SOAPSTONE!

Brian finally has his much coveted soapstone counter tops.  I feel I should be a little jealous, because I think he might love them more than me.  They are beautiful.  How can I compete?  So in case you aren't familiar with soapstone, here are some fun facts (straight from Wikipedia):

• Soapstone is relatively soft (because of the high talc content, talc being one on Mohs hardness scale), and may feel soapy when touched, hence the name.
• Currently, Soapstone is most commonly used for architectural applications, such as counter tops and interior surfacing.
• Soapstone has been used in India for centuries as a medium for carving. Mining to meet world-wide demand for soapstone is threatening the habitat of India's tigers. The Hoysala Empire temples were made from soapstone.
• In Brazil, especially in Minas Gerais, due to the abundance of soapstone mines in that Brazilian state, local artisans still craft objects from that material, including pots and pans, wine glasses, statues, jewel boxes, coasters, vases. These handicrafts are commonly sold in street markets found in cities across the state. Some of the oldest towns, notably Congonhas, Tiradentes and Ouro Preto, still have some of their streets paved with soapstone from colonial times.
• The outer layers of the Christ the Redeemer sculpture are made of soapstone in Rio de Janeiro
• Welders and fabricators use soapstone as a marker due to its resistance to heat; it remains visible when heat is applied. It has also been used for many years by seamstresses, carpenters, and other craftsmen as a marking tool because its marks are visible and not permanent. For such purposes, it is often sold in 5-inch-long rectangular or round sticks.
• Some Native Americans use soapstone for smoking pipes; numerous examples have been found among artifacts of different cultures and are still in use today. Its lack of heat conduction allows for prolonged smoking without the pipe's heating up uncomfortably.
• Soapstone is also a basic stone used to carve Chinese seals.

A typical way to treat soapstone is to apply mineral oil. Applying mineral oil simply darkens the appearance of the stone; it does not protect it in any way.  But here is what it looks like treated (on the cutting board they gave us from the remnant) and untreated (on the countertop).  We will be treating the whole countertop when the sealer is dried properly.

Aren't they beautiful?  I mean the girls of course.  We have a special treat this week.  The Boston Bennions are in town and Izzypop has her partner in crime here sleeping over, cousin Abizella...Such fun!  They really don't care about the counter tops, but I thought they enhanced the pic. :)

  
Here are a few views from the pantry.

 Brian is super happy with the soapstone...it is what he has always wanted.  They are beautiful, but I love them because he loves them. 

Here's a pic of the drywalled dining room.  It really looks so much bigger.  I can't wait to see it finished.

The next issue is determining paint color.  We will be painting the dining room yellow -- for the third time.  We love it.  Why change?  We're using the yellow on the right.  We would like to paint the kitchen walls grey....Who knew there were so many greys?  The current front runner is the grey directly under the yellow.  We are concerned about going that dark though.  Click on the picture below to see the options we're currently looking at and voice your opinions.  We'd love to hear them!

Hardwood flooring and possibly more electrical work will be done this week.  I would love to see this come together in the next 8 days.