#HolidayCents Giveaway: Win a $200 Prepaid VISA Card

RetailMeNot.ca recently reached out to me with a challenge (and a chance for you to win $200), and I'm excited to spill the beans because I love talking about money.  RetailMeNot.ca wanted to know how much money I could save on purchases made this time of year: home decor, home goods, entertaining, salon visits, travel, etc., by using the RetailMeNot.ca website.  I perused the website and looked at some of the discounts and coupon codes; it was easy to browse by retailer or category, and soon I stumbled across a fabulous coupon code for Lord & Taylor.

Every winter, I try to treat myself to a cashmere sweater.  It's a weird little tradition of mine.  I don't buy a lot of clothes and by caring for my cashmere at home, I'm able to make these sweaters last a long time so I justify the splurge.  Last year I didn't find one though, so I was really on the hunt this year.  I finally found the perfect Lord & Taylor sweater at The Bay, only to discover they were completely sold out of my size.  After some sleuthing, I found the sweater, on sale, on the Lord & Taylor website, and using a coupon code from RetailMeNot.ca, I saved an additional $66.28.  I guess you can call this my holiday sweater because I'll be wearing it with skinny jeans and glam jewelry for a party in my neck of the woods (it's casual here!), but it's cozy enough that I'll pair this with pj's while I enjoy a little R&R.

Since buying a new camera this year, I haven't had time to find a camera case so I haven't been able to bring it anywhere.  RetailMeNot.ca had a bunch of coupons and sale alerts for Amazon, so I hopped over to take a look and found the perfect camera bag insert (the Timbuk2 Snoop) for a steal!  It slips into any bag or purse and was on sale, saving me almost $14.00.  It seems a shame to have bought a fancy new camera and not take it for a spin to capture some memories this year.

This time of year, we inevitably have more folks coming to our place.  Because we live in the country, there are no street lamps and nighttime can be really dark around here - which is dangerous when it gets icy.  To help our guests find their way to the door, we've installed yard lights, motion lights, and we even have car port lights.  Unfortunately, the crazy winds set them off all night long and many of our light bulbs were burned out.  I used some of my budget to buy new LED light bulbs that will last 45,000 hours (!) and keep our property welcoming and inviting during the long winter nights.  Not the sexiest purchase, to be sure, but it's so important this time of year to stay safe!

Our bathroom is not yet guest-ready because the new cabinet doors that were installed to replace the flawed ones were also damaged!  Plus the counter top folks haven't scheduled an install date, so we wait.  We might be stuck in limbo, but that hasn't stopped me from buying bathroom accessories.  Boxes full of towels, a shower curtain, hampers, soap dishes, etc., arrived at my door, but there was a missing piece.  I had been lusting after the Ashton Sutton Sharp SPC1100 Atomic Wall Clock because it's aqua and shows the weather (!) but I couldn't justify the $125.  I almost bought it so many times but chickened out right before clicking "confirm purchase".  Thanks to RetailMeNot.ca, I caught it on sale and saved a ridiculous $129.92!

So here's a look at what I bought (and saved, thanks to coupon codes and sale alerts):
Cashmere Sweater
Original Price = $368.22 CAD
Price After Sale + Additional Coupon Code = $154.65 CAD ($112.56 USD)
Savings Thanks to RetailMeNot.ca = $66.28 CAD!
Camera Case
Original Price = $53.77 USD
Price on Sale = $39.97 CAD ($28.99 USD) + Free Shipping
Savings Thanks to RetailMeNot.ca =  $13.80 + shipping cost
LED Light Bulbs
Original Price = 89.33 (64.80 USD)
Price on Sale = $75.55 (54.80 USD) + Free Shipping
Savings Thanks to RetailMeNot.ca = $13.78 + shipping cost
Fancy Pants Clock
Original Price = $172.33 ($125 USD)
Price on Sale = $44.41 (32.21 USD) + Free Shipping   
Savings Thanks to RetailMeNot.ca = $129.92+ shipping cost

I went over my $250 budget, but I got a little carried away because I saved a lot on items that were on my "wish I could buy/really need to buy" list.  So for the purposes of this challenge, let's pretend I didn't buy the LED lights, which brings my total to $239.03, with a savings of $210 (plus whatever I saved on shipping)!

Now my bathroom looks a little more guest-ready, the exterior is a lot safer (and more welcoming), I'm ready for parties (and way more huggable) with my lovely new cashmere sweater, and I can safely take my camera to capture some memories. 

I have to admit that I hadn't used Retailmenot.ca before to find coupons, but I did hunt for them online.  I'd usually Google and inevitably end up with expired ones and waste time trying coupon after coupon.  RetailMeNot.ca does the Googling for us and organizes the coupon codes plus in-store and online sale alerts so we can shop by brand or category.  My success rate with Retailmenot was good - plus folks can give a coupon code the thumbs up or down, so I could see at a glance the success rate of the coupons.  It's a free service and a great way to save some cash.

