Nice things that have immediately been ruined

[riverpebbles]

I have loads. But two in particular come to mind.

1. Spent ages choosing a long down coat. Extremely indecisive but also v cold with ds playing football, so this was painful. Then within a week caught it on barbed wire and ripped it. Not badly, mended it invisibly, but the RAGE.

2. New kitchen installed (about 15 years ago) - always going to be stressful. Heavily pregnant, plus my DH got proper flu, so it was two weeks of hell. Within two weeks, I found a bag of potatoes that had rotted and the resulting revolting fluid had seeped right into the lowest shelf of the wall cabinet - you know, the bit that forms part of the structure.

@Lolabalola that reminds me of the time I got a new (to me) 3.5 horsebox.
I was so proud of it and on outing one caught it on a corner and scraped along the full side panel.
A week later horse reversed its large backside into the bonnet and it forever had a horse arse dint shape into it.

I no longer have horseboxes, horses or anything nice in general

years ago, we were very tight financially. We got some money in owed tax credits and finally bought our first flat screen TV (years after everyone else had got rid of the big box type ones!) We bought it 2 weeks before christmas. Christmas day, ds - then aged 3 - accidentally threw a toy car and it smashed the screen. I was so gutted, but had to put a brave face on so ds didnt feel bad on Christmas day!

Brand new ceramic kitchen worktop, long, sleek and stunning, inset sink. 1 day later, few friends around for a housewarming, DH took a big bag of ice from the freezer, proceeded to bang it against the edge of the sink to break up the ice cubes, shattered the worktop.

New really expensive rug, took us ages to decide if we would spend that kind of money on a rug, them waited 4 months for it to be delivered, was in place 2 weeks, when a friends dog had diarrhea all over it, she tried to remove it with leather cleaner, completely destroyed.

Was driving home my brand new car, my friend who had dropped me to the car sales room to pick it up, smashed into the back of me when I stopped at a traffic light after leaving the showroom.

All very irrelevant now, when we see the destruction in Ukraine.

When we were having major house renovations I found a Barker and Storehouse leather sofa in a charity shop for £200. Snapped it up. The following week the decorator managed to spill white paint all over it and our newly polished wood floor. I scooped up the toddler at risk of running through it, Looked like I was about to cry, and DH said, "Just go out, I'll deal with it." He did too, proving why I love that man!

Bought some light coloured cotton tops in the M&S sale … first time I’ve bought new clothes in ages. Without minutes of unpacking them toddler scrawled over them with a sharpie she’d managed to steal off older brother 🤦‍♀️. They are soaking atm but I fear the stains will not come out completely.😩.

I have form for doing incredibly stupid things such as putting my curling tongs straight onto a vanity bag to cool down. Mum patiently got a bit of leather and glued it on where the hole was....

However, I don't think I ever scribbled on nice new sofas. I doubt my family could afford it or wanted new stuff while us kids were young.

However, mum bought me some gorgeous red ankle boots when I was very young. I bet they cost an arm and a leg but she thought that they would last some time... Apparently they got wet and so she put them on the fire guard. Being helpful I went one better and chucked one of them in the fire,,,,,,,,

Brand new wool coat. Had it an hour, used the public toilets. Got home realised I’d accidentally left it in the toilets ( hung on the door) Never got it back.

@Saffrondoormouse

Bought some light coloured cotton tops in the M&S sale … first time I’ve bought new clothes in ages. Without minutes of unpacking them toddler scrawled over them with a sharpie she’d managed to steal off older brother 🤦‍♀️. They are soaking atm but I fear the stains will not come out completely.😩.

@Saffrondoormouse sharpies are soluble in alcohol ; if you soak it in surgical spirit you will have more success. Will take a few normal washes to get the smell out afterwards!

When I read the expensive knitwear threads on MN (eg. It's not worth buying unless it's at least £300) I just think that it's just inviting trouble as you will inevitably unravel it the first time you wear it

Shiny new phone fell out of my pocket and down the loo on day 1.

Another brand new phone was sitting on the passenger seat in the car. I had to brake hard and it flew off the seat and manage to hit the metal seat runner which somehow permanently dented the power button so that it was unusable. I had no way of turning the phone off or on so for the next year I had to be really careful not to let it run out of battery

The amount of fridge freezers that wreck flooring.
My ds as a teen decided to repaint kitchen for us.
Dragged out fridge freezer and yes his kind deed cost a new floor!

He also waited until we went out in my car before ‘playing’ with his Dad’s new car on the driveway,
Shot forward into the garage door and fortunately for him the car was unharmed, the garage door however had to be replaced when we put the house up for sale as it was so dented.

I had a beautiful christening gown hand made for dd. After the christening I stupidly didn’t remove the gown and my dm managed to get buttery fingers all down the front whilst having photos taken.
Still galls me 30 years on.

