Annual Gingerbread Party 2008!!!

This year's party was another success (phew)! I couldn't wait to blog about it! We had ten entrants (a do-able number for me). My friend, Lynae, was able to make it for the first year and I was able to reconnect with an old friend, Christie (even though we kinda already have through the world wide web!). Anyhow, despite the absence of my usual judges (thank you John and Rose for stepping up to the task!), this was one of my favorite years! I've kind of been dreading this Christmas (for obvious reasons), but this party really got me in the mood! We kicked off the night with some YUMMY turkey tacos (one of my faves) with all the fixins and beans and rice. I ditched the whole Thanksgiving meal idea...I needed two ovens for that and it just got too hard. Then we moved into the decorating, and lastly the judging. Without further ado here are the results:

In first place, we had John and Rachael, with their beach bungalow titled "Hang 10". Rachael is always so creative and detailed and in short just AMAZING! I wish we had closer pics of the houses so you could see the detail but I'm not the one with the camera (there I go bad-mouthing my husband again...sorry dear, but I really do wish it). Click on the pic and you can see it larger. I am grateful we have the pictures though...I never get the time to snap them myself. In second place, we had Tim and Nancy with their "Carousel Ranch". This was a fun idea. A little carousel with a grapefruit base off to the side! Ethan and Joshua (Tim's sons) were doubting you guys the whole night! I guess you showed them! Very colorful and just all-around cute! In third place, Jay and Kendra with "The White House". I guess I wasn't able to sabotage this one enough! I gave Kendra my gingerbread and icing recipes and neither turned out so great at first (I still am unsure why...maybe it's the baker???) I was absolutely ASTOUNDED by their creation. If you look closely enough you'll see "Obama" standing in front of the White House. This was a very cool idea...I don't get that creative with mine! I'll have to do more research next year.

And here are all of the big ol' losers. I can say that because I was one of them!

This is my friend and neighbor Tracy. Her hubby was M.I.A. He was out on a job in Texas and his flight kept getting delayed. She was a trooper and flew this night solo! This is her quaint little house titled none other than "Tracy's House".

Here are my friends and neighbors, Mike and Rene. This is a house that I was QUITE impressed with and I thought should have taken home a gift card (then again if I was a judge they would all take home gift cards...good thing I'm not!) Theirs was titled "A Roman Christmas". Another very detailed house and Rene even broke out the fondant and gum paste. Here's my friend, Christie, and her husband, Kevin. And let's not forget cute little Gavin (I really do love babies in beanies!) Another beach house, this one titled "Surf's Up". Loved it! Excellent for a first timer! Yet another creative gal! Loved the fish in the ocean in particular. Here's my good old friend, Jules, and her husband, Preston. Can I just say I LOVE this picture. They're so cute, awwwww! Julie informed me they weren't feeling very creative this year, but this turned out cute and colorful. I really do like good old traditional gingerbread houses. This one was titled "The house with the Krispie Car". It reminds me of when you're trying to tell someone which house is yours on the block and you say, "Oh it's the one with...whatever". You get the idea.
This is my friend, Gennifer. Where is her partner you ask? He's probably in the house playing with toys! Gennifer came into this thing this year with her little nephew, 4-year old(?) Lincoln (Genice's son), as her cohort. I wish we had gotten him in the picture. Lincoln and Gennifer's house was called "The Chapel". It had a cute little cemetery. And let's not forget the ring sitting in the cemetery; funny, but nonetheless illegal. The ring was removed (not edible). It was funny because it had a little Virgin Mary in it, sitting next to one of the headstones...he he. Here are Zack, Genice, and Aubrey (another cutie). Zack and Genice's house is always good if you ask me, but has yet to place. Apparently the judges don't appreciate the anti-Politically correct houses. Makes me laugh my head off every year. Always good for a laugh, this year's was titled "Foreclosure". Too funny!
Lastly, here is our house! My friend, Lynae was also flying solo, so she jumped in with us. Ours was titled "Blue Christmas" and you can see why it didn't place. But we sure had fun doing it and that's all that really matters! I'm stepping it up a notch (maybe 2) next year people. This is the 2nd year we didn't place! That cannot be happening...I need bragging rights!It wouldn't be a gingerbread party without at least a mention of my dad. He always got a kick out of judging these houses and he was really missed this year! I remember he came in one year with his own score cards. Apparently my way of judging wasn't good enough for him. I said pick your 4 favorites (in case we won...we don't take prizes, just bragging rights as noted above). He had to go and assign a point system for "most creative", "most colorful", and "neatness counts!". He was cute... I am glad I have yet another happy memory to associate him with and I will always think of him when I'm rolling out my gingerbread dough with his homemade rolling pin (and I'll probably always be crying...so don't call/come over when I'm making gingerbread...I'm having a moment!).