There's a theory about graffiti that infers once an object or space is defaced it's more susceptible to subsequent defacing... Actual factual evidence aside, I'm inclined to believe there's some truth to this based solely on the recent behavior of my girlies (despite of course their otherwise general delightfulness.)Specifically, there's the incident of the girlies + the two downtrodden chairs that had taken-up residence in our den. After a couple of "accidental" errant pen marks showed up on the chair cushions, Audrey apparently considered them "free game." Before long they came to resemble a love-sick high school girl's Pee-Chee folder, all embellished with hearts and doodles. Needless to say these chairs have since been exiled to the attic and replaced with a more kid-friendly set that have managed to stay doodle-free.
I know I should teach the girls that it's never ok to draw on the furniture, but since the chair episode, I've taken a more liberal approach and have instead designated a couple of pieces (such as a black metal coffee table that holds up nicely to crayon and chalk marks) as free for creative expression. Thankfully this sanctioned furniture drawing seems to have curbed their desire to draw on every surface of the house.
Here's where I relate this long-winded story to that barstool pictured above... We're in the market for a couple of new stools for our kitchen island. I don't want to spend too much on them, but I don't want to instantly resort to IKEA either, so I set out on an exhaustive Web search and ended up on this ultra resourceful site chock full of all sorts of nostalgic, well designed and totally affordable school furniture.
These lab stools would not only be perfect in our kitchen, but spotting them took me right back to high school, where these were a fixture in every art class and science lab and inevitably covered in ballpoint pen doodles of some bored student (not me of course.) In this case the markings might just add to the charm...maybe they'll become another free zone... Maybe.
