Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

The push is on before Christmas arrives.  Marcel and his crew's last day will be on Wednesday.  Just a few more days before everyone books off for the holidays.

There have been lots of changes around here, folks.  A lot of changes.

The other morning before I left for school, we chose the pulls and door handles for the kitchen cupboards.  Thank God for the Lee Valley Hardware catalogue.

We were at a complete loss as to how long the handles should be, so Joe had the great idea to put up some painter's tape on all the doors to help guide us in our selection.

But there was one set of cupboards where the position of the tape completely bamboozled me.  I kept saying to Joe, "I don't like it.  This doesn't look right."  He insisted it did.

So I did what I always do when I have a design question.  I took some photos.  Then I called my friend Colleen.  At 6:45am.  And e-mailed her the pictures.

She, too, said the tape looked funny.  But then she started to laugh.  "The tape on the set of middle doors is on the wrong side!"  What?!  I didn't understand what she meant.  "The tape on the middle doors is by the hinges!"  Oh, for Pete's sake.  I burst into laughter.  I thanked her, got off the phone and ran upstairs to tell Joe what a couple of goofs we were.  He, too, laughed.

Cupboard door handles in the wrong orientation.

Cupboard door handles in the correct orientation.

The hardwood flooring is now throughout the house.  The pot lights are fully ensconced in their homes in the ceiling.  The lights under the upper cabinets are in.  The microwave oven has been installed.  The Bertazzoni range is firing on all cylinders.  The range hood is now operational.   

The floors are in!

Pot lights are in the ceiling.

Under-the-cupboard lights are now under the cupboards.

Thank you Colleen for advising us to put our microwave oven under the counter.  
It will be perfect here!

We're cooking with gas.

Stand well back!  The range's hood vent is so powerful it could suck you clear to the outside.

Home sweet home.

TGIF!  For the first time in weeks we can sit upstairs.  
Having 'happy hour' with Marcel.

Who knows when and if we are going to decorate for Christmas.  We cut down our tree from under the power lines 2 weeks ago and this is where the tree remains.  In a bucket of water sitting in our driveway.

Driveway festiveness.