ici berkeley.

I'm not big on the fro-yo-fad. I indulge in "the yo" mostly for the cookie dough and heath bar I can dump on top of the quasi healthy vehicle for my candy. I'm an ice cream girl to the core. Gelato and ice cream are two of my top love languages along with heavy reassurance and cuddling. After my study abroad in Italy I had a series of dreams comprised of ordering different gelato combos. I can now say my neck of the woods has a creamery which will steal your heart, as it did mine: ICI. Let me break it down for you...

burnt caramel.

candied blood orange.

pear.

AND MORE.

The smell of fresh waffle cone DRIPS out the door of the most adorable boutique-y ice cream joint on College Avenue.

I want to weep for the tastiness. 

{That's the scoop.}

Nativity and Gingerbread.

Chapter Two: "The Eve's of Christmas." Otherwise titled "I'm milking this for all it's worth."

Did you know we do two Christmases? and two Christmas eves?

Well we do. It's labor intensive and when we have kids we'll give up and switch year by year but for now, hey, we just don't like missing out on any little part of it! Our parents live 3 minutes driving distance apart. We'd be crazy not to.

So this Dec. 24th we spent the eve in two parts. First a yummy feast and a Nativity scene by the adorable niece-nephew collective and then... another yummy feast and some gingerbread candy creations at mi casa with the Andersen Fam (who by the way are going to be fam.  thanks to Courtney and PJ's marriage this summer.  Yes we are intentionally taking over Danville by marriage. It's like the mafia.)

Pictoras! (please note the final picture. Tara always makes her gingerbread house hilariously morbid. Look for the gummy bear slaying the mother's animal cookie.)