Visions of Gingerbread

Oh me gee! I seriously have been meaning to post a lot more frequently during this month!! There are so many fun fun fun fun fun things happening that I could honestly have something new to post about each day!! BUT that's kinda the problem! I am so busy there aren't enough hours in the day to blog like I want.

Since I'm pressed for time, I won't update you on the gingerbread wars quite yet. I want to do that justice...so. What I'm going to do, is tell you about the Christmas Spirit. A lesson I learned through this year's gingerbread house.

I, as you will know if you read previous posts, love gingerbread houses. They are FANTASTIC. And so, naturally, I was very much looking forward to making a crazy cool one for the gingerbread season! Alas. It was not to be. The visions of gingerbread beauty and gumdrops which danced in my head were not to be.

Though still a bit saddened at the outcome and truly trying to see the inclusion of my brothers as a wonderful family bonding time...I give you...

this year's gingerbread house.

She's a real beauty ain't she? Hold on, got some more pictures for you...

The fact that my brothers had such fun making the gingerbread house was really great. I'm happy when my family if happy. And honestly as far as family gingerbread houses go, this is a rather good one. Crazy, insane, and not aesthetically organized. . . but still good.

Jon is quite the decorator. And the wall he and Joe did is very. . . .colorful and Van Gogh like.

 I guess I just wanted my gingerbread house to be a bit more. . .organized. And with a lack of the gingerbread man crime scene we ended up with. Classic boy's touch.


But I can say this. When I look back, I'll remember that this is really what Christmas is about. NOT the crime scene lol but the fun and loving aspect of the Christmas season. So I didn't get to have the perfect gingerbread house I was looking forward to. BUT for the past couple years no one really helped me with the decorating when I wanted them to. This year, Joe and Jon helped and had a lot of fun. That's more valuable than a good-looking gingerbread house and I'll take it!

Culprit still at large

As a side note...I went walking the Christmas lights!

Yes. Where I live we have the BEST Christmas lights! I just had to take a picture by a Super Mario Bros themed house. It was a must.

I hope to blog again before Sunday...but if I don't...

Have a Wonderful Christmas!! Remember that without Christ, there is no Christmas!!

~MollyMarie

Christmas Timeeeee

Holy toledo and two gingersnaps!! Seriously December has been soooo crazy!!

The Gingerbread House War was last Friday. . . and boy was it STRESSFUL to put together!! But the results were FANTASTIC! Everyone seemed to have a ton of fun and we had a lot of people participate. I'll be putting up a post dedicated solely to the War so I won't say too much more about it, except that it went SO MUCH BETTER than I thought it was going to turn out!! :D

But other than that, I started doing "24 days of Fun" with Jon. Each day of December I'll make a little card-type-thing and have planned some fun craft or project to do together. 

I found out my phone does this neat little collage shot. . . so i had to use it! lol. But so far there have been 14 Days of Fun and Jon is in the Christmas Spirit!

I on the other hand am still trying to get myself to feel the holiday cheer. I just finished my last final of the Fall 2011 semester!!!! So I'm headed in the right direction. I mean, honestly. This semester, 15 units of 500-level history courses was TOUGH!! The sheer number of books the professors required me to read. . . .INSANELY RIDICULOUS!!

After looking back at finals week: a 9pg paper, a  12 pg paper, 2 in class essay finals [cumulative], and a presentation. . . i realize I'm lucky to be alive!! haha

But now that school is over until January 18th, I can focus on CHRISTMAS!!! Gingerbread house here I comeeeee!! (haha told you I was addicted!!) I'm so excited for all the baking I get to do!

-gingersnaps
-peanut butter blossums
-russian snowballs
-gingerbread men
-sugar cookies
-snicker-doodles
-chocolate chip cookies
-almond rocha
-peanut brittle
-magic cookie squares
-rice crispies
-cinnamon crackles
      and all the other regulars!!

Oooooh I think I'm getting the Christmas Spirit just thinking of all the baking!! :D

Cinnamon Tortoise Shell Muffins (DELICIOUS!)

  just the beginning of my Christmas baking adventures

Sugar cookie decorating station

Me at the Tree Farm!

This'll be the BEST Christmas ever!! I'm sure of it!

Keep loving, keep living, keep baking!
~MollyMarie

Gingerbread House WAR!!

I told you already. I'm addicted. Therefore I offer this next post with no apologies!! Especially since it's gingerbread season!

I organized a Gingerbread House War/ Competition. Girls versus Guys. . .yeah, a little unfair. . .but still extremely fun!

On Sunday, we (the girls) issued our Declaration of War. We set up a poster and set out some cookies. . .

