Lucy's gift:

If you are the type that really pays attention to details, you may have noticed in the previous post that there was a little something extra on the wall in the breakfast nook.

We fulfilled a lifelong (yes, lifelong--as in, the span of Lucy's life) dream of having a doggie door. There was a good deal of discussion as to where this would go. I wasn't willing to give up my full-glass door to the patio in place of a solid door like this:

We quickly realized we would have to get a "through-the-house" type door. But I wanted it to be disguised as best as possible since, lets be honest, doggie doors are ugly. So that meant the living room was definitely nixed. We talked a bit about installing it in our bedroom, but we finally decided to do it below the window in the breakfast nook because I hoped that the board-and-batten might camouflage it a bit. Plus, its a good location that is in our main living space, but is hidden away enough that you don't see it from most angles of the entryway/living area.

So a few weeks before we started the breakfast nook woodworking project, Nick cut a hole in our house (!!!) and installed the door one day while I was getting my hair cut (which explains the lack of pictures). He said it was surprisingly easy. And we have loved that doggie door since. We smile everytime we hear Lucy go through it (rather than scratching and whimpering at the door for us to let her out). Yay laziness!

And for those of you who are wondering, Lucy just loves her doggie door.

And I was very pleased that I was able to paint the big black surround white, to help it blend in more with its surroundings.

And here is a view of the doggie door from the back, demonstrating yet another reason why we picked this spot. There is a perfect little patch of porch under that window:

Isn't it funny how the most enjoyed things can sometimes also be the least attractive? That doggie door has brought much joy to both owner and dog alike.