Friday, May 2, 2014

Miller Time Friday: Vanity! (Sung to the tune of Tragedy by the BeeGees, since it is Friday after all..)


Vanity is my favourite sin.
Al Pacino


SCARFACE  Al Pacino /z04z /  HUGE FRAMED CANVAS 32x20”

Well he would know, wouldn't he?

 Sorry to be so incommunicado this week!  Have been very, very busy work-wise and home-wise, so am just now catching up before I take my overnight-er to the Algonquin Resort.

Wanted to share my newest acquision: a vanity (of sorts).

You know I have always wanted one, but had given up any hope of acquiring one in the short term given a) the lack of space in my small bedroom and b) finding one that wouldn't break the back.

So imagine my delight when I walked into a lovely decor and clothing shop downtown, Studio 103, which is a marvelous shop, and discovered a little antique writing desk that would just fit in the corner:




and a beautiful tufted silvery velvet chair that fits perfectly under the desk.



On the desk some accoutrements...




Some writing paper, my great-great Uncle Frank's Loving cup, a little cup of eyeliners,



The silk container that my mother used to carry her jewelry in during her travels:



Above the desk, I have inexpensively framed the four prints I bought for a few euros each from one of the stalls along the Seine in Paris:




The drawer is chockablock full of makeup:




A closeup of the lovely chair:


Makeup brushes at the ready in a glass vase filled with golden marbles:



The temporary makeup mirror.  I want a lighted one, but the ones I can find around here are either too strong - 10X - or plastic-looking.  I will use this little beauty till the right one comes along!



The table is a little rough, but I've covered it in a linen table runner I bought in Normandy years ago.


So all in all, I am very content!  I can preen and grin at myself with abandon!

In honour of my vanity, let's have a drink, shall we?

This one is for all of my American Friends:

American Beauty

1/2 oz. brandy
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 oz. fresh orange juice
1 dash crème de menthe
1 dash grenadine
Ice cubes
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: cocktail
Garnish: float of Port wine

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, shake, strain into a chilled glass and garnish.


I hope you have a swell weekend planned.I have more work to do in the morning and then it is all play time!  Will be back next week with pictures and stories!

Oh an a little treat, since it is Friday, and there is always room for silver lame and the BeeGees, at least in my universe!  God I miss Robin and Maurice.  (you BeeGees haters are going to have to be nice and say nothing!)



stay safe out there!

xoxo wendy

49 comments:

  1. So envious of you right now! I have wanted a vanity since I was a young girl, sitting at my grandmother's, brushing my hair with her brushes (at least I have her mirror/brush/comb/tray set!). My grandfather remodeled their house when my father was still a boy at home, and moved their staircase. In that process, most of the gorgeous antique furniture upstairs wouldn't fit out of the upstairs! Not even a window! So my uncles left it to the new couple that bought the house. I have been dreaming of the gorgeous new mirrored ones - but there isn't anywhere to put it! You found the perfect solution! Enjoy!

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  2. wendy you vanity is so glam. love your mom's travel pouch, v glam too. i see the apple didn't fall far from that tree. :) enjoy your weekend! x

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  3. Okay so before I actually read the post I want to tell you that two of my loved ones make so much fun of me for thinking the song "Tragedy" was in fact named "Hercules." No joke. For years I would loudly sing the song as "Hercules! When the morning cries and you don't know why...It's hard to bear...With no-one to love you you're goin' nowhere. Hercules!"

    So thank goodness we can see that this song could potentially be something other than tragedy. LOL.

    Off to read the post properly now.

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    1. So right after I read this the one loved one who makes fun of me for the song title called me (she is my bestie and lives in Indiana). Shortly thereafter, the other "fun-maker" aka Mr. Dina shows up. I think I need to send them this post so they can see I am not the only one. ;)

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  4. I love your vanity. So exquisite! I have not one, just the bathroom mirror. Maybe one day...

    That American Beauty drink, hmm. Well I guess I could try it but I don't know that I would like it...

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  5. I can picture Virginia sitting at that vanity (if she ever wore makeup, which she probably didn't), it looks like a "writer's vanity" if it makes sense.
    Hope everything else is well. I was at Joe Fresh today and tried "your" white eyelet skirt (loved but don't need)

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    1. Ema - love the virginia image! All is well, though I wish I was at joe fresh with you!

