Do people still do that? I mean, really, what can you buy for under $10 that won't look cheap? And let's be honest here, nobody spends more than $10 for a souvenir because if they do, it ceases to be a souvenir and becomes a gift.
I do, however, understand the impulse to bring something back from your travels, something that reminds you of the good feeling you had while you were away. But I find mostly what happens is once you get back home and into your routine, that fancy-free feeling of travel or vacation quickly fades, and all you have left is a sad turtle made of shells, a coconut lantern, or a garish Venetian carnival mask looking painfully out of context.
The HGTV.ca team and I recently went to Vegas, to cover the Las Vegas World Market, and decided it wouldn't be right if we didn't bring our Director Christine G. something back, who sadly couldn't join us. What is Vegas if not the Holy See of tacky souvenirs, I ask you? THIS (left), is what we came up with... We wanted to get her the David, but twice we tried and the store was closed... So we took a photo of the very David we wanted to buy, and framed it in the most elegant frame we could find...
What we did here, is relegate the souvenir to joke status. A souvenir that's not expensive and lovely at the same time I fear, does not exist. Are souvenirs tacky by definition? Do people still buy them in all seriousness?
Oh, and by the way, welcome to Getaway Month! For the month of March, along with our regular monthly features, we'll be peppering in getaway interiors from friendlier climates, to help you bridge the gap between winter and summer. Stay tuned for some eye-ball-warming places to get away to!
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