yes jwahlton, the gals steered you in the right direction. I'm not sure if this was a glass globe from a ceiling or a lamp but it's outside finish is sorta crackled. I used Folk Art metalic paints in coppers and golds to get the coloring I liked. Smeared it on and wiped it off with a rag. Several colors and coats. Then I used a foam stick and used the Pour On resin to cover and seal as we are in a rainy area (Pacific Northwest)of Wa. The angel on top is from the $ store which I also used Pour On to cover and seal. I used a bud vase that would fit over rebar and painted it dark brown and used GE 11 for windows and doors and glued in as the base. VERY SIMPLE and fast. Have fun!

Lynne The grout is TEC Accucolor Sanded Grout. The bag says it is color number 984 Almond/Sable. It is not self sealing. My husband sealed it before he grouted and then sealed again after grouting. We'll have to reseal periodically to keep the grout clean, but I think it's worth it. Didn't check into self sealing grout before hand. Maybe we should have? ACountryFarm Moving is so exciting and tiring. (With such a large family I assume you at least have plenty of hands on deck!) Soon the boxes and moving will be behind you and you can enjoy your new home. I can't wait to see a photo spread!!!

Hi, To start with the soapstone- we have had it in for about a month now and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I cannot get enough of the charcoaly black color and feel of it--like a baby's skin. It is from Brazil so is the very soft version of it. It definitely dings and scratches easily. The scratches disappear with an oiling and the dings blend in with oiling. I plan to try and sand them soon so I will let you know how that goes. I am not sure where you are located but we are in PA and got it from Bucks County Soapstone. We paid a tiny bit more to go with them (maybe $5/sq ft more) but I cannot say enough about how wonderful this company is. It was so worth it. It is the best company I have every dealt with--with regards to anything I have ever purchased. They are just wonderful! Maybe I should do an add for them;o). With regards to your island--I LOVE the wood. We had butcher block in our old house and I just loved it. We thought of it for here too but I didn't feel it fit with the style of this more traditional house. (I like a much more funky house with more character but this made more sense to be in a neighborhood with lots of kids). I think a soapstone perimeter will look gorgeous. My aunt has a different kind of soapstone--little more greenish to it and it is much harder. It is equally beautiful and is what made us think of soapstone originally. As far as the posts go, how big are your cabinets (total overall dimensions of it)? When we were working on ours--they suggested a minimum of an 11" overhang on the sides with the larger counter stools. They actually suggested it on any overhang side but we didn't have enough room on the stove side and we knew we would just have a small stool there so it didn't bother us. We did a bit more on the fridge side than the 11" as we had the space. I would say that once the counter is installed, try to put a piece of wood or baseball bat or fed ex shipping tube... to mimic the post in the place you want it by the kitchen table to see if it bothers you. That is what we did with the extra overhang on the island on the stove side as one of the handymen we got a quote from said it might feel too cramped. It didn't bother me. What I would say about the posts is they don't make it feel closed at all. It still feels as open as when I just had the counter without posts. You could also do slightly smaller posts. IMHO I really love the posts. It used to bother me before we replaced the counters and expanded the island that the counter was just floating there with no support--but that is just me. I know many like it the other way better and I think it just comes down to personal preference. I am by no means any good at designing though--I am very mathematical and love symmetry:o) so hopefully someone else who is more artistic or with design experience can weigh in. Good luck. Keep me updated and let know about the dimensions of the cab to see if you can do the posts! Also, LOVE how your kitchen is turning out!

This indeed is a bit early for the year, this thread revival. I say what I want to say. If it is December 25th, I say Merry Christmas. If it is December 21st (MY actual holiday) I say Blessed Yule or Blessed Solstice. Otherwise, since there are so many of them, I say Happy Holidays. However, I will note if a shop clerk says "Merry Christmas" to me at checkout, I'll parrot back with the same. I hate seeing people bent out of shape over this "issue". The idea is that you are wishing someone something happy and joyful, or so I thought. PS, I call mine a Solstice Tree. I'm quite happy to call yours whatever you want me to call yours, as you probably don't share my religion, and so yours is probably a Christmas Tree. And yes, those things I mail out early December I do inevitably call them Christmas cards (although I don't buy the religious ones), and I hope we are still able to mail them this coming December. (You hear me, USPS???). And I love getting any I get, no matter religious, spiritual, or just simply fun the impetus is behind your sending them to me...