Announcing our You Never Forget Your First contest winners!

Throughout August, we asked Furnish 123 friends and fans to come in to the store and share with us stories of their first and worst furniture purchases on our Wall of Shame and Wall of Conquest.

We received so many awesome entries and were blown away by each entry’s creativity (why should we be surprised, though – you guys rock!).

On August 30, we hosted a champagne and confection Back to School celebration at our store and selected winners from our Wall of Shame/Wall of Conquest. Check out our winners below and see photos and stories of their first or worst furniture purchase.

Courtney won a brand new chest from us to replace this dresser that has definitely seen better days.

Sara is the winner of a new Furnish 123 sofa that we're hoping will replace her 16 year-old Thrift Town purchase 🙂

Tara is also the winner of a new sofa. RIP purple couch...it's time for a new one!

Jenny's first furniture purchase is pretty impressive...but now she's a winner of a sparkling new dinette set.

Also, Chef Jocelyn, of SugaPlump Pastries, generously gave away four certificates to party guests for use on her delicious desserts. Below are the winners of SugaPlump Pastries gift certificates and their funny entries.

Andrea's traveling, versatile furniture

Christine's circus act!

Sonny and her hobbit table

Zach's second hand mattress

Thanks to EVERYONE who entered! We had so much fun reading your stories and seeing your photos. Congratulations to all of our winners…can’t wait to see how your new Furnish 123 pieces look in your place.

Furnish 123 Champagne and Confection Back to School Celebration

On Tuesday, August 30, 2011 we hosted a champagne and confection Back to School celebration at our store.

Party time!

We toasted the new school year and all the nostalgic memories it brings with glasses of champagne and mouthwatering morsels from SugaPlump Pastries and Cornucopia Gourmet Popcorn.

Dill pickle and sundried tomato basil flavored popcorn from our friends at Cornucopia

We couldn’t get enough of  the delicious popcorn and pastries.  A big thank you  to SugaPlump and Cornucopia for providing the treats.

Lemondrop cake pops & white chocolate Irish creme infused cakeballs & mini french vanilla and strawberry cupcakes from SugaPlump Pastries & Catering

Guests met our “artists in residence” Tolly Moseley of Austin Eavesdropper and Maureen Stevens of Inglenook Decor and Inspired Mrs. Stevens.

Room designers & guest bloggers Maureen & Tolly

Both Tolly and Maureen designed spaces at F123 and were our “You Never Forget Your First” guest bloggers. We unveiled their well-styled spaces at the party.

Maureen's Furnish 123 Room

Maureen used Furnish 123’s Riverton sofa in Spa, Cubit ivory cubes, Aaron Spa chairs and  Marsha lamps in her relaxing room design.

With its soft blues and vanilla tones, we felt like it was a room one would want to retreat to after a long day. A little “seaside” get away.

Another shot of Maureen's beautiful room

In Tolly’s room, she used our Oakmere Truffle Leather Sofa, Showwood Accent Chair, Flanders coffee table and Natane lamps for her awesomely styled space. We called it “the cigar room.”  Tolly remarked that she was used to have male roommates in college and that she was accustomed to designing for the male color palette: deep browns and leather.

Tolly's room design

Tolly's dashing room

Guests also wrote on the Conquest Wall/Wall of Shame on the days leading up to the party and during the party and we gave away a free throw blanket to all contest entrants.

Checking out the wall of shame and wall of conquest

Posting a first furniture purchase story

We drew from the first and worst furniture purchases on our Wall of Shame/Conquest Wall from our Never Forget Your First Contest and awarded the winners a FREE sofa, a dinette set with chairs and a table, or a dresser drawer chest. Contestants to be called this week.

Furnish 123 owner, Kyle Gage, drawing our contest winners

Here’s to memories of your first day of college, your first dorm room, your first apartment, your first home and your first adult furniture purchase.

Cheers!

Thanks to all who joined us for our Back to School celebration. We enjoyed meeting new people and seeing some of our regulars. We also enjoyed reading all of the fun and creative  You Never Forget Your First contest entries. For more photos of the party,  like us and check out our Facebook page.