Why I'm not allowed to do edging

We've been getting our paint on at DG. Well, I have. It's one of the few things I can do without a lot of help, direction, supervision, etc. What can I say: I'm just not experienced at house construction.

We forced ourselves to choose some of our colors quite a while ago, so that we could paint around the windows and doors so the trim wouldn't have to be masked off when we painted. Great idea. And then as I had time to work, and no other skills, I started to try and finish rooms so we could button things up one by one. Except for the ceiling edge, where the colors need to be cut in.

Living room color. 

Which is why when you walk around the house, it looks like the photo above. I kept thinking that I ought to be able to master this skill, and so working in the guest bath, (in green no less!) with a low, attic-y ceiling (i.e. within reach) I thought I'd be able to give it a try and succeed! I would learn to cut in and our house would stop looking like I was leaving all the hard work for M.

Well, it didn't go so well. I should mention I had an old brush, and thick paint, but still. I was defeated. But then M came home with my new best friend:

Isn't he cute?

My new, shortie, rubber handled best brush ever. He made it possible (though I'm still not good) to do a, well, adequate job. In the hallway where no one will ever look (and where I could easily see what I was doing on a short step ladder). Then I got cocky. I decided to try an area right between the kitchen and diningroom, where the ceiling is higher, and still only on my stepladder.

Poor quality photo, but it drives home the point, eh?

Does this look good to you? No. And of course our neighbor Dan (what are the chances that two of our neighbors are painters?) came over yesterday and walked around and inspected. M told him that cutting in made me cry. Not exactly, but she managed to get him to agree to a day of finish painting for us (all of it!) in trade for a day when she'll help him with some tractor work. A win win!

And so, I may always be a fan of blue tape. From a distance, I got a decent effect (with a half roll of tape or so) in the bathroom.

Guest Bath paint (still incomplete above the tub)

Not bad from a distance, right? (note the color looks a little different in the photo than in person) Maybe Dan will enjoy cutting in around the ceiling over the tub. I couldn't reach there.

BTW, here's the master bedroom color--a deeper version of the Guest bedroom and the downstairs. It's really rich and in person it changes as the light changes throughout the day.

Master bedroom color. Looking out window at front of house.

I still love my little brush and suspect I'll have more opportunities to get to know his style. But for now, I'm more than happy to let Dan take over for me!


P.S. Happy 100th post everyone. I started this blog 3-1/2 years ago when I was getting ready to move from New Jersey, and I wanted to chronicle the trip across country. It turned into our home construction blog a couple years ago, and though I know my fan base is tiny (what are there, 3 or 4 of you now?) it really is a good way for me to track our accomplishments and document the process. Thanks for reading and once in a while asking for more AuntieK. Warms my heart!