HAPPILY EVER AFTER

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Friday, November 25, 2011

A VERY SPECIAL ANNIVERSAY

Organized......Me??

Numbers, relationships of numbers..all this.... is so interesting to me. All relating to ORDER!!!

I imagine this fascination comes from my Dad who was a CPA, and a genius with numbers! He came by it from his Father and Grandfather, who by the way was the inventor of a Perpetual Calendar! I am very proud of that family fact!!!!

Getting back to TODAY.

Today is November 25, 2011. It's the fourth Friday of this November.

Now, you ask: " So Why Is This So Special" On November 25, 1955 I met "My Honey".......AKA... MC!!

That November 25, was also the fourth Friday of that November. The month of November in 1955 was identical in form to this November!!

MC AND I MET AND HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR:

56 YEARS
20,454 DAYS
490,896 HOURS
29,453,760 MINUTES
1,767,225,600 SECONDS


.......Oh..I LOVE the internet. What would I do without it!!!!



MC'S SENIOR PROM 1956

IN HONOR OF THIS VERY SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY, MC FINISHED REFINISHING MY HOPE CHEST!!!


On Christmas 1956, I received my Hope Chest. Exactly 13 months (as you all know, Christmas is December 25) after meeting MC.......He should have known he was Taken.......

I have been trying to figure out why the world looks so differently at "Young Love" today. A number of my friends fell in love with their future husbands while in High School. It wasn't that rare in 1955!!! Maybe it's because one's life span was not much over 65. To have a long life with your loved one, one had to start a little younger than you can today!!!! Just a thought!

Back to the Hope Chest......

It has had a wonderful life of it's own.

It was the only piece of furniture we owned in our FIRST APARTMENT!! The apartment came "furnished". We didn't buy any other furniture until we moved to California in 1962. Our Mobile home also came "furnished"!




During the years, before I gave (loaned) it to Patti in 1988, it was usually in our dining room. It also was a great place for the kids to hang their Christmas Stockings! The first few, of the 34 homes we have lived in, didn't have fireplaces......



Sorry Steve
,.........in 1962...you were due in one month !!!!
1963...you were in your crib!!!!

In the 1960's I "antiqued" it green with one of those fabulous antiquing kits!!!


This picture actually was taken in the 1980's during MY COUNTRY PERIOD!!!


When Patti received it, that was it's finish. She, with the help of Erica, Maggie and her Mother-In-Law, refinished it back to it's original form, BLOND MAHOGANY, which was the big trend in the 50's or what is referred to today as MID-CENTURY!!!!

For some strange and unbelievable reason the tag that was attached to the inside of the chest is STILL ATTACHED !!!!








It's fabulous.......So, so typical of THE DAY. Love it......these are the items every young girl had to have for her trousseau . To be honest, I can't remember if I was able to amass them all!



Last year, when Patti and Mark "trucked back" my 1968 sofa, they also brought my Hope Chest . .....I do have a habit of asking for some things BACK. Terrible, I know, but the family is very aware that when I discard "treasures"... they better keep them, because if they no longer want them.....I am apt to ask for them back!!! I have first dibs on items they are no longer using.

For this past year, I have been toying with how to refinish or redo the Chest. Last month it hit me.

Yes, right in the middle of putting together all the gold ornaments, I came up with this huge project for MC to get finished before December 4th. No pressure...."just please squeeze it in!!!"....

Last night we brought it into the Dining Room....where else?

I love the New Look. MC outdid himself...once more!


Don't you just love the Lion Head hardware.......


I CAN'T WAIT TO "DRESS" IT FOR THE TOUR....


ps......On January 25, 1956, MC and I officially WENT STEADY
On July 25, 1959 we were MARRIED

NUMBERS......LOVE 25!!!!

Monday, November 21, 2011

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I AM SO THANKFUL

I WISH TO TAKE THIS SPECIAL TIME OF THE YEAR TO THANK YOU, YES YOU, MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS.

YOU HAVE GIVEN ME TREMENDOUS SUPPORT. I WAS READY TO SHUT DOWN PATTY'S EPIPHANIES A YEAR AGO ........I THEN RECEIVED SO MANY LOVELY NOTES TELLING ME HOW THEY WOULD MISS MY SILLY, INANE PAGES!!!!!

SO.....I CONTINUED!!!!

AND..........HERE WE ARE TODAY.....

