Gingerbread Creation - 2010

Dan and I had a lot of fun (and some arguments)
while creating this gingerbread creation.  

Dan wanted to do another lighthouse
but didn't want to use the design from 2006 

so we tried a new technique that was a complete flop
(sorry, I forgot to take pictures).   

We couldn't even eat the gingerbread because it didn't bake properly.
Thankfully,  I wasn't fully convinced that it would work
so I didn't waste a lot of time or gingerbread dough on it.

After much discussion, we finally decided on a building to recreate. 

The design phase was what created the most discussion.  

We finally came up with a basic plan
and after we both made adjustments to it,
we came up a pattern we were happy with.

Here is the building we decided to copy.

Here is our assembled but undecorated gingerbread replica 

(obviously on a much smaller scale than the real one!).

This creation required a little bit different assembly than we usually do.  It involved using a bread knife to miter the corners so that the sides would be at the proper angles (you did notice that there are no ninety degree angles here, right?).

We also had to assemble it as three different levels and then put the levels together.

I usually use soup or vegetable cans to hold the walls upright while the royal icing dries but because of the angles of the walls, that wouldn't really work so Dan held them in place for quite awhile.

When it came time to decorate, we decided to keep it simple.  To make it go faster, Dan did one side while I did the adjacent side.  Then we turned it 180 degrees and did the same thing.  The pictures here are taken from the front, which is definitely the best side.  If you look at the sides the tower seems to be leaning a little bit.  

All in all, we're happy with the way it turned out.

A bit of trivia - Fred and I have been to the top of the Eiffel Tower. 
It really is as incredible as it seems.

1.  A son that does fun things with me
2.  the smell of gingerbread
3. royal icing