Christmas: Gingerbread: Mini Gingerbread Mug Hugger

Testing...testing...1...2...3?!?!?!?  I saw this idea a year ago, and I absolutely fell in...love....I'll go so far as to say this is the thing I've looked MOST forward to trying out all year...OK...with one exception, I have another project that I am cheating on this project with that I'll share around Easter, but I heart this more than I've hearted ANYTHING in at least the last 16 hours 24 minutes and 32 seconds.  I love little drink rim huggers.  This is not the first project I've made that 'hugs' a drink lip (case in point, lemon wedge cookie), but I'm planning on taking this one one step further very soon.  I wanted to test it out before adding it to a little gift package, but here's the problem....I had to try it to make sure it turned out the way it says (so often things don't), and my first attempts didn't work out (NOT because the project is hard, and the tutorial isn't great, but because I'm stubborn).  I tried eyeballing the tutorial twice, and time two I got closer.  I'll come back to this...I need to get my feelings out, but I'll get to my project point first, when I actually followed the instructions, and pattern on NotMartha's site here, it worked out perfectly.  I only changed a few steps.  Time three sold me on the idea, and also reminded me there is a reason people give tutorials. 
Basically, there is a little printable sheet you can print from her blog, she used a mini gingerbread house kit she has to make it.  You roll out your dough (here's my favorite gingerbread cookie recipe), and cut out two of each template. 

I cut my pieces on wax paper so I could just flip them over onto my cookie tray and none of the pieces changed shapes. 

I baked my pieces as instructed in the recipe, and once they cooled....I decided to use some white chocolate instead of royal icing b/c it dries faster.  I just melted some in a ziplock in the microwave, snipped the edges, and 'glued' the pieces together. 

I went ahead and spread a layer of chocolate on the roof and sprinkled in with clear sprinkles it for a snowy look.  I'm going to experiment with more sprinkle-ee features when I make these for gifts. 

They are so precious sitting on the side of the mugs.  I'm planning on filling the mugs with hot chocolate mixes, and I may try out some different cookie doughs, but this pattern has won my heart. 

Now I want to talk about my feelings. 

I made these time one, I didn't roll the dough thin enough and I just winged the sizes, and thus, my house didn't stay glued together, and I tossed it in frustration.  I was using the scraps of some gingerbread at this attempt, so...I had to make more dough... 

Time number 2....I winged it again, but I learned, and I got closer. 

Lilly and Peanut supervised, per usual, and we were happy with the results.  I crushed some peppermints for the rooftop, did a happy dance at the outcome and the concept of it 'working', and turned to grab my camera.  I took a picture of this....like it's anything new....but it never really gets old.

In the meantime I hear 'plop' and I turned around and two of my walls are missing, there was icing on a puppy nose, and after much investigation, a lengthy trial...a unanimous decision was made....

It's not his first crime, you'd think I'd learn, but you just don't understand how fast this criminal is when it comes to things he wants! 

He obviously learned his lesson. 

I'm now off to solve the case of the abused duvet cover.  It was suspiciously found laying across the floor carelessly strewn about as if Pottery Barn duvets grow on trees.  And then...I'm calling a glue factory to get the exact requirements for product submission.