Favorite Thing #168 - Beach Paddle Ball

Hubby and I LOVE playing this favorite thing anytime we are at the beach. I guess technically you could play it anywhere but we only ever play at the beach. This years trip we won the "belt" for the most consecutive hits back and forth - 409!!!! We get very intense when we play (as you can see from the picture).

Still love and treat myself (only on occasion) to Favorite Thing #70 - Gifford's Ice Cream. There is one in our Town Square that we can walk to and it is so hard not to get it every time we are there.

Weekend Recap

Another weekend Hubby and I were away (I'm excited that we will be home for the next 5 weeks or so). This weekend we headed back to Allentown for my cousin's (I only have two first cousins) bridal shower. It was a beautiful day! We had the shower at my Aunt's house. They have a beautiful deck with a stunning backyard. Here are a few pictures.

UPDATE - I got a couple of comments on my dress. Unfortunately, I wouldn't know where to tell you to go get it. I bought it last year at a boutique in Bethesda, MD.

me and my cousin (bride-to-be)

me and my little sister

Three Generations

Mother of the Bride (my aunt) and Bride-to Be

More of my photography

Lately it feels like my camera is with me everywhere I go. Here's some a my recent work. They are all portraits...one of these days I'm going to pull my camera out for some landscape shots.

Favorite Thing #167 - Pearl Ring from Etsy

Favorite Thing #167 was a birthday gift from Hubby and an Etsy find of mine in March. It's from Far Afield Jewelry and the ring I got was the Ivory Pearl ring. I am soooo happy with it! It fits me perfectly and goes with any outfit. I can't wait to get more jewelry from her. The prices are so reasonable its hard not to buy everything she has. I have my eye on the Smoky Quartz one.

Gold Bangles are still a favorite thing and a must for me in my jewelry collection. I wear them all the time - weddings, night out, etc.

Free Aveda

I'm a big fan of Aveda products and was very excited when Fantabulously Frugal posted about free Aveda products. Click here to receive a coupon for a free three-piece sample (Smooth Infusion Shampoo, Conditioner and Style-Prep Smoother). It is completely free but the coupon must be redeemed in stores. If you prefer to shop online, you'll have to spend $50 to get the set. (Just enter promo code BDAY at checkout.)

Favorite Thing #166 - Victoria's Secret Ruffle Bikini

I have been LOVING Victoria's Secret's bathing suits (and their prices). I got this one this year and its a definite favorite thing. It is the Ruffle Classic Top and matching bottoms. It's so different and cute. The top is $18.50 and the bottoms are $14.50 (not the cheapest of the ones I got this year but still a good price). I love the coral color. It's the perfect shade of light pink. I wish I looked as good as the model in the picture above...but I don't. Here's a shot of me in the top of the suit (the bottoms were on back order so I wore white bottoms).




OPI's Passion will always be a favorite thing because it was the color I wore on my wedding day. It's the perfect light pink color and can be worn all year round. It's actually what I have on my fingers right now as I type this post.

A Rue La La for Home Goods!

As many of you know I am obsessed with Rue La La and now I have another site to obsess over thanks to my friend Ann. She introduced me to the Rue La La of home goods - One Kings Lane. It works just like Rue La La - each day there are new boutiques of high end home furnishings. Many of the stores I had never heard of but have amazing stuff. I just made my first purchase - Kate Spade Bud Vase.


It retails for $50 and I got it for $29 (not including shipping and handling). And just like Rue La La its by invitation so either leave me a comment with your email address or email me at christinasfavoritethings@gmail.com and I will send you an invite.

My sister-in-law is so talented, she can knit just about anything. For my birthday she knitted me two things - a shirt and purse. The purse is the perfect thing to sell on Etsy and I'm trying to convince her to do that because I think she could sell a ton. Below is a picture of the purse she made for me. The detail in the flower is amazing, I wish I was this talented.

Product Review - Stilla Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer

I got Stilla's Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer as a sample in one my of Sephora orders and I LOVE IT! It's the perfect amount of coverage to even out my skin tone and is so light it doesn't feel like I have anything on my skin. There is just enough moisturizer to hydrate my skin but doesn't make it oily and it has SPF 15 in it! It's amazing how the color just blends in with my natural skin tone. It retails for $34 for a 1.7 oz. bottle. I might switch this with Favorite Thing # 105 once I run out.

Favorite Thing #165 - JJ Cole Essentials Blanket

This favorite thing - JJ Cole Essentials Blanket - was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law April. This beach trip was the first time we got to use it and I love it! It's a 5 x 5 (feet) blanket can go anywhere! It's a durable material that is easy to clean and it folds up into an easy carrying case. We brought it to the beach with us as our beach blanket and it was perfect. It unfolded in under 10 seconds and folded up in 30! I'm not really sure what the material is but it didn't collect sand and if you spill something on it you can wipe it clean very easily. It's the perfect gift for someone that has everything. I'm definitely adding it to my list of things I give out.

Here's the product description from Amazon - JJ Cole Essentials Blanket – Blue Bubble/Cocoa The Essentials Blanket is a year-round, go-anywhere, travel blanket with a spacious 5 ft x 5 ft spread. Take it to the park, the beach, sporting events and other outdoor activities. Leave it in the car for emergencies and easy access. The durable outer fabric is ideal for any surface and the inner lining quickly wipes clean. When temperatures drop, the blanket becomes the perfect indoor play area, protecting your floor from messy playtime and your kids from harmful germs. With the sturdy sewn-in insert it quickly and easily folds into a messenger bag for convenient transport and storage.


The Leo Hillinger Pinot Grigio remains a favorite thing (I was drinking it this past weekend) and is probably my favorite Pinot Grigio. It's the perfect wine for a spring/summer day. And I love the price, I can usually get it for under $15 a bottle. I always stock up on this when I'm at the wine store.