Because designers consider their ideas "intellectual property," they keep alot of secrets along their way, hiding something special they are just so giddy about! They save it for the BIG REVEAL, where they unveil the finished project with a big "Ta-DAH!" Just watch those HGTV shows where they send the homeowners away so the design team can put on the finishing touches to amaze & astonish them when they return. It's the BIG REVEAL.
Well, today, I'm not going to showcase a traditional BIG REVEAL. Rather, I'm going to engage in a little, um,
game? I found it on the
Little Black Door blog, which is actually a series on the
702 Park Project blog known as "
What's on your..." and, even tho I wasn't invited to participate, I just had to jump in with this week's question: "
What's on your... Vanity?"
Oh, how I loved checking out all the blogs! What beautiful, organized, well appointed tablescapes! But... I gotta say, "
C'mon, guys, REally?" I mean, do you
not use your bathroom??? Cuz I certainly use mine and so my bathroom vanity looks like this:
See, we're not all amazing homekeepers. And not everything is beautifully perfect at all times. And, sometimes, we make mistakes - like choosing the wrong paint color, or picking a fabric better suited for drapes than upholstery. At home, there are things that need to be done - always, there are things that need to be done! REfresh, REpairs, REdesigns... it's never ending.
But it's life. Everyone's life. It's REality.
And I love it.
So, yes, my vanity is a mess and I truly couldn't wait to REveal that here. I had gotten a little behind and those posts, and this picture, motivated me to tackle it this weekend. Now, it looks like this:
Not perfect, but better - and I do love it. Every tchotchske has meaning and purpose - they each tell a story. I've been slowly collecting containers at antique shops and I can't seem to stop! If I see one, I buy it, even if I don't need it. So... there is quite bit going on here.
The glass dome vessel with lid is 20+ years old - bought when I first had a roommate in my early 20s. I was so excited to find it and Angie promptly took it from me, put it on the mantle & said, "how cute is that?" Uh, that is NOT what I had in mind when I brought it home, but it made her happy so there is stayed until the lease ran out, we packed up our things & went our separate ways.
The 3 silver accented pieces in the middle are all recent antique store finds - a bud vase, a candy dish and a jelly jar. The pewter cup filled with lip glosses is actually a converted bottle coozie. I took the rubber insert out and dropped a coaster in the bottom to cover the drain hole. It's just the right size for my quick-grab-go-to lip color selections. My make-up brushes and bobby pins are in bud vases I bought mass quantities of many years ago as hostess gifts. They were so cute, I kept a few for myself and they are just perfect here.
My most favorite item, tho, is the
porcelain rose bud box in the front left. That was a gift from a good friend for helping with her wedding. I love it - tiny grooves that collect dusty grime & all. It's mostly meaningful, but I do keep some earring backs and safety pins inside.
A table top planter my mother-in-law designed. Mainly it holds my larger powder brushes, but I'll throw my hairbrush & comb in there, too. Keeps everything handy. A nice fat nail file is a MUST for me to have in quick reach - my nails take such a beating, unfortunately. And do you like the star shaped wand? A memento from last year's New Year's Eve party that I tucked in there to remind me I'm a princess (cuz sometimes I forget).
A close up of the pewter coozie. Do you suppose I'm a bit partial to pinks? Talk about REveal-ing...
OK, what is this for??? Um, not sure yet. They had been catching my eye at different antique stores, and this one was finally the winner. Black cast iron with brass accents, it's heavy. And empty.
I would be REmiss to not share the other corner of the vanity:
An antique scale that serves no bathroom related purpose whatsoever; just something I decided I wanted without having a reason so I bought it & here's where it landed. Yep, that's me in all my glory waving in the mirror cuz there was no way to snap the shot without me being in it. REvealing, yes - me in Hubs old comfy, cozy flannel shirt.
The bowls of the scale hold trinkets I don't know what to do with - tangled necklaces that are making me nuts! I've tried everything I can think of to get them separated - including baby oil & paper clips - to no avail! WAH!
This bowl is the memento bowl - a busted (thanks to the dog!) music box with a picture of my grandmother, an antique skeleton key, a purple chandelier crystal that I might make a necklace out of (maybe) and an initial bauble that fell off another necklace
By far, my favorite decorative element on my vanity is my decked out bronze Adonis statue. Oh, how I love him! He takes up too much space, he's completely impractical for my bathroom vanity - not to mention the potential hazards to my coveted costume jewelry collection... but I can't (yet) bear to RElocate him. He's the first thing I see when I walk in the room & he takes my breath away. He's gotta go at some point, but not now. Not yet. Soon, tho. Probably. Maybe.
We'll see.
