35 before 35: #28

I am now past my 35th birthday (how did that happen?), but I did this prior to my birthday ... I just didn't get it written up until now.

#28: Grow my own herbs herb

So I haven't technically fulfilled this goal, as I grew one herb: cilantro. But I also grew green beans, tomatoes, and carrots. So I'm going to count it. Here are some pics of my first-ever gardening attempt!

Not a great picture, I know, but here from bottom to top we have carrots, green beans, and cilantro.

My cilantro was ready way before anything else. I also tired of it quickly and let it go to seed.

But first, I made cilantro salt for use in Mexican cooking!

And now I also have a handful of coriander seeds to do something with. I think I'll need to look up a few recipes!

Now on to the veggies! My beans are almost finished, but my tomato plants are still (slowly) producing tomatoes, and my carrots are still growing.

Both Isis the cat and Skarra are obsessed with the green beans. Every time I pick beans, I give them one to play with. Hammond is always completely unamused.

Overall, I've loved my garden! There's definitely a difference between gardening by choice and gardening by force (a la my childhood). I'm already thinking about next year's garden, which needs to be much larger!

See all of my 35 before 35 posts, where you'll see that I didn't even come close to my goal ... but that's OK!

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friday favorites #25: week of june 10, 2016

1. Lois & Clark

I started rewatching Lois & Clark while I was yearbooking.

Long yearbooking night ahead, and I'm going old school with my entertainment. I was SOOOOO in love with Lois & Clark (and #deancain). Watching the pilot now. Look, it's the original Jimmy and the soon-to-disappear Cat Grant! #yearbookadvisor #90snostalgia

A photo posted by Becky Ritta (@beckyritta) on May 24, 2016 at 8:34pm PDT

I got completely hooked ... to the point that one night, after watching about four episodes, I dreamed I was planning my wedding to Dean Cain. It is seriously the celebrity crush that never dies!

I'm currently in season three, and I'm loving it! Also, watching Lois & Clark just brings to light how much the TV landscape has changed in the last 20 years. For example, Lois & Clark don't sleep together until after their wedding; in fact, Clark is a virgin when they marry. When was the last time a TV couple saved sex for marriage? I can't think of any examples. (I'm sure they're out there--so let me know in the comments if you think of one!)

2. NBA Finals
I'm absolutely 100% pulling for the Golden State Warriors. I couldn't care less about the NBA during the regular season, but I always enjoy watching the playoffs, and I just love the Warriors!

Game 3 wasn't much fun to watch (you Cavs fans probably disagree with me), but hopefully it gave the Warriors the push they need to wrap this thing up in two more games.

3. Reading for the INSPY Awards

I can't really talk about these books yet, but I'm immersed in the five selections I'm reading as a judge for the contemporary romance/romantic suspense category of the INSPYs. When I do INSPY reading, I try to block off a chunk of time when I can read one whole book, so I can just immerse myself in the author's world. (It helps that I'm a very fast reader!) You can see the short listed books in all of the categories here. I've read many of them, and I can't wait to find out which books win!

4. Gardening
I know, I know--this was a favorite last time. But I'm SO enjoying my plants!

Please ignore the grass that so obviously needs to be mowed and the weeds that need to be pulled!

I even had my first cilantro a few days ago!

This week, I decided to branch out in my gardening, and I purchased some hostas (and a couple other plants)! They came in the mail today, so I know what I'll be doing this weekend!

Here's hoping I can be more like my father than my mother when it comes to keeping plants alive! (My track record isn't so good.)

5. Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin is one of my top three authors. I absolutely devour everything she writes, and her latest book, Anchor in the Storm, released last month. It is fantastic. Set during World War II, it follows a young pharmacist who uncovers a drug ring that seems to be centered around the pharmacy she works at. Plus, there's great romance. Here's part of what I said in my review:

Anchor in the Storm is a book that will captivate you from beginning to end while transporting you into the fascinating world of Boston during World War II. I loved every second I spent reading it, and I almost wish I could start it all over again!

Go here to see the rest of my review.

As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?

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friday favorites #24: week of may 20, 2016

How is it possible that we are at this point of the year already? School got out yesterday. Of course, my school year isn't over until I submit the yearbook. T-minus 10 days. I tend to go a little loopy around this time of the year, so here are five things that are keeping me sane during yearbook crunch time.

1. "Can't Stop the Feeling"
If you haven't heard Justin Timberlake's new single yet, you must. Right now. It is SOOO catchy. And you can't help but dance when you listen! This one has been on repeat while I work on yearbook.


2. Pioneer Woman kitchen stuff
Every single time I go to Walmart, I buy something else Pioneer Woman. It'll stop someday, I'm sure, but I'm loving the things I've gotten so far! This goes with "finding lovely"--I love eating off of pretty dishes, and the Pioneer Woman line is certainly lovely ... and very affordable!

This is my new favorite coffee mug, and I LOVE these placemats--they're reversible!

#Isisthecat is a huge fan of the placemats. I keep one placemat on the table all the time for my meals, and it has become Isis' new favorite grooming spot. If I have you over for a meal, I promise that I'll wash the placemats first :-)

3. Taking a Kitty Break

It's no secret that I love cats. I have much love for my three goobers--Hammond, Skaara, and Isis--which is immediately apparent if you look at my Instagram account. But I also love other cats, especially kittens. So when my mom suggested I take a kitten break tonight, I was all for it!

These kittens were born at the school I work at, and the shop teacher set up a place for them in the shop. Aren't they adorable? I don't know what the plan is for them, but I hope they find great homes!

4. Gardening

When I was a teenager, I swore (SWORE!) I'd never garden. My parents had an enormous garden, and every year, we kids would spend countless hours picking and snapping beans. (Well, we kids minus Blendy. The baby got out of a lot of things...) One year when I was about 15, Dad informed me that he was "giving" me two rows of green beans to care for. I suggested that since they were "mine," I'd just let them die. Needless to say, that didn't go over too well.

Anyway, flash forward nearly 20 years, and I've decided that I do want to garden--on a much smaller scale. I've planted beans, carrots, cilantro, and two tomato plants. 

This may not look like much, but it's my carrots and green beans. I love checking on them every day--sometimes multiple times :-)

5. The Parent Trap and The Parent Trap II

No book recommendation this week because the only thing I'm reading is yearbook pages. When I'm finishing up the yearbook, I often work from home with something playing in the background. It's difficult to decide what to watch--I want the background entertainment, but it needs to be something I don't need to pay super close attention to, or I won't accomplish anything. Today, I watched The Parent Trap (both the Hayley Mills and Lindsay Lohan versions) and The Parent Trap II. I've seen both versions of The Parent Trap multiple times (though never in such close succession), so it was easy to concentrate on yearbook while they played. Not so with The Parent Trap II. I was captivated ... and, therefore, accomplished hardly anything in the two hours it played. It again stars Hayley Mills as twins Susan and Sharon, but this time as adults. Sharon is divorced and planning to move from Florida to New York with her 11-year-old daughter, so her daughter and her daughter's best friend decide to play matchmaker. The story is fairly implausible, but it's so fun! You can buy it on Amazon, or you can find it pretty easily on YouTube.

As always, thanks for stopping by, and feel free to let me know your own favorites! I'm linking up with the usuals: Erika, Christina, and Karli.

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