Shattered Glass! - A Before & After for Your Enjoyment

Don't you just love Before & Afters? I do too! Here is a great one for your enjoyment!

Just yesterday afternoon I finished my Christmas decorating. The last decoration want up and the last ornament was hung on the tree. The last bit of decorating mess had been vacuumed up.

I was so pleased with myself that I took this picture.

And this one of my lovely apothecary jars filled with vintage glass ornaments that I have been collecting for years.

All is calm. All is bright.

So last night I am sitting right there in that chair enjoying the soft glow of the Christmas lights reflected in the warm golden orbs of glass...

Enter a frantic 10 year old being chased by a nearly 14 year old in hot pursuit, bent on killing him, I imagine. The 10 year old comes around the bend and passes safely without incident. But the teenager, not so agile in his growing body doesn't quite make the turn. There is a horrific sound of smashing glass and before my eyes the slow motion vision of glass jars smashing into each other and tumbling to the ground. Tiny sparkly flecks of gold rain down around me.

In a half second my beautiful Christmas wonderland is reduced to this:

And this:
How's that for a Before & After, huh?

Actually, I should have taken the before and after pics of the child before and after I beat him!

(OK, so I didn't beat him... but I wanted to!)

On another note, his birthday is tomorrow, and it just so happens that he really wants three beautiful glass apothecary jars and some vintage gold glass balls for his birthday. (You know how these teenage boys are these days.)

He should just be glad I let him live to see 14.