My daughter (visiting for a few days from Boston) and my husband, sister, brother and I went last Saturday to Bellingham’s annual Gingerbread House display in our port’s Alaska Ferry Building. Some of the “houses” (also pyramids, robots, tree trunks, animals, volcanoes) were a great success (see the photo above, with Oz’s yellow brick road, Dorothy’s house coming down from the twister, a field of red poppies, and the Emerald City in the corner – what a lot of work that must have taken!) Some were just plain cute, and a few were what you might call a hot mess. Better said: For some of the projects, grand ambitions ruled the day, not grand abilities (but more power to them for forging ahead.) Let’s also admit that from time to time the aesthetic approach of “If a little is good, a lot is better” took a kid with free access to marshmallows and Skittles way over the top.
In any case, the gingerbread projects – about 50 every year – are ambitious, hilarious, fascinating, and full of heart. A few are even mysterious. And all are a delight to see. You can spy a Christmas tree made of green Cheerios, cedar shingles made of Wheat Chex, ladders made of pretzle sticks, a path made from a piece of cooked bacon, and at the end of the viewing – joy! – you get to vote for your favorite project for the People’s Choice Award. I think the robot pictured below might have won that award.
Here are the photos my daughter took to share with my grandson back in Boston. There is no deeper meaning to this post, no words of wisdom. It’s just good to remember that the kids we write for, and the families they are a part of, have lives filled with humor, wonder, creativity and community. We’re lucky to have our books be part of all that.
Enough said. Enjoy the gingerbread.
AND FROM MY HOUSE TO YOUR HOUSE, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
[THIS R2-D2 STANDS ABOUT 30″ TALL AND ITS HEAD MOVES!!!]
Books Around The Table 
Yum! Thank you for a sharing this gingerbread celebration — Yes, I am smiling and laughing … “if some is good then more is better!” Ho Ho Ho
Big holiday hug across the miles, Nancy, and best wishes for happy & creative new year! Come visit me in Bellingham!
What’s more enchanting than building a world of candy!
I felt exactly that way every time I played Candyland when I was a kid!
what fun! we visited the human-sized gingerbread house downtown at the old olympic hotel and were also well entertained. ingredients included 80 pounds of molasses and 80 pounds of butter, and decorations fearured 2,500 candy canes.
Oh, must go see that! I wonder how long it will be on display…?
Oh I love the book themed one(s)! Clever!
Thanks for visiting Books Around the Table, Lindsay! Glad you enjoyed the photos.
WOW! The Wizard of Oz themed gingerbread house is so clever. I had to show my big kid Howl’s Moving Castle — one of our favorite books. Thanks for sharing these photos, Julie.
Thanks for hosting Poetry Friday this week, Laura! For those of you reading this reply, here’s the link to Laura’s Poetry Friday round-up:
https://laurashovan.com/2018/12/poetry-friday-is-here/