In With The New!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Here's to a 2014 full of wonder, magic, and a whole lot of adventure!

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true!

[Alfred Tennyson]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

May you be surrounded by love, happiness, and thanks today!

Whether gathered with family, surrounded by friends, or away from home,

may this day be a blessed and wondrous one for all!

Obligatory NYE Post

Source: mardiwinen.blogspot.com via Cameron on Pinterest

Happy New Years Eve Everyone!

I hope tonight, 

and the entirety of 2013, 

are amazing, sparkly, full of love and fun,

and the best time of your life so far!

Source: scubapaola.tumblr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

I'm not making any resolutions this year, I think.

I just want to spend each day of 2013 becoming a better version of myself.

I want to keep this in mind:

"What will you do today that will make you proud in a year?"

What about you?

Any fun plans?

Any New Years Resolutions I should consider? 

Oh So Thankful

Source: kimboscrafts.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

There are so many things that I am thankful for these days - so many. And, as today is Thanksgiving, I am feeling ever more appreciative of what awesome things I have going on in my life and the amazing things going on throughout the world.

So today, on this 2012 Thanksgiving, I will share with you a list of 15 things I am thankful for, right now:

1. My amazing, supportive, and loving parents. I would be nowhere near the person I am today without their love and guidance (and their amazing ability to just let me be who I am and do what I want to do, even when it seems like the craziest idea in the world).

2. My crazy, loud, obnoxious, supportive, loving, and amazing friends. If a girl is defined by who she surrounds herself with, I must be pretty awesome.

3. My best friend, Hannah. Who I love as though she were my sister. I only wish I had more time to just be with her. I cannot wait for her little baby boy to get here and meet his amazing and loving parents. What a lucky kid already!

4. My job. Unlike so many, I am lucky to simply have one. While it (like most jobs) has its days, it is an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling place to work and job to do. Taking middle schoolers and teaching them about kindness and respect and showing them that they have so much control over their lives and this world is an amazing thing.

5. My car. How else would I be able to go back and forth between where I work and live most of the week to my parent's home? I am thankful for the ability to go where I want when I want to. Having a car provides a lot of freedom, and for that I am thankful.

6. This blog. It has provided me an outlet to tell my story and connect with people all over the country and the world. How awesome is that?

7. How, despite all the crud going on in our country, that I feel safe to leave my house in the morning. There are no bombs flying overhead, no civil war to be wary of, no persecution based on unfounded and frivolous aspects of who I am, no censorship of ideas or beliefs. We live in a relatively safe land, and for that I am thankful. My heart goes out to all those around the world (including a lot of my friends from grad school) who do not enjoy such a privilege.

8. Having a month off this winter to just enjoy being at home with my parents and to get a lot of my stuff in order. I love being at home. It's always a blessing when I get the chance to have an extended stay.

9. My education. I am so thankful for where I have been able to study - both in Chapel Hill and in Budapest. A lot of people still don't see higher education (and, at times, even the completion of High School) as an option. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to (and continue to have the opportunity to, if all goes well) advance my education.

10. For the ability I've had to travel and live in amazing places. Between Russia, Rome, Budapest, Chapel Hill, and so many others - I've had so many opportunities to broaden my horizons and open myself up to so many new cultures and peoples. I am so thankful to have used my passport so well up to today and hope that I can break in my new one soon!

11. The internet. I am so thankful for this because it has allowed me to stay in contact with friends from all over the world in quick and meaningful ways. Skype? Email? Even Facebook? All of these have allowed me to stay connected to (and, at times, check in on the safety of) all my friends who have scattered themselves across the country and world.

12. The books that I read so frequently (but not as frequently as I would like). I love that I have the freedom to read what I want when I want. I love reading, if you haven't noticed through this blog. I love how you can escape to a place you've never been before or places never heard of, or places only imagined. I love it. I am thankful for it.

13. The health and safety of myself, my family, and my friends. It's easy to take good health and safety for grated, as we never really think about it until something terrible comes up. But I am so thankful that for now, knock-on-wood, that everyone I know is in relatively good health and happiness.

14. The upcoming holiday season. I know it's cliche, but I am so thankful for the coming month. I love Christmas season - the lights, the music, the food, the decorations, the feeling of it all. I love that people focus on being good and kind (except when shopping) to each other and go out of their way to embody the Christmas spirit (or, at least most people do, there are always exceptions - which sucks).

