Domestic Bliss

If you know me well, you will know my favorite store that St. Louis does not have nor have one any where close by...IKEA!  To Europeans,  I'm not sure they love IKEA with the same deep gratitude I do.  Maybe they are accustomed to this mecca of furniture, housewares, swedish meatballs, and cheap prices.  But for me, it a great love of mine.  When Ryan first told me that there was an IKEA in Barcelona, I knew, deep down, I would love living in Barcelona.

This past week I've waiting patiently for the weekend so I could get Ryan to take to me.  I know I should have just gone myself, but let's face it: there was no way I'd be able to carry everything I'd want to buy!  Needless to say as Saturday morning arrived, I was ready. 

Now Ryan was not thrilled with the idea of IKEA mostly because it connects with the idea of domestication and while I may be living with him and he has "settled down" in ways, he isn't quite ready for walking around a store picking things out of a house.  With the bribe of hotdogs, we set off.

After navigating through a few metro lines, we back above ground ready to shop.  Though I will admit I was a bit startled at first.  I've grown so used to the crowded streets, old buildings, and noise that walking around the surrounding area of IKEA was a bit unsettling.  It was too quiet reminding me of the huge empty city in some action movie just before buildings were going to be blown up or something.  It was quite eerie.  Yet once I spotted that giantic blue and yellow building, I knew everything would be okay.  After passing a few questionable looking gentlement offering delivery services we walked into my favorite store.  It was IKEA in all of it's domestic glory and I was going to explore and savor every last inch!

If you are male and reading this and note my father, you are probably breathing a sigh of relief that you weren't accompanying me and that you weren't Ryan.  I will say he definitely earned those hotdogs.   First we walked through the first floor which are always the show rooms.  I love seeing different decors and ideas for all parts of the home and being able to buy whatever it may be right there or at least buy a good smelling candle.    After "an eternity" (I was just imagining how Ryan might phrase it, lol) we headed to the next floor in which you finally aid yourself with a cart and begin the true shopping...

Since I will only be here for a few months, I'm not needing much but somehow wound up with a cart full of stuff.  It's a lot like going into Target for one thing...it just isn't going to happen.  Truly we need a plastic spatula and candles are a necessity unlike the silly light bulbs that wound up in there too.  I have to say the most exciting acquisitions were the eight new plants.  A side project of mine is cleaning and fixing up the balconey while I'm here.  (I hope to do a blog later showing you all the great stuff I've done with it.)  I want to point out that picking out the plants was an enjoyable time for all meaning that Ryan was having fun too.  I know, just shocking! 

Here is our lavender!  It made all the stinky streets smell lovely as we walked home.

This plant just looks cool.  It apparently will flower on the ends and possibly give berries as well.

This one tricked us.  The label includes "ginseng" which we thought, woah we could harvest ginseng.  Once I looked it up, it's just a bonsai, but a very cool looking one.

These guys remind me of the tropics and I have a feeling will get very tall.  I think they will be great by the lounger.

I can't wait to hang these outside...

We had finally reached the sad end of our trip, but not before hotdogs.  If you have patroned an IKEA before, you may remember the cheap concession stand or perhaps their affordable cafeteria.  I've eaten hotdogs from them before, but in Barca they have "special" hotdogs for jut 50 cents more you get pickles which I passed on and FRIED ONIONS....omg delicious!  I know you maybe a bit surprised from my other blogs and "fancier" tastes, but damn these were yummy.  I now better understood my leverage with promising hotdogs.  Also Ryan bought an ice cream in which you receive a cone and a coin.  The coin is to turn on the ice cream machine which I thought was odd.  Like how do they limit the amount people take...is it on a timer?  No.  Instead you place the cone into the holder, insert coin, choose flavor, and watch.  The machine lifts up the coin and "magically" puts the ice cream in it.  It was worth the 80 cents just to watch it.  Dad you would have loved it!  Definitely planning a trip back soon.  If not for more cheap housewares for two fried onion hotdogs.

Now to leave you with an entertaining image...picture Ryan and I carrying 3 bags of stuff and 8 plants onto the metro and down many streets and finally up the five flights of stairs.  Unfortunately there weren't any fried onion hotdogs at the end.