You got your girlfriend a WHAT???

Remember the ad campaign for 7-Up in the early, early 70's? Remember the "new" and revolutionary Twist Off Caps? Remember the giant pink elephant they used in the ad campaign? If not, I understand, it was a LONG time ago.

Hubby and I were waxing nostalgic on our way home from a recent boondoggle, at least on my part, to the coast. He had work, I had a library copy of "Heidi", a book my granddaughter is reading and I decided to read it again myself, it had been years, but I digress.

The billboard. We were driving along the highway somewhere in middle America in probably 1972. I don't believe we had been dating more than a year, if that. I had a "thing" for elephants back then and had a rather extensive collection. ANYway, I saw the billboard and exclaimed (with enthusiasm, I am sure), "I want THAT!"

Unbeknownst to me, that very fabulous boyfriend managed to figure out a way to get his girlfriend a billboard. He cannot recall how he managed to pull this one off, after all it was long before you could hop on the internet and "get 'er done." We were discussing the process of finding the address of the corporate office (remember, no internet?) and writing letters, checks and such.

So, eventually a package arrived, flattish about one by three feet with a postage of under two dollars if I remember correctly. I MAY still have the box in the attic. What a great gift! A billboard! It did sit in the box for years, but 10 years ago we built our current home and felt like this (after 9 addresses in 29 years, two overseas) would probably be our final move and retirement home, so we took the plunge and put that puppy up. We also happened to have the perfect place for it, my stained glass studio.

It is absolutely the most unique and probably one of the most thoughtful gifts that I have ever received. It is an example of my hubby's persistence, humor and thinking out side of the box. No wonder I think he's the coolest.

The BIG picture. We call this our "wall of fame" and put all those weird, odd, and certificate type things up. We even have some autographs of the guys from This Old House! And an astronaut!

A detail of the "new" twist off cap. Revolutionary, for sure. Note the Nixon/Lodge button? Yup, we're old.

This bottle was laying on it's side on the billboard. Since we didn't have a 20 foot wall, we turned it right side up, put it on a second wall and made it into a guest book. Brilliant! If you have been to visit, I hope you have signed it.