Tacky or Treasure?
By Margery McCurdy Plummer

During the holidays I have been reading about “Tacky Christmas Sweater” parties that people have been attending. Old tacky, meaning out of style or inappropriate sweaters are dug from closets and drawers and worn to these parties just for fun.

I have quite a few things in my house that at one time were desirable but over time and change of taste or mood have become somewhat tacky.

When I bought my neon palm tree that stood in the window for quite a while, I was going through a palm tree phase, although I didn’t know they had been showing up as designs on household wares, clothing and pictures and at Hooter’s eating, drinking and entertainment establishments.

My mania may have started with some little silky like palm trees that could be stuck into the ground and in a stiff breeze their leaves would whiz round and round. This attraction lasted for about two weeks or so or until I drove up the driveway several times and saw what a tacky mess they were. They won’t go public again. The two palm tree pictures that I bought at a silent auction for charity never made it to a wall and are waiting to go to another place, another time, maybe an auction.

A black Kit Kat Clock that hung on our kitchen wall for many years would not have been tolerated by any reputable decorator, but I liked it and although it wasn’t appropriate, I never tired of it. Unfortunately, it stopped ticking, never to run again, and we haven’t found another one.

That cat was a sight to behold with his bow tie outlined with diamonds (not real). His big, round, white eyes that roll back and forth with each tick-tock has ruby red pupils outlined in “diamonds”, and his claws are tipped with these diamonds. His ears are triangles of diamonds, and his long black tail moves back and forth with each tick of the clock. He’s tacky for sure, but not to me.

Another “unusual” possession I own is a large, ceramic Buddha looking figure, fired bright gold in a kiln, a placid expression on his Asian, maybe, face. The upswept hairdo has jewels in front and a tiara of iridescent jewels. These same jewels flow in strands from the neck to the waist. One hand holds a large jewel and jeweled earring graces each ear lobe. It sits in a very unobtrusive place for my eyes mostly.

I bought it at the sale of the big Mongold house and store, now Hollywood’s. After I saw it, I couldn’t leave it alone. Finally it was mine, a piece of White House history. The name M. Mongold, 1963 is inscribed on the underside. That, of course, being Margaurete Mongold Cranor who worked in ceramics as a hobby and designed some pretty eye catching things but none, I would think, as stunning as the golden nearly fifty year wonder I have as my own.

Tacky or Treasure. It’s in the eyes of the beholder.