A Snowy, Striped Staircase

Hello Utah!

Although I love living in New York and have recently become pretty clingy with the East Coast, I still love returning to the side of the country where I grew up (the for a little vacay! This week I’m in Utah for all of the s’s: skiing, Sundance, sledding, snow & sleep overs with my besties!

Have you met my Girl Group? We have Whitney – an ultra-glam makeup artist, cheer coach and Zumba instructor who’s very clingy with Lulu Lemon & all things athleisure; Kristin – a marketing maven in the making and performer extraordinaire who’s worked for notable names like J.crew and Disney… and not to mention she’s Color Me Courtney’s biggest fan & part-time employee (she’ll be helping me out with Fashion Week this year); and Sheree – a movie obsessed, Actress who knows anything and everything about the silver screen… and TV’s Teen Wolf. Anyways, when the three of us get together – it’s pretty Epic (with a capital E).

After high school and winning Miss Teen Arizona (NBD) Whitney moved to Utah for College – since then she’s lived in Portugal for two years, NYC for a Summer and now back to our home state of Arizona. Kristin was born in Cali (Calabasas actually, she’s basically a Kardasian, she even has the K!) but moved to AZ at age ten, when we met at our Dance Studio (I met Whit there two, around age seven), she spent three years traveling the world with Disney (and will leave again after Fashion Week) and spent last Summer in NYC too (it was the first time the four of us lived in the same place since 2008!) but now resides in Utah. Ree (Sheree) was born and raised in Arizona and we met in high school when we cheered together – after college in AZ she moved to New York a year after me for an acting conservatory program, but (sadly) moves back to West Coast after her stint in Utah … tear.

Anyways, Ree is in Utah working Sundance because #acting and Kristin is spending her last week here before she comes to NYC and then off globe trotting with Disney. I had to come to Utah for Sundance coverage and a few other projects and stories and Whit was overdue for a Utah rendezvous and had the week off of work, so it was super serendipitous that four of us would be together for the first time since last summer in this great state, Yay!!!!

Although there is definitely more work than play going on this trip, I’m also here working on a few fun snow stories and loving every second of this winter wonderland. Don’t get me wrong, it’s kind of crazy cold, but since we haven’t had any substantial snow days in NYC this season (although we might be getting some this weekend, yay) I’m soaking up all of the snow and slush Utah has to offer, and as a bonus enjoying the time with my Besties!

They’re so awesome – they turn into my CMC dream team when I’m here without Paris: helping with shoot ideas, taking my pictures, and trying to container our laugher for just long enough to get a photo or two. Although exploring a new state is always fun, honestly my best memories from our trip so far have been the hours spent in the car, jamming to One Direction, making fun of and ganging up on each other and not acting our age. Being with your besties on vacation is truly the BEST and one sure fire way to make you feel, #ForeverYoung!