There's no place like IKEA. There's no place like IKEA. There's no place . . .

"Ekktorp, Malm, Brunkrissla" - those words are like angels whispering in my ear - Swedish angels.

I've recently returned from a road trip to IKEA, the shopping mecca for all things trendy,chic and cheap. I can't say exactly when I fell in love with IKEA, it was a few years back. I had heard fairy tails of simplistic Swedish designed furniture and ultra chic accessories for affordable prices and then I went there - and it was all I had dreamed of and more. And don't even get me started on the 99cent breakfast!

Just as I was pining to return my friend Carrie informed me that she longed to head there for her birthday and me and my friend Shawna were all too happy to tag along. The nearest IKEA is 3 hours away so it required some planning, which only added to the anticipation.

I think one of my favorite things about this trip were the days leading up to it. When Shawna was making a withdrawal at the bank she mentioned that she was headed to IKEA and the teller and 2 adjacent customers instantly squeeled, "Are you going to IKEA!?" and then proceeded to launch into stories of how much they loved IKEA. They asked her what she planned on buying, and when she was going, etc. She thought one might actually ask to tag along!

Two days later I was extolling the virtues of IKEA to my mom on the bleachers at Aaron's T-ball game (she's what I like to call an IKEA virgin - hadn't even heard of it - shocking I know) and the guy in front of us instantly turned around and launched into a 5 minute presentation on the wonder and beauty of the place and their products.

You see, everyone loves IKEA.

We spent a total of 7 hours in the store and adored every minute. Here are some of my favorite purchases:

Fabric

My only regret is that I didn't buy nearly enough. You see I was too overwhelmed on our first route through the textile area so I decided to wait to make a decision until we came around for the second pass. By then though we were approaching hour 6 and I was pretty wiped. I wasn't thinking clearly!

I should have bought a yard of absolutely everything! Most of these are destined for throwpillows and the green flowers are going to be curtains for the kids' room.

Elephant tray

I absolutely love this tray. I love elephants first of all, and with the colors and patterns going on in this tray - there was no way I could resist, especially for $6.

Hello - do you see this? The baby elephant, the little birds on their backs, the patterns - it's almost too much. Now if they'd had fabric like this I would have bought the whole bolt.

Tumbler, bowl and plate set:

This may seem silly that I'm excited about plastic tableware but it's hard to find fun tableware for kids that's not made out of that awful melamine stuff that you can't nuke in the microwave and that usually has Dora or some other cartoon character emblazoned on it.

This set is microwave and dishwasher safe and their the perfect size for little ones.

I got lots of other great stuff too and I can't wait to go back. The good news is that I shouldn't have to wait too long. The girls and I have already decided to make this trip into an annual affair and my Mom is renovating her kitchen and after looking at the catalog has determined she needs to head there to check out their cabinetry.

There's no place like IKEA.

There's no place like IKEA.

There's no place like IKEA.

Going Vintage

I’m no antique dealer but I do enjoy going to antique stores and I adore a good garage sale or flea market and so over the years I’ve accumulated quite a few interesting vintage items. Most of them I’ve put to good use in my home either decoratively or in a utilitarian way but as my tastes and décor change and as I accumulate even more things it sometimes becomes necessary to clean things out.

I couldn’t bear to give these items to Goodwill and after putting on 3 very tedious and disappointing garage sales in the last few years and vowing to myself after each and every one never to do it again, I think I’ve finally convinced myself. So since Ebay annoys me I’ve decided to take advantage of Etsy’s vintage category and place some items in my shop.

They’re all things that are either from my childhood, like this Smurf license plate or things my parents have purged me from their extensive collections of oddities. Some are items I purchased to use in my home and have tired of.

The hardest part I’m finding is determining price. I don’t know how much to ask for an old Shirt Tales lunchbox or an ashtray in the shape of a toilet and for some of the more obscure items like a vinyl E.T. costume it’s hard to find anything comparable online to even get an idea on pricing.

I mean, what would you pay for a set of the Blue Falcon Crazy Eights cards?

So I just did my best through research and guessing to come up with what I hope is fair pricing and I’m crossing my fingers that no one with a nervous constitution and a weak heart views that E.T. costume because that thing is just freaky!