October 2010: Fall Colors? Tony and Virtual Taupe!

The first weekend in October held special meaning for us: it was our one year anniversary. And we couldn't have asked for a better way to spend it. We drove down to Eureka Springs, Arkansas so that Casey (and her friend, Rachel) could complete the four lake dives required to be fully open-water SCUBA certified. The water was chilly, and Vince graciously dealt with Casey's complaints about the cold.







Goosebumps aside, the weekend was fantastic. We stayed in a quaint, 350 square-foot pine log cabin built from 100 year old logs. The crackling from the wood burning fireplace was the perfect way to fall asleep each night, and the farm fresh eggs made a tasty breakfast. Vince also made friends with the 35-year old pony that roamed the property. We were both thoroughly impressed with the historic town of Eureka Springs and enjoyed eating prime rib in a cabin built in 1864. http://www.gaskinscabin.com/ We begrudgingly left our private retreat on Sunday to make our way back home.






But a surprise awaited us back home. Our wedding gift from Casey's grandparents arrived two months early! We picked out a great bed to replace the set in Vince's house. Thanks Omi and Papa Tom!



Unfortunately a bad surprise was also in store for us. Sometime in the past, the dining room in Casey's house had leaked into the house and soaked the adjacent insulation, sheetrock, trim and plywood. Apparently Casey's inspector had been wrong that the signs of water damage on the floorboard were no cause for concern: the wet materials had molded. After sealing the room off, Vince ripped out all the infected materials, Casey cleaned the area with soap and hot water and disinfected it with hydrogen peroxide, and Vince embarked on the weeks-long process of replacing the window and restoring the dining room to its original condition.







Another weekend was devoted to repainting the master bedroom and bathroom in Casey's house. In the bathroom, Vince took down the old vanity light fixture and huge mirror, rewired things so that the two new light fixtures could make their debut, and Casey painted the walls in Tony Taupe, which is actually the same color that's in Vince's master bathroom. Once the two new mirrors were up, the room was complete.
BEFORE:

AFTER:


Next, the master bedroom got a facelift with Virtual Taupe paint.

BEFORE:

AFTER:


Lilly was a big help with the projects. Well, mostly she was comic relief as she tore through the sheeting sealing the dining room off and rubbed up against pretty much every newly painted wall.





Finally, we finished off the month with a quick trip down to see Vince's family. We decorated Halloween-themed cupcakes and met with the pastor who will be marrying us to finalize our plans for the wedding ceremony. And we were more than grateful when we made it back home as we literally were within a few miles of running out of gas. Next time, we'll be sure to fill up when the opportunity presents itself instead of waiting for a gas station in the middle of Kansas' rural areas.