boxes of those I ordered I still had some fundage left on the credit so I decided to get myself a new set of knives. I'd bought myself a knife set when I first moved here but right from the beginning they didn't feel right. The weight of them was off and for stainless steel, they sure as hell rusted pretty quickly. So I did some searching and ultimately settled on the Ginsu Bakelite Five Piece Prep Cutlery Set. Ginsu's a good product (I have some of their steak knives already) so I figured I couldn't go too wrong with these.

I've been using them for about a month now (while I was waiting for that replacement wine glass, grrr) and I have zero complaints. They're super sharp (validated by the rate it sliced through my finger the first time I used them) and cut through veggies and whatnot with ease.

They feel good in my hands and I'd recommend them to someone looking for an inexpensive but good knife set.

The only downside is the big knives aren't long. There are other sets to get that have more knives; I just wish there was a bread knife in this one. Cutting through a loaf with the one above is a little hard since it it doesn't reach from one side to the other. But really, no complaints. I love them.

CSN Stores Review Preview

From a laptop messenger bag to a swivel chair to an off the wall clock, CSN has nearly everything you would need to furnish any space you're looking to fill. Whether it's an office or a bathroom, CSN Stores has it.

Now, I've said it before and I say it again: I wouldn't promote something I wouldn't buy myself. I've bought a few things from CSN over the past year and I have to say, they're pretty awesome. The first purchase was a bookcase (that I can't seem to find on the website) and while my dumbass put the legs on backwards initially, it ended up a nice bookcase that's currently holding my book collection. The next purchase was a set of three plant tables to fill some space. They ended up matching my decor perfectly, I didn't have to put them together and now they're sitting nicely in a corner looking pretty.

They're like IKEA when it comes to price but CSN's quality far surpasses anything IKEA would offer. While you're not getting solid oak (at least not in my price range), you're not getting corrugated particle board either.

Now I have a gap in my kitchen. My dog has officially stopped using his crate so I've moved that out of the way. But with that out of the way I've lost the area where I put my bags when I get home (the crate did awesome double duty has a low-lying table). I need something to fill that space. And my bags need a new home because I don't have that much counter space for them to fit. I was thinking something versatile. How about this?

CSN Product Review: Slate Plant Tables

So when CSN contacted me to review something of their's again, I jumped on it. I did just move into my own place, after all, and I have some space to fill. This time around I needed some accent tables to fill a gap in a rather empty dining room. I chose the 4D Concepts 3 Piece Slate Square Plant Stands with Slate Tops.

See, I have an unintentional slate theme going on in my house. My dining table has a faux slate top. My coffee and end tables in my living room are hand-laid slate tiles. I go for the earthy neutrals. They're easier to match. So when I saw this set I just had to get them.

And let me tell you, they actually match my living room pretty damn closely. Even better, they're not shipped flat! They're small enough so that they fit in the box as you see them in the photo. You just have to pull them out and place them wherever you want to put them. Nice and easy. And let me tell you, I needed that after my move.

They fill a corner nicely and they're just big enough for a phone, plants or some little knick knacks you have hanging around. It's hard for me to test their stability because my floors are so uneven but they seem pretty stable. I like them, especially for how well they match my living room. I was very excited about that. Another win from CSN Stores!

CSN Stores Review - T-Fal Cookware Set

You know, moving sucks. With AT&T screwing up my internet order and having just gotten access today (when it should have been a week ago), I fell really behind although I will say the downtime was nice. And at least I was able to cook. And cook I did. There are a few things you really need when you move and a good cookware set is one of them (and right now I could use some kitchen bar stools because, you know, when you have a pub height table, your standard extra folding chairs just won't cut it for the extra guests that come to eat your food).

Now, I'm not crazy cookware savvy. I know some brands but in comparison to what, I have no idea. But I do know that T-Fal is a good brand so I opted for the T-Fal Signature Total Non-Stick Cookware Set in black (because I think funky-colored pots are just strange, they're freaking pots).

