Gadding About at IKEA During the Holidays

Whenever I make a trip to Shelby, I pass by the Swedish store, IKEA.  Although IKEA is known mainly for its modern and reasonably priced home furnishings it has a cafeteria with an interesting assortment of Swedish dishes.  Recently I was there near lunchtime, and I stopped to have a bite to eat. I had a smoked salmon burger, my favorite drink, lingonberry juice, and a chocolate pastry or candy.  All were quite good.

After lunch I thought I would have a quick trip around the store, but I had forgotten that there's nothing quick about getting through the store even at a fast pace.  I wasn't looking for anything, just looking which I rarely do. If I go shopping it is to look for something in particular.  I'm actually not fond of shopping for the sake of shopping.

There were lots of decorations for the Christmas season.  Pretty red and white tins, Christmas balls in silver and gold, and wrapping paper.

I did find a pretty pillow with cats in black on white.  I bought two---one for the Chatfield house and the other as a gift for a friend who really loves anything feline and who has two black and white cats.  They had quite an assortment of stuffed animals, and I've always wanted a Husky so I put one in the cart and brought it home.  It can be a buddy for Maggie.

One of the drawbacks of shopping at IKEA is the long line at checkout, and this was especially true for the holiday shopping.

Our New "Garage" Bedroom

Our garage "guest suite".

In renovating our two-car garage, which never housed a car, into a guest suite or WOman cave, we turned what was Dan's workshop into a bath and bedroom. 

Queen size bed.  Bedspread colors greens and browns determined the color scheme for suite.

The tall cabinets that store items we rarely need to access serve as the headboard for the queen size bed.  The bed was one in Patrick's place that he was no longer using, and the bedspread was one I had on hand.  The colors in the bedspread were used as the color scheme for the entire suite. 

Screen that hides water heater made of stockade fence pickets.

In order to hide the hot water heater, Steve built a screen from stockade fencing washing it with a thin coat of wall paint to let the grain of the wood show through.

Garage door track exposed in room.

Gear clock fits right in with the "industrial" look of the place.

Since the very front of this side of the garage serves as a tool shed, the tracks of the garage door are exposed giving an industrial feel to the room.  To continue the industrial theme, I found this wonderful gear clock that is perfect for the space over the HVAC unit. 

Shelves added where Dan's tools once hung.

Shelves perfect for displaying baskets, pottery and books.

The wall that formerly housed many of Dan's tools, was converted into shelves for books, pottery and other collectibles. 

Clothes hamper and basket of towels handily within reach of the bathroom.

At the entrance to the bathroom door, a basket on top of the clothes hamper contains towels and bath mats. 

This wall canvas has the perfect lime green and rust browns to complement the color scheme.

Not only did I find the towels for the bathroom at Big Lots, I also found this wall canvas (for $12.00) that carries out our color scheme perfectly. 

IKEA lamp with shade sprayed black. 

The lamp is from IKEA.  It had a gray shade, but Steve sprayed this black and it fits nicely into the room.

We are expecting two couples for a visit this coming weekend.  One couple will be housed in the guest suite.  I hope they like it. 

Day 3 The Linen Drawer

♫On the third day of Christmas----♪♫♪     No. ♪♪♫♫ On the third day of decluttering my true love said to me♫♫  "Wow, you really are keeping your New Year's Resolution!!"   Yes I am!

The top drawer at the left of the oven is where I keep my everyday linens---tablecloths, napkins, pot holders.  There's another place where I keep my fancier linens---white tablecloths, white napkins. 

Panorama of drawer three before.

Everything dumped out.

This drawer didn't take much time to reorganize.

The recipes in the plastic bag don't belong here.  Oh, that reminds me! I need to reorganize my recipes.  Another resolution perhaps?

This one napkin ring doesn't belong here. Neither did the roll of freezer paper.

Tablecloths that we use outdoors.

Tablecloth with ants.  One of my favorites.

The two tablecloths are ones we use outdoors.  I especially like the one with the "ants" crawling all over it.  I saw this piece of oilcloth and had them cut a piece large enough for an outdoor table.  These are the kinds of ants I don't mind having on the table.  Somewhere I found fabric with this same design and I made eight napkins, but they don't seem to be here.  Maybe I will find them as I continue to declutter.  And check out these ant napkin rings.  Wouldn't they be cute to use for a picnic with this tablecloth?


This drawer also holds trivets and cork hot pads.  I seem to have two packs of hot pads that haven't been opened.  Every time I go to IKEA I seem to buy a pack.  They are such a bargain there---3 for $2.99.  Well I can quit buying these since I have a lifetime supply.

Panorama of drawer after organizing. 

This drawer shaped up nicely and quickly.

Tomorrow on to drawer four.  

Partridge Berry (aka Lingonberry) Pie in Newfoundland

Partridge berry (aka Lingonberry) Pie.

According to Wikipedia partridge berry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), internationally known as lingonberry, is a  relative of the cranberry and is a low mat forming evergreen shrub with tiny rounded leaves. These berries grow in the dry, acidic soils of Newfoundland and Labrador’s barrens and coastal headlands.

Partridge berry growing among the reindeer moss.

We are fond of lingonberry preserves that are available from IKEA, and the other evening in Newfoundland we discovered partridge berry pie was on the menu.  Needless to say we were definitely determined to try it, and we were not disappointed.

We also had partridge berries on our home cooked oatmeal for breakfast one morning.

 And a sundae.

I was hoping that perhaps fresh partridge berries might be available, but I learned they are harvested in September after the first frost.  The pie was made with frozen berries.  I'll look for frozen ones in the grocery store, but I suspect they are not available commercially, but perhaps only as preserves or jam.  I guess individuals pick the berries and freeze them.  I didn't find out from the restaurant just where they got the berries for the pie. I wish I had done so

Lingonberry jam from IKEA (Photo from their website).

Eye Candy at IKEA

I basically dislike shopping, but I must admit I do enjoy shopping at IKEA .  Yesterday, my friend Boguska and I spent the day in Charlotte shopping there.  I went specifically to find an area rug for our study, but I certainly enjoyed ambling through the store thinking how much fun it would be to be young again setting up housekeeping with pretty and reasonably priced goods from IKEA.

IKEA Cafe.

Light fixtures.

Colorful "sculpture" of plastic waste baskets.

I'd choose this for my living room.

Pretty table setting.

Blue vases.

Soft puppies.

I almost brought this tough-looking guy home.

I did bring some of these delicious cinnamon buns home.