15. Yoga. I don't go enough or nearly as often as I would like, but I love it and I love that I can go if I figure out a way to make the time for it. I just need to make myself make it happen, because I want it to.

So, Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I hope you are able to take a moment and reflect on all that you have and all that you are thankful for this holiday season!

Source: google.com via Natalie on Pinterest

"let each new year find you a better man"

Be always at war with your vices,

at peace with your neighbors,

and let each new year find you a better man.

[Benjamin Franklin]

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Since my New Year's Eve won't look like this:

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...I'm going to be chilling at home with my mom (and dad by phone since he has to work!) in my PJ's. A nice relaxing beginning to the new year? That sounds amazing to me. I really hope 2012 follows suit on the amazing department.

Because, really?

2011 was pretty sweet.

I rounded out my two years living in Europe

(and, yes, miss it like crazy)

I went to:

- Madrid to eat

- Venice for Carnival

I presented a paper at a conference at Cambridge University,

then visited Dublin,

and London,

both with good friends!

I GRADUATED WITH MY MASTER'S DEGREE

(and realized I NEVER WROTE A POST ABOUT IT!

SILLY COURTNEY!)

I traveled to Poland and Prague with my family

(and still need to write about those too, oops!)

I worked at camp again.

And LOVED it.

I celebrated my 26th Birthday,

and recounted 26 lessons for 26 years.

I took an impromptu trip to Boulder, CO & Washington DC

Basically? 2011 was pretty cool to me,

and I hope it was to you too.

In closing:

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Keep those you love closer to you than ever.

Remind those you love that you love them often.

Have meaningful relationships.

Smile.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Plenty To Be THANKful For {Day 9: THANKSGIVING}

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

I hope you are all stuffed to the gills with turkey and all your favorite fixin's!

We're about to sit down for pie in a few minutes,

but I wanted to check in and post my Thanksgiving table pictures :)

So, there you have it.

Thanksgiving at my place :)

Again,

I'm thankful for so much this year,

and all you guys?

SO a part of it!

Plenty To Be THANKful For {Challenge Topics}

Hey everyone!

First and foremost, we’d like to say THANK YOU to all of you who signed up for our blog swap

and link-up! We hope you are just as excited as we are!

If you have any questions about the blog swap, be sure to contact any of us hosts (Me, Kristine, Meghan, Sam, or Caroline) via comment, tweet, or email. We’d be more than happy to answer your questions. Be sure you send out your blog swap packages no later than November 17^th!!

REMEMBER: if you choose to send anything liquid (nail polish, etc) PLEASE wrap it up and secure it in a zip-lock bag. No one likes a spill!

So, without further ado, here are the link-up topics you’ve all been waiting for:

Monday, November 14^th – I’m THANKful For My Guilty Pleasures!

Tuesday, November 15^th – I’m THANKful for YouTube (and other internet fun)!

Wednesday, November 16^th – I’m THANKful For My Hometown!

Thursday, November 17^th – I’m THANKful For The Blogoverse!

Friday, November 18^th – I’m THANKful That I Live In The 21^st Century Because…!

Monday, November 21^st – I’m THANKful For My Favorite Thanksgiving Recipe!

Tuesday November 22^nd – I’m THANKful For Thanksgiving Traditions!

Wednesday, November 23^rd – I’m THANKful For The Special People In My Life!

Thursday, November 24^th – I’m THANKful For Thanksgiving! (Post a picture of your table... if you have time!)

Friday, November 25^th – I’m THANKful for Black Friday & Leftovers!

Monday, November 28^th – BLOG SWAP REVEAL!

Remember, there’s PLENTY to be THANKful for!!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail!

Happy Easter!

(okay, I'm a day early, I know)

but still,

HAPPY EASTER!

I'm a little melancholy this year about Easter.

Lent is over,

I can have a soda tomorrow,

but I don't really want to.

I have a giant box of candy & Rice Krispies Treats

that my parents sent for Easter,

which makes me so happy.

But I really want to be home,

having Easter dinner with my family,

rather than hanging out in my dorm room,

and writing my thesis.

Somehow, being here for Easter is a little harder

than being here for Thanksgiving.

I think it's because we had 'Thanksgiving"

with friends here, so it felt like it happened.

But Easter? There's no Easter dinner planned,

no big gathering. Nada.

I would just much rather be home.

But you know? I'll probably be home next year, right?

So, one year of Easter abroad I can do.

