The Gingerbread House Challenge of 2008

Uncle Kevin was nice enough to take some photos for me when Aunt Karisa brought in gingerbread house kits for the cousins to build a couple of weekends ago. They decided to all work in pairs......except, Walt, the architect/artist, wanted to work alone. Basically, that meant no one could "mess" up his masterpiece.

Here are two cuties....who apparently haven't brushed their hair all day, because they were too busy playing with the dogs, jumping on the trampoline, and the usual cousin stuff...which doesn't involve a hairbrush, unless you are playing beauty parlor. But anyway, they are working hard on their gingerbread dwelling.


How about this pair....silly girls. Looks like they may have already been licking the icing packet and eating a few dozen sugar filled candies......and they are already ready to chomp down on the gingerbread side panels of their homes.....

Here was the final product Savanna and Katelyn presented for the judges. Nice job. Now go lick your fingers clean........I know that's what you intend to do anyway. Enjoy!

So, back to the little girl team.....looks like they've run into some sort of construction snag while building. Hmm.....the roof. How to get the roof to stick? And by the way, whatever Tyner Beth is saying as her general contractor self.....isn't sitting well with the co-owner. Phoebs isn't going for it....look at those eyes. Dissention among the ranks.......uh-oh.

• What will happen? How will this gingerbread drama unfold? Will they fight to the bitter end.....while the house sits just wasting away? Will they dismantle from within the company and rebuild as seperate entities? Will they have to file for a "BAIL OUT" from the government? Girls, look sad and ask for just a mere 1/2 million and you're likely to get it.......everyone else is crying wolf, why not you?

Well, an executive decision was made.....together. Unanimously, the team of little girls decided to offer a "green-house" type gingerbread domain.....with no covered roof. As opposed to a roof that might be likened to those in California that slide off ....... although I'm sure the builders out there use something a tad bit stronger than royal icing!!

See.....all smiles among the team again. Roof, smoof.....nothing comes between cousins. Although, we really could have used some of that bail out money for the holidays.......

And here, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you this worker bee......who diligently worked alone in a different room, for a long while, constructing his gingerbread showpiece. He saw no need to make it all gummy, smudgy, gloppy, icky....or roofless. He wanted it to look as neat as possible, but with a little old world character and charm every cottage should have......even those in a pre-fab kit that are edible.

Please notice his "snow" that has settled alongside the edging of the chimney on the roof......looks pretty realistic....especially for someone who lives in the deep south....and never gets to see snow piled up on the roof, the eaves, or the chimney.........

And here is his design offering for the judges......and he has even added a body guard at the entrance......now this could house Hansel and Gretel......I mean, hey, they need the extra security.
Oh, yeah, he didn't use all the candy to clutter up his humble abode.....and it wasn't really because he wanted an "oh-so-clean-and-sleek-contemporary" design...it was because he was storing it all up in his cheeks for winter....the whole time.