What I keep on my chest of drawers

It was reading a recent blog post by Beate HERE; where she showed a photo of her chest of drawers and what she kept on it; that inspired an idea for a blog round up of what we bloggers keep on our dressing tables and chests of drawers. I always find the bedrooms of people the most revealing when I look at interior design websites and photos - I do like a bit of interior design porn, I'm afraid! So, I'm sharing with you what I keep on my chest of drawers and hope you will join in and show yours!

This chest of drawers was bought in 2002 and has served me well. I'd love a dressing table; I've always wanted one but have never managed to find one with enough storage. I suppose I could put a free standing mirror on this one and turn it into a dressing table; but it would obstruct my earring display and reduce the space on top...which as you can see is already pretty cluttered.  I am so not a minimalist!

From the left hand side of the chest of drawers. Floral box; a Christmas present from my daughter.  I keep my post earrings in here, my watches, my jewellery pliers - good for fixing and customising earrings in particular; and a range of straps for my Fitbit. In front of it is a silver box bought at a car boot sale.  I keep all my real silver earrings in here; each in an individual pouch to stop them from tarnishing. The brush and mirror set was bought at Emmaeus for 1.00 a couple of years ago.  Behind it is a green earring display stand that I picked up quite recently in a charity shop. I keep my 'posh' earrings on here. They're a bit too dressy/sparkly for everyday; although I do wear the pearls quite frequently. 

The silver and glass tray was bought in the Red Cross Shop in town; and the Chinese lacquer box was a Christmas present from my daughter about 25 years ago. It's a jewellery box; I keep a couple of items in it that I inherited from my mum; along with a few kilt pins I found once on a rummage - I just need a kilt to pin them to! The two china bowls were charity shop finds.  In the smaller one I keep earring backs and in the larger bowl (from my Barnardo's) a small selection of dress rings.

The green glass box decorated with birds was a Christmas present from my eldest grandson some years ago. You can see the detail more clearly in the photo below. I keep the rest of my ring collection in it. Behind it, is a ceramic tray which commemorates the Chinese Pagoda from the 1909 International Empire Exhibition held in London. I found it in a charity shop; it's 111 years old this year. It used to be kept in the bathroom with tooth mugs on it; but I thought it would look better on my chest of drawers.

 On it are two plastic display hands (both charity shopped) with some of my rings.

 To the right of the photo is a 1950s or 1960s metal tray. I found it in the donations box at the 3:16 charity shop and replaced the base with some green spotted wrapping paper. I keep my perfumes on here and yes; several of them came from charity shops! The Estee Lauder 'Cinnabar';  'Eau Dynamisante' by Clarins;  Rock Rose by Valentino and the Estee Lauder 'Bronze Goddess'. You might just be able to make out a small gold topped bottle next to the Eau Dynamisante. That's an oil roll on version of the 'La Vie est Belle' and was a present from my son.  It has such longevity which I suppose is down to the oil. The rust/orange ball topped bottle is a perfume by Orla Kiely which I bought in a West Hampstead charity shop on my birthday trip to London in 2018. Very soon after buying it I dropped on the floor and the spray top bit has never worked properly since. I can only get a little out each time I use it and at this rate I 'll still have the bottle in ten years time! If anyone has any hints or tricks do let me know. I have removed the spray top bit and washed it thoroughly but it didn't solve the problem. The remainder of the perfumes were presents for birthdays and Christmas.  I love perfume and wear it every single day. Behind the tray of perfumes are OH's 2 boxes containing rings, cufflinks and his watches.

Two decorative empty perfume bottles (present from OH) sit behind the green bird box)

What you can't see beside the two perfume bottles is this silver plated portable ashtray which dates back to the 30s or 40s, I think. It was given to my mum by one of her clients when she was a home help in London so before 1972. In the second photo you can see the receptacle for the lit cigarette on the top and in the first photo the ashtray is closed. I have actually used this ashtray back in the days when I smoked. I gave up 14 years ago.

As you can see above  I have lots of hooks and racks for hanging my necklaces on - all bought in charity shops. The grid I use for the majority of dangly earrings; I bought from Argos about 10 years ago. It's supposed to be for hanging kitchen utensils on but I repurposed it! I want to draw your attention to the items on top of the Chinese Lacquer jewellery box. On the left is a piece of amethyst quartz; brought back from a school trip  to Dorset's Jurassic Coast by my eldest grandson when he was 9. On the right is this small silver box. It looks to have the initials HH or HAH inscribed on it.

My maternal grandparents emigrated to the USA in the 1920s; were married in Delaware, in 1926, but returned to Ireland in 1930 or 1931. This little box was bought there; but also sat on my granny's Rosewood Edwardian dressing table in the house in Ireland where my mum grew up; in Co. Leitrim. Can you guess what is in it?

This! 

According to my aunt; who gave it to me a few years ago, the rouge is the original one. She remembers it from her childhood and she's 80 this year.   I've even worn the rouge; but it's a bit waxy! An almost 100 year old pot of rouge belonging to my grandmother. It's among my most precious objects.  By the way, her initials aren't the ones on the rouge pot and I don't know what or who they signify. I'd love to know.