Antique Market Find: Discovering a neglected treasure and bringing it back to life

It was a very sad, shabby cabinet that had been propped up in the dirt.  Almost an afterthought.  Neglected, it looked like it had all but given up being noticed, much less purchased.   No one even stopped to think of the possibilities.  In all fairness, it had lots of competition in the acres of treasures at Renningers Antique Market in Mt. Dora this past weekend.  But this was its lucky day and mine.

The nice vendor said that it was a very old medicine cabinet that he had taken out of a farmhouse in Alabama that was facing demolition.  He was only asking $30.  We did not try to deal.  We knew we had something special.

My husband, a miracle worker at bringing old pieces back to life, could restore this primitive piece back to its earlier days.  Inside there were marks from medicine bottles. Upon cleaning off the layers and layers of dirt and taking it apart, a label on the back of the mirror revealed that it was over 100 years old.  After some minor repairs and cleaning up the original hardware, careful not to remove any of the remaining paint, it almost beamed with thanks for saving it.

It now hangs proudly on the cottage bathroom wall of a collector of all things shabby and primitive (me). Someone who appreciates its peeling paint, distressed wood and deep nooks for treasures.  It is a treasure itself.  Purchased from the nice vendor who did not recognize the gem that he brought from Alabama to Mt. Dora so we could take it home and give it a new life.

A Sad Week: Then a mermaid appeared

"Pretty Mermaid" by Sarah Kiser

It was the saddest of weeks.  

Sad.  Heartbreaking.  Gut-wrenching.  We all know that life sometimes is just not fair and can change in a moment. 

So, my week could not have been much worse.  And then a mermaid appeared.

My husband, who has always been good at trying (and almost always succeeding) to make things better, even it if it is just for a moment, gave me my Christmas present early.

It is a mermaid by Sarah Kiser, a wonderful southwest Florida artist who displays her work at the Island Visions Gallery in the quaint little artist colony of Matlacha.  She does whimsical, beautiful mermaids that will capture your heart.  I have wanted one fora long time.  Little did I know that my husband had one hidden away for Christmas.  He decided to make today Christmas.

She is beautiful as you see in the photo.  Her name is "Pretty Mermaid," and that is just what she is with long flowing blond hair, pearls and limey green and blue vines and willowy things floating around her. 

So, Sarah Kiser, if you are listening: thank you for your mermaids and for giving me a happy escape from the sadness of loss.  My mermaid appeared at just the right time.