The Chip Van

Make hay as the sun shine, as the expression goes... Well yesterday, I didn't so much as make hay, as decided my mobile home in Lahinch needed a bit of TLC. There's not much that can be done with the inside, but I had some paint lying around, so I decided to brighten it up a bit...

My colour selection... One old tin of paint that was used for our garage door, another was my aunts shed. This is why it always helpful to hoard old tins of paint.

And here is the end product. At first I thought it might be too bright, and that it looked like a Supermacs chip van, but now I love it. Serving up Mosney Retro realness bitches!

I also picked up some potted plants in Aldi on the cheap, and replanted and old flower bed at the front of the mobile, all I need now is just some sunshine and they'll be in full bloom.

And her she is, the finished thing... What I love most about the mobile is that its at the very top of the caravan park, we have no one looking in behind us, and we are at the very top of the hill, so the views across the bay are stunningly beautiful. Its so perfect on a summers night, you can just sit out all evening, and watch the sun set behind the ocean. Wouldn't trade it for the world.

DRN

2nd Hand Happiness!

If you've read this blog before, you'll know by now that my favourite past time is rummaging through all my local 2nd hand shops, I see nothing wrong with owning someone else's belongs, especially if you can get them for a fraction of the price. Like The Works of Chris Cunningham, which I picked up for €3, that would be 1/11 of what was originally paid for it. Same with the Flight of the Conchords. And 3 really interesting looking frames, too my total to ten euro. Not bad, if I do say so myself. Now all I need to do is find some great images to put in the frames, and Im all set.

DRN

D(IY)arren

So I have a habit of collecting pictures and framing them, (example) but some of my favourite prints are just too big to frame, not to mention expensive. So I got a few different sized Bulldog clips from a office supply store, pinned some steel nails in the wall, and ta-dah!

All done. I hung up some fairy lights too, they are battery operated and set the mood. I love how it came out, especially since that wall is the first thing you see when you walk into my room... Now I just need something for my back wall, and I have just the thing in mind. More on that later.

DRN

All I do is party!

Just a few more photos from my Birthday last week! Such a great night!

DRN

Adventures in Bunting!

I don't think there is any easier way to spruce up a party, especially and outdoor one, than with a bit of bunting! Yes, bunting!

So simple to make too. I took an average A4 sheet, folded in 4, than glued both sides onto a piece of string.


Bunting gives a real old school vintage vibe, retro yet chic.


I made these, with the help of my friend Shonagh, using lots of different colour paper, and old piece of wrapping paper.


Nothing says this house is ready to party like bunting!

Tomorrow I'll post the reason why Ive been making lots of bunting lately.

Stay tuned.

DRN

What I did! Part 2

So last week I did a little blog post about my garden, and how during the sunny spell we decided it was time to spruce it up a little.


Well here are the results so far. We painted the poles ate the end of the garden blue, they are going to be used for hanging baskets, and they keep the fairy lights up too.

An Aunt of mine was throwing out her old suite of furniture, so we kept the hardwood frame of the couch. We have pillows, and blankets and cushions that we can throw on it when we have friends over.

Along the fence we hung some lanterns and candle holders. I found the Green lantern at a charity shop for a euro, seeing it was covered in rust. After bringing it home, I scrubbed it down, and gave it a fresh coat of paint!



Lastly we painted the stepping stones in the grass blue. They were just a plain grey before, so now they have a fresher look to them. I really like the blue too, its nice and calming, so I am now thinking of painting the back wall of the garden this same colour, and maybe add some more lanterns. This would give the patio a Moroccan feel to it.

I'll keep everyone updated with how my garden is coming along during the course of the Summer.

DRN

What I did!

So Im sure everyone rejoiced then this image appeared on the Weather report last night, it is SO rare so see images like this, I knew that Id need to make the most of the day.


My day started of very macho indeed. I went to the Garden Centre to get some compass for the garden. I felt very manly carrying all 3 bales out at once.

This manliness faded fast when I started my car, and Madonna's MDNA came blaring out the speaker. Oh Well.


And here was my mission for the day. Our faded and jaded fence needed to be painted.


Instead of another coat of varnish, we decided to change things up a little, so we went with a light tan colour. When the flower beds start to blossom, and the the green creepers grow along the panels, I think it'll look great.


And here's the finished effect. Which too nearly 5 hours to do both coats, and all the tricky bit inbetween. But, when the weather is fine, and you have good music pumping, the day really flies.


I had just enjoy time, and energy, left to deweed my herb garden.

Hopefully this will be the first of many gardening posts I have up here on WHAM this coming Summer.

SRN

Jurassic Beetle!

Well, the caption really says it all, Beetles dressed up as Jurassic Park characters made by Esty user EBPearce!

Clever Girl!

DRN

Good as Gold...

