House painting - week 4

Trim work! Amazing how such a small thing makes a big impact. I'm doing my best to put in some time after work this week, but daylights gone by 6:30. Planning to do the doors Saturday afternoon - the end is getting closer. Just fill work, trim, and step repair remain.

 

House Painting - week 3

Week 2 was caulking (ie. boring), but week 3 was full of excitement! The day started at 8am (made possible by coffee and my mom's coffee cake recipe) with Jesse working on board replacements and then the color began. Josh and Scott dropped by and between the four of us we got a coat of yellow on all 4 sides and 2 sides received a second coat. I worked to fill in the gaps around doors/windows/spouts/cable lines, etc. Everyone agreed the color looks great - can't wait to see it with the trim and doors done, too. Anyway - on to the photos!

Damaged boards removed

New boards with primer

Miss Sumatra kept a close eye on our work

Rach, El, and Roone stopped by with lunch and to check things out.

Making the rounds

A work in progress

Learn to Rest

Resting is not something that comes naturally to me - whether it be physical or mental rest. This year has been one of growth for me on many levels, and discovering my learning process is just one of them. This weekend I realized once again how bad I am about hearing my body ask to rest.

I like to live a fairly organized life - not so much on a set schedule but with set tasks to accomplish in one day. Last Saturday's task was to caulk the windows and doors of my home as preparation to paint this coming weekend. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why I wasn't feeling motivated and was moving terribly slow. About 3pm I finished working and realized I had the dreaded flu. Spent the rest of the evening on the couch with Eureka Season 1 via Netflix Instant Streaming and cups of chicken broth and hot tea.

As I contemplated that rest this morning, I realized its what my body wanted all along. I tend to push and push to get things done, forgetting to relax and enjoy the results of projects along the way.

House Painting - week 1

So yeah, its been 3 months but I'd rather be outside during the summer months than indoors blogging. I've been gardening, canning, building, exploring, having all sorts of in the city adventures. No worries - I'll fill you in as the months progress. My fall interior projects lend themselves to photos/descriptions of my summer.

My big fall outdoor project this year: paint the house. There were some places around my front window that were clearly damaged, and the idea of waiting until spring to fix it just didn't sit well with me. Last weekend my amazing bro-in-law Jesse Bowman (@redbowman) and I scrapped the exterior and removed the damaged portions. Seeing the exposed wood was a heartstopping/slightly overwhelming moment for me, but Jess was quick to assure me it could have been much worse.

My fear of heights is pretty real (I've lost count of the number of times I've fallen on my back), so Jess scrapped the top and I scrapped the bottom. Miss Sumatra kept her eyes on us and did not approve of the loud noise in the home while we worked! Next up, patching holes and caulking window, then painting can begin. I love the colors I've chosen and can't wait to see how they turn out.

As part of this project I've also installed a new exterior light fixture - wiring it up myself! - and a new mailbox. I have a few other ideas for 'accessories', but those will depend upon my project budget. I'm still on track to be debt free (except the house) come spring, and I can't wait for that day!