pay it forward reminder!

hello all! remember a while back i posted a "pay it forward" piece? well, if you don't remember, that's okay. go here if you want to read it.

i still have 2 slots open...so if you would like to receive a handmade mystery gift sometime in the next year by yours truly, write me a comment on this post or the original post. leave your email address too so i can get your snail mail addy.

*as of march 12th, all spots have been filled! thanks for reading!*

pay it forward

i have read about this fun idea with handmade goods called "pay it forward" on a couple of blogs: not your average ordinary & brand-eye (both wonderful reads - i highly recommend them).

here are the rules:
- i make a handmade gift for the first 3 people to comment
- i have 365 days in which to send you the gift
- the gift will be a total surprise
- you keep this going by posting pay it forward on your blog

my mystery gift is coming from brandi at brand-eye! it'll be so nice to get a pleasant surprise in the mail, instead of bills. so if you would like to be a part of this fun project, leave me a comment and an e-mail address so i can contact the first 3 people & get your snail mail address.

*as of march 12th, all spots have been filled. thanks for reading!*

before & after - bedroom

i apologize for not getting the pics up over the weekend. the days just flew by! bfff is back *hooray!* and our puppy can't let him out of his sight. it's the cutest thing. it is SO good to have our little family back together. i was scrambling to get the room finished before bfff flew in - so things weren't quite as tidy as i had hoped & not all the pictures were hung. oh well.

i remembered to take the before pictures after some things were already moved around and i had taped the walls. oops. at least i remembered this time. the room is a long rectangle - big, but awkward. as you'll see, there are 2 closets, 2 doors & 1 window, making furniture placement rather difficult.

here's the before pics:

on the right wall you can see closet doors

taken from the closet doors in previous pic

and the after pics:

bfff has been wanting an office area for quite some time, so i made an attempt to set one up, along with all of his "me" wall stuff. the bed & office areas are currently separated by vito's gigantic kennel, but hopefully we won't need that soon & i'll be able to put a shelf there instead.

the white lights were inspired from a picture i saw on design sponge (here). they add a nice little soft glow & looked better than i hoped.

in addition to the paint, i got a chocolate duvet cover (matches the puppy), new aqua sheets, & a little pillow (that vito has already decided is his).

vito posing & smiling for me

bfff's reaction was classic! after we got home from the airport, i rushed upstairs to get vito, plugged in the icicle lights, and closed the doors. bfff eventually went into the bedroom and exclaimed "HOLY ****! this looks GREAT!" hahaha!! definitely the reaction i was going for. i got a little nervous the day he flew with thoughts of "what if he doesn't like it? i don't have time to paint over it!!" i'm so glad he likes it & has a space to work now.

my studio space & office (aka storage room for random stuff) is a mess right now and are next on my list to revamp!

happy new year!

this is my 100th post (WOW!)

so last night, my friend & i finished up the first part of the big surprise project. and i am very pleased with the results :) i can't wait to post some pictures! part two will be in the works today & tomorrow.

what are your plans for new years eve? i'll be going to a nice fancy dinner with friends and plan to get all dressed up. i'm debating on wearing this killer pair of heels i got for christmas:

my quest for aqua blue high heels has finally come to an end.

i think i'm going to need a latte - i'm tired. i used to head out to party at midnight, and now...i'm lucky if i can stay awake that long!

vito says have a happy & safe new years eve!

hmmm...

well hello! i wonder what these little guys are for... (i based the dog off of my puppy)

surprise!

look what i got! what a nice surprise!