misosouper, a shopping blog

I’m a little disturbed that this Thursday’s splurge comes from IKEA. That’s a bit like saying your filet mignon came from McDonald’s, right?

Regardless. If you want the look of built-in bookcases at a stand-alone price, then Besta’s your uncle.

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I just found my new desk chair. (Bonus karma points for it being made out of reclaimed wood.)

Mid-century modern, wickerized: because you can’t really take your Ovalia egg chair outside.

We’ve never gotten around to buying a dining room table, probably because when you’re cheap, it’s hard to justify spending upwards of $2K on something you only use a few times a year.

Our justification has arrived, in the form of a sleek, linear design that opens to reveal a regulation-size pool table, so that I can host a dinner party, then hustle all my money back when the dishes are cleared. We’re cheap, remember?

(FYI…I e-mailed the company for info on US retailers and prices, and didn’t receive an answer. So file this under the category of you-can’t-afford-it-if-you-have-to-ask.)

Let’s face it: Sloppy Joe’s drinks are gross after the third slurp anyway. When the era of tramp stamps and glow sticks is behind you, celebrate your dignity at home with this frozen concoction maker. It’s not cheap: tequila-flavored shaved ice (and the walk of shame back to your the sanctity of your own bedroom) will leave you spring broke, but certainly not spring broken.

In our house, we listen to the radio on an actual radio, instead of receiving a feed through the internet or satellite. Our favorite radio show may not sound any better on this set, but Johnny Cash and Hank Williams sure will look pretty singing from my bookcase.

My mother-in-law is one of those genteel Southern ladies who actually starches and irons her sheets. So when I get rich on my IPO, I’ll buy her this: a fabulous Miele rotary iron, with foot pedals and variable speed. Go fast if you hate to iron, or slow if you savor the whole ironing experience.

This tabletop arcade, featuring 150 quarter-sucking time-killers from my youth, is like, 150 times better than one of those handheld, plug-in to your TV Pacman joysticks.

For only 10,000 quarters, this beauty will turn your house into a home. (Or get you kicked out, because you just spent $2500 on a glorified Atari.)

I’m categorizing this under Splurge-day Thursday because, while the price for this Hungarian baby bathtub isn’t outrageous, it remains, well, a Hungarian baby bathtub, with limited application beyond bathing Hungarian babies and icing summer drinks. Really, Hungarian baby bathtubs shouldn’t be more than $20, but apparently Garnet Hill didn’t get that memo. (Tangential note: How did Garnet Hill discover this stash of “vintage” bathtubs? Was J. Peterman somehow involved?)

Despite its limits, I still want one; the Hungarian baby bathtub reminds me of my best friend’s wedding, where we grabbed beers from a frosty rowboat on her deck, only this is the all-grown-up, now-we-drink-champagne version.

Admittedly, a splurge: it’s red, made out of sustainable harvested coconut, and, sigh, $750. But…imagine how this decadent piece could crown your room. With a table in black and chairs in white, I’m ponying up my pennies now.