Honestly, that one sparkly leg is a major win. You've got instant party pants without even trying. Think about how easy it is to find you in a dark room or at a concert. Your aunt basically gave you a safety feature with flair.

Lol, way to accidentally build in a cheat code for your buddy. Now his whole army just looks like one big friendly blob to him, that's brutal. Maybe next time try neon orange and bright blue or something.

Adjust your mortar mix to a thicker paste when using that notched trowel, since a runny mix just floods the ridges and makes a mess. I messed around with different consistencies on a small retaining wall project, and it took a few tries to get it right. Once the mortar was stiff enough to hold the notch shape, each brick sat level without any adjustment, saving so much time. Really, the key is matching the material to the tool, which a lot of folks overlook.

I mean, what finally made you notice how much you were spending there?

That "carrot volcano" sounds like a sign it was working perfectly. I'd take the mess over buying special gear any day.