all i can say is i tried, LOL.

the beginning:


next stage:


almost done:


finally done:


i used random chocolates, candy canes, nerds, and wheat-thins to make this wonderful masterpiece :p

I thought it would be sad to dismantle and eat the gingerbread house after it was done but I was wrong. It was quite joyful eating so much yummy gingerbread and candy.

The original base for this house was supposed to have been a lovely chocolate Yule Log. Was to have been. I reckoned without Raven and Winter, the Australian Shepherd duo I adopted from a shelter. They are good dogs but are still learning basic manners. Anyhow, ingredients assembled, and all but the Yule Log unwrapped, I went to fetch the camera, came back, and saw Winter dashing away with the Yule Log in his mouth!

Chocolate can kill a dog, so I gave chase. While he didn't manage to open the package, Winter thoroughly bashed the Yule Log; it's still edible but no longer looks like either Yule or Log.

After sadly inspecting the package, I went back to my work area...and found that Raven had methodically pulled all the non-chocolate ingredients onto the floor, where she, Winter, and Dog #3, Holly, were happily eating them.

After banishing the pets and cleaning up, I clearly had a problem. OK, drop back and punt. What can I salvage? What else do I have in the house? What kind of house can I make? (Why am I doing this?) Luckily, I came up with a new design, suitable to limited construction supplies: The Gingerbread Mother-In-Law Apartment!

Below are the salvaged materials, plus such things as pumpkin toaster pastries and a half-finished box of chocolate candies. I didn't think of the broccoli until later, so it's not in the shot. (Yes, broccoli. Deal with it.)



Now the walls are up. Below, fitting the roof (the lone surviving soft gingerbread cookie) to the walls and chimney.



Had to patch that crack with "plaster" made of cream cheese frosting and chocolate bits. The house is mortared together with buttercream frosting (instant coffee added for strength). The door, chimney, and supports are candies. Below, completing the landscaping and decorating, with gummi candies for lights around the door.



Mother-in-law's faithful Zolnixi provided for scale. (Zolnixi is not edible, but everything else is.) The walkway is flagged with sliced chocolate candies, the snow is coconut, and the trees are obvious. Here's a different angle.



And a closeup.

My house is made out of Larabars (yummy natural energy bars) for the walls, saltine crackers affixed with almond butter for the roof, and baking soda and instant coffee granules for the snow and the dirt.

I love this little chalet.


Aerial View To see the work on the roofs.



The lake is made from a corn tortilla I dyed blue and then put in the toaster to dry out.

That was the second tortilla.. I nearly burnt down my house with the first one. Tortillas cook fast in the toaster oven. I heard an ominous WOOSH! and turned around to see flames erupting from the toaster. No worries, all is well.

Anyways, the snow is sugar and the bridge is made from a graham cracker. Had a lot more pictures but didn't want to take up too much space. One house is even graffitied on the back. That darn Kyo!

Wow. O_O

So, first off I just want to say how blown away Krin and I are with all the participation that this game had. We couldn't believe that so many people made gingerbread houses! I think this was better than Christmas morning going through this thread and looking at all the awesome houses that everyone created. It was SO tough to narrow down three winners, as in our book everyone here made an awesome house.

Because of the outstanding work that everyone put into their houses we have made the participation prize for this game extra special. :)

And without further ado here are the winners of the Gingerbread House Contest:

1st Place: Absoluteinsanity



Prizes: 2000 Diamonds, Custom 3 Visible Pet or 3-Visible Themed Pet

I just want to say that looking at the process of which you made this house was stunning. We couldn't believe that you went through the effort to create a pasta hardwood floor and even furniture inside! We loved it and thank you for creating and sharing something so awesome with us.

2nd Place: Rixie



Prizes: 1000 Diamonds, 3-Visible Winter Festival Themed Pet

Rixie your gingerbread house looked like something out of a magazine! We couldn't believe how neat and organized everything looked! The place setting for the house was just outstanding...and THAT CHRISTMAS TREE?! Amazing! :D


3rd Place: Kyokai



Prizes: 500 Diamonds, 2-Visible Themed Pet

It is a fricken awesome gingerbread house village. Is there anything else I need to say?

Participation Prizes

Everyone that participated and made a wonderful house to share with our community will receive the following: Winter Festival Basket, 5 Lucky Wheel of Dreams Tickets, Rainbow Minstrel Set.



The Rainbow Minstrel set is a special colored full 2015 January Monthly set. Only the participants of this contest will receive one and it will forever be retired and unobtainable in any other way. It is suppose to be special to show how special it was that all of you put so much time in effort in sharing your wonderful houses with us. Thank you again, words can't express how blown away we were by this contest. :)

As always, for those of you that need to choose their prizes please be patient with me for sending out PMs. Thank you! :)