You'd Never Know.....

To look at her, you'd never know. My friend Karla Coe-Specker, champion body builder, builds gingerbread houses.

She spends hundreds of hours and goes through layers of skin on her hands and fingers as she painstakingly adorns each chimney with chocolate covered almonds and sweet cashews. She uses tweezers to afix each gold dragee to the over turned ice cream cone that magically becomes the tree. Everything is edible-from the gingerbread cookie walkway to the icicles hanging off the rooftop. The shingles, the shredded wheat lined walkway and the nonparilels on the roof-all edible. Her home becomes a winter wonderland in during the Christmas season-with multiple trees throughout the house, garland strung everywhere and of course, her precious gingerbread houses. She creates incredible landscapes with them; actual cities with post offices, houses, hotels, lakes, light posts and pretzeled park benches. It is a sight and something that will take your breath away.

Truly a labor a love, she donates each house to friends and family to enjoy during their holiday. I was lucky enough this year be on of her recipients. The pictures don't begin to do her craft justice...