An Excuse Not to Iron?

This is so NOT me… Source

Seventeen years ago, give or take a month, one of my wedding presents was a state-of-the-art iron. I'd completed a gift registry and chosen a whizz bang model, that could be used with or without the cord. My lovely boss and his wife bought it for us, and one night soon after we were married, a visiting friend was admiring it. I proudly pointed out all of the special features, most notably its cordless capacity. I was half-way through this enthusiastic spiel when I became aware that my darling new husband was doubled over in the back ground. Laughing his head off. At me. Hmph!

I rather humourlessly then had to explain to my visiting friend, that I hadn't exactly had a reason to use the amazing new iron - on account of the fact that nothing i wore, in my opinion, required a hot press. However, I did not see how that detracted from my ability to point out the positive aspects of the appliance.

Honestly.

Seventeen years on, give or take a month, we're still using that whizz-bang iron. Well, my husband is still using it. I've ironed a few times over the years, but not often. And not too successfully either. We've had two ironing board covers in all that time. The current one has been horrible for years. Thin and faded, the sad ikat design from Target was wretched to behold. It had coffee cup stains and strange watermarks. And it sagged. It didn't need to retire. It required cremation. And yet, I hadn't bothered to change it.
Why not, you ask?
Because it provided me with yet another good reason NOT TO IRON!!!

I haven't tried to explain this new theory of mine to my husband yet. (Yes, may leave that one for a bit..). But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me. Why I've never liked ironing, why I've in fact, tended to avoid ironing at all costs.
"Does this shirt need ironing? Ugh, I can't face that ironing board cover - so drab and ugly. No, the shirt will just have to do…"
See what I mean?!

And then, the other day, I saw the new blue and white village collection from MOZI Australia. In the delft style, pen and ink drawing of a village scene. En masse it is lovely to behold. Up close, while I was beguiled by the egg cups (and warmers!) and impressed with the tablecloth (one can never have too many) and aprons…It was the ironing board cover, which really caught my eye.

It wasn't the fact that it would fit perfectly with my laundry's colour scheme. Though it did. Nor was it that the character-filled Dutch aesthetic fits in with much of my china collection. Which it does. No it was something about turning such an ordinary, boring and drab household item into something so different. And when I put it on at home I knew I'd been right. I was amazed to see the ironing board turned before my eyes into a glorious art work.
I'm so loving it. I'm keeping the ironing board out so I can admire it every time I walk past.
Every day.

Photo by lovedecorateletters

And, I'm sure you're dying to know, has my ironing volume increased as a result?
Um, no.
But I think, more importantly, my attitude to ironing has improved. It doesn't have to be a task to be avoided at all costs. The object of my derision (the ironing board) has become valued, and admired. I think I'm even feeling better about the laundry as a whole. I've cleaned surfaces and am now getting ready to hang some things on the wall...
So if I WAS to decide to iron a crushed shirt one of these days, what a happy task it would be!

What utilitarian object in your home could do with an aesthetic improvement? How would your attitude towards it change as a result? I feel a whole new segment coming on...

p.s. Mozi is having a sale - it's worth checking out!