Sunday, December 30, 2007

goofing off at home

Hi there! Want to see our new house?

gingerbread6

It's more of a temple, really. A gingerbread temple.

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This is my sister's amazing Christmas gift to our family: an incredible gingerbread temple made from candies with flavors like tamarind and guava, with a big old gingerbread buddha meditating out front. Pretty neat, huh? Every year I tell her she should enter the National Gingerbread House Competition (especially since it happens here in North Carolina) -- maybe next year!

Sorry it's been so long since I posted -- like everyone else, I got a little busy with the baking, wrapping and all-night knitting marathons. But we had a lovely Christmas, and I really did get to sit back and enjoy it this year. We just got back from a trip North to visit my grandmothers and some aunts & uncles & cousins, and to eat at every shiny diner we got near. I tend to think North Carolina is just about perfect, but we could really do with some 24-hour baking-on-premises shiny diners (New Jersey, by the way, has the more diners than any other state - or nation! - in the world).

I still have some holiday knitting left to finish, since we'll be seeing HWWLLB's family next week, and there's at least one package that will be a Happy New Year gift for its intended recipient. But the Big Project, HWWLLB's Lopi sweater, is finished! Woo-hooo! Well, the knitting is finished, and I grafted the underarms on Christmas Eve when HWWLLB went out to deliver a pie to some friends. The ends still need weaving in, and it's in desperate need of blocking, but I actually gave him a finished sweater with no needles still attached on Christmas morning, and I have to say it wasn't easy, but it looks great. I'll post some pictures as soon as I can get him to model it (and after I've blocked it).

I hope you all are enjoying some lazy time at home with a little hot chocolate. There are two more days before I have to go back to work, and I intend to laze them away with little thought to 2008. Now off to prowl the internets and check out all of your winter projects...

6 comments:

  1. What a creative gingerbread creation! Good luck finishing up the holiday knitting (I'm in the same boat), and happy New Year!

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  2. that gingerbread house has to be the coolest thing ever. i love it! so your whole FAMILY is creative?!?!?!

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  3. Your sister is so clever! As clever as you are! The gingerbread temple should be entered in some contest, and it should win!!! Glad you had a rest and a great holiday (which isn't over, YAY!)and how great to give HHWLLB a finished sweater! Way to go!! Happy New Year, and health and happiness for 2008 are my wishes for you and yours. samm

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  4. Happy New Year! I LOVE the gingerbread house - Whoah!

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  5. Welcome back to blogland! Love the gingerbread temple. Have a terrific new year.

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  6. i ate at shiny diners in NY, too. they really are amazing!

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