Right?

So, Happy Easter!

Remember the reason we celebrate, okay?

And he departed from our sight that we might

return to our heart, and there find Him.

For He departed, and behold, He is here.

[St Augustine]

all images from we [heart]it

Go néirí leat!

May the Luck 'O The Tar Heels

be with you today!

(and with Roy's Boys tomorrow!)

All You Need Is Love {Day Eight}

Today is the last day of the

All You Need Is Love Challenge!

I know Sam, Neely and I are incredibly thankful to all of you who have linked up with us over the past eight days! It has been so much fun meeting new blogs & their bloggers, reading all your fun answers (and delicious recipes!), and blogging for eight days straight! I don't know about you, but I think I need a blog-vacation (a blogcation, perhaps?)!

To those of you who participated in the swap as well - please come back tomorrow (or whenever your package gets to you!) and link up to the Swap Challenge {Bonus} Day! So we can all go snoop and see what awesome things everybody got!

Day Eight

Whether in love or out, on Valentine's Day I {LOVE} to...

share a glass of wine with friends

watch cheesy romantic comedies

eat more chocolate than should be legal

enjoy a nice conversation with my parents

wear far too much red & pink & lace & prettyness

find any excuse to smile :)

Again,

THANK YOU SO MUCH

to everyone who participated.

This has been one heck of a ride!

[images (except the one of my family!) from weheartit]

Obligatory NYE Post :)

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Happy Last Day of 2010 Everyone!

I'm knee-deep in writing a paper that's due the 3rd,

(which is also one of the reasons for my absence! sorry)

so this post will be short.

2010 was awesome,

but I hope that

2011 will be even better!

And a little thing I've realized today

(if you follow me on twitter, this isn't news to you)

My life seems to take a drastic change every four years:

2003:

graduate high school

move to North Carolina

start college

2007:

graduate college

get first real job

2011:

graduate from grad school

(then I'll be Master Courtney!)

___________!

I cannot wait to see where 2011 takes me,

but if my 4-year-cycle

has set any precedent,

it's certain to be amazing.

And I want to wish that

amazingness to you all as well!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Merry Christmas To All!

Merry Christmas to all!

I hope Santa was good to you.

I hope you were surrounded by:

family,

loved ones,

and friends.

And that your heart is full of enough joy

to stay with you,

and keep you in the Christmas spirit

until Christmas 2011!

Twas The Night Before Christmas!

Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve.

Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine, no matter your age.

[Carrie Latet]

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Merry Christmas to all!!!

I hope that Santa is good to you tonight,

and wish you the happiest Christmas you've ever had -

full of love, joy, and a touch of magic.

And I hope you take a moment (or two)

to remember the real reason for the season:

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

[Luke 2:9-10]

I hope you had a chance to read/see

A Christmas Carol

(A personal Christmas favorite of

me and my family)

Here's a taste of the Dickins' Classic:

Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

...

"A merry Christmas, Bob!" said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. "A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! I'll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob! Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit."

...

"God Bless us, every one!" said Tiny Tim, the last of all.

What a great, heart-warming story!

Scrooge is quite the character,

and the man who played him this year at our

favorite production of the story was AMAZING.

And, before I lie down to sleep

[so Santa can come!]

I'll leave you with a Christmas Eve favorite:

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Yes, Virginia...

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Does Mr. Clause still leave you presents under the tree?

He does for me!

Do you still believe?

I do.

Elf Judy from the Santa Clause said it the best:

"Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing."

And also,

in case you needed a reason to believe,

just remember a little girl named Virginia.

In 1897, little Virginia wrote this letter to the New York Sun:

DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

And the response has to have been

one of the most brilliant pieces of journalism ever:

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

So, just in case you needed a reminder,

there is always a reason to believe in Santa,

perhaps more and more with each passing Christmas.

[reprinted from: the newseum]

Christmas Time is Near

Sorry I've been gone!

Coming back to the US has been crazy:

- hanging out with my parents (!)

- running around trying to buy presents

- seeing "A Christmas Carol" and "The Nutcracker"

- visiting with camp friends

- trying to do some semblance of homework

-sleeping

I have missed blogging, truly.

And I have so much to talk about!

I have spent the past 20 minutes

(that should have been me paperwriting...)

trying to post the second half of my Vienna trip/pictures

but Blogger is being a Butthead,

so instead, a Christmas post!

