lol...i totally want carerra. i would get soapstone if i could. in my last house we remodeled and i got cobra soapstone which was great. i would recommend it to anyone and everyone. our last house was in PA. now we are in florida. i am going to get a cobra sink made and shipped down here but soapstone down here would cost us too much for counters....over $100 more a sq ft than carerra. but carerra is my #2 choice and i love how it looks. but...i cook for reals and i know "patina" is my destiny. but still...i don't know if i am prepared for "the big one!" like an 8" turmeric stain or whatever. on the plus size..the cost here is about $44 a sq ft. it's beautiful. it's natural. it doesn't contain any toxic resins or formaldehyde or radon. i can live with some wabi sabi and if we sell 20 years from now and it looks like crap, i guess we will have to replace it w/new marble to get it ready for the market. who knows! i just want to see some pics ;)

Thanks for the nudge Breezy and Fishies! It's long over due. See my link below... drbeanie2000 - you better believe it! Yes, I love my kitchen (and the rest of the house) mostly because it's all mine and we are settled. All the little things I agonized and fretted over don't seem so worrisome now. Actually, all the little things I own and will go on the "in the next house" list. ha! All in all, I am happy will all my choices and am thoroughly enjoying it all! What more could I ask for, eh? Here is a link that might be useful: my full spec reveal post

People are likely to tell you to do a search--which is a good idea. There have been several threads on this in here and I definitely found them helpful. In the meantime, I can tell you that I have carrara on my perimeter countertops. My GC and KD both said "NO WAY" in the beginning, but I forged ahead! Mine have been in for about six weeks and I love them. The biggest cons you'll hear are staining and etching. I haven't had any staining issues at all. My husband left a lid from a margarita mix container on one counter and it did etch (acidic). But I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who can find it. What you'll generally hear on here is that if you're willing to live with some "patina" meaning some etching and possibly staining (though there are poultice recipes that people seem to have great success with), then marble is a great choice. If you want a completely blemish-free surface, it may not be for you. Definitely do a search on here, though--and good luck!

I learned my lesson years ago about accepting things that the driver wanted me to sign off on immediately that was still in the box or would take a while to unpack. Now, when I got a delivery and am expected to sign off on it, I include a written notation on the delivery papers by my signature: "Accepted subject to later inspection by addressee for hidden damage." At least that establishes that you did not inspect and ok it at the time of delivery.