Now I actually received this back in September but I didn't get a chance to use it until now and I have to say, I love it. I had to go with a set that had a griddle because next to a sauce pan, I'd probably use that the most. What can I say? I'm a grilled cheese nut. But these pans are great. I haven't had a chance to use the small frying pan or the large boiler but the rest of them I really like. Nothing sticks to the surface, they clean like a gem and the utensils that come with the set are nice and sturdy for what you'd be using the pans for. Let me tell you, this set has been my god send during this last week. When I'm bored, I cook. And cook I did.

Really, I'd recommend CSN products. You guys know I'm not a shill. I don't promote something on this blog unless I could personally recommend it. And I can recommend CSN Stores. And I do, even to the people I work with. They have all the selection (and probably more) of IKEA but better quality. Where else can you get a cookware set like that for $90? And a good one to boot? So if you've just moved like I have and you're looking for nice things that won't rape your bank account, head on over to CSN. Sure, the stuff might ship flat but it won't break apart when you put it together.

That's not to say I had to put my pots and pans together. That'd just be weird. But things like bookshelves. Flat. Assembly required. But it's worth it in the end.

Decorating Options

The closer I get to that final zero hour before I move out on my own, I'm thinking more and more about how I'd like to decorate my place. I'm really someone that leans more towards a more classic or older style look as opposed to a modern chair or sofa that looks more like a piece of artwork than anything functional. Suffice it to say, you won't be finding anything like this in my apartment any time soon -

This is more my bag -

Nice and comfy and functional. Plus I can't mix colors to save my life so my plan is to go neutral with the furniture and accent the hell out of it. That's pretty much the only way I can make my place NOT look like a box of Crayolas threw up in it.

So maybe this time around I'll review another CSN product and get to put it to good use in my new place! Here's hoping. I plan on buying quite a bit from CSN stores. They just have nice stuff and it's reasonably priced. You can't ask for much more than that!

One Winner and a One Day Giveaway!

The winner of my ARC of She Thief by Daniel Finn is . . .

Jessica @ BookSake!!!

Congratulations! I've already sent you an email. And a big thanks to everyone that entered!

Now, I know I've been pumping out quite a few contests lately. I have quite a bit to get off my plate before I go on vacation so it all gets dumped here. I'm sure you guys aren't complaining too much!

So what do I have now? How about an $80 gift card to CSN Stores? You can use it however you please, at whichever of their 200-something stores you like. Sound good? Then just fill out the form below for your chance to win.


I'm departing from my normal contest length for this one. You only have one day to enter! This contest will end tomorrow, August 4th, at midnight EST! Open to US residents 13 years of age and older only. One entry per person per email. Duplicate entries will be deleted.

Need to Fill an Apartment?

If you're like me, then you're about to tap dance your way into your own place. The thing is, living at home (shut it), you've got pretty much nothing except the bed you're sleeping on. You're going to need living room furniture, a kitchen set, at least two dinnerware sets (one for everyday use and one for company, I know I'm not the only one that grew up like this . . .), maybe a new bedroom set so you don't have to take that white wicker one you've had since you were three. You get where I'm going.

If you're also like me, then you're not going to want to spend an arm, a leg and half your soul trying to furnish your new place to live. And while Ikea is okay, some of us will want to graduate beyond particle board. That's where CSN Stores comes in. I've reviewed a bookcase for them and while it's not highly polished teak wood and I put the damn legs on backwards, the final product is a pretty damn good quality for the money.

So if you need anything from an armoire to a waterbed, one of CSN's 200 stores will most likely have it. And soon enough, one of my lucky readers will get the chance to go on a mini-splurge at any CSN store they'd like. Patience, my pretties. Your chance will come soon enough. In the meantime, go ahead and oggle this kick ass wall clock. Isn't it purdy?

The Bookstye: After

First let me say I'm really not one that should buy things that ship flat. Here is where my lack of patience really shows. I've never actually had to put anything together before so this was my first real big foray into turning something 3 inches high into something four and a half feet high.

