Happy New Year!

The end of 2011 :(

2011 gave us new beginnings.  2 of our best friends welcomed the sweetest baby boy

(he happens to already be a UNC fan, but we love him regardless...)

Matt and I took the plunge...

We had an amazing honeymoon in Antigua, West Indies...

A move to WV, and a rather large "1st year of marriage" purchase...

A week with family in Hilton Head...

Quite a few PSU games...

A quick Florida getaway

A wedding for close college friends...

and a trip home to re-unite with high school friends...

It has been an awesome year, and how am I ending it?  With a beautiful sunset and a great book at the beach!  I'm not sure if life gets better than this?!

Beach Time

We've started a tradition that I love...

Every year we get together with some of our best friends and spend time ringing in the New Year, all together!

This year we are really partying hard (haha, we now have a baby Davis to hang with us) and it all started out with a mean game of Trouble!

Another find

What sparked my interest...

I love these vintage milk crates!  The other day I found one and I can't wait to get it decorated and filled with fresh flowers!  Now I have our Spring centerpiece for the dining room table!  I'm dreaming of warmer weather already!

Travel Monday

We're off to PA today for what is going to be our 5th Christmas!  To say we're on the go is an understatement.  After PA we're heading back to WV, then back to VA and off to the OBX (in NC) for New Years!

Quick Treats 2

Yet another quick, easy and cheap Christmas Treat!

Take pretzel rods...roll them in melted chocolate (I put my chocolate in a tall cup to help).

Lay pretzels on wax paper and sprinkle with M&Ms, Sprinkles, other chocolate...whatever you want!

Quick Treats 1

Looking for something quick and easy to make for Christmas?

Try these!  They are always a hit! (not to mention easy and cheap)

Take square (waffle-like pretzels) and put hershey kisses on each one.

Put the tray of pretzels/kisses in the oven at 350 degrees for 3-4 minutes.

(time will vary depending on your oven...just check to make sure the kisses get soft!

Latest Trend

Have you seen one of the latest Christmas Decor trends?

Well, I jumped on the bandwagon...not necessarily for decoration purposes...but more for convenience.

I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to display the Christmas Cards that we're getting in the mail...and here's my solution!

Travel Monday

If you find yourself saying "ugh, I always wanted to go there" or "I wish I would have done that..."

Stop complaining and make it happen!

Great Steals and Deals!

I had a great time yesterday antiquing!

The other day I saw these pictures on pinterest...

I made a mental note to keep an eye out...while not NEEDING windows, I think they are so cute to decorate with, and if you know me...I WON'T pass up a good deal!

I got these babies yesterday for a whopping $15!!!  I can't wait to use them to decorate, if not in the apartment...someday they'll be used in our home!

Unexpected

I was supposed to work today, but I picked up extra hours yesterday instead...

so with an unexpected day off (and Matt out of town for the night) I'm on my way to renew my passport, finish up Christmas shopping and possibly fuel myself and spend some quality time in local antique stores!

Last time I went on an impromptu antique shopping spree, I ended up with these little gems...

perfect colors for the guest bedroom, and had I found these glass bottles at say Pier 1, they would have been $20 a piece...at the antique store they were $4 a piece!  Well worth it!

If we were in a house..

I would consider some of these beautiful Christmas decorating options...

Travel Monday

I've mentioned on here before that in a few short months (summer 2012) I will be traveling to Europe.  It was on my bucket list - travel at least once more before settling down and starting a family.

Lucky for me, Matt has supported this crazy passion of mine 100%.

We're in the midst of planning, and there are some VERY exciting options that I have for making my trip a little longer than originally anticipated...regardless, I can't wait for next summer because it's shaping up to be the trip of a lifetime.

Here are pictures of some places I may be visiting!

Milan, Italy

Venice, Italy

Salzburg, Austria

Munich, Germany

Zurich, Switzerland

Lake Como, Italy

Helsinki, Finland

Stockholm, Sweden

St. Petersburg, Russia

Powerful Video

Just saw this video on facebook and couldn't stop thinking about how powerful it was.