WE HAVE ALMOST 19,000 HITS (VISITORS ) THAT HAVE CLICKED ON TO READ THE BLOG!!! SOME OF YOU EVEN "CLICK" ON AND READ THE SAME BLOG MORE THAN ONCE!!!! IT AMAZES ME!!! I AM SO APPRECIATIVE!!!

I THOROUGHLY ENJOY SHARING, WITH EVERYONE, MY OFF THE NORM IDEAS!!!! IF SOMETIMES IT GIVES YOU A LAUGH ......ALL THE BETTER. I DO NOT TAKE MYSELF SERIOUSLY......IF I DID, LIFE WOULD BE SO .....SO.....DULL..... AND QUIET!!!

I WISH TO GIVE A SPECIAL" THANK YOU" TO ERICA FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL ART AND PILLOWS I ASK HER TO DO FOR HER CRAZY OLD GRANDMA!!!! LOVE YOU ERICA.....THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING "YOU".

NOW, YOU DIDN'T THINK I WOULD LEAVE OUT THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!!!
(AKA MC)

THANK YOU HONEY FOR EXECUTING ALL THE UNBELIEVABLE REQUESTS I ASK OF YOU. YOU ARE A SAINT, LIKE EVERYONE SAYS, FOR PUTTING UP WITH MY ANTICS.

THANK YOU HONEY......WITHOUT YOU ....WELL, I JUST DON'T EVEN WANT TO GO THERE.............

Saturday, November 19, 2011

ON SCHEDULE..... TWO WEEKS TO GO

THE STAR IS HERE !!!

I can now relax, the main "piece" of the decor has been purchased. It is now home, in the workshop, waiting to be transformed!

MC and Senior Staff Elf Russ, headed out EARLY this morning to pick up THE STAR..............

THE TREE!!!

Thursday, MC, Esther and I ventured to Pikes Nursery in Peachtree City to find the PERFECT TREE!

It was easy......This one, special, tree stood out and said:.......".IT'S ME!!!!"
The whole process took less than 10 minutes. No other tree came close!

The next time you see it .... IT WILL BE GORGEOUS !!!

SENIOR STAFF ELF RUSS AND MC

THE FUN HAS STARTED....
AND...............
I JUST GOT A NEW EPIPHANY THIS MORNING....

IN TWO (2) WEEKS THE BUCKET LIST HOUSE WILL LOOK ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL.....

MC AND I WISH TO THANK SENIOR STAFF ELF RUSS. WITHOUT HIS HELP THERE WOULD BE NO CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

CRUNCH TIME.....

THREE (3) WEEKS....

Santa MC's Work Shop is buzzing with activity!

We have a couple of projects in the works. Who knew I would get an Epiphany at three this morning?????

The Christmas Decor still being #1....



BEFORE AND AFTER

BUT......


A NEW PROJECT IS SUPER SPECIAL!!!! I can't wait to reveal it!!!!!


SECRET PROJECT



A little peak....just a little!!!!
This one will be a jewel!!!!!!

MORE TO COME......LOVE TO TEASE!!!!
ps.........Shopping for THE TREE HAPPENS THIS WEEK.................

Friday, November 4, 2011

NOT YET.....

NO HOLIDAY SNEAK PEEKS .....HAVE TO WAIT A MONTH.

The Holiday Tour is a month from today. We are preparing ......spray painting old ornaments and non-ornaments alike!!! I am experimenting and tweaking.....

Meanwhile............

Now, we all know that MC stands for Master Carpenter, Master Chef, and more recently, Master Carver. TODAY........he has a new "MC" Title.

Although we live in the South, about 40 miles south of Atlanta, it is Fall here. The leaves have turned beautiful colors the last few weeks. I thought this morning:
"I have a great idea..... an EPIPHANY!!! I'll ask MC to go around the community and take pictures we can share with everyone."

I realize the color isn't nearly as beautiful as it is in Atkinson, N.H. or Plymouth, Ma. Actually, I am surprised we have as much "color" as we do!!

MC drove all through our "Reservation". Also, took a few shots from inside, to show what we see looking out.......

We now have a MASTER CAMERAMAN!!!!!





THE BUCKET LIST HOUSE



SHOTS LOOKING OUT FROM OUR GREAT ROOM







THE FOLLOWING ARE SHOTS OF OUR "RESERVATION"



















Now I know why FALL is my favorite Season!!!! AND NOVEMBER MY FAVORITE MONTH.....