I picked up this frame in the Somalia Shop a few weeks back, it was down the bottom of a bin and had no picture inside of it. What it did have however was a 50 cent price sticker, which was reason enough for me to buy it.

When I got home I flipped through old issues of i-D magazine I came across ‘Le Saut dans le Vide’ (Leap into the Void) by French artist Yves Klein. I love this image so much, the idea of free falling, and the pain that comes after it. It needed to be framed.



What I didn't Love however was the frame, so dark and clunky looking. Everytime I looked at the Black & White image itself, it felt to me so much more depressing.


Luckily I had some gold paint left over from my CHAIR, and it was all it look to give the frame a new lease of life. I just gave the frame one quick coat, using a sponge to apply the paint, so it wouldn't leave and brush strokes, just a stained effect.



I Love how it now looks on the Wall of Frame. It doesn't look dark or heavy, and the gold does what its meant to do, it frames the image, and doesn't subtract.

DRN

For The Record!

So I brought this is some second hand shop years ago for my Mam, only to find out that the record player I thought we had actually didn't exist. So it sat in the cupboard for years, until I stumbled across it, and thought it would make a cool wall hanging. Which it did, but you know me and my notions. I figured I could find a better use for it...


and since making my new chair in an effort to keep my room clean, I figured Id continue on with my new easy breezy beautiful lifestyle. Clear space, clear space and all that jazz. Mostly my work desk needed to be sorted out. Like most,(I hope) I do very little work on my work desk. Its more of a storage/junk space. Where I can empty my pockets, and keep the stuff that I have no use for as of yet, but always have that feeling, that maybe I might need it some day..


So I decided that all it would take to sort of my desk/life, was a bowl. I could have used one of the cereal bowls from the kitchen, but you know, why have a plain white bowl, when you can do something a little different?


So if you would like your very own Vinyl Bowl, all you need is an old record, doesn't have to be ABBA, and large oven safe bowl. Place the record above the bowl like so...


place a tinned can on top of the record. Like so...


put the bowl, the record and the can in the oven. Like so...


leave for about 5 minutes, then take it out and finish shaping, whilst still hot, and bendy. Like so...


Let it cool and harder for then minutes. Like so...


And finally, sort you work space out, and get you life in order! Like so... (this last part is easier said than done, but hey, its a start)

DRN

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DIY Darren

So I don't know if I'm the only one that does this, (at least I hope Im not), my clothes live on the floor. I dont mean to disregard them so. But you know how it is, you come home from a long day, and putting your clothes away neatly is the last thing on your mind.


So I figured the only way to combat this problem of mine would be buying a chair. It sounds simple, but I figure if the clothes are not on the floor, and instead piled on a chair it would lessen the appearance of a typical male messy room. and there she is, in all her glory.

Except this chair in paticular isn't looking very glorious at all. I got the chair in my local Cancer Society Shop, it was a steal at just €4. And even though I hated the colour, I figured Id be able to fix it up somehow.

So this was my first job. Getting rid of the wine coloured frame. I didnt know what colour I would paint it, even at this stage, but white funiture is a little too west coast beach house for me, so I ramshacked my Dad's tool shed, to see what he had lying around.


Here's my fabulous friend Jennifer showing off my amazing painting skills.
and luckily I found a tin of Gold paint down the back of the shed. Not just gold paint, but anti rust gate paint, which Im pretty sure was not intended for wood, but it gave the chair this almost dirty looking finish, which I loved. The idea of a golden chair sounded so regal to me, so when this murky gold effect came out, I was delighted.


When I put the seat back on the frame, I liked the end look, black and gold is always a winning combination. Just ask Sam Sparro. But I knew it could be better. Just ask Sam Sparro. So I looked to my wardrobe for inspiration.

and inspiration is indeed what I found, in the form of an old shirt no less. Its actually not that old a shirt, I brought it a few weeks back in another of my favourite second hand shops in town, Mrs. Quinns, but it never really went with anything, or there was never really the right night out for a mustard paisley print shirt. Well, in Ennis anyways. It needed a new life.


and thats just what it got. By simply wrapping the shirt around the seat for the chair, I was able to see how it would look, and it looked great.


All I had to do then was staple the fabric on to the chair. and then nail the remaining fabric down after running out of staples. Simple.


ta-dah! the pin nails actually worked out quite well, they are a lot stronger than the staples, but not long enough to poke through the seat, it also kept the material in place, and I was able to get the seem of the shirt in the centre of the seat.


and there she is. my new chair - slash - clothes horse. Unfortunately I now have no excuse for having a messy room.


And here she is in her new home, the dark gold is a nice contrast with the pale blue wall, and I love the print on the chair, it is much more suited with a seat, than, lets say, on my back. The chair cost €4, while the shirt, from Zara by the way, was just €5. So a new chair for less than a tenner. Quite the bargain I'd say.


DRN

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