Monday 6 April 2020

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.


30 comments:

  1. hello vronni!
    we made it! :-D
    again i´m amazed by your jewelry collection - a candy store for lovers of ornaments.
    but the big stunner is this inherited rouge indeed! its a very rare thing, especially as its from your own family and traveled half of the world........ and i would like to have this rich color in a modern powder rouge.
    love the eclectic collection of boxes and trays!
    <3 xxxxx

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  2. wow, such a lovely post, I always love to have a watch to other people wardrobes and dressing tables, there are so many different details and so many personalities!. I think it's pretty interesting!
    It's lovely to see those more special pieces, particularly the cute portable ashtray and the amazing pot of rouge, which is just delightful!. Having something that your grandmother wore is always so lovely!
    besos

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    Replies
    1. I'm so pleased you like it Monica!

      When are we going to get a peek at yours?
      xxx

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  3. What a fab post, I'm loving this theme, I'll have to dust mine off and share mine.
    How fabulous is that rouge and the story behind it? My Mum always used to carry a portable ashtray in her bag.
    I love the commerative tray and that Oriental jewellery box, I'd love to have a rummage in your collection. xxx

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    1. Thank you! I can't believe you need to dust anything in your house, Vix after all the cleaning you've been doing! Do, please give us a look at yours!

      xxx

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  4. Having just read Beate's dressing table post, how lovely to find another one here. What a treat! I was immediately attracted to your chest of drawers. So many wonderful things to look at! That's exactly how I like it. I love the green brush and mirror set, and that gorgeous Chinese lacquer box. Oh, and the green glass box, and the commemorative tray! Such treasures! The portable ashtray is intriguing, as is the little rouge box! Unfortunately, I don't have a dressing table as such, but I'll try to find something similar to share. xxx

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Ann and I look forward to seeing yours.
      xxxx

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  5. I would be too ashamed to show my tatty collection in public! What a wonderful collection you have Vronni. Such beautiful pieces.

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  6. Ooh, I am so nosy, I love looking at other people's stuff! I love that Chinese jewelry box - I have seen many like that in our local Chinatown. I enjoy seeing your storage, as you have SO MANY accessories! I have yet to start hanging mine on my walls, lol.

    I adore that wee silver rouge compact - how cool that it still has some of the original rouge in it! The 1909 Exhibition tray is also amazing.

    Thank you for this look at your accessories! I loved it!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Sheila,

      You did something similar as part of your great wardrobe swap over - another trigger to encourage us to share blog posts about specific things!
      xxxx

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  7. a century old rouge! That's a treasure.
    I loved having a look at your perfumes. Like you, I wear it every day.

    I cannot (will not) show the mess that is my dresser currently-but perhaps you've given me a reason to sort it out soon.

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  8. That's a fascinating look at your chest of drawers! The Chinese Pavilion tray is great, as is the brush and mirror set. Having all your earrings so neatly arrayed must make choosing which ones to wear quick and easy.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Mim.

      I colour code them (as I do everything) so I can find what I want.

      How about showing us your dressing table/chest of drawers?
      xxxx

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  10. I love the brush and mirror set. Classic 30s - and a quid! You have the best chazzas round your way. I too had a vintage rouge. I think it belonged to my paternal grandmother. It came in a heavy little plastic pot (phenolic maybe?) with flowers moulded on the lid in palest pink and I wish to hell I knew what happened to it. I wore the rouge too, (all those people who claim you have to throw your make-up out after 6 months would have the proper vapours!), and it was an absolutely beautiful foxglove pink.

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    Replies
    1. I've seen those rouge pots and they are very pretty! I have lipsticks that are years old...
      xxx

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  11. What a great post I loved seeing your treasures and how amazing is the rouge pot? I'm tempted to do mine but it's very dusty and chaotic!

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  12. I'm pleased to see your perfume collection I also wear perfume every day whether I'm going out or not. My husband gave me Cinnabar for Chruistmas but I still prefer Youth Dew. Im'now using a couple of my summer fragrances - Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue and Yardley Lace which is nor made by another company. It's very inexpensive but very long-lasting. I've just bought a knock off of Eternity called Futurity by Milton Lloyd. Very good and reminds me of my Mother who loved Eternity. There's a website called Fragrantica.com where you can look up any perfume, see similar ones and read reviews. I really like re-discovering ones I've had in the past even though some of them are now beyond my purse! Many have been reformulated, more or less succesfully. I have a bottle of Avon Odyssey which I just smell occasionally as it really takes me back although it was discontinued years ago and now very expensive!

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    Replies
    1. Hello - it's good to meet another perfume lover and thank you for the tip about perfume website. I shall most definitely check it out!

      xxxx

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  13. Oh this was a fascinating post! Loved seeing what's on your chest drawers and the stories behind the items. Years ago when I lived on my own I had a wonderful dressing table, an old fashioned one with a kidney shaped glass top. It's still in the loft I think. I might take a snap of my chest of drawers and feature it in my April Sentence a Day post, but it's a bit minimalist I'm afraid! XX

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