The thing about IKEA

The thing about IKEA is that you go there to look at kitchen cabinets and go, "Oooh, cabinet! $39!" and somehow when they ring you up for everything you need in order to actually install two of them, like doors and stuff, it's $345 and you're too embarrassed to say, "Whoops, I was in fantasyland."

So I ponied up. It's all part of Project Empty, my new hobby.

avventura1234 helped steady my nerves getting through IKEA--honestly, is there a portkey to a graveyard in the middle of that store?--and load the heavy flat-packs into my car. Now they're lined up in my kitchen, and as soon as I finish drinking this restorative pot of tea I'm going to flex my Allen wrenches and start assembling the thing.

Here's the Before picture that this cabinet purchase is intended to make an After picture out of. Note: this represents Project Empty, Area 3.1. It's in my kitchen.

( Try not to scream. )

Oh, and for the tally of Project Empty completed areas (and I can't emphasize enough how important it's been to slice this project very, very thinly):

• 7.1 Outdoor areas: Front porch
• 2.8 Bedroom nightstand a: top surface
• 2.8 Bedroom nightstand b: drawer

Only 63 more to go.