Pre-plated (oh so cute!)

                      and plated (they looked great!!!)




Along with the cookies and poster we sent. . .

a written declaration










and the rule sheet...








The challenge was taken up with enthusiasm. The girls are getting WAY into it. We have some super cool planning ideas going on...the guys really don't stand a chance! haha :) But it should be an interesting fight. The guys seem pretty stoked as well and I've heard some talk that since "canons" and not "cannons" were included in the restricted items...that there will be some actual weaponry. It's gonna get INTENSE!!

I can't wait until the 9th!! I'll post pictures and results. Too excited to contain myself!!!!

Life's the GREATEST!
~MollyMarie

Day After the Feast

All went well! My rolls were received with much love and the meal was FANTASTIC!!! I found a new adoration for sweet potatoes, I found out that just because my stomach couldn't fit anymore turkey or stuffing didn't mean that cookies and pie could not be consumed, and I found that even when your pants no longer fit your waist. . . one can still be quite content.

My Aunt decorated the house so cute and being around family was seriously the best! The food was aplenty the football was a playin and we skyped with family from Idaho. . .which included my sister this year!! Since she's up in Idaho for school (I know, poor poor child lol) she spent the holiday with my cousins. I really do miss her (but shhh. don't let her know! haha). AND Uncle Danny and Aunt Rachel skyped from Australia! They're doing swell and are coming over to the States soon to spend Christmas with us!

Speaking of Christmas. . . . . . .

It's officially the season!! We started decorating!!

Christmas Oh Christmas. The best time of year.

The piano is one of my FAVORITE things about our house. . . and come Christmas, I love it even more!! :)

 An awkward angle. . . but the houses really look cute! Go Mom for your creativity! The house looks great so far!!!



Life is just the bees knees! And come December 1st, Jon and I are starting the 24 Days of Fun! Each day we will make a craft, make a treat, or do something special (like playing at the Christmas tree farm.. . yeah you read right! There's a Christmas tree farm by our house!). It'll be very memorable for Jon and for me. . .and as he grows up I want him to have those good memories of his sister! :)

 I'll keep you all updated on the crafts and awesome Christmas shenanigans happening throughout the month. . . so just stay tuned!!

Keep Happy!!
~MollyMarie

Holiday Houses!

I AM ADDICTED. Not only to peanut butter, sugar, and singing at the top of my lungs when no one is around . . . yeah, don't judge haha. . . .but I also am quite thoroughly addicted to making holiday houses. Holiday houses as in gingerbread houses and their knock-offs. What are these knock-offs, you ask. They are the other types of bread houses used to create gingerbread house look alikes for other holidays.

FOR EXAMPLE. . .
Halloween:
chocolate bread house.
Thanksgiving:
chocolate bread house (an adapted version of the Halloween kit which I got on sale for $2.50. Score. . . cuz i would have bought it at full price lol. Mwhahaha! They lost potential money!!! ha. . . . .ok I'm done being awkward)
Other holidays:
I plan on buying extra christmas gingerbread house kits for Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day. . .but the other holidays. . . I might end up making from scratch. . . addictions are addicting, so i will definitely, maybe end up going all out on these things!! haha

Over the years I have made many a house . Christmas and Halloween are the main ones . But this year, my Thanksgiving house is looking mighty legit!!

Holiday House: Thanksgiving (incomplete)

Ain't it just lookin prime?? Haha. A mixture of cereal, leftover Halloween candy and candy that came with the kit, this house is my most creative!! See the car on the left?? Milkyway body, gum drop wheels, piece of cap'n crunch for the front fender thing (believe it or not I'm not a car person and don't know everything!! lol), and a mini 3musketeer for the top part. I'm cool, I know.

I'll definitely post more pictures once I've completed it!!

Here's my Halloween House project! I did a lot of it with Jon so it's pretty darn awesome and a bag and a half of extraordinary!!

He's a master! Such Concentration!

 that's a spiderweb on the back. Jon threw (literally!) green-colored sugar on it to put in a "haunting effect." 

i love the candycorn walkway...it's sooo pretty! 

 haha...those are sugar cookies in the back. Thing about me is that I have to be working on multiple projects at the same time or my life is just not crazy enough! Aaaaand, I forgot to take a picture of the end product of the cookies : / but they were suuuuuperrrrr cute and went suuuuuperrrr fast!

I just LOVE making these houses! Can't wait to be able to work more on the Thanksgiving House! ALSO! Watch out for my post with the legit Christmas gingerbread houses!! They're gonna be great!

Stay Happy. Feed your Tastebuds.
~MollyMarie