09/11/2002 - 4:17 p.m.

I've always wanted a sparkly of my very own.

Note to self: No matter how enticing the glitter in the bookstore looks, never ever buy it again.

Note to self: Never ever again go into the bookstore with a checkbook. Take cash and limit yourself to the cash in your pocket.

Note to self: Learn from your mistakes.

So, we're supposed to make collages about the theme of our trio projects. In our project, we've got a kid at Christmas time battling with himself on whether or not to open his Christmas presents. This is not a subject I should be let loose with. Originally I was going to get some comic books and do good and evil. I decided I was not really up for a trip to town today and so just went to the bookstore.

The Christmas stuff is up at the bookstore. I went a little nuts. Granted, half of the $40 was spent on three boxes of Christmas cards, but the other half was spent on glitter, pipe cleaners, markers, scratch and sniff stickers, rubber cement and glue sticks. Everything but the glitter I can use again, basically.

I have begun work on my collage using all Mrs. Boyd my elementary art teacher ever taught me about drawing ribbons, cutting snowflakes, and the fine art of folding paper in half, drawing half a snowman (or bell, or angel, or Christmas tree) and getting the full object when the paper's opened up. I've coloured Santa Clauses and Christmas trees and cut out things I've printed off the Internet (because I am magazine deficient). The final touch was to go wild with the glitter in five year old style. I should not have done that. Now I've got glitter all over the room, and you know that one of the principles of glitter is that it doesn't go away. Everywhere I look, the floor sparkles red and silver. I swept. I really did.