Hall Bathroom Reno: Vanity & Faucet

This is the last bathroom reno post before the big reveal!  The bathroom has actually been completed for over a month now and I'm loving it!

The last two major steps in finishing up the bathroom were to install the vanity & faucet.  I've never installed a faucet before, but I'd seen lots of tutorials & videos and it looked easy enough.  This is the vanity set I bought a couple of years ago at Home Depot - I got it for a pretty good deal (it was just under $200 for the cabinet, countertop, and mirror), so I snagged it up and stored it in the garage until I was ready to makeover the bathroom.  I was by myself when I was ready to bring it inside from the garage, so I had to get creative with how I was going to get it inside (hence the blanket underneath the box).

Happy Holidays!

There's still 1 hour left, so Merry Christmas!!  It's been a crazy busy month (hence the lack of posts), but now that Christmas is done, I can sit back and take a breath.

My Top 5 Favorite Christmas Movies

Hello!  I'm back from a little blog break.  The holidays are a busy, busy time and it has definitely been busy around here.  Not only have I been busy getting things ready for the holidays, but I've completed some projects (and some are almost completed), but just not ready to share them quite yet.  Stay tuned for those...

Since I don't have any current Christmas projects to share (most that I've done so far are just repeats of previous projects), I'm going to share my favorite Christmas movies.  These are great for getting in the Christmas mood!

I think this is one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies.  I'm a huge Will Ferrell fan, but this movie is funny, yet touching at the same time.  I saw this 3 times when it first came out.  :)

Via IMDB.com

Etsy Shop Feature: Joy Frameworks

Hello!  I've been busy, busy lately - lots of things going on!  The hall bathroom has been done for a couple of weeks - I'll be sharing the reveal soon.

Today, I wanted to share an Etsy shop with you - Joy Frameworks.   A lot of her items are made from antique ceiling tins.  I've been eyeballing her stuff for a long time and finally ordered a couple of items (both made from the ceiling tins).

First of all, my items came wrapped beautifully!  An early Christmas gift for myself.  :)

Framed Disneyland Attraction Poster Art

Hello, hello!  As some of you may know, I'm a Disneyland annual passholder.  They sent me a 2013 calendar earlier this year (I actually got 2 of them since I bought my nephew a pass too) and each month's picture is a different Disneyland attraction poster.  I'm a sucker for those attraction posters, especially the old-school, vintage ones, so I knew I could use these mini versions somehow.

I finally figured out how I was going to use them!

Adventures in Fixing a Window Screen

I'm still working on the bathroom and there's nothing new to post yet, so we're going to take a little break from bathroom posts for now.  :)

One project that's been on my list for a loooooong time, was fixing the screen for my window sidelites next to the french doors.  I had a friend's dog staying with me for a few days and let's just say, he didn't like being by himself while I was at work.  And so he took it out on the sidelite screens - he bent the frame on one of them and chewed and clawed holes into the mesh screens on both.  My friend fixed the one with the bent frame, but I needed to fix the other one.  A history on these screens - when I first bought the house, one of the screens was missing and the other was damaged.  I couldn't just buy them at one of the big box stores - I would have to custom order and I was looking at about $100.  Per screen.  Did I mention there's 2 screens?  Ouch.  Me no likey.  Fortunately, I knew someone at the time, who could make them and all I had to do was buy the screen and the framing and I saved myself a ton of money.   This time around I fixed it myself and the process was pretty simple (just rough on my wrist).

Hall Bathroom Reno: Floor Tile

Installation of the bathroom baseboards took place at about the same time that I installed the tile.  I've never laid tile before.  Like, at all.  But, it needed to be done before I could put the new vanity in.  I had gone to a Home Depot tiling workshop a few months ago, read lots of blog posts, and watched videos online, so I felt confident that I could do it.  And I did!  Woot!

Hall Bathroom Reno: Baseboards

Aaaand we're back to the Hall Bathroom reno!  With the demo & painting done, next up were the baseboards.  I needed to install these before grouting the tile because the previous homeowners grouted all of the tile right up to the baseboards.  (Sneak peek alert - these pictures show the tile that was installed, but not finished yet.  I'll post later about the tile process).

First up, I measured the current baseboards.  Mine were 2 1/4" tall.  Originally, when I measured, I came up with a 2" measurement.  And this is why...

