And by “Nirvana”, I of course mean “Bridgeport”, the most wonderful shopping experience in our tiny little state. I love Bridgeport and my family endured my love for it with a mostly-great attitude this past weekend. Here’s a little of the love:
Tess bought a fantastic little shirt at this very store – on sale for like $20 bucks!
Running low on pink dots? Here’s the store for you!
My son, who is also a boy, which is also known as “pre-man” – has already developed a certain, shall we say, distaste for shopping. Yes, let’s go ahead and say it. But let’s also say: how cute is my pre-man son?
And here’s the actual man-sized version:
I like him! He’s a good sport with the shopping!
Fortunately, there are things that men appreciate about shopping at the wonderful Bridgeport. No, NOT Orange-stupid-Julius. Something way better.
Gelato! It is a marvel. I love the shop that sells it at Bridgeport and they were giving out free samples on this wonderfully wonderful day. The one down in the left corner? That’s the one I picked! It’s Strawberry Lemonade and if love didn’t make the world go round, then Strawberry Lemonade gelato would totally get the job done.
Did I mention I LOVE this little shop? It’s so European that it seems it should be spelled Shoppe. Isn’t that the true test of culture?
While my family finished their creamy, dreamy desserts, I ventured into one of my favorite stores on the planet. You know how they used to tie a rope around the ankle of the priest before he went into the Holy of Holies…just in case he never came out? Well, this store isn’t technically holy…but I do feel sometimes that I will need to be drug…dragged?…out by a rope or my purse handle or something.
Oblation sells a plethora of amazing papers. Everything from thank you notes to invitations to specialty ribbons grace it’s lovely interior. Wide, wooden racks hold glossy sheets of gift wrap, but at $4 per sheet, you want to make sure the gift is really, definitely worthy. Seriously, I generally come out of this store speaking in an accent and feeling like I could totally write a novel with only a quill and ink like Jane Austen. Did Jane use a quill? I hope so because the thought of her clicking away on a blackberry is disillusioning. Please note the distasteful chain store trying to get attention in the background.
Tess loves shopping and that makes me love Tess more than I love that other kid in the picture. Kidding! I totally love him but…you know…he’s got to work harder for it. Still, I kid.
Finally, the day ends with a little piece of beverage heaven-on-earth.
It was sad to leave the almost-naked-lady statue and the fountain that has fire billowing out of the top and Z Gallerie and all the other wonders. But, alas, our day was done and so was my family.
Til next time,
Bo
When I was 19 and studied a semester abroad…I traveled to Italy during our 3 1/2 Easter break…we took in the Pope on Easter Sunday but much of our time was spent trying to figure how we could eat gelato as much as humanly possible…so forget the dreaded freshman 10…I came back to the states with a sophomore semester 10…too much pasta, gelato and Saturday sweet night with Danish family…I am so glad that I don’t need a passport to indulge in one of the best confections ever…
Oh, Helen, your comment made me long for another trip that DOES require a passport. I actually first had gelato in London at a little Italian dessert shop and it reminds me so much of that experience. I’d love to go back and I don’t know what I would call the weight gain – maybe the “tourist 10” – but it would be worth it!
Hi Bo. I love this post and can I just say Yes and Amen? Awesome post. I love it!