ikea day

We spent a day at Ikea last week (including the trip there and back it was about 6 hours, so yeah, basically an entire day) and picked up some really lovely things.  God, I just love it there.  Now you may be asking yourself why I would buy things for the home when we're leaving in a year (ok, only two of you out there know that, but there you go, now you all do), but we only picked up a few essentials that are going to vastly improve our quality of life over the year to come.  That's how I justified it at least. 

These are the little things that bring happiness...

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1. Senior cast iron casserole with lid- ok, we didn't actually buy this, but we wanted to.  In fact, I think we may go back for it soon.  Just think of all the stews and roast chickens we could do!
2. Rens sheepskin rug - I have been wanting one of these for years and I finally allowed myself the luxury.  One tip: not all rugs are created equal so take the time to go through a stack of them and choose the nicest, lushest one you can find.
3. Fantastik paper napkins - beautiful color for extra joy at mealtimes.
4. Bonett mirror - an extra thin mirror that will perfectly fit into a narrow space in our bedroom.
5. Ribba frame - for a portrait Husband painted of me a year ago, so glad we finally got it framed and up on the wall!
6. Indira cotton bedspread - a simple way to change your sofa cover, much easier and more affordable than those (fairly ugly) shaped covers they carry.
7. Ribba picture ledge  - these long and narrow shelves are the perfect way to showcase flat art, but we've also discovered that if you flip them upside down you get a little more surface area, just big enough to support the little odds and ends that were, until now, scattered here and there on bookcases and tabletops.  Yeah, I mean clutter.  But the dear-to-your-heart kind you can't get rid of.
8. Tindra scented candles - the best!  Great smelling, clean burning, long lasting, and for less than $2 each, who could argue with that?
9. Bräda laptop support - for comfortable couch surfing.

Do you love Ikea?  Do you get caught up in the labyrinth for hours?