For some reason that one baseboard was altered on that edge.  What the heck?  Before realizing that it was altered, I measured that side and it came out to 2".  Yes, I measured the other side on the right as well, but it was hard to see the measurement so close to the ground and at a weird angle and I thought it also came out to 2".  Anyways, when I went to Home Depot to look for the baseboard and get other supplies, I couldn't find any baseboards at a 2" height.  So, after I got home and re-measured, I realized the problem.  Back to Home Depot I went and I got my correct baseboards.

Adventures in Fixing A Garbage Disposal

I tell ya - if it ain't one thing, it's another.  A few months ago, my garbage disposal went on the fritz.  I thought I was going to have to buy & install a new one, but while visiting my parents a couple of months ago, they suggested that I first try a wrench that is made specifically to un-jam a garbage disposal.  The builders of their house left the one that came with theirs and they showed me what it looks like.  The previous homeowners didn't leave mine behind, so when we were out at Home Depot the folks bought me one (thanks guys!).

Hall Bathroom Reno: Paint

Now that the vanity was demo'd, it was time to paint.  I originally thought to tile first, but decided against that since I would have to wait for adhesive to dry and then for grout to dry and that would take at least 2 days.  I had a hard time in deciding on paint colors - I originally envisioned in a light gray color, but every sample I tried wasn't working.

Hall Bathroom Reno: It's Demo Time!

Ok, ok - so I'm not done with the studio yet, but yes I already started on another big project.  Sometimes I think I am trying to drive myself crazy.  (The studio is close to being done - just need to put some finishing touches, but it's going to take a little bit more time).   My brother had offered to help me demo the vanity in the hallway bathroom (thanks bro!) and a spot opened up in his schedule, so I jumped at the chance.  Even though I wasn't quite ready for this project,  I know to take advantage of opportunities when they arise, so that's what I did.

Now, this is my main bathroom that I use, which is why I wasn't ready to do this project yet.  I rarely use my master bathroom because it was built with a tub only - no shower.   I had planned to reno my master bathroom prior to the hallway bathroom, so I would have another bathroom to use as a back-up.  But, I. cannot. make. a. decision on exactly how I want to reno it.  Don't get me wrong - I do have some ideas, but nothing's solidified yet, so I can't start on it.

So, here is what my hallway bathroom used to look like.  I will forewarn you - the lighting is horrible in these pictures.  This bathroom gets no natural daylight, so I tried my best with some camera settings.

 

Minion Party

I have some friends that love those little Minions from the "Despicable Me" movies (ok, who am I kidding - I they are stinkin' cute & funny, too).  We came across these two ideas: marshmallow Minions & Minion Twinkie cupcakes and decided we needed to make these asap.  It ended up turning into a Minion party at my house!

Halloween Playlist

Tomorrow is Halloween - my favorite holiday!  To help get in the spirit, I have a Halloween playlist on my iPod.  I listen to all of these songs all throughout the year, but having them all on a themed playlist helps me really get in the mood.  The songs were chosen based on the mood of the song and/or the title.  I thought I would share it today, in case you're looking for some good music to get you in the spirit.

1.  Thriller - Michael Jackson

*Seriously, this cannot NOT be on the list.  I remember when this song and video came out on MTV and how awesome it was back then.  And it's still awesome today.  I still love this song!

DIY Little Red Riding Hood Costume

Hi all!  It's finally feeling like Fall around here in Southern California and I'm loving it!

This year, I  decided to be Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween.  After last year's party, I started making a list of costume ideas for this year so I wouldn't have to scramble at the last minute.  Little Red Riding Hood was at the top of my list from the get-go.  There's just something about capes (cloaks?) that I love.

Baby Shower: Diaper Cake

Earlier this week, I shared the tissue pom poms I made for my friend's baby shower.  Well, I also surprised her with a diaper cake.  I've made diaper cakes in the past by rolling up the diapers, but I decided to try something different this time and it came out really well (and I thought was a lot easier).

Studio Project: Work Station Ruler

Earlier this year, I had received a free yard stick and thought I could use it for a project at some point.  While working on my new studio redo, I finally figured out how I could use it!   All I needed was a couple of Command Strips (I used what I had in my stash) and the ruler.

I haven't shared my new studio yet because it's not quite ready, but I bought 2 of these Linnmon tables (the table tops come in different sizes and you can choose whatever legs you want).  These tables have a nice, flat edge that was perfect for adhering the yardstick to!  I figured that it would be good for measuring out fabric, ribbon, etc.

