Paint. Caulk. Paint. Caulk. Paint. Caulk.

Spoiler alert.  We spent Labor Day painting and caulking.  I told Brent that NEXT year, we are not working on Labor Day - although we both know that won't happen!

Before I could start priming, a bead of caulk needed to go around all the windows and where the siding met the trim.  Brent has spent an embarrasing amount of time caulking because of his past career choices, so he is as close to an expert caulker as you can get.  Here are a few of his tips.

He says he cuts his tip straight across, not at an angle like many people do.  He may have told me why, if he did, I can't remember what he said.

Start at the top, holding your gun perfectly level.  As you move down, keep the gun still and with the same horizontal form.  You should bend your legs and keep your upper body still.

When you've finished a section, go back and wipe the bead of caulk with your finger to create a tight seal on both sides.  He keeps a roll of paper towels with him at all times to wipe off excess, otherwise, you're gonna be full of caulk.

The caulk needed to dry for a few hours before we could prime over it.  When it had dried, the kids and I started priming.  It's never too early to teach your kids some home improvement skills.

Here's my process for painting a house/adorable workshop.  

1.  Prime trim and siding, working top to bottom.

2.  Paint trim with two coats of finish

3.  Paint siding with two coats of finish

It took me until just after lunch time to have the entire thing primed, with the exception of the dormer.  Brent spent the majority of the day adding trim and siding to it.  He then had to caulk it so it wasn't ready to prime by the end of the day.

I also got one coat of trim paint on.  One more coat to go there and then I can start painting the siding with the house color.

This is what it looks like right now, and will stay this way until we can get back to it over the weekend.