diff --git a/history.md b/history.md
index 695379a..0841c44 100644
--- a/history.md
+++ b/history.md
@@ -2,9 +2,13 @@
 
 ## 1.1.0 - 2011-05-XX
 
+* New Features
+  * Properties with a nil value are now no longer sent to the database.
+  * Now possible to build new objects via CastedArray#build
+	* Implement #get! and #find! class methods
+
 * Minor fixes
   * #as_json now correctly uses ActiveSupports methods.
-  * nil properties are now no longer sent in the document body.
   * Rails 3.1 support (Peter Williams)
   * Initialization blocks when creating new models (Peter Williams)
   * Removed railties dependency (DAddYE)
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/model/casted_array.rb b/lib/couchrest/model/casted_array.rb
index 6737b46..8e4ff66 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/model/casted_array.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/model/casted_array.rb
@@ -50,6 +50,12 @@ module CouchRest::Model
       super
     end
 
+    def build(*args)
+      obj = casted_by_property.build(*args)
+      self.push(obj)
+      obj
+    end
+
     protected
 
     def instantiate_and_cast(obj, change = true)
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/model/class_proxy.rb b/lib/couchrest/model/class_proxy.rb
index 3f988b1..16887a3 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/model/class_proxy.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/model/class_proxy.rb
@@ -87,7 +87,14 @@ module CouchRest
           doc
         end
         alias :find :get
-        
+
+        def get!(id)
+          doc = @klass.get!(id, @database)
+          doc.database = @database if doc && doc.respond_to?(:database)
+          doc
+        end
+        alias :find! :get!
+
         # Views
         
         def has_view?(view)
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/model/document_queries.rb b/lib/couchrest/model/document_queries.rb
index af1083d..839674b 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/model/document_queries.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/model/document_queries.rb
@@ -86,9 +86,12 @@ module CouchRest
         # id<String, Integer>:: Document ID
         # db<Database>:: optional option to pass a custom database to use
         def get!(id, db = database)
-          raise "Missing or empty document ID" if id.to_s.empty?
+          raise CouchRest::Model::DocumentNotFound if id.blank?
+
           doc = db.get id
           build_from_database(doc)
+        rescue RestClient::ResourceNotFound
+          raise CouchRest::Model::DocumentNotFound
         end
         alias :find! :get!
         
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/model/errors.rb b/lib/couchrest/model/errors.rb
index 7f14fca..45d8b2f 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/model/errors.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/model/errors.rb
@@ -19,5 +19,7 @@ module CouchRest
         end
       end
     end
+
+    class DocumentNotFound < Errors::CouchRestModelError; end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/model/persistence.rb b/lib/couchrest/model/persistence.rb
index 977bbe2..885f726 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/model/persistence.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/model/persistence.rb
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ module CouchRest
 
       # Creates the document in the db. Raises an exception
       # if the document is not created properly.
-      def create!
-        self.class.fail_validate!(self) unless self.create
+      def create!(options = {})
+        self.class.fail_validate!(self) unless self.create(options)
       end
 
       # Trigger the callbacks (before, after, around)
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ module CouchRest
         #
         # ==== Returns
         #  returns the reloaded document
-        def create(attributes = {})
-          instance = new(attributes)
+        def create(attributes = {}, &block)
+          instance = new(attributes, &block)
           instance.create
           instance
         end
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ module CouchRest
         #
         # ==== Returns
         #  returns the reloaded document or raises an exception
-        def create!(attributes = {})
-          instance = new(attributes)
+        def create!(attributes = {}, &block)
+          instance = new(attributes, &block)
           instance.create!
           instance
         end
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/model/property.rb b/lib/couchrest/model/property.rb
index baa71ce..7661858 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/model/property.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/model/property.rb
@@ -64,6 +64,18 @@ module CouchRest::Model
       end
     end
 
+    # Initialize a new instance of a property's type ready to be
+    # used. If a proc is defined for the init method, it will be used instead of 
+    # a normal call to the class.
+    def build(*args)
+      raise StandardError, "Cannot build property without a class" if @type_class.nil?
+      if @init_method.is_a?(Proc)
+        @init_method.call(*args)
+      else
+        @type_class.send(@init_method, *args)
+      end
+    end
+
     private
 