Baby Shower: Tissue Pom Poms

One of my dearest friends is having a baby.  I've known her since we were 5 and met in Kindergarten.  We were roommates during college for a little bit too.  After all of these years, we still keep in touch and I consider her as family.

Her baby shower was a couple of weekends ago and I told her that I would make some tissue pom poms for it.  I've been seeing these on a lot of blogs and love the look of them.  I figured that her baby shower was a good excuse to learn how to make some and she can even use them as part of the nursery's decoration also (if she wants to).  I used this video tutorial and it was super easy to follow.

Fall Front Porch

Since I recently shared my back patio, I thought I would share my Fall front porch.

Bathroom Redo: A Start

So, this is happening...

This is the bathroom in the main hallway, which right now is the main bathroom that gets used (it's the only one with a shower).  This wasn't supposed to happen for quite sometime.  But, sometimes, when the opportunity comes for help, I have to take it - no matter if it's in my timeline or not.  And of course, a project doesn't always go as planned.  This was supposed to be an easy swap-out of vanities, but I'm having to install a bit of tile in that bare spot that was underneath the vanity and I may as well finally paint while I'm at it.  Oh, and I'll have to install a bit of baseboard too.  And did I mention that this is the main bathroom I use?  Oh yeah - I did.  I want to get this done as quickly as possible so I get back to my normal routine.  So I'll be busy for a little while.  And no - I'm not done with the studio either.  Oh boy.

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

Back Patio

I recently had this guest post on looking after your outdoor furniture during the winter months and it occurred to me that I've never really shared any of my outdoor spaces.  I've previously shared some of my flowers & plants, but not much else.  So, I snapped some pictures to share my back patio space.  It's not much and I want to completely change it, but it's low on the project list so nothing major will be happening any time soon.  

For now, I've just done some sprucing up.

Guest Post: Looking After Outdoor Furniture During The Winter Months

I've got another guest post for you all today! I don't know about you, but here in Southern California we are still having summer-like weather (it's been slowly cooling down, though - yay!). But, with school back in session and since Fall is officially here, it's time to start thinking about winding down the outdoor activities.  Amy is guest posting today with some ideas for looking after outdoor furniture during the winter months...

We all love spending time outside; there’s something about those late summer nights, the sound of crickets chirping and that summer night-time smell that brings back a plethora of memories. But caring for our outdoor furniture can be another matter entirely. Just thinking about it can be a drain but caring for your patio or garden furniture doesn't have to be inconvenient or difficult. Taking a bit of time throughout the year and at the end of summer can save you a significant amount of money, and make your outdoor furniture last for years. Below, is a little guide to the maintenance and storage of your outdoor furnishings.

Studio Project: Updated Plastic Drawers

My updated Studio (previously known as the Craft Room) isn't quite ready to share yet.  I've been working on the finishing touches and I'm also still trying to figure out what I want to do with the blank wall space.  In the meantime, I've done a few small projects to get the room ready.

A couple of weeks ago while I was at Home Depot, I checked the spray paint aisle to see if they had any new colors and these two jumped out at me.  So pretty!  I bought them, even though I wasn't really sure what I was going to use them on.

Living Room Update: My New Ikea Vittsjo Shelf

So, I previously mentioned in this post how I bought this Vittsjo shelf.  I had moved the Billy bookcase from the living room into my rearranged & reorganized studio and used the Vittsjo to replace it. (This is one of those 4 projects I mentioned in the last 2 posts)

Master Closet Header

I previously mentioned how one project turned into four and this is one of them!   When I bought my house, the master bedroom's closet doors went up to the ceiling and they didn't open/roll smoothly.

I soon discovered that you can't just buy off-the-shelf doors this size and having them custom built would cost me an arm & a leg.  So, I had a header built and simple off-the-shelf bifold doors installed.  Much better!

Dining Room Window Updated

This also could be titled "How One Project Turned Into Four".

I mentioned in July that I've been working on re-doing my studio (formerly known as the "craft room").  I had a really good idea in my head of how I wanted to rearrange & reorganize.  This meant that I was going to get rid of the armoire in there and replace it with the Billy bookcase that was in the living room, which meant that I needed to replace that.  Ever since seeing how Centsational Girl modified this Vittsjo Ikea shelf, I've been wanting it, but never had a place for it.  And now this was my excuse to get it!  (I would like to eventually replace the glass shelves with wood ones on mine, but I'll get to that later).

