New Bedding for Florida!

I went on a little pre-CP shopping spree this past weekend. Target had put out all of their dorm furnishings and I was inspired to go ahead and buy some of the stuff I will need for the apartment. I bought a couple of packs of hangers and almost all of my bedding. The bedding ended up being a great deal--$25 bucks for the throw pillow (I know this isn't that cheap, but I really loved it), $20 for the sheets, and only $15 for the comforter at Wal-Mart. I love the look I ended up with, but, boy, the sheets and comforter sure feel as cheap as they were! The sheets are supposed to be cotton jersey, but they definitely don't feel "t-shirt soft!"

I plan to keep looking for a comforter because I like the look, but I'm sure I can find another plain black bedspread that doesn't cost much more and hopefully it will be made of a little bit nicer fabric. I also need to find a matching pillow sham. I'm hoping they sell them on WalMart.com, because they didn't carry them in the stores. The comforter, the sheets, the bedskirt, everything...except the shams. And they weren't just out: they never carried them! I don't know what's up with that. So the lovely yellow and white sham featured in the above picture is from the bedding that I usually use. It doesn't look bad with the new stuff (the yellow shades look closer in real life than they do in the picture), but I hate to take the sham from my nice bed set down there. That was kind of the point of buying cheap-o bedding this time around.

The sheets also feel a little scratchy, but I love the pattern (the subtle pinstripe doesn't show up very well in the pics) and I'm hoping they'll soften up when I wash them. The yellow and grey pillow is definitely a winner and really the whole reason I decided to go with this color scheme. Plus--bonus alert!--it matches the things that are in my bedroom at home right now. So unlike the rest of the things I bought, it won't have to sit in the closet until August.

The Exciting Conclusion to the Roommate Saga!

No time or content for a full post, but I now have a roommate. There--wasn't that exciting? ;)

Roommate Notification Part Deux: The Adventure Continues

As soon as I opened my email at work this morning, there was a shiny, purple email from the Disney College Program, saying that I had been matched with a roommate. After my frustration a couple of weeks ago finding out that roommate notification wasn't available for my arrival date, I checked back last Thursday. And, lo and behold, I was able to sign up. It said that there were currently no matches available, but that I would be notified when they had found one for me. The next morning, however, I logged back into roommate notification, and the old message about it not being an option for my arrival date was back up. What the french, toast?

This morning, however, there was that super exciting email. I quickly clicked on the link to learn the identity of my new roommate...and was taken back to the same stupid page saying that my arrival date wasn't eligible!!!

I've sent a message to tech support and housing to find out what's going on. I don't know if it's a glitch in the website, or if the housing people have made a mistake. But this roommate thing is taking on a life of its own! Check back soon for the exciting conclusion to the saga!

Roommate Selection

I know I left my blog on a bit of a down note for quite a while...this wasn't intentional! My moment of crisis really was just a moment, and I've been feeling much better and excited once again for my Florida adventure. There just hasn't been much else to write about!

But today I'm going to address yet another of the big decisions that need to be made before August...roommate selection!

I've already talked about the Roommate Notification Process, but just in case you missed it, if I opt in to roommate notification, Disney will select a roommate for me and let me know their identity ahead of time so we can get to know each other and coordinate things we'll be bringing with us. But lots of other CPs are trying to find roommates on their own on discussion boards and in the CP Facebook group.

There are tons of posts out there that read like personal ads: "Female CP, arriving August 24th, looking for roommate. Crazies need not apply." And there's something to be said for this method. You can specify that you want a roommate who is neat, or who wants to help host lots of parties. Disney doesn't take personalities into consideration, mostly just gender, age, and arrival date. I've had a few Facebook messages and such from some very nice CPs, introducing themselves, and even though they were just asking general questions about my arrival, what role I would have, and all of that, I wondered if they were looking for a potential roommate. It's a good way to do it, I guess!

But, by golly, something about it just creeps me out a little bit. It seems to go against everything Dateline has ever told us. Giving out information about myself to an almost-total-stranger on-line? (And yes, I realize that that's exactly what I'm doing here at my blog. But for some reason it doesn't disturb me quite as much.) I just don't know if I can bring myself to do it.

