To think, It all started with a girl who was in the kitchen...

Top Ten Best Feelings/Simple Pleasures Ever to Exist Ever.

(according to courtney. which pretty much makes it official.)

1.       Right after you get out of a shower and you’re still in your towel, and you have time to just sit in a chair, alone, and relax

Oh my gosh. All the people that are close to me know that I LOVE to do this. You can find me hours after a shower, still in my towel. I’m a little weird about cleanliness, so getting to sit alone knowing I am clean makes me ridiculously happy. Truly, there is no better feeling to me. Plus, if you have nowhere to be, it is a great thing to know that you don’t have to do anything. You’re in a towel! You can sit around for as long as you’d like. You can’t organize or file or do annoying things, you’re still in shower mode! And everyone excuses a shower. So, there you go reader. Free pass to life.

2.       Getting the first swipe of the peanut butter jar

Here's my thing with this: you don’t know the other people that use your peanut butter. Sure, you can name them, and I bet you can even tell me a lot about who they are. And I really do care about that. Truly, I do. But you don’t know their sandwich making habits. They might put the knife in the jelly, and then in the peanut butter without wiping it. Maybe they stick their fingers in the peanut butter jar. You can never tell with people sometimes. But if you get there first, that peanut butter is untainted. You can mark up your territory all you like. And that’s freedom. (Plus it just looks kind of cool to have the first swipe.)

3.       A clean room

Yeah, I know. The clean thing again. But despite my semi-neurotic personality, you know everyone loves a clean room. Sure, everyone might not enjoy the process greatly, but there is something about sitting down after a job well done, and looking at your organized, lovely, surroundings. And then even cooler is getting to leave the room, forget it’s clean, and then come back to a surprise. Courtney Tip- always clean before you leave for a trip. The feeling of everything in order when you come back is awesome.

4.       Meeting with a “out of circle” friend

Let me explain this one. I know that meeting with friends is a great thing. Family and friends are always lovely to be in touch with. But the person I’m talking about is the one that is sort of removed from your life. The one that you never get to see and isn’t involved in your day to day living. With this person, you can talk about anything and everything. They don’t talk about your job, or what this person did, or what this person said about you. You can talk about things that truly interest you. And even better, they don’t have to be a best friend. They are just there, and for the time being, you can remove yourself from the onslaught of the norm. And you can know that you’re doing the same for them.

5.       Sporting something new

When wanting to look good, confidence is everything. And what gives you better confidence than that new dress you bought? Or how about that new haircut? Yup. You are lookin’ good. And what person that you meet doesn’t want to look good? No one. That’s what I thought. Put it on the list of awesome things!

6.       The day after you completed your To-Do list

With the fall semester looming so closely in the distance, I have a To-Do list a mile long. And not only that, but I’ve got general stressers on my list. And you know what I can’t wait for? The Friday of the end of the first week of classes, and not because I don’t want to go to class. It’s because that’s when I know I’ve done everything. I didn’t miss something, I didn’t mess anything up. I am set to go into the semester. And while I know that my list will soon pile back up, for a minute I can stop worrying and know that, for now, I’ve got everything under control.

7.       Having the exact change when making a purchase

Okay, so I admit that this one is on the previously mentioned list of 1000 awesome things, but when you make a list of 1000, how can I not overlap?!

I think it’s a great thing to have exact change, whether you have the exact dollar amount, or you use it to avoid getting change back. There’s something just nice and simple about handing over money without all the extra to-do of getting back change. Plus, then cashiers are less likely to short change you. More peace all around! :)

8.       Finishing a project

Whether it be a small or big project, related to school/work or just for fun, finishing a project is definitely awesome. People say that the journey is the best part, but I have to say the finished outcome is my favorite. Getting to press print on that essay is certainly better than writing it! Plus, I like eating my slice of cake more than having it, don’t you? ;)

9.       A full tank of gas

Ah, the mythical full tank. I feel like I can never ever have a full tank of gas, especially now with gas prices so high. But on the occasional blue moon that I do get lucky and get to fill up my tank, the feeling is a wondrous thing. With this tank, I can travel anywhere I’d like. If I don’t feel like travelling (which I never do) it becomes a promise of at least a week or so that I don’t have to pull up to a wretched gas station. And, I don’t know about you guys, but it always feels like I use up my gas slower when I fill my tank than when I just put in half. But, despite my gas conspiracy theories, I feel that a full tank of gas fits nicely on this list.

