The Swedish Place

Spent the afternoon today taking a little trip to Ikea to finally get the bookcase I have been planning on for a year or more. Originally, I was going to go tomorrow, but I was a bit achey today so didn't really want to sit and sew, so thought I'd use the time this afternoon for Ikea - Alex enjoys playing in the kids' play area anyway - and tomorrow, when he is in wrap-around (they are having their year-end party tomorrow) I will hopefully do some serious sewing.

So anyway, the bookcase is now fetched and assembled and really is much better than what was in the room before, so I'm glad we did it. Despite measuring the space (and allowing for the skirting boards) we almost didn't get it into the space, because of the angle needed to get it into the corner, the edge of the windowsill and the edge of the skirting board. Now that it's in place, there's several cm gap at either side at the bottom (I knew I'd measured right, dang it) but it was a bit tricky getting it there... (Geoff will at this point compliment me for being the master (mistress?) of understatement.)

I'm pleased to say I didn't come back from Ikea with a lot of extra stuff I didn't need - I got mainly what was on my list (the bookcase, napkins, a sheet, straws, some little paintbrushes so I don't have to keep nicking the kids' ones), plus two things not on my list which should have been (more chalk for the kids, and a new lampshade for the downstairs hallway - this was on my list last time I went, but they were out of the size I wanted, so I didn't get it, but I forgot to put it back on the list), plus a roll of interesting paper (sold as wrapping paper, but it's kind of hand-made looking) and a box of plasters. Unfortunately, the sun umbrella on my list, they didn't seem to have, but I guess I'll live. We do need a bigger one, though. Will have to have a trawl through B&Q or Homebase. We need a couple more patio chairs anyway. Or rather, we need two different ones as we have four that are comfortable and two that aren't.