{Chateau de Victoria's Favorite Things of 2011}

I don't know about you, but I am totally missing Oprah's Favorite Things segment! Those shows were by far some of the best. Now, unlike Oprah, I will not be giving away the things on my personal favorite list (lame, I know) but I figured I would still share them with you :-) And who knows, maybe one day I will have a billion dollars and be able to have incredible giveaways of my own...when I marry an heir to an oil company. I'll work on that, but back to the point of this post...I give you...

Chateau de Victoria's Favorite Things of 2011!

1. Tazo Zen Green Tea

2. Romeo & Oakley

The most precious boys a girl could love!

3. Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Soothing Lip Balm

4. Chipotle Burrito Bowl

I swear I am their #1 customer!

5. OPI Nail Polish

6. STEVEN by Steve Madden Greyson Boot

My signature shoe. Divine. Own them in black too!

7.  Birchbox

8. Meeting My Yearly Savings Goal!

Always a good feeling!

9. It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In

10. My iPhone

Bring on the 4S this holiday!

11. Juice Beauty Products

12. Michael Kors

Favorite designer of the year!

13. Adventures!

Hot Air Balloon Ride!

Beach Trips!

NYC!

Boston!

California!

14. My Blog

I love blog writing!

15. Finding Personal Happiness

There are so many favorite things to choose from! I knew from the beginning that 2011 was going to be full of excitement; a year of making big decisions, taking risks and following my heart. While I can't exactly put it into pictures, I am quite proud of what I have accomplished this year and the strength I have shown through it all. Luckily, I still have one more month of surprises (and more favorite things?) to look forward to!

And while tangible things can be fun, I think Steve Jobs said it best...

"My favorite things in life don't cost any money. It's really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time."

 

Images via Google

{Life's A Beach}

It appears my lucky stars are aligning because I practically gave up on the idea of going to the beach earlier this summer, only to be making my third trip this month in just a few hours! See, my sweetheart and I are celebrating our 5 year dating anniversary this weekend (no biggie!) and slacked on planning a getaway...but we both decided we should at least make it to the shore! Of course, our hot air balloon ride was my [little] contribution, but it will be nice to get some R&R together at the ocean.

1. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock
2. Marc by Marc Jacobs Polarized Oversize Sunglasses - Havana

3. Victoria's Secret ANK Heart Bandeau Top + Bottom

4. Smartwater

5. Tommy Hilfiger - Anchors Away Beach Towel

6. Ocean Potion Pure Aloe Vera Gel

7. bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation - Medium

8. iPhone + Kate Spade

9. Michael Kors Plate Thong Sandal

10. Forever21 Bangles

11. L.L. Bean Boat and Tote Bag

12. Moroccan Oil

I am looking forward to having some fun & reflecting on the past several years with my sweetheart. It is amazing how much we have grown, both as a couple and as individuals. We have been through so much together; every year of our relationship has been unique and presented its own set of challenges and blessings. There is so much I could say about the past 5 years, but I think it's best to appreciate the team we have become. No matter what the future brings, I'm glad I found the most genuine friend I could have asked for in these past several years.

Now I leave you with these morsels I'm looking forward to:

Image courtesy of © 2011 Chateau de Victoria

Image courtesy of © 2011 Chateau de Victoria

C'est la vie!

Remaining Images via Google

{A Bird's Eye View}

We did it! Friday afternoon, my sweetheart & I took a scenic route to Lancaster, PA to enjoy some city dining (I had no idea this college town would be so lively & fun!) and try some delish homemade ice cream. After checking out some art exhibits and shops, we decided to hit the hay for our early hot air balloon flight the next morning. It turned out to be a beautiful sunrise!

Our balloon!

Excited for the takeoff :)

Up, up & away we went!

We had a fun group of people with us and our tour guide, Dar, was quite the entertainer. He had to beat the other balloons (naturally) so we ended up at 6,000 feet in the air! I must have looked nervous for a little while because my sweetheart kept asking me if I was alright. I just had to take it all in!

Everything got so small...

Wouldn't you be a little nervous too in nothing but a wicker basket?

Amish Country

We ended up doing a little tree skimming action, got pretty close to some farm animals (who were not so thrilled by our loud mechanism) and failed at figuring out just how fast we were flying on the guys' smart phones (probably 5-7 mph).

So pretty!

Thankful for a gorgeous day...

So, because hot air balloon flying doesn't have the luxury of a landing strip, we were instructed to crouch down, lean into the basket dividers to our left and hold onto the rope handles inside of the balloon when landing. Naturally, there is always a risk involved in something I do. See, the hot balloon will "skid" along the ground a couple of times before stopping. This means that you run the risk of tipping or, in our case, skidding the ground only to catch a gust of wind and therefore using a 5 foot embankment to stop our balloon. I was ready for the hit against our balloon, but not prepared for my sweetheart's head to slam into the back of mine. Ouch. Balloon Flyer's Beware: follow the guide's directions and stay low (this means you, sweetheart). I still love you!

Down she goes...

Our flying mechanism!

Champagne toast to celebrate!

I highly recommend this experience to anyone! It was quite fun and enjoyable...and I thought it made for a nice anniversary gift :-) Afterwards, we hit up the nearby outlets, had lunch & headed back into the city to visit the local brewery. Nothing like a little hometown brewed beer to end a fabulous day! I have no clue why we decided to go home after that...we realized afterward that we probably should have stayed another night since we were having so much fun. Now I can't wait to go back!

All images courtesy of © 2010 Chateau de Victoria

{Time to Fly}

It's finally here!

In just a few hours I will be leaving work, enjoying this beautiful weather out and on my way to a little town with my sweetheart...because tomorrow morning we will be watching the sun rise while doing this:

Image via Google

Cross your fingers for great weather for our flight!

{Hot Air Balloons, Oh My!}

You could say my sweetheart & I are somewhat of an adventurous couple. Thus far, we have visited 6 different countries/provinces together and have made several trips to new places & hot spots within the States. We very much believe in taking weekend trips when possible & planning for vacation time is always on our radar! Additionally, we try to be active when spending time together...which means anything from going on hikes, biking around a city, taking a canoe out on the water to touring museums, having picnics in the park, visiting a new winery, etc. We're pretty much up for anything new and exciting, so when I spotted a deal on a hot air balloon ride for two I jumped on it!

Since I'm one of those people who like to research everything...I discovered some interesting facts about hot air balloons:

1. The first passengers of a hot air balloon ride consisted of a sheep, duck & rooster. They lasted in air for a total of 15 minutes before crashing into the ground. (how cruel)
2. It is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology.
3. Accidents are rare. (good to know)
4. Still, a parachute is placed right at the top of each hot air balloon.
5. In 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones made the first around the world flight by a hot-air balloon. Their balloon stayed aloft through the entire trip without refueling. (crazy!)
6. Ballooning is not a silent sport. There are some quiet moments, but those burners are noisy.
7. Balloonists dress like hikers: pants, sturdy flat shoes and layers of shirt, sweater, jacket, for example.

It is always nice to have something fun to look forward to, isn't it? Whether it's participating in a local event, going on a trip somewhere new, hosting a dinner party or just visiting with a friend. When I think about the idea of making a bucket list, I chuckle...not because I think it is a silly idea...it's a great idea...but because I think every one of our days can already make up our bucket list in some shape or form. Not everything we look forward has to be big; just add value and richness to our lives in some capacity. So, here's to the weekend & looking forward to the good things in life! Enjoy!!

 
All images via Google