Custom blog makeover from housenine designs. Update your look for spring! {Review & Giveaway} ARV $70

{This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to those who entered!}

It's no secret that one of the quickest ways to a mom's heart is to compliment her on her children, right? No matter what kind of morning I'm having, a few words telling me how cute or intelligent or adorable my daughters are can make me beam for the rest of the day.

Along the same lines, if you happen to mention to a blogger that you love their layout or design - well, you can rest assured that it just makes them swell with pride over their keyboard.

Unfortunately, html isn't something that just anyone can learn, not to mention possessing the skills and creativity to put it together artistically in the form of an appealing blog. Most bloggers start out using a free template with the hopes of updating it at some point, but that isn't always possible. Cost aside, where do you look for a layout that expresses your individual style and theme? A designer that takes your opinions and personality into account to create a look that is all you?


Brazilian-born Thais took her love for art and design and began her blog, housenine, as a way to showcase the things that are beautiful and inspiring. From gorgeous handbags to handmade wallpaper to unique giveaways, you never know what enchanting post you might find next at housenine.

Her digital canvas, housenine designs, allows Thais to bring her love of graphic layouts to life in premade or custom blog designs, headers, Etsy banners, Twitter backgrounds and more. Whether you prefer clean and modern blog designs, photo blogs or scrapbook blogs, Thais will come up with a layout that will convey what matters in your blog - YOU.

Take a look at a couple of past housenine designs layouts and you'll see why the positive feedback just keeps coming:

Browsing through the housenine design portfolio, I am struck by how unique each new look is from the next. If you like minimalist, it's there. If you like frills, that's there as well. Bright pops of color? Right next to calm, cool hues.

If a custom blog design isn't what you are looking for, Thais also offers premade layouts for only $30. A quick and easy way to customize your look, after confirming your order the new template will be installed in just one day! I think the Seeds design is eye-catching and sweet while the three-column layout is uncluttered and stylish.

Or, for a la carte options to spruce up your portion of the blogosphere, house nine designs offers special extra features for blogs, Etsy shops or Twitter. Keep your layout but add a custom header to dazzle readers when they arrive at your blog or add a personalized blog button that matches your design for others to display.

I, on the other hand, have always enjoyed when I arrive on a Twitter page and find a background other than the standard options that are available to everyone. What a great introduction of yourself or your site to the friends, companies or complete strangers that you come in contact with on there. Before, my Twitter page looked like this:

Standard. Boring. The same as about 1 million other people out there that chose the same option.

If you haven't visited my Twitter page recently, it now looks wonderfully unique and professional and matches my blog perfectly:

Helloooo, coolness!

I couldn't be happier with not only the result (which is very important) but with how great it was to work with Thais. I am the first to point out that I am an extremely picky person and my focus on the smallest of details can often start to drive people over the edge. Even though I wrote a dozen emails starting with "Can we just change..." Thais had no problem accommodating my requests. And, as the result shows, she did a fantastic job!

Is it time for a new look for your blog? From small additions to a complete overhaul, the chic blog and website designs at housenine designs will make you proud to invite people to visit your site... and allow you to sit back while the compliments roll in. Plus, thanks to Thais' generosity, one person will have a stylish new look this season, because...

One lucky person will win a standard blog makeover to update their look for spring! ARV $70!

This makeover includes:

• custom template (up to three columns layout)
• custom header
• custom sidebar titles
• custom coloring
• text & links recoloring to match the layout
• coordinating wallpaper
• signature at the end of each post
• custom post divider

The winner will also have the option of purchasing a digital kit of their choice (these generally cost between $4 and $15) to add to the layout if they choose, however, it is not a necessity.

To enter to win: Follow housenine with Google Friend Connect.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry if you become Thais' friend on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

WIN a CUSTOM BLOG MAKEOVER and update your look for spring @thxmailcarrier from housenine designs! http://bit.ly/c7mNKc #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and housenine designs. Please leave an address where it can be found.


Giveaway will end on May 6th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open worldwide! If you're reading this, you can enter!

A big thank you to housenine designs for providing a custom Twitter background for me and a standard blog makeover for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.