Painting, round II

As you may remember, Mom and I (with Matt's help when he wasn't doing more "manly" jobs) painted a significant portion of our house the weekend we moved in (while we waited for the new carpet to be installed). This week I started round II of painting.

I decided to paint the entry way, hallway (to the bedrooms), and the hallway that leads from the front of the house around and back to the kitchen and den. I taped off the ceiling in all the entry way and hallway to the back and got to work. The floor in these areas is wood, so I didn't have to worry about the new carpet getting paint on it. :) I cut in all the edges of each wall and then set to rolling the "middles." Lots of up and down on the chair I used (the tip top for cutting in is JUST out of reach for me)--the next day my sore muscles told me that was a great workout. :) hehe

After fishing those areas, I still had some more "painting bug" in me and set out to prep the bedroom hallway. It DOES have new carpet, so I taped a dropcloth wall to wall. There was NO way (if I had anything to say about it) any paint was getting through to the carpet. After taping off the ceiling and securing the dropcloth along the floorboards, I started on the hallway. It is SO nice to have fresh paint in almost all of the living areas (we still have a few closets, one bedroom, the den, and the laundry room).

The new paint also made me eager to change our trim color. It's this crazy beige that just keeps everything from looking as light and contemporary as it could. Stephanie suggested oil based, so I trekked off to find oil based paint. I was either looking for the wrong thing or in the wrong place, but I decided to just TRY the white semi-gloss we used on the built in china hutch in the dining room. The first coat was still a little "yuck," but MUCH better. I did a second coat this morning, and I'm waiting for Matt to get home from work on the final verdict of "continue with semi-gloss latex" or "look for oil based or enamel." He seems to be leaning toward just using what we already had.

Yesterday I dusted and ran errands in the rain (including finding some GREAT deals at Walmart! Spiral-bound notebooks and pocket folders with brads for 10 cents each!! I stocked up for my classroom, and SHOULD be able to get reimbursed too. But 60 spirals for $6 was just too good to pass up!). Today I've relaxed more and picked up around the house. Our pastor is coming by tomorrow night to talk with us about getting our "greeting" on Sundays turned into more of a team ministry (which was the vision all along) and giving us some names of others interested in being a part of it. Anyway, I'm clearing out some "unpacking" clutter and straightening things up.

Tomorrow we also hope to use Matt's new grill for the first time! Yea!! He's going to try to get his propane tank filled tomorrow (and he wants to do some car maintenance on his car), and then I have chicken for him to grill (with either baked spuds or grilled corn on the cob). We are so excited to use the grill. :)

And last but certainly not least, I get to see my parents, Brad, Joy, and Charis a week from tomorrow! EEeeeeeeeeee!!!! I am SO excited!! :) We are all meeting at a beach in South Carolina. I get to be a part of Charis' first beach trip and spend time with the fam! Hooray and praise the Lord! :) (that's me grinning)

I'll leave you with some painting pictures while I get back to the house!

LOVE,
Becca

you can see where I started painting around the edges

the entry way all painted

the hallway painted

the hallway when we first moved in (for comparison)--with old carpet and old paint

trim painted white, but just one coat--it obviously needs more (you can see the old color halfway up the door trim)