After
My knees have been killing me all week because my sister-in-law and I painted the floor of a guest bedroom. The floor was originally painted a cream color and it had seen better days (sorry, I forgot to take a before picture).
I vacuumed, then cleaned the floor on my hands and knees. Why I didn't mop is escaping me and my aching body now but I'm sure crawling on the floor was necessary. After the floor was clean and dry, my sister-in-law and I painted it a smoky gray.
Painting is oddly relaxing and fulfilling. You see the results of your efforts so quickly. It made me feel really empowered that I DIY-ed the hell out of that room and it wasn't even hard. When the first scratch on that paint happens I'm not sure if I'll say to myself, "Whatevs, I can fix that." or "Nooo, my beautiful work is ruined!" I'll have to wait and see.