Trip to IKEA For The Ofelia Throw

Recently I traveled to my sister’s home in Raleigh, NC, going via Charlotte, NC in order to stop at IKEA for the infamous Ofelia throw that works so well for newborn photography.

The store was 2.5 hours from our home and I was traveling with my 7 and 5 year old children. Grateful was I when I was able to check them into the children’s area so I could go through the store without them.

I have to admit that the store was very different than I envisioned. I was expecting more of a polished, well organized store but it was rather like a Sam’s club for home goods and furnishings.

Finally I found what I was seeking…the Ofelia throw. BUT WAIT! There is also the Ofelia blanket that some people use and I cannot find that. I want to compare the two so I can decide which one is best. Why is it not there with the throw? Sigh…keep trudging along through the store.

I manage to get an associate to help me find the Ofelia blanket, which is in the bedding area. I compare the two and decide on the throw (the blanket and throw are VERY dissimilar, and the blanket is very see-through, not at all what I wanted).

Now to find my way out of here. Yay! There is a map, but it doesn’t help me much. Have you EVER seen a map like that in a store??

 

After asking another associate for help on just getting to the registers, I get on the right path. I pass by the frames and think “wow, if I ever actually start printing my pictures, I’ll come back here to buy frames.”

Then I pass by an area filled with mirrors and glass and think “Wow! I am so glad my 5 year old son is in the kid area and not with me…”

Passing by the candles, I get pulled in. You don’t know this about me, but I am a sucker for all food-related candles: vanilla, sugar cookies, banana bread, pumpkin, anything you bake. So, along with a few blankets, a candle got thrown in my cart. 😉

Just when I think I’m nearing the registers, I enter the warehouse part of the store and I want to cry.

But, through my misery, my interest gets peaked by this chair. Oh, it would look lovely in my office. I’ll take a picture of it and show my husband, you never know, maybe for Mother’s Day, right?

Yay!! I made it!! The guy rings up my stuff and give me my receipt. I stand there looking at my stuff, which is just laying there, NOT cuddled up together in a bag. I inquire about this, to which I’m told “No, of course we don’t provide bags, but you can buy one.” To which I say “For future reference, if you see someone with just a purse (and a camera), no reusable shopping bag in  her hand, that would be a good time to ask if she would like to add a bag to her purchase.” To which he says “Oh, yeah, I guess.” Grrrrr….. I hope IKEA reads this post (never going to happen, but a blogger can dream, right?)

Now to pick up the two youngun’s I checked into the kids’ area. They were having a great time, expended some pent-up energy from having been buckled in a seat for the past 2.5 hours and were sad to leave.

So, was the blanket worth the trip to IKEA?  Yes, because it was not out of my way, my kids got to move and play for an hour and I bought a wonderful blanket to use for newborn shoots (actually I bought another one that worked too, but I’ll share that later).  Now, if I had driven hours out of my way to go to the store to buy it, I don’t think I would feel the same way.

If you don’t have an IKEA near you, just go online and order it….wait….no, they do not have shipping, so either make a special trip or find an alternative to it. (IKEA, not sure why you have that policy). So, if you fall into the group who is hours away from an IKEA store, Bubblegirl Knits offers a similar blanket, which is gorgeous and had knitted by her!!

Want to see the infamous Ofelia throw? Below is one of the shots taken with it last weekend:

About Amanda

I am passionate about helping others learn how to use their DSLR cameras and editing programs. More information about me can be found at my About page, or by visiting my personal blog.

Comments

  1. Thanks for this, Amanda! I am going to Charlotte next week and now I think I’ll swing into IKEA and get a throw or two!

  2. I love the picture journey through the store. I enjoy Ikea but I also enjoy wandering through Sam’s Club.

  3. IKEA is my Disney World. I love it. I could wander through the showroom for hours and then the warehouse part is just as exciting. I always come home with a new table lamp and a few packages of napkins it seems. The closest one to me is 3 hours away so I don’t go very often. I might feel differently about the place if I just wanted to run in for one thing.

  4. You just made me laugh very hard. Ikea has that effect on people the first time. Next you’ll go it will be so much better, trust me. It’s my favorite store and my kids love to eat their meatballs ;o)
    Thanks for the blanket tip.

  5. I LOVE this post Amanada! We are lucky because Ikeas are popping up all over Texas, but I always manage to get lost and overwhelmed. But they are really fun to visit and they have some great buys.

    And the boys and I both like their meatballs. 😉

  6. Thanks, for taking us on your shopping journey, it was fun! We have an IKEA 2 hours away and I’ve only been there once, but I LOVED it….I could spend hours and hours in there! lol

    That throw is just PERFECT and your newborn shot is PRECIOUS!

  7. Love the shot!

  8. Marilyn Fowler says:

    I’ve only been to IKEA one time and I got stuck on that path to nowhere and had to ask directions to how to get out of the maze! By then I had a migraine headache coming on and felt close to having a panic attack… I swore I would never go back, but I’m sure I will to buy the Ofelia throw!!

  9. Love your photo trip through IKEA. LOVE that store but we always get lost once while we’re there. Did you get to see the upstairs part with the rooms all decorated? That’s probably more like you envisioned.
    And yeah that map blows!

  10. Love, love, love IKEA!! While stationed in Germany we visited some awesome stores there! Always impressed with the huge selection.

  11. I love this post because I just love IKEA. Huge store and when I leave I am soooooo tired because it takes forever to get out. I went one day, without my husband…big mistake, to get some furniture for my office. I was sweating when I left there. LOL.

    Also love your blog site. I need to keep up with mine but haven’t found the time lately.

  12. Lorna Morrison says:

    Yes, IKEA is fabulous. The picture frames are definitely worth reviewing.
    I wish I’d known about the throw – we have a newborn grand-daughter, and my husband is just desperate to photograph her properly. I’m sure he would love the throw. However, we visited IKEA 2 days ago for picture frames and won’t be back for a while since it is one and a half hours from us, when the traffic is good.
    Interestingly, IKEA here in Scotland looks exactly the same as the store you visited.

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