When I took all the pieces to my new CSN bookshelf out of the box, I was surprised at how sturdy the shelves actually were. I guess I was expecting something closer to IKEA standards, like particle board, so I was pleasantly surprised.

Screwing on the main legs proved to be a little difficult, especially after my dumb ass screwed them on backwards. Note to self: in order to screw the back board in, the holes need to face back, not forwards. I had a couple issues lining the leg holes up and screwing them in but I think I got them in good enough. The thing hasn't collapsed under its own weight yet so it's good.
The shelves themselves went in fine and I just had issues again screwing on the small legs that attached to the bottom shelf. One of the legs, no matter how I finagled it (no, it wasn't on backwards), the holes really didn't match up so I almost has to create new holes for the screws or screw them in on an angle. It could have been my own impatience that I didn't take enough time to line up the holes but from what I could tell, they just weren't going to match up.

The backboard was a bit of a pain as well. I had a hard time screwing the screws in straight through the wood and into the metal holes. I'll really chalk this one up to my own impatience because after the legs, and all the hard screwing (shut up), my hands hurt and it was a superficial piece of the puzzle that I just wanted to slap on. I was able to get in the screw on the top and the bottom and I just sort of pushed them in along the sides and bam! It was all set.

I do really like the adjusters on the legs. My wood floors are nice and uneven so it was great to be able to adjust those so my bookcase didn't wobble. And overall, it really came out nice and it's been working great!


Pre-books. Despite the state of my hands, I really like the way it looks. It's very put together, streamline, not cheap looking or anything. I'm really happy with it. Next time I'll have my dad put it together.


With books. It's not as big as I originally thought it was going to be but it holds my big books, which I like. I need to really re-arrange the shelves and I might end up stacking my smaller-bound books so they can all fit and it's not so top heavy.


The TBR pile has been consolidated into one monstrous pile. The books on the far left are review copies. Next pile over is mostly BEA books from this year. The next stack is a mix of BEA from this year and last year and the last two piles are books that I've accrued that I want to read. Dear god. The two short stacks in the front: the further front are giveaway copies from BEA and the back pile are just more books I want to read. Awesome.


And my DVD rack actually gets to be used for DVDs. To bad for it's now-constant tilt to the side. Awesome. The top rack is TV shows (pretty much the only way I watch any TV), second rack is my "classics" (read: 80s and early 90s movies), third rack and the left of the fourth rack are just random DVDs that didn't fit into the other two. On the right of the fourth rack are my cartoon movies. Yeah. I'm, like, 10 on the inside. And on the very bottom are the couple of Wii games I have.

The chaos has quieted.

My Books Will Soon Have a New Home

So lately I've been staring at my current "bookcase" and saying to myself, "I really need a new one." Bad. My bookcase isn't actually a bookcase but a DVD case. It's not built to hold a lot of those hardbound books so I have a lot of my paperbacks shoved in there with the hardbounds quickly piling up on top. I'm surprised the thing hasn't crumpled in on itself yet (as the bottom shelf is totally empty.

For a while now I've seen people review CSN products, mainly bookshelves, and if they were giving away credit, I always entered to win because, really, who can't use a new bookcase? Well, my lucky day came today because CSN contacted me to do a product review. Yay! While I am pretty opposed to pimping random products on my blog, bookcases are book-related so why not?

While I could have chosen anything from any of their slew of stores, I chose, of course, a bookcase.


This will be my new lovely shortly. I can't wait! I'm very excited to review it, not to mention weed through all those stores that CSN has! They're like IKEA but better! Considering I'll (finally) be moving into my own place in the fall, I'll have a whole apartment to furnish. From furniture, to desks, bathroom vanity sets and even waterbeds, they have it all. I plan on trolling the site(s) when the time comes for me to pump up my new place.

In the meantime I'll just get to ogle my new bookcase! Stay tuned as I'll have a review for it once I put it together and put all my bookish weight on it. Let's see if it holds up to scruff.