I want to pick up writing prompts again. Years ago, one of my dearest friends, Melissa, turned me onto “The Pocket Muse.” This little gem is a great resource for writers who may be suffering from the horrors of writer’s block, or just need something new to put pen to paper, or fingers to computer keys.

I’ve done a few of these lists through Facebook, but I wanted to expand upon a few of my favorite things. Besides, I thought it was time for a new blog post, anyway. Enjoy!

Favorite TV Show: Glee — I’ve been a “gleek” since the pilot aired five years ago. I own almost all of the soundtracks. I sobbed when the CNN Alert on my iPhone showed that Cory Monteith had died of an overdose last summer. I pre-ordered the very first soundtrack through a Facebook ad and was pleasantly thrilled that my “surprise gift” was an 11″ x 14″ poster of the cast, and signed! That poster, now framed, is one of my most treasured possessions.

Favorite Cuisine: Italian — Hello, my name is Laura Beth, and I’m a pastaholic. I love Olive Garden’s fettuccine Alfredo. I frequent the Fazoli’s on Jefferson Avenue at least twice a month for lunch. There are several local restaurants in Newport News that also serve excellent Italian – Tuscany, Al Fresco, and Azzurri!

Favorite Place to Eat: Applebee’s — They have such good food! I usually order something different every time.

Favorite Dressing: Ranch — That obsession started with Mom giving me baby carrots (and celery, as shown below) as a kid.

Favorite Time of Day: Evening — Especially in the spring and summer, when I can sit outside and listen to the crickets and frogs. Sunsets have been a big part of my life as well. As a photographer, I’ve tried to get better at shooting them better. Thanks to Al, I’ve also become more interested in night shooting. When we went out to his parents’ farm in early April, we took our cameras and attempted to get shots of the stars. I can’t wait to go back and visit – Their farm is located in one of the darkest places on the Eastern Seaboard! To view Al’s photography and videos, check out his website!

Favorite Flower: Roses — It was really hard to pick just one. I’ve loved flowers for forever. But roses have a special meaning to me. Red roses are romantic. I was given purple roses once. And yellow roses are the flower of my beloved sorority, Alpha Sigma Tau.

Favorite Pizza Toppings: Veggies! — I love supreme pizza. My favorite combo is peppers, mushrooms, black olives, and onions.

Favorite Color: Purple — I’ve always liked purple. My parents let me paint my walls lavender when I switched bedrooms. I think it’s a romantic color. My go-to purse from thirty-one is purple. And the Longwood chapter of AST has purple as a local chapter color – Our old unity letters were emerald green, gold, and purple.

Favorite Movie: Forrest Gump — Hands down. I remember watching this movie on TV for the first time, a few years after it came out in theaters. I love historical movies, so this movie is a great reflection of several important events. Since that first TV block, I’ve watched it pretty much every time it’s aired. Ironically, I currently don’t own a copy of it on DVD, but I think I can make that change.

Favorite Vacation: Europe in the summer of 2005 — This was one of my best trips ever. I traveled with my high school classmates and teachers to England, France, and Spain over the course of 17 days. I had the opportunity to see all the great sights, to learn a lot of history, and put my Spanish studies to use. I learned a little bit of France, which was beneficial when I returned to Paris three years later! One of the best memories was that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (the book, not the movie) was released on our last day in England. We were staying in London, so a bunch of us went to Waterstones (England’s equivalent of Barnes & Noble) for the midnight release. Because of this, I own the hardcover British edition of the book. As a bonus for attending the midnight release, we also received a copy of Lionboy, which is the first book in a great trilogy. In addition to London, we went through the Chunnel to Paris, explored Nice and Monaco, drove over the Pyrenees, and experienced Barcelona and Madrid before returning to the States.