For Christmas, I asked for and received these lovely new towels. (You: “oooh. aaah.”)
Except for the green stripe, they represent a complete change of color scheme for my bathroom. That’s why I liked them – new bathroom without having to paint! (You: “Julie, you’re BRILLIANT.”)
Enter the crisis. If I fold the towels The Right Way (tri-fold, then fold in half), the green stripe cannot be seen:
I know it would be better to take photos in the bathroom, but then I would either have to clean it before posting this entry, or show you how it really looks, and neither of those is a viable option.
I could solve this by folding the towels in half twice, but the reason this has never been the Right Way is because the visible hems are not symmetrical:
(You: “I cannot believe how long you, and now I, have thought about this ridiculousness.”)
We’re almost there. Bear with me. So I have been hanging the towels simply folded in half over the towel rack, like so:
Please help me. Which is the worse sin against the Right Way: improperly folded towels, or an improperly incorporated bathroom color map?
Seriously? If they haven’t been knocked to the floor and left there, you’re doing fine.
I’m sorry. I can’t do anything but laugh. Yes, you are being mocked.
This whole FIASCO could have been avoided if you’d only asked for towels with stripes that spanned the width of the towel, rather than the length. Of course, I have not actually tested this theory…
What if you fold them in half length-wise from finished edge to finished edge, then in half again from fold to finished edge (same direction), then, beginning at the shortest side, roll the towels into cylinders, then stack them on the shelf or in a decorative basket? One edge of the roll will be a swirl of all the stripes showing, the other edge of the roll shows a little bit of all the strips and the finished end of the towel in a swirl?
Of course, this flies in the face of ALL approved domestic and international towel folding protocols, so I would NOT make this public, should you choose to go this route…
The good news is that, like me, somewhere around 5% of the population has what is commonly referred to as “color blindness” and have no idea what color your bathroom actually is, and are fairly certain that your towels look amazing and match perfectly. You could have purple towels with lime green polkadots and we’d still think you have amazing talent as an interior designer!! (and you do!)
Hilarity! OCD is endlessly funny! (Especially when it’s yours, not mine…)
-Crazy Uncle Ron
I think you should run a bath with lots of bubbles, sit in it for hours, and drape a towel artfully over the side of the tub. Be careful not to spill your wine on it. They’re really pretty towels.
I would stick with what you’re doing, hanging it so you can see all of the colors. I like things to match and worry less about what the towels look like especially since the hand towel is on the floor so much after the boy uses the bathroom.
It just took me 25 minutes to come out of analysis paralysis. Don’t listen to nay-sayers. This is a crisis. Do you a.) have more than one hand towel and b.) will two fit side by side on one towel bar? If so, I suggest you faux-fold both towels the ONE AND TRUE RIGHT WAY. However, when folding in thirds, do it a bit asymmetrical – once they’re folded in half, you’ll never see the asymmetry, and a green stripe can show. Do the same with the second towel, exposing the brown stripe. Place each folded towel side by side on the bar. Placed together, you’ll experience nearly all the colored stripes.
I need a drink now.
As an associate at Home Goods, the mecca of all home decor, I am an “expert” in this area. In my expert opinion, your friend Sarah is a genius. I hope she enjoyed more than one drink because she earned it.
Jody has a valid point.
And also, fly your green flag bravely – the half fold it is!