The Heart of Our Home: Celebrating 17 With Gingerbread and New Friends

There’s something so special about having a dining room—a place where people can gather, linger, and just be together. You absolutely don’t need a formal dining room to make that happen, of course. For years, I never had one. But I always dreamed of it… a space that felt like an open invitation to slow down and share life with the people we love.

So when my daughter asked if she could host a group of her new friends for her 17th birthday, the answer was an easy yes. She wanted a gingerbread-house decorating night, and watching that table fill with laughter, frosting, and little moments of connection made this room feel like everything I had hoped it would be. It was simple. It was sweet. And it was such a hit!

She had 15 friends come over so we added an extra table. Those curtains separate my husband’s office. Eventually we will put doors there.

I hot glued the houses ahead of time so that they wouldn’t keep collapsing (learned from experience)

I added lots of bowls of extra candy for decorating.

They all came dressed in Christmas pajamas and even the boys had fun decorating!