For once, I started and finished an entire project in the same week, instead of letting it drag on for weeks on end, while we trip over tools and supplies cluttering the spaces around my project. How? Little Five went on vacation to his grandparents’ house for the week.

Though I’ve missed him, it has been interesting to experience a little of what life will be like in a couple more years, when I don’t have a preschooler at home any more. I was able to take off on a spontaneous bike ride with Miss Seven, leaving Mr. Ten at home, without worrying whether someone was keeping an eye on little brother. We all went to Target and spent at least an hour browsing without anyone having a meltdown. On Monday I ran three different errands at different times of day without packing a snack in my purse or planning an exit strategy. The family room has remained tidy all week.

I had an ambitious list for this week, and certainly haven’t accomplished everything on it. No doubt I could have gotten more done if I hadn’t discovered a trove of Doc Martin fanfic on the internet. But after that trip to Target, where we found new hand towels and a rug, I decided to focus on the powder room. First I finished painting the honey oak door and baseboards white. I wiped all the wood down with liquid deglosser (bad news for my party manicure–now I’m back to my normal paint-splattered look) and then brushed on three coats of semi-gloss paint & primer.

I hadn’t yet committed to a wall color, though for months I’d been contemplating a paint chip of Martha Stewart’s “Plumage,” a dark teal. But in a tiny room with no natural light, I just couldn’t commit to painting the entire room such a dark color. Taking a cue from the colors in the new hand towels, I chose a pale silvery gray called “Cumulus Cloud,” and bought a little tester pot of “Plumage” to paint just the wall above the sink.

I’m so pleased with the results. I really like the wall color, and I love how the clean white paint on the trim and door freshens up the room. The oak baseboards had gotten so grimy I couldn’t scrub them clean. And you know what makes a huge difference? Caulk, that’s what. I got so crazy with the caulk gun, I caulked along all the baseboards in the foyer that I painted last year.

While I had the white paint out, I finally painted the edges of the pantry and basement doors. Funny how those little details go so far in making the house feel finished.

What project would you tackle if you had a week of free time?