IKEA

I Love IKEA. I think I could spend hours just browsing the marketplace. I had great luck there on Monday...

I have been looking for something to get my craft room organized. The spare upstairs bedroom in my house is my "craft room"...but it also tends to be our place to stash things that we can't find a place for...outgrown kids clothes, Halloween crap, CD's, books...I've never been able to keep a workspace available in there. I guess it just needs to be a work in process for a clutter magnet like me....

Some how I missed it the first time she posted it, but when Mindy posted about redoing her daughter's room, the shelves JUMPED out of the screen at me. I knew they were perfect for what I wanted.

Then, my friend Rachael posted this...and I knew I had to have one for my princess for Christmas.

So, to IKEA we went. Cole and I had planned to take a trip later in the month, while the boys were at school, but my craft room stuff all over the place was driving me insane, I felt like I had lost my "sanctuary" front room to the overspill, and I just couldn't take it anymore.

I found my shelves...and the doll bed....

From September 2010

Thank goodness it came in a box with a small pic...it was pretty easy to hide what it was from our kids. Kyle noticed it while we were loading the car, but since he's 11, I'm sure he's drawn his own conclusions about Christmas and presents.

I also can never resist the Textiles area...and fell in love with a new Duvet cover.

From September 2010

I have loved my old Duvet cover (also from IKEA), but I've had it since right after the store here in Utah opened, and have washed it enough that it had faded some. Although, I have to say, I was impressed with the quality vs price ratio....It was extremely high quality for the price, which is why I felt good about buying an new duvet cover from IKEA.

I love the color (of course!), the stitched flower detail, the material...it looks and feels very luxurious. I really wanted to buy a new duvet/comforter as well...but that was way over my budget for this trip. Maybe next time....

Cole found a new pillow. He's really picky about pillows, and we haven't had any luck finding a comfortable one around here. So far so good on that front....

I also had to pick up some rainbow plastic cups and bowls...I never seem to have enough cups around my house. I LOVE the IKEA plastic cups and bowls...they are the perfect size.

And then, of course, my shelves....I spent a little over an hour yesterday putting them together. All by myself. And I took pics to document it to my husband, who teased me about being able to do it. (he really was just kidding, but it's the principle of the thing ;))

Laying out all my supplies...with my "helper"

From September 2010

Me, all ready to work (no makeup, hair pulled back)

From September 2010

In progress...

From September 2010

From September 2010

From September 2010

From September 2010

I had to wait for Cole to get home to pick it up...it was heavy and I didn't want to hurt myself. As it is, I'm a bit sore and tired today from the process...but this made it totally worth it!

From September 2010

My craft room is still in progress, but it's looking better and better. Cole likes it so much, he wants us to buy another set of the shelves, for when we tear down our desktop computer that's in there(I can't even remember the last time we used it), and then he'd have places to store his Halloween crap I mean creative supplies.

Plus, I'd like a couple of the smaller ones for my growing collection of books...