As many of you have seen on our Facebook page, we are going to be serving some of our food in these handy little cast-iron skillets. In an effort to prevent the skillets from burning, charring, or otherwise damaging the tables, we decided we needed to get some trivets. Michael decided he wanted 7 inch cork trivets, to be precise.
After a few hours of shopping around, we decided that we wanted these PARTICULAR trivets, which (unfortunately) aren’t available locally and aren’t available online.
Not to be deterred from our goal, I asked my friend Kathy to run by Ikea in Atlanta to pick up 10 packs of trivets. The store is right by the office, so she said, “No problem!” Because it was so close, I just assumed she had been in Ikea before.
Why is that important? If you’ve been to Ikea before, you already know the answer.
For those of you who have not, Ikea is AMAZING. But it’s big. It’s really big. I tried searching online, and the only estimates I found said that most Ikea stores are about 300,000 square feet, or the size of about 5 football fields. But hey, who’s counting? Furthermore, the sections are set up like rooms, so you might find yourself wandering through a series of bedrooms, or perhaps a kitchen. It’s very cool, but might be a little confusing if you aren’t prepared. For newcomers, there’s even a page that tells you “How to shop at Ikea.” For the experienced Ikea shopper, though, we know that there are a few simple but important steps to follow:
1. Get a map.
2. Follow the arrows that are painted on the floor so you don’t get lost.
3. Allow lots of time to browse!
4. Always, ALWAYS order some of their Swedish meatballs and frozen yogurt.
Alas, I didn’t prepare Kathy with this vital information. So she stopped by after work, planning to run in and out again before she got on a conference call. What happened next could only be described as disaster!
You might remember seeing in the comics what became fondly known as a “Billy Trail” – the indirect, crazy, time-consuming path taken by Little Billy in the Family Circus cartoons by Bil Keane.
Well, let’s just say that Kathy created the Trivet Trail. She violated all four rules. No map. No arrows. Not enough time. And most unfortunately, no meatballs and no frozen yogurt.
But – she DID get the trivets!
So when you visit Magnolia Kitchen and have some delightful dish prepared in a cast iron skillet, please note that it will not catch you or your table on fire. And you can thank Kathy and her Trivet Trail for that!
Previous Comments:
- Vicki – I LOVED this post!! I not only enjoyed the clever way in which you incorporated “Billy’s Trail” into this adventure, but I have to admit that I have never been to an IKEA store so I can totally empathize with your friend. However, I am pretty sure that I would not have passed on the meatballs or frozen yogurt for strength to continue the journey! 🙂 When you live “in the sticks” it’s hard to imagine a store larger than Sam’s Club! 🙂 Good luck with your endeavor!
- Amy – Thanks for the feedback! I get tired when walking through Sam’s Club too! And while they may not have the variety of a Hy-Vee, the food at Ikea is AWESOME! Thanks for the comment!!
- Sarah Lofton – I LOVE IKEA and your post
- Amy – Thanks Sarah!
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