Drilling, Painting and Humidity - Oh my!

I fear that this will be a somewhat annoying post, as I don't have photos available (yet) for posting. Some of them have been taken, but they aren't yet online.

Friday evening, after touring a project under construction, I came home prepared to start my first project of the weekend. Only to find that both batteries for my cordless drill needed to be charged and R was interested in going to a movie. So we went to see The DaVinci Code. It was okay. Afterward we had Coldstone Ice Cream. That was great. :-)

Saturday morning (well, late morning) I started my first project for the weekend - putting pulls on the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen. I had made a template a few weeks ago, so I basically able to dive right in and start drilling holes. I did take the time to clean the cabinet doors and drawers when they were removed, which added some time to the project but was definitely needed. I considered cleaning out the cabinets while I was at it...but I wasn't that motivated.

Once I got on a roll, and had an understanding of the different challenges of the different kinds of pieces (the drawer fronts are as thick as the built-ins, requiring a wider hole on the backside for the screw-head to be recessed) I realized that I didn't have enough pulls. I did a little searching, thinking that I had purchased enough for the kitchen in two batches, but I couldn't find them. Hopefully, I only bought as many as they had when I first choose them and never went back to get more. If not, someday I'll find a bag of 20 pulls somewhere in the house...

While we were at Home Depot, I bought paint for the second floor bathroom and a test color for the foyer. R also got some supplies to continue with his hardware stripping procedures. I finished all but the last 5 pulls by the end of Saturday. Leaving the large glass doors for when R could help me take them down and the 3 built-in drawers, which turned out to be pretty quick work. Even with sleeping in and brunch at our local coffee shop, I was done by early afternoon.

The next step was cleaning up after myself. :-) I removed all trace of sawdust and woodchips from the living room, kitchen and while I was at it I vacuumed the first floor hall and lower set of steps because they just really needed it.

Next, we considered the task of moving the large dollhouse upstairs, but decided that it was more than R and I could handle alone. And it also involves protecting the stained glass window on the landing. Getting the house up there is going to be a tight squeeze...making me kind of glad that I didn't ask the not-totally-competent moving guy to take it up there when he delivered it.

After a quick trip for dinner and groceries, we set our sights on the second floor bathroom. R cleaned the shower floor and replaced the seal that wasn't in good shape. I cleaned the walls and otherwise prepped the room for painting. Stewart seemed concerned that we were expending so much effort in his favorite room.

Monday I primed the trim and walls, and put two coats of paint on the walls. (That is such a simple sentence that represents so much work...) The whole weekend was warm to hot and fairly humid. It was most uncomfortable up on the ladder, but since it tends to be much more humid in July and August, I'm really glad I didn't save this job for then. (And I'm thinking more and more that if I get some more done in the next few weeks I will probably try to avoid doing too much work around here in the worst heat and humidity of summer.)

So the trim still needs to be painted and I think a few of the pieces of hardware that R stripped yesterday need a little more time in the stripper bath. The second floor is kind of a disaster at the moment - between the stuff removed from the bathroom and all of the painting tools. I think I will be taking another 3-day weekend soon. They're very productive!