FUN IN BED

Early Saturday morning I boarded a flight from Seattle to JFK. Exhausted after a fun-filled few days with family, I was looking forward to slinking into the comfortable seat and sleeping for the six hour flight back to the east coast. I fell into the seat, grabbed a pillow and blanket, pulled down the shade and prepared for my long nap...until her purse dropped in my lap! The woman sitting next to me...the one who apparently follows me on every flight, every train ride and sits behind me in every movie...the one who loves to chat with anyone about absolutely anything, was sitting right next to me. After takeoff I politely reclined my seat. So did she. I wondered, "who is this woman I'm suddenly sleeping with at 32,000 feet?" Somewhere over Montana I decided to stop resisting and started listening, so we talked about everything from dining to designing as we sped across the morning sky. A working mom on the road two weeks a month, she wanted to do something special for her young girls who hadn't adjusted to her turbulent schedule. I told her about a client of mine who wanted a unique, dramatic headboard for their teenage son, now in college. A photography major, I asked for one of his favorite photos and had it reproduced as wallpaper, hanging it on one wall behind his bed. For Chatty Cathy hugged up next to me on Delta flight Oh-Hellta, I suggested she blow up the kids favorite family photo and paste it as wallpaper above their beds (the family sailing in Santa Monica bay, skiing in the Rockies, camping in Yosemite). When she leaves for business trips I suggested she record their favorite bedtime story (or any message) on dictaphones and leave it on the nightstand for them to play while she's away. So as she flies around the country to provide for her family, she's provided them with a little piece of her. After they listen to what she's said they can sit back, relax and have fun in bed!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: 72 hours typically to produce image, one day to install.

COST: $6.50/square foot at www.wallhogs.com

STRESS LEVEL: Giving a sad mom a high from a mile high: LOW