Jenn -- exactly the same thing happened to me. I cut my left index finger when peeling potatoes, and shortly thereafter the pain started. This has been going on for a couple months, and now I can definitely see a protrusion on the middle joint of the finger. I'm assuming it is arthritis. I'm starting to have real sympathy for people who have widespread arthritis.

Zoe: Thank you. That is a jadeite punch bowl. The fridge is Kenmore. It was not a new purchase. I do love it, though. It has plenty of room and I love having the freezer drawer in the bottom. The glass front cabinet is 9" deep. I have bar glasses below and it is across from the beverage fridge, so it all flows and functions very well. Lisapico--for the life of me, I cannot remember where I got my hardware, but I think it came from 2 different places online. The subway tile is from a local tile store, I'm not sure what brand, and the grout is a light grey color. I hope this answers your questions. This remodel was actually complete about a year ago, so things are not as fresh in my mind, I apologize. Thanks again for all of the kudos, it was a labor of love, and I'm just happy it all came together in the end!

Hi everyone, Thanks for the responses. It's been more than four months since my original query so I thought I'd post an update. After talking with several other contractors and vendors, we decided that going with replacement windows was clearly the wrong choice, so we switched contractors to someone with more large-scale remodeling experience and went with new construction windows. In the end we chose Anderson 400s and used Azek trim on the outside. The old windows came out and we found some damage to the underlying sheathing and framing, but not too much. The new windows were installed and insulated properly and the difference is huge. While we were at it we also replaced most of the edge and corner trim and drip caps on the house as this was rotting off as well. The project is taking a lot longer (we're hopefully wrapping up this week) and is costing a lot more than we thought, but I'm glad we caught this when we did as the damage would have been a lot worse if we had waited. Interestingly, the cost of the new construction windows was actually less than the replacement windows. The labor was more, of course, but we were already being forced to replace the rotting exterior trim so that was all equal. We did have to replace the interior trim, which was not inexpensive, but in the end the project wound up costing the same because the windows were less expensive. The difference in the new trim is amazing- it's nice to have real window sills and stools, with a less generic casing around them. The question of new windows vs. restoration was never an issue- the old windows (only 18 years old) were of poor quality, poorly installed, and leaked cold air to the point that we had to install plastic sheeting over the openings in the winter. Also, many of the window sills, mullions, and jams were rotting, so the amount of work to restore the existing windows would have been huge, We were going with new windows one way or the other. Thanks again for your help, Josh

If that's to scale, there is no way that there can be even 6 feet of headroom in that loft unless that rendering is waaaay out of scale. And how do you get up there? Where will the stairs be? The bathroom door swing is impossible. The post is in a horrible place and would be completely unnecessary if engineered correctly (using the bedroom wall for support or a small wall at the kitchen cabinets, etc.). That house looks like a maximum security bunker with all those mimsy little windows with slits for the guards to look out of. Even on the north side of the house (which gets no sun), the windows are skimpy. That place will be a cave if you don't open it up a lot. Do you have a real view in any direction? Maximize it. Look at other houses, and look at house plans. There are basic, basic flaws in this layout. A small house needs to maximize space, and this doesn't do that. Your idea of "extreme temps" is skewed. Philadelphia has 10-20 (and lower) winters and 90-100 humid summers, and we use all the glass we want. You do not have extreme temps, by any stretch. Even my 100-year-old house has at least two 12-foot-square (or larger) windows on each exterior wall in each room on 3 floors. Don't be afraid of windows.