IKEA

I went to Ikea on the morning of 4th of July to get a couple pieces of cheap furniture.  I mainly needed a cheap dresser for my closet because at my old place I had built in drawers and shelves in the walk in, and it came in very handy and I got used to having it.  But my walk in now only has rods for hanging clothes.  I would like to build some drawers and shelves eventually.  But the cheap fix now is to just get a dresser and stick it in there.  Well, Ikea is perfect for that.  I was able to get the Kullen 3 drawer dresser for only $39.

This was perfect for what I was looking for.  The size is on the smaller side for a dresser but it fits perfectly in my closet under my clothes that are hung up.  Super easy to assembled - I put it together in about 30 minutes!  But I am kind of pretty good at assembling furniture haha.  I could use at least 2 more of these in my closet!  I love having drawers in my closet so that I can put my bras and underwear as well as camis and tanks in them.  It's a lot easier to make outfit decisions when I don't have to walk back and forth to the bedroom dresser to get stuff - I'm lazy!  They are also good for tons of knick knacks too.  It's amazing how much "stuff" can get in my closet! 

I also wanted to get some of these panel curtains from Ikea for my patio sliding door.  I hate what came with the place - these cheap plastic thingies that don't work well.  I like the chic and layered look of panel curtains since they give the room some dimension and incorporate different colors and designs. 

I stole this pic from Flickr so this is not mine.  But I also got the triple layer curtain rail and the panel that's in the very front of this picture.  The others I got are more muted in pattern and color.  It's not up yet but I plan to put the more "flowery" one on the back or middle layer so the room does not look too girly.  

My sliding doors are about 105 inches wide and each curtain rail is only 55 inches so I had to get two - at $20 a piece, they kind of add up.  They can be connected together easily though.  But now they are a little too long and won't fit so I have to wait until my boyfriend can saw a piece off one of them tomorrow.  I got 4 panels total and I'm thinking I should have got 1 or 2 more but I guess I can always go back later after I see how they look.  They are about $10-20 a panel which is not bad.  But the thing that pissed me off though is that you gotta buy everything separately! You get the rail, then have to get the hooks to connect them to the wall (and they don't even come with screws by the way so you better have some at home).  Then you get the panel curtains, but you have to get the top and bottom rail for connecting the curtains to the rail and for weighing the bottom of the panel down.  Each part is priced at $10, or $5 or whatever little amount, but when you have to buy 5 of each, it really adds up!  The whole thing ended up costing over $120!  For curtains!  Wtf.  I didn't realize this until after I paid and got home.  I guess that's how they get you!  I'm really quite annoyed though.  Maybe shoulda just stuck with good old fashioned curtains.

I also wanted to look at some patio stuff at Ikea since mine is quite bare at the moment, but they were completely sold out of all outdoor furniture.  You would think that they would be better stocked for the upcoming months of hot weather!  Ever since I saw this picture from Ikea's website, I wanted my patio to look exactly like it... I love the floor decking, the table set and the colorful cushions and accessories!  Oh well, that will have to wait I suppose!  Boooo...

I did get a shelf thingy that I'm using as plant holder for the patio though.  It's only $14 and totally worth the money.  It works perfectly and was super easy to assemble.  You don't even need tools.  Seems durable (at least for holding some plants) and looks pretty good!

Seriously this was a great buy.  Just can't beat the price!

I also got some other small items but that was the gist of it.  The quality of Ikea items is obviously not the greatest, and for the price you can't expect too much (other than those damn curtains, they better last me years!).  But I've actually bought stuff from there that lasted quite a while and still in good shape.  Ikea is pretty great for smaller items that don't get as much use and abuse because their furniture is stylish and affordable.  But for bigger ticket items I would go elsewhere.