This past weekend was jam-packed with birthday celebrations and home projects and I’m grateful to wake up on Monday still feeling tired from all the fun and progress.
Last week Reggie turned 5 and we had a little celebration after school with just us, but on Saturday, my sister and husband joined in on making a five-year-olds COVID birthday the best. It was also my birthday on Saturday, so it was a double celebration, made even better but unusually warm weather that allowed us to actually spend extra time outside in November. It’s typically in the 30s and 40s here this time of year, but for the last several days we’ve hit the 60s and even low 70s!
On Saturday we woke up and got outside right after breakfast, hitting some of the trails behind out house and enjoying the warm air and sunshine. The kids love to run around and collect leaves, which I then find crumpled up in pant pockets or scattered throughout the dryer.
We played outside most of the day and then while the kids were down for nap and quiet time, my sister and I went out for a pedicure and a margarita – I don’t think I’ve ever had Happy Hour outside on my birthday. It was such a treat.
We went back to our house and built a bonfire, grilled some dinner, made martinis, and enjoyed cupcakes before tuning in to watch Biden speak at 8:30. Then Matt and I crashed!
Sunday was a little more of the same. We woke up and got right outside. Since the weather was still so warm, we decided to tackle some of the house projects that we were planning to put off until spring. It was a jump ahead on our project list, but definitely great to take advantage of the warmer temps!
Matt got to work organizing the garage and breaking down boxes while I entertained the kids with bubbles and basketball. About an hour before lunch the kids were starting to bicker, so I loaded Andrea into the jogging stroller and Reggie jumped on his bike and we went for a run/ride along the bike path and down into the village. It was a first since we moved into the new house and reminded me why we moved to this neighborhood!
While Andrea took her nap, Reggie went across the street to play with a neighbor, so I changed from running clothes to my paint clothes. I already painted our front door – from an old 90s teal to a beautiful classic navy. But we have two other exterior doors that were still teal. When painting exteriors you really need the temperatures to be above 50 for at least five hours, so I took advantage of the unseasonable temps to tackle the other two doors.
First, I had to wipe the door down with a damp rag. Then, I took a sanding block and did a thorough pass over the surface to be painted. This helps to take down any rough patches, uneven paint strokes, and create a more binding surface.
Then, I primed. I used an exterior door primer that I had tinted blue. This is a little trick for when you’re painting over a bold color. Rather than using white, I prefer to have the store tint the primer to be closer to the color family you’re moving to. In this case, I had my primer tinted to a light blue. This helps to cut down on the number of coats of both primer and paint I’ll need to use. It also helps to keep the color of the top paint more saturated.
After the primer, I did another pass with the sanding brick to make sure the surface was totally smooth. Then, it was time for paint!
Our house is a very light gray, and while I like the neutral color, I often feel like the house could blow away on a windy day. It really needed some finishes that help to ground it. Black felt too harsh against the gray, and I’m a huge fan of the classic and versatile nature of navy blue, so I knew that was the route I was headed.
I’m a bit of a paint snob and tend to almost exclusively use Sherwin Williams paint. It’s pricey, but the quality makes painting so much easier and more impactful. The finishes and colors are beautiful. After contemplating several colors, I went with the color Naval – a classic deep, rich navy blue. It makes the white trim on the house pop and elevate the look of our colonial.
We paired the doors with matte black hardware with a more modern aesthetic, which we continue inside the home with door handles, hardware and entry light fixtures.
I finished painting and changing hardware of the breezeway door, but only managed to get through the priming and sanding on the three-season door out back. I also realized we didn’t grab any white exterior trim paint, and that will need to be touched up on both doors as well. Luckily, the warm weather continues today, so I plan to tackle those things when I have some gaps in my day.
Overall, it was a productive and family-filled weekend!
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