Weekend: Feel like I'm made out of gingerbread

Skimm’d with some final gift options — Check out what we Skimm’d for you today December 23, 2023 [Subscribe]( [Read in browser]( [theSkimm Logo] Daily Skimm WEEKEND Skimm’d with [some final gift options]( [Update location]( or [View forecast]( Weekends are a good time to unwind. For that, we’ve rounded up the most fun and interesting stories we came across this week — the ones we texted our friends about. Enjoy. [Teal Quotes] “Eye color” — [One way humans may have influenced]( the evolution of man’s (and woman’s) best friend. Doggone it. theSkimm With The Queen of Gingerbread, Beatriz Muller Think your gingerbread house is the picture of sugar, spice, and everything nice? That may be the case — but it probably doesn’t compare to the ones by [Beatriz Muller](. The high school teacher turned gingerbread architect has won [gingerbread’s top titles]( (yup, really), thanks to her incredibly intricate (and not necessarily houselike) creations. That includes [a 2-foot-tall “Dream House”]( (pictured above), [a replica of New York City](, and [a late baroque style clock]( (Muller’s favorite). To learn more about her sweet dreams, we spoke to Muller. Here’s what she had to say… Q: Can you walk me through the process of creating one of your gingerbread pieces? I mostly make buildings — my skills really lie in the construction side — so my inspiration comes from architecture around the world. Sometimes [a building] can lead to a thousand different ideas, and it can be hard to decide which one you like best. [In that case], I sleep on it, and [I’ll eventually get] a clear vision of what I want to do. That’s when I start drawing — [what that looks like] depends on what I’m [doing]. For [the clock last year](, I drew all the scrolls, the clock itself, and the details I wanted to pipe onto the piece. [After drawing], I create the [paper] templates, and there’s a lot of measurements [and] math involved, because there’s a lot of things that need to be very exact … [Then it’s onto] baking, which is probably the fastest part of the process. [Particularly compared to] piping and putting things together. I put a lot of very intricate and delicate details in my pieces, so it’s pretty normal for a piece to take 300 to 500 hours … When I’m doing something like that, I know I have to put aside two months for work. It’s a serious commitment. Q: Wow. What’s been the most challenging piece? One that I named “[Perspective](” ... which has all these buildings in different positions — some are upside down, some are on their right side, and some are on their left side ... It’s inspired by [M.C. Escher’s “Relativity,”]( where the stairs go all over the place … It was [so] challenging, I actually did a model. I needed a really good visual for where the support should’ve been because a lot of the pieces were just hanging there. Plus, when I took it to the National Gingerbread House Competition, the drive was so long, and I needed to make sure it wouldn’t break on the way. Q: Speaking of, what happens to the gingerbread after a competition? Have you ever eaten it? Every piece is edible ... so you can eat it. A lot of people that order them do so. It’s pretty good — it’s like a normal cookie ... But when I bring back a piece that’s been on display for a while, I do break [it apart] because there just isn’t enough storage space. I’ve tried the cookie to see how it tastes. By then, though, it’s usually pretty stale. Q: What’s still on your gingerbread bucket list? It’s mostly complex buildings in Europe. Like [Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica](. That’s something I’d like to tackle one day. It’d be such a challenge — [I’m not aware] of anyone who has tried to do something like that … There are also very modern buildings that don’t have intricate details, but the angles and the architecture make it very difficult to replicate. Q: For people making their own gingerbread houses, what are one or two key pieces of advice? [Skip] construction gingerbread [like the stuff sold in gingerbread kits] and just use the real cookie. [But make sure to] bake it very slowly — meaning, longer and with a low oven temperature. I usually bake it at 300 to 315, max ... [That’ll] dry out the cookie, so you can build without it bending and breaking ... [Also], the biggest mistake [people make] is gluing walls, then trying to attach the roof right away. Don’t do that. [Instead], wait until the icing is so dry and sturdy that the walls don’t move. If a house collapses or becomes cooked, it’s [almost always] because the icing wasn’t dry. Q: Is there a trick to making your gingerbread house look fancier than it actually is? If you’re going to use