Before I put the Vittsjo shelf in it's new home, I needed to do some painting.  You see, 2 1/2 years ago, when having all of my windows replaced, I also had them install a new & larger window in my dining room.  I never did paint over the texturizing that they sprayed around the window and well, you know how when something is there for awhile, it eventually just ends up not being noticeable anymore?   Since I'm going to be putting the Vittsjo shelf right next to that window, I figured that I may as well just get that area painted now so I wouldn't have to bother with unloading & moving that shelf to do it later.

I don't think I've ever shared how my dining room window looked before (sorry for the quality of these photos.  they're pre-blog).

BEFORE

Seriously.  It's the World's Dumbest Window.  That's what my friend called it.  It hardly let any light in & didn't open.  And someone actually had blinds made for it.

Guest Post: 10 Easy Ways To Get Organized

Hello all!  I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things and enjoyed my little break.  I have some things I'll be sharing soon, but they're not quite ready yet.  ;)  Today, I have a guest post by Katie on behalf of Hefty sharing some really great & cheap organization tips...

10 Easy Ways to Get Organized

Finishing up a major home project can be enormously satisfying. Getting a room cleaned, organized, or looking prettier than it began with is normally a huge weight off of any homeowner or renter’s shoulders.

I'm Ready For Fall!

I've been a bit m.i.a. lately.  It's just been way too darn hot to get much accomplished, so I decided to slow things down, take a bit of a break, and just enjoy things.  Don't get me wrong...I have been working on a couple of things in the last month or two.  One of which was a big undertaking, so it's taken me some time to get that done and hopefully, I'll be sharing that soon.  I'm pretty close to being done.   :)

As I just mentioned, it's been really hot here in Southern California.  And in the last week or two, we've also had rain & thunderstorms, all while continuing to be hot, so it's been muggy too.  Blech!  With my niece & nephews back in school & this horrid heat, I.am.so ready. for the Fall!  

By the looks of it, the stores are ready for Fall too!  HomeGoods was just starting to put out their Halloween stuff when I was there a few weeks ago.  I couldn't resist and bought something.  It's more "Fall" than "Halloween" though.  

Home Depot Tiling Workshop

Back in July, I took advantage of one of Home Depot's free workshops on how to tile.  I still haven't gotten to my master bath remodel and hoped this might kick me into gear.  There was only a few other people who attended, which made it nice so we could have time to ask questions.

The instructor of the workshop showed us our options of tools that would be needed for different types of tiling projects.

DIY Privacy Window Vinyl

I shared awhile ago when I got my new front door.  And then I shared when I finally painted it almost a year later.  As much as I wanted & love having windows in the door, I also was a bit worried that someone could peak in when at the door - you know, sometimes I just don't want to open the door to unexpected/unwanted visitors and I don't want anyone casin' the joint either.  I know window vinyl is expensive (between $20-$40), but one day, Thrifty Decor Chick wrote this post on how she covered her bathroom windows using clear contact paper, so I gave it a shot.  The clear contact paper is about $6 per roll and there's a ton of it on the roll - I'm thinking I might be able to use it as "vinyl" for other crafty projects (not sure if that will work, but I'll give it a try).

Single DIYers

Hi all!  Just wanted to share that Sarah at The Ugly Duckling House is having a link party on her blog for single DIYers..  If you're interested stop on by her link party to check it out or to join in.

I know I'm looking forward to some new blogs to read that I can relate to!

P.S.  If you are stopping by my blog from her link party - WELCOME!  So glad to have you here!

Craft Room Redux - A Start

You may soon be seeing some fewer posts around here.  This crazy heat has slowed down my progress (i.e. it's made me lazy).  We actually had a slight break from the heat over the weekend - had some light rain on Saturday and a good amount of rain on Sunday evening.  It made it nice & cool, so I took advantage of it and got to work.

For awhile, I had been thinking to re-arrange my craft room.  I previously shared the "in progress" here.    I have an idea of how I want the room to turn out - it will just take some time because I'll be buying a new piece of furniture and building/buying a workstation.  Once I learn how to make a proper mood board, I'll share my ideas for the room.  But, first thing's first - I needed to get started on this because my craft room had turned into a dumping ground since Christmas.  It was getting really bad in there.  *Shudder*

So, this is what my living room looked like the other day after I took everything out so I could re-arrange furniture.

