Roommates.

I began college in August of 2006 and since then had 23 roommates (that's one for every year I've been alive), four of whom I shared a room with, in six different places. 

Pic

Freshman year: Ehringhaus dorm in Chapel Hill with Jolene. Apparently, we took absolutely no pictures together, though we enjoyed each other's company. This might be because I relied on disposable cameras for most of freshman year. Jolene was one of those quiet but funny people who had me laughing all the time. She also LOVED the color pink and would buy anything, regardless of its purpose, in that color. We lived in a totally crazy suite of girls and I never would have made it through that year without her. 

Sophomore year: Morrison dorm with Sarah. Sarah was one of those girls who had it all- she was beautiful, smart, and outgoing. On top of all that, she was incredibly athletic and could master any sport within minutes of practicing.

Junior year: North Street with (L-R) 1st row: Lander, Kara, me; 2nd row: Jill, Emma, Meller, Syd, standing: Mackenzie, Julia . I can't even explain how much fun it was to live with eight other girls, even though we all had our days where we just wanted a little more space than our house could provide. Meller and I shared the best room. It was yellow and its bright glow could be seen from the street on sunny days. This picture was taken shortly after rushing Franklin Street  after UNC won the National Championship in 2009.  

Senior year: McCauley Street with (L-R) me, Amy, Caroline, Abby, Meller, Danielle, and Sarah. I have to admit, I was a little worried about this living situation when the school year began but I ended up loving it. Meller and I shared a room again. She was the best roommate I could ever hope for and I'm glad we lived together for two whole years. 208 was the perfect college house-near campus and plenty of room for mismatched couches that we piled onto to watch Gossip Girl or the Olympics (when we could get our tv to turn 0n).

Grad School: Greenville with Meredith and Sandy. We lived in an awesome condo a few miles from ECU's campus next door to an older couple named Bob and Sue who brought us over a watermelon on one of our first days after moving in.


Unemployment: Clark Ave. in Raleigh. Currently I live with six other girls (Blair, Kristin, Rita, Jill, Shelby, and Amber) and even though I've only been here a month, it's been a lot of fun. Everyone is quirky and energetic, and always seem to have some funny story to tell.


Living with large numbers of people has taught me how to mellow out, to accept that things (the bathroom, kitchen, etc.) will NEVER be as clean, and that in the event I ever live alone, I want a matching set of glasses. 

So long, Beriyo.

Last weekend, one of my very favorite places closed. Beriyo was the hangout spot for most of my friends during high school and became the meet-up place when we were home for breaks during college. 

Then: 2006 

Kelly, Moriah, and I at Beriyo together on one of our last days, if not THE last day,  before beginning college. 

Now: 2011

Kelly, Kristin (a stand-in for Moriah/my roommate/her mom owned this joint), and I on Beriyo's closing day last Sunday. We ate lots of yogurt.

So sad to see it go! 

Summer Movies.

I've seen Bridesmaids FOUR times this summer and it gets me every time. I'm lucky there's a $1.50 theater nearby or else I'd be broke. And bored.

P.S. Another good movie I would love to see again is  Midnight in Paris. It made a Woody Allen fan out of me!

Melissa & McKenzie

                                          


Last weekend, my friends Melissa and McKenzie got married in Chapel Hill!  Melissa and McKenzie both love games and since there were a couple of hours in between the wedding and reception, they made up a scavenger hunt for all the wedding guests to do on UNC's campus. It was one of those weddings where you could tell how much thought went into every detail.


P.S. I stole a couple of these pictures off Facebook...but don't Melissa and McKenzie look perfect together? 

Books You Shouldn't Read in Public.

I am a huge fan of coffee shop reading. It's noisy enough in there to create a dull roar and when my eyes need a break, I can do some prime people watching. Sometimes when I read a really funny book, I have to stay at home to avoid those wondering stares from fellow coffee shoppers who wonder what sort of drug was placed in my iced coffee to make me smirk and laugh when I'm reading. Here's a rundown of the books that are better read at home:

1. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicholson, by Louise Rennison


This book is the diary of a 14-year-old girl who has a cat named Angus and is more or less obsessed with snogging. I'm fairly sure guys wouldn't understand a bit of this one but ladies, this was us in middle and early high school. Apparently British girls are no more mature than we were and it's a universal fact that we often wished our parents were invisible during this stage of life.  

2. Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding


Good golly. I'm a decade late on reading this but it was worth the wait. If you've ever suffered through unrequited love, done something embarrassing, worn the wrong thing, or made New Year's resolutions that were impossible to keep, then this book was made for you.  Again, British humor at its finest.

3. About A Boy, by Nick Hornby


If this book had been written by an American author, I doubt it I would have put it on the list. But if you haven't figured it out yet, I REALLY like the way British authors write and the way British people speak. It's a great plot, very entertaining, but what really pulled me in was the dialogue between characters. You can feel uncomfortableness oozing out anytime a conversation is happening...or when a conversation should be happening.

4. My Booky Wook, by Russell Brand


Okay, so here's the deal with this one: I like Russell Brand. I think he's attractive and his British accent only reinforces that. A lot of people don't like him and that's okay...but they probably shouldn't read this book. It's almost written in a different language- one that was coined by a British comedian who finds his past of drug and sex addiction hysterically funny. Disclaimer: This book will make you blush just as much as it makes you chuckle.

5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain


I know this book is offensive with its language but it's also incredibly funny. The part where Huck dresses up as a girl to get food will make you gasp for air. No, really, it will. 

6. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, by A.J. Jacobs


In the introduction to the book, Jacobs describes himself like this-

"I’m officially Jewish but I’m Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant." 

In case the title didn't give it away, this book is about one guy who decides to live by all the Bible's rules for a year. He makes a master list only to discover there are more than 600 rules he has to live by. Some make sense (the Ten Commandments) and others seem downright bizarre (not wearing clothes of mixed fibers).  I would venture to say this is the funniest piece of nonfiction ever written. So basically you will look like a fool laughing by yourself while reading and then when people see the title of the book, they will think one of two things: 1- that you think the Bible is funny, which is dangerous here in the Bible belt, or 2- that you are some sort of Jesus freak. 


That's all I've got for now! I make no promises that you will feel smarter after reading these books.

Who I Am.

Apparently Facebook thinks I'm a single mom who hates on single dads and wears bedazzled stilettos in honor of Kim Kardashian. 


P.S. Notice that the first ad says "non-moms" can join the site as well...kinda defeats the purpose of singleparentsmeet.com but it's sweet of them to consider others.

Augustutions.

(Photo)

It's August and you know what that means...AUGUSTUTIONS! I was just looking over the ones I made last year and noticed that there were several I totally forgot about somewhere along the way. I hate when that happens but maybe I should add a resolution to memorize my resolutions? 


Several of the ones I've decided on this year seem a little more like goals than resolutions but need to be done anyway. Call me Alanis Morissette because here comes another list:

1. Find a job. 
2. Read no less than two books every month. I'm not even going to say these have to be pieces of classic literature. They just have to be above an eighth grade reading level. One day I hope to read as many as Abby.
3. Feel less guilty about my "guilty" pleasures. My name is Courtney and I enjoy romantic comedies, contemporary novels, iced coffee, and online shopping.
4. Spend more time listening than talking. 
5. Shop more in my closet than in stores. The process of moving brings it to my attention how many clothes I own and how few of them I actually wear. The only things I'm really lacking are dress clothes, which will hopefully come after finding a job.
6. Read the entire Bible. Once in college, my New Testament professor asked our class who had read the entire Harry Potter series and nearly everybody raised his or her hand. Next he asked who had read the entire Bible. Out of 300 people, less than 10 raised their hands. His last question was if we were Christians. A majority of the room raised their hands and Ehrman quite simply said,"So you think the Bible is the inspired word of God and you chose to read Harry Potter instead?" Boom. Roasted.
7. Stop feeling entitled to things because I have a Masters degree. And stop working it into casual conversations that I have one. To date, the only people impressed this second degree are my parents and even they're losing interest. 
8. Wear heels at least once a week. My friend Hannah is a huge advocate of wearing heels and since I trust her opinion on just about everything, I'm going to take her advice. 
9. Wear lipstick on a regular basis. Recently I've noticed how incredible lipstick looks on women. It's the easiest way to spruce up your face in less than 60 seconds.
10. Memorize a map of the world. You know how you just nod along sometimes in conversations when you're unsure of what's being talked about? That's the way I feel pretty much every time geography is brought up.

I'm heading to Chapel Hill this weekend to see some college friends get married! Hope you have an excellent weekend.