Accessorize Me Please

Those ugly apartments can feel like cold, empty, white/grey boxes of despair at times, and who wants to live in that for months on end? Adding accessories around your apartment will quickly add some color and personality to your space, making it feel a little more homey and lived in and...happy.

Accessories may seem like unnecessary fluff, but they can be powerful tools in helping that ugly apartment feel like yours. They definitely don't have to be expensive either! I find little knick-knacks and decorations almost everywhere I shop. And I'm cheap. I've found things I love at Wal-mart, Target, TJ Maxx, Ross, dollar stores, and thrift stores. I personally find furniture/home furnishing specific stores a little over-priced. You can find things that are just as good and stylish at the stores you already love and probably shop at. Just keep your eyes open and browse through their home good sections from time to time, and you'll be sure to find something you love too. It's so easy to tweak some items to fit your personal taste as well. If you find an old lamp you love for cheap at a thrift store, you can modernize and customize it with a coat of paint you love and adding a new/different lampshade. You can paint pretty much anything to make it look like new again!

So add some picture frames, pillows, throw blankets, vases, flowers, books, ceramic figurines or rugs, really whatever tickles your fancy, and I guarantee your ugly apartment will look and feel much better in no time. 

IKEA Survival: 101

Nothing can quite compare to the magic of a place like, oh say, Disneyland, but IKEA comes pretty close for me. The giant, Swedish, home furnishing box stores ignite an excitement in me that is hard to beat. To me, IKEA is a magical land just waiting to be explored and discovered. I can spot that blue and yellow sign a mile away and when I do, I HAVE TO GO. It's a gnawing need that I can't stifle until I spend a good part of my day wondering through all the display rooms, making a mental list of all the pretty sofas, chairs, tables, lamps, entire kitchens, that will someday be mine! Good thing they also have a cafe to sustain and refuel their weary shoppers. You really could just live there and never leave. (My secret dream, a new display room each night!)

But, I know many find IKEA a little daunting. So, from personal experience, these are my tips for not just surviving IKEA but making it an enjoyable experience.

1. Avoid the weekends!

Unless you don't mind a crowd. This place fills up on the weekends though, and it may be a little overwhelming for the "I need my personal space" type. I'm definitely this way, and IKEA is a much more enjoyable experience when I'm not swimming my way through a crowd.

2. Make time to go and plan on spending some time there.

This isn't a quick run-in-and-grab-that-lamp-you-need kind of store. IKEA is an experience, so you should make some time to just go and enjoy the store. Walking through the showroom does take some time, but that's the main reason why I like to go. You can skip the showroom though and make your way down to the warehouse part and just pick up what you want, but even that may take a little time, just due to the size of the store.

3. Eat!

Not many other home good stores have a full size cafeteria built into their store. Sampling some of their Swedish meatballs and other unique foods they serve there is definitely part of the IKEA experience. Be sure to sample some of their lingonberry soda and pick up some of their chocolate bars too! They even have a little market where you can pick up some other Swedish delicacies to take home and enjoy later. Salmon paste anyone??

4. Know what you're looking for. 

It's dangerous for me to step foot into an IKEA unless I have a list of specific items I need or are looking for. I inevitably find some throw blanket or kitchen gadget at an awesome price that I NEED. But going with a focus will make the overall experience much better. 

IKEA's a beautiful place. Just enjoy the journey.