Projects begun...

Have you ever started a project and gotten halfway through, looked around and thought, Oh mercy...what was I *THINKING?!*...well, I'm sure 99.9% of us have at one time or another...

My current hurdle is my mudroom. Oh, I know I said I was going to paint the family room first. But the paneling behind the washer and dryer (an icky greenish faux wood "Blecchy" award winner from the late 70s) was screaming at me and put me on my last nerve.

I prime (Zinsser works wonders to eliminate the inherent blechiness of green faux bois! ;-)). That was yesterday, involved moving the dryer and front loading washer (those suckers are heavy!)...all while actually doing laundry and keeping tabs on the gruesome twosome (now three and in.to.everything.EVERYTHING!!!). The big ones (#s1-3) are at Vacation Bible School this week, at our wonderful parish (Totus Tuus, a program run/put out by the diocese of Wichita, is a wonnnnnderrrrfullll program, and if you can get one started where you are, GO FOR IT!).

I primed for hours, and the fumes, dear ladies. I had a pounder (even with windows open and the vent fan running in the adjoining bathroom. Oh my...I cannot imagine having to prime anything else...whew...

Today, 24 hours later, I was able to get started with the next layer. OIL based paint. Now, aside from the expense (I had no idea it was easily 2xs the price of latex, did you?), I have heard that it stinks, takes forever to dry, etc, etc. Well, my experience so far says it smells FAR less than the aforementioned primer (whewww, Zinsser's needs to come out with a low-odor version!), and while it doesn't dry terribly quickly, it *is* drying.

Now, before you get all "WHY did you use oil-based!?", let me remind you that our home was owned previously by a contractor. And he used oil based on the paneling...and the cabinets....and the trimwork...throughout the entire house.

Fortunately for me, I was able to use his discount at the local SW, and got my gallon for contractor price, not for standard retail (if you know a contractor who uses SW paints, see if you can use their number when you are buying some on your own--saves $$$!). ANd after I got the paint on the paneling, I went around and did touchups throughout the rest of the house...whew.

But I've got soooo much more to do. I've been spray painting (outside, better ventilation and definitely better dry times with the sun and wind we've had), and I've got some things ready to go up on the walls in the mudroom once I get the paneling dry enough. I'm going to be starting on some of the ceiling light fixtures, etc, as time passes. Tomorrow is the older children's last day at VBS, so we will be back to "normal" life next week. Which is good, and bad. Its been nice to be out and about earlier in the day, but honestly, I *like* being home.

I'll hopefully get some "after" pics once I get the things on the wall. I didn't take any before, sorry. :-) I did think about it, but honestly, between the bad lighting, and just bad paneling, it was NOT something you wanted to see. Looks MUCH better now.

Of course, now I get to paint the regular walls in there, as well as work on the family room. I'm going to be painting the trim in the family room as well, as I go--for some odd reason, the trimwork in there is all wood stain...while it is painted glossy in every other room (wait--except for the office, but that is a room all on its own, not open to other public spaces). I haven't figured that out. As if they just decided "Okay, we'll put high gloss white here...and here...but good golly no, we'll put WOOD trim in the family room...yeah, I know you can see it from the kitchen and dining room, and it is the first room one walks into...but who cares!?"

I care. It *will* be changed. It seems (especially with the deep window wells we have) to absorb the light coming in--of which there is not much to start with, what with overhangs and porches and the like. Anything I can do to lighten that room up, the better!

Hopefully, you all are staying cool where you are--its been in the mid-90s for the past few weeks, and while some things are enjoying it (corn...flies...tomatoes) other things (me. Me. ME!) are not. :-)