A Mother's Dressing Table

I have such strong memories of scents from my grandmother's dressing table. The main one being her Chanel perfume. I also always remember being pouffed with body powder and that scent is still in my mind today. My grandma had beautiful jewellery sat in pots and loads of Clinique skin and make-up products on the top of the table. In the draws were: bundles of kirby grips and rollers, different sized brushes and collects hair and make up trinkets. It was a treasure trove of products and something that my sisters and I took delight in rummaging through every time we were at their house. We would sit in front of her huge mirror and do our own hair and make up using her things; she probably had to buy new after every visit!

My mum always kept baskets of jewellery on her dressing table (I think too many young children went for the make up so it was moved onto higher shelves in the bathroom!) My mum is a collector of all kinds of little antique trinkets so her room is full of vintage bits and pieces. Their are boxes of her precious keepsake, glass dishes that reflect the light and cabinets of old classic baby rattles in the emporium that is her bedroom and dressing room; they always need a nosey around!

It is the magic of a women's dressing table that can be so interesting and telling of the owner.

My mum always made sure I had a mirrored dressing table in my bedroom. In later years my Dad painted me one with girly characters on it so it was more fitting to my younger teenage persona. It was something I always had though and even as I grew up and hair brushes were moved aside for work books, I always had one.

Now at our house, I wouldn't say I have a dressing table as such. I have the top of a chest of drawers but it is what fits in our attic conversion. I have been trying to make it more like a dressing table though with bowls of trinkets and my body lotions. I want Raph and Etta to be able to finger through the sparkly things and explore their mummy's little treasures. It's part of growing up isn't it? Parading around in your mum's Pearl necklace as she cries from the other side of the room to take it off before it is broken! It's all exploration.

My dressing table still has time to grow and I keep adding little pieces that allow for more trinkets to be kept. I find that I am creating spaces for precious items but also daily ones which allow me to look and ponder each morning at all of the little things I have.

Post by Emily