I can’t believe I’m going to air my dirty laundry here  …

… out in public for all you readers to see …

But I can’t possibly boast about the “after” of this porch project without sharing the “before” …

So I hold my head in shame as I show you what I started with …

… I know, it was pretty embarrassing.

A well-traveled path to the front door had splintered the wood …

… even Ernie the beagle looks embarrassed …

In my own defense, I planned to rebuild.  That was three years and two estimates ago.  Life — and some big ticket expenses that go along with life —  kept getting in the way.  All the while the porch fell into even greater disrepair.

With limited resources (read: cash) I used caulk and wood filler and paint to try and extend the life of my failing (and ugly) porch.  You can read more about the sordid “what I did” details here.

Once … after lots of blood, sweat, and tears … I had the porch looking like this…

… it was time to dress her up.

I toyed with numbering the stairs in my newly redecorated entry (here) … but was worried it would look too busy.

H  o  w  e  v  e  r   .  .  .  the freshly painted front porch was another story …

The best part:  this five dollar project took all of fifteen minutes …

The finishing touch … and perhaps my favorite … is the rug I painted directly onto the front porch landing (see the full ‘how to’ tutorial here) …

It makes me  me happy every time I walk up the steps.

You can’t really see it from the sidewalk, so it’s like a secret surprise waiting for my guests …

When all was said and done …

… I’m pretty sure I heard my neighbors breathe a collective sigh of relief.

In hindsight, I think I put off this project because I thought it was impossible for me to do anything … that it was either all or nothing … that I needed a carpenter and power tools …

It wasn’t until I was able to “Imagine the Impossibilities” that I realized I could do this on my own.  All that was needed was a little hard work … a few easy to get and inexpensive materials … and a lot of sweat equity

Now I’d like to invite all of you amazing Remodelaholics readers to imagine your own “impossibilities” … (click here or on the button for more information) …

It’s the “Imagine the Impossibilities” challenge that culminates in a January 31 multi-blog link party!  I’ll be taking on the dreaded vaulted ceiling in my master bedroom …

I’ve been avoiding that particular “impossibility” for 4 years …