chef

rock of ages

We are really on an incredible roll with shows these days! B and I went to see Rock of Ages at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. This is our third time seeing this show and it is still one of our absolute favorites. The music is the best! 
We arrived home with this. Kind of a bummer ending to the weekend. We made it home safely and had a great weekend so we won’t dwell too much on that. (Stupid nail in the road…)

morton’s

We finished our evening Paz-style, at Morton’s. They have revamped their menu which is giving everyone around here a little heart burn. They took off a few of our favorites which are mostly our soup and salad courses. We are most certainly creatures of habit around here. It really is still a family favorite though. It’s always such a good time. 
My dad had to drop off his car in Highlands Ranch the following morning and the girls didn’t have school so we are stayed downtown at the Ritz. 
Gwyneth playing with the iphone photography effects. 
After dinner we explored the Denver Milk Market which besides Larimer Square, may be one of the prettiest in downtown. 
And then there was time for games and dessert back at the Ritz. 
We had a pretty amazing suite and the highlight was Gwyneth got a rollaway bed in the dining room. She was pretty darn happy about that. 

a bronx tale

My dad and Melissa are spending some time in Breckenridge this week. They drove down to Denver on Sunday and they offered to hang out with the girls while B and I went to show. 
We were torn on taking the girls to this one. I think they would have liked it, but there was some adult language so it was probably for the best. They went to an IMAX movie and explored the Science Museum with my dad and Melissa which they loved. 
We arrived early and it was a beautiful day so we sat out on the balcony before the show. 
We had box seats right up front for the performance. B and I both agreed this show was one for the books! It was so entertaining. It’s a great story and now we both can’t wait to watch the movie. This show definitely ranks in our top favorites and is a must see. 

pizza quest | protos and sarah’s birthday sleepover

My quest for good pizza started on the 1st, here, but it’s really been going on for quite some time. It’s not too sad to force the girls to try all different pizzas with me until we find a favorite!
Today we tried Protos in Lafayette. The crust was crispy which I didn’t expect to like as much as I did. Gwyneth loved it, Annabelle said it was ok, and B didn’t like the atmosphere. It was a bit snooty for a local pizza joint. Our server took great care of us though and even gave some great recommendations for Italian sodas and pizza toppings. 

This pizza was not my favorite. It was good, but doesn’t reach favorite status.

We dropped Gwyneth off at the Tendler’s house for Sarah’s birthday party. That little lady, at the bottom of the stack, is turning 11.  My heart was filled to the brim when I walked in the door to find all these girls together. I adore these girls. They are kind and funny and are so joyful together. Gwyneth truly has some wonderful friends.

Of course, we gave the option to Annabelle to do whatever she would like that evening….I think she wanted to just lay on the couch and be a lazy bum tonight because of her sleepover last night. We tossed that option off the table and asked her to come up with something new. She asked for Melting Pot and to walk around Louisville. I loved that plan!

We spent way too long exploring The Singing Cook, which has way too many fun home/kitchen gadgets. We stopped in to check out the new restaurant, Verde, which is local and quirky and lots of fun. We grabbed a few happy hour cocktails and a Jarrito for Miss Annabelle along with a sample tray of their salsas and guacamole. We were pleased with this place and are eager to return to try out their tacos.

We had a late dinner at Melting Pot and this girl loved her raspberry mocktini. 
We had such a nice time having Annabelle all to ourselves. She’s awesome!
I woke the next morning to find these photos waiting for me on my phone. Connie sent them over and those girls sure did enjoy that sleepover. Such fabulous cuties!

nuggets vs knicks

We took advantage of the amazing Buzzer Beater deal and purchased tickets for the Nuggets vs Knicks game. Our original tickets were way up in the rafters, but we were able to pounce on upgrades and ended up in the 18th row on the floor. Yesssss! Our seats were amazing and we had a great time. 
One of Annabelle’s favorite players, Mudiay, was traded to the Knicks and she was thrilled for the opportunity to see him back in town. She was rooting for her Nuggets, but couldn’t resist rooting for Mudiay too. 
Nuggets pulled off a win and it was a great game!! 

merry christmas

It’s always a very Merry Christmas with this gang!
Annabelle and I were both battling nasty colds but we powered through and had a wonderful day. Annabelle woke up around 5 am when B got up to move to the couch. Yeah, I was really sick and snoring like crazy. Poor B….and poor me, too. I slept through all of that and B got Annabelle to go back to sleep. 
The girls both got up around 6:30 which is actually late around here. The girls opened up their stockings and their gifts and we had a beautifully, lazy day. I’m fairly certain I was asleep within two minutes of that last gift being opened. We played, and napped, and ate, and then napped some more. Being sick on Christmas is no fun at all, but my studios were closed and my phone was quiet and I loved snuggling up in pj’s with these people and just resting the day away.  Poor B ended up pretty sick as the day progressed and slept most of the day too. Merry Christmas, folks!
A little sparkling apple cider and pj’s all day = best Christmas for these gals! 

