IKEA Day 2: Electric Boogaloo

So ever since we've been married and moved into our overpriced box that was clearly designed for elves I've been making an attempt to the place we live somehow amazing. Unfortunately I mostly just read various design blogs which fill me with inspiration that dies quickly upon the remembrance that we have no 1)money, 2)space, 3) creativity. But fortunately some small things are within our grasp - including the various reasonably priced, Swedish styled goods of the classic IKEA! As you may remember IKEA day 1 was sadly decimated by heinous forces beyond our control. Let us not speak of it.

But Friday! was a glorious new day, ripe with possibilities. The class began in less than auspicious fashion as I attended not one but two preemptive makeup classes for criminal law - nothing like discussing the menus rea of rape to start your day on a cheery note. But hey, it was IKEA day, and nothing was going to ruin it! It helps that instead of paying attention in class I perused IKEA's website...

IKEA really is a magical place. We grabbed a quick bite of lunch, and I swear that the IKEA magic made my chicken and fries extra scrumptious. And then began the meandering and the buying. It was like being a kid in a toy store. Everything was so pretty and well designed. Plus there's something extra fun about walking around now with Zach because maybe if we're good boys and girls someday we can have a house with stuff in it!

Also, IKEA makes me want to have babies just a little bit. If Zach ever really wants to knock me up, all he would have to do is take me to IKEA, make awww noises with me and my birth control pills would be gone in 5 minutes tops. I'm sure the effects of IKEA would wear off eventually, but at that moment I would be powerless. Seriously, they have the cutest, funnest little kids section ever. I could make a glorious Dr. Suessian room populated by Mammut. Or a fun jungle room with these Lova leaves and various Barnslig animals everywhere! Perhaps a Ekorre rocking moose as a nod to Zach's Alaskan childhood? Or so many other bright and colorful and exciting possibilities! There's just so much and its just so cute! Really i just want all this cute stuff for myself, but its much more socially acceptable to just live vicariously through my imaginary children.

And now, partly because Swedish names are really fun to say and largley because I am still fairly excited, here is a sampling of what hath been procured: FLÄRKE, Syntes skiss bowls that will hopefully contain small amounts of my desk clutter, Diska and Plastis, a light for my Knubbig, a Kvart, various Kappas and Kardemummas so that Zach's plants no longer have to reside in tin cans, a Svepa to water said plants, an orchid I have named Mia, which shall live long in its Idyll - please send poor Mia good vibes as I'm fairly sure that I will probably kill it somehow, my beloved Alvine Flora that I have long lusted after, Superfin and Snartig, the Granat, and way too many candles and candle related paraphanallia including the Tindra Mys, Granum, Grodby, and way too many others. Of course, they are in good company as our apartment is already populated with 2 Kullens, a Not, Elly, Jall, Trojka, and the ever popular Lack.

You see, while IKEA may be a magical place of color and design and love, I'm not all together certain that it isn't also a slightly evil magic that disables common sense. After all, everything is soo pretty and ooo look how reasonably priced! We must purchase it, and that thing over there, and that too! Plus the store is huge and windy, and is scientifically designed to weaken your resolve. You know what we actually went there to get? Just a few nice, simple, cheap Flarke bookshelves so that Zach could have a desk again (I'm certain that his books get inspired by our rambunctiousness and reproduce when placed in close quarters on that desk). Yah... we spent about 5x what the cost of "just a few bookshelves" would be...

Not that I'm bad mouthing IKEA! I still happily long for the next time I can make pilgrimage to that giant blue sanctuary. And I'm still in the warm glowy phase that occurs after significant retail therapy has taken place. It's a nice place to be - I actually don't hate our apartment right now! Actually I'm fairly proud of us - we did spend more than intended (and I'm not even going to go into the subsequent costco trip - it was all food, and thus does not count. Right?) but it could have been oh so much more. While I continue to lust after the Expedit and the Hemnes and oh so much more, we managed to make it out with relatively small purchases, most of which serve a real purpose. So yay us, yay IKEA, and a big old yay for materialism!

(Oh, and the title? So in the 80's they made a horrible movie about break dancing. And then a sequel, which surpassed the originals level of horribleness, but did have an awesome name : Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. So now whenever I see Something 2 - I automatically add Electric Boogaloo. Which means I giggle at inappropriate times..ie. Godfather 2 - Electric Boogaloo.)