On Sunday night, Sarah and I went over to Candice’s to decorate gingerbread houses with Candice and her boys. It was seriously entertaining. Besides the fact that gingerbread house decorating is one of my favorite Christmas traditions, there were quite a few funny moments.
As you will see in the pictures below, one house became a gingerbread diorama. This was the result of a “Christmas Disaster”, as one of Candice’s sons put it, which is the opposite of a Christmas Miracle. The disaster involved frosting you had to mix yourself, an already broken roof, and a side that fell on the ground.
So, we all laughed a lot both at the Christmas disaster and with the two boys who were up way past their bedtime.
My somewhat boring house. I liked doing it all green and white, but it is a little light on candy.
Sarah’s Gingerbread Diorama. The tree is actually a piece of her roof. She did decorate the other half, although I didn’t get a picture, so it looked like a perfect house from one side, and then, SURPRISE! It’s a diorama!
This is the Stringham Gingerbread House. I love it! It’s exactly what a gingerbread house should look like. Oh, and Candice’s mom came in to help the boys finish up.
On the left you can see the other half of Sarah’s house. I guess I did get one partial shot.
Notice the toothpick that Candice jimmy-rigged to hold up the candy laden roof. I don’t know why I found that so funny, but I did.
Me and my washed out house.
The Stringham House.
Borrowed from Denise:
- Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper and ribbon! On all presents. Even Santa gifts.
- Real tree or artificial? Real. I know it’s a pain, and expensive, however I love a real tree and the smell of it.
- When do you put up the tree? If I did, which I don’t right now because I have no room for it, I would do it the weekend after Thanksgiving.
- When do you take the tree down? New Year’s Day.
- Hot chocolate or apple cider? If you don’t know this, you don’t know me.
- Favorite gift received as a child? What about not received. My mom had purchased my little brother and I this kids’ video camera and t.v. combo. I snooped and told my BFF about it, who told her mom who was my mom’s BFF. Long story short: the video camera and t.v. were not under the tree on Christmas morning. They had been returned to Toys ‘R’ Us. It’s my favorite because of the lesson learned. Don’t snoop! Otherwise, probably my little, pink, one speaker-ed “boom box” and my Cyndi Lauper cassette that I would play at full blast, with the boom box hanging from my shoulder like a purse, as I rode my bike around the neighborhood. I was super cool.
- Do you have a nativity scene? Well, my mom’s is floating around somewhere, but no, I don’t. Someday I really want either this or this or this nativity.
- Hardest person to buy for? My dad. Hands down. He has everything.
- Easiest person to buy for? Alicia.
- Worst Christmas gift ever received? I’m sure there have been clothing articles I didn’t like, but I can’t think of a “worst”.
- Mail or email Christmas card? Either. There are pros and cons to both. Mail is mail and that’s a pro. And it’s fun to have the actual card, but then what do you do with it? Email is not as fun, but it’s nice because you can easily store pictures on your computer.
- Favorite Christmas movie? I like them all. If they aren’t stupid.
- When do you start shopping for Christmas? Whenever I see something that I really want to get for someone…after August.
- Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not buy “re-gifting”. I’ve given some of my gifts away but just in a “Hey, I got this for Christmas and I won’t ever use it. Do you want it?” kind of way.
- Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? This is a bit tough. I’m going to say Raclette. Although I don’t eat it often, I will be having it on Sunday with my friends. If you don’t know what Raclette is, click here. It’s delicious!
- Clear lights or colored? Clear for the most part…although, as a child, I loved the colored lights that were on our flocked tree (yes, flocked).
- Favorite Christmas song? I love all of the traditional ones. My current favorite is this version of The Wexford Carol.
- Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel to wherever my family is.
- Can you name Santa’s reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donner, Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, and Rudolph
- Angel or star on top of the tree? I’m a star fan.
existential dilemmas 
your gingerbread houses! The fun is in the goofs and all teh laughter. If the houses turnedout perfectly than we may as well buy them instead! What fun is that. I do think I have the same house kit as you do.Im posting my pics of my gingerbread house in the morning if you want to hop over for a peek.
seriously chloe- can you be any more talented?! i can’t believe all the things you do- and your gingerbread house is incredible. i have never made one and i may try to do it this year…
I know this isn’t your latest post, but why didn’t I know that the “returned snooping present” was also for me? That sucks…I feel like a piece of my childhood was stolen and thrown away in a nasty back alley dumpster…I could be a famous movie director right now if I would have only had a cool little “Video Combo”…I guess we will never know…Thanks…Thanks a lot!
Those houses are amazing!! I’m a huge gingerbread fan 🙂
You looks so pretty in that picture! love it
I love the gingerbread houses! So fun! I am planning to do that with my kids sometime soon here. They turned out great!
Love the christmas “get to know you” list. I may have to “borrow” it from you.
Landscaping trick: take sugar cones and place them upside down and bam! you’ve got an instant tree to decorate.
I’m so glad that you guy’s came over that night! The boys loved it. And thanks for listening to me rant about my inlaws. Again…sorry about that! ha ha. But at least I have entertaining children. So excited for dinner!Candice
I love gingerbread houses, too! Your house is not “washed out,” it’s…classy. There. You look hot in a tutu, by the way 🙂
waaaaaaaaaah. so sad i missed gingerbread night :(i still have my kit to put together!
You are so fun to make gingerbread houses! I am a loser mom because I’ve never made one with A. I’d like to, but it seems so stressful. That’s just my control issue talking.
So, I was just looking at your site as a way to avoid preping for law exams, also to see what your up to, and you mentioned raclette. Mmmmm. I should get me some too. I’ve had a fondue set since forever, if forever was just after the mission, but raclette definitely has its appeal.
Raclette is so good- I have only had it once but it is something you don’t forget! Your house looks great. We did one last year and I just haven’t been on the ball enough to do one this year yet. This was a good reminder.
Wow, now I’m REALLY jealous I didn’t come! I was dead tired Sunday night and I just couldn’t muster enough energy to get out of my pjs and come over. But it looks like TONS of fun!
I love gingerbread houses but I think that it won’t be a tradition for us unless I bravely come up with a masterpiece enriched flour free gingerbread recipe. And I’m not that ambitious.I liked your meme. It’s the fourth one I’ve seen and I’m going to do it too. It just sets up the spirit of the month. And I love raclette too.
It’s so fun to see pictures of you now that I’ve met you in real life. Also, I love making gingerbread houses.