by Carla Louise | Apr 2, 2015 | carlalouise, Creating, Projects & Challenges, Thrifting, Tiny Lifechangers |
It can’t be just me who finds my tray of keys and spare change a constant muddle, and has more than once picked up the wrong one to house sit or feed a friend’s cat. (I often try to blame being creative, but in this case I am just hopeless at keeping the keys organised).
After the third time I tried to let myself into my parents’ house with my business partner’s house key, I decided I needed to do something drastic.
Enter the 10-minute fix for easy, pretty and un-mix-uppable keys: nail varnish.
I have three sets of house keys besides my own, all of which are similar enough to make it difficult in a hurry (or the early morning) to see which is which.
So I raided my (embarrassingly extensive, for someone who paints her nails maybe three times a year) nail varnish stash and chose four colours.
Glittery blue, for my own key.
Pool blue because it’s pretty.
Burnt sparkling gold because it matched the one gold-coloured key in the set.
Bright green because it makes me smile.
(Sneaky tip, I chose all of these for their heavy coverage too, to reduce the number of coats).
Steps to making your gorgeous new keys:
Remove all keys from keyring, and wipe with white spirit or similar to remove any residue from fingers and handbags.
Arrange on a non-stick surface which you don’t mind having bits of nail varnish on (I used a box file)
Paint one side of your keys in your chosen colours.
Let dry, and add another coat. Repeat until it’s as bright as you’d like – but be careful not to paint any of the actual key mechanism!
Turn over and repeat on the other side.
Once dry, re-attach to keyrings and admire.
(optional) 7. Write initials on keys with permanent marker for extra identification.
Definitely one of the simplest projects I’ve ever done, but it’s had an amazing effect on the part of my life that involves me turning up at the right house at the right time and actually being able to let myself in…
by Carla Louise | Jul 2, 2013 | Uncategorized |
I had an email out of the blue from Jenny from Team Allegro (remember the rally?) to ask if I was free 22nd June to go and help them build a garage. Shed. Garage. Structure in which to keep cars and bits of cars.
Obviously I said yes, it sounded like a) something I’d never done before, b) a challenge fun and c) an excuse to drink in the evening while catching up with friends I’ve not seen for more than a year. And maybe fuel the camper van plans with likeminded people…
Arriving in deepest darkest Norfolk (ok, just over the border – but there were road signs proclaiming THINK DON’T SINK which, given Poppy’s desperate need for new tyres, alarmed me slightly…) I was greeted by this sight…
It was a windier day than we’d expected, so Rob’s car (no, that’s not his MR2 in a very sneaky disguise) is in fact structural in this pic.
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by Carla Louise | Nov 26, 2011 | Creating |
I know, I know, it’s only November, but I have SO much going on in December, I have to start my Christmas decorations early or I won’t get any up! I also spend the actual Christmas period at my parents’, so I like to enjoy as much of the Christmas spirit at home as possible before I go 🙂
I spent quite a lot of time last weekend, in between searching for presents and party dresses, trying to find a wreath. This, from BHS, was about the closest I found to what I was looking for, but I very much wanted some pink and purple in mine, to match the colour scheme (pffft – the attempted colour scheme, that should be) in my flat!
There were also a few of this type around:
None of them took my fancy, so when Anna and I were out on Thursday, I bought a pack of baubles from Asda and some contrasting snowflake tinsel from the 99p shop (oh yes, super high end, that’s me!). Got home, dug out the florist’s wire I bought two years ago (I knew it’d come in handy one day!) and over a few dvds and lots of chatting, I made this (please excuse the cheesy pic of me):
I’m really quite proud! :D