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  6. Fair enough nothing about the bee gees but what is with the towel loop on the back of the chair?

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  7. I adore your gorgeous vanity setup, Wendy! I use a plain (and cheap) old student desk with an old office chair on casters. Not exactly glamourous,
    but it does the trick. It's right in front of a window.

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    1. Susan - I wish mine could go right under the window!

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  8. I did have a virtual American Beauty while listening to Tragedy for the first time in ages.

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  9. I like the BeeGees now more than I did back in the day.

    Lovely vanity and the chair is perfect. I am a failure in this regard, having a tiny basket of my few products in a 400 year old Scandinavian cupboard by the bathroom sink.

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    1. I have been with the BeeGees since the early 70s! Do you think it would be cheeky to have Stayin' Alive played at my funeral? I will be in my 90s...

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    2. I will steal your idea!!!

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    3. A little beegees, a little frank and bing, some Coldplay and maybe led zeppelin's rock and roll!

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  10. I love this!! You are so lucky! I would love to have a vanity - all of my makeup is stored in plastic bins. It would be nice to have it all laid out where I can see everything.

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    1. mine was in bins in the bathroom and I could never find a damn thing! And I didn't want everyone to see it all (of course now have shared with a LOT of people!

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  11. Oh my. I love Tragedy and the Bee Gees. I immediately started singing the chorus even though I have not heard it in ages. Thanks for the memories. I am so happy you got your vanity. It is perfect even the ring that holds your mug :)

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    1. I am going to sing this all freakin' night. Thank you very much.

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    2. You are welcome!!! I needed to get another song out of my head!

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  12. Love the vanity, and the drawer contents, too! But, I am a spiller and would definitely need to put a glass tabletop to protect, not white linen! Enjoy it....

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    1. I am a spiller too and think I will get a glass top eventually!

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  13. Love your vanity (I think we call it a dressing table in Blighted) and love the fact that I spy a leopard print shoe!
    I have all my slap on top of a chest of drawers and a teeny tiny mirror! It's rather dark, so it's a good job I don't wear much makeup otherwise I'd risk very dodgy application!

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    1. I love that term - SLAP! How wonderful! You don't need much makeup, you are so gorgeous!

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  14. I thought I saw Clooney behind Barry in a few shots.

    May I say how much I like your floors.

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  15. Hi Wendy, your new vanity set up is very pretty, especially the chair. Have a lovely time with your friends!

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  16. Wendy,

    I purchased a new makeup mirror a few months ago and I adore it. simplehuman is the name, a brushed silver metal and very sleek. It charges up and you just recharge about once a month. I use it everyday. And the best it is 5x so you don't scare yourself when you look in the mirror. Love the table, enjoy.

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  17. I LOVE the Bee Gees!
    I had no idea what a vanity was ( see Ruth) we call it a dressing table here too, hope you have preened like a cockatoo at it all weekend.

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    1. I knew you would love the BeeGees! I am still in st.andrews being spoiled rotten!

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  18. So lovely, and the objects you've 'peopled' it with are just right. I think the suggestion of a glass layer over the cloth will make it just right!

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  19. That little chair is simply 'to die for' cute!

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  20. I LOVE that vanity. Gorgeous. I covet your loving cup. Thanks for the drink recipe. I need to shake things up a bit here :)

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    1. Thanks Jen! That cup has been in our family for a 100 years. It needs a good polish though!

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  21. I didn't like the BeeGees then but love them now. Love your vanity! And now I can't get that song out of my head ...

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  22. Sorry to be totally late to this party. I insisted on a knee space cutout vanity in my master bath when we built our house. Now it is pretty much wasted space and sadly would be better suited as an area for a storage cabinet.

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    1. I try to sit at this little table at least once a day. It makes me feel really glam!

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  23. love the Beegees, there were genius and still resonate so very much with me. I still remember at a High School party in my basement doing the plucking apples and putting them in the basket move to their tunaaage. I was wearing a suit and tie ala Diane Keaton. Of course I was boiling, Wow, I'm glad no one was taping me. Your table arrangement is just charming

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