feature on painting a mural in the style of Rufus Porter (1792-1884), a fascinating man who in addition to being an itinerant mural painter in New England, was also an inventor and the founder of "Scientific American" magazine. I particularly liked his murals in a monochromatic style he called "clara obscuro" and thought a mural might provide a solution for my entry. While there were directions in the magazine, that wasn't enough for me to make the leap of faith to take on painting my own. I did, however, find a weekend course in Vermont on painting a mural Porter's style, which I quickly signed up for. One winter weekend a few months later, I had what is certainly my biggest do-it-yourself success. I never had much luck taking photos of the project (it was a narrow space) but the Realtor who listed that house got one that captures some of its flavor.

#ProudestDIY

up the carpet and painted the plywood sub-floor.

Really.

We just painted the floor and never looked back. It has held up for over two years now and still looks like it did when we painted it!

And we can send all our children to college. :)