Wendy McClure

Author and Professional Obsessive.

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Urban Adventures in Gingerbread #2

December 18, 2006 by Wendy

So, yeah: I made a CTA stop out of gingerbread. It would have been much more ambitious if I’d modeled it after one of the actual elevated platforms, but I decided to do one of the ground-level stops in my neighborhood.

The platform was the trickiest part, since it was one long piece that I had to bake myself (the building is made from prefab gingerbread house pieces). But it held, and it’s strong enough to hold dozens of gingerbread people as they wait for the train that never comes.

Also, the Helvetica font is awfully hard to render in frosting. I don’t recommend you try it.

The rest of the photos are here. Please admire the painstakingly constructed candy-cane turnstile or else, I swear, I will wither and die inside.

Somebody please talk me out of doing another one of these next year, okay?

Filed Under: Chicago, misc, personal

Comments

  1. Drew says

    December 18, 2006 at 10:37 am

    I live nearby and I appreciate you taking on the task of gingerbread public works projects to benefit us all.

  2. Josh says

    December 18, 2006 at 11:09 am

    Wendy, this is too cool! In addition to the eight other kinds of nerd that I am, I am also a public transit nerd, and sent links to these pics to a subway-themed mailing list I subscribe to. Soon you’ll be worshipped by holiday-spirited subway nerds everywhere!

    Josh

  3. ChgoRed says

    December 18, 2006 at 2:53 pm

    Talk you out of it? Not a chance. Am already looking forward to next year’s Chicago-based creation–liquor store, cheapo Mexican flower shop, Superdawg–whatever it might be.

  4. Sarah says

    December 18, 2006 at 3:16 pm

    Nope, no one will ever talk you out of this.

    Had I been able to make a gingerbread diorama this past weekend, I would have made a darkened neighborhood with trees down and traffic lights not working. But I couldn’t bake because there was no power, since I live in Seattle and it’s taking forever to get the grid back up after a windstorm. We got power back after three days, and others will be out till Wednesday.

    “Everybody knows, hot showers and some baseboard heat, help to make the season bright…”

  5. CDC says

    December 18, 2006 at 5:13 pm

    Love the station! Do you think we could get CTA to hire you to to make some temporary gingerbread Brown Line stops while they’re closed for construction?

  6. Kerrie says

    December 18, 2006 at 6:45 pm

    Wow. That’s impressive! My boyfriend and I like to take on ridiculous food adventures, so I’ll have to talk into tryint something like this next year.

  7. sarah says

    December 19, 2006 at 12:27 am

    Yeah, I agree. I will never contribute to any talking-you-out-of-this business. Your turnstile is the stuff candy cane dreams are made of.

  8. avalynda says

    December 19, 2006 at 4:49 am

    wow… i’m totally in awe of what one can do with gingerbread these days.

    the mind truly boggles. you should shellack it for posterity or something!

  9. mykull says

    December 19, 2006 at 8:49 am

    I love the little gingerbread drunk guy who fell asleep on the tracks. Is that some candy sprinkle vomit coming out of his mouth?

  10. Frances says

    December 19, 2006 at 11:57 am

    Well-done.
    Especially the turnstile – please don’t whither and die.
    Thanks for sharing,
    Frances

  11. Chris says

    December 19, 2006 at 12:02 pm

    Actually, it’s real vomit. We ran out of sprinkles at the end.

  12. Gryph says

    December 19, 2006 at 1:11 pm

    I must say, the turnstile is EXCELLENT and very creative, but I also like the sugar wafer steps.

  13. cardiogirl says

    December 20, 2006 at 6:25 am

    People don’t understand the time it takes to create great art. And that turnstile is one hell of a piece of art. Kudos, baby!

  14. Louise says

    December 20, 2006 at 10:13 pm

    Pure genius. AmTrak would be financially stable if you two ran it with just one ounce of your gingerbread prowess.

    But I’m even more amazed that you created this glucose-hootenanny while doing That Thing That You’re Doing.

    Please, next year create a gingerbread diorama of “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” with alligators.

  15. oomm says

    December 21, 2006 at 10:55 am

    Wow, this is mighty impressive. I’ve made my share of representational food in my life and I know the creativity and workmanship that goes into something like this. Oh and the swearing. I definately know the swearing.

    My specialties mostly revolve around Halloween type creations. The one year I attemtped a ginger bread house it was grueling work and I ended up with a little gingerbread grave yard with headstones for the names of all the people I wanted to kill for talking me into gingerbread making.

  16. Bibfash says

    December 21, 2006 at 11:58 am

    I agree 100% with Louise, and I’m afraid you’ve already started a trend where we’ll expect a gingerbread masterpiece every year.

    While I don’t do gingerbread, you have insipired me to create a decorative cheeseball for a party tonight. I’m going to try an acorn with a decoupage of slice almonds, but if that doesn’t work, then I’ll go with a decorative Christmas cheese ball penis. I’m just not sure what type of nut would be appropriate for a cheese ball penis. Any suggestions?

  17. Vanessa says

    December 21, 2006 at 1:54 pm

    It’s gorgeous! It is a masterpiece. And yes, I suspect we’ll be sad if we don’t see one again next year. Perhaps you could join forces with Jim from the gingerbread challenge. If you were his sous-chef you’d off the hook from doing your own.

  18. getalife says

    December 21, 2006 at 9:08 pm

    Excellent creation! The CTA should use it in ads!

    Funny how these “back by popular demand” things have a way taking on a life of their own, but they do. You WILL feel obligated to continue and top yourself every time. (see my Christmas Lizards photos…)

    What of that monstrosity known as Soldier Field?

  19. Beth says

    January 29, 2007 at 8:48 pm

    i like the choice of the francisco stop – not the noisy, boozey addison stop. well done!

  20. qypmbtei cgoy says

    June 20, 2008 at 6:15 am

    otrzls iystmc zkfciv njgbyihtu jdtfnxlpa aqyr lnjsvadbe

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Recent Press and Links

  • Essay: A Little House Adulthood For the American Masters documentary on Laura Ingalls Wilder, I contributed a piece to the PBS website about revisiting the Little House books.
  • Essay: The Christmas Tape (At Longreads.com) How an old audio tape of holiday music became a record of family history, unspoken rituals, and grief.
  • Q & A With Wendy McClure Publishers Weekly interview about editing, Wanderville and more.

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