Don't do drugs.

The ORIGINAL idea was to have a wall space that was cool, chic, and modern with candles and interesting found pieces in colors that accented our red, white and brown color scheme.


This is the reality:

Now, my blog is my space for Friday Favorites. Assuming I'm not mad at the world or the old man in the grocery store or the cranky manager in Ann Taylor Loft or my children or the neighbors who smoke or the neighbors' dogs with extra jingly dog tags or HB parking enforcement, or. . .


Wait. What?

Oh, yeah. So sometimes I do Friday Favorites here, in this virtual space. Turns out this is a genetic tendency that's been passed down to my kids because they now have little spaces where they like to put their favorite things. That those are not MY favorite spaces to see those things matters NOT AT ALL.


And this is a Picture of Entropy, the close up: This pile includes two cards my oldest got from Grandma, a skull he cut out, and his iPod Shuffle. Sometimes it also includes a yo-yo and an authentic aboriginal boomerang. When this was the only pile, I thought it was kind of cute. Then this showed up:

This is where he started putting things he doesn't want Baby G to touch: some goo that makes a fart noise when you squish it, his PSP, a comic he drew, and his Pringles. It's not like I'm helping the situation. That boat shaped tray at the top was supposed to be a lovely centerpiece with red candles and pretty river stones that sat on our coffee table. But Baby tries to eat the rocks so I moved them. And then I forgot to put two of the Christmas candles away and sticking them on top of other candles that don't match must have sounded good at some point, because that's what I did.

Then there's this candle:

There should just be a pretty white one, but the jar scent on top is sugar cookie and I love burning it, but not where Baby G can get to it, and now it's just sort of. . . there. All the time. (P.S., James loves Scotch tape. He picks it as an award when he fills up his reward bean jar for doing well at school.)

Remember that old drug prevention PSA where this dad comes in with his kid's pot stash and he's all, "Where did you learn to do this?" and the kid is all, "I learned it by watching you, Dad! I learned it by watching you!"

Uh, I guess there's a little of that going on here because I had this conversation with my eldest the other day:

"Quit putting your stuff up on the shelf. That's not what it's there for.

"You do it."

Well-played, Number 1. Well-played.

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