Even if you find someone to room with through the internet, you really still don't know that person at all. Sure, you know more about them than you do when you do with roommate notification, but still...I think I'm going to take my chances, and see who Disney pairs me up with. If it just doesn't look like things are going to work out, you have the option of opting out of the match. I don't anticipate needing to do this, though. I get along pretty well with just about anybody. But it is nice to know that I have that out if I need it.

The website says that roommate notification will be done around June 1st. And...ooh! I just logged into the website, and it says that my date is ineligible for roommate notification, anyway! So the entirety of the above post is now null and void. It's a little frustrating that I have now finally made a decision, only to find out that there was no decision to be made! Oh, well. It does say that my date may become eligible later, and that I can sign up to be matched when/if that happens. But I think I'll just use this opportunity to ponder my decision for a few more days.

Embracing the College-Style Aesthetic

My mom brought up a good question recently: What am I going to do about bedding while I'm in Florida? Okay, maybe not the most exciting question in the world for most people. But for me, the interior designer, a light bulb came on. I get a whole new apartment to decorate! (Okay, fine. My roommates can have some say...if they feel they must.) I'm generally the type of person who goes for the clean, sophisticated, put-together look, with a minimum of clutter. Like this:Pretty, huh? But I am actually looking forward to decorating my room with whatever momentos, pictures of my friends, raggedy quilts, etc. float my boat. It will be fun! It's only for 4 months, and I don't want to spend my time and efforts trying to make my room look pulled together when my roommate will probably be decorating her half with magazine cut-outs of Robert Pattinson. So, as the old adage goes, if you can't beat 'em, why not join 'em?

Maybe it's sad that this gets me so excited. Am I that uptight; that the thought of letting loose is such an event? I say no. I say that I'm just a girl who knows the importance of good taste...and the importance of choosing the right time to ignore said taste.

So in the spirit of my new vision, here is the first item that has been chosen to grace the walls of my room while at Disney:

This double sided poster from "New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo", Flight of the Conchords. The poster came with their CD, and the only problem I have with it is trying to decide which side I'll have to turn to the wall! Originally I thought I liked the picture on the left, but the more I look at the trippy one with the frog, the more I like it. It's a little bit like an I-Spy book on acid. This is an important decision, y'all! I need help! So let me know what you think in the comments section.

Well, I'm off. Writing about my new style-less style has gotten me excited about all things tasteless. I hear the store down the street is having a sale on beanbags and fake plants and I've just got to get over there! (just kidding....I don't think I'll ever get to that point. ;))

A Place to Call Home...For a Few Months

I will be checking in in just under 4 months. And by check-in day, I have several decisions to make, mostly related to housing. Now, for anyone who doesn't know, here's the housing situation: WDWCPs live in apartment complexes located on Disney property. Each complex features 24 hour security, and facilities including a fitness center. Every week, rent is automatically taken out of each CP's paycheck for the for the fully-furnished apartments.

Above: One of the buildings at Chatham. Pretty!

There are three housing complexes for CPs--Vista Way, Chatham Square, and Patterson Court. Vista Way is the oldest, smallest, and also has a reputation for being a bit crazy at times. This does NOT sound like the place for me. I'm not against fun, but what I am against is stepping out of my door in the morning into a big pile of sick left by one of the revelers from my neighbors' party.

Chatham and Patterson are both quite a bit newer, with Patterson being occupied for the first time just last year. This means that all of the appliances and furnishings will be newer! So no years-old gunk stuck in the can opener, and minimal stink in the microwave. Chatham's just a couple of years older, though, and the apartments are larger. Plus, Chatham has a bus stop where CPs can catch a shuttle to the parks, the grocery store, etc. Patterson residents have to walk over to Chatham to catch a bus.

When I check in on August 12th, I'll be able to state a preference for for which complex I live in. I'm planning to request Chatham. Check-in starts at 9 a.m., so I'm hoping to be there plenty early. That will help my chances for getting my choice. There are no guarantees, but I've got my fingers crossed.