To feel a bit peed off about dh's birthday pressie to me?

[Amandella]

OK, it was my birthday yesterday and I've been going on "forever" about wanting a water feature in our garden. We went for dinner at friends a week or so ago and they have recently installed this beautiful small, modern slate water feature which is perfect for their garden. Something similar in ours would be great as we live in very similar (modern) properties. Anyway, we decided we'd go and look at water features and decide what to get and where to put it. We never go around to it. Well, you guessed it, dh (kindly I admit) decided to take it upon himself to purchase one for my birthday and I HATE IT.... it's something my granny would have had in her garden, it's totally gross (not cheap) but just not in keeping. Coupled with this, it's a free standing one - and I wanted something to go on the wall so the kids wouldn't wreck it. Also, it has all sorts of things dripping into other things and all the "things" come off the stand so perfect for dd 4 and her friends to wreck. It's gross. Well, the terrible thing is a) he loves it and b) kids love it and c) he carried it all the way home last night on the tube and train and then pretended he wasn't tired so he could construct the damn thing whilst I was in bed and then wrapped it beautifully and was SO proud that I haven't the heart to tell him. I'm just gutted but I guess I have to live with it as I don't have the heart to tell him I hate it (I'm actually embarrassed to show it to my neighbour in case she roars with laughter in front of him)... I feel so ungrateful but he has chucked the box and the wrapping so even if I could subtly tell him I don't like it I don't think he could return it. Also, I told him the kids might destroy it and he said "oh don't worry they'll soon lose interest... it's lovely though isn't it...just what you always wanted" AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH.........
AIBU??

Thank you! I thought I'd wandered into Stepford for a moment.

Oh there is a clique of stepford wives on here...in fact you will find every type here, certain types of thread attract different people.

AIBU are generally quite contentious and often degenerate into a scrap

No one has been on to say they like stone squirrels yet

Bruxeur, you need to use the emoticons, loathsome as they are, so people get your irony.

OP, YANBU to feel disappointed, but you're just going to have to live with it. A dodgy water feature is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things, and your DH has been very thoughtful. I think you'd be being unreasonable and ungrateful to let him know you don't like it.

Those modern ones are naff anyway. In fact all water features are naff. Just embrace the tackiness of it.

I'm not sure how to link - so here goes.... and apologies to anyone who has something similar and loves it..... guess which one... just NOT my think (think minimalist modern house and not Hyacinth)...

www.waterfeatures2go.co.uk/Terracotta-c-8.html

Here

Thank you Carmenere.......

If you tink it's naff anyway, get your kids to decorate it with pastic frogs and the like and embrace its kitschiness.

Next time, ask for a sensible present, like shoes or jewellery or something

It is hideous but it will be fine when it is covered in plants. But tbh I kind of agree that all water features are naff anyway.

Emoticons are for children. Worse than text speak.

Also - agree wrt water features, but felt it beside the point in the larger scheme of things...

wanky

oops

Should have been [wanky]

Can't you edit posts?

This board is steam-powered.

Is it the bicycle one? I'd rather like that in my garden (accessorised with strings of plastic onions and/or a big chain lock)

ok, everyone so far also thinks it's vile so isn't it AMAZING that he'd choose it in the first place!? However, you are all right- I will have to put up with him and I totally agree that I'm lucky he even bothered.
bruxeur - why do you feel you have to constantly prove how clever and witty you are?... perhaps that's another thread...

[shocked]

freudian slip... I meant put up with "it" not "him"

Dare I say that it's not actually that bad? (Assuming it's not the bicycle one)

YOu want to see kitsch? My parents have one with 2 ducks holding umbrellas.

It'll be fine, esp. if you grow something around it.

What a strange thing to say!

I don't need to prove anything.

---->

Wow, that's twee. I think you need to ask him for some little stone bunnies to complete your garden makeover.

I'm loving bruxeur's contributions to this thread; the testosterone is overpowering. 'Emoticons are for children. Lunch is for wimps. Fountains are for poofs. Grrrrrrrrr!

Yes mumsnet, an odd place to chose to try to exert your masculinity

Well neither are really my taste (actually I think the bike one is quite tacky) but you could get round it by planting mediterranean plants around it so it just kind of pokes out of the top

Actually, I'm post-op MTF and your hormonal insults are both rude and upsetting.

[huffs]

Wtf is wrong with saying emoticons and text-speak are for children?

It's tickers next. Tickers and sparkles and violent passive-aggression roiling under the surface, bubbling up into lipstick-smeared rictus grins and too many bangs!!!

Yes twee - I was thinking that too but then I realised some people may think twee was good when really it isnt

Ducks holding umbrellas....im getting a headache

My neighbours used to have a bird bath with the aforementioned stone squrrels and stone birds on it...it was truly foul - or is that fowl

Sorry irony just doesnt work without the smileys, you just come across as rude no matter how it is meant

Can't you just grow some big plants around it so it doesn't stand out as much..you never know you may grow to like it once it has 'blended in'....

That is not true.

Context and tone and the use of language are everything - if you can't pick up hyperbole or ironic exaggeration without signposts then no-one would ever read, well, any books.

*It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" LOL no not rlly it was gr8!!

Sorry .. committed cardinal sin of not reading whole thread.

i'll get me coat.