We found the island on closeout on Catskill Craftsmen. I was nervous about buying something like that online, but it's terrific - very solid and just the right dimensions for our space.
Backsplash
We had to wait a couple of weeks until our installers had room in their schedule. Although their main work is in carpentry and IKEA installation, they had previous experience with backsplashes, and we were happy with the work they did on our floor.
They spent the first day applying the thin set and placing the tiles, and then a half day applying the grout and caulk.We used products recommended by Oceanside Tile:
Thin-set: premium glass tile thin-set mortar by Custom Building Products
Grout and caulk: unsanded Polyblend grout (Delorean Gray) by Custom Building Products
I ended up having to do a lot of cleanup and grout touch-ups afterwards. We're generally happy with the results, but there are a couple of things I wish I had done differently:
1) I wish I had asked to help align/straighten some of the tiles (I think this was something that concerned me more than them)
2) I would have pressed the issue on finishing the edges (the vertical edges and the edge above the window aren't very tidy).
However, I love the glass tile - and XSStudio was such a good deal.