The idea of 'details' is a funny thing in our relationship. I could admittedly be considered OCD when it comes to them, and Brian doesn't really even seem to know what they are.
I've mentioned before how Brian's lack of attention to details can be endearing...in fact, I listed it in my list of 50 things I love about him. Like when I walk into our living room to find our decorative block letters (H O M E) spelling HEMO; or when I look in the cupboards to find the circular tupperware paired up with the square lids; or when he walks into church after getting the kids ready and McKenzie's hair has obviously not been thought of, and Carson has substantially visible evidence of breakfast all over his face and clothing (which are probably too small and unmatched); or when I find the peanut butter in the fridge; or when I send him to the store to buy pineapple tidbits (complete with an audible reminder AND a written word to specify that it is, indeed, TIDBITS that I need) he still returns with crushed pineapple...
And, it's true, it's true...sometimes these things frustrate me at the time of offense but, whenever I think of them as a part of his whole personality, I can't help but smile and love him all the more for it. Besides, this same laid-back-anything-goes trait in his personality is a lifesaver when I'm paralyzed by the thought of cleaning a disastrous house - he just swoops right in and has it tidied up in no time, leaving it in a much more manageable state for my easily overwhelmed mind.
Take the dishes, for example. If I let them get too heaped up in my sink, my thought process beings to sound something like this: "I need to do those dishes...oh, but after I do the dishes, I'll be able to see how badly my sink needs to be scrubbed out (side tangent - NEVER get a white sink - - - it seriously needs to be scrubbed more than my children do!)...but, I can't scrub my sink out until I mop the floors because I don't want the sink to be filled with the dirty mop water just after I've scrubbed it...and I can't mop the floors without cleaning the rooms and sweeping them first - including those bathrooms...but I can't clean the bathrooms without starting a load of laundry - those towels need to be washed..." and all the sudden, the simple chore of 'doing the dishes' has become a huge 2 hour process, which I obviously don't have time for at that moment, so I put it off for later...and it never gets done.
Brian's thought process, on the other hand, goes something like this: "Full sink. I'll put the dishes in the dishwasher." Easy-peasy-lemon-squeasy! I so, so, so wish I could somehow train my mind to think that simply on occasion!!!
Anyway - I'm rambling, and this has been quite a long introduction to what I wanted my post to be about in the first place - so, I'll move on! :)
The following two pictures are pictures of the seam at the top of our flat sheet that goes on our bed. I have laughed to myself for almost 7 years about the fact that when Brian puts clean sheets on the bed, he puts this topsheet upside-down. Totally typical!
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Well, about a year and a half ago, I started noticing that EVERY SINGLE TIME he put the sheets on they were upside-down - - - and I started to become awed at how randomly consistent he was at doing this particular thing incorrectly. I never mentioned it to him because it doesn't bother me at all (and he doesn't put the sheets on that often, anyway), but last month he was helping me put all the laundry away and I happened to notice the upside-down topsheet that night while we were getting into bed. I laughed out loud in amazement and said, "Do you know that every time you put the sheets on the bed you put this one on upside down?!?"
"What!?! No way!" he said.
"Yeah - look!" I said as I pointed to the sheet.
"You're crazy!" he replied. "This is the way it goes!"
"What!?!" I said back, "No it's not! This is upside-down!"
Both of us were stunned that the other could possibly think that his/her way was correct, and it made us laugh. I was actually amazed that Brian had been paying attention to this detail and found it hilarious that he was just simply wrong about it! But as I've thought about it, I've become confused...which way is the right way? I'm not going to tell you which side each of us was on quite yet (because I think I was wrong!) - and ask you. Which way is right-side-up?
Argument for exhibit A: The lip is a decorative edge and is meant to be seen.
Argument for exhibit B: The lip is a hem, and hems are supposed to be hidden.