candy, don’t use a lot of color — choose a combination of [two or three colors], like red, green, and white. And try to use very small candy. The bigger [it is], the tackier it looks. There are lots of different sugar pearls, [mini] mints, and candy that looks like holiday lights. Plus, [single color] sprinkles ... and anything that they sell for [decorating] cupcakes. That’s usually the right size for houses. Psst, this interview has been edited for length and clarity. [Facebook]([Twitter]([Email](mailto:?body=Think your gingerbread house is a work of art? Wait until you see Beatriz Muller’s creations #theSkimm%0A3Ftype%3Demailurl%26r%3DSKIMM%26utm_source%3Demail%26utm_medium%3Ddsshare%23custom) What's Happening 🎄 In holiday mode… While some people are rockin’ around the ([chicken nugget]( or [shrimp]() tree, others are tied up with [Christmas tree bows](. Meanwhile, if gift-giving has you [more frazzled than festive](, Dr. Becky has some tips for [setting better boundaries](. Or, you could just “[soft celebrate](.” Oh and one more thing for the to-do list: Prepare an exit strategy for your [Elf on the Shelf](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 👠In fashion… Yup, we’re [still seeing red]( — and we bet you are too. But come next year, expect to expand your jean pool, thanks to [extreme flares and denim cargo pants](. Plus — cue eye roll — [a skirt on top](. Also on the rise? [Exposing your socks](. And [padded purses](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🍷 In food… Turns out, [metal coupe glasses]( bring much to the table. That is, if you still have a [kitchen table](. Plus, afternoon tea is [steeping the nation](. And prepare for things to get [even spicier](. theskimm beta We’re building a tool to help you cross off the to-dos keeping you up at night. Meet [theSkimm Beta](, a space where you can learn how to [manage your debt]( and [get more pleasure](. Check it out. Skimm Reads “[Recipe for Second Chances](” by Ali Rosen…Confession: The second chance romance trope is one of our favorites. Sprinkle in some delicious food writing and a backdrop of the Italian countryside, and you’ve got this feel-good debut. Stella and Samuel had a fast-paced romance 10 years ago, but she ended it for the sake of swearing off anything serious. Fast-forward to now, and they’re both attending a mutual friend’s wedding in Italy. Somehow, circumstances seem to keep pushing them together. If you couldn’t get enough of “One Italian Summer,” buy this one. It’s a vacation between two covers. YOUR HEALTH QUESTIONS ANSWERED [Woman petting dog outside]( Does cycle syncing actually work? Why are so many women ditching birth control? And what can you do if your doctor isn’t listening to you? Getting science-backed answers to these questions isn’t always easy. Luckily, [Skimm Well]( has you covered. Our weekly newsletter cuts through the noise with expert-backed advice and explainers on the latest in health and wellness. From sleep and supplements to mental health and navigating the health care system. So you can spend less time researching and more time recharging. [Sign up here](. Skimm Picks Here are today’s recs to help you live a smarter life… 1. Clever products that'll make your life easier. The [best problem-solving products of the year]( make [cleaning your floors](, [whitening your teeth](, [doing your hair](, and generally living life a little less annoying. Consider it our holiday gift to you. [Stock up]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. A two-for-one sale at MasterClass. Ever wanted to know how Martha Stewart finds all that time to run an empire? Or how Bobbi Brown achieves the perfect smokey eye? You can, with one lucky friend: MasterClass is offering a [buy one, gift one free promotion]( until tomorrow. [Learn more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. A 100-square foot blanket that'll get you through the holidays. All we want for Christmas is a moment to ourselves with this [huge blanket]( from Big Blanket Co. It's soft, stretchy, and temperature-regulating, so it's perfect for indoor or outdoor use. Excuse us while we take an epically long nap. [Get cozy]( Psst…love our recs? Follow [@skimmshopping]( on Instagram for more products, gifts, and services that are actually worth the hype (and the price tag). Skimm'd by: Rasheeda Campbell, Hannah Parker, and Melissa Goldberg --------------------------------------------------------------- Photos courtesy of Beatriz Muller, Montlake, Brand Partners Design by theSkimm --------------------------------------------------------------- *PS: This is a sponsored post. Want to wake up with us every morning? 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