Gingerbread extravaganza!

The first thing I did when I got to Rochester, NY today was visit the Eastman House, where in addition to touring the beautiful house and museum, I got to see the 14th annual gingerbread house auction. The 67 gingerbread houses were made by amateur and professional bakers - and I was amazed by the creativity.

 

This Bed and Breakfast is perfect in every detail - and I love the realistic snow on the roof.

 

Here's the Geva Theater Center. The gingerbread is smooth and no cracks in these big pieces - mine is never this flat!

 

Because I was a Girl Scout and a Girl Scout leader, I especially liked the ones made by Girl Scout troops. This one is called "Girl Scout Peace Village". You can tell the girls had a great time decorating the little cabins!

 

This blue beauty was made by a Brownie troop. The blue pond has a mirror for the water - but you can barely see it under all of the blue sugar!

Not all of the entries were houses - here is the inside of a bedroom with every detail in place! (click on it to see the quilts on the beds!)

 

These monkeys live in a "Monkey Condo". I wanted to taste that chocolate frosting!

 

Here's the Rochester skyline made out of gingerbread. I didn't see much of the real skyline because it's rainy and foggy today - good thing I got to see it here!

 

Back in Elk River, this is the only gingerbread we've gotten done this year - for some reason we've already been in the mood to work on Christmas puzzles. Maybe after Thanksgiving we'll bake some gingerbread houses!

Tomorrow I'll be giving a Lecture for Sew on Sew Forth in Rochester, and then on Saturday I'll do another lecture in Buffalo. I hope to see some of you blog hoppers there!

Today is Linda's special day to share a great project with you - and we've saved the best for last - her project was definitely worth waiting for!!

It's our final day of the Cross Country Christmas blog hop and the last day to get a comment on each designer's blog - remember that if you comment all 12 designers you're eligible for one of the three grand prizes! The winners will be announced on Tuesday - so you have the whole weekend to catch up on all the projects and stories and leave comments on all 12 blogs!

Comments

[Nancyz]

Thanks to all for the wonderful fun blogs!

[Kathy]

Hey Terry, if you really want one of those ginger bread houses, I believe that some of them are being auctioned off to benefit the Eastman House restoration project. But it would be really fun to make one yourself. Imagine one with .. oh the possibilities!

[Linda H]

Wow, great houses. Have certainly made a few of those in my time....nothing quite so elaborate. Thanks for everything.

[Jewel]

Thanks so much for the hop. I will miss you all tomorrow!

[Jocelyn]

Oh wow how very creative! It's been such a fun blog hop. Thanks for all your fun and creative posts. I've enjoyed visiting everyone every morning. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

[Darlis]

Have enjoyed this wonderful blog hop and getting to know more about you. All of you ladies are so talented. Thank you all.

[Robyn]

This has been a lot of fun. I appreciate you ladies doing this and the thought and time that went into it. It's wonderful for those of us that can't do a driving shop hop because of time or just whatever reason. Thank you.

[Jenny]

Wow, love the monkey condo. But I think my favorite was the girl scout peace village! Thanks for doing the blog hop. It has been wonderfully fun!

[TheaM]

LOVE those gingerbread houses - that's one of my favorite Christmas memories - the smell of that gingerbread as you entered the house was fantastic!

[cindylee]

i have got to say how much i have enjoyed this blog hop. i have seen so many cool projects and am now aware of some new to me designers whose projects i love. i have laughed at some of the stories and been touched by others. thanks to everyone who have participated. :-)

[Ruby]

Thank you for sharing the gingerbread houses! I have always admired them but have never made one. Maybe when I retire (lol)

[Cindy C.]

This is just not right -sharing such beautiful edibles!! I think I need to refill my cup of coffee and get a donut...LOL

Thank you for sharing these fun gingerbread house, bedrooms, etc. I loved the photos.

[Sequana]

I hope Ms. Rosebud's Cottage is looking at these houses. I love the ones the scouts did. *S*

Thx so much for being a part of this great hop. It was a wonderful way to start off the season.

