Losing My Marble

"Imagine how it would feel to be surrounded only by things you use and love."                      Karen Kingston


The blogging world can be the most beautiful place.  Here houses are always warm and inviting, gardens are blooming, children and pets are clean, well groomed and have perfect manners...  

Looking for its 'best' side...

Welcome to my home.  The alligator head was the only souvenir my husband wanted from New Orleans.  (I blame the History Channel television show "SWAMP PEOPLE.")

Me?   I wanted this. 

Compared to some of the other stuff in this shop, it was a very simple fireplace mantel.

It must have called to me while I was walking down the street. I popped into a little light shop with lots of chandeliers, lots and lots of chandeliers (I couldn't resist saying to the owner, "So it looks like everyone is going with ceiling fans this year."). I asked if I could take pictures, he said, "Sure." I walked through the store and suddenly, from across the well lit room, I saw this beauty.

The more I looked at it, the more I liked it.

"Oh, there you are." I heard myself say.   Right out loud.  It didn't answer. There was no need for words. I was enchanted. Amazed. And maybe slightly giddy.  My pictures may not catch all the glory, but trust me, it was wonderful. I liked it just the way it was and no amount of faux finish could ever make me want less than the real thing. 

I've never thought about buying a marble fireplace mantel before.  We have a nice, little wooden mantel shelf above our fireplace and I have thought about looking for a more substantial (maybe even beautiful) wooden mantel, kind of like this with the sides and a some carving, but this....  I just sort of fell in love with this amazing work of art. 

The details were amazing, I'm using my camera on this (not my flip phone) hope you can see how beautiful it is.

After a few minutes I realized I was a little angry that someone would have ever taken this out of the home it was made for.  Was it made especially for someone?  Was it original to the area or had it come from another part of the world?  I just kept staring.  At some point I found myself running my fingers along the edges (it was in great shape), the carving was smooth and it was cool to the touch.  I tried to imagine how many hours (days, years...) it had taken to create. 

(sound effects please:  TIRES COMING TO A SCREECHING HALT) 
$42,500.00

I finally looked at the price tag and realized we couldn't be together on this day, I would have to leave my discovery here.  I left the shop a better person, and I left New Orleans still married to the sweet guy who likes alligator heads. 

After a fairly lengthy goodbye, I somehow left the mantel.  Maybe someday we'll meet again...

Have you ever been surprised by your reaction to a thing - especially a thing that was so beautiful it took your breath away? 

I have to leave my blog now to go visit Colorado Lady's Vintage Thingie Thursday http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/ .  I'm a genius!  I just added a button from Suzanne's blog.  Happy Thursday!