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| Yes! This would make a lovely Christmas gift for me. Thanks so much for thinking of me! |
I admit to being an online-shopping maven, but I eschew hefty shipping charges. Besides, you can't touch anything, and that's so much a part of the IKEA experience. So I’m looking forward to spending a day tooling around a brick-and-mortar IKEA store in a motorized cart. (Do they have those? If not, I’ll rent one.) Hubby Chris, not so much. At least we have a couple years to work on his attitude.
In the meantime, I thought I’d channel some IKEA mojo with this quiz: What’s your IKEA spirit name? Eight easy questions, four answers to choose from for each question, AND it calculates results.
I got—are you ready?—
I am, in reality, quite reliable. But sleek? Not so much. Not anymore anyway. And how does the name have a syllable that sounds remarkably like another word for cow when the description is sleek? I think I should be offended.
In case you were wondering (or you’re prepping for a store opening near you), here are IKEA’s actual product-naming conventions:
- Sofas, coffee tables, bookshelves, media storage and doorknob = Swedish places
- Beds, wardrobes and hall furniture = Norwegian places
- Carpets = Danish places
- Dining tables and chairs = Finnish places
- Bathroom stuff = Swedish lakes and rivers
- Kitchen stuff = grammatical terms in Swedish
- Children’s items = mammals, birds, and adjectives in Swedish
- Bookcases = occupations in Swedish
- Kitchens = spices, herbs, fish, fruits, and berries
- Chairs and decks = Swedish men’s names
- Materials and curtains = Swedish women’s names
I’d love to know how they came up with this, if only so I can keep posting about it until the store is FINALLY built. Meantime, don’t forget to take the quiz, and let me know whatcha got.
Life support: more news you don’t need but shouldn’t miss
- How to Ron Swanson Your Life, Be Happier, and Save Money: Five “Swansonisms” from the Parks & Recreation guru, partnered with 16 links to supportive Apartment Therapy articles. Since the first one is “People who buy things are suckers,” I’d guess Chris planted this story. Ol' Ron does look a lot like Grumpy Cat, doesn't he?
- The world’s largest cat painting sold for $826,000 at auction earlier this month. The piece features 42 cats on a 6 x 8.5-foot canvas weighing 227 pounds. Even more fantastic is the story BEHIND the painting’s creation. Teaser: It involves an eccentric millionaire, 350 cats in total, and lots of drywall repair. I’m lobbying for the BBC to turn this into a multipart feature for Masterpiece Theatre now that Downton Abbey's winding up. Also wondering how a print of this painting would look over my sofa. Hmmm...
- A new study shows Facebook makes you stressed and miserable. Someone did a study on that? I could have been its poster child. Blogging is my cure to no longer weighing in on FB discussions about gun control, women’s rights, gay rights, politics or religion. Nor do I read what anyone else says. It's too upsetting, and I'm way too sensitive. (See "How Pinterest saved my life.") Plus, I've learned you’re much more dangerous when people don’t know what you’re thinking.
5 holiday DIY picks
1. Christmas Breakfast at Tiffany’s from Três Studio.
Actually, this would be a great
theme for any breakfast or brunch event, any time of year. Love that little turquoise
box! AND I’m seeing cigarette holders stuffed with candy canes and jeweled sunglasses with reindeer antlers as party favors.
2. Pompons and posies wreath from Nest of Posies
The terrific tutorial shows kids helping, the result is a colorful and unusual holiday wreath, and the idea could be adapted (colorwise) for any time of the year. What more could you ask for?
3. Another alternative Christmas tree, this one from Riazzoli.
I don't know about this one. I suppose it would look good in industrial or rustic surroundings or for people with mold- or dust-triggered asthma who can't have a real OR artificial tree. But something in me feels a little sorry for this child. I want to send her a donation or something. Or report her parents. Or...
4. 35 advent calendar ideas rounded up by Apartment Therapy
This “paper mountain” calendar, complete with yeti, plus 34 more! Great photos and tutorials to keep your kids (and you) busy while they’re off school over the holidays. Get them to do the work and you add the presents in secret!
5. And speaking of advent calendars, this puts the "fun" back into fundraiser
Auction an advent calendar of handmade items contributed by artists and/or bloggers. Parcelhero (a courier service in the UK) sent identical wood boxes to 25 bloggers, asked them to create something handmade inside, decorate the outside, and blog about the program to raise funds for Oxfam. You’ll get a sneak peek inside some of the boxes AND a link to the ebay auction of the entire calendar in the photo.
5 holiday look-book picks
1. Doggie doormats for feet and paws from Grandin Road.
Nine winter/holiday styles come in up to three sizes, $49 to $89. Pictured are "Ski Patrol" and "Snowboarding." Love how that one snowboarding pup has his tongue hanging out the side!
2. Retro bottlebrush wreath and tree from World Market, flocked and decorated
A real blast from the 60s past for those of you into midcentury modern or, like me, this is the look you grew up on and it brings back memories. The wreath is 7.5 inches in diameter and priced at $14.99, while the tree is 9 inches high and priced at $12.99. With those prices, you won’t want to stop at just one. But you will need to check stock at your closest store unless the online shelves get restocked soon.
3. Holiday birds from Target, all bundled up for winter
Four immaculately outfitted chirpers, all 6.5 inches high and $4 each, in-store only, check stock on-line.
4. Snowy owls from Martha Stewart Living, available through Home Decorators Collection
Made of sisal and goose feathers, the owls stand 13.5 and 11 inches high. On sale for $89 for the pair, with another 30-percent off at checkout, plus free shipping.
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