They DO exist!!

I am SO ECSTATIC!! When we were at my in-laws' this Thanksgiving, we were making plans for the 2nd Annual Hocking Gingerbread House Build-off. My mom-in-law said we should make sure to take pictures during our building this year, so we have a record of the event. I mentioned that I was very sad that we didn't take them last year. We didn't have any record of our first, yet fabulous, attempts.



My mom-in-law said, "Oh, I took photos after y'all left!" (She's from Louisiana and has a cute little bit of a Southern accent still left! Well, it may be stronger than I think...I'm just used to it and don't even really hear it anymore. I don't hear my husband's accent at all, and he spent the first 20 years of his life in Texas. People tell me he has one, but I just can't hear it, much to his chagrin.)


But, without further ado, the photographic proof of the First Annual Hocking Gingerbread House Build-off!!! (As you are viewing the pictures, please remember that we all started with the SAME house kits and access to identical materials.)




The trophies J and I so lovingly crafted. (**See previous blog, "Pity Points Suck, Parts 1&2 for the story behind these trophies!)





The third place winners, Mom and Dad H.

Notice the color scheme?? It matches the barn they just finished building.

See the precision frosting work? Neat lines, even candy placement...

All sides of this house look fabulous!

See the replicas of Mom and Dad H.? The hat Dad is wearing is made from gum drops. As is the campfire. Sheesh. Mom's collar is made from jelly bean shavings. Seen here with their 3rd place trophy.

The second place winners, H and C (**who REALLY should have won in all honesty)

See the rock chimney? The "boulders"? The colored water? The realistic looking sand made from sugar? The palm trees made from individually cut chunks of dark chocolate painstakingly glued together with royal icing? The moss? The pot of flowers on the front porch??








They modified their house to make a beach bungalow. Holy crap.

With the 2nd place trophy.

And, the first place winners, J and I! (I repeat, PITY POINTS SUCK!)

Here with our first place trophy, proof that our family took pity on our poor, pathetic souls.

Remember when I said we had trouble with our frosting consistency and it looked like a very large and very sick bird had an accident on our roof?? Here's the proof I wasn't exaggerating. We had fun, no matter how crappy (pun intended!) our house turned out.

Here's hoping this year goes better!