Sunday, April 8, 2012

Homemade Vanity...Literally! + Winner of Market Place India Giveaway

I've been wanting a vanity for some time now.  They're just so feminine and girly and old school!  While I didn't necessarily want to make an investment until I found EXACTLY what I wanted, I didn't want to wait either.  Sooooo, I put a little creativity to work and came up with a vanity I love!

Put together out of things I already own, I took an unused small wooden coffee table and propped it up on two storage bins.  Covered it with a pretty sheet with a lace trim and the bones of my vanity were in place!



I already had an extra stool, and since I don't have a ton of room; it actually worked great!  I added a scarf that I rarely use as a runner to add some color and interest.


I dug around in the kitchen and snagged old scented candle jars, thrifted teapots and sugar dishes.  These formed the chorus of  carryalls for my jewelry.  I couldn't believe how much beautiful jewelry I own that I never wear because, frankly, I forgot I had it!  It's usually tucked away in a cabinet in wooden boxes.  And while that's pretty traditional, it's not really practical.  How can you wear what you can't see?

By the way, the sugar dish?  A great makeup brush holder!



Aren't perfumes pretty displayed?  These are all the perfumes I own as the Coco Mademoiselle is my signature fragrance.    I usually wear Flori De Capri (in the small square bottle) to bed.  Safari by Ralph Lauren is an old favorite and the two bottles of 4711 are of German origin and belonged to my mother.  4711 has been around FOREVER, and it has a clean citrus-y scent.  One of the bottle is a great bangle bracelet holder!


The white mirror belonged to my mother.  There's a story behind the bow.  It went to a Valentino (my all time favorite designer) bathrobe that belonged to my mother as well.  I wore it until it had holes in it and finally self consented to throw it away.  But I did want to keep a piece of it, so I saved the sash, starched and ironed it and made it into a bow which I hung from a hook above the mirror.  I love the way it turned out and it's a pretty way to display something that has sentimental value to me!


This  is the view from the front.  All my makeup is in the white zipper box in the middle and I love having my pretties displayed!  The vintage lamp is a $5 thrift find and I covered the shade with pink ribbon.  So the moral of this story is:  If there's something you want, you probably already have it!  You just have to look with new eyes!

And before I end this post, let me say a big congratulations to Allison Anne.  She's the winner of my Market Place India giveaway!  Allison, I'll be passing on your email and will be in touch with you so that you can get your $100 gift card!  Lucky You!!!


Photobucket

19 comments:

  1. I really, really love this concept! You've given me some ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Serene, you are so creative!! I love this..I am one of those girls who loves vanities...this is really cute!! Great job....I hope all is well your way...I miss you when you don't post...happy Easter! Love you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awww Pam! Thanks so much! We were out of town last week and so posting had to take a back seat....Actually, trying to trim down some of my social media so that I can be more focused on a few things rather than dipping my toe in a bunch!

      Delete
  3. Congrats to Allison Anne! And your vanity is really lovely...and so much better than my makeshift arrangement.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are so creative, your vanity looks like it was vintage, very romantic, great job pretty lady!! =D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Congratulations to Allison! Hope we get to see what she chooses.
    I love 4711 - I knew a guy who used it as aftershave. Hard to believe that it was around when Jane Austen was writing Pride and Prejudice and Napoleon was Emperor of France. I wonder what the old bottles looked like?

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This looks so BEAUTIFUL! The bow was a wonderful (and special) idea, and the perfume display is gorgeous. I need to do something like this myself..I've wanted a vanity for quite some time, but this I could do myself, and it would be even more special. Thanks for the inspiration! :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, I LOVE this! I feel a summer project coming on......

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your creativity is apparent in so many areas. 'If there is something you want, you probably already have it.' So true! Your vanity is a piece of art.

    ReplyDelete
  10. LOVE your vanity, Serene! I love the idea of re-using the jars, teapot, etc. for something other than their original and/or intended purpose. It's not only practical but gives such a personalized look. Beautifully done!
    And I can't tell you how excited I am to have won the giveaway!!! Woohoo!!!! Thank you SO much!!! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is a lovely post!! I enjoyed seeing your space, hearing stories about various items, and am inspired to spruce up my own space (DIY of course!). Plus, I think I'm ready to fragrance shop. I like to switch when the seasons change. I've got a few signature fragrances that I love, but I might have to check out a few new ones.

    Love, Jean

    ReplyDelete
  12. what an awesome project!!! I would have never known what it started life as!

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is so lovely. It is rather ethereal and so airy looking. I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. That's so weird! My computer took me to the past 2 posts before! Ignore previous message,LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I used to create personal areas for me ,my little corners, with things I already have but I haven't done so in over a year. I personally thank you so much because you gave me inspiration to do so again. I use coco chanel perfumes and 4711 is a childhood memory of mine ,too.You've done a great job.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Angie! Thanks so much!!! I'm so tickled that others have heard of 4711 too! It has a lot of childhood memories attached for me as well...my grandmother ALWAYS wore it and my mother would always give me a little sample bottle to carry in my purse.

      Delete
  16. I have this wonderful white vanity that I used for years... Then I went to Japan and left it with my parents. When I came back... my mother had stolen it, redone the knobs, and it is now in her room as her vanity (as the vanity she had before is in the office and isn't used because it is from 1902 and has now passed the antique DO NOT TOUCH age)...

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! ~Serene