10.   Eating a healthy meal (especially if it’s home made!!)

Picture this: you’re at lunch with a friend, and you’re looking through the menu. At the moment, the selection is between a nice grilled chicken caesar salad or the new bacon burger on the menu. You’re discussing ordering the burger, when all of a sudden a surge of willpower blows through and you decide to order the salad. Your friend, unfortunately, does not choose the high road, but goes with the burger. After lunch, you decide to walk around a bit, and you feel great. Your friend? Not so much.

See, eating healthy can determine the whole feeling of your day! And what’s better than feeling great? Nothing! (Now if only I had more of those surges of willpower…)

So there you have it! My personal Top 10 Most Awesome Things! I really suggest that you check out the official 1000 awesome things blog. It’s really neat, and can leave you feeling really positive. TTFN!

Top 10 Favorites!

So to start off, I figured I would let you get to know me a little bit through books. For my first post I’ve decided to do a Top 10 list of my favorite books so far, and why I love them. They are in no particular order, because if I had been forced to do that, I might have just broken down and cried. So, with no further ado, I give you:

Courtney’s Top 10 Favorite Books and Why She Loves Them
(in no particular order, because if she had been forced to do that she might have just broken down and cried)

1.       The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

There are no words to describe my feelings towards these books. I grew up with the characters, and they have been a wonderful escape from my life in so many different ways. Not only is this just a genuinely fun read, I feel that J.K. Rowling has captured many souls through her writing. Even though they are “just kids’ books”, Rowling uses so many literary elements. After finishing the seventh installment I reread the series, and I was blown away by her use of foreshadowing. Her ability to know what was seven books down the road and integrate it into the story so delicately is astounding to me.

Another element of the Harry Potter Series that I feel to be noteworthy is the purity of her story, writing, and ending message to the books. Yes, sometimes they could be cheesy and very ‘happily ever after’, but I feel that the naivety is refreshing. Stephen King was quoted as saying “Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength, and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.” While, I’m not here to negatively review Twilight just yet, I can’t ignore the effect the contrast between the two has on my point. Harry Potter has such valiant themes. It teaches kids so much, without being overly boring. J.K Rowling nicely avoids romance and heavy romantic imagery for most of her books, which I feel is good for kids growing up. Her stories are so much about friendship and love and equality for all. This world needs some of that, and it would do us some good to take a leaf in a few of Rowling’s pages.

2.       Lament and Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

I legitimately fell in love with this pair of books. Her language is above the average YA writer, and her characters are refreshingly complex. The thing that really stuck out to me about her writing, though, is her imagery. My favorite of the two books is Ballad. I feel it’s a bit more mature, and I genuinely love the characters more. Lament feels sort of like another chick novel, although very well written and rich. Another perk is her snippets at the start of each chapter. In Ballad, the second book, she has short poems by Steven Slaughter which, unfortunately, is just a pseudonym. They are amazingly written and extremely beautiful. I was really sad when I found out Steven Slaughter wasn’t real. :/

3.       Shiver, Linger and (Forever) by Maggie Stiefvater

Yet another series of books by the wonderful Maggie Stiefvater. This series is a bit more widespread and, in my opinion, a bit more juvenile. To me, these books don’t have as rich of a texture and as deep of an intelligence as the previous two. The subject matter, wolves, is a bit overly done. In her defense, though, she does an amazing portrayal of wolves. She does not in any way make you feel like you’re reading all those other books on super naturals. As always, her characters are nicely rounded and she has a nice plot line. Overall, these books are a nice escape, and definitely a few IQ points higher than the average. I’d like to point out, that Forever is in parentheses because I haven’t read it yet. Its waiting on my nook to be read, and I plan on revisiting the series for a more in depth review once I’ve got a better idea on the whole series.