Thank you all for making me feel so much less alone

[quote Angliski]@mull. Kiss off, on Amazon. Gets pen out of sofas. Thank me later :)[/quote]
Ordinary hairspray gets biro stains out. I couldn’t believe how such a simple tip had eluded me for so long. Smallest Elnett from Boots - magic!

Reminds me of the time my grandmother gave me HER grandmother's watch. I was TEN (10), clearly too young for responsibility for heirlooms. But I wore it to school and lost it the same day. Never told my parents. Still burn BURN with shame.

I have an heirloom one. For the first 10 years of my parents’ marriage my dad travelled all over the world with his job, and everywhere he went he bought a solid silver charm for my mum’s bracelet. At the end of that time the bracelet was super chunky and heavy, totally loaded with beautiful, intricate tiny things, some with moving parts, some with messages. It wasn’t really wearable, but it was a gorgeous history of their marriage, with charms celebrating the births of their children, anniversaries, etc.

In my early twenties I borrowed it (no idea why), slung it carelessly in my handbag and forgot about it. The bag was stolen from a pub a couple of days later.

My mum must have been absolutely heartbroken, but she graciously said not a word about it. Like you, OP, still burning with shame to this day.

I've done the jewellery one too. For my something borrows and something old my nana loaned me a beautiful pearl necklace and bracelet for my wedding day. Very expensive and had belonged to her nana and been passed down.

I took it off when we went to bed and left them both at the hotel nobody handed them in and I still darent tell her 7 years later.

Not exactly ruined, but two new kitchen windows only just installed, when I realised that the double (push out) openers I’d wanted meant that there was about 6 inches of white UPVC right at my eye level.
Just couldn’t live with them. They were out a week later - very expensive mistake!

@TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo

I've done the jewellery one too. For my something borrows and something old my nana loaned me a beautiful pearl necklace and bracelet for my wedding day. Very expensive and had belonged to her nana and been passed down.

I took it off when we went to bed and left them both at the hotel nobody handed them in and I still darent tell her 7 years later.

Ha, that reminded me of refusing any more to lend any of my jewellery to a much younger dd - invariably lost or broken no matter how earnestly she’d sworn to be careful.

First visit to see lovely friend who had left abusive partner and moved into a new rented cottage.

On a minimum budget she's made it beautiful.
On my first visit I moved the most expensive item she bought - a comfy seat/large foot stool in the lounge and snapped the foot off. I also smashed 2 wine glasses in her stone sink.

Had to send my DP who is good at woodwork to fix the seat.

Everytime I visit I am so careful sitting down and grateful she let's me in.

Had a new shower installed, the plumber somehow dropped the frame on his head and dented all the frame; he said he didn't do it even though he was stood there half concussed with a bleeding forehead. Just glad he was ok but the shower looks shite now.

Oh the wedding dress one reminds me, we got married outside on a slightly windy day.

Ceremony finished, we posed for some pictures after signing the register, the wind blew and the fountain pen rolled off the table promptly into my lap 😬

@Mull

Our new sofa got pen on it (accidentally) by DD within two weeks. Got most of it out but I can still see the spot. I’m ashamed to say I had a MASSIVE temper tantrum at the time 😳

My DS did this but not just one spot a shower of ink and it was permanent ink. I turned the cushions round so his father didn't kill him and went up to my bedroom and wept inconsolably for 15 minutes. My other DS kept his brother out of arms reach (I'd never hit either of them) but both DS were angels for a few days but that cushion taunted me, and DS, for another 15 years!

Don't know if this counts but it seems to fit. I've only ever once in my life left my purse behind, it was in a taxi and I noticed as soon as I got home.

Phoned the taxi firm, they said aye the driver handed it in at the police station. Phew! I had cancelled my cards anyway but I loved that purse, and it contained all sorts of photos, receipts etc that I needed.

The police station was on the other side of town so DP kindly offered to fetch it on his way home.

He picked it up, chucked it on the front seat and then developed a thirst. He pulled over and nipped into a shop to grab a drink and BEWILDERINGLY did not lock his doors.

In his two minute absence, my purse was nicked.

Best part is that to this day he can't understand why I was annoyed. He thinks I should be grateful that he picked it up 😂

A beautiful Murano glass ring. I was chatting to my kids at the dinner table and slapped my hands down on the table as emphasis for something (not in anger) and then realised. I darent lift my hand up for a while. I was devastated. Still have the pieces in a ring box, but not found a glue to fix it.

This is definitely not funny. Many years ago I reversed the car off the drive to go shopping and ran over and killed our beloved cat who was asleep underneath it. My wonderful DH didn’t speak a word of blame and never has

@Thecurtainsofdestiny

Our daughter, aged one, had her first haircut. So cute!

Until her brother found some scissors and decided that he could improve upon it

Vandal Sassoon then.

@Nocaloriesinchocolate I'm so sorry, what a terrible accident.