Tuesday 18 December 2012

Santa's grotto

My friend arrived for Christmas from America, via Germany, yesterday, but very quickly has gone off on her travels to visit another friend in the Cotsworlds. She will return to me on Thursday night for a week.
As such, my last bits of Christmas organising has finally taken place. I will get the perishable food items on Friday and then that will be it with food shopping for quite a while. I marzipanned my Christmas cake last week and have finished icing that tonight. The grand unveiling will be in tomorrow's post (don't hold your breath, no really, don't.)
So finally I got my Christmas decs up. Now, don't be snooty about a fake tree, I would love a real one, but at £35 for a decent sized one (and size is everything) I will just as happily have my old fake (which is quite realistic really, if a little too perfect looking)

So, Santa's grotto is here in Lancashire, I've wrapped all my presents and put them under the tree, they will be delivered on Saturday.




 My dried orange slices came out nicely and catch the light like lovely miniature stained glass.



There is something so relaxing about lighting some candles, pouring a nice glass of something home made and sitting with the lights winking around me.

14 comments:

  1. I love the effect of the dried orange slices- I'm going to have to givwe them a go next year :-)

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  2. Like that tree! I have my own miniature fake tree, and I am proud not to have a real one. Mine doesn`t shed its needles and I don`t have to take it away after Christmas to be recicled, so no grown tree was cut down for my pleasure. My tree gets packed away into a small cardboard box and I shall enjoy it again the next year. That`s what I call being concerned for the environment. And I can sleep soundly at night, knowing that I`m being far more green by not having a real tree in my living room. So, don`t knock yourself for having a fake tree! It looks lovely.

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  3. I could never be snooty about a fake tree as I've never had a real one! Fake has done me for all of my life :) Currently I have a branch from my garden strung with special decorations that I have collected. I will put that back in the shed (minus decs of course!) and re-use it next year. The pot it sits in came from the shop at the salvage yard, happy with that! Your tree looks gorgeous. Enjoy your time with your friend
    Judy xx

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  4. Must disagree with you as this year, for the first time ever, I am the proud owner of a real tree. He's 2 foot tall and is named Bruce the spruce. A friend gave him to me as an early Christmas gift. Why? I have no idea! He'll be well watered then potted on and will hopefully come back in from the cold each Christmas for a few years before he gets too tall. I'm annoyed to find he doesn't even smell of tree!

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  5. Your tree is lovely and having a fake tree myself, somewhat smaller than yours I think, I could never be snooty about them. £35 is a lotta lotta loot to find from a pension so I'd find it easy to pass on too. Instead we've been out gathering greenery today and I've decked the hall, and the lounge, with boughs of holly, and ivy, and any other evergreen I could find - all for free! Didn't go as far as making my own wreath though :)) Love the photo of your orange slice and, like Sarah, I'm going to have a go next Christmas too. Elizabeth

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  6. we've had the same fake tree for sixteen years and it will never rot, i think it's a waste to grow a tree just to have it as decoration

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  7. Let's hear it for fake trees!(applause).
    We have dried orange slices on our tree too...they've lasted a few years so we're getting our money's worth out of a few oranges!
    Jane x

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  8. My fake tree died last year... but we had put the same one up for about 10 years, and it was a cheapie from B&Q. So this year, we had a family discussion about Christmas trees and it turned out that my daughter (her husband is a complete Christmas nutter as his birthday is Christmas Day) wanted a real tree so she has donated her fake tree to me. Now, I have limited space for a tree and this tree she gave me has those branches that are put in individually, so, I only put the branches I needed in place and have a lovely tree that isn't squashed into a corner. I'll get it a bit better next year, but it looks OK covered in plastic Santa lights and everthing that can't be broken (young children in the family and we don't want disasters).

    We did have three real trees many years ago that we bought in pots and then planted in the garden. One of them grew to about 30' and then died after a very severe winter of snow and hard frosts, the other two are in a more sheltered position and haven't grown as fast and tall. We'll have to see how they do, but there is no way they could come back indoors.

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  9. The tree looks wonderful! Who needs real ones? all the pine needles go everywhere! Great job on the dried orange slices! Hope you have a nice Christmas with your friend from America!

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  10. We had real trees when I was a kid but lived on a very large parcel of land which we could venture out and cut one down. Now I have the fake tree which year after year doesn't cost me a penny more - very cost effective. Your decorations look lovely. Merry Christmas

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  11. Your tree and decorations look lovely and there is nothing wrong in having an artificial tree. My mother in law has half a tree that she hangs on the wall.
    Have a nice Christmas with your friend.
    Carolx

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  12. We too have a fake tree with two different styles of branches on it. Yes, it is a perfect shape but as someone who has to have symmetry in some things, the oddly shaped and spaced branches of a real one would irk me. Looking good and I love the orange slices as well.

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  13. ooh....fake tree owner here too! I have the excuse that my daughter is allergic to real trees. Anyway, I don't like the thought of all those little trees being grown just to be hacked down for Christmas...a bit like the turkey saga really (although we do have turkey!) I love those orange slices...going to try that one next year!

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  14. Your tree and decorations look lovely and it is down to what you like and are comfortable or frugal with:)
    I have had both but my real one was in a huge pot in garden and fetched in for 10 years then it died so we got a realistic fake one.I have my orange slices on tree looks fab.

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