: Gingerbread Wonderland

Wow! Is it just me, or did Thanksgiving Break seem to fly by? One minute I was unpacking my bag at home, the next, I was back in my dorm room with no homework done and a load of clean laundry to put away. I was thankful for the time the break allowed me to spend with family and friends, so I definitely made the most of my days off, and did not even think about the final papers and exams that comprise the last weeks of the semester. Instead, I went out for dinner, did a lot of seasonal baking at home, saw Harry Potter again (even better the second time), and went to the Grove Park Inn twice to see the gingerbread houses.

The entries this year were awesome! I saw them on Wednesday night with some old high school friends and on Thursday morning with my family (a holiday tradition). The houses will be on display (free of charge) until January 2, so if you haven't been able to see them yet, go! For those of you who cannot visit, or live too far away to do so, below are some pictures of my favorite entries from this year.

In addition to the gingerbread house competition, the Grove Park Inn is also known around this time of year for its display of lavishly decorated Christmas trees. On each wing of the main floor of the hotel are a series of evergreens with elaborate and often whimsical decorations that are so much fun to admire. This year, there was a peacock-themed tree (topped with a fake peacock!) and quite possibly a flamingo-themed tree (decorated generously with pink feathers). Here are a few pictures of the trees and the GPI to give you a better idea of what it's like here.