Painting Party

After weeks of feeling unaccomplished, yesterday's painting party is just what the doctor ordered!  Ironically, one of the couples wasn't able to make it because the husband thought he had broken his arm that morning while trail running.  The last thing a painting party needs is two people with broken arms!

Here's what we got accomplished:
- painted the front door from white to a sunny yellow
- painted the front door hardware from a brassy metallic to black
- sanded down the wrought iron railing on the front porch
- put Drylok up on the basement walls to stop the mold and mildew
- painted 7 shutters (many more to go)

I mostly supervised and made lunch, since my broken arm rendered me useless.  The people who did the most work were Caleb and our pastors.  A husband-wife team are pastors of our church and they are amazing, hard-working, humble people.  What other pastor would strap on a vapor mask and help you Drylok your basement?

Or help you chose what shade of yellow you should paint your front door? (We chose the right-hand side, Benjamin Moore's Classical Yellow).

Another church member, a former carpenter, helped us power wash the shutters.

My parents showed up and pitched in too!  Even bringing their tools for us to use.

Lucy helped out by taping off the bushes.  After all, what would we do it we got shutter paint on a leaf?

At the end of the day we were exhausted.  We headed to my parents pool and relaxed with some cheeseburgers.  Tonight my cousin arrives from Minnesota to help us with more projects.  He's a contractor and has graciously volunteered to come out and teach us some of the basics of home repair, and some not so basics (like how to install a ceiling). 

This week is officially our summer "vacation."  Caleb has taken the week off of work and we hired a babysitter to watch Lucy.  We're hoping to get a lot done. 

Here's our list:

- Put a ceiling in the basement (the flammable insulation is exposed)
- Remove carpet from screened-in porch, put in a different (more weather proof) flooring
- Rebuild the stairs, railing, and screen door going up to the screened-in porch

- Remove classic 1970s intercom systems and plaster over space

- New double door from outside to basement

- Replace painted over and non-functioning electrical outlets

- Extend and/or rerouting some downspouts to prevent water leaking into the basement

- Replace most of the doors (particularly the ones that lead outdoors and are leaking air)

- Install a handrail on the stairs going to the family room
- Securely fasten the toilet in Lucy's bathroom in a way that prevents movement

- Set up a working smoke alarm system

- Remove linoleum in laundry room (2 layers) and replace with new linoleum
- Remove wall paper in laundry room
- Paint laundry room

At the end of the week we will be celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary with a weekend trip to Virginia Beach.   Here goes nothing!