The Vortex....

Today was gorgeous outside....but I wouldn't really have known it, because for part of the day, I was in here...

It was my first time, and like the first time with a lot of things, you find yourself in over your head!  My husband and I joked that it was a vortex that sucks you in and steals your day.

Now most of you all know that when it comes to decorating, design, home stuff in general, I'm not overwhelmed...at all.  But today when we left, I really just needed to get a massage, or a pedicure, or take a bath with candles and silence....but since we were trying then to salvage our quality time together sans kiddos, we settled for a beer over a late lunch instead.  I do confess that still felt completely insufficient in my quest to unwind though.

I, like many of you, have heard tales of Ikea greatness for years.  And like many people, I've always thought most of it was just crap, which is why I've never gone.  And some of it is.  But today I wanted to look at cabinets to redo our laundry room, which is a constant source of cluttered frustration.  It's our laundry room, so as long as it looks decent, I'm not looking for top shelf quality anyways.  I will tell you, that while it's still not in the budget completely right now, I did find exactly what I wanted.  So the trip wasn't entirely in vain even if it did leaving me feeling a little nauseous in the end.

So here's my take on Ikea...

If you know exactly what you want, or exactly what problem you need a solution for, it's probably pretty fabulous.  There was pretty much anything you can imagine in there...I mean, really...anything, and it was cheap!  But the beef that I have with the store is pretty much their entire bread and butter...they FORCE you to meander through the entire store to get to anything (thereby hoping you will buy anything, which likely works or they wouldn't do it!.)  There really is just one route through the entire store and the place is freaking massive!  If you have any propensity for getting sidetracked at all, then plan on taking a sleeping bag with your for your overnight accomodations.  Reall, there is SO much to see, and if you don't have a game plan, then you're going to spend too much money on cheap stuff that you don't need, and you'll spend HOURS in the place.  Like I said, today was gorgeous, but I didn't even know it til 2pm when we finally emerged from within!

Here's the problem...well, one problem anyways.  I think your first time there, like any virginal voyage, you'll basically just stumble your way through with no real clue what you're doing. It's a rite of passage I think.  You must have a day like we did today, just to get it out of the way.  It probably gets better every time you do it.  (But I won't be doing it often because there's not one in my hometown.)

And save yourself additional headache...Don't take your kids. (Yes, they have an entire kid zone where you can drop them off, but truly...spare yourself...and leave the kids at home.  I was glad we had left ours with my parents.)

So, at the end of the day here's how I feel...

And I might go back.

But not for awhile.

And next time I'll have a plan...and a mapped out escape route!

- Logan