Den här tjejen är väldigt glad över Ikea! (This girl is very happy about Ikea!)

The newest Ikea opened yesterday in Merriam, Kansas, U.S.A.

That is very close to my home.  In fact, I used the Ikea store locator today to figure it out.  Before Ikea-Merriam opened, the nearest Ikea to my zip code was 447 miles (719 km.) away!  Now it is a mere 11 miles (18 km.)!  Wow, what a difference!  I could conceivably go there daily and it would not be a big deal.  Except I wouldn't be able to buy anything after about the 300th time because I would eventually run out of krona.  :)

Hubs and I were lucky to go last Saturday because our neighbor (and my new BFF!) works for them and gave us a pass to enjoy the Friends and Family event before the store even opened to the public. Here I am looking ecstatic about going.  I am holding up the invitation-only postcard upside down because I was so excited:

 I took this picture while waiting in line to get in:

We spent three hours there and ended up getting a duvet cover with matching pillow cases.  This particular type is called Lyckoax and is quite pretty, at least I think so:

We also got a dish drainer because our dishwasher recently broke and we decided to do dishes by hand for the time being.  And we got these cool Hedblomster pillows for our couch:

And we had a delicious meal:

With this lovely princess cake for dessert:

And t his colorful Swedish flag for decor:

And I picked up some Swedish fish on the way out.  I loved the whole experience, except for the fact that hubs came down with a bad cold pretty much right after our shopping trip and I came down with it the next day.  I still have it.  :(

But I had originally taken today off to shop at Ikea once again.  I went and met my friend Amy, even though I am still not 100%.  I bought a comforter to fit the duvet (my old one was too bulky) and food from the grocery store by the checkout counters.  I got ginger snaps for Chris and chocolate cookies for me.  :)  And I brought my family back this evening to have dinner there.  Yum!  I have been three times to the new store, even though it has only officially open for one day!  

Have you seen the new Ikea catalog?  

I wanted to buy more but I had to keep telling myself that the store isn't going anywhere and I don't have to buy everything at once since I don't have to drive 447 miles to get there anymore.  I loved the Ikea in Bloomington, Minnesota, but I love Ikea-Merriam even more because it's in my hometown.  

Ikea, you've made this flicka very happy!  Tack!  

Dreaming of IKEA (part 2)

"You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

-Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

      -Jenn to IKEA in 2014

Six years have passed and I have only been to IKEA once more since going to the Bloomington, Minnesota store in 2008.  Chris and I stopped in at the IKEA in Renton, Washington on our way to the airport in 2011.  We had just spent a week exploring the Olympic Peninsula, including

Seattle:

Crossing the Canadian border:

The Sequim Lavender Festival:

Olympic National Park:

The Hoh Rainforest:

Forks (yes, I am well aware of the fact that my husband and I are dorks!):

Cape Flattery:

and Port Townsend:

{Sorry for that little diversion, but I love reliving those memories!}

We were at IKEA so briefly that I didn't even get a photo of the occasion.  We just stopped in and walked through the place.  We picked out a stuffed animal for our daughter and I admired the Expedit shelving that I loved so much.  We also ate a scrumptious lunch at the restaurant.  We sped off to the airport for fear of missing our flight (we made it home in time).

And until the Fall of 2012, IKEA was still just a dream for me.  That Autumn, however, a momentous occasion took place--IKEA announced it was building a new store in Merriam, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, and a mere 18 minutes drive from my house.  I was ecstatic!  I was jumping off the walls!  I had a grin on me that day which rivaled the Cheshire cat's.

I couldn't help but impress upon my students at the time that I was HEAD OVER HEELS in love with the idea of IKEA coming to Kansas City.  I must admit I feel a little bit responsible for their decision.  You see, I had written a letter to the IKEA corporation imploring them to come to Kansas City.  My reasons included the idea that I would shop there several times per month because I love them so much, instead of my track record of shopping there two times in a 3-year period.  I think they took my letter to heart and decided to come to Merriam.  Yes, you are quite welcome, Kansas City.

And now, on September 10, 2014, IKEA in Merriam, Kansas will open its doors to the public.  I have been by the construction site many times to get glimpses into how it is looking.  When the put the sign up and the letters on the side of the building, I screamed.  Yes, I am that die hard.  Here is what it looked like last week:

Still a little rough around the edges but it will be fantastic!  My neighbor and new BFF works for them and she has told me all about what it's been like from the inside.  I just cannot wait.  I will take more photos when I get there and I would be glad to do commercials for them too.  Certainly, I have already done my fair share of promoting their stores because my students are aware of just how wonderful they are, even if they have never stepped foot in one.  

Thank you, IKEA corporation for deciding to come to the Kansas City area.  You have made this woman a fan for life. 

Tack så mycket!!!