If you are looking for a unique shop for gifts, home decor items and/or unusual jewelry, a visit to Nesting in Concord Center is a must, especially during the holiday season.  I like to pop in here every now and then to find one of a kind pieces for my home…

One recent Sunday I was poking in here with Peter, I stopped in my tracks when I saw this chalk portrait …

Oh my goodness, how beautiful! Even with all the stains, I could not take my eyes off her, she seemed to be someone from my family in years gone past…

Judging from her hairstyle, perhaps she was from my grandmother’s  era.  Ginger’s mother, Rose, was a very glamorous, stylish woman, my mother often said I was much like her.

The portrait was not framed, and if you touched it the chalk came off on your hand.  And it was pretty huge.  A framing challenge for sure.  That’s ok. I have to have her!

Off I went to Belmont Frame and Art in Cushing Square of Belmont. More complicated than I expected, but I was in good hands.  Time to select the glass: at first I was offered a special glass that offered UV protection with a non-glare finish. Ok, that sounds good. Or you can choose the museum quality glass, the one on the right. There’s glass on the right??  I poked my finger on the right and was completely surprised to feel glass – it was truly invisible!  Of course I want that!

The next decision to make? Where will she look best in our home? After several considerations, we decided to try her for a few days in our dining room, on the fireplace mantle…

She commanded the room, she again seemed to be a long lost relative. Yet she is not!  When my daughter and son saw it there, I heard words like “haunting”, “vampire”, and “overpowering’.  Hmmm, who is this woman?  Why am I so drawn to her?  Perhaps she symbolized the strength, confidence, and style of women that came before me.  With a touch of loneliness?  Whatever the reason, she was here to stay – but – not on the mantle…

“Esmerelda”, as Peter calls her, has found her home in our first floor guest bedroom, a dramatic room that matches her elegance. Not only do I wonder who she is, I also wonder who the artist was, and have tried to solve the puzzle by internet searches. The mystery lives on…:-)