It's like both Joann & Michael threw up in my living room.  ;)  But, seriously - all that stuff on the bottom/middle/right of the picture?  That came out of my Ikea Expedit.  That sucker holds A LOT!

So, I'll be working on this and part of the garage re-organization and they'll both take a bit of time.  And if the heat starts up again, then I might get lazy again.  In the meantime, wish me luck in cleaning up this mess.  Ack!

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

Ikea Dishtowels Turned Pillows

After seeing some wonderful front porch makeovers, I was super motivated to spruce up mine.  It wasn't really on my list of things to do (all of the exterior & landscaping projects are lower on the list), so I didn't want to spend a ton of money.

Macaroni Chicken Salad (With A Kick)

One of my co-workers often brings in a yummy dish when we have potlucks.  I seriously cannot get enough of it when she does bring it in.  It's a chicken & jalapeño macaroni salad.  And there's not much to it - doesn't get much easier than this.

Faux Metal Letters

You've probably seen these about a million times.  I know I have!  Now, I'm not one to follow trends just because they are, well, trendy.  I like what I like no matter how trendy or uncool something is.  But, I'm a sucker for words & letters and the cottage/rustic/industrial look, so as soon as I saw these, I planned to make my own.

Adventures in...Idaho?

Hello there - how has your summer been?  Can you believe we're already into July?   Before the 4th of July holiday, I escaped for a long weekend vacation to Idaho.   I never thought I would ever make plans to go there, but my brother lives there now and I love potatoes, so I think those are two good reasons to go!

My friend joined me on the trip and we stayed in Downtown Boise.  This was the view from our hotel. And by the way, it was about 9:30pm when I took this picture!  I had no idea that in some states, it doesn't get dark until late during the height of summer.  Crazy!

Be prepared for pictures galore!  (I'll just give the highlights, though).

Happy 4th Of July!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday.  Have a SAFE one!

Source

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

Entryway Makeover

After painting my garage entry door and front entry door, I was inspired to makeover my entryway.   I'm very happy about how it turned out!

Movies In The Park: "Monsters Vs. Aliens"

What I like about the city I live in is that it's a smaller city with a small-town feel, but we are nearby bigger cities and even some major cities (San Diego is about 1 1/2 hours away.  Los Angeles is 1 - 1 1/2 hours away - it all depends on traffic, of course).  So when I want to do some good shopping or go to major concerts or sporting events, it's definitely manageable.

Part of that small-town feel that I love is the sense of community - there are constantly local events going on and now that it's summer time, there's lots to do.   Weekly market nights, monthly festivals, a free summer concert series (with decent singers/bands! sometimes even famous!).  And every Monday night, they have movies in the park.  For FREE!  My sister's only day off from running her restaurant is on Mondays, so it's perfect that we can all have a night to enjoy together.  

We took the kids this week and the movie was "Monsters Vs Aliens".  I took my nephew to see it when it came out years ago, but he hadn't seen it since then and this was the first time that the rest of the family saw it.  It's a cute movie with lots of laughs for the adults too.  What's nice is that before the movie, they allow you to picnic, have bounce houses for the kids, contests for the kids, snacks to buy, and even roasting marshmallows & making smores.  The kids had a ton of fun and we look forward to going to many more of these.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer so far!

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY  

Bye Bye, Google Reader: Part 2

As most of you may already know, Google Reader will be gone as of July 1st, which is fast-approaching!  It was previously my main source for following all of my favorite blogs, so when I first heard about it, I slightly panicked.  I posted about that here.   I made the switch to Bloglovin' at the end of March and am loving it.  The only thing I don't like is that I can't Pin directly from it (at least, I haven't figured out if I can - if you know how, please let me know).  I did try some other readers and so far I have found that Bloglovin' is the best.

I would love for you to continue following my blog - it truly does mean a lot to me.  I've provided several different ways to make it easy for you.  You can follow me via Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', Google+, Linky Followers, or you can subscribe via your choice of reader or via email - all of these have a button on the right-hand side of my blog page.  Honestly, I haven't quite figured out Linky Followers, but I'm regularly on the others.

Thanks again for stopping by and hope you continue to do so!
--Chrissy

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

"Monsters Inc" Movie Day

I found out that my 4 1/2-year-old niece has never seen the Disney movie, "Monsters Inc"!  How did I find out?  I told her that I want to take her to see the new "Monsters University" movie when it comes out and my nephew then told me that she never saw the first one.  Say what?!?!?!  So, I told her that we need to have a "Monsters Inc" movie day at my house, pronto!

