Monday, May 22, 2012

Recently, Denver got an IKEA.  This can be dangerous.  Especially for someone whose brain is constantly spinning with ideas and looking for ways to create on a budget.  On a recent excursion to this massive warehouse of plastic-coated  cardboard, one of those ideas spun right out…

For a while, we have been   I have been talking about building a sitting area in the little alcove of my daughter’s room.  Keep in mind, I have been talking about it, hoping that Rory will suddenly think that the idea became his, (yes, we all know that’s how men work) and therefore, would start to build it.  He didn’t.  Not even his cute, straggle-toothed daughter could get him motivated with her plees.

Then we took our trip (well-planned out, sheets printed with stock prognosis and Aisle/bin location) to IKEA.  I had an idea for the EXPEDIT book shelves they carry, as well as the main reason  for our trip; to buy a dresser for Aris to replace his plastic one.

We bought two of these beautifully wrapped cardboard shelving pieces.

In the boys’ room it acts as a bookshelf under their window, corralling all the books that were falling out of the book slings.  It also makes a great shelf for some stuffed animals, and holds some miscellaneous objects in the bins; one for cars and one for really important stuff.

The boys are loving the new organization.  We also added some closet shelves, relocating everything under their bed, and purchased a small IKEA table for Aris to build his Legos on…of course here he is sitting on the floor with them. Oh well.

I know the novelty will wear off, but these boys played in this room for 3 hours on Sunday!  And, the room is not even finished yet!

The other EXPEDIT book shelf is also beginning to serve its purpose.  I knew that I wanted cubbies or drawers in the window area, but building them seemed like A LOT of work.  Much more work than just placing a book shelf in the area and building it in, that is!

At this point, things are looking pretty good.  At weekend’s end, we have accomplished loading each and every basket in that shelf with dolls, puzzles, Little Ponies, Pet Shops, and PollyPockets…all which were once just chucked under a bed.

There is obviously much more to do.  Right now, our house looks like a tornado ran through the upstairs hallway (I will leave that image for your imagination).  We plan on running a horizontal planking (much like the bathroom re-do) to finish off the area, leaving a nice ledge half way up for some framed pictures or books.

And, even though, our initial reason for driving 45 minutes to South Denver to that large warehouse of endless possibilities, was to buy a simple, but unavailable, dresser, I’d say we came out on top with our organization of the rooms.  Things are starting to come together.

Aris’s dresser, however, still looks like this:

Images: 1) IKEA 2-7) Laura for Monkeysonmyback