Before Salt and Pepper Shakers

This pair of salt and pepper shakers embodies a negative stereotype of older married couples.  And yet, with a twist of the wrist, I was able to use them to demonstrate another negative stereotype entirely.  These were a gift from Kaycee, who has an excellent eye for tacky treasures, and tackiness in general.
Read more »

This is my rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas, using nothing but my fabulous tacky treasures.  I call it the Twelve Tacky Days of Christmas.  Here’s wishing you a very tacky holiday season!

A Rubber Duck Nativity Set

http://tackytreasures.com/seasonal/rubberduck.html

Two Headless Chickens

http://tackytreasures.com/topics/miketheheadless.html

Three Naked Santas

http://tackytreasures.com/seasonal/nakedsanta.html
Read more »

Entrance to the Tune Inn

The Tune Inn is back.  This historic bar, with the second-oldest liquor license in the city, has been renovated following a kitchen fire in June of this year.  My first impression, which was echoed by my drinking companions, was, “It looks the same, only cleaner.”  Back on the walls, in almost exactly the same places, are years of memorabilia and taxidermy.  Yes, the taxidermy deer butt has returned to its place over the door to the men’s room.
Read more »

Easter Island Head

What I really wanted was a concrete dinosaur, preferably a Tyrannosaurus Rex, about three feet tall, for my garden.  On a recent visit to the Shenandoah Valley, I stopped in at Harper’s Lawn Ornaments and Water Gardens, and was informed by a salesman that they do not make concrete dinosaurs.  He suggested a dragon instead, but I said it wouldn’t be the same.
Read more »

Mary Jane mosaic shoe, purchased at Island Artworks, Ocracoke Island, NC in November 2011

At a gallery on Ocracoke Island, I purchased this remarkable Mary Jane shoe, adorned with china shards and images of the Madonna.  Note the “Miraculous Medal” of the Blessed Mother — it reminds me of the one that I was required to wear everyday as a student at St. Catherine Labouré elementary school.  You will also find a tiny thumbnail of the Madonna del Granduca by Raphael.  The opening of the shoe is festooned with a cheap glow-in-the-dark plastic rosary, and if you peek inside, you will see a vivid image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the inner sole (soul?) of the shoe.  This work of art manages to be playful and yet not disrespectful of the Virgin Mary.
Read more »

Female Form Guitar

Does this guitar make my ass look big?  Actually, this one might make my ass look smaller in comparison.  However, if you play this guitar in public, you might wonder if your audience was more interested in your butt than your awesome riffs.  And note the silhouette of a martini glass for a sound hole.  I wonder if this was modeled after a woman with a martini glass tattoo on her back? 
Read more »

Birding from the futon

I used to keep a couch list of all the birds I observed from the comfort of my living room couch.  Now that I have a newly-renovated addition with big windows and a comfy futon, I am going to start keeping a futon list.

Most birders keep a life list of all the bird species that they have ever seen.  Not me…when I see a a bird that I’ve never seen before, I get excited.  It’s one of the joys of birding.  If I did keep a life list, and I were to see a bird that I thought was new to me, it would be a let-down to check my list and discover that it’s not.  Not keeping a life list means I’ll have more exciting birding experiences, simply because my memory isn’t that great. Hey, I just discovered a silver lining to the aging process!
Read more »

Easter Island Head in Kensington, Maryland

In Kensington, Maryland, there is a replica of an Easter Island Head looking south toward Washington, D.C.  It was created about 15 or 20 years ago to appear on  a high school parade float sponsored by a local gas station.  For many years, it stood across the street from the Wheaton-Glenmont police station.  However, it was recently discovered, nicely repainted, at the Getty gas station in Kensington.  Unfortunately, it’s got a nasty gash on the side of its head.  Who would do such a thing?  I think it’s sad that some people don’t respect and value what little quirkiness we have in the D.C. area.
Read more »

Mystery Hole

Right at a bend in Rt. 60 in Ansted, West Virginia, stands a wildly-colored Quonset hut with a Volkswagen Beetle crashed into it.  True to the grand tradition of the American roadside attraction, the Mystery Hole does everything it can to draw you in.  If it takes a wrecked car, a clown, a gorilla, a bear, and garish paint job, so be it.  It’s just a mile west of Hawks Nest State Park, and if you are in the area anyway, it’s worth a visit.
Read more »

Alien in the crosswalk?

UPDATE:  Since I posted this, I have learned that this character is known as “stikman” and is the work of an urban guerilla artist known only as “Bob,” who occasionally visits D.C.

On my way to work, which takes me by foot from Union Station to the Library of Congress, I have begun to notice these little critters in the crosswalks.  They look like tiny space aliens made out of the reflective material used for lane markings.  Does anyone know the story behind them?  I wonder if they have popped up in other parts of D.C.?  If you’ve seen one, drop me a line with the location.  (Use the “Contact” link on http://tackytreasures.com/)
Read more »