So? How’s that relaxing in-between week going? I’ve had a chance to read just a few blogs and it looks like lots of you are reading, resting and making plans for the new year. As it should be! We’re managing to lie around and play with Christmas toys a little, but mostly it’s been busy. Today will be the third (and last!) day of painting in MeMum’s kitchen — you may remember that I did the cabinets a long time ago, but the ceiling, walls and trim were never done. Finally, we’ll have that big job out of the way.
I’ve also had time to weed through the many pictures of the annual gingerbread competition. We had a wonderful time again this year with lots of laughs. I’d like to congratulate my cute little family this year — we didn’t have one. single. collapsed house. WooHoo! They’re becoming real pros at the construction. There were lots of groovy little details too — several of which I don’t have good pictures of because you have to remember to take them before the roofs go on the houses.
So, ladies and gentlemen, I proudly ( ;-) ) present to you the Houses of 2011:
Team 1: SweetiePie and CuteNiece1. Santa’s Workshop. SweetiePie is a real pro with the icing and this house was adorable. They have Mr. and Mrs. Claus out front and a super cute elf workshop to the side of the house. All the elves were at their stations working away. (The icing on the bottom right pictures says “Elves enter here —>”) I loved this happy cheerful house!
Team 2: CuteNiece2, CuteNephew, and BigDaddy. With BigDaddy on the team, we knew it was going to be pretty funny. They decided to do TheFirstChild and SweetiePie’s future house. The house where they have a bunch of children. The house that is falling apart. The front door is off of the hinges, the roof is cracking and one of the unruly children has started a fire at one of the corners of the roof. CuteNephew very cleverly carved the burned portion of the roof and then held it over the stove to get the charred look. The other unruly children are climbing on the roof and have crashed the family car into a tree. The created a pretty cute interior too — there’s a beautiful striped carpet and big screen tv (bottom right picture). And, of course, TheFirstChild is parked on the sofa watching that tv.
Team 3: TheManoftheHouse and TheSecondChild. This was the team that started the trend into irreverent houses five years ago when they made a frat house. They decided they should finally clean up their act and make a church. Being an all-male team, they were a little spare on the frosting, but they had some clever touches. We all wanted to know why the people were squished behind the bench. Don’t be silly — they’re kneeling and praying. I love the little bell in the steeple!
Team 4: MyDadLovesMeBestSister and CrazyBIL. CrazyBIL is a physical therapist so they made a model of his clinic. The small touches to their clinic were SO cute. They had workout tools everywhere — I loved the dumbbells and the pile of broken crutches behind the clinic. They also included a parking lot to one side of the clinic, and my very favorite touch, an outdoor yoga class (middle picture) to the other side of the clinic. Their proudest touch was the lighted candle inside — CrazyBIL created an open chimney so that the candle smoke could escape. Unfortunately, after awhile, the gingerbread started to get soft so we had to blow the candle out to avoid a cave-in.
Team5: TheFirstChild and Me. We stumbled around trying to think of something that would have most of it’s contents outside of the house. We finally settled on a tree farm. Which sent TheFirstChild (and the rest of us) into fits of laughter remembering an old high school tree farm joke. So, we iced up the house and planted trees everywhere. Then popped in a few tree-shopping families (one with a candy cane sled).
Great fun again this year! We held our traditional vote. Can you guess the winner?
Team 4’s Physical Therapy Clinic came in third, only lagging by one vote. Then Team 1’s Santa Workshop and Team 5’s Christmas Tree Farm tied for first. So we had a run-off.
Ta-Dah!:
Go Team 5!!! We only beat Team 1 by a vote and I really think their frosting work was superior. Plus, I think we won due to all the memories and laughter this house generated.
So, that’s it for this year. I can’t believe how quickly the year has passed. I probably won’t get back here for a few days so I’d like to wish all of you a Very Happy New Year! Stay Safe and Have Fun!!!
XOXO,
Anna
What fun and what clever ideas you all have come up with for your little village of gingerbread! I loved Santa’s workshop and the tree farm best, but they are all so fun and creative! Great family memories too! Thanks for sharing!
MGM
Awesome fun, Anna! I always look forward to these posts.ncongrats to your team!
SUPER!! You are all so talented and clever. Congratulations on the win too. Happy New Year to you Anna! Hope you do something fun.
Wow! You have all outdone yourselves yet again! Great construction and ingenuity. I’ll bet it was funny hearing the kibitzing.
Hip Hip Hooray for team 5!!!
what a fun post….what great gingerbread houses, I have never made one but I might give it a go next year!!
They are truly amazing!I made some a couple of years ago and these put my pitiful lot to shame!
Happy New year Anna, I have to agree team 1 and team 5 did a wonderful job, love the icicles on the tree farm and I sure wish I was as good with the icing as Sweetie Pie. But I imagine a day of laughter and family time makes you all winners!
