Living Room- Updated...

I had no idea when I decided that 2010 was a good time to update our living room that it was going to take me on such unexpected adventures!

I went to IKEA a few weeks ago and bought the cabinet on the other side of the loveseat as a place to store the Wii accessories. It is actually a bedside table that I decided to use as a side table. It also makes a great place to put our "spidey" plant since I took down his home that was an old decorators table over in the opposite corner. The Wii accessories had previously been "hiding" under the decorator table cloth!
Since I removed the decorators table (which was where our Christmas tree went), I had an open space to play with. It now houses a big basket for our blankies, since people hate how we used to drape them over the back of the sofas). Now we also have the matching ottoman which was finally ready for us to pick up today. Since they called me this morning, I ran out to pick it up out by the airport while Steven worked. No sooner had I arrived in the truck (which worked FINE) then they asked me to move the truck closer to the loading dock. I tried, but the truck wouldn't start. A kind employee came out, popped the hood and discovered the battery grounding things were cracked through and thus the engine wouldn't start. Also- we needed a new battery! He jump started the truck and I got it to Les Schwab and they are so great! Finally, everything was fixed and I got home. Steven met me at Les Schwab and we had lunch while they worked on the car.

Yesterday I spent several hours driving around town trying to find a piece/part for our lamps upstairs in our bedroom that NO ONE carried. I tried Home Depot and nearly got lost just trying to get to Home Depot, when the guy said that they normally don't carry lamp shades so they don't carry lamp shade parts but he had just given one away! However, I could go try a lamp place on 82nd. So I drove to 82nd and they don't carry parts either but had also just given one away! Now I'm really upset! So the lamp place gives me a list of "parts" places and she wants to direct me to Lombard street OR 33rd and Division, neither of which I really wanted to drive to!

At the bottom of the list was a little shop in Lake O, when I asked about it- the lady replied "Well I didn't think you'd want to drive over there...", so I took the list from her and headed there. The ladies at Naomi's were SO nice to me! They gave me the part I was looking for since I was in the market for a new shade for my Eiffel Tower lamp!! So I got the perfect shade I was looking for and the part I was looking for and I'll go back there again! Success! You can see the new shade in the above photo.Aside from all this kerfluffle, I am very glad to have updates made! All I'm looking for now are some new pillows for the main sofa- a really dark red silk pillow. Perhaps from Crate and Barrel? I've had my eye on them, but I need to be sure they are what I want... And also- I'll need to replace the two other lamps. They are old and worn out. They at least need new shades, so we'll see how that goes! I don't know if I have the strength in me for another lamp adventure...Finally- a New Year's resolution was to eat at the table more! So I made it appealing by cleaning up the lone place mat with stains on it (Thank You Oxiclean!) and setting the table with coordinating paper napkins from IKEA (I LOVE YOU!) and that is my Valentine's Day centerpiece (also IKEA, a cookie tin!)... I'm very happy with the progress, and of course, all photos take with the new camera on AUTO setting. I'm not as good as Steven!

IKEA! (Yes, I love you, again)

We got a new coffee table at IKEA last night. A few things will stand out as significant whenever we look at it now:

1. The big dog in the back of a Subaru on I-5 that just kept doing circle after circle in the hatchback. Hilarious.
2. Steven turning to me and saying 'I think we can do it' in a Bob-the-Builder reference to getting the flat packed box into the Altima. We did do it. Because we rock.
3. The five to eight fire trucks in our apartment complex when we got home...on site due to an apartment fire close (but not too close) to our unit. Apparently 19 people are displaced from their homes and its 300,000 dollars worth of damage. Ouch. (Further solidifying our need to move-soon.)
4. The least labor intensive IKEA purchase we've made yet. 15 minutes...while laughing at references to Shrodingers Cat on a rerun of The Big Bang Theory.

Steven is happy with the coffee table because it is roughly the exact dimensions as the old one (just wider) and therefore continues to be great for putting your feet up on...

I'm happy with the coffee table because I will no longer get splinters and my big red bowl has a new home.

Its a win-win situation. And it looks fabulous in our living room. :)

Ikea- I sing praise to thee!

So, we went to Ikea on Sunday...that was a total mistake. We only got about 30 minutes in the store before we just could not take the madness any more. Steven promised me we could go back and actually buy something on Monday night, which is just what we did.


First purchase from Ikea....
Two hours and two people assembling later, we finally got them all put together. Then the real fun began as we attempted to reposition our entire bedroom at like 9 PM. We got the bed (and all the stuff under it) moved and the old nightstands cleaned out and put into the new nightstands and even placed and made room for possible purchase #2:

I think we need some more storage options because our apartment only has the one closet in the bedroom. It might take some convincing of Steven, but I think I can win him over to my side with an argument about leaving "The Godfather" poster up.

My real wish though is this:

Is that not just GORGEOUS?!?

Consequently, Steven and I have agreed that I am not allowed to go to Ikea alone with a credit card. Now you know why.