We've Been Framed!

Okay, so not yet completely framed... but getting there. As you can see from the pictures below, the first storey of the new addition is framed. They've added a tarp to protect the exposed second storey, which is great for the house, bad for getting good pictures. Oh well; it's a worthy sacrifice, I suppose. Now that the backyard is completely closed off, the only way to get back there is through the old door to the slope in the kitchen. They close that off with plywood at the end of the day, so getting pictures is becoming more of a challenge. We'll do the best that we can.





In other news:
It appears that the third time's a charm when it comes to getting that gigantic maple in the front removed. We had an arborist remove the tree in the back the day after we purchased the house, and he commented that the maple out front is rotting. We asked the city's arborist to take a look and he recommended pruning. Asked again about a year later... pruning. After all the rain we've had over the past few weeks, we noticed mold and rot all over the trunk, and decided it was time to give the city arborist another call. We got a note yesterday saying that he'd checked the tree, and it's now slated to be removed. Yay! Normally I don't rejoice in the felling of beautiful old trees, but this poor old guy is very sick; and, I suspect, is the cause of our sloping floors in the front. This will also have a dramatic effect on the curb appeal, as you'll really be able to see the front of our house once that tree is gone. Based on the view from our bedroom windows in the leaf-less winter, I'm also guessing we'll have a half-decent view. I'm excited. (And yes, we know the news isn't all positive... we'll lose the shade of the tree in the hot summer months.. yada, yada, yada...)

We're in kitchen/bathroom fixture and finish hell. Should we use this accent color for the cabinets or forget it? Should we use the really unique and interesting antique brass hardware, or the slightly more modern rustic tarnished copper color? How about a dramatic fireplace tile backsplash over the range? What is the best bang for our buck, and what can be changed easily? We're all over the map.... so many things to consider and decide. *Gulp*