Molding & Casting To Repair The World's Gaudiest Antique

A few months back John and I were antiquing at a steampunk fair - as one does - and under a vendor tent in a field we stumbled across a pair of the most staggeringly gaudy antique lamps:

 

Imagine this, times two.

Thing was, apparently they came from an abandoned mansion in Detroit, and we kind of loved them. John more than me, so over the afternoon he kept dragging me back to that tent to look them over. And as I pointed out all the problems - this bit was missing, those parts were broken, they'd take an enormous amount of work to clean and rewire - I started falling in love with the challenge of it all.

Plus those iridescent crystals are amaaaazing.

Around viewing 3 or 4 a friend with us pointed out that one of the metal hanging shades had two entire points snapped off - a deal breaker for sure. John's face fell. Our group turned to move on.

  Exhibit A.

"Unless..." I said, "We... molded the existing shade pieces and cast resin replacements?"

BAM. We bought the lamps.

Now, I've never repaired anything with resin like this, but I've always wanted to try. And wow was it fun. Here, let me walk you through it.

First, you need this:

Amazing Mold Putty Kit

It's a two-part putty you mix together, then smoosh on top of the thing you're casting. In our case, that was the unbroken point of one of the metal shades:

I Cut My Own Hairs! Wanna See?

Cutting Your Own Hair:

Pros:

- Cheaper

- Faster (ish)

- Shirt & shoes NOT required 

(Or pants, for that matter. Ah thank you verra much. [EYEBROW WAGGLE])

- No awkward chit-chat

   ...unless maybe your husband walks in while your head's between your knees and you have no pants on

- No leaving the house

-Zero pressure to buy the latest Sea Salt Pomade Whip Oil and Detangling Serum for the low low price of are you kidding me that's just saltwater mixed with olive oil

- Perfect for those 3AM "I'm bored and this hair is HEAVY" moments

Cons:

- The cats WILL try to help

- You'll be cleaning tiny hairs off every surface of the bathroom for the next 6 weeks

- It is REALLY straight? The world may never know.

- "Oops."

- "I meant to do that."

- "That'll brush out."

- "IT'S NOT BRUSHING OUT."

- The 19-year-old supermodel on Youtube makes this look WAY easier than it is

Anyhoo, here's my blurry "Before":

 Heaviest and longest I think it's ever been, because laaaazzzyyyy.

And my slightly-less-blurry "After," with bonus bathroom calisthenics to get that back shot:

It's so much lighter and bouncier now, and I swear I took 4-5 inches off the length, though you'd never know looking at this.

Anyway, I would never presume to give you guys hair tips, because any prettiness here is 90% genetics, but since I get some FAQs any time I show my hair, here's the breakdown: 

- I use the cheapest Suave shampoo, rarely condition, & never heat style or blow-dry.

-  I wash my hair twice a week, rub a teensy bit of Moroccan oil through the middle & ends, then let it air dry in 2 twisted rope braids overnight. 

- I don't own a hairbrush; I only use a giant wide-toothed comb. 

- You can see I have some frizz, so I occasionally spritz with Zero Frizz Quick Fix to tamp that down. It's no miracle-worker, but it smells nice, and you can find it at Walmart. :D

If you're curious about the cut, I use the ponytail in front method while my hair is damp, point-cut, then blended with thinning shears. I do two layers plus my bangs, which I brush back/to the side.  

If you want to try cutting your own hair - well first, GO YOU! - and I recommend watching LOTS of Youtube tutorials first, just to see what looks feasible for you. Some make it ridiculously complicated, so start with the one-cut in front and go from there. Remember thinning shears are your friend - they blend layers beautifully. 

Oh, and if you have stick-straight hair, then use extreme caution; believe me, I'm VERY lucky to have a natural wave to hide any mistakes, since I've made a whopper or two over the years. (Hats and ponytails can ALSO be your friend. Hee.)

Any other DIY hair cutters out there? If so, any tips? I'll be honest, I've been cutting my own hair for the last 4-5 years, but I do still struggle with my middle layers. So lay 'em on me, hair gurus!