What about checking with area stone fabricators for any granite or quartz remnants? I imagine you could get one templated and installed fairly quickly and inexpensively if one has a stone on hand that you like. They'd need your undermount sink to do the proper cut out. I was pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive for the quality our Toto Rendevouz sinks were. Our local plumbing supply store stocked them. The big box stores would also stock a selection of undermount sinks of course. We paid about $85 each for our Toto Rendevouz sinks, with Sanagloss (Love!) The price without our contractors' discount would have been about $115, as I recall. We're going with a quartz remnant from a fabricator who said he could get it to us within a week of templating. He's charging $900 for an 85" vanity with two sink cut-outs and backsplash.

Enduring, your bathroom has been my inspiration as I plan my bathroom remodel. I am not so sure I like subway tile, and your square tiles "free" me to think about them for my room. I love the touch of marble. It adds that timeless beauty to the classic white tile room, and plays very well with the soapstone (also timeless) and the stone floor. My room will be a gut, converting a tub to a curbless shower. The materials I am considering for the shower walls resemble carrara. That led me to think about using carrara or faux carrara for the base molding, the pencil line above the white tile, and the chair rail tile above a border. This would tie the carrara-like shower to the rest of the room, plus free me to use either a nice carrara-based border like Enduring's, or to add a more colorful border. I ran into these New Ravenna mosaics, some of which take my breath away. Here is a simple one in carrara: Nimbus 3 1/2" http://newravenna.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/The-Studio-Line-Ready-to-Ship/G0000uNcU9.WRTDk/I0000Ih_HHk9hIcQ/C0000eFlDSX30jQA Flower and Ribbon: a traditional mosaic style with lavender, blue and white http://newravenna.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Borders/G0000jKS28GzyW.0/I00009KOomIXONPk/C0000BZiYHlG5mQ4 Jacqueline 4", a subtle floral design http://newravenna.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Borders/G0000jKS28GzyW.0/I0000y.X6D2G55Io/C0000BZiYHlG5mQ4 Here is a link that might be useful: Oasis

HI rosie -- we have it in a 54x21.5" counter alcove. What we did is made a countertop and then mounted it over two 12" base pullout cabinets (love them!) my DH cut down to be shallower than the usual 24". The real trick is that we have *two* faucets going into it, one on each side! We have that hole in the middle to cover, but that's not a big problem to us. We only had the 54" space, so we did a European thing and got a nice big sink and have the two faucets, since the water is really what's the issue with two people using the bathroom, not the actual sink. We can fit there and brush our teeth there/I can do makeup while he's shaving etc. no problem, although due to our schedules it doesn't happen often. Even when we have two faucets going the sink can handle it. I originally planned, and got about 5/6 of the way through making, a teak countertop, repurposed from an old solid danish modern coffee table...but when I realized the cats would scratch it like they did all our furniture, I resignedly made the countertop out of silestone remnants -- one on each side (I cut faucet holes) and one piece across the back and the front. There are *very* indistinct seams just in a bit from the sink corners, and there are steel bars front and back that run through the top of the cabinets and across the entire span of the sink area. Lots of engineering :) You could probably do it more easily if you didn't mind having a sinkbase cabinet. I wanted open space under it for the sake of visual space (and technically a wheelchair access or walker access, although space is a bit tight in the WC area). If you will take a 30" sinkbase and add on cabinets to the sides make whatever length you want, just make sure the hole is well supported underneath, make the legs of the cabinets a bit lower (we lowered ours too) to compensate for the extra height of the sink, and put a counter over the whole thing. I'll try to take a pic, but DH isthe only one who knows how to upload them. We haven't finished trimming out the covering over the steel bar in front, so you will be able to see the engineering right there :)

Deanna, that was my recipe all right. Grandma made it when I was growing up and it was always one of my favorites. Soonergrandmom, I don't know about the nuts changing texture, I almost never add the nuts because I don't like nuts baked in things. Not in banana bread or in cookies or in that hot fudge pudding cake, not even in fudge. Odd, I suppose, since I like nuts by themselves. Hmmm..... OK, a cake recipe for that 8x8 pan. Oh yeah, gingerbread! I just love it, and I love maple too, so this was right up my alley.... OLD-FASHIONED GINGERBREAD WITH MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM Yields one 8x8 inch cake. If you like, dust the gingerbread with confectioners' sugar and present it on a platter. It's homey enough though to serve straight from the baking dish. 1-3/4 cups plus 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda 2-1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground cloves Pinch salt 5 Tbs. butter, softened at room temperature 1/3 cup sugar 1 large egg 3/4 cup dark molasses 3/4 cup cold water 1 cup heavy cream (not ultra pasteurized, if possible) 1/4 cup maple syrup Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8x8 inch cake pan. Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until light and creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in the molasses in a slow, steady stream, beating all the while. Add half of the sifted dry ingredients and mix just until well combined. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the cold water and stir until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan about 1 hour before serving. Beat the cream until thickened. Slowly pour in the syrup and continue beating until the cream holds soft peaks. Cut the cake into squares; serve with the whipped cream. I also use a small pan like that 8x8 pan for fruit cobblers and crisps, since there are only Ashley and I here. Grandma's Blueberry Crisp would fit in nicely, can be adapted to use apples, peaches or cherries or whatever else you like and can get readily. I use frozen fruit all winter to make it too. Blueberry Crisp-Grandmas ================ 3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, unsweetened 2 tbls lemon juice 2/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup quick oats 1/3 cup butter, softened 3/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt . Heat oven to 375. Arrange berries in ungreased square baking dish (8 inch) and sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine remaining ingredients until crumbly. (I use a pastry blender, grandma used two knives). Crumble topping over berries and bake until topping is lightly browned and berries are hot, about 30 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings. Annie