DIY Diva: Anne Klein Shooz

So much of what I've bought second hand is perfect, right out of the store.  No alterations, stain removal, etc.  It's kind of a surprise when I buy something that needs a bit of help.  No worries though..........I paid next to nothing for the item, so why not go all 'Bill Nye' (THE BALLET SLIPPERS OF SCIENCE!!!!) and see if I can restore them to their former lustre?

Case in point: these fabulous Anne Klein shoes.  My size, soooo comfortable, and really pretty..........zebra striped velvet with gold buckles.  Yeah, those buckles needed a little help.

They were pretty scratched up, but at $3.29, they were still worth it........the pros definitely outweighed the cons.  At first, I thought, 'the scratches aren't bad, I'll wear them anyway.'  And I did, and no one was the wiser.  The scratches started to bug me, though.  Faster than you could say, 'I smell wood burning,' I tried a little DIY remedy.

I had some gold nail polish that was a little garish for me, but I'd hung onto it.  Since I only wear these shoes in fair, dry weather, I thought I'd put a couple layers of the polish on the buckles and see what happened.  I allowed LOTS of drying time.........like a week.  Two layers were good, as the first was nice but didn't cover the scratches.  The second layer did the trick, but then I had some matte gold buckles.  Hmmm........why not put a clear top layer of polish over it all?

The result?  I am thrilled with them now.  So pretty and no one will know..........well, YOU will when you see me wear them! 

That's perfectly ok with me :)