More "P"inspiration

I do love Pinterest, but what I REALLY love are the ideas that I get from there and I think "hey, I have everything I need to make that right now".  The other night after Matt passed out around 7:30pm, I was spending some quality time on pinterest and saw a cute Christmas decoration.

Glass Vase - got that
Christmas Balls - got those
Christmas Ribbon - check...all set to make this!

Turned out pretty cute!

Matt's Blog

Matt called me into the kitchen and he said...

"I'm going to start my own blog and it's going to be titled What Grinds my Gears...
What the H*ll is this?"

Then he pulls out of the fridge my little bit of soda that I couldn't fit in my tervis tumbler, and didn't want to waste by throwing it away.  haha...it's the little things that we do without realizing it that we find are really annoying to each other...sorry Matt, next time I won't put my bottle back in the fridge with only one sip left!

Travel Monday

Something I honestly believe...

A Ton of Bricks

And then it hits you...like a ton of bricks.

I created this blog to follow Matt and I through our first year of marriage.  Since we're living about 5 hours away from all of our family and friends, I've figured that it is also a way for people to keep up with our craziness day to day.

This weekend is pretty unique in that we're spending it in West Virginia.  No traveling for us, or anyone else.  No visitors...a laid-back/nothing-planned/lazy weekend.

Today Matt got up and made us breakfast (shhh...he still hasn't figured out it's his "birthday week").

(On a side note, usually for the 7 days before Matt's birthday he'll say...can you do this, or do that...you do know it's my birthday week, right?  Haha...either he's in denial this year, or honestly has forgotten to milk it for all it's worth, regardless...it's definitely a change of pace from his birthday last year!)

Anyways...after breakfast, Matt headed out to golf for the day and I set out to run some errands.  Top of my list was to get an eye exam and a new pair of glasses.  I had an eye appt. a few weeks ago that I had to cancel (insurance issues) and I've been putting it off ever since, so today I thought would be the perfect chance to get it taken care of.

That is, until it was time to pick out my frames...which is when it hit me...

Cue irrational thoughts like this...
"these are the glasses I'll wear almost everyday for at least a year"
"I don't have anyone to tell me what these ACTUALLY look like on me"
"I mean, I see one thing in the mirror...people looking at me see something completely different"
"I've never picked glasses out by myself"
"I need my sisters, they'd be honest"
"My Mom or Dad are usually by my side helping me with this"
"I'm all alone...I need my family"

Then I cried like a baby and called Matt who assured me that I am now a big girl and I have to start doing things like this on my own...I told him that I do not want to grow up just yet...haha

And to solve the problem...I have 3 frames on hold and Matt going back to the eye doctor with me tomorrow to help me make a final decision.

'Tis the Season

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Mantiply Household!

One of my favorite clips from one of my FAVORITE Christmas movies!

Our first Christmas decorations are the cute Santa hats that my sister made for me last year!

Next we have an old Christmas tree that belonged to Matt's Grandmother.  The funny thing is that my Grandmother had the same tree, and every time I see ours it takes me back to my spending time at my Grandparent's house for Christmas.

Ok...so we may not have a mantle, but I've found joy in decorating our bookshelf with some Christmas decorations and our stockings!

And finally we have our very fake beautiful Christmas Tree!  Complete with presents and everything!

"P"inspiration

I saw this picture on Pinterest...

 

Yes, I do actually realize that I don't own a turquoise piano (and probably never will) but I loved the idea of the cluster of plates above the piece!

I started to think that the naked area above the wooden desk that my grandfather built needed a little personal touch.

Today on my day off, and with Matt out of town the help of a good friend, I finally got around to hanging my plates!  I was DREADING this project because we've hung plates in the apartment before and the plate hangers are a NIGHTMARE.  I found this little trick on Pinterest for hot gluing picture hangers on the back of the plates, and it worked perfectly!

My Tools!

The finished product!  I think they turned out pretty cute!  

It's a blue, silver, gold and white/ivory color scheme.

Travel Monday

Thanksgiving was a whirlwind of travel - From PA to VA and back to WV, it was a crazy 4 days filled with family and friends! 

This week is starting off with yet more travel...just not for me.

Matt's at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort for a regional sales meeting.

This place looks gorgeous!

Wed nes day

Haha...so true!