Margaret’s Day

Fifty years ago today my little life in Dayton, Ohio was changed forever because this was the day I became a big sister. Margaret Michie Carter was born and I had no idea what craziness was in store for me. I was the dutiful, well behaved and this will come as a big surprise to most of you, shy, quite one. Margaret came into the world, big. She was loud, funny and musical with a definite sense of style.

Margaret had her own ideas about how things should be done, including things like math. Following rules was not her thing, but she quickly learned how to win over the rule enforcers with her wit and charm.

Margaret also was good at turning a crazy idea into money making venture. I can remember her sitting at a table in our family room with dozens of bottles of model airplane paint and hundreds of plain metal barrettes painstakingly dotting colors with toothpicks onto the skinny tops of the hair clips. She turned her eye for color and design into a great business selling her wares in pairs to the preppy mothers and daughters who lived in our town.

Reading a book was not her idea of fun when she had orders for hairclips to fulfill. Margaret liked to earn money because there was always the latest fashion or cool room décor that she had her eye on. She also loved to organize all her stuff and loved to collect decorative jars and boxes. If the container store had not been invented before she graduated from college she would have started it.

Margaret eventually turned her great eye for design and fashion into a successful decorating business. Growing up in a demanding customer service oriented family trained her well for work that is very personal and requires customers to like and trust you.

I think that after years of hard work and self determination it is fitting that Margaret was just named one of the top 15 designers in Washington DC. If you would like to see the whole article here it is.

http://blog.builddirect.com/15-best-interior-designers-in-washington-dc/

So congratulations and happy birthday to my sister Margaret Carter. You make the world colorful and exciting. You must have had a big effect on me because I went from being shy and dutiful to the person I am now and I think that happened about the time you came along. I hope your next fifty years are even better than the first fifty.