Most repairs and changes that happen to our home are physically done by us.  We hire out for jobs bigger than ourselves, but in general we can personally make most changes, updates and repairs.  It's not just a money thing. Ok, yes it is.  I'd rather spend my $$ on something other than paying others for the upkeep of our home.  

We recently had the bad siding replaced and window frames tweaked outside. Now it's time to get to the painting.  The hardest part was picking a color my husband and I could agree on.  We started the process long before the siding was replaced.  Swatches were painted on all sides of the house. Once we went to pick up the paint, we started second guessing ourselves.   Standing stupefied at the paint sample bar, we became "paint drunk". We ended up with an entirely new choice.  We went top of the line, Valspar's newest line of paint.  It is a primer/paint.  Two coats of paint! What?  I have no concept of this easy paint method.  I usually have to do the primer, then the paint.  The joy of one product was making me giddy at the mixing counter. We walked out more confident in our newest choice than the one we mulled over for weeks.  Follow your instincts! 

I am allowing myself an hour to an hour and a half a day to work on the project.  Goal set for the onset of fall to finish.  In each morning's "paint time", I prep then paint.  A simple scrape, sand, wash all in one swoop.  Climb back to the top and do a single coat.  The next day, I do my prep for the next session, while it's drying, I add my second coat to yesterday's coat, then first coat the newly cleaned area.  It's slow and steady and in the Texas hot summers, its the perfect way to attack it & get it done!