I ended up having her, my nephew, and our family friend's grandson over at my house for movie day and I decided to do some extra special things since it was my first time having my niece over (without my sister being here).

Sunshine Award

My BBF (best bloggy friend), Brenda at Chatting Over Chocolate nominated me for a Sunshine Award!  She's such a sweetie!

Disney Care Package #2

My BBF (best bloggy friend), Brenda at Chatting Over Chocolate and her family will be making a trip to Walt Disney World and I wanted to surprise her with a Disney Care Package.  I made one for my sister & her family earlier this year and it was hit (and also fun to put together), so I thought I'd do the same for Brenda.

I had a couple of plain tote bags leftover from the last care package, so I decided to make both of her girls Disney tote bags that they could use during the trip.  I found out what their favorite characters are and went from there.  I searched online for images and used Photoshop to put them all together.  The one with all the Star Wars Disney characters was put together using single images of each one that I found online.  I'm not sure where/who each image was posted by, but whoever drew those did a great job!  (Also, as a side note, on of my "personal" goals for the year is to learn how to use Photoshop, so I'm slowly accomplishing that).  After getting my images together, I printed the mirror images on iron-on transfer paper.

I then ironed them on the tote bag with the technique I shared with you previously here.

 This is how they looked after I was done.

Over a few trips to Disneyland (I have an annual pass), I collected some items:  a Mickey kitchen towel, Enchanted Tiki Room recipe for one of their yummy smoothies, Mickey-shaped foods magnets, Collector Packs with Star Wars mini characters, Disneyland Mickey antenna ball, a little Mickey bag, and also included some packets of the yummy popcorn I make that tastes just like Disneyland popcorn (I shared that previously here).

I mailed it off to her and didn't say one word to her about it.  I was sooooo tempted to at least tell her that a package was on it's way, but I didn't!  I got a very excited email when she received it - the care package was a hit!  It even made #3 on her Five Loves On Friday post!  ;) I just love giving gifts and when they are surprises, it puts a big smile on my face.  If you haven't met Brenda, you should stop by her blog Chatting Over Chocolate.  She has a weekly post series called "Magical Monday" and she is constantly posting yummy-looking recipes!

**Update:  Brenda did a wonderful post about this care package that you can check out here.

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

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Summer Fun - Disneyland

My nephew's school let out for summer vacation last week, so I wanted to start his summer with some major fun.  Our Disney annual passes will be blocked after June for most of the summer, so I wanted to take him before that.  We got there soon after the park opened, which was perfect because there were less crowds and the weather wasn't so bad (it was actually chilly until about 11:30 or 12).  We took advantage of the short wait times and Fastpasses and rode most of the bigger rides.

We stopped at California Adventure first and got our Fastpasses for Radiator Springs Racers.  Every single time we go, the Fastpasses sell out by 10 or 10:30am and if you don't get one, it's a guaranteed 90-180 minute wait!  On the way out, we got our picture with the Mickey & Walt statue.

Front Entry Door

Last July, I bought a new entry door which I shared about here on the blog.  It came primed and ready to go, but I never got around to painting it until now.

Here is what I started with...

Go ahead.  You can say it..."YUCK!"  Trust me - my feelings are not hurt one bit.

Here is the new, primed door after it was installed (you can see how the primed door is a different color than the casing)...

Much, much better already!

I started out by taping off the bottom seal of the door and around the casing.   I also taped off the hinges, hardware, and used foil on the handle.  It's all ready for paint now - I used my go-to white, Behr's off the shelf Ultra Pure White.

I used the directions from Thrifty Decor Chick's tutorial on how to paint a door with panels.  I've always painted flat doors, so I thought I'd get as many tips as I could.  I started out using a paint brush and painted on the edges of the 2 panels, the trim around the windows, and around the hardware.

I learned from painting my french doors that you don't need to tape off the windows - the paint will easily scrape off them if you use a razor blade (I use this paint scraper).

I used a foam roller brush to paint the rest of the door.  Here it is after one coat...

Two coats...

And here it is after it's all painted with the 3rd and final coat (and with the paint scraped off the windows).  I also gave the casing 2 coats of the same white to match...

And here's a quick round-up so you can see them all together...

The front entry door & the garage entry door are very close to each other and the new paint job is already making that dark corner a bit brighter.  It also inspired me to makeover my teeny tiny entryway.  I'll be sharing that soon.

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

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