       def associate_casted_value_to_parent(parent, value)
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/model/typecast.rb b/lib/couchrest/model/typecast.rb
index 6e1113d..6858335 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/model/typecast.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/model/typecast.rb
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@ module CouchRest
         elsif [String, TrueClass, Integer, Float, BigDecimal, DateTime, Time, Date, Class].include?(klass)
           send('typecast_to_'+klass.to_s.downcase, value)
         else
-          # Allow the init_method to be defined as a Proc for advanced conversion
-          property.init_method.is_a?(Proc) ? property.init_method.call(value) : klass.send(property.init_method, value)
+          property.build(value)
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/class_proxy_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/class_proxy_spec.rb
index f274ca9..1572d8d 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/class_proxy_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/class_proxy_spec.rb
@@ -123,6 +123,35 @@ describe "Proxy Class" do
       u.respond_to?(:database).should be_false
     end
   end
+
+  describe "#get!" do 
+    it "raises exception when passed a nil" do 
+      expect { @us.get!(nil)}.to raise_error(CouchRest::Model::DocumentNotFound)
+    end
+    
+    it "raises exception when passed an empty string " do 
+      expect { @us.get!("")}.to raise_error(CouchRest::Model::DocumentNotFound)
+    end
+    
+    it "raises exception when document with provided id does not exist" do 
+      expect { @us.get!("thisisnotreallyadocumentid")}.to raise_error(CouchRest::Model::DocumentNotFound)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#find!" do 
+    it "raises exception when passed a nil" do 
+      expect { @us.find!(nil)}.to raise_error(CouchRest::Model::DocumentNotFound)
+    end
+    
+    it "raises exception when passed an empty string " do 
+      expect { @us.find!("")}.to raise_error(CouchRest::Model::DocumentNotFound)
+    end
+    
+    it "raises exception when document with provided id does not exist" do 
+      expect { @us.find!("thisisnotreallyadocumentid")}.to raise_error(CouchRest::Model::DocumentNotFound)
+    end
+  end
+
   # Sam Lown 2010-04-07
   # Removed as unclear why this should happen as before my changes 
   # this happend by accident, not explicitly.
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/persistence_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/persistence_spec.rb
index 4c0014c..cd2ebed 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/persistence_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/persistence_spec.rb
@@ -82,6 +82,18 @@ describe "Model Persistence" do
       article.should_not be_new
     end 
     
+    it "yields new instance to block before saving (#create)" do
+      article = Article.create{|a| a.title = 'my create init block test'}
+      article.title.should == 'my create init block test'
+      article.should_not be_new
+    end 
+
+    it "yields new instance to block before saving (#create!)" do
+      article = Article.create{|a| a.title = 'my create bang init block test'}
+      article.title.should == 'my create bang init block test'
+      article.should_not be_new
+    end 
+
     it "should trigger the create callbacks" do
       doc = WithCallBacks.create(:name => 'my other test') 
       doc.run_before_create.should be_true
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/property_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/property_spec.rb
index 08ea325..bb55bfc 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/property_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/property_spec.rb
@@ -358,6 +358,28 @@ describe "Property Class" do
     property.init_method.should eql('parse')
   end
 
+  describe "#build" do
+    it "should allow instantiation of new object" do
+      property = CouchRest::Model::Property.new(:test, Date)
+      obj = property.build(2011, 05, 21)
+      obj.should eql(Date.new(2011, 05, 21))
+    end
+    it "should use init_method if provided" do
+      property = CouchRest::Model::Property.new(:test, Date, :init_method => 'parse')
+      obj = property.build("2011-05-21")
+      obj.should eql(Date.new(2011, 05, 21))
+    end
+    it "should use init_method Proc if provided" do
+      property = CouchRest::Model::Property.new(:test, Date, :init_method => Proc.new{|v| Date.parse(v)})
+      obj = property.build("2011-05-21")
+      obj.should eql(Date.new(2011, 05, 21))
+    end
+    it "should raise error if no class" do
+      property = CouchRest::Model::Property.new(:test)
+      lambda { property.build }.should raise_error(StandardError, /Cannot build/)
+    end
+  end
+
   ## Property Casting method. More thoroughly tested in typecast_spec.
 
   describe "casting" do
@@ -386,6 +408,18 @@ describe "Property Class" do
       property.cast(parent, ["2010-06-01", "2010-06-02"]).class.should eql(CouchRest::Model::CastedArray)
     end
 
+    it "should allow instantion of model via CastedArray#build" do
+      property = CouchRest::Model::Property.new(:dates, [Date])
+      parent = Article.new
+      ary = property.cast(parent, [])
+      obj = ary.build(2011, 05, 21)
+      ary.length.should eql(1)
+      ary.first.should eql(Date.new(2011, 05, 21))
+      obj = ary.build(2011, 05, 22)
+      ary.length.should eql(2)
+      ary.last.should eql(Date.new(2011, 05, 22))
+    end
+
     it "should raise and error if value is array when type is not" do
       property = CouchRest::Model::Property.new(:test, Date)
       parent = mock("FooClass")