Changes at IKEA

Wah! The iconic IKEA catalogue is being "put to bed"! (see what I did there). ;) Is it ok to be sad about something so stupid?

I really used to love looking through it and tabbing every other page. It was like the poor man's Architectural Digest; you could actually afford the things that they showed. I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't have made this decision if Ingvar Kamprad was still alive, but times move on and I'm sure it was the fiscally prudent move. So boring. 

I want to buy emerald green bucket seats called "Sven", (or at least think that I will one night on the the couch until my husband shoots it down). Ya' know what I mean? 

Here's what it says in The Morning Brew: "While Nicolas Sparks is proof that books can make you cry, turns out catalogs can bring on the waterworks, too. Yesterday, Ikea made the "emotional but rational" decision to discontinue its iconic furniture catalog after a 70-year run.

The backstory: A mainstay of coffee tables everywhere, the notoriously thick lookbook is said to be the most widely distributed publication in the world—even more than the Bible. At its peak, Ikea produced 200 million copies in 32 different languages.

But the Bible doesn't compete with e-commerce. Online sales (up 45% last year) have become increasingly important to Ikea's business, and customers just weren't using the paper catalog as much as they used to."

OK, but really, what else is Corona going to take from us? It was a taste from home, and I'm going to miss it just like I miss going into the store and getting my Christmas supplies this time of year. Of course there are worse things to worry about, but I'm going to salute the IKEA catalogue for now and hope that I can grab 2021 when the virus calms down.

IKEA The Other Letter

As I start my XMAS shopping here's a good reminder. It's an ad from Spain that someone translated and put on Facebook.  Be forewarned though, you'll need a tissue nearby!  It's a great message.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend spending time with your loved ones.

a bookbook

If nothing else you should watch this for the laughs (and the accent).  Love it!  Good job IKEA!

And this from someone who loves a real book (book).  :-)  No lag, and you can simply bookmark it!

Back to IKEA

The classic get a couple bucks-run to IKEA-scenario played out today.  Leaving handsome hubby (HH) and "well behaved" children at home I made a mad dash to the store of blue and yellow for some rugs and other assorted items.  I came home with a "Kvartal" system making HH pull out the little hair he has left.  This thing is confusing.  Have you ever noticed how their drawing which are supposed to be good for everyone - kind of the "Esperanto " of instructions actually leave everyone confused?  Let me show you:

16 pages of this later.... ta, da!  We did it!  I like the updated bed with curtains look that we got using the åkerkulla motive (which I like a lot, note pillow.)  It reminds me of "kurbits" which I write about here, Modern Day Kurbits

It's kind of a new take on a Carl Larsson bed and hopefully it will bring your eye down so you don't get confused by the funky ceiling we have in our bedroom. Cozy like.  I'm so proud of HH who -
A. got it done
B. got it done without blowing a gasket
That in my book equals success.  Here's a link to the product (wrong colors) on the IKEA site in case you're in the mood for some teeth gnashing and hair pulling.  It's a pretty cool product! kvartal  And more on the process below, visually of course. ;-)

Annie Sloan Chalkpaint Workshop and IKEA

That's a weird combo I know (see header) but that's where my heads been at lately.  I've been playing with the idea of using Annie Sloan chalk paints for a dresser - aubusson blue is my current fav- and we headed down to the Swedish behemoth today, IKEA, photos to follow.  (By the way did you know most of the IKEA product names are actually either real Swedish names, like Eivor, or words like this one "pruta" (to haggle).  This one makes us giggle because it's dangerously close to "prutta" which means "fart" and this is the name of some classic Tupperware-type bowls and lids.  Tee, hee. Inside Swedish joke for y'all.)

Anyway I digress, can you tell how tired I am?  Hubby and I headed down there with angelic, soon to become whiny children at 8 this am for their big kitchen sale.  We quickly decided that even 20% off wasn't enough to encourage us to wait in the massive line of fellow procrastinators, so we scoped up the basics - toilet bowl brush, new wine glasses, light strip for kitchen, and Swedish fish among other sundries and headed home.  Home to our shabby kitchen, not shabby chic mind, but cozy and clean with a lingering smell of tonight's lasagna.  "Hem" sweet "hem", or rather "Home Swede Home".

p.s. thinking that this would be a very nice mother's day gift - http://shopmaisondecor.com/collections/paint-workshops/products/annie-sloan-intro-workshop-sunday-may-26-10-2. It's in Malden, MA anyone care to join me?  Picture from Annie Sloan's website, http://www.anniesloan.com, bureau in that awesome blue!

Sweet Swedish Homes and Textiles

I'd like to start a regular feature where I highlight Swedish homes.  There's so much inspiration to be gleaned and as handsome hubby and I are planning on renovating it's a great way to brush up on my aesthetic and get new ideas.  First up an amazing "parade lägenhet" (parade apartment) from Malmö featured in the blog, "My Scandinavian Home", that I follow and love.  Check out:
http://myscandinavianhome.blogspot.com/2013/03/guest-post-malmo-masterpiece.html?showComment=1364401679607#c126827472745050570

Also what blog entry about Swedish homes would be complete without a mention of the giant force in the home industry IKEA?  Hubby and I are going there this weekend to look at the Lidingö kitchen and I am so digging the Swedish Country look which is my stylistic first love i.e. "allmoge" as it's called in Sweden.  See http://www.ikeafamilylivemagazine.com/us/en/article/31963  Here's a peak at Eva Lundgreen's work above.

Eivor Leva by Kajsa Aronsson at IKEA

IKEA does a great job of sourcing it's textiles (shout out to Kajsa Aronsson, friend, part-owner of HAPPY Stockholm, and textile designer extraordinaire). HAPPY Sthlm She developed this gem above "Eivor Leva" for example.  Stop by her store in Gamla Stan, Stockholm if you're there and tell her Tina sent you. ;-)  You'll be so inspired.  Well I can't make it to Sweden this weekend but looking forward to checking out the new Swedish Country collection in Stoughton, and planning our new kitchen.  It's a start.

IKEA scandal in Europe

There's something fishy going on at IKEA, or should I say "horsey"?  Now I know horse is considered food in many cultures, and I'm not getting on my high horse (sorry I couldn't resist) but it is not in my house!!  Just so wrong to sneak it into Swedish meatballs with the consumer, or even the seller, knowing.  If you believe the news not even IKEA knew what they were getting.  How about checking?  Gross!  Again, here's the take away to me - if it seems too cheap to be true there is a reason for that.  Yes selling en masse cuts prices, but it also cuts costs.  Don't think that substitutions aren't made, they are, and do you want that for your food?  A bookcase is one thing (Billy I love you) but food is another.  

I make my meatballs by hand (best Swedish meatball recipe below, ever!) and while there is cow and pig in there I can guarantee there's not a horse atom in sight.  Marcus-Samuelsson-Swedish-Meatballs Not that I've checked or anything ... oh the horrors!  What lurks in our food?  There's trouble afoot in the EU and it's scary.  If you dare to learn more read on, Europe recalls IKEA meatballs.  

On a lighter note, try boiling your meatballs before frying them.  Just place them in a pot of boiling water, and they'll pop to the top when ready.  This way you're guaranteed to get them nice and cooked all the way through.  Just a helpful home-maker hint, enjoy your delicious REAL Swedish meatballs!