the smell of particleboard in the morning
LJ Idol week 12: some assembly required.
The first time I walked into an Ikea, I fell in love. The intoxicating scents of particleboard and veneer, the excitement you feel when your item is in stock in the warehouse, the rush you get when you stand on the cart and breeze by the screaming children who have escaped from Smaland. Swedish meatballs never tasted so good as when I was furnishing my first post-college apartment. This has become a longstanding love affair with allen wrenches, small wooden pegs, and cheap bookshelves.
There's a deep sense of satisfaction in figuring out those wordless directions. I unpack each box gently, spreading the parts around me in a semicircle so I can take stock. Then I pick up the allen wrench or the screwdriver and the piece starts to take shape under my hands. Building my own furniture makes me feel like a capable human being. I feel like I could do anything.
[Image: a sketch of a woman looking sad flexing her arms with the text "I just started working out. I used to be pretty strong, but now I'm really weak. People are excited for me. 'You're going to lose so much weight!' SCREW WEIGHT LOSS". Below that is a sketch of a woman lifting a bear above her head and looking very triumphant accompanied by the text "I want to be able to BENCHPRESS A BEAR."]*
I once moved a Billy bookcase with doors across the room by myself (given that it's two feet taller than me, this is no small feat). My bookshelves and Besta tv stand have survived three moves, so I must have done something right when I built them. Ikea furniture isn't exactly known for being durable, but mine has survived pretty well over the years. When I have company, I'll casually say "Oh, yes, you like that bookshelf? I built it." They laugh and the conversation moves on, but I am left sitting there with a half-smile on my face, staring at the bookshelf that has proved stronger than anyone expected. That's how I want to be: stronger than you expect.
* Incidentally, if anyone feels like making an animated icon of this comic, I'd love you forever.
♥ pacing while praying ♥ you are beautiful ♥ digging for buried crap ♥ we should all be narcissists ♥ ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbl̩ ♥ juicy memories ♥ relax. breathe. bupkis. ♥ a gypsy heart ♥ a month of rain ♥ up is the new down ♥ your words, her silences ♥ ground rules for a hairless housemate ♥
The first time I walked into an Ikea, I fell in love. The intoxicating scents of particleboard and veneer, the excitement you feel when your item is in stock in the warehouse, the rush you get when you stand on the cart and breeze by the screaming children who have escaped from Smaland. Swedish meatballs never tasted so good as when I was furnishing my first post-college apartment. This has become a longstanding love affair with allen wrenches, small wooden pegs, and cheap bookshelves.
There's a deep sense of satisfaction in figuring out those wordless directions. I unpack each box gently, spreading the parts around me in a semicircle so I can take stock. Then I pick up the allen wrench or the screwdriver and the piece starts to take shape under my hands. Building my own furniture makes me feel like a capable human being. I feel like I could do anything.
[Image: a sketch of a woman looking sad flexing her arms with the text "I just started working out. I used to be pretty strong, but now I'm really weak. People are excited for me. 'You're going to lose so much weight!' SCREW WEIGHT LOSS". Below that is a sketch of a woman lifting a bear above her head and looking very triumphant accompanied by the text "I want to be able to BENCHPRESS A BEAR."]*
I once moved a Billy bookcase with doors across the room by myself (given that it's two feet taller than me, this is no small feat). My bookshelves and Besta tv stand have survived three moves, so I must have done something right when I built them. Ikea furniture isn't exactly known for being durable, but mine has survived pretty well over the years. When I have company, I'll casually say "Oh, yes, you like that bookshelf? I built it." They laugh and the conversation moves on, but I am left sitting there with a half-smile on my face, staring at the bookshelf that has proved stronger than anyone expected. That's how I want to be: stronger than you expect.
* Incidentally, if anyone feels like making an animated icon of this comic, I'd love you forever.
♥ pacing while praying ♥ you are beautiful ♥ digging for buried crap ♥ we should all be narcissists ♥ ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbl̩ ♥ juicy memories ♥ relax. breathe. bupkis. ♥ a gypsy heart ♥ a month of rain ♥ up is the new down ♥ your words, her silences ♥ ground rules for a hairless housemate ♥