Around the house: from disaster to delicious

We're having our front porch roof replaced and new gutters hung today. This is what the house looked like this evening around 6:30pm.

And then on the backporch, a much more tranquil scene door: A and Adrian, her daycare provider's son (they live 2 doors down).

They've become very good friends.

This is the show the littles were watching.

Next door neighbor Ethan and his friend Chris, Adrian's older brother. Note the spaghetti of ladders in the background. We have very nice, patient neighbors. The kind who don't roll their eyes when your construction workers block their driveway, throw roofing materials on their lawn and work until 8:30pm (yes, they're still here, cleaning up in the dark).

Tonight also marked our inaugural trip to Hole in the Wall.

Kitchen mini-remodel: we're over halfway there!

Before

After

The granite and deep stainless steel undermount sink are by Granite Design. Andy from the Good Handyman is coordinating the work.
Up next: bone white subway tile backsplash, new cabinet pulls, enhanced under cabinet lighting over the sink and some touch-up painting.

I can see clearly now

We had our windows professionally cleaned yesterday and I am kicking myself for not doing it earlier. We've owned the place for almost four years and it only occurred to me last month that I could pay people to climb ladders, pull apart our vintage storm windows and squeegee everything to a sparkling shine. Our glassed-in front porch is completely transformed, and I feel like I could put my hand through the handful of windows that don't have screens.

My next Angie's List project: find a carpet cleaner to restore my stairs, which are still bearing witness to the great mother-in-law candle wax incident of 2006.