Ah, the ubiquitous 80’s goose.  A rare and stunning breed. The image of a white goose with a long cascading blue ribbon tied around its neck adorned everything from kitchen goods to stationary in the 80’s.  I will try to capture the essence of its beauty in the following haiku:

Nostalgic decor

wise feathered friend of the home

a comfort to me

Nothing says ‘home’ to me more than 80’s goose decor.  Sure its tacky and dated, but its sweet and very iconic.  None of you can deny the profound appeal this trend had. 

When you think of that perfect fantasy 80’s sitcom-esque home, what do you see? Lots of mauve? or a dusty blue couch ala the Tanners? a kitchen filled with wood grain detailing? Arrangements of dried flowers hanging as wall decor in nearly every room?  All of this imagery is easily accented by the quintessential 80’s home decorating accessory, the ribbon goose.

Whether it appears in the kitchen as a row of counter top canisters, or in the hallway or living room as a ‘welcome’ sign, it is sure to be there. Perhaps you’d even like to greet someone with a goose card filled with Birthday wishes.  There are plenty more examples…  doormats, pillows, figurines.  I’d actually be curious to see what the most obscure goose item out there is.  While this trend usually provoked images of sweet, simple, beautiful country life, there have been a time or two when I’ve seen the not-so-friendly side of this icon.

I purchased this figure at a thrift shop a couple years ago, but the longer I keep looking at him as he peers at me from the otherside of the room, the more I think he has an attitude problem. Really, just look at that expression.  All in all the 80’s ribbon goose brings me back to a time when things were simpler.  You knew that when you came home, into that truly  sweet and welcoming house, that he’d be there waiting. Quite often helping mom pull a tray of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies from the oven via his presence on a well used potholder.