why ice cream makes everything better

if you haven't figured it out, i loovvvvvvvvvvveee me some ice cream. in fact, if you don't like ice cream, you probably shouldn't be following this blog. But I know all 13 of you, and you all love ice cream....except for you, Amanda.

personally, I think ice cream makes people happier. who knows, maybe the world would be a better place if everyone just had a cone here and there. I mean... just don't know. I did, however, hold an experiment at my work place, though. here's how it went down:

...things at the old workplace have been a little sluggish so last month, I decided to hold an impromptu ice cream float social at my desk after lunch. I hiked it over to the shop-n-bag, picked up some root beer, Coke, ginger ale and  chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Ice cream floats were made right there in the middle of the office and enjoyed by all. It really turned the mood around in everyone and since then, ice cream socials are held on a weekly basis.

sometimes we have these:



and one week it was these....

next week, i think we're going to have this.. for my friend, Stacy.

so it's pretty simple here friends... if you're having a bad day.. you should have this:

preferably with rainbow sprinkles.

i kicked something off my bucket list

i have a lot of things on my bucket list. on our honeymoon, i kicked "seeing wild horses" off the list and 90% of the other items are related to places I'd like to visit (Alaska, Belize, Italy, etc.) and things I want to do (go on a safari, hold a koala, thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, see a whale...)

however, this weekend in Cape May, i kicked something else off my bucket list.

i visited an old-fashioned soda fountain.

I get that this could seem pretty boring and maybe a little weird... but soda fountains are so symbolic in American history and pretty rare to come across these days. Not just any soda fountain, either. a legit in a drug store (or woolworth) soda fountain with men in wedge caps, singing and tossing ice cream in the air. (alright, maybe not that far...)
...I also love ice cream and firmly believe that I should have grown up in the 1950's. So you could get why I reallllllyyy wanted to try and find one of these. 

and here's how it went down:
...walking down a street in Cape May with my hubs and my inlaws when I see an old five and dime with the words "SODA FOUNTAIN." (O M G)..I walk in and there it was; right next to the silly putty and penny candy... my soda fountain.



the picture is a little grainy, since I took this with my blackberry.
didn't know if these gentleman would have appreciated having a photo shoot with me.


I have no idea how long I was in there for, analyzing every last item on the menu. Dreaming about sitting at the counter and ordering an egg cream.. or a cherry bomb.. or a raspberry lime rickey. the options are endless and if "Let the Good Times Roll" would have been playing, I probably would have never left.  

...but Bill eventually was standing next to me (laughing, of course) and said "I figured I'd find you in here. Do you want to get a treat?" ..I stupidly declined, because we hadn't had lunch yet. clearly, i have priorities. so sadly.. we left. but I have big plans to return to Margie D's Soda Fountain. Or maybe I'll go here in the meantime. who knows? i do know this....an egg cream is most definitely in my near future.

hola, summer. I have missed you.

Can I just say that I love summer? Like, I really love it. I love ice cream cones, stone fruit, panzanella salad, riding my beach cruiser, berries, boats, beers, jet skis, cheeseburgers, crab cakes, water ice...I’ll stop here. bottom line, I associate all of these things with summer.

(and notice how many of them are food related. Heh.)

So if you couldn’t pick it up already…Memorial Day weekend is pretty much my favorite holiday. Seriously, it’s like my Christmas. The holiday weekend also holds a special meaning, since I met my husband four years ago on Memorial Day weekend. Thus, proving the theory that you can't find love at the Jersey Shore WRONG! BOOM!

moving on..

Anyone who goes to the Jersey Shore for the summer would agree with me and can vouch for the fact that MDW (i love a good acronym) is basically the best weekend of the year; the ultimate kick-off to summer.  

For us, like MDW's past, this MDW will be chock full of family, friends, beers and, clearly, food. Oh, and this. DEFINITELY this.



with rainbow sprinkles, please.



..And I’ll be making some of these for Nicole and Mike’s engagement party on Saturday. Nothing says love like cheesecake on a stick.

hoping your MDW is filled with love, happiness and treats!