Yesterday the monkey and I went downtown to the Denver Arts Festival. There was an artist whose work I found through one of the Facebook sidebar links. Her website is http://www.platris.com/energismpaintings.html. (Her Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Energy-Artist-Julia/153285945646?ref=ts)
I went there specifically to buy "Path to the Light" but I also picked up "4 Dolphins" and a panda bear pic.
Nick wasn't sure about going downtown for the festival. At first he didn't want to go at all and was being grumpy about it but I've never let him down in terms of a festival or other event and I wasn't going to this time either.
We had a lot of fun wandering around the stalls and watching a Scottish street performer. He swallowed an entire balloon (one of those really long ones that artists twist into shapes) which freaked me out but Nick really loved.
We saw these really awesome giant bunny statues but they were so expensive (one of the ones that was about a foot high was $900 so I didn't date ask the cost of the ones that were taller than me).
Before we had left to go downtown, I told Nick to keep on the lookout for a bunny picture so we could buy that for him. We finally found one that he loved and it was reasonably priced so we picked it up. There was another one that we both really liked from another artist, entitled "Animal Party" but it was just a print and $120 which I couldn't justify.
I also purchased a necklace and had Nick approve it (he has REALLY good taste). I believe they're fake pearls (I didn't ask, I thought it was pretty and wanted it either way) with dark colours like maroon and forest green, silver and mauve.
Anyway, Nick and I walked through most of the festival and then stopped to rest on a bench in the middle of the 16th Street Mall. We were right in front of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and saw their delicious looking caramel apples. A couple of stores down from their shop is the Hard Rock Cafe so I suggested to Nick that we go and have dinner there. He was very amenable to that and I told him that after we had dinner, we'd go back to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and pick up some caramel apples for dessert. I was told, again, that I'm the best mom in the world. ;)
We asked to be seated outside but it soon started raining and we were forced inside. The hostess gave us a nice view of the door though so we were able to watch the rain and the people running to get out of it. The steak and mashed potatoes were delicious and perfectly cooked (they did mess up on the other side but I was too full to eat it anyway) and Nick loved his pasta and sauce.
I had called my parents to ask if they'd want some caramel apples (which I knew they would) and we went back and picked those up for all 4 of us plus some chocolate covered dog bones for their two dogs (they're safe for dogs to eat, the chocolate on them isn't bad for them).
We finished walking around the stalls and that's when we found the necklace and I bought it. Nick was getting cold so we went to TJ Max to find him a hoodie (which they didn't have ANY of!) and he started getting an upset stomach so we ran around and then finally ended up at Jamba Juice once he was taken care of. They messed up my order there too but I was in such a good mood that I didn't care (they just gave me the wrong, smaller, size). After that, we went back and waited for the lightrail. I do love taking that downtown although, on occasion, I get a bit sick from it.
The whole day was wonderful, despite the monkey getting slightly sick (he was better by the time we were at Jamba Juice). He had a blast and is excited for our next festival. I have plans to take him to the Irish Festival, Scottish Festival, Russian Festival and probably the Rennaisance Festival (RenFest).
We *might* be going to Europe in the Fall and if we do, we'll miss one of our favourites, A Taste of Colorado. We missed it last year due to me forgetting my stupid PIN number for my debit card and I wanted to go to it this year but Europe beckons. ;)
So all in all, an almost perfect day and definitely a very happy one.
Nick wasn't sure about going downtown for the festival. At first he didn't want to go at all and was being grumpy about it but I've never let him down in terms of a festival or other event and I wasn't going to this time either.
We had a lot of fun wandering around the stalls and watching a Scottish street performer. He swallowed an entire balloon (one of those really long ones that artists twist into shapes) which freaked me out but Nick really loved.
We saw these really awesome giant bunny statues but they were so expensive (one of the ones that was about a foot high was $900 so I didn't date ask the cost of the ones that were taller than me).
Before we had left to go downtown, I told Nick to keep on the lookout for a bunny picture so we could buy that for him. We finally found one that he loved and it was reasonably priced so we picked it up. There was another one that we both really liked from another artist, entitled "Animal Party" but it was just a print and $120 which I couldn't justify.
I also purchased a necklace and had Nick approve it (he has REALLY good taste). I believe they're fake pearls (I didn't ask, I thought it was pretty and wanted it either way) with dark colours like maroon and forest green, silver and mauve.
Anyway, Nick and I walked through most of the festival and then stopped to rest on a bench in the middle of the 16th Street Mall. We were right in front of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and saw their delicious looking caramel apples. A couple of stores down from their shop is the Hard Rock Cafe so I suggested to Nick that we go and have dinner there. He was very amenable to that and I told him that after we had dinner, we'd go back to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and pick up some caramel apples for dessert. I was told, again, that I'm the best mom in the world. ;)
We asked to be seated outside but it soon started raining and we were forced inside. The hostess gave us a nice view of the door though so we were able to watch the rain and the people running to get out of it. The steak and mashed potatoes were delicious and perfectly cooked (they did mess up on the other side but I was too full to eat it anyway) and Nick loved his pasta and sauce.
I had called my parents to ask if they'd want some caramel apples (which I knew they would) and we went back and picked those up for all 4 of us plus some chocolate covered dog bones for their two dogs (they're safe for dogs to eat, the chocolate on them isn't bad for them).
We finished walking around the stalls and that's when we found the necklace and I bought it. Nick was getting cold so we went to TJ Max to find him a hoodie (which they didn't have ANY of!) and he started getting an upset stomach so we ran around and then finally ended up at Jamba Juice once he was taken care of. They messed up my order there too but I was in such a good mood that I didn't care (they just gave me the wrong, smaller, size). After that, we went back and waited for the lightrail. I do love taking that downtown although, on occasion, I get a bit sick from it.
The whole day was wonderful, despite the monkey getting slightly sick (he was better by the time we were at Jamba Juice). He had a blast and is excited for our next festival. I have plans to take him to the Irish Festival, Scottish Festival, Russian Festival and probably the Rennaisance Festival (RenFest).
We *might* be going to Europe in the Fall and if we do, we'll miss one of our favourites, A Taste of Colorado. We missed it last year due to me forgetting my stupid PIN number for my debit card and I wanted to go to it this year but Europe beckons. ;)
So all in all, an almost perfect day and definitely a very happy one.
