For me it depends on the trim. If you have no trim or it's blah, go ahead and hide it with outside mount. (But IMO it should be fully covered - half-covered it looks to me like someone just slapped up off-the-shelf blinds that were the closest available measurement. But that's me.) If you have great trim, inside mount to show it off baybee! :-) As for whether to go 6-over-6 or 6-over-1, that depends on the style of the house - IMO some houses have 6-over-6 windows that should NEVER EVER have been allowed to be installed, they're just so wrong for the style of the house, and plain 1-over-1s would have served the house so much better. (Why do so many houses these days look like they've been mugged by half-soused window and siding salesmen? So strange!) If 6-over-whatever is truly appropriate to the style of the house, I personally prefer 6-over-1. It's less busy, it's a nicer view out the lower sash, and it's certainly easier to clean. Yes, you can get windows with the muntins between the panes, but IMO that looks downright weird and you can't change the color of the muntins without replacing the entire glass unit. I have a couple of doors like that and look forward to getting rid of them. Snap-out muntins can break easily IME and can warp off the surface off the glass so they look very obviously stuck-on. My last house had them - we took them all off and threw them away.

I do not plan to use curtains. If anything, I may do a valance instead of using the one that comes with the blinds. They are standard windows (35"W x 60"H, 60"W x 47"H). I looked through some gallery pictures trying to see how the inside vs. outside mount looks. It seems like most people use an inside mount when the entire window has trim around it. Mine don't; they only have the sill with the trim below it. Now I'm also concerned that an inside mount will look unfinished because of the lack of trim. I suppose I could add panels and a valance in the future once the room is completely decorated. So many choices.... I'd still love to get input from others, or even pictures if you have any. Thanks!

Congrats to the daddy to be also!:) I neglected to say, that I have casements & the slider windows in both of the last 2 houses I have lived in, although not in the same room. In this particular case, I would 100% rule in the favor of function over design & do outside mount on both windows. I have had both the casement handles - the newer folding handle still protrudes as you described. Order your cell shades long enough to go below the handle so the shade covers the sill in the down position. My experience - the shade will gently go over the handle. I am one who likes to sleep in complete darkness!!! On a casement window in my bedroom, in addition to the cell shade, I have a cheapie blackout vinyl shade inside mounted that I pull down inside the cell shade (I have a close inconsiderate neighbor who is semi retired who keeps his spotlights on). I am an adult baby who needs to go to sleep before 2:00am! Mama & papa will both be happier if baby sleeps / naps on your schedule!

Post up a picture if you can, but yes. Most time, you can just screw the brackets right to the case molding if that is what you have. You just need to account for the bevel in the case molding with some washers behind the short side screws. It will take a few minutes on the first one but you will be an absolute pro in about 2 sets.