IKEA Furniture Stores: Friend or Foe?

Perhaps I'm not the best source to provide an objective opinion when it comes to IKEA. I've grown up with their furniture, ever since I was old enough to have a "big girl" bed and dressers to hold real outfits as opposed to onesies.

Frankly, because the blue and yellow monstrosities have always been part of my life, I've become, for lack of a better term, somewhat allergic to them. Even driving by one or seeing it from the freeway makes my stomach churn. I immediately begin getting seasick from picturing arrows on the floor and lamps with twelve consonants in their names.

So when a friend of mine asked me to join her in bed-frame hunting the other day, my knee jerk reaction was a resounding, "NO!", but if I let IKEA come between my relationships, that takes this allergy to an entirely different level.

On our way there, we got lost. Typical. My body simply repels the place. Upon finally reaching our destination, we noticed a sign reading "Free Coffee and Cookies in Cafeteria". We were delighted and raced up the stairs to feed our craving only to be met with the fine print- "from 9:30-10:00am". Are you kidding me? Who eats cookies at 10am? Who goes to IKEA first thing in the day? And a 30 minute time frame? What a rip off.

Trying to mask my disappointment, we picked out a bed frame- after remembering that each part must be purchased (and assembled, of course) separately. My friend even had to shell out more cash for several slats (I think that's what they're called) to ensure her mattress wouldn't fall through the frame! Minor detail, I realize, but nonetheless, it's aggravating.