106 Farewell IKEA, Farewell Target....

OK, not really.  But sort of.

I recently had a little bit of a moment.  A wake up call if you will.  I wrote a post about our organized entry and almost dreaded hitting the publish button.  Why you ask?  Well, because IKEA struck again.  And in my case, again and again and again.

Being a busy mom of three and living in the middle of nowhere, I have let myself fall to the quick and easy worlds of Target and IKEA.  Target is the only home store within 20 miles of our home {that I really know of}, and IKEA has great prices so if I "hack" something from there, I feel little shame or guilt.

Not only do I love Target because it is close to home, but I also get school girl giddy every time I spot a designer knock-off for a fraction of the price.  Oh yes, it seems as though Target is glorious at taking the fabulous things we see at Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and West Elm, and selling a similar version for far less.

Here are two I have personally taken advantage of.  Pouf for the kids?  Yespleasethankyou!

Bedding for my bro's apartment!  Another score!

Target is magical.  And how is it that I can go to a Target and find myself wandering the aisles aimlessly for hours?  It is such a time suck.  But it is also known as my "happy place".

And don't even get me started on IKEA.  Have you seen their catalog?  Room after room filled with all things IKEA and they still look lovely, cozy and functional.  And they have everything!  Couches, dining chairs, storage {and even more storage}, cooking supplies, bathroom accessories, ice cube trays, you name it, IKEA has it.  Sigh...

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Recently BHG came so we decided to finally upgrade our dining table {since it has been on our wish list for what seemed like an eternity}.  We found an incredible table at a small furniture shop in Minneapolis, Nadeau, and when it came time to search for the perfect chairs, guess the first place I went?  IKEA.

At that moment, I stopped to look around our home.  Every single room was beginning to look like an IKEA showroom.  Expedit desk, check.  Expedit playroom benches, check.  Lack floating shelves in every room, check.  Besta school cubbies, Hemnes shoe storage and Billy bookcases, check, check and check.  Ingolf bar stools, Aspelund wardrobes and Malm dresser, check again.  Oh boy, what have I done?

We also have a few pieces of furniture in our home which we have given new life to with a little elbow grease, a fresh coat of paint or even built from scratch.  And those seem to be our favorite pieces.  So although IKEA may be a quick and simple solution to most of our storage problems, it isn't necessarily how I want every room in my home to reflect.

Therefore, I have decided to take a little break from Target & IKEA.  I am already shaking, but I think I can do it.  I am going to challenge myself to look at every other option first as we continue to work on our home {kitchen reno, bathroom overhauls, pre-teen boy bedroom and studio}.  Thrift stores and locally owned shops that I haven't explored yet, here I come!  Even Home Goods, because that is only an extra 15 minutes away from Target, and they seem to swap out their inventory frequently with new and unique pieces.

Speaking of HomeGoods.  I popped by one while I was exploring the Twin Cities and I couldn't resist sharing some of the awesomeness that I spotted:

When it comes to baskets, they always have a variety of inexpensive options.  I also love their unique lighting {which also often mimics higher end pieces at lower prices} and their upholstered chairs and benches since the patterns are always so fun and interesting!

HomeGoods will be a great way for me to bring in new textures and accessories that are more unique than those found at the giant box stores.

But taking it even further, I decided to head back to Junk Bonanza this year.  Last year I did the same, and found a few pieces which have been very loved in our home since.  So this year, Emily and I travelled the 70 miles to explore the endless booths of old and new, shabby and chic, common and unique items.  

It was so much fun to look at such a large variety of furniture, all with character and charming features.  Talk about inspiring and about as opposite of IKEA as possible.  My favorites were the funky tripod lamp bases {the blue one came home with me}, the colorful frames, the black spindle bed, the pharmacy cabinet, the oversized typography and the gold side table/stool {which also came home with me}.  It is such a different exciting feeling when I whip out some cash for a piece I know will be original to our home.

Then, one afternoon I was feeling quite stir crazy and decided to take a 20 minute trek to our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  I always love exploring their stores, as they are filled with old woodwork, lighting and furniture.

This is the kind of store where you need to have a DIY spirit and an open mind.  But you also get items at amazing prices!  I love using the $5 cabinet doors for all sorts of projects {like our chalkboard menu and kid's art display}, and if there would have been two, the oversized gold boob light would have made its way into my cart for our hallway.  Although they often sell donated home items {such as doors, lights, windows, moldings, etc...}, they also have furniture which always has potential.  The black headboard and footboard above, yeah, I snagged that up as well.  Happy Birthday to Preston.  And I almost grabbed those dining chairs, thinking that if they were white and reupholstered, they could be pretty marvelous!  I was just too nervous to add more fabric to our kitchen table with the kids. And the green chair.  I know what you are thinking, but it had fabulous lines!

Target and IKEA are amazing, but there is so much more out there.  And I am excited to dig and find things that will bring additional character and charm to our home.  How long will this big box store strike last?  I am aiming for 6 months, which I believe will give me ample time to find more shops and botiques to fall in love with and explore.

Over on my Facebook page, a few of you stopped by to offer up some suggestions on great local Twin Cities places for me to check out, feel free to leave a comment below as well to help a girl out.

Who else is doing something similar and taking a break from your favorite shopping places {or joining in on my challenge}?  What are your favorite places to find home and storage pieces?  Anyone wanna place bets on whether or not I can do it or how long it will be before I cave?