4.       Sweep by Cate Tiernan

This series is ridiculously long. It is a 15 book project. Admittedly, I haven’t actually read the 15^th, and I’ll tell you about that later. But the first 14 books are so worth it, and my bff Becca says the 15^th is worth it, although I disagree. The book has an unconventional plotline. It’s based on the religion of Wicca. Even though I don’t necessarily believe in the idea, it’s definitely provides an extremely interesting point of view. The Sweep Series has one of my favorite plot twisters of all time about halfway through the books. Again, it’s great writing, and keeps you incredibly emotionally invested. Even though it’s really long, the great point to the series is its plot; you definitely never want to stop.
I didn’t read the 15^th because it changed characters from the original characters and her group of friends and acquaintances to her daughter. While apparently it still included the original main character, I didn’t particularly like it as much. It is still the same amazing Cate Tiernan, and someday I might go back and read it, but for now, I choose not to.

5.       The Soul Screamers Series by Rachel Vincent

This is another supernatural favorite of mine. To me, it’s almost a guilty pleasure. It provides a great plot, but not really much more than that. Yet, I still greatly love this series. One of its strong points is one of the main characters, Todd. I feel like Vincent did a really good job with him. She recently did a background story on him that I had wished was longer! Her later-added characters have been great, but I feel that the two main characters, Kaylee and Nash, are a bit cliché. But as I mentioned, it’s a guilty pleasure, so I love them anyway!

Another great thing about Rachel Vincent herself is her Facebook Page. I recently “liked” her, and her author page has definitely become one of my favorites! She updates at least once a day, and provides great teasers to her books. She also gives away a lot of free things, and responds very quickly to any comments or questions left on her page. I learned through there that she has other more popular series, which I’m pretty sure is more adult based. Eventually, after I finish my long list of books I need to read, I plan on looking into most of those! She is about to release the last installment, If I Die, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it to read and review!

6.       The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Oh. My. Goodness. This three book trilogy blew me away. It was highly recommended to me by my best friend, and I started reading right away. This high action series has everything. Excitement, thriller, romance, and still can induce a few tears. This series is great for anyone. If you have the time, I highly suggest you pick it up.

The ONLY criticism I have about the books is the main character, Katniss. She comes in the form of a super-girl, but so naively humble. She is a bit cliché, and I feel that Collins could have done a little better to stay away from that. All of her other characters are SO great, it leaves me wondering why she let this slide with Katniss.
That aside, this book trilogy is AWESOME. Seriously, read it.

7.       Stolen by Lucy Christopher

The thing that I loved about this book is that it really was unlike any book I’ve ever read. It jumped right into the story and gave you no time to think about putting the book down. It had a great plot, and seriously amazing characters. I think that’s my favorite part about this book. The characters are amazingly written, and so perfectly flawed. Despite the circumstances of the book, by the end you come to understand and even love both of the characters.

8.       Matched by Allie Condie

Another book that just grabbed my attention and I fell in love with. I found it through looking for books that were like The Hunger Games. I have no particular reason that I love this book so much other than it just plain held my interest. It’s a little bit more of a chick book than The Hunger Games, but it’s still got quite a bit of meat behind the plot. The second one, Switched, is coming out soon and I’m eager to get my hands on that one as well! :)

9.       13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

This book is on this list for a more personal reason than all the others. In addition to being amazing, this book has touched many people’s lives for the positive. See, this book is about a girl committing suicide, the people who influenced her toward her decision, and one guy that’s left behind. It follows his journey towards acceptance of his friend’s death. Asher does an absolutely amazing job of capturing the feelings a death leaves behind. As you read, you really feel what Clay feels, and you’re locked inside his brain. This book is truly amazing. It’s well worth the read.

10.   Breathe My Name by R.A. Nelson

This book is last on this list, but certainly not least. Although a little slow to start, this book definitely picks up by the end. Unfortunately, what should be the main part ends up being an amazing background story to an average plotline. The struggle that the main character goes through and the mystery behind trying to figure out exactly what happens is thrilling. This “coming of age” book is a great read about a girl who finds her true self. I know I said this for all the books, but read it. Really.

Well, that’s all, folks! I’ve got a huge list of post ideas, and books to R&R backed up a mile long. So, I hope you choose to travel with me on this life and literary adventure. TTFN!