Can't stay away from the paint...

I tried. I really did. When we bought our house 5 years ago it wasn't exactly my dream house, but it had potential. The ad for the house described the woodwork as "pristine". And it was pristine- dark brown wainscotting and woodwork throughout most of the living room and dining room. When we walked into the house for the first time, I turned to my husband and said, "I love the woodwork. Of course we'll have to paint it all white." Now understand, this man usually lets me do anything I want to our houses but on this issue he put his foot down. "Do you see the ad?" He asked. "Pristine woodwork! You don't paint over pristine woodwork." Oh well. There was nothing else in our price range that fit our needs. We bought it. And I tried to love that damn woodwork- I swear it! I tried to embrace it by painting the walls jewel tones. The walls were red, then purple, then green, but no matter what happened it still looked like a hunting lodge.

After living in the house for about a year David came home from his yearly physical announcing that he had high cholesterol. The cure: lots of exercise! The man loves to excercise. He was ecstatic! He had a workout plan all figured out, new sneakers were purchased and the gym membership in his hot little hand. I listened to his plan. I admired his sneakers. And then I yelled, "How come I don't have the disease for which the cure is white woodwork!!!!????" And bless that mans heart. He told me to go ahead, paint the woodwork. The next day I got a gallon of white paint and started painting. It took three years of painting during the childrens naps, after they had gone to bed, while they were at school, while they ate chocolate chip cookies while watching tv but I finally got it done. Sort of.

The problem is that I keep shifting the finish line. First I only cared about the downstairs. Once that was all white and cheery I had to paint the upstairs woodwork. Then the crappy kitchen cabinets. Then the steps leading to the attic. Then the basement steps. That is where I was last week when I stumbled upon this beauty http://www.doorsixteen.com/2009/01/26/white-painted-floor-back-room/and knew how to deal with the beat up floors on the second floor.

I bought Benjamin Moore Floor Paint and started painting. I did the girls rooms first and didn't sand first because I have been known to skip boring and messy steps. I should have sanded first. I know this now because the paint did not grab all that well to the floor. Whatever- onward! For the hallway I sanded and holy moly what a difference! That paint is not going anywhere! I absolutely love how it came out in spite of the inevitable footprints and pawprints that show up on a white floor.