Do you and the hubby argue about decor? Do you have the same decorating taste. Or not.
And what do you do about it when you can't agree?
Before I get started here, I want to publicly state for the record that I love my husband very much. He really is a great guy.
That said, like most couples who have been together for a long time, occasionally we do have our issues.
We disagree, discuss and sometimes even yell.
Ok, ok, I yell.
It's not always easy to suppress the Sicilian.
But for the most part we really are able to see the other person’s point of view and move on for the better.
Except for the tissues.
Tissues have become a big issue in my marriage lately and I'm afraid it is getting serious.
Like I said before, my husband is wonderful, so wonderful in fact, that if I'm busy (er, sleeping), he'll run the grocery store for me on the weekend when he could be relaxing.
I give him a list and a handful of coupons and he dutifully goes through the store filling his cart with what we need, what I wrote down.
Except for those tissues.
It’s not that he doesn’t get the tissues.
It’s that he doesn’t get the proper colored tissue boxes. EVER. And, honestly, it drives me insane.
I'm very particular about the way things look around the house. My artist’s eye is constantly scanning for precision.
I've made agonizing decisions regarding décor in every room of our home, the bathroom being no exception.
The devil is the details. A bright blue tissue box does not work in a red bathroom.
It simply does not go.
Apparently, my husband does not understand this - or maybe worse - he doesn’t care.
Week after week he comes home without the red or teal tissue boxes I need for my bathrooms and it makes me crazy.
I mean he lives here. Does he not know what color our bathrooms are?
He’s not colorblind, believe me, I’ve checked.
He claims it’s some sort of a decorating disability, but I think it’s just an excuse. Either way, I have to look at those dreadful boxes for a whole week until we have another go around of this game.
They sit there mocking me and messing up my entire design plan.
It’s horrible.
Seriously, I would rather blow my nose in toilet paper than have that mismatched box in there.
I try to explain how important the color of the boxes are to him.
I write it down on his list, in bold type.
I verbally reiterate exactly what I'm looking for before he leaves the house.
I text him reminders.
And even buy the bargain brand so he can’t possibly accuse me of overspending and swap it out for something more economical.
Doesn’t matter, each week he comes home with the wrong boxes and his excuses are ridiculous.
I forgot.
These were on sale.
Or my favorite, They don’t make those colors anymore.
Who is he kidding?
He just doesn’t care.
Frankly, this lack of interest in my needs does not bode well for our marriage.
I mean really, what’s next?
Paper towels with colorful prints on them.
Or worse, mismatched pillowcases on our bed?
What reasonable person could expect me to live like that?
Is it really that important to match your tissue box to your decor. Um, yes, yes it is.
Even Martha agrees.
This blurb is from the April 2013 issue of Real Simple Magazine article entitled Feel Better Already by Sara Reistad-Long.
The easy answer is for me to just do the shopping myself or go with him so I can show him where the right tissue boxes are.
After all, there are children involved here.
As the saying goes, I guess I should pick my battles, because I do love him and, like I said, he really is a great guy.
Well, except for the tissues.
At least he remembers the tulips. 😉
Quick Tissue Tips:
Whenever possible you should coordinate your tissue boxes with your bathroom décor.
This should be possible whenever your husband does not do the shopping.
Want to check out other bathroom posts?
Finally, someone who is as OCD about the little things as I am. :)
ReplyDeleteOh Nancy, have you come to the right place! ;)
DeleteHmmm, doesn't look too bad....
ReplyDeleteBut totally get that husbands don't get it.
Do you do home make-overs?
Tracy
Read my next post and you won't need me!
DeleteLove this!!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope it made you laugh!
DeleteFunny! I think you're gonna have to make one of those fancy DIY tissue box covers from Pinterest!!! Where did you find that shower curtain? I like it!
ReplyDeleteI think you are right Julia! I need to start searching for pins immediately! The shower curtain is really old, but it is my go-to for the fall and winter seasons. I got it at Target, but I have seem ones similar to it at Home Goods!
DeleteThanks for the comment!
You crack me up! Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteFollowing you now from Show Off Your Posts Blog Party! Please join us for our blog hop coming up in on Wednesday, Showin' Some Love Hump Day! :)
http://modernhippiemomma.blogspot.com/
<3 Amanda*
Thanks so much Amanda! This is my first personal invite to a blog hop! I'm so excited! :) Glad you liked the post!
DeleteThis is awesome. My husband would read this and just shake his head. I hate to admit it (and I don't even think I've ever told my husband this) but I am such a control freak I would rather just do all the grocery shopping myself. I tell him it's because he works and I stay home with our child, so of course I should do this errand, but that's not the whole truth:)
ReplyDeletePam, I am right there with you! I like picking out the food I need for the week. Every time I send him, he comes home with something like brie, cumquats or jumbo shrimp, but forgets the kids' lunch food and I have to go back anyway! I totally love the guy, but when I want him to help me out, I ask him to fold the laundry (I hate that job!)...shhh!
