11 Jul 2010

Les Marchés au Puces - { The Market of the Fleas }


When I discovered this wee little dolls' cupboard and dressing table I simply had to buy it for Bijou! I had such a love affair with my dressing table...or duchess as it was called in my home. It was purchased for my 10th birthday I think and it housed many a china bunny ornament, lacey doilies, a few gazillion scrunchies and a stray banana clip or two. Oh and those rolly ball lipglosses that smelt like cherry and made you look like you'd been eating greasy fish and chips! Memories....from the corners of my mind...misty watercolour memories.....



With the arrival of high school days I added my first foundation (either a calamine lotion pink concoction or a tandoori orange hue...colours I alternated between for many years....oh the horror!!) And a little chemist shop palette of brown eye shadows and a few hand me down lippies from Mum.....frosty browns no doubt. The name Russett rings a bell!!



Many an evening was whiled away singing into a deodorant can (Impulse of course!) listening to the Top 40. Winding my hair into little teeny buns in the hope I would magically transform my straight as sticks hair into Portia de Rossi waves from Ally McBeal. It was here I discovered tweezers too...and let me tell you I wish I'd found them sooner because my formal photos ain't pretty...are you picturing caterpillar eyebrows...oh yeah!!


Now my dressing table is lucky to be used. When the going's good I slap on tinted moisturiser (no cosmetic counter lady I do not have time for the foundation brush!) , curl my eyelashes (poppet thinks this is hilarious) a swipe of Mac cheek tint and some Chanel mascara. A smear of lipgloss and that's as good as its gonna get. And I've gotta think that that's a good thing....all those hours holed up in my bedroom as a teen pondering my pores, applying and reapplying makeup in an effort to create the perfect "no-makeup" look and lamenting how come I didn't come with Linda Evangelista cheekbones couldn't have been healthy.

Well now I've got something far more beautiful to play with...and she won't clog my pores, isn't tested on animals, doesn't stain my collar and makes me feel like the most gorgeous woman on earth! Mumma loves you to the moon and back my girl.

For other wonderful treasures please head over to the lovely Sophie's blog and indulge in some serious vintage ogling.

22 comments:

  1. Ahhh Impulse bodyspray brings back soooo many memories, along with nivea cream, and new wave hair gel, and perms!

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  2. You always crack me up Steph. Ah and those sweet memories,I have similar ones too that make me smile and cringe too (lol)! What a sweet little find, Bijou will have hours of fun playing with this.xo

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  3. Thanks for the memories! This is a super duper find, can't wait to see if you'll put a mirror back in and spruce it up a little. How sweet it is xo

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  4. whooo ohhhh whoooo oohh - love is a battlefield - where you singing that one too or perhaps a bit of girls just wanna have fun! Well i can tell you Bijou will have loads of fun (in the Cindy Lauper way) with that divine dresser. You truely are one amazing mumma!

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  5. Such an adorable little cupboard! Ultra, ultra girly to the nth degree!

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  6. what a gorgeous find! you always score so well. jealous! ; )
    i love the images and so many memories you've conjured up im instantly transported, luved impulse! xo

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  7. cherry lip gloss,deoderant microphones, banana hair clips - i remember them all too well. Enjoy watching your little one create her own memories infront of this georgous dresser :)

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  8. What a score - makeup - I cant even call it a thing of the past LOL - lucky to keep lipstick on until I am out the door (yes I am an eater of the stuff) LOL. Are you going to do it up - is it play sized or litlte girl sized??? Too many ?'s I know.

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  9. ahhh Steph, I always smile when I pop by here, I absolutely love it.
    your story brings back alot of teen memories ..some good & some not so good :)
    happy week sweety.
    bisou

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  10. I am sooooo jealous that is the most adorable dressing table ever!!! for a sweet pink princess.

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  11. I don't know what I enjoyed more, the dresser (total score or the story. How come our hair was always perfect at night, but trying to recreate it the next day never worked?!

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  12. Oh that is fab Steph!!
    It looks good now, let alone what ever you're going to do to it!

    I haven't seen anything quite like that before, its a great find definately!xx

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  13. Thanks Steph! ...For making me revisit all those memories of teenage hood that I would rather forget! Love the dresser -so cute!

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  14. I love the detail on the dresser.....but I love your childhood memories even more! Thanks for sharing!

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  15. Oh wow - what a find - lucky you! Loved your post - brings back memories. We were just talking the other day about listening to the Top 40, waiting for 'the song' to come on and hitting record on the tape deck. Kids these days won't get to do that - how sad!!

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  16. You always find the best treasures! Your story sounds so familiar......it reminds me of my duchess that my Dad did up for me when I was a teenager. I still have it and like you it was housed with lots of scrunchies and hand me down make-up from my mum. It now holds my collection of golden books and a few jewellery treasures. Have a lovely week. xo

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  17. Gorgeous post Steph and I am so jealous of the dolly cupboard and dresser! Wondering if I can convince the Mr to make one for the girls (really for me). Love the flashback story!

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  18. oh what a fun read, Steph! that little toy cupboard is too cute for words..as for those sweet little clothes hangers..love em!

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  19. I had a gorgeous glossy pink dressing table - the colour of musk lollies which my Dad lovingly painted for me. Ah the memories indeed!

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  20. what a beautiful post - loving the teen memories, it's fascinating to think how hard we were on ourselves isn't it x

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  21. oh this made me laugh, roll on lipglosses! I recall cola flavoured and how "appealing" we must of looked at those YMCA disco's trying to attract some teenage boy hoping for those first "kisses" (alright "the first pash") with a greasy looking face!!!!

    Thanks for the giggle xx

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Your words brighten my day! Thank-you so much for joining me on my adventure. x