All Things Scandi
I have long been enamored with all thingsScandinavian. From furniture to books, films and food there is something unique and distinctive that I'm drawn too. The easiest way to get my Swedish fix is with a trip to my localIkea where I went prop shopping and found these fun serving pieces from theFÄRGRIK TROLSK series.
I always plan it so I can have lunch in their cafeteria. This open faced shrimp sandwich is surprisingly good and I had to try theprincess cake. A light sponge cake with a layer of raspberry and an icy cream top, also very tasty and my whole lunch was less than $5!Ikea is all about cheap!
I always pick up these handy staples; 49¢ tea towells that also work great forwrapping gifts and these durable 99¢ dish scrubbers.
It really is a bargain shoppers paradise, I'm amazed at all you can get for very little money. My haul totaled $79.71 with tax and included; bath tub matt, duvet cover and pillow case set (biggest ticket item at 14.99), tupperware type storage container set, flatware set, 2 trays, napkins, 2 micro wave cooking covers, salad fork set, 2 bowl sets, batteries, two dish scrubbers, two tea towels, place matt and dish.
From a foodie perspective, I find the selection of swedish foods pretty fascinating.
I decided to try theseSingoalla lemon cookies...so good!
My Ikea Shopping Tips
- Skip the showroom area, unless you are shopping for furniture, this is a waste of time.
- Eat before you shop, you can't bring in your cart into the dining room and it is never good to shop on an empty stomach.
- Bring your iPod, for some reason kids like to cry/scream a lot in this place.
- Grab a cart, even if you don't think you will need it...because you will.
- Try to avoid shopping on the weekends, it is much nicer when they are not too busy.
- Bring shopping bags to cart away your items. They charge you for theirs and that is if they even have any, they often don't.
Two excellent films to check out include a recent wondrous find,Kinamand and a long time, all time favorite from Denmark,Babette's Feast. Another I loved, both as abook andmovie isLet the Right One In, a nice alternative to the conventional vampire tale.
While on the subject of books there is of course the fantastic and popularMillennium series byStieg Larsson (ie: The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo...). Another more obscure gem you may not have heard of isTroll:A Love Story by Finnish writerJohanna Sinisalo. Maybe not everyones cup of tea, it is an odd little story but I loved it. I also especially love the illustration for the french cover version below.
all photos & content © Lara Rossignol
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at 5:00AM
Reader Comments (15)
Our nearest Ikea is and hour and some change. I would LOVE to hit it mid-week! ..with lots of cash, just because :) It IS a zoo on the weekends for sure. I just watched Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on netflix. And haven't read the 3rd book yet (sis-in-law is sharing) Love the post and your blog!!
Wow...this post was chock full of goodness! I adore IKEA and can spend hours in there. It's all the little tidbits that I find fascinating. We recently bought curtains and adjustable rod for Marisa's closet...all for less than $70. They also had these wonderful jars in different sizes that she wanted for her little collectibles such as shells and hair doodads...great way to keep everything contained as well as being a conversational piece.
It's also a great place to stock your first home rather inexpensively. I could probably go on and on...hehe.
I haven't checked out the food items though which we'll have to do the next time we're there. My one only tip is to actually go when the store first opens...no crowds and things are in order ;-)
so sad that we don't have an ikea here ... our closest is probably yours :)
I get so bummed when I read posts about IKEA. I think our closest one in Dallas and I am in Kansas. Most items in their catalog they don't even ship.
Your advice for IKEA is good - really good. I agree with the crying/screaming kids. I learned something from last trip there which I thought was interesting. I buy lots of fabric there. All of there fabric still comes directly from Sweden. I think that is cool!
I remember my own frustration before they opened the one in Atlanta, for whatever reason they do not really have an online solution. I would think they would make so much more money if they got on the ball with it. Yet I think they keep their prices down by not having the labor that might be involved.
I do think, even if you have to drive quite a distance, it is worth it if you have a big project or maybe as a once a year household buying trip. They have so many great storage solutions.
@Pam, I just saw the fabric section on this last visit, I don't know if it is new to my store or I just never noticed it before. I really want to go back and check it out more thoroughly ... I like to use fabrics for backdrops.
Great tip Christine, except that I want my lunch! :) I guess I could get one of those tasty looking cinnamon rolls!
I love, love, love IKEA! The closest one is a four hour drive from me and frankly that is probably for the best. However, when I do get there, I then think I need to stock-up - SCARY! Thank goodness it's so cheap! Great tips too.
FYI: I finally figured out I had the wrong link for the serving pieces, which is why the prices were so off. I think they were in euros!
Great post! I was at IKEA on Friday afternoon, and fell in love with the items in the first photo. Didn't see the serving utensils, which means I now must make another trip! I also tried the lemon cookies (okay, I bought the raspberry, too!) for the first time. YUM!
I love Troll! You are right, it is not for everyone but it is a little gem. Love the cookie picture too, the colors are fantastic. I have not been to Ikea in a while because it is always so crowed. I will try a week day. I love the serving set in the first picture.
Ikea is great! It is good to go during dinner time, nice and empty. We have always lived within 3 hours of one, now the closest one is about 20 minutes away! One nice thing is that the cafeteria opens an hour before the store in some locations, so you can go have breakfast on a Sunday and be the first ones in the store when it opens.
Excellent post!
Went to Florida on vaca last week and went to ikea with my sis and mother, for 4 hours, my mother has never been to one, she was amazed. Anyways it was good times. Need to go back to get more stuff, my husband thank goodness had room in his suitcase to bring stuff back.
Oh yeah and I forgot to mention that you can find a lot of Ikea stuff on ebay for those of you that are too far away.
"Babette's Feast" is one of my favorite movies of all time!
I've only been to the Atlanta Ikea once, and it was crazy crowded and huge, and yes, screaming children were in attendance. I loved the showrooms though - so much fun to dream! I've been meaning to go back for a few years now - you have inspired me to actually do it. So thanks!
LOL Lara...have the cinnamon roll to tide you over until lunch starts ;-)) I could easily spend hours roaming around in there. I think I'm going to have to take Marisa for lunch one day during the summer ;-)