19 Days & Counting - Announcements Coming Soon!

It looks like the official website for the store has changed this afternoon as they have replaced the generic logo with this picture of the building in it's latter stages of construction. Coming from experience this usually means they are getting ready to announce what the actual schedule of events will be on February 18th. Note: the store's phone number has been released!

General Information

Address:

8300 IKEA Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28262

Phone:

(704) 549-4532

Store hours:

Monday-Saturday: 10am-9pm
Sunday: 10am-7pm

Rumors have been spreading along several blogs & forums concerning what events, prizes and specials will be made available for the IKEA Charlotte Grand Opening.

Frankly, I could care less if all they were having was a couple of balloons and they were giving away bags of dog poop - I'm gonna be there with bells on!

Anything else is just a bonus to me and I will take anything I get with sincere gratitude (sans actual dog poop - I have enough of that already).

As far as what they give away, if anything, I will make the absolute most of it. Don't get me wrong, a new couch (like they gave away at Red Hook) would be sweet, but the economy is a different beast than it was a mere 7 months ago.

Not to be mean . . . but I think I'd actually like to see them not give away too much. The values there cannot be beat, even by the local furniture wholesale stores. The "Wal-Mart crowd" will be shocked as to how much better priced the goods are in The Marketplace.

Given the state of things I suspect a lot of people will show up only for the lure of free items. Let them come, let them be converted! Just leave some stuff for ME!
LOL!

But here's to the madness that is an IKEA Grand Opening, it will be my 1st & hopefully not my last. . . that's a hint Joe . . .

Yes, Joseph Roth, I'm talking directly to you . . . MYRTLE BEACH . . . MYRTLE BEACH . . . MYRTLE BEACH!

OK, Maybe It Won't Be So Bad.

Thank God for tax refunds . . . Momma's probably going to go to IKEA afterall!
We filed this morning & should see our refund in 10 days . . . YAY!

And my BFF is going to try & stop out to the College Park store for my duvet cover set on Saturday . . . I LOVE YOU BETSY! Even if she can't make it or they sell out, she's willing to give it a shot & that's what I love about her.

I broke a bookshelf yesterday (no, not an IKEA one but one I was planning on getting rid of anyway). I was running the vacuum cleaner & ran by it a little too hard on an already weak spot & BOOM . . . it fell apart. Luckily nothing valuable on it was damaged (it only held books).

So . . . I'm adding a Billy bookshelf to my already growing list.

It's Just Not Fair!

We have yet another Seize the Day special going on this weekend at IKEA and they're selling off my BELOVED Tanja Brodyr comforters!

I've been lusting after the purple one in queen sized since the day I laid eyes on it . . . and everytime I visited a store I never picked one up because of one reason or another. I assumed (like an idiot) that I would just be able to pick one up once the Charlotte store opened (in less than a MONTH!). Now I have to dreadfully assume they are getting rid of them all!

WAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
This is TOTALLY unfair!

I've had NO luck lately.

OH . . . and to top it off my hubby says we may not be able to let me go to Charlotte next month due to financial reasons.

THE HELL I WON'T!
Grandma still owes me Christmas money!
I get a check + a 50 dollar commission next month.

OH . . . I AM GOING . . . YOU'D BEST BELIEVE THAT!

Even if I buy nothing except from what I might get from a free gift card I AM GOING!
I think he forgets how evil I can be when I don't get my way.
If he continues to mess with me he just might find out!

More 'Gettin' Ready' Pics!

Courtesy of the Charlotte Business Journal
It's a thing a beauty!

Speaking of the grand opening . . . the hubby and I went browsing around this morning while the kids were at school & stopped by the new Coleman camping store in town. I saw a cute pink sleeping bag that I'd love to get for the camp out . . . but he didn't bite. BUMMER!

Well at least I have the pop-up tent, flashlight, blankets, hand warmers and stuborness to get me through the night. Ha-ha-ha . . . I feel like Steve Martin at the end of "The Jerk" when he says all he needs is his ashtray, ping-pong game, remote control, lamp, chair,thermos and matches . . . yeah that'll be me in line at IKEA!
Just picture the same sad human being only as a 5'3" blonde in a pink robe & significantly less hairy.

