The advert appeared on Facebook - Decorate a Gingerbread House!!! Yes yes yes..... My inner child did cartwheels, my outer child did the same!! How fun! I sent my message to Carry On cafe and booked my slot!!
As the time drew near, I was a bit tired, contemplated not going - but in the end Sunday 26th 2pm there I was.
I walked into the cafe - and there was the table all laid out. I looked like Gulliver in Lilliput.... It was all for little people! There was a couple of moms there already with their kids and then more came along and then there was me..
The only adult without a child!!
Did I care? Not really - actually not at all!!
I sat in my chair, my knees near my armpits and looked into all the tubs in front of me. Smarties, M&M, marshmallows, liquorice, fruit pastilles. Jelly beans, wafers, hundreds and thousands, Hersey kisses, kits kits!!! A child’s sugar heaven, a parent’s sugar hell...
I haven’t had sugar like that in a loooooong time, chocolate yes, but not pure jelly sweets and it was a great feeling to not care for it either.
Let decorating commence.
Artist’s block!!!
What to do - where to start? So many choices.. I picked up my icing bag and off I went - roof, gummies, this that and the other and my house took shape.
The back was fun as I decided to make a sort of face! Then Oooooooo Santa - sleigh - NAH - car!!! Bring it on....
A crooked door, a snow splattered path, Santa in his car - my house rocked. As I neared the end it was like being at a buffet - you know when you keep snacking? I kept adding a bit, eventually the roof was totally covered and I had to STOP!!!!
I looked at the others- the kids were fab. They didn’t give two sh*ts about what went where, whether it was symmetrical or looked ‘right’. They put what they wanted where - awesome.
One other lady decorated too - her house was so pristine and tidy and together - I wondered what her real house inside was like!! She even made a bench out of kits kits and pretzels (oh yeah there was pretzels too....) - that was good, really creative!
I did no more, had eaten a few sweets, then the biscuit itself came out to try. 2 blocks and that was enough for me, yum but too much - man my taste buds had changed..
Our houses were carefully boxed, and I wandered home. Then the sugar hit me!! WOAH I had not had a sugar hit for ages and felt quite drunk but I’d rather have it from alcohol, this sugar rush wasn’t good. Took me by surprise in a good way!.
I calmed (I wonder what the kids were like though) - assisted by a glass of wine and there sat my house, so pretty!! What to do with it though..?
In the end it has a lovely spot in the studio I work at in East Coast- The Moving Body, the poor lady who works the front desk and loves sugar has a sugar house in front of her all day!!.
It was GREAT fun, loved seeing the kids creativity and such a shame more adults don’t remain in touch with this side of their inner child!
I urge you to be a BIG kid and enjoy the silly season!!!....