Sunday, December 17, 2006

Gingerbread Houses


Today turned out to be a good Christmas sort of day.

In the morning, my daughter, who is twenty, got up early and helped me do some cleaning.

At noon, my nineteen year niece came over. We went to the grocery store to buy all kinds of goodies; M&M’s, sprinkles, powdered sugar, cake decorations, sugar cubes, cherry licorice. We made gingerbread houses for the first time ever.

I actually supervised and assisted, making royal icing and giving pointers, cleaning up and keeping organized. More pictures of the girls’ houses are at Wings Unfolding. We bonded and reconnected; they have busy lives now that don’t involve me.

This is my logo.

39 comments:

  1. What a relaxing holiday event! Wish my girls had time to share now. I expect a gathering of the clan Christmas Eve. We shall see, each year becomes a greater challenge to accomplish a visit. Love the houses and even more I love the fact that it was fun time shared! Merry Christmas to you and yours...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good times at a holiday gathering...

    How insensitive you are to the Commercialization of Chri$tma$! But the NFL probably put such a crimp into today's Chri$tma$ shopping, so the powers that be will probably overlook your commercial faux pas. I hope you can handle the guilt...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Impressive.

    Now how about a gingerbread trailer park? Or maybe a gingerbread Biltmore estate? Oo! Or how about a gingerbread pirate ship!

    (I've had a few beers and I'm a little sleeply. I will extricate myself from the blogosphere until tomorrow morning.)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love your logo! And the gingerbread houses too. They look yummy and professionally made.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awesome houses--I love gingerbread but I don't think I've ever tasted a house.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Those look very nice. What does the logo represent? I can't figure it out except for the butterfly.

    I've started reading your novel, btw. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nessa, your logo is great. Is it a V around your butterfly? And maybe your last initial? Or is it a secret?

    Glad you had fun with the girls - I am always grateful for the time that mine can connect with me - because they all do grow up and have busy lives that don't involve us.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I thought I was your logo :(

    oooooh, the OTHER kind of logo, got it. I like it.

    Those houses are so cute! I love em. and bonding is good too.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pauline: This was very special because it was so rare. All of our girls work fulltime, have steady boyfriends, go to school and have additional activities, so, they are too busy to spend a whole afternoon with us.

    BB: I am hanging my head in shame and digging out my credit card: (

    PTB: I like the pirate ship idea. I am making a sleigh on my own, I’ll show that to you later. Maybe it will have a pirate instead of Santa. Glad you are relaxed; D

    Sar: Thanks. We had to use only candy they like because they plan to devore them on Christmas Day. That is if their boyfriends don’t get them first and run over them with their trucks. (The houses, not the girls; D)

    Mr. Fab: Yeah, what’s up with that? A multi-media conglomerate needs a logo.

    Serra: They didn’t like the gingerbread. They told me next year we must use their Opa’s molasses cookie recipe.

    Diesel: My logo is a V with an exclamation point and underlined with a butterfly in the middle.

    Oh, no, Mister Bill! Be kind ; D but truthful = (

    Jackie: You are absolutely right; about the logo and the kids. It was only yesterday that I was able to hold my baby in one hand and now she’s a spectacular woman.

    Logo: You ARE the one and only true and beloved logo, but since you are TM’d I had to have something else to keep me warm at night ; D

    ReplyDelete
  10. My gingerbread house looks more like from a scene from "The Day After." Those look incredible.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nessa, these houses are magnificent! Princess and I have been wanting to make a gingerbread house this year, but we keep chickening out. I'm sure ours will never measure up to these masterpieces, but thanks for the inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Housing bust? What housing bust? Yours are booming, GN. Great logo, too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Fantastic homes! I always tried to use the most gingerbread squares possible, which usually meant trying to tie things together with real glue and string after they started falling apart. Unfortunately I never had enough icing or other niceities, so my gingerbread houses usually looked more like small cardboard shacks =(

    Fun to make though!