DeleteLOL. I must admit I cringed a little looking at the picture of the red bathroom with the powder blue tissue box. On the plus side, at least your husband occasionally thinks to purchase tissues! In our house, it is the battle of the eggs and milk. I don't like hormones in them, but for some reason my husband keeps confusing this with cage-free (regarding eggs) or whole milk. ???? I secretly believe this is how they endeavor to get out of running errands for us.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Corinne! That blue box is a giant eyesore! I too believe that his behavior is part of a larger plot, since I have witnessed my husband's complete and total attention to detail when it comes to his job or his hobbies. I guess grocery shopping is just high on the guy list! ;)
DeleteWhat is it with men and ignoring the grocery list specifics!? Long ago I used to give my grocery list to the Husband and he would come home with the entirely wrong thing. The he would act as though I should just be grateful he got me anything at all. So frustrating! Seriously, though, I did hear once that women can see hundreds more colors than men. That might be the only defense - even if it is a lame one.
ReplyDeleteLeslie, I agree that it may be just a giant scam! I think he can see just fine! He manages to buy the right colored beer box every time...and now I do all the shopping! Oh well, at least my bathroom looks great!
DeleteOh yes, I do understand this! My mother has coordinated her tissue boxes my whole life. I have box covers that match the bathrooms because I can't stand the cardboard ones. :)
ReplyDeleteOh Stacey, I think I need to invest in those covers this coming year! Obviously the piece is satirical, but as my mom always said, there's truth in jest and those mismatched boxes really do irk me! ;)
DeleteThis is why I don't put tissues on my husband's shopping list. Hah! Great post, Kim. You are such a talented writer. Thanks for sharing at Every Room In The House. You'll be featured at tomorrow's party. Hugs ~ Nancy
ReplyDeleteNancy, your comments always make me smile. I am honored to be featured at your party and I am humbled by your compliments! Thank you, friend! :)
DeleteHa ha! That made me laugh. I had a similar thing going with my hubby over "pretty napkins" for Thanksgiving. He brought home while. White is not "pretty", It's just white. I have learned to A. either buy stuff myself or B. explain in great detail what I am wanting. The poor man called me from the grocery store...made me feel bad!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I am glad I could make you laugh! There really is a Mars vs Venus approach to decorating, isn’t there! I am glad to hear that I’m not alone! Thanks for the visit.
DeleteOh I know! I totally feel your pain. I've solved that problem though. I found a brand of tissue that made a box that exactly matches my bathroom shower curtain, at Aldi grocery store. It looks like it was made for my bathroom. Each time I'm in the store, I rummage through all the tissue boxes looking for that particular one. People look at me like I'm crazy, but I don't care. I buy EVERY single box they have in my pattern...whether there's 3 boxes or 30! I've stored them away in a cabinet. Yes, the cabinet is full, but I don't intend to ever have to settle for another mismatched box of tissue in my bathroom. (I don't know what I'll do when they discontinue the pattern...and you know they will.) The sad part is, probably no on notices but me, but hey, it's important to me. When thing match, it brings me peace.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, we would get along so well in real life! Ha! I do the same thing!! You are right, no one else notices it, but me, and that's ok. It's quells my design OCD!! Thanks for weighing in and making me feel sane! ;)
DeleteI see that this post is old but I just had to comment. I laughed out loud, finally someone who understands my pain. My husband thinks I'm crazy. I don't understand the crazy colors the boxes come in now - they wouldn't match anything. It got so bad that I made boxes to match each room I have a tissue box in; one black, one barnwood natural and one barnwood whitewashed. Thank you for sharing so I don't think I'm crazy or at least I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you liked this post, Robin! It is one of my favorites...and I really do need to make boxes. Your barnwood ones sound dreamy! ;)
DeleteLOL!! I totally know what you're talking about. Been there! I hate the mis-matched tissue boxes too! But, I must say...lately I've noticed the lack of the PROPER color tissue boxes have been discontinued or the store doesn't stock them. I wonder if the people who STOCK the stores are all MEN?!?!?
ReplyDeleteFollowing you now...came over from seeing you on Stacey's FB page. Hope you'll join me on my NEW [Jan 1] blog - Strengthening My Blog
Jan
Yes!! I think men are in charge of stocking and maybe designing, too. I mean after all, how many orange bathrooms are out there? That always seems to be a heavily stocked color on my supermarket shelf! Haha!!
DeleteEnjoyed this post. Maybe all the red and teal tissue boxes have already been snatched up from the grocery shelf when your hubby shops. I know when I find blue & gray tissue boxes I nab every one. Like you, it bugs me when I end up with purple or red which do not match our bathroom colors. Joan-My Cookie Clinic
ReplyDeleteSometimes they are out of stock, that is for sure!! I'll cut him some slack on those days! ;)
DeleteI've been reading through your blog while suffering insomnia. It definitely didn't make me sleepy but has been wonderfully entertaining. After reading this post, I had gone on to read many others but it stuck with me for some reason. Probably five years too late but a suggestion that would keep the tissue box color from mattering. I'm sure your hubby could make a cover to slip over the box from wood with a slit in the top for the tissues. Mirrors would be beautiful added to the cover or just simply painted so it could be easily changed also works. Very much enjoying your posts and will have to follow your blog. Thanks for the company on a bad night.
ReplyDeleteDeidre, I am so sorry to hear about your insomnia. I have been there...too many nights to count. I am glad that my words provided some solace though! Your comment made me smile, it was a nice thing to wake up to, thank you. I love the mirror idea. I hadn't thought of that one. I haven't really done anything about it even after all these years. Sometimes it's still a hit or miss with the colors. 😉 I really should consider getting a box to slip them into...Maybe this summer. I hope you come back to read some more, but this time during the day! Here's to peaceful slumber and coordinating tissue boxes! Thanks again for the kind comment and the visit!
Delete