A Snazzy Idea: Ikea

Ok, I'm not afraid to admit it, but I DO dabble in Ikea! And let me give you 3 reasons why:

1) More celebrated than the Room & Board furniture catalog, the annual Ikea catalog comes out towards the end of summer - early fall. And as time-honored tradition would have it, I am not disappointed by what innovative and affordable-to-the-masses concepts and designs that this giant of a company has thought of this time around. The catalog presents room vignettes in a storybook manner that is easily relatable from the dorm-room student about to head off to campus for the first time on his own to the seasoned professional executive. 

I like to spend a cozy Sunday afternoon with a cup of soup, wrapped up in a blanket while sipping on hot toddies and sifting through the precisely cut pages of the Ikea catalog.

2) I don't know about you, but did DWR throw in a plate of meatballs with that new $1K console that you just purchased? Or what about West Elm - did they offer lingonberry juice as a break from your shopping excursion? Pottery Barn? Restoration Hardware? Haven't any of 'em realized that the easiest way for people to spend money in their stores is to feed them AND, most importantly, feed them with their wallets in mind? 

Along with their new catalog, Ikea introduced their NEW! Wednesday special: BABY BACK RIBS for $6.99! You can't beat that with a BAT! (And it's really good!) You'll need to get their before the evening rush though because you'll be gravely disappointed when they run out of these half-slabs of goodness after everyone catches on to this great idea.

3) Third and final reason: there is no pressure to purchase anything!