Taking a Trip Down Lavender Lane

Most people who know me know that I love the lovely plant called lavender, or Lavandula.  I dream of the day when I will have enough land to make a go of being a lavender farmer, but until then I will grow it in my suburban lot and go visit real lavender farms.  

My favorite place to visit lavender farms is Sequim, Washington, which is located on the Olympic Peninsula, and is a 2-hour drive from Seattle.  Every year Sequim holds a lavender festival and a farm faire in July.  Apparently, there are so many farms there that they veered off into two different groups and formed two different organizations.  My husband and I were lucky enough to go there in 2011 and I can't wait to go back some day.  I just looked it up and we live 1,950 miles from Sequim.  *sigh*

This year, the festival/faire is from July 17-19.  Click here  and here for more information.

During the festival/faire, you can visit several farms, attend a street fair, listening to live bands play, or participate in a cycling event called Tour de Lavande.  Of course, the area is home to breathtaking scenery and you can visit the beach, which is one of my very favorite things to do. The Juan de Fuca Strait is spectacular!  

Being from Kansas, I don't get to see the beach very often.  Nearby towns include Port Angeles and Port Townsend.  And you're not too far from Forks, if you still want to relive a little bit of Twilight nostalgia.  Sequim is also close to the Dungeness Spit, Olympic National Park, Cape Flattery, and the Hoh Rainforest.  There are so many places we would like to go back and visit.  It was a fabulous vacation. 

Why am I writing about it now?  Sentimentality, I guess.  But also because I realized I didn't have very many of my own pictures of lavender on my Lavender Pinterest board.  I am going to remedy that by linking this blog entry to that board.  

So, without further ado, here are a whole bunch of gratuitous photos of lavender from our marvelous trip to Sequim:

If you ever get a chance to go to this area of the world, I highly recommend it!  Going in July would be even better, but I am certain this place is gorgeous any time of the year.  

I love you, Olympic Peninsula! This Kansas girl really misses you!

Paix et lavande!

--J

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!!!