Traveling is one of my favorite things to do. I love going to new places, seeing the sights, learning about the history and culture, and sampling the food. Bringing back souvenirs is also something I look forward to when traveling.
I started collecting artwork as souvenirs when I was in Florence, Italy in 2005. One of the wonderful things about Florence is the amazingly talented street artists. I purchased this water color of the Florence skyline from a street artist outside the Museo de Uffizi.
I picked up a handful of watercolor reprints while in Paris. Here’s one that I framed and display in my home office.
The tradition of picking up local art continued when we went on a Caribbean cruise in 2008. This is a watercolor reprint of Magens Bay in St. Thomas.
I don’t collect many things, but I do hoard collect pashminas and scarves. Whenever we go on vacation I look for a pashmina or scarf to bring back.
These pashminas are from the Alaskan and Caribbean cruises we went on.
The pashmina on the left is from Ireland. The other ones are from Italy. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy haggling with the street vendors in Italy. I brought back pashminas for my female friends and family members because they were inexpensive, and they didn’t take up too much room in my luggage.
I love to enlarge, matte, and frame photos I take on vacation. These 16×20 photos that I took of the Duomo de Firenze, a canal in Venice, and the Eiffel Tower hang in our great room.
In case you haven’t caught on, I like to save things. Some call it hoarding, some call it saving. I say saving. One of the things I like to save from vacations are my ticket stubs. I framed my ticket stubs from the Eiffel Tower and The Louvre. And who goes to Paris without picking up a miniature Eiffel Tower? No one, that’s who.
I lived in Ireland for 10 weeks my senior year of college. Coming home with a bag full of Cadbury chocolate was a no brainer. But I thought it would be wise to bring home some non-edible souvenirs as well.
The claddagh that reads “F
áilte”, which means “welcome”, hangs beside our front door.
I also brought back a bell with a calddagh on top. When I’m sick, I ring it to beckon Brad.
I love my cute little Russian nesting doll that I got in Sitka, Alaska.
What are your favorite souvenirs?
What was your favorite vacation destination?
I’m linking up with Centsational Girl.
The Tryons says
May 29, 2012 at 5:54 PMI love this post! I got a mini eiffel tower in Paris too! I gave it to my boyfriend/now husband. I don’t think we have it anymore, but I really wish that I had gotten some watercolors..I only have one from our honeymoon in Gatlinburg. I never even thought to blow up and frame any of the pictures I took. I will have to see if I have any good ones and get on the ball!!
Jessica @ Stay at Home-ista says
May 29, 2012 at 8:23 PMI love those travel watercolors! I always buy them on a bridge for some reason, maybe that’s just where the street artists like to hang out:)
Jessica
stayathomeista.com
[email protected]Domestication says
May 29, 2012 at 8:46 PMI’m a “saver” too! My husband always tries to get me to throw stuff out, but I like to keep it. I love the way you’ve framed tickets and photos from your trips, it’s such a classy way to show off your “saving” 🙂
Katelyn says
May 29, 2012 at 9:20 PMWhere did you get your white frames? I love them!
Chelsea @ two twenty one says
May 30, 2012 at 12:37 AMIkea!
Donna says
May 30, 2012 at 12:11 AMThe watercolors are gorgeous. I frame ticket stubs, too. Unfortunately, my ticket stubs are not of so glorious a location as the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower. LOL
Meg O. says
May 30, 2012 at 12:21 AMWhat beautiful souvenirs! I love the ticket Louvre ticket stub in that frame. I loved the Louvre (despite the crazy tourists).
Allison says
May 30, 2012 at 12:58 AMYou are so smart to collect things on your trips. I love the paintings!!
binhtheredonethat says
May 30, 2012 at 2:15 AMI love your artwork collections. I also picked up a few pashminas in Venice.
Mary { Something Nice } says
May 30, 2012 at 2:46 AMha ha! I love it. I totally have a tiny eiffel tower( from a teenage Paris excursion), and I have all sorts of ticket stubs etc, that I need to go about framing now that I’ve stumbled upon this cute pic!!
I think you’d like my giveaway, I’m treating one lucky lady to a new Brahmin handbag. Come by and check it out: http://www.some-thing-nice.com
Ruth says
May 30, 2012 at 6:26 AMI am so excited by this post. I will be in Paris Next weekend (not this upcoming, but the one after that)!!!!! I have already promised the kids mini Eiffel Towers, and myself a visit to the Louvre and flee markets. Thanks for the street art idea. I have a water color from Boston I should frame and hang, and some from Paris would be a good Idea for my empty empty walls 🙂
http://www.diyforums.net/ruth/blog/
Jayme and Mendi says
May 30, 2012 at 12:45 PMLove all of your souvenirs from traveling. I think this post tells me that I need to travel more! 🙂
Jayme @ Her Late Night Cravings
MarisaLather says
May 30, 2012 at 1:30 PMGreat post today!!! Were the Russian dolls on IG? I think the Paris vingette was my fave. Two thumbs up, chica!
Jayme and Mendi says
May 30, 2012 at 2:01 PMYour watercolor prints and pashminas are so beautiful!! We have a habit of always buying one significant purchase a piece on each vacation we take. Last year in Chicago, I bought my first Tiffany bracelet and a Tory Burch bag, while the hubz walked away with a Nixon watch. This year’s trip to San Francisco in September holds so much promise! 😉
I can’t wait to do more travel internationally, but we vowed to see some of our favorite US cities before we travel abroad again!!
Mendi @ Her Late Night Cravings
rdowney86 says
May 30, 2012 at 3:21 PMWe always buy a deck of cards. We have a drawer full. I love the idea of buying artwork to display though, I might have to take up that as my souvernir shopping now!!!
Shauna says
May 30, 2012 at 3:23 PMLove those watercolors and the scarves!!
DecorandtheDog says
May 31, 2012 at 2:36 PMI used to be more into souvenirs but then I got tired of random stuff around my house. Non-hoarder here. I do, however, have a tiny Eiffel tower!
Paisley Print Shoes says
May 31, 2012 at 7:33 PMLOVE! my mother in law brought me back a pashmina from Paris – I will never part with it!
-Katie
Sanghamitra Bhattacherjee(Mukherjee) says
June 1, 2012 at 3:03 AMBeautiful travel souvenirs! Fantastic post!
Thanks for sharing.
Hope to see you on my blog:)
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