Knock Me Over With a Feather!

IKEA will be a part of the fabric of Charlotte North Carolina in a matter of weeks . . . not months but weeks, and now pictures are being released showing an influx of merchandise being brought into the store and the assembly of showroom goods by the ever busy-bee IKEAn workers. Forget Christmas . . . THIS is the most wonderful time of the year!

Click here to see the slide show courtesy of the Charlotte Observer

God, I'm so jealous . . . do you realize people actually get PAID to put together IKEA furniture AND coordinate IKEA rooms? That is my DREAM JOB people! If they put a store in Myrtle Beach not only would I be the 1st person in line but I'd tell them to just go ahead & put 1/2 of my pay in an account to cover my purchases. They theoretically wouldn't even have to pay me just let me totally deck out my house in IKEA then I could be a living billboard for them . . .

JOE ROTH, ARE YOU READING THIS???
WE COULD SERIOUSLY WORK OUT A DEAL HERE!!!

Oh . . . and I have another "hack" challenge on my hands . . . whilst I was visiting in Maryland over the holidays I sweet-talked the hubby (thank heavens we had the truck with us) into going to the College Park store with me. The As-Is Department had queen sized Noresund bed frames for 40 flippin' dollars! There was a catch . . . no side rails . . . so the hubby is going to see about mounting the headboard & footboard on a pre-existing bedframe. The bed looks totally gourgeous in the room when I lay the head & footboards against it. Please pray that we can get it to work . . . it was a 40 dollar gamble I'm willing to take.

Gear Up!

I was a good girl for Christmas this year . . . no, I didn't get a 5-thousand dollar IKEA giftcard (I wasn't THAT good) but I did get a few things to help me out during my camp-out for the Grand Opening.

I got one of those "Snuggly" blankets that you wear like a robe . . . PERFECT. It's sooooooo warm! It got me through these 2 weeks of AWFUL freezing nights in MD.

We got 2 hand-crank powered flashlights . . . awesome!

My daughter got a pop-up tent . . . and . . . get this . . . it's BLUE AND YELLOW!
HOW FUNNY IS THAT!?!?
(Yes, she said I can borrow it. Thank you sweetheart!)

I have a cooler, I have a boom-box and ipod. Now I just need to tie up my loose ends & score some private lessons this month and I'm all set!

C'mon tax refund!

We Have A Date . . . Now Let's Get to Business!

It's officially official folks . . . here's the new write-up on the Ikea Charlotte Website.

IKEA Charlotte opening February 18, 2009!

Air out your camping gear!
Customers can begin lining up at IKEA Charlotte at 9:00 AM on Monday morning,
February 16, 2009 – in advance of our February 18, 2009 opening. We are going to
be doing something special for everyone on opening morning so you do not have to
be the first, second, or third customer in line* in order to share in the fun.
Keep checking for updates!

*There will be no specific prize given to just the
first, second, or third customer in line.

I can't wait to see what prizes they will have to offer. When Brooklyn's (Red Hook) store opened earlier this year they were giving away couches! Given the current status of our economy I'm not sure if they're going to go all out on the prizes or keep things conservative. I guess it's a wait & see situation right now. Granted, I don't need a couch, but if they have something sweet enough to tempt me I might just throw caution to the wind & be there on Monday morning to ensure my spot. . . port-a-potties and winter weather be damned. Otherwise I plan on heading to Charlotte Tuesday evening and just camping out the 1 night.

Other than money my biggest issue now is childcare. I know it stinks but I may have to head back home by noon so I can be there when school lets out. Actually, afterschool care isn't even a problem but the overnight/morning thing is. Maybe my DH will take that day off & ensure our little ones get to school. With all he's put up with already I guess I shouldn't push it, huh? Why does IKEA have to do their Grand Openings on Wednesdays!?!?