• Home
  • About
  • Birds
  • Bread
  • Cakes and Cookies
  • Chocolate Making
  • Chocolate Making II
  • Chooks
  • Christmas
  • Fabulous Food
  • Family & Friends
  • Frugal Living
  • Homemade
  • In My Kitchen
  • In Our Garden
  • Jams, Preserves & Sauces
  • Musings
  • My Cool Things
  • Savoury
  • Suppliers
  • Sydney
  • Waste Reduction Plan
  • Pandemic Posts 2020

Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Living well in the urban village

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Positive Words
A Foodie Christmas Carol »

A Christmas Tree Long Weekend

December 6, 2016 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

ct1

As I’ve mentioned before, Small Man is an elf.

He comes into his own in December, when it’s time to set up the Christmas tree. Often he’ll work on his own, but this year his brother decided to give him a hand. Our youngest son has very firm ideas about where each branch should go, so Big Boy opted to just open up the branches and hand them over, like a good assistant…

ct2

They set up the tree on Sunday morning, then Big Boy and I went down to the annual Haberfield Festa to get some lunch, while Small Man stayed back to add the lights…

ct3

Our local street festival is always busy and always hot, but I head down every year to get the delicious paella from the Sofrito stall…

ct4

. . . . .

The following day, I met up with my gorgeous young friend Clare at Spice Alley. After gorging ourselves on Malaysian/Singaporean food…

ct6

…we came back to our house for more eating and a quick lesson in chocolate tempering…

ct7

Lovely Clare (bless her) then kept us company as we decorated the tree, while listening to the irrepressible Tim Curry performing A Christmas Carol on Audible (it’s too wonderful for words, and here’s a tip – if you want to get it, buy the Kindle book first, then the audio version – it’s much cheaper that way)…

ct9

. . . . .

Many of our ornaments carry a great deal of history. It’s a joy to pull them out each year and hang them in honour of the friends and family they represent…

ct9c

Clockwise from the top left are: Annie in NZ’s handstitched pig and the disco balls Jason sent me for my 50th birthday; just a few of my handmade Swarovski crystal decorations; a little raccon-dog bell that our best man brought back from Japan for me in 1985; and velvet polystyrene balls that the boys and I made in the late 1990s.

This sterling silver tree charm on a vintage Swarovski pendant is new this year. I had grand plans of wearing it as an earring, but it was much too heavy, so Clare and I ended up with a new ornament each…

ct9b

Our finished tree is sitting in a new spot this year which seems to suit it well!

ct8

Hope you’re all enjoying the festive season as much as we are! ♥

Share this:

  • Email
  • Tweet

Like this:

Like Loading...

Posted in Food & Friends | 27 Comments

27 Responses

  1. on December 6, 2016 at 11:14 am ksbeth

    it looks like they did a beautiful job –


  2. on December 6, 2016 at 11:25 am The Passionate Pantry

    You are a special person … thanks for sharing this … still need to get our tree up but hopefully this weekend it will happen! Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family xo


  3. on December 6, 2016 at 11:43 am Michelle Cavanagh

    Merry Christmas Celia! Your Christmas tree looks about as crowded as ours is. Maybe, like me, you have to include all the decorations because they all have a history and a story connected to them. It’s a beautiful time of the year which I really love even though two of our six adult children, and three of our gorgeous grandchildren, will be in Copenhagen and Tokyo while we celebrate Christmas without them together with the rest of the motley lot, and various rellies and friends . Thank goodness for Skype!!


  4. on December 6, 2016 at 11:46 am Cris Joly

    I always enjoy your info and pictures. Recently you showed Christmas fruit cake baked in boxes. Please share the details. How do you make them?
    Are any boxes better than others? any to avoid? do you use parchment or foil to line? can any batter be baked in them? Love your recycling items.

    Just like I want to import your stripe sock donation program to Southern California.

    Thanks


    • on December 6, 2016 at 11:58 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Here you go, Cris (what a wonderfully festive name you have!)…

      https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/11/10/christmas-fruit-cake/

      You can bake them in large 8″ tins like I did – they should take about 2 – 2.5 hours in a fan forced 300C oven. They were actually just regular metal cake tins lined with parchment and wrapped in newspaper to stop the tops burning during the long baking time. My friend Dan in San Francisco is baking them in little mini tins – she said they’re hard to buy there! :)


  5. on December 6, 2016 at 11:54 am Nancy |Plus Ate Six

    It’s a beautiful tree. I’m missing out on Christmas this year – the packers come in on Thursday so we’ll be here in an empty apartment for a couple of weeks!! How lovely you had Clare to visit xx


  6. on December 6, 2016 at 11:58 am Heidi

    I love how you share your life with us. What good young men you have raised. You should feel very proud – what a lovely family you’ve nurtured. x


  7. on December 6, 2016 at 2:06 pm Jan

    The tree is a little bit of magic and a whole lot of love – just the way Christmas should be. Xx


  8. on December 6, 2016 at 4:49 pm Elaine @ foodbod

    It all looks lovely x


  9. on December 6, 2016 at 6:54 pm Chica Andaluza

    Lovely! Ano I love tree decorations that have a history, much nicer than brand new, colour matched trees with no soul 😀


  10. on December 6, 2016 at 7:48 pm Johanna GGG

    Love your tree and love that it has a history – we have lots of sentimental ornaments from our travels and it is lovely to talk about them with sylvia who didn’t come on most of the travels with us. And nice way to still enjoy the new charms with the christmas tree.


