SERENDIPITY

Perfect Chests

Perfect Chests

This has been a week, ten days to be exact, of several serendipitous occurrences...including these super Brown & Saltman chests...combined with several non-serendipitous (and very frustrating) events.

Before I go into details I thought I would quote Wikipedia and Webster's definitions of "serendipity"--apparently one of the most difficult words to translate in the English language (who knew??) Wikipedia states that Horace Walpole (1719-1792) coined the word fom the Persian fairly tale "The Three Princes of Serendip" whose heroes "were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity of things they were not in quest of."  Wikipedia further states that a PREPARED and OPEN mind is required on the part of the scientist, inventor (or "whatever" -my interpretation) to detect the importance of information received accidentally. And Websters defines serendipity as "the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for."

By now you are thinking "this lady is really boring"--but hold on... how many of life's events are simply random and how many seem to orchestrated by an unseen hand. I have been deliberating these concepts for most of my life and still haven't come to a conclusion regarding my role in this mystery. But I do know that when I put myself "out there" things start to happen...If only I could control the sequence of these happenings or nudges that move me forward--or if my vision included God's unlimited perspective, life would be considerably more easy.....but then I guess I would never be force to stretch and extend my horizons.


...I'm looking for a new location for my humble shop--definitely want to move back to West Los Angeles as that is where most of our great Los Angeles designers are located (it is a bit of a schlep over to Pasadena) and West LA is definitely where most of the action is. I called my friend Carlos (Carlos knows just about everything regarding any question you might have) and he told me that there was a retail space available in the next block up from him. On the way over, I kept thinking that it would be great if Carlos and I could join forces. We arrived to check out the available location....but it appeared to have been leased as there wasn't any real estate signage. Of course, Carlos, knowing every one, goes next door to inquire..........after two months of negotiations, the agreement to lease had fallen through the day before. (And this space is perfect--large, airy, great location, no work needed, and not expensive.)  Ah, Hah!  Not only this little bit of serendipity: after checking out the space Carlos asked if he could join me??? Now, please explain this one?  I do not know if I will lease this particular retail space, but there was definitely some sort of non-me communication occurring and which was leading me in the direction in which I set my heart.


Now, as for the "Perfect Chests" (above)--one of my favorite designers called me to ask if I had another pair of chests--he had been looking at the great pair of mid-century chests (below) that I had put into inventory about 6 weeks ago, but he thought that they were a bit small and feminine.....

Of course, he happened to call the day I was picking up "Perfect Chests" from the auction house......and I could happily SERENDIPITOUSLY tell him that I had a pair coming in that were a bit bigger and definitely more masculine. Now, please explain how these events could have played out without divine intervention?? And the story gets even stranger: when he came in, he decided to buy "Perfect Chests", but when he measured the height of the intended space at his client's home, only the chests shown above would fit. And he would not even have given them a second thought if he hadn't come in to see "Perfect Chests." I'm not sure how this is going to play out---but it is an adventure... (a bit stressful as you just never know...and there is that thing called "rent").

Thanks for joining me on the ride.

Mary