Oh they all came out great Anna, love the little gingerbread marshmallows, I never saw those till after we made our houses.
I’ve been looking forward to this post for ages and it lived up to expectations. I think the piping work on all the houses is fabulous and it’s the details that were so much fun to see. Really worthwhile to click on the pics to see them all.Congrats to team five! The real winners are the squirrels that get be on a sugar high.
OMG! I love seeing all the houses you guys are all so creative. xoxo Happy New Year.
Congrats on the win! I have been looking forward to this years contest pictures for the last week:) such a fun tradition and great tallent!
Oh, my goodness! They are all fabulous, Anna! A great job was done by all. :) I’m surprised you didn’t have the squirrels lining your window sills while you were making them waiting for their yearly treat!
Have a very happy new Year!
okay … NOW christmas is complete (cuz it just isn’t till you’ve posted the gingerbread house competition) and the new year can come on in….
p.s. – i’m gonna send you a link (in an email) that that you HAVE to read because it is FUNNY and made me snort (which isn’t very lady-like, now is it?!?)!
What fun this post was! Glad Team 5 won, even though I loved all the others – each one.
Oh thanks for sharing, Anna. Sounds like a fun time. Sweetie Pie sure pipes pretty. :) Cute houses!!
Really enjoyed seeing your houses again! What a fun time you all have.
I wish you a bright and Happy New Year.
Love megxx
Wonderful houses, all of them! Your family is so creative! Happy New Year to all of you.
Congrats! I love seeing your gingerbread houses each year. And yes…my favorite week of the year…the relaxing one…is moving closer to it’s finish…I sure have enjoyed a week with little stress!
How fun!! I love your gingerbread house posts. It sounds like you all have such a good time. Great ideas and great houses!
kudos on your win!
what a great time you all must have had…a family tradition like this is just wonderful…everyone was a winner!
looking forward to an interesting, exciting , creative & yummy 2012 here @ thimbleanna!
joyous new year!
What a great family tradition! My family would have a ball with this, and I may have to start it next year. Congrats on the win!
Your family should go into business!! Those are some awesom gingerbread houses. What a great family tradition.
yes!!!
it’s my fav day – it’s gingerbread house day!!!
:D
these are awesome.
Such a fun tradition. Congrats on the big win!
This looks like the best fun – I can’t wait until the girls are older to do this kind of thing! They all look wonderful (and yummy!)
lol, thanks for the highlights and the pictures! sweetie pie’s frosting work IS awesome. I love how she wrote on the house that boys are ‘naughty’….they sure are! ;p
have a safe new year…stay home and stitch. ;p
always enjoys this post!
Happy New Year.
Look forward to your Blog in 2012
Mary xx
Your house was my favourite, Anna, so I’m really pleased you won! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and here’s wishing you and your loved ones the very best 2012. Take care :) x
Yay Team 5! Congrats!!
Happy New Year and all the best for a very creative 2012!
Way to go Team 5!!!! Wishing you a wonderful 2012 Anna!
Oh how absolutely fantastic! Each year it gets better and better. These are amazing (and very funny).
Happy Happy New Year to you Anna xxxx
All the houses are awesome! I love all the fun and very clever little details. And the tree farm idea is genius! lol Love it!
And a Happy New Year to you Anna! :)
Love the houses and Happy New Year!
Love Frannie & Marsha
Wow, I am amazed by what you do with gingerbread. So fun! Happy New Year! I know it will be full of love xox Clarice
How wonderfully awesome! They are so creative and look so yummy! Happy new year to you!
What a great tradition, Anna. Thanks for sharing it with us once again :)
Happy New Year, my friend. :)
I always look forward to seeing your houses. I loved them. The whole dang family is creative as I can see by those houses.
Happy New Year Anna.
Hilarious!
I almost giggled out loud imagining the fun (chaos?. What fun!
The results are wonderful.
Happy New Year!
Just carching up after my bloggy break! Love the gingerbread houses – I may have to try this next year, now that I have discovered that I can get ready-made gingerbread dough!!
Love it-as I do every year! I always look forward to the traditional pics! Glad you had a wonderful time (and won ;))
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! :))
Wonderful, delicious looking gingerbread houses! Congratulations to all the architects! :-)
All are fun and cute but team 5 totally wins. Of course! I think this is a fantastic tradition.
fabulous, I laughed out loud at this, great work guys…
Anna, what a FUN thing to do! Congratulations to all participants. I wouldn’t have been able to choose a winner – they’re all fantastic!!!!!! (PS I’ve been a little slack in my blog reading – as you can tell!)
wow! these were so fun to see. They are absolutely delightful! I love them all.
xx
Once again they are all wonderful Anna! Happy Christmas and Happy New Year! Lucy xx