IKEA

When we moved into our new house my parents kindly offered to take us to IKEA to get some things for our house as a house warming present. I had never been to IKEA before and really didn't know what to expect. Before we went I thought about some things we could use. But what I decided I really wanted to do was revamp the bedroom. If you remember from my house tour the bedroom is really blah right now, white walls, tan and white bedding, nothing on the walls, really bland.

So off to Portland to IKEA we went. After hours and hours and lunch and a few more hours I was so overwhelmed and exhausted it was hard to know what I thought. I decided what I wanted from my parents was a Iron bed frame. I picked out a new duvet, some throw pillows, new curtains and few other odds and ends. I had everything I needed to revamp my bedroom. But when were were ready to go we realized there was no way that bed frame was going to fit into my step mother's SUV. And IKEA, be warned, does not deliver!

So that following weekend my friend Jessica and I borrowed a friends truck and trekked back up to IKEA to get the bed. I also decided to get some new night tables. Yet Saturday night at 8pm we were informed that IKEA was out of all bed mid-beams for all models. The were getting a shipment in the next morning so we stayed the night in Portland (my in laws live in Portland). The next morning on this third trip to IKEA we finally got the bed but found out the nightstands were out of stock in the color I wanted. You can just guess my level of frustration. So I opted for another color and we headed home.

Overall I think IKEA is a great place for a lot of things. And if you are selective you can do a lot on a small budget. I found a lot of pieces that were poor quality and over priced but I found a lot of other things that seemed to be good quality and great deals. It's also great for basics like mirrors, picture frames, candles and a lot of other decorating pieces. But at the end of the day you get what you pay for. No shipping, things often out of stock, self serve furniture store room...these are all realities that come with such low prices.