My Turquoise Bag

A few blog posts ago, I shared a Victorian weekend we spent in Port Elgin, where we also stopped by a charming antique shop.

In that antique shop, a random object caught my eye.

There it was, placed on the table cluttered by other kitchen trinkets, a dancing ballerina printed on a trivet. Based on the signs of wear and tear, I could tell many hot plates were placed on it over the years.

I may have been holding a table accessory in my hand, yet all I could see was this ballerina framed in gold and displayed on a wall.

Ticketed at only $10, I sought out to transform a trivet into a classical art piece.

The first thing I did was try to find out who’s artwork this was. My thought was Edgar Degas who famously painted ballerinas, but alas, my internet research was inconclusive: unknown artist.

This made my wall art feel even more one-of-a-kind.

The trivet was also an unusual size for a standard frame, but I managed to find just the right one.

Since my goal was to make it look like a painting, I omitted the glass panel so that the texture could remain exposed. I wanted it to be tactile, scratches and imperfections included. This ballerina has been places, and I didn’t want to conceal any traces of her journey.

The trivet fit perfectly inside the golden frame, and just like that, she began a new life.

I haven’t hung my ballerina frame in its permanent place yet, but for now, it sits quietly in a nook in the bedroom.

Leaning against my treasure chests, what was once used on someone’s dining table has now been transformed into a framed piece of art – fit for a romantic daydreamer.

That’s what I love about antique shopping. Anything could be anything. What was once used for a bygone purpose, can now be used for something new.

An old little trinket could have a dozen versions of itself.

It got me thinking: maybe the same is true for us.

Who says we are bound to stay in just one version of ourselves?

I encourage you, dear friend and reader, to allow yourself to transform.

To dream.

To evolve.

And to dare to choose differently.

Wishing you a season of transformation and new beginnings. 🪄✨