Debbie Travis' Facelift - Tales From The Set

Letter From Debbie

Hello Everybody;

On this unforgettable adventure the Facelift team headed to the country to spend five days at an outbound fishing camp. We were blessed with lots of fresh air and sun, and only half a day lost to a torrential downpour. I was very excited by two things.

First, Bob was usually the one to surprise his wife Donna with renovations that weren't always what she would have planned. Now it was pay-back time as Donna begged us to surprise him. I love pay-backs. Second, Donna had told us, and we have it confirmed on tape, that Bob insists on being different. So we had the thrill of encompassing an 'anything goes' mentality.

My good friend and landscape architect extraordinaire, Kim, never disappoints. But this time he had me worried, well panicking actually. He had devised a fountain with a 2000-pound hanging rock suspended by chains from iron beams.

Even the five-foot deep foundations for the beams didn't waylay my fears of that rock plummeting to earth unannounced, so I called in a structural engineer to verify the integrity of Kim's creation. He assured me all was well and the project was completed without incident.

The physical labor required for the landscape part of this Facelift was massive. Kim and his workers, plus three very green but eager teenagers, and various mechanical earth movers and trucks made it look easy. I was glad to stick to staining, painting and making a sun canopy for the deck. When Bob came rolling down the runway in his plane and saw me waving those red directional flares at him, he couldn't believe his eyes.

Tears of happiness just kept coming as he saw the stunning garden transformation, and the very smug smile on his wife's face. He knew his neighbors couldn't top this.

Debbie

Letter From Bob

Dear Debbie Travis and the entire Facelift Team,

What a total shock, I think I will never be the same. After a long week of working at our fishing resort in Northern Quebec, I was flying back and very glad to be home. As I was landing, suddenly on the runway in front of me there were several people standing there. This has never happened and I could not figure out what was going on. I stopped the plane, got out and saw Debbie Travis!!!

I have watched all of her shows and love her, but my mind started to race…what room did they attack? In a split second many thoughts came into my head and I was totally overwhelmed. On the walk to our house Debbie was trying to distract me and it was difficult to concentrate on anything she was saying. The excitement and anticipation was so great it was impossible to get my thoughts in order. For many years I have been the one surprising Donna. Could she actually have pulled something over on me? What was going on at this moment was really out of my control.

As I entered the garden there was so much to see, I didn’t know where to look, where my eyes should go next. The suspended rock that is really a beautiful sculpture was so unique and incredible that it took my breath away. I did not even realize I was walking on an amazing pathway and that pathway was leading me to many more surprises on the patio. As if there wasn’t enough with the hand- built recliner, a carpet actually painted on the deck, a champagne table filled with champagne and a matching buffet, there was still more to come. They had refinished and redecorated the entire gazebo and it was like watching a movie. As I turned my head, I realized under the rock was a fountain…no, not a fountain… many fountains with flowers and trees surrounding it and two rock walls. Every direction there was something else that was catching my eye. On top of all that, my family and the entire crew was there to be a part of a special moment.

I seriously never thought something like this could happen to me. Debbie, you did a fantastic job and I want to thank you, I also want to thank all the crew. I know you must have worked extremely hard in the hot weather with so little time. A special thank you to Jennifer, Anne, Petro, Travis, Flo and Jim. You are all welcome anytime to have a glass of champagne and enjoy the new digs.

Sincerely,

Bob Ethier