craftgrrl | laptop cover/case or modifications.. (Reply)

i would like to start by explaining that i had a look through the FAQ, which is absolutely fantastic, and i am so thankful to kimmercake for spending her time and energy on it! also, i feel sort of bad for writing a "how do i do this" post, but i promise i will post some things i've made recently in a near-future post!

on with the post. i have a cute little silver compaq laptop that cost an incredible amount of money. it is just a year old, and is beginning to show signs of age, from being thrown into my backpack and taken on excursions on public transport. it is perfect working order, but the case is getting slightly scratched.

i want to do something rad, but understated( like this, but without the feather boa! http://www.exonome.com/fj/phkl/index.html) to it, but i have heard from many people that spray painting could damage the internal workings of a functional laptop. then i've discussed brushing on paint(maybe child proof paint?), covering with stick on plastic book covering or stickers. i also really like what they did with the pokemon laptop, covering it in tape(http://www.exonome.com/fj/yzpl/)

i've looked extensively over the past few months at case mod-in sites, but they seem to be filled with ugly boy case modes-fluoro lights and windows and stuff that holds no interest to my vision of a pink, sparkelly computer!

then there is the avenue of covers. my boy claims to once have seen a laptop cover in chinatown that had a unicorns head on it(he was with me at the time and wanted to buy it for me for a suprise- and when he went back, it was gone). he has described it to me numerous times but i just can't picture it. i was wondering if anyone else has seen these things, or wether anyone else has any experience crafting up a laptop or pc?

i think what i need right now is encouragement, or other peoples stories.. all i have on my slightly scratched lappy is a couple of hello kitty stickers, card captors stickers and a spectrum of rainbow stars, and i'm too nervous to do any more because i am a web designer(freelancing at the moment) and don't want my machine looking too wacky/tacky when i visit my clients!

edit: i just re-read and realised how contradictory i sound in this post! i mean, i want to do something cool, but still have my computer look slightly professional, if that makes sense.