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May 30 2024 / Letter 449
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Right now, I’m renovating ! First of all, having a manual activity is always beneficial, and secondly, the time has come to preserve, maintain and keep things rather than acquire new ones. And besides, it’s a lot of fun to give new life to certain things. So this letter is about refurbished mirrors, resurrected shoes, facelift objects, healed sweaters and repaired bags. |
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I had an ugly mirror with awful gilding, a sort of 19th century copy that no second-hand dealer would have wanted, I think, even at Emmaüs they would have laughed in my face ! So, here we go, a brush with paint remover, a spray of ‘chalk’ paint and here I am with something a little weird, but I like it.
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Initial state
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A lot to be done !
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Washing & stripping
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Drying
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And here is my new mirror
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Proud & satisfied !
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Another renovation : a pair of ‘Justin’ boots bought in the last century which, even when polished, still looked worn, abracadabra a little special leather dye and it’s a real facelift. Euphoric, I tackled an old pair of lace-up shoes and ditto, they’re given a new life ! I’m furious I forgot to photograph them before, but I assure you that these two pairs were pitiful. In any case, I think it will become a new section in this letter : ‘Save Willy !’
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New pair of ‘Justin’
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Facelift shoes
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Super effective
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Alternative just as good
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You’ve got it, the idea is not to throw away but to transform them ! Once you started to think this way, many things can be embellished and therefore become useful. Personally, I just daubed things quickly with acrylic paint. But nowadays, there are special metal paints (for radiators for example) or spray paint, of course. Ugly vases can become very beautiful in matt white or black. I have a real avocado plantation at home, so I always need containers ! |
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A Mont Blanc or equivalent
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A little whitewash
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And presto, a new plant pot
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An old-fashioned mini bucket
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And a very beautiful mini bucket
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And a happy future avocado tree
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Dyeing old clothes : here’s a very good way to renew your wardrobe and it will give you the impression of having new things… And to help you out, I’ve spotted ultra-easy and ready-to-use machine dyes from Dylon (the master of dyeing), the All-in-1. I assure you it’s child’s play ! You can dye jeans like those from 45RPM in navy blue, for example, and you will see it gives them a very clean look and holds them like a girdle ! Or, like me, you find some clothes which have lost their magic and in a few turns of the drum, they’ll regain a new prestige. You can also mix several colours of Idéal's liquid dyes to obtain unique new ones, but that’s for the most professional or the most daring of you. I strongly advise not to overload the washing machine, but in any case the result is always a surprise and it’s quite cheerful.
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Easy-peasy !
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New khaki wardrobe
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Liquid dye
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Better than new !
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Another top brand
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Professional dyes
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When it comes to repairing, there are certainly plenty of things you can do, but as far as I’m concerned, I have my limits, like knitting, for example … so if you have a sweater you love that has been savagely attacked by a moth, nothing to do with a myth, or if your sweater is too long, well the sweater clinic will take you very seriously and make your dreams come true ! |
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Moth feast
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All kinds of care
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New from old
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And even creative
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If you decided to take care of your sweater, you might as well bring Granny’s bag for a facelift ! Because here too, leatherworking is a craft and it’s better to call on a professional. At l’Atelier 2311, they take care of everything. You give them your shabby bag, and broken or damaged, it comes back as good as new. At the end of the day, instead of throwing away, we will have saved and above all you will use it again ! It’s so satisfying ! And since Atelier 2311 is so smart, you can even buy or sell vintage bags on their website.
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The corners that have suffered
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Professional tools
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Yes !
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Real know-how
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Next week, I promise you a monochrome letter … let’s say it will be about THE colour of summer, you’ll see, you’ll certainly agree with me ! In the meantime, I wish you a very good week and I look forward to seeing you next Thursday.
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© La lettre d'Ines 2024 | Se désinscrire | CGU
3-9 avenue André Malraux, 92300 Levallois
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