What, new jewelry and a smoothie recipe?

Very best wishes to everyone this holiday season!  We're just kicking back now, enjoying family and a few new treasures.  

Guess what I got today?  A kitchen blender system that actually works! You know how the stuff on the bottom of a bad blender just shifts around while the stuff on top sits there doing nothing?  Yeah.  I've been wanting to try some healthy green smoothies but have never owned a decent blender.  Today I threw in these ingredients and whipped up a really delicious smoothie:
 
2 peeled quartered granny smith apples
4 big kale leaves (curly kale, stems removed)
1/4 t fresh grated ginger
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup orange juice
couple dashes of Stevia
a few ice cubes

Don't be scared of the kale.  It was awesome.

With the last 1/4 cup-ish of smoothie (along whatever was stuck on the inside of the blender), I poured in about 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and maybe a little less than 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar, along with a garlic clove, salt, and pepper.  That all blended very quickly into a great salad dressing.

Oh gosh I love Christmas toys.

Anyway just to keep to my regular theme, here are a couple photos of recent gifts/orders.  It's been awhile since I've done any wire wrapping so it was especially fun.  This first necklace was a gift for my daughter Lindsay.  Made from copper, turquoise, jade, and mother of pearl, it's an ocean inspired color palette.

This is order was particularly fun to make.  The crystals are emerald, opal, and pearl birthstone colors.  

I literally had no clue or design plan before making either the earrings or the pendant.  They just evolved from thin air, somehow ;-)  I love when that happens.  

Well that's it for me today.  Time to curl up with family and a holiday movie. I wish all of you a very happy, healthy, peaceful holiday season and New Year!