Monday, November 7, 2011

BOTH Weekend Projects. .Check. .Check

We enjoyed a super three day weekend full of little things. .with a couple of projects thrown in! I was so pleased to be able to get to some things that have needed done for quite a while. .like going through some clothes, cleaning up a closet space or two, and a little reorganization project in the kitchen.  I don't know if any of you make lists or not. .but I started one Friday of the things that I really wanted to get done last weekend. .and got to check most of them off the list.  The first "major" project was a front door over-haul.
For several years I have wanted to change my door color to red. We finally got serious about it nearly a month ago when Jeremy brought in his auto paint catalog. His rationale was, that by using auto paint and sealing it. .it would last a LOT longer. .which was a good thing, provided that I actually liked the way it turned out! I picked out a dark red color. .and he ordered it several weeks ago. Things kept coming up that prevented us from having a whole day to mess with it. .but THE day arrived on Saturday. He made me get up early. .around 7. .which, for me on a weekend, is early. We took the door off. .
And put up a temporary door. The second layer of chairs got added by Devin right after lunch. We had a very stiff south wind Saturday. .and this door opens to the south. .so the wind was blowing the quilt. .and the chairs ;-) And it was only chilly in the house for a few hours in the morning.
All of our doors are metal. So he applied auto body putty stuff to even everything out. He missed a few small dings that weren't even evident until he started spraying on the primer. You can see. .there were a LOT of dings. .four kids are hard on things around our place!
I also helped him tape off the windows but then he was on his own.
We put some screws in the ends of the door to make a little rotisserie. So he could easily spray everything. .and clear coat it at the same time. The primer was black.
He even repainted the white side of the door. .making the outside red as well as the edge (since it opens out of the house. .the proper etiquette called for a red edge too).
Oh my. .was I excited to see this luscious barn red color!!
He was not sure how the sealer would go on. There was no recipe for mixing in the agent that makes a matte finish. .since I told him that I did NOT want the appearance of a car door. But it actually turned out very well. .hope he wrote down his recipe. .cause in the spring, we'll do the other two outside doors.
I LOVE it!! My boys think it looks retarded. .but what do they know anyway!!
Project number two. .the hanging of the Christmas lights. .was also supposed to take place Saturday. .but due to the gusty and biting south winds. .we put it off. .praying it would be nice enough Sunday to do it after our annual church meeting. Wow, was it ever!! Very little wind and temps in the mid 60's made it a scrumptious day to enjoy the great outdoors.
The kids were just glad for a good excuse to be able to clamor all over the top of my house!! So much so, that they invited a neighbor over to do the same. .I made sure his mother knew first that they would probably be on the roof!
I got a lot of the LED lights after Christmas last year. .and I think I will love them. They are blue icicle lights. .which made it around the front of the house and about 1/2 of this west side. They hook up to some large blue bulbs that I had bought last year. It was amazing to hook every single strand up to the one in front of it. .and plug them into the same outlet! Hooray!! I think that I will put lights on my new cedar fence too. I got inspired!
The weather was so beautiful, but I was still surprised to find this little butterfly out and about!! This mini-rose bush, as well as the knock out roses are still blooming their hearts out!
I also was tickled to find new gayflowers at the bottom of this clump. It is the one I transplanted from our pasture last fall. Many times native plants have R-E-A-L-L-Y long taproots (to get enough moisture from the dry climate). .and I was worried that they wouldn't survive. .I was not disappointed in the least!
I actually left and felt compelled to return to take a photo of these super sharp points on the agave plants. They truly didn't look this wicked in the plant catalog. .I'm sure the first kid that steps on this baby making a short-cut through the waterfall area will make it their last short-cut through!! I'm thinkin' it would make a believer out of me!
After a beautiful, picture perfect day yesterday. .
. .We are enjoying a much needed rain today!!
Last night I was able to look through our photos from our family picture-taking session a few Sunday's ago. I look forward to sharing those with you this week!!
Wishing you a wonderful fallish day. .wherever you might be!!
Thanks for dropping in, we love to have your company!

7 comments:

  1. Well guess what?? IT'S POURING here!!! =)))
    LOVE LOVE LOVE your red door. Not retarded at all..stinkin boys!!
    I made a list this weekend too and got EVERYTHING I wanted done except for making dill bread for the freezer, and bleaching the fridge! Maybe today!

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  2. Ah, that door color makes a nice accent! Looks good! CR and I were at Sonic today, they have things planted out in the middle - they had beautiful rose bushes blooming with nice, dark-pink blooms. :)

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  3. I love your new door color! Great choice!

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  4. The red door looks great! What a good way to paint a door. It looks easy done that way. I don't think I had focused in on the fact that you have a metal roof. It looks good. We are thinking next hail storm roof redo will be metal.
    I hope you can get photos with the Christmas lights on sometime this Christmas season. I want to see the house all lit up!
    Enjoy the rain.

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  5. How great to have a hubby that has the stuff to do the job RIGHT. I love how the door turned out.
    We're on year FOUR of procrastinating doing our doors. Our front door is the ONLY original thing we left in the house when we gutted it. I guess that might be part of the reason I hesitate refinishing it. It's in lousy shape--but it's kind of a memory-thing. Sounds stupid, but you can't believe the stuff we went through doing this place.
    Anyways, enough of a novel!!!
    Looks great. And you're so ahead of the game on Christmas lights. I wait until it's sleeting and snowing--LOL!
    Makes it more "adventurous". Or, I'm an idiot!

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  6. Good for you, getting those Christmas lights up...good idea to get them up now! We are going to have a high of 67 degrees today...crazy! Such a beautiful day out there!

    I really love the look of your red door. I think it looks fantastic! There is just something about red doors that I love!

    I am always impressed with all of the projects you guys do....and the fact that you finish them! You are awesome at that!

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  7. Oh my goodness! I have too have a list for everything! My memory is going down the tubes.
    Now that's a way to paint a door! You guys are serious! It looks really good.
    And by the way, don't you all out there have child labor laws? Ha ha!

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