[SuzK]

Loved those gingerbread houses. My Mom was a pastry chef and did gingerbread house workshops for years. The trick is to use a bread mixer thingy when combining the ingredients, then use sufficient flour (but not too much - which is not easy to do without Mom over my shoulder guiding me now!), rolling out the dough to a little less than 1/4 inch, cutting the pieces and then putting them on those cooking mats they now sell. Most of the time you end up with nice flat, non-cracked pieces. Mom would "paint" cracked ones with royal icing, which was really pretty as well. The other fun thing is to leave the door open a crack and fill the house with candy just before you put on the roof.

[Penne Sherer]

Thanks so much for the "Blog Hop". It was wonderful getting know a little about each of you and what you all do in the design world. I haven't actually made anything yet but do have several favorites that I will be sure to make .....probably not before Christmas though..LOL

Regards
Penne

[Betty]

Just wanted to tell you that I have enjoyed the blog hop. But I also wanted you to know that I have made your Lessons From Mama sampler once, and am going to make it again. I really enjoyed making that pattern and it is really one of the prettiest sampler patterns I have seen.

[Jill]

Thank you so much for the blog hop! It has been wonderful! I have so enjoyed the memories and the patterns. You ladies are great!!!

[Elaine]

Thanks for the blog hop and love the gingerbread houses.....what is the puzzle? So cute.

[carolyn]

Thanks for the blog hop! It's been so much fun!

[Sandy]

What gorgeous houses...I would have loved to seen all of them. Thank you for sharing all of your traditions and memories with us hoppers. It was a hoot reading them!

[Margi Borck]

Oh my! All those gingerbread creations are amazing! I'd have gotten so hungry LOL Thanks for all the great posts during the hop!

[marta]

Gracias por las casitas de jengibre. Gracias por cada uno de los días y las historias de tan grandes diseñadoras.

[Beth Reilly]

Nothing like those gingerbread houses to get in the mood for Christmas! Have a great time in New York, Terry :)

Beth

[Kathi D]

Wow! Those are incredible!

[lisa]

I have yet to make a gingerbread house that didn'tuse grahm crackers and those little milk containers from Elementry school. This might be teh year that changes =)

[Wendy]

I so enjoyed this week and have read your blog every day. I'm sorry I didn't post every day but wanted to let you know how much fun I had with your stories and looking at your talented work.

[Mary Ellen]

Thanks Terri how talented everyone is it has been a great 12 days will never forget this year. Mary Ellen

[Lori Martindale]

Hi Terry=
I'm in the process of making the b/w alphabet quilt--love love love it. The blog hop has been so much fun-now I need to spend some time in my sewing room-ha! Thanks. Lori

[Glenda]

Thank you for sharing the ideas and memories in the blog hop. I have had a lot of fun. Love those Gingerbread Houses!

[Julie in WA]

Thanks for sharing pics of those beautiful gingerbread houses! Somehow ours never turns out that fancy. Of course, we use kits and limit ourselves to what is in the box!

[arlette]

LOVE the puzzle, I'd like to have oneeeeeeeeeeeee, lol, cute gingerbread houses, we don't use to make them, just ginger cookies :(

[Ann in NC]

Thanks so much for all of the work that went into the blog hop. All of the designers did a fantastic job! I'm hoping all of my comments showed up on each blog! Kudos to all of the designers!

[Leslie Schmidt]

Thank you for letting us get a peek into your busy, creative lives. I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to experience the joys of the season with all of you.

[Leslie]

The gingerbread houses make me miss my sister-in-law were great friends also, I live in Washington now she lives in Washington DC. Thanks for the blogs and the memories,the wonderful gift projects. Blessings on your holidays

[susan]

Thank you for participating in the blog hop. It was awesome to get all the patterns and ideas.

[Piecefully, Pam]

Thanks for sharing your photos of the gingerbread houses. Amazing! ; )

[Edith Mascia]

I had the good fortune to meet Terry today at her lecture. She has inspired me to make something. Also it was fun to talk about Fiesta with another collector. Have a safe trip home.

[Cheryl Petty]

This has been fun. Enjoyed the ginger bread houses. So much effort!

[Melisa]

The Monkey Condo is my favorite. Kind of reminds me of MY house! :-)