  11. on December 6, 2016 at 7:49 pm Lynne McDonnell

    Merry Christmas Celia and best wishes to all the family. Well done guys what a fabulous tree


  12. on December 6, 2016 at 10:51 pm Laurie Graves

    Lovely tree! How funny it is for this Mainer to think of how it warm it is for you and yours. We had snow yesterday, and the days are decidedly chilly. One of the great things about blogs is reading about life in different parts of the world. And, I must hear that Tim Curry recording!


    • on December 7, 2016 at 6:45 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Laurie, the Tim Curry recording is glorious – we listened to another chapter last night after dinner. If you do buy it, have a look and see if it’s cheaper if you buy the kindle book first – it was for me, but I’m an audible subscriber, not sure if it’s the same for non-subscribers.


  13. on December 6, 2016 at 10:55 pm toni

    Love the tree….great to have such good helpers. Ornaments with history are the best . I have my share from years past. Thank you so much for sending a piece of Priscilla. I am excited to begin and will do so between the holidays as I have 10 whole days off work. Do have a wonderful holiday with all your family and friends. I got married last week so am much looking forward to a great Christmas with my wonderful husband.


  14. on December 7, 2016 at 12:08 am Manuela

    Lovely tree. It’s great how your boys get along so well together. Great teamwork. Your new ornament looks very sweet; I can imagine it would be a bit too heavy to wear as an earring. Enjoy your week!


  15. on December 7, 2016 at 3:38 am no1ladykay

    I would love a lesson in chocolate tempering Celia. There is a baker in the UK (Shewhobakes) who has videoed lessons which she sells on her blog which are there to look at whenever you need. Just a suggestion….


    • on December 7, 2016 at 6:43 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Here you go, Kay! :)

      https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2013/08/26/chocolate-101-tempering-at-home/


      • on December 8, 2016 at 4:51 am no1ladykay

        Thanks Celia. I must try this. After all sourdough was scary to begin with, it’s a doddle now. Even got my 79 year old Dad baking it x


  16. on December 7, 2016 at 6:29 am marilynscottwaters

    Beautiful! <3


  17. on December 7, 2016 at 6:53 am Marilyn Ryman

    Oh Celia I have just had the best time going through your Christmas gifts page…what an archive! Thank you. Each year I make something for my kid’s tree (35 and 31) and spent last night – to very late by the way I feel this morn – cutting out of Christmas card, tiny Christmas tree shapes. Today I will stitch them together to make a garland. I am doing pom pom garlands too. Took me 15 mins to choose colours! In previous years I have made a different heart each year as it is a time when hearts miss those we love. Thank you for more delicious ideas. Money is not the answer to Christmas giving in my house so I have lots of new ideas from your list!. Christmas blessings your way. Marilyn xo


  18. on December 7, 2016 at 7:14 am themateriallady

    Your tree looks beautiful. Well done that elf! It’s wonderful to have meaningful decorations rather than ordinary baubles. Enjoy your wonderful tree, alongside your wonderful friends and family 😃


  19. on December 7, 2016 at 7:05 pm shelleybrunson

    Thank you for sharing your Christmas and your blog the socks are a great hit at Mustardseed Op shop. My boy is in Baton Rouge Louisiana this Christmas, he’s 23, enjoyed seeing yours, aren’t we blessed!
    Shelley Brunson manager of Op Shop


    • on December 8, 2016 at 2:45 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hey Shelley, thanks for stopping by! See you in the new year with more socks! And yes, we’re very blessed, aren’t we.. :)


  20. on December 8, 2016 at 3:41 am Teresa Blackburn

    I love this post and all your photos…really gets me in the mood for the Holiday.


  21. on December 9, 2016 at 5:29 pm Lisa

    Your tree looks beautiful. Tis obviously a good thing to have an elf in the house! :)


  22. on December 14, 2016 at 9:30 pm Gretchen

    What lovely traditions. We all go pick a tree together but it’s me who decorates for now. The boys are allowed to put up their handmade ornaments since they aren’t fragile. Like you most of our ornaments have a special meaning, I still have all mine St. Nick gave me as a child and now he gives the boys one each year too.



Comments are closed.

  • Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  • Follow @celiafigjam
  • Recent Posts

    • Making Zokin
    • Curry Puff Pastry
    • Hiatus
    • The Glass Lid
    • Denim Revisited
    • Vegan World Peace Cookies
    • Here Be Chickens!
    • A Tale of Two $2 Quilts
    • Daily Quaft Therapy
    • A Repaired Tea Bowl
  • Categories

  • Archives

  • © All text and photos are copyright 2009 - 2023 Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. All rights reserved. Please ask first.

    Protected by Copyscape

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


  • Follow Following
    • Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
    • Join 14,063 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

  • Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • %d bloggers like this: