How to make a terrarium

a very cool DIY video from Sprout Home via Design Sponge

I plan to attempt this in 2012! 

What projects do you have planned for the New Year?

Embroidery Fun

Here are a couple Christmas gifts I made this year. (I also made, but didn't get photos of, one with paw prints instead of hands, and another with an outline of Hawaii with a sea turtle, dolphin, flowers...).

Dude, where's my car?

I usually don't use my blog for very personal posts, but I feel the need to this time. 

I'm really upset because my car was stolen! I parked and locked it in our driveway Monday night. The next day, it simply wasn't there. Gone. I am very much hoping some kid took it for a joy ride and someone finds it abandoned soon. But when I found out older Hondas are some of the most stolen cars -- for their parts -- I am losing hope that I'll ever see Lulu again. So very sad. What a horrible Christmas present.

German Inspired Christmas Dinner

our holiday dinner:

roasted brussel sprouts, cornbread, red kraut, cuke & onion salad, spätzle, and sausage from Yauk's

followed up with mom's rum cake

was all so delicious!

Happy Holidays!

Tis the season for family, friends, laughter, love, staying up late to play board games, gift giving, baking, fun in the snow, decorating and eating too much no matter how hard you try not to! 

cookies: lime meltaways, cranberry walnut, pecan walnut lace

with more walnut honey cake

 a walk through the snow in Fort Collins to see friends...

~ many warm wishes to you & yours ~

Early Winter Solstice Celebration

light candles, exchange gifts, laughter and good food.... 

fireplace with a yule log? maybe next year

Embroidery Hoop Art

Dinner & Holiday Crafts

 

chicken, carrots, blue potatoes and red cabbage cooked in dutch oven

 merry holiday cardmaking with thread and stamps

Holiday Cookies

The Divinity and Pecan Sandies are our favorites, but they are all delicious.

What a treat! Thanks, Mom!!!

Roasted Vegetables

parsnips, rutabaga, potato, carrots, brussel sprouts with olive oil and garlic at 400 for 40 minutes -

delicious with homemade biscuits!

Happy 12.12.11

What are your plans for the holidays? Have you decorated your house .... made cookies .... found a special gift for a special someone? I'm certainly working on all above!

(thanks mom for the cute red bird ornaments! and thanks Michelle for the beautiful glasses!)

I'll be back in a few...

Bullet & Crystal Earrings

I'm working on a new collection of glass jewelry for FCMOA's gift shop (re-opening during the upcoming Chihuly exhibition). But I needed to get my creative juices flowing again so I made a pair of found object earrings for myself...

Playing Catch-Up

December is already a busy month, but add to that all the catching up 

I need to do after being on vacation and I'm exhausted ... yet there is still so much to do!
(Kimber, if you are reading this, email me your address so I can send you the mix cd: morganpfaelzer at gmail dot com) 

 Denver Botanic Gardens, 11/2011

Trip to Santa Fe

I took a trip to Santa Fe with my mother for a very special Thanksgiving, here are some photos...

Paused to take in the grandeur of the Palisades Sill on the way to Taos.

Santa Fe public library green window and the shops/buildings in the downtown area...

We made two trips to the O'Keeffe Museum on Friday.

One of the oldest houses built ~1646 is next to one of the oldest churches, the San Miguel Mission.

inside San Miguel

The Kagyu Shenpen Kunchab Buddhist Center and Bodhi Stupa; I wish we could have gone inside, but they were closed on Thanksgiving day.

We stayed at the Santa Fe Hostel -- good people, awesome kitchen and food, which made up for having to seriously clean our room before feeling at home. I suggest upgrading to get your own bathroom! The staff were generous and cooked a delicious and healthy meal to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Breakfast at the Counter Culture is a must! (and stop by the book store and other shops next door, plus the Hospice Thrift Store just up the block) Lunch at the Shed is about an hour wait, but delicious once you make it in! (strategy: put your name on the list, walk around the Plaza, come back in 45 minutes and get a buzzer so you'll be seated within 10-15 minutes)

I am always looking to experience donuts like the Doughnut Plant in NYC, so when I saw the write up for Whoo's Donuts in THE, I had to try a couple. My favorite was the Candied Orange with Apricot Glaze filled with Cardamon Cream donut (I ate too fast to take a photo of). The lemon pistachio white chocolate was awfully tasty and if you are looking for dessert, the pecan bourbon cream filled donut was something else. Still not as perfected as the NYC donuts, but still very good (coming from someone who doesn't really like donuts).

Saturday we spent most of the day near the railyard at the Flea Market, Farmers Market...

I bought these vintage embroidered napkins at the Flea Market.

Agitated Histories at SITE Santa Fe was interesting. I had seen Daniel Joseph Martinez's Divine Violence at the Whitney Biennial, but enjoyed seeing it again. (Sam Durant's neon in front)

Detail of Deborah Grant's Suicide Notes to Self at SITE.

Yummy salad and fish/chips to go with the Imperial Porter and the Cream Stout at the 2nd Street Brewery.

On the way home, we stopped in Pecos at the Hummingbird Cafe. If you have a chance, its delightful -- live music, astrologer, homemade pie and 'jars of things'.

Raton Pass

Just Launched

Check out GFT Books, a website I helped design!

Celebrating Two Years!

Today marks the second year since I started posting to my blog. Thank you to all my lovely readers, followers and supporters! I would like to celebrate by making you a mix cd. Want one? Just leave a comment below by November 21st.

Thank you Fine Line & Jealous Curator!

I am the lucky winner of four beautifully curated fine art magazines called Fine Line from the Jealous Curator's giveaway. As close as you can get using print, these magazines are like walking into a fascinating little gallery filled with delicious and thought provoking art. What a joy getting this package in the mail today! I will treasure them forever.

from Fine Line's website: "Fine Line presents only images and text - ideas without definition, questions without answers. It is curated for the viewer's consideration and becomes a tangible guide to a thought, moment or expression. Somewhat like a deep breath, a pause in the daily go, Fine Line Magazine creates a space to stop and consider the moments that make up our lives."

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This was so easy and delicious! I just threw together a basic chicken soup in the slow cooker and when I got home for dinner, added avocado, cilantro, pepper, tomato, squeeze of lime juice and freshly toasted corn tortillas. Warm, soothing, yet still a touch of summer...

My Mistakes

I am obsessed with this song, this album and this awesome girl!

How to Stay Warm in November:

Make your own dry adobo spice mix,

(roasting the cumin seeds and using a mortar & pestle to grind it) 

while wearing a heavy sweater... whew!

Happy Friday!

some artifacts, books and rocks in my studio that I find calming and love to examine

Thrift Store Review: Foothills Flea Market

The Fort Collins Foothills Flea Market is one of my favorite places to get lost in. A large building with many stalls and all different kind of vendors and prices. There is always some fabulous find here -- happy rummaging!