The Wanderlust Librarian | Souvenirs

How do you remember a vacation? Is it through pictures or videos? Food? A special outfit?

There are many ways to reminisce about a trip but the most common of all is buying a souvenir. The Webster's New Explorer College Dictionary defines the word as: 

souvenir: something that serves as a reminder

It's hard to take a mug - shot. :)

I enjoy taking a lot of pictures, but having a tangible item that has come from that destination is something that can never be duplicated. Souvenirs can be kitchy (like a mini Eiffel Tower or a Hawaiian hula girl) or mundane (magnets, snowglobes) but they were collected from a time and place that is special to the collector.

My personal souvenir of choice? Starbucks City Mugs. Never heard of them? I hadn't either until a few years ago when I saw a mug at the Starbucks in Paris. I love coffee and I love Paris!  Most major cities in the United States have mugs for their city. I found a set of mini demitasse mugs when I went to the Starbucks in Jakarta, Indonesia. My local Starbucks carries a "California" mug! 

My friend, Lizzie, collects magnets from the cities that she visits. She has them all over her personal book cart. There's definitely no denying that the cart belongs to her!

fridgedoor.com

I recently found magnets at a store in San Francisco. They were cheap ($1.00) and they LOOK cheap. They're so silly looking that I was immediately attracted to them. I've purchased 8 magnets of the states I've visited. I can't wait to buy more (as soon as I visit more states!). 

I'm not especially crafty, but I really want to look at new ways of displaying my souvenirs and photos. I found a good mix of display ideas in the book: Fun with Family Photos: crafts, keepsakes and gifts.  

I'd love to hear about your travel souvenirs and how you display them in your home. Leave a comment and I'll follow up with you on a future blog post! 

Happy Collecting and Happy Travels!