ineeda ikea

I have to admit right off the bat that I haven't gotten good at shopping at IKEA until the past year or so. Before, I'd enter, become overwhelmed by the ridiculously low prices, and leave with some vases, paper napkins, and my fifth cheese grater - all things I don't need. I mean, how can you pass up a $10 lamp? A $4 cereal canister? A $14 throw rug? Now, I scour the website before going and write a list, trying my best to stick to it. Admittedly, the new pillow wasn't on the list. Neither were the duvet or duvet cover, but those were gifts for Grandma and Paw Paw to celebrate their new digs.

Our major issue lately has been organization, when it comes to the office closet. This is the closet where I store my sewing stuff, craft supplies, wrapping paper, and the like. And it was starting to look like this:



Everything thrown in, no organization and no way to find what I already had. So, tired of it, I remembered these bins that I saw last time I was at IKEA. And while the whole system was more pricey than those you can find at Target or Wal-Mart, the quality is top-notch so I know I can use it for years to come. I didn't have a huge problem putting them together, until I realized I had to do it three times!





Trusty label maker...



To the right of the units is a $4 wastebasket from IKEA, which now holds all of my wrapping paper! Love it, and I can't believe it took me so long to think of it.

We also picked up some shelves. I have been coveting a forward-facing bookcase for Britton, so she can actually see her books. But they are all pricey beyond belief and/or huge and bulky. The one below retails for $90, not to mention $25 for shipping! Ridiculous!



The cheaper canvas ones I found wouldn't hold up to her book collection. So I found a blog online wherein the author used IKEA SPICE RACKS on the wall to make forward-facing shelves. GENIUS!!! And these cost all of $3.99 each. I've got two extra in the garage in case Britton needs them for her room. Britton loves her new book shelves and gets a hoot out of getting books for us to read to her. And she's developing favorite books, so seeing the covers is helping her find them. Don't you just love her little reading nook?




We also got some magazine holders (as seen on top of my organizers) and a bookcase for the hub's "man room" upstairs, which now holds his sports memorabilia. I started putting it together last night and it wore me out in no time. I would go upstairs and take a picture, but the bookcase and I are no longer speaking since I called it some pretty nasty words.