Now that I've bragged about the sweet deals I scored, it would seem cruel to leave you hanging.  Instead, I partnered with RetailMeNot.ca to hook one of you up with a $200 prepair VISA card.  You'll be able to use your card anywhere - for anything - online or in-store.  There are only two simple steps to enter:  sign up for the RetailMeNot.ca newsletter and then enter your name and email address in the form below.  I won't sell your information, nor will it become public.  It's just so I can keep track of entries and reach out to the winner!

Unfortunately, this contest is only open to Canadian readers (excluding Quebec).

Entry-Form

RetailMeNot.ca's weekly and holiday emails feature only the best deals.  By entering your email, you consent to receive emails from RetailMeNot, Inc. You Can Opt Out at Any Time.  Your consent is sought by RetailMeNot, Inc., 301 Congress Ave., Ste 700, Austin TX 78701 U.S.A.  http://www.retailmenot.ca/static/privacy/.   
I am participating in the #HolidayCents campaign with RetailMeNot.ca and have received special perks.  Any onions expressed in this post are my own. 

A Nautical Inspired DIY Accent Table

This DIY nautical side table is easier to make than it looks!

I was halfway between Toronto and home - a 1600km journey - when I agreed to participate in the #LoveYourWood contest, sponsored by Rust-Oleum and Varathane.  Sure, I was super exhausted.  And yes, we had a stalled bathroom reno to complete.  But the folks at Rust-Oleum have been so good to me: helping me give our bathrooms a facelift and tackle a million other projects, so of course I was on board!  I didn't even realize when I said yes that this was a contest with prize money on the line... I just like making things.

Here's the challenge: myself and 7 other bloggers were each mailed a mystery box of Varathane products, some truly random bits and bobs, and a small budget to makeover or build something cool:

Almost immediately I chose the wire, rope, and sack of marbles, simply because I like a challenge (marbles?!?).  In fact, I went out and bought 100 more feet of rope so I could create a bold, nautical side table.  Go big or go home right?  I also stepped outside my comfort zone and refrained from adding my signature aqua, but I had no trouble dreaming up a surplus of ideas - which is always my problem. 

Supplies for Making a Square Wood Table:

• Three 1.5" x 1.5" pine lumber pieces (8 foot lengths) 
• Two 3/4" x 1.5" pine lumber pieces (6 foot lengths) 
• One 3/4" x 3/4" pine lumber piece (6 foot length)
• Scrap piece of pine 3/8" plywood
• Piece of wallpaper (click for similar)
• 50-75 feet of rope
• Wire
• Handful of round blue marbles
• Epoxy to secure marbles
• Wood glue
• Air nailer and 3/4" air nails (14 gauge)
• Circular saw and mitre saw
• Brushes, rags, gloves etc. for stain application
• Varathane Ultimate Wood Stain - Chocolate
• Varathane Professional Clear Finish - Satin
• Varathane Bar and Table Finish

Why use pine??  I didn't particularly want pine, but I didn't want to have to rip larger boards.  I wanted to purchases the exact dimensions and just cut the lengths.  The sizes I wanted were available in a few different kinds of wood, but if I wanted them all the same, pine was my only option.  Because everything was pine, it took the stain more evenly than if I had mixed woods. 

How to Make a Square Wood Table:
 
After some pondering and scheming, we started with one of our wonky little sketches:

Once we had a sketch of the design and figured out our desired measurements, we cut all of the pieces to length using a mitre saw.  The frame for the top and bottom were cut with mitred corners, while the vertical pieces that make up the legs were just butt jointed.  We also cut the smaller square "frame" for the top, to create a channel for the marbles.  Finally, to make the table surface, we cut a scrap of plywood to size (leftover from the Ikea credenza hack!) using our circular saw with a straight edge - which we use as a table saw stand-in.

With the cutting done, we formed the square base and top by butt gluing the ends together with wood glue, securing them while they dried.  We also glued together the small inner frame.  Once those pieces were dry, we glued the plywood into the frame, securing it on the bottom as well.  Finally, we glued the four legs onto the top and bottom, completing the cube shape. 

Here's a peek at the table before stain (the inner frame hasn't been attached yet):

Pretty, right?  It took so little time that now I have this weird compulsion to make a bunch of these cube cuties.  Anyone need a table?

To drill the holes for the rope, first we plotted out the spacing - enter another wonky drawing:

Then we worked our way around the table, laying the table on its side, with a piece of scrap wood underneath.  All of the holes are drilled in equal distance, except for the first and last (for the rope to double back and be tied).  We used a 1/2" drill bit for our rope.

Next we figured out where the marbles would be placed.  Inspired by the rivets on this nautical mirror available on 1st dibs, I spaced the marbles around the perimeter of the table top, holding them down with tape while I fiddled with the arrangement until I was happy.

