D.I.Y ... Stacking shelves and shoes

Long time...but after a very relaxing seaweed bath I was inspired to do a little D.I.Y and put some shelves up in my bedroom. 


I am sure I am not alone when I admit to having over 30 pairs of shoes (not including boots) so a gal needs plenty of space to store them all.  We all know a girls best friend are Diamonds, but along with her daddy, her triple D is 'D.I.Y'.

Marilyn singing 'Diamonds are a girls best friend' from the film 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'.

I sometimes forget what shoes I actually own because they are hidden at the back of the closet in boxes.  If they are on display then they will be worn more often.  I had written on my 'To do list' - get some shelving for shoes.  In what will be another blog post I was given over 8 drawers from a linen factory that was closing down in Belfast, these were perfect to display and store my shoes.

Every girl should have one of these!

I have to be truthful here....

I called my dad :)

Heres me and my dad in the 70's at the caravan in Newcastle...great memories!

My dad is a D.I.Y wiz-kid.  He worked as a butcher all his life but I think DIY has always been one of his big hobbies.  My mum is very lucky...

The guy in the picture is NOT my dad!!

So with tools in hand: nails, hammer and a spirit level I found a wall in my bedroom with nothing on it!!  ... These things are pretty hard to come by these days after being in my house for 8 years!

Blank, but not for long.

Up go the drawers  note the handles on the side.  Dad made the dividers.  A lick of wood stain, and a few hours drying time and the shelves were ready to be anointed with shoes.

First shelf filled.  Thats 3 pairs and counting.

4, 5, 6, 7...

8, 9 , 10, 11...

12,13,14...

15,16,17 (the bottom pair have already been counted)

18,19

and 20!  These lace up Gladiator style stilettos are strung up through the drawer handle.

The finished shoe shelving.  I can still spot a place for a very low shoe...can you?!

I don't often get the chance to wear heels, but I am going to make sure that these superstars get a night out on the town very soon.

This DIY project took me 30 minutes to put up.  My dad took a good few hours making me the inner shelves, thanks Dad!  Many thanks also to Peter of 'Copeland Linens' Belfast for the drawer donations.

Until again, happy DIY-ing

Christine x

From Country to Catwalk: Re-styling the Aran cardigan

A spring time Saturday morning has sprung and I am enjoying a welcomed visit to Scotland, and a day trip to Edinburgh. 

Ireland and Scotland have many things in common, landscape, weather, humour and of course...lots of sheep.  Both countries are famous for their tweeds, Harris in Scotland, and Donegal in Ireland to name the most famous ones. 

We have just literally stepped out of winter and into spring, but the winter woolies are still our wardrobe staple for the next few weeks.  The arrival of spring brings the new lambs who will over their lifetime provide the fleece to be spun and knitted into our woolies.  And so the circle of life spins round and round.

I love wool, but I can see this blog going off in a tangent already so I am bringing myself back to the Aran knit.  This link brings you over the the West coast of Ireland, the Aran Islands to explore the History of Aran knitting.  I will blog a dedicated post to the Aran knit at a later date.

This is one I found unloved in a charity shop for £5.  They are priceless to me.

This picture is after I had removed a worn zip.  I don't have a fondness for zips on aran cardigans so it had to go.  The cardigan needed updating.  Heres what happened next....

The ribbed collar was cut off and again, inspired by Chanel I made it into a corsage.  Binding it in a  salmon coloured soft leather.

Adding a centrepiece pearl button.  I also bound the front and neckline with leather.

Wrapped a plaited pink suede belt around the waist to complete the transformation!

What happened next....

I spotted this fabulously frilly skin toned dress in our local Oxfam and knew that it would work great with my new cardi / Chanel style soft jacket.

Not forgetting the shoes of course!

I added a pair of clip-on pearl earrings to the front of my shoes.  I had bought these when I dressed up as Marilyn in the Seven Year Itch.  (another blog post perhaps!!)

The finished look, ready for summertime to come.

Now off to get the bus to Edinburgh and enjoy the cobbled streets, vintage shops and pottering about!!  Happy weekend everyone. 

Christine xx