For the love of the blue and yellow....

Yes, I do love blue and yellow together, and well decorate with blue and add touches of yellow. BUT this is not about that. OH NO, this is about a huge part of my life, much more important than the colors I decorate with. This is aboutThe first one I ever went into was a flag store in Houston, I was bowled over by the size, selection, and all that it had to offer and for the most part at great savings. I am not saying you should not be very informed of what is a good deal and what is not, there is a real mix, so often you can find better deals elsewhere, but for the selection, amount of stock on hand,quality and the ease of getting it home as it is all mainly in boxes it really can not be beat.

When we moved to TX, we went with nothing...no beds, nothing to sit on, no dishes, not even pots and pans....so we went to IKEA and spent 6 hours shopping and boy do I wish I had pics from that haul! Then we spent 4 more hours the next day filling in the blanks! You can survive there easily cause there is a cafe and a hot dog stand, obviously places to sit and rest and of course restrooms, so it can be done...I made a lot of decor mistakes that day, just from being overwhelmed by a 4 day trek across country, and then two days at IKEA , but the furniture served me well. Over and over I go back to change things out, add to and well often there is days I just go to walk around.

Mine, well the one I go to now is in West Sacramento. I can see the sign ,from the distance as we drive down the 80, way before we get there, like a homing beacon in the sky.....

Once we get there, blue bags in hand ( IKEA sells them to bring back to haul your smaller goodies out in ...they come in handy for all sorts of things as well) we head in and are welcomed by friendly staff in blue and yellow shirts and make our way to the escalator This is the way to the showrooms, you just follow the handy arrows on the floor so you do not get lost and well run over, cause going the opposite way can result in being run down by dazed consumers.

Imagine whole living rooms....( there are more...trust me...all styles)
From contemporary to
Country...and all styles in between...your choice ...really! You can change the style with a selection of slip covers...or be secure in your decision with fixed covered styles...
Then you can add your own personality to a chair...
there is plenty to choose from, also many with slip covers...


You can even see how it would all fit in to even the smallest of living spaces...YES there is entire living spaces in the IKEA show room!!!

You can also imagine yourself in bedrooms....again all different styles...try out the bed, feel the textiles, dream over the closets and get a plethora of design ideas....

Once you weave through the staged living rooms, dens, bedrooms and offices you then greeted with kitchens...again so many choices and mix of styles ...I did my entire kitchen in my cottage that we had with IKEA cabinets...of course I customized the rest from other sources

Here is just a sampling...
There is counters to choose from, cabinet styles, colors, hardware, they even sell the appliances and the sink and faucets....everything you could need or want to build your own dream kitchen...they will even help you plan it out ! There is also decorating services on hand to help you decide what to buy, and many, many helpful employees at help desks all over the store...all ready to help you decide on what you want or need and answer all your questions....even print up an buying sheet!

As you continue to walk around following arrows , you will see wonderful sites and colors....


And find all sorts of goodies that you just have to have....
And of course the design/decor ideas keep coming...
They are EVERYWHERE! AND they have tags that tell you how to find all the items you saw in the display showrooms.

After awhile after seeing room after room, space after space, and following the arrows, passing through a fun and imaginative children area, and perhaps stopping off at the cafe for a bite to eat ..Lingonberry pie anyone?? You head down the elevator or the stairs if you like and here is the stock....a large space filled with everything you need from the cups and forks to textiles , rugs, bedding, drapes and curtains, shades , even fabric to make your own. You will find wonderful pillows, and soft throws and the list goes on and on....Here is just a sampling of all that you will see ...



Then there is mirrors, art, candles and plants to add those finishing touches to any space....I am always there buying new candles, and holders....to go along with the area rug, sheers ( and soon drapes) and even my Parson style coffee tables that inhabit my space....



I could add more of what you would see in this portion of the store, but I would be here uploading pics all day!

Soon, with your cart full, your yellow bag filled as well ( that is the supplied bag, to use in the store only) you head into the warehouse portion, this is where you load up the big stuff, it is divided into isles and bin numbers ....this is where the furniture is, unless it is too big, then one of the employees will be happy to look it up for you, print out an invoice and you pick it up at the front of the store...

Once you have loaded up your even larger cart you head for check out .... of course there is still more opportunity to shop ...leading up to check out there is seasonal items, right now it is patio and yard ...
Past that clearance items, and even an as is section that if you do not mind a bit of work to spruce the items back up , you can get quite the buy! But finally you are there, you can choose self check out , although they are right there to help you if needed....and then there is regular check out for those not wanting to bother past putting things on the counter ...either way you have to wrap and bag your own.

When you have finished your IKEA adventure for the day , you are rewarded with value priced hot dogs , pizza, and fresh baked sweet rolls, along with ice cream and assorted beverages....sometimes we drive down just to walk around and have lunch!
Of course they also have a wonderful Swedish market so you too can have their great meatballs and Lingonberry jam and the rich BRYGGKAFFE MELLANROST (coffee) at your own home...and so many other wonderful foods you can not pronounce!

And so ends your trip for that day, to
Trust me , if you have the chance it will not be their last....they are always changing up the room/space displays, adding new stock and changing layouts of the merchandise area...so there is always something new to see....and in September there is the new catalog to be had , you will find that you are dog earring it through out ....go online and order it, even if you do not have one close by you can still use it for ideas ; trust me if you can drive to it , even for a day trip with a truck, do so cause shipping is very pricey and not budget wise, and many items are available only at the store....you can check that part too. OH and be sure to join their FB fan page for special sale announcements ...and there is even a blog and FB page called IKEA HACKER, that shows what others have transformed their finds into.

So until our next chat.....enjoy your day, and may you find many budget friendly treasures in your next outing.