    ReplyDelete
  14. the houses are great nessa hope you have a great Christmas

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow, that is wonderful.
    Do you think everybody, and i mean for those of us misisng teh artistic bone, have a chnace to fabricate one of these?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oooooooh look at those Christmassy houses!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I like your handy work. The logo is cool, mind if I borrow it?

    ReplyDelete
  18. cute houses!
    i want a bite but my mum has put me on a strict diet...sulk

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yes I know about busy schedules and the privacy act that grown children cloak themselves within.The pictures brought back fond memories for me. Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Very nice. When I was a kid I tried to eat a ginger bread house that my sister made. I about broke my teeth. I love the logo, Nessa.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Your ginger bread houses are so incredibly cute! I love them! I can completely relate to how precious and few those moments can be with our just out of the house and grown children.

    Looks like you had a wonderful day full of sweet memories, soon to be eaten but never forgotten! lol

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yer so crafty and cool! Can i have on of those?

    ReplyDelete
  23. The logo is fluttery and light...I like it. Also, love the way baking gingerbread makes the house smell. Looks like you are having lots of fun. Happy Hollydays.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I tried to make a gingerbread house once but it fell in. My son Pat and I bond every Christmas making saffron buns together. Now I am more of a direction giver but we still have a lot of fun.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Since the prices of houses are taking a nosedive (even in NJ), I think I'd like to purchase both of those.

    Do they come with coffee?

    ReplyDelete
  26. You are one creative butterfly! Love the logo.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hey, look at me. My little red imp is back!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi Darlin'

    If you need a break from all the christmas cheer, go see your demise at my blog...Mr. Fab is at it again...

    ReplyDelete
  29. Those are awesome gingerbread houses! We made gingerbread men and ladies... and it WAS a pretty good time. Even if I can't eat the cookies. boo hoo

    Love the logo!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hey Nessa, are you on vacation? You haven't commented on my review of your novel.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Merry Christmas, Nessa! May the joy of this season fill your heart and find you surrounded by those you love!

    ReplyDelete
  32. This is a Cindra spam. Happy Holidays! And please do go wish mine hubby a happy happy jolly jolly. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  33. I love your Gingerbread Houses...it is nice to have a project with ones children no matter how old :)
    Nessa, it would be such fun to get together sometime after the Holidays....perhaps at Starbucks in Medford?
    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Nessa, Happy Holidays to you and your family. xox ~ G

    ReplyDelete
  35. The Phoenix: All gingerbread houses look wonderful, as I’m sure yours does. Thanks.

    Kat: You should do it. It was ever so much fun.

    Al: Thanks. Yes, we did catch a break in the housing market.

    Anita: We had loads of fun, too.

    Tina: Thanks.

    Minka: Yes, I do. Maybe I’ll do some easy instructions with illustrations for next year.

    Jenn: Hey, baby. Not as good looking as your tastey treats, though.

    Egan: Does your name begin with a “v” too? ;D

    Pink: Christmas food is not fattening. It is a special rule.

    Pauline: The girls seemed to be particularly warm this year. Very special.

    Grunty: I could see how that would happen. The girls want to let their boyfirnds run over them with their cars. Must be true love; D

    Pamela: I had a very wonderful time.

    Cindra: Thanks. I sent you one in my heart; D

    Swampy: The Hollydays were lovely this year. Hope yours was too.

    Dr. John: I saw saffron in the grocery store this year and thought of you. If I hadn’t already had so many others things planned, I’d have tried your recipe. The saffron looks fascinating.

    Dan: Yes, a fine blend suitable for dunking.

    Doug: Thanks.

    G: Thank you, too.

    Cindra: I thought I’d have more time this weekend, but didn’t. I did see I died, but I was happy that I was only 41 when it happened.

    DCMM: The making is the best part. Thanks.

    Diesel: Oops, I’m on my way.

    Quilly: Merry Christmas to you, too. Thank you.

    Cindra: I will be by soon.

    Mo’a: Yes, it was a very special day. I’d love to meet you. I’ll e-mail you.

    G: Thank you. Hope you had a great Chanukah.

    Pink: Merry Christmas to you too.

    Diesel: Merry Christmas.

    ReplyDelete