I've baked too many cookies

(sorry mom and dad!)

put up my Christmas tree

and watched a zillion Christmas movies/specials.

And in the spirit of the holiday,

some of my favorite most awesome commercials

of this Christmas season!

There will be more later, probably -

they're doing a decent job this year :)

Christmas Hodgepodge!

Wednesdays with Joyce is fun,

you should jump on the bandwagon too!

1. What does it mean to "have the holiday spirit"?

To:

call old friends - just because

eat too many cookies

smile more

love more

and soak up everything around you.

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2. What sits atop your tree and why?

my tree: a kitty angel that my aunt and uncle gave me

family tree: this is a fight discussion every year

i love the old, ratty, falling apart star

(you know, the silver ones that have lights in them?

ours doesn't even have lights in it anymore....

it might be time for me to let go...)

sometimes it's an old knitted santa

and sometimes mom wants one of those pretty glass spires.

who knows what will end up sitting up there this year.

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3. When was the last time you gave yourself a pat on the back?

When I finished the last paper for my social distinctions class.

Check one thing off my (never-ending) list

4. Which of your senses is the most sensitive this time of the year?

Sight.

Seriously,

look around you!

the colors, the lights!

it's AMAZING.

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5. What do you have too much of in your kitchen?

what kitchen?

6. Food: Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

eve: turkey/poultry of some sort.

(turkey this year, because, well,

i missed thanksgiving with the family,

and i cannot go a year without my mom's stuffing)

day: waffles/eggs/etc for breakfast :)

7. What is the best thing about winter?

spring.

hehe,

no,

i love those cold, cold nights

where the sky is black

and the light of the stars echo

throughout the sky.

8. Random Thought:

Happiness comes in a Starbucks Christmas cup. I had forgotten this overseas.

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These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

I can't believe this is day 14/14!

(of the 12 days of Blogging Christmas, that is)

Tomorrow,

since I'll have nothing to post about,

I'll post about Vienna.

It was amazing,

let.me.tell.you.

Amazing.

Here's a sneak-peek:

Yep, it was That.Cold.But, also,that amazing :)

Oprah's Favorite Things

...that I wish could be mine.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person in the world

that does't watch Oprah, and doesn't feel like I'm missing out.

So, yes, I had to go look up online,

what Ms. Oprah has decided we should all want this Christmas.

I've come up with two things,

that would be absolutely amazing:

Volkswagon 2011 Beetle

So, Oprah loves her Beetle,

and now every person in the audience

gets a new one when they come out?

Maybe I should start stalking watching this show...

Do i get to pick what color it is?

'Cause I want this one:

Nikon D3100

I love taking pictures.

I love my Nikon D80.

But he needs a little brother,

don't you think?

Christmas Music!

I still can't believe it's December!

The weather here has been so odd:

like I said, it snowed yesterday morning

but by the end of the day it was freezing rain,

and absolutely disgusting out.

Today, it has been on and off snowing.

The sidewalks are so slippery!

(they're marbleish and people here fail at shoveling).

And it's windy, and cold!

I just cannot wait for: Vienna, Roma, and HOME!

Day 10: Favorite Christmas Songs

Remember how long my list of favorite Christmas Movies was?

This list rivals that one.

So, in spirit of being kinda brief,

I'll give you the top 7 I've been listening to over the past few days

(the playlist I have saved on Napster right now is over 500 songs...)

(remind me to tell you all about how awesome

Napster has become over the years....)

1. N*Sync Oh Holy Night

(okay, okay the whole album should be on my list, but I picked one! See! One!)

2. Bing Crosby White Christmas

I love that this song was made for one of my favorite movies: Holiday Inn

but has since become a song you can't go through the holiday time without listening to.

3. Josh Groban Believe

This song always brings back the magic of Christmas to the forefront.

I love the movie,

and the music from it is just amazing.

4. Trans Siberian Orchestra Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)

I LOVE this song.

I love playing it loud

and just dancing around my room.

And, well, all their music actually...

5. Chris Botti Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Chris Botti is one of my favorite artists,

and his Christmas album is amazing.

You should add it into your Christmas playlist rotation.

6. Frank Sinatra The Christmas Song

It's just not Christmas without old Blue Eyes,

is it? I just love his voice combined

with these lyrics and this melody.

7. Chloe Agnew Walking in the Air

Remember this movie?

We watched this every year in music class

in elementary school.

Listening to this song brings back

Christmas childhood memories.