MERTRAVELOG - Road trip with Eleina Fae

Mer Mom & Daughter R Us

Editor's note: As I was secretly cherishing a testimonial from a mother/daughter mer-team, this lovely message from Sandy Hoaglin of Mermaids R Us arrived in my Facebook inbox:

The reason I make tails is because of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park — the home of the world famous mermaids. When Eric [the mertailor] came out with his mermaid tails they were latex and my daughter who is a mermaid is allergic. I am an artist and my father was a great inventor (in my blood I guess to create) so I started my mermaid tail career. My tails are made so that you can perform in them 365 days a year (like the Mermaids do at Weeki). I often make design changes to suit the mermaid and I am a mom first, so I care about what these mermaids wear and how it feels, weight and color. I am all about the glitz, glam and comfort.

I was so taken by her message, I pressed Sandy for more, more, more! This is what she added:

Many people ask me what it is like being a mother to a World Famous Weeki Wachee Mermaid and simply put it is unique. My mermaid passion happened for me at the age of two when I saw the mermaids performing underwater in the theater at Weeki Wachee. The beauty of the enchanted mermaids were memorizing as they swam and ate underwater. I feel in love with the mystery “Do Mermaids really exist?” Now with my abilities as a mermaid tail creator, I too help people’s dreams come true, I get to share a part of my love for mermaids with everyone. My life path took me into many directions; a mother, a college degree, coaching, a professional photographer but my true passion a working artist with mermaid tail designs.

I started being a tail designer when my daughter became a Weeki Wachee Mermaid simply because my daughter was allergic to Latex and that was the only Realistic Mermaid Tails W.W. owned in the beginning. But being a mother, I have no control over my emotions and motherly characteristics (that stick with you forever no matter how old your children get) and worked on developing a functional, comfortable, silicone mermaid tail so my daughter could enjoy a deluxe realistic mermaid tail just like the other mermaids. This mermaid tail creating became a quest I had to conquer.

No one knows what the future hold for them and the fact that today I can state that the Weeki Wachee Mermaids and many other Mermaids/Mermen use my mermaid tails and I feel honored to be part of the Mermaid Community. Being a proud mom as I watch my daughter Mermaid Kylee’s career evolve, becoming the International Mermaid Mrs. Weeki Wachee or being selected as the first mermaid as the Face of Mermaid Mineral Makeup. Mermaid Kylee has been blessed and her career has open many doors and opportunities in a career many do not know exist. Yet, I often have fear for my daughter, as any protective mother does, because sometimes her career as a mermaid has dangerous elements, such as sharks, diver’s pressure and sinus infections. But if you were to ask her she would tell you it is all worth it in the end because being a mermaid is a dream come true and I have been blessed to share the mermaid journey with my daughter.

And I feel equally blessed to share their story here. Mermaids R Us

Sea Hagg