The phenomenological theory of solutions is one of the highlights of
classical thermodynamics. However, essentially none of the well-known
phenomena -- e.g., freezing point depression, migration of solute,
etc. -- have been derived rigorously starting from first principles.
In this talk I will present a model of non-volatile solutions and
describe the subtleties of droplet formation in the regime near
freezing. Time permitting I will argue that the model under
consideration offers a new playground for studying various
aspects of metastability for (partially) conserved stochastic
dynamics. The talk is based on joint work (math-ph/0407034
and math-ph/0407035) with K.S. Alexander and L. Chayes.