This could seriously be a momentous occasion in our marriage - - - Brian correcting me on a detail. :)
Okay, after some research of the sheets in my house, all of which have some decoration on it to help in determining the correct side, I've come to the conclusion it depends on the sheets. All of the ones with a pattern on it have the hem facing the top of the bed as in exhibit b. However the one solid sheet that I have has a ribbon sown just under the hem intending it to be place on the bed face up as in exhibit a. So my suggestion to save your marriage is to buy patterned sheets that make it obvious which side is up...but then again my mom likes to face the pattern down so that when the sheets are turned down, like at hotels, the pattern shows. So maybe there is no real answer to your question, other than preferance. Yes, this was a really long comment to say what you already knew!
ReplyDeleteMy answer... after working at a yuppy ranch that taught me how to everything properly... :) from hospital corners to folding towells...
ReplyDeleteis that the seem on a sheet goes face down and then folds over the blanket... so that it shows nicely AND so that the top part of the sheet is what you open the bed to....
does that make sense?
so in a way you are both right... Brian's way... but folded over the blanket to look like your way.
I make my stand by saying the lip is decorative. Let it be written.
ReplyDeleteI first want to say that I love the picture of you and Brian! It is a really good picture of the two to you guys! And second...I am that way too. Josh thinks that I am crazy, but I just tell him that he is the one that married me! Very, very, cute! :)
ReplyDeleteMy mom taught me that if there is a pattern on the sheet, you make the bed with the pattern "right" side facing the bed and the "wrong" side facing the up, so that when you open the sheets, the two "right" sandwich you as you get in bed (the right side of the fitted sheet and the flat sheet). I apply this to decorative ribbons and face it down, then turn it up over the blanket sometimes. When I worked at Bel Aire, I noticed lots of times the beds were made the other way, though (and of course, I assumed they were wrong!)
ReplyDeleteAs a seamstress... the lip is meant to be seen. That's the type of seam it is, at least it looks like it from the picture.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I laughed out loud at your description of how you do the dishes - I am the EXACT SAME WAY! I am paralyzed on a daily basis by the way one simple little chore can spiral into an all-day affair!
To clarify my comment about the seam - it looks like a mock flat fell seam, which is the same sort of seam that is on the side of your jeans. So that's definitely the top of the seam (the first picture).
ReplyDeleteAnytime I've fully made a bed (probably these occasions can be counted on my fingers because I believe ONE sheet to be enough of a process to put on. I rarely make it to the second sheet.) I've made it with the seem down like exhibit B. So there you are. My vote.
ReplyDeleteI concur with Vicki- my grandmother always taught me that the top sheet goes on right side down and then when you fold it over the quilt, the right side shows, BUT, I know your comforter and you don't make your bed that way (and neither do I), so it doesn't make sense to put the decorative side of the sheet down, when you're never going to see that side. So I guess I think this is one of those occasions where you both get to be right! Love those!
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of you and Brian too!
ReplyDeleteI would look at the seam on the other end of the sheet. It should always be turned under, so lay the sheet down on the bed with the end seem under, and then look at the top to see which one is up.
my vote: exhibit A, but there are some pretty good arguments above. I purposely bought a comforter that hides the sheets to make it easy to make the bed.
ReplyDeleteI've been laughing about this post all week. I love your description of being paralyzed by needing to do the dishes. You need to write your own "if you give a mouse a muffin" (or whatever the title really is) book. Russ would be right there with Brian. He would calmly load the dishwasher, and then leave the kitchen---never even thinking that the counters still needed to be cleaned off, the floor was a mess, etc!
ReplyDeleteI find the sheet discussion interesting because when I've heard people talking about this the people who argue for putting the top sheet right side down are usually very passionate about the "sheet etiquette" of the whole thing. As for me in my house, if the sheet is *on* the bed, we're pretty much happy....
So without adding to any of the sheet discussion, which is very interesting, I'd like to know if anyone has a husband that IS detail-oriented? That is the biggest differences between Clark and me and apparently we aren't the only couple like that! :)
ReplyDelete