To create dents for the marbles to sit in, we measured, marked, and simply drilled a partial hole with a 1/4" drill bit (you could also use a counter sink bit, which we don't have).

With the table assembled and the holes drilled, we lightly sanded the entire piece with 220 grit sandpaper - paying attention to where the holes had been drilled on the legs.  We sand after construction because sharper cuts make for cleaner construction.  Once it's assembled, we sand rough areas smooth and also round corners a tiny bit, which makes it look good but also makes it less susceptible to chips and dings - sharper edges are more vulnerable.

Once it was sanded smooth, we wiped it with a tack cloth to remove any dust and debris, and then it was time for stain!  In my mystery package, I received Varathane Ultimate Wood Stain in Chocolate and Varathane Professional Clear Finish:

The stain went on very easily and smoothly and, as promised, only took one coat!  It did, however, take longer to dry than indicated, which could be attributed to humidity in the air.  I ran out of daylight and ended up letting it dry overnight before applying the clear coat with a brush.  The nice thing about an oil-based stain as opposed to the water-based stains I've used before is that this didn't raise the grain - which makes for much less work!

Next I cut a piece of wallpaper I've been swooning over - the Whitby pattern by Mini Moderns, available from Wallpaper Direct. 

I really wanted the aqua but ordered the washed denim blue because I knew it would look better with the blue marbles (it was so weird to be running around town with a sack of marbles, trying to find complementary elements for my table!).  You can't even imagine how long I agonized over this decision and how much it pained me to order the denim blue.  As lovely as it is, turning down aqua took a lot of willpower.

I think I earned a vote just for that ;)

We used double sided tape to affix the paper to the plywood top (not the best idea - I'll tell you why), and then installed the inner frame on top of it, using wood glue and air nailing it from the bottom.

We used our go-to fixative to affix the marbles, adding a dab of epoxy to each marble and pressing it down gently.  The marbles held tight and definitely could have been left, as-is. 



Then it was time for the scary bit: resin!!  I've been itching to try using resin on furniture (after pinning a bunch of cool projects) and thought this contest would be a great reason to experiment.  With cash on the line, why not try using a product you've never used?  Better still, try it at 10pm, the night before the project is due...

I would have fared well on Trading Spaces - I clearly live dangerously and can pull a DIY all-nighter without breaking a sweat.

Using the Varathane Bar and Table Varnish:

We followed the instructions - mostly - and although there are warning signs on every page of the instruction pamphlet, it was actually easy to use!  We applied it to the channel we created for the marbles and also over the wallpaper.  Now, the instructions suggest laminating papers to be embedded, but it was too late for that so I went ahead!  I only got the product a couple of days before, and if I hadn't been on a deadline I would have done that extra step - or, as per my genius last minute revelation: done a glass top for the surface and then epoxy for just the marble channel!  The wallpaper was changed a bit from the moisture of the epoxy and lost some crispness.  But, even though we deviated from the instructions and poured it on very thickly, it cured and dried in time.  I just love how glossy it is and how it reflects light.  So, playing fast and lose with instructions, you win some and you lose some.

Finally, we created a bowline knot and threaded the rope back and forth through the holes we drilled, securing the bitter end (I'm studying for my boater's exam) with the wire.  And, that's it!!

My nautical table using rope, marbles, and wire - plus chocolate stain, a satin clean coat, and epoxy:

I love how this DIY nautical table turned out!

Thanks to Rust-Oleum and Varathane for sponsoring such a fun challenge.  And special thanks to Wallpaper Direct for providing the wallpaper.  I have more plans for my leftover paper - which is so dreamy (and I keep thinking about wallpapering my powder room in the aqua. The AQUA!)

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I Need Your Help!

I got an email in December letting me know that one of my DIY projects had been chosen for Bob Vila's (yup, that Bob Vila), Thumbs Up Competition.  Each month there's a different theme and January's is plywood.  I didn't apply for or enter this competition - someone over there found our DIY plywood magazines files and decided to pit them against a desk (!), a marquee, and a book shelf.  The odds are stacked against me. 

Now, Hubby and I have done some pretty cool things with plywood.  We made this easy peasy LED sign:

We topped our Ikea floating credenza hack with a beautiful piece of plywood:

We even built our pantry from plywood!

But it's our smallest plywood project - the plywood magazine files - going up against the big dogs. 

Would you vote for me so I don't end up being picked last for dodgeball?  You don't need to sign up or register or do anything but click "VOTE" - over my picture, of course!  You can vote every day, just FYI, and voting lasts all January.  There's a handy button in my sidebar that will take you to it:

Thanks so much!!  To be honest, these kinds of competition aren't really a lot of fun for me, but I just couldn't say no to Bob Vila.  Help me not be last :) 

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