Before & After

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Tales From The Set

Letter From Debbie

Hi Everyone,

There were two big problems with this Facelift. There are of course many problems on every Facelift but our concerns for emptying and redesigning Ivars garage were thus. My first major dilemma was the reaction from all the male members of the Facelift team.

They were horrified at my decision to chuck out most of Ivars 'stuff' and sell it in a yard sale. 'Outrageous'! "'This time you have gone too far' and 'Typical woman', were a few of the more printable comments. Well I did have permission from Susan and her best friend Maila who had been threatening Ivars for 20 odd years to have a clean out.

My philosophy is, if you haven't worn it for 5 years...OUT...unopened for 10 years...OUT...unread ever...OUT and who on earth needs a three legged ping-pong table and a broken freezer except to store yet more 'stuff' inside and on top.

The girls and I ignored all the complaints and held a huge yard sale. We got rid of the lot and sent the $1000.00 proceeds to a breast cancer charity. We kept nothing but the essentials and sentimental valuables, but found amazing ways to organize Ivars things in the new garage.

My second problem was the cell phone. Although Ivars was travelling into the wilderness for a fishing trip with his best friend Steve, he was also taking his cell phone for emergencies. My dilemma was his large family, neighbors and many friends. We had decided that the least people who knew about this secret Facelift, the better. We had not allowed for Maila. She has been their closest friend for 30 years.

The two families are really one big happy one, who share many friends. My strict instructions to the ladies were ignored: Please tell no one about the event. Within hours their daughter had arrived from half way across the country, followed by the whole neighborhood congregating in the front yard and relatives pouring in from around the globe! Luckily no one called Ivars so his surprise was safe. We all cried when Ivars wiped the tears from his eyes the moment he saw his new garage for the very first time.

It had been a truly fabulous four days work on this Facelift, with the most spectacular results. A cluttered garage completely streamlined; new concrete floors laid, new shelving and work bench in place, pipes moved, walls painted, and the installation of a brand new remote control garage door. What more could a guy ask for!

Debbie

Letter From Ivars

Hi Debbie!

I've been meaning to write, but I've been busy looking for some of my "old stuff" in the garage! I miss a lot of it and hope that it has found a good home or is resting in peace! You probably won't believe me, but I really did know where most of the things were. However, I must confess that when something was needed, it was often a challenge to extricate the item.

Seriously, I am thrilled and overwhelmed with the renovations to our garage. As I recall telling you after the show, it might have taken me 2 or 3 years at the beginning of my retirement to clean everything out, make improvements in the storage modules and work areas and reorganize the material, hardware, tools, documents, etc. I'm certain that I couldn't have been as ruthless in getting rid of some of my "treasures". My daughter Andrea, who again thanks you for bringing her in from Halifax University for the "surprise", has threatened to move into the garage when she comes home.

What you and your team accomplished in four days is truly amazing. I can only imagine the difficulties that my wife, Susan and her cohort Maila had to overcome during the logistics and scheming that preceded the facelift. I really had no clue that the project was being planned. However, several times on our "fishing trip" I wondered why Steve and I had not brought our wives, especially during our stay at the Manoir Richelieu, a rather romantic hotel hideaway.

The subsequent description and detail provided by those involved in the grand deception allows me to truly marvel at the result of everyone's efforts.

Warmest regards and many thanks,

Ivars Sayfy