princess

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!

smores

It’s been a slow return to everyday life around here. The schools that feed my studios all returned to spring session today which means a small reprieve from the hecticness of the holidays. I will miss those busy studios bustling every day. I love when the shelves are full of painted pieces and each chair is taken. 
Opening the 3rd studio in Littleton right before the holidays was difficult. I wouldn’t say that I excelled but I survived.  I’m looking forward to putting my best foot forward in 2019. There’s so much room for improvement….I just need about 10 more hours in each day!
After visiting all the studios today and a night full of dance classes for Gwyneth, we let the girls decide what they wanted for dinner. We ended up at Hu Hot which is one of their favorites (although maybe not their parents first choice). They can always sweet talk us with smores!

gaylord resort

We love our little Colorado staycations and jumped at a last minute opportunity to check out the Gaylord Resort.   The resort was offering a locals discount and we hopped on it. The hotel is located quite close to the airport and it is huge! There are tons of hidden fees and stadium pricing for food and drinks, but the pools were amazing and the common areas had stunning views.  We won’t be visiting often, but we look forward to visiting again in the summer when the outdoor pools and lazy rivers are open. 
Here’s a bunch of pictures of Gwyneth from the resort. Poor Annabelle wasn’t feeling great and spent much of her evening in the room resting. 

snooze

B had to work in the morning and we needed to get out of our house so the girls tried out Snooze for a late breakfast. The girls loved it! 
Looks like a latte, but it’s just a hot chocolate
pancake flights are the best!
I got two different kinds of egg benedict. Oh my heavens, that’s good stuff. 

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!! 

pizza with the tendlers

We kicked off our year with lunch with our friends, The Tendlers. They are busy folks, so it was quite a treat to find our schedules aligned to ring in the new year. 
I am on the quest for perfect pizza. I am a big fan of pizza, but never quite seem satisfied with the dish we get delivered. We met up at Garlic Knot which was good, but not perfect. My hunt continues. Luckily Mitch and Connie love to explore and are fun foodie friends so I’m pretty sure I can talk them into joining me on this perfect pizza hunting adventure. Perhaps I should make that my 2019 resolution?! Finding the perfect Colorado pizza pie. Challenge accepted! 
We started talking vacations because our families mesh so well and we had such a great time on our Palm Springs trip. These crazy kids came up with the idea of renting an RV….and they just run with it! Mitch is a planner extraordinaire and I have absolutely no doubt that this trip (or even more fantastic) will come to fruition. 
Annabelle is in love with the RV idea. Where in the world did we find that girl?
While the RV planning was underway these two ladies ate pizza and then styled each other’s hair. Such sweet friendship. So much laughing and fun for all. What a wonderful way to kick off the new year!

a girl and her cousin

Annabelle loves her baby cousin so much! All the girls do, of course, but Annabelle manages to steal him away most often. You can always find her holding him, playing with him, fussing over him. She has a special bond with that little guy. 
We sure do love our sassy-pants Lily too!

happy birthday, maeva

We spent the morning at Mid Air Adventures celebrating Maeva’s 11th birthday. The cousins had a blast swinging from the rafters! 
We had lunch and played games at Dave and Busters followed by dinner and movies at our house. The cousins had a sleepover at our house and were all smiles and loved being together. Happy 11th birthday to our niece Maeva!!

denver paz christmas

It was a beautiful day in Colorado and we loved having my family here to celebrate Christmas. We had a fun filled day at the Ritz, lunch at the Brown Palace, exploring the Colorado History Museum, and of course, dinner at Morton’s. 
Exchanging gifts
The Brown Palace is gorgeous at Christmas time. 
The Colorado History Museum is always a hit!

merry morton’s christmas

The Paz Christmas was in Colorado this year so we spent two lovely days in downtown Denver.  We checked into the Ritz, which is nothing less than fabulous.
We had dinner at OceanPrime and then all walked back to the hotel.  I had a tough time planning these days together because there were no sporting events or shows happenings, but thankfully the weather cooperated with us. There was that silver lining.
My girl with Gwyneth and her younger cousins.My heart! 
Annabelle and Gwyneth are growing up so fast. I love these little ladies!
When the Paz cousins arrive, the girls have to switch up rooms. They all adore each other and are negotiating sleepovers from the time the get together until sleep arrangements are conceded. 
The first night we got Miss Gwyneth and Eliana in our room while Annabelle slept in Aunt Stacy’s room. We took the girls to the club level for dessert and Aunt Becky joined us while Uncle Darnell put baby George to bed.   We were feeling spoiled from our treats and a night with these gals. They enjoyed their treats and then giggled until falling asleep.