Meet Antiques Dealer Lidy from French Garden House

As time went by, one of our children developed a serious health concern, and over the period of a few years, there were three times that we thought we would lose her. My husband and I decided to take her out of public school so that I could homeschool her. They were difficult years; I spent long days by her side taking care of her, doing her homeschooling work when she was up to it, and spending most of those days and nights having a running conversation with God! It was a blessing to be able to do so, but as any mom who has done this knows, it was extremely tiring as well. I desperately needed something creative to do for a few hours a week. Inspiration struck; since I loved antiques, interior design, and creating beauty, I opened a small space in a local antiques shop. I couldn’t have done so without my husband’s support, as he arranged his work schedule so that I would have two afternoons “off” while he stayed home to be with our daughter.

I loved that little space. It allowed me to display my treasures and meet some of the most wonderful customers, many of whom are now close friends. I also loved talking to the other antiques dealers at the shop, especially the older ones, who were so generous with their knowledge and answered all my questions. I am by nature quite a “talker” (my husband sometimes jokes that I could get personal information from a stone) and have an avid curiosity about antiques. I am always anxious to hear the stories attached to an old piece, who made it, who would have used it, or what it was it used for. It is always thrilling to learn the secrets of a piece. Each antique whispers stories of the past; antiques are exciting and always full of surprises!