Last month JD & I shot an outdoor wedding for a lovely couple on a private ranch near Carbondale. Prior to the reception they had a "cocktail hour" during which the guests were treated to cotton candy and Italian sodas. How fun is that? Seriously! I love creative weddings!

After capturing all the fun, we decided that coconut Italian sodas were calling our names so we took a moment to indulge. And that was it. That's all it took. I'm totally hooked people!

The next day we came home, and I headed straight to World Market to stock up on some Torani syrups. Here's my lineup thus far: Peach, Coconut, Vanilla, Strawberry & Raspberry. I hate to play favorites, but peach is the BEST!

No doubt there are a ton of variations of how to go about making the perfect Italian soda, but this is our version, and so far it seems to be a hit. It's fun to have something unique to serve your guests.

{~THE GROCERY LIST~}

{~THE PROCESS~}

1. In a large glass measure out 1/4 cup of the flavored syrup.
2. Next add a hefty dash of cream. Believe it or not, I wing this addition ~ no measuring cup. Who said I'm not adventurous?
3. Take a straw and give the syrup and cream mixture a good stir. Apparently it's important to get the cream incorporated before you continue on.
4. Now finish off by adding ice and club soda until the glass is full.
5. Last but not least, spend a good thirty seconds mixing everything together. The final product should be fruity, creamy, goodness with a splash of carbonation. ENJOY!

Hold on. Before you go, check out a pic of JD in action. Isn't he handsome? Yep! Doesn't he look like he's a man with a plan? Yep! He's so great with the camera as well as people. I had a lot of fun second shooting with him.