Ta-Daaaa!!!

OK, fellow HGTV fans. Here's the "before": 

And the "AFTER"!!!!!:

WE think it's an improvement. How 'bout you? We scored the door for $55 at a salvage place, so this project was mostly about sweat labor. The old door didn't let any light into the cabin, and it was short, like a family of trolls lived here (yes, I know I'm short, but ...). The new door needed lots of sanding and painting, but has some nice charm to it. It's leaded glass on the top half, etched with a leafy pattern on part of it. And the artwork to the right? It's something Mom made when she was in college. Thinks it's what's called an enamel (Mom??). I've always liked it. The old door? It will get recycled and moved to the tool shed that's nearly finished.

If you're sharp, you'll notice that we took the time to clean and stain the outside siding on the right-hand side that Mason took down and trimmed to accommodate the bigger door. (And if you're wondering, yes, Nick the Dog is still with us; he just declined to be in the "after" photo.) We plan to stain the whole house that gray/green "Gray Seas" color. It may even get done before Cindy and Dean, our first visitors, come in August (you ROCK, Johnsons!!).  The porch will also get some stain -- not sure what color yet.; maybe Cape Cod gray.

Also thinking of adding a recycled plastic "rug" to the front porch, where we basically hang out from 9 a.m. 'til 8 p.m. -- it's the most-used room in the house, especially since the South's summer heat and humidity have moved in for the season.  Having lived on a non-air-conditioned sailboat in the tropics,  we thought we were at least accustomed to the constant sweat-inducing temps. But, oyy, it's been ... warm. All I can hope is that all this sweat means a loss in weight.

Next project? Getting that door on the shed and finishing up some trim on it. Mason's also gotta reinstall the siding inside the cabin where the front door is. And then?? Yes, ladies and gents, THE BATHROOM!!!