christmas eve

We honored our Christmas Eve tradition with a trip to Build A Bear. The girls each had a $50 gift card and used every last penny on bears and accessories. It’s fun to see how their choices have evolved and those perch right on the bed each day and are snuggled each night. 
As we were checking out I slyly added my name to the nice list. The girls noticed as we were walking out. They thought it was funny that I only added my name and  not theirs. I told them I guess they better be nicer then. Ha!
After our mall trip B headed home to prep for dinner. The Broncos played and we invited a few friends over to watch the game. B made a delicious prime rib and plenty of appetizers and sides. It was a perfect Christmas Eve treat. 
The girls and I had tea at the Boulder Tea House. This has been a favorite in the past, but it didn’t quite land today. The tea house is beautiful as always but the service just wasn’t great. Our server was a bit unfriendly and smug. The food was not presented well…just a bit messy, as Annabelle stated. They were also going to charge me an additional fee to give the girls cucumber sandwiches instead of pb&j. I thought that was just silly. 
We did have a lovely time together though and it helped waste some time since these girls were so anxious for Christmas morning. We decided we should try for Brown Palace next year…I better get scootin’ on that reservation soon. I think they book up about a year in advance. 

Broncos vs Browns

Those Broncos sure do know how to ruin a fun day! 
We spent our day enjoying the holiday sites downtown. We had lunch at Mellow Mushroom which never disappoints. We’ve been struggling lately to find good pizza – all the pizza by us is sub-par. We shared a big ol’ pineapple pizza and it was awesome! 
Next stop was Rocket Fizz candy and soda shop. We found some St. Louis favorites: 

Then we scooted over to the German Market on 16th Street. There were so many fun booths. Unfortunately we were all so stuffed from lunch we didn’t partake in any of the food or beer stands. Next time for sure!

The Bronco game started at 6 so we didn’t really have time to grab dinner before. We did make a stop at Brooklyn’s for some wings on the way over. Our girls sure do love their wings. 

We made it for the game and couldn’t wait to root for our Broncos!
Our dear friend, Lisa told guest services about Gwyneth’s leg surgeries and they moved us from our mile-seats to the lower level. She was very grateful to not have to tackle those stairs. It was such an unexpected and kind surprise. 
Well, the Broncos ended up losing. To the Browns (smh!). Man, oh man they can be tough to watch sometimes. We’ll keep on rooting for them even though they sure can let us down. 

happy thanksgiving

My studios are only closed 3 days a year. We close on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter and those are the only days I turn off my phone for work. I have great managers, but I always have my phone available for questions when the studios are open. 
I enjoy my work these days but it sure is nice to disconnect from it for just one day. We had a super relaxing morning at home and B made all the food for our Thanksgiving feast. My mom helped the girls set up all of our holiday decorations and the house is now looking quite festive. 
It was such a nice day to relax at home. Gwyneth is doing well after surgery but the downtown was really good for her. 
We even managed to get a few family pictures for Christmas cards….and we had some great laughs watching my mom figure out my camera. 
I am sovery Thankful for my family and this lovely, quiet day we had together!

nuggets vs bucks

I was so very thankful to have the company of my lovely Gwyneth this morning at work. We had a tree painting party at the Littleton studio and I needed to go over and check in customers and drop off some snacks. This girl really wants to learn to glaze pottery and load kilns, but I was eager to be done for the day so we will save that adventure for another time (soon, very soon. She can’t wait!). 
I told her I would take her anywhere she wanted for lunch and B extended the same offer to Annabelle. They ended up at Arby’s and we ended up with crab legs. I’m going to declare victory on this one. 
This girl loves seafood and I remembered there was a Joe’s Crab Shack nearby. I had not been in ages, but thought we’d give it a try. It’s a silly place, but the kids crab legs meal was a huge hit!!
Funny bib, but they have never seen this girl hangry!
Gwyneth has been a little spoiled with her crab legs as they have always been cracked for her table side. She said it was hard work to do it herself, but worth it! This girl is such a little foodie. 
I signed up for Buzzer Beater passes for the Nuggets which is a phenomenal deal. They offer $15 tickets 24-hours before game time. That $15 is all-in, including fees. For just $60 the four of us can grab last minute seats to a game. Not too shabby at all! 
Tonight we gave it and try and grabbed 4 seats to the Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks game. 
We had a pre-game dinner at the Breckenridge Brewery at the stadium. We didn’t have a reservation so we were glad to get a table. That table was right by the door though and it sure was cold. Annabelle wore B’s gloves through most of the meal. Ha!
We made it up to our seats which were about 3 or 4 rows from the top. We were in the rafters! For $15 we weren’t complaining though and we could still see all the action. 
It was a great game, but the Nuggets fell apart at the end. They lost the game. Although it wasn’t the outcome we had cheered for we were glad to be there.