There are quite a few things I look to buy when traveling, but an item that I often recommend to anyone looking to start a souvenir collection is the bookmark. I have over 80 bookmarks I’ve collected in my travels, and I hope to add more with future trips. So what makes the bookmark the perfect souvenir?

Portability

Bookmarks are small and nearly weightless. You don’t have to worry about how you’ll get them home, if they will break, or if you have room in your suitcase. Even if you’re traveling with carry on luggage you can bring them home. You don’t even have to really pack them, just stick them in an outside pocket or inside a book.

Cost

Bookmarks are cheap! It is only in rare instances that I have spent more than $5 for a bookmark, even the artisan-made unique bookmarks I search out. You can easily bring home a souvenir from everywhere you go without making a dent in your budget, yet they make a big impact (more about this later). This is also a great benefit because you can simply buy them as you see them – no deciding if you might find a better one later in the trip. Buy all the ones you see and then decide when you get home which ones belong in your collection.

Availability

While bookmarks aren’t in every cheap souvenir store the way shot glasses, thimbles, and t-shirts are, they are still relatively easy to find. They’re often positioned near the register in shops. Shops at museums and historical sites frequently carry bookmarks. Stores carrying artisan crafts often sell them. You can also find them at galleries and craft co-ops where there are sometimes bookmarks that are mini prints of the art carried in the store.

Servicability

Unlike a lot of souvenirs, you can actually use bookmarks in your daily life. They are great for marking your page in the novel you’re reading, but they can also be stuck in your cookbooks to mark your favorite recipes or in your Bible or book of poetry to hold a favorite section. It’s a lovely surprise to open a book and be reminded of a place you visited.

Uniqueness

I’ve never met anyone else who collects bookmarks as a souvenir, so you will be part of a small class.  Your bookmark collection will be eye-catching and surprise people who see it.

Artistic Quality

Although bookmarks are definitely made to be used, they also are easy to display. I create groupings of bookmarks in large frames and hang them on the walls of my office. Many of them are really small works of art. I have bookmarks that are quilted, pressed flowers, metal, gemstones, carved wood, leatherworked, lace, graphic prints, photographs, woven fabric, and even glass. Because they are so tiny, you can display many in a small space.

Start by picking up a couple of bookmarks on your next trip. Stick them into books or wait until you have about 10 to frame them. They make the perfect souvenir.

There are quite a few things I look to buy when traveling, but an item that I often recommend to anyone looking to start a souvenir collection is the bookmark. I have over 80 bookmarks I’ve collected in my travels, and I hope to add more with future trips. So what makes the bookmark the … Read more →

I’m guilty of having several collections and I just decided to start a new one (shhh – don’t tell my husband!). If you’re a collector, you probably have some interesting stories about how your collections started.

Some collections are inherited. That’s how I became interested in Depression glass. My grandmother collected it and I inherited a lot of it from her. I add a few pieces now and then.

Some collections are gifts. My grandmother started buying me bone china teacups when I was just a child. I’ve honed that collection to be teacups that represent holidays or seasons.

Some collections just start themselves. You realize you have several items that go together. Display them together and they become a collection. This is how we began buying paintings on our trips. Over the years I had purchased a couple just because I liked them. I realized they were a very nice thing to have and a lovely way to remember the trips. Now we try to buy one special painting that depicts the landscape on each trip we take (although we are about to run out of wall space, so I’m not sure if this collection will hit a dead end soon!).  Something similar happened with my sheep collection. I have one sheep I bought as a child in Maine. I stumbled on one in Montreal years ago that I loved and realized if I dug out the original Maine sheep, it was the start of a collection.

Many of my collections begin when I find something I really like. I always ask “What am I going to do with this?” when deciding whether to buy something. I had a moment like this recently when we spent a long weekend in the Adirondacks. In a tiny shop in Keene Valley, I found a vintage-style tea towel with an illustrated map of the Adirondacks. I’ve been hooked on the vintage style map ever since seeing a set of drinking glasses with a vintage map of Yellowstone that I didn’t buy this past summer. I saw this tea towel and fell in love with it, but I asked myself “What am I going to do with this?” I hit on the idea of building a collection of these and using them as quirky dinner napkins. I bought the towel and am now on the hunt for others from other locations we have visited. And thus a collection is born.

Sometimes you start a collection and it peters out. I’ve had a couple of failed collections. I had a few pieces of artisan made glass fruit. I realized after a while that I didn’t really like it. The same thing happened with fortune cookies. I started a collection of some metal ones. They were hard to find and they are all pretty similar, so that collection went to the back of the closet, at least for now. I inherited teaspoons that my grandmother collected on her travels. I’m just not a fan of those, so my mom took them.

How did your collections start?

I’m guilty of having several collections and I just decided to start a new one (shhh – don’t tell my husband!). If you’re a collector, you probably have some interesting stories about how your collections started. Some collections are inherited. That’s how I became interested in Depression glass. My grandmother collected it and I inherited … Read more →

My daughter and I have started the tradition of taking one of those holiday tours of homes each year. Last year I came home with many decorating ideas and I waited a whole year to implement them! One thing I saw in several homes were themed collections on shelves in kitchens, made into little vignettes. I always tend to lean towards decorations that emphasize whatever aspect of nature is connected to the holiday (Easter: eggs, St. Patrick’s Day: shamrocks, Thanksgiving: turkeys, Halloween: pumpkins). It was time to expand my Christmas decorations. I hit on polar bears and became obsessed. So far, I’ve only bought two, but am hoping Santa might add to my collection. I love the ones that are mostly faceless – I’ve never been a fan of anthropomorphic faces on animals. These polar bears found their way into my cart at TJ Maxx and HomeGoods for under $10 each. I put them on the shelf above the window over the sink, added some silvery and ivory beaded garland, some cheap plastic stars from Walmart, and some berries from Michael’s to match my kitchen blue theme.  I’m happy to have the polar bears keeping me company in the kitchen. What Christmas collections do you have?

My daughter and I have started the tradition of taking one of those holiday tours of homes each year. Last year I came home with many decorating ideas and I waited a whole year to implement them! One thing I saw in several homes were themed collections on shelves in kitchens, made into little vignettes. … Read more →

I spent a lot of my time as a child at my maternal grandparents’ house.  My grandparents were there for me when my parents were at work, and then when I started school, I came home to their house every day off the bus. I have an incredible stable of comforting happy memories from those times. Most importantly, each day was a reminder that I was loved and cherished. Even though my grandparents were stoic (I tell people it was very American Gothic in some ways) and not prone to effusive words, the time and attention they devoted to me showed me how important I was to them in a way words never could.

My grandfather owned a greenhouse business next door to their home and I have many childhood memories from the greenhouse: the deep, overwhelming smell of the mountainous dirt pile in a garage; the green, alive smell of geranium leaves, the slivers I got when I brushed the benches the plants were on; and the heavy-lung warmth of the greenhouse in winter. My favorite memory involves both my grandparents. Like most agriculture businesses, the greenhouse had a resident cat: Mama Kitty. Every spring Mama Kitty would have kittens and she always chose the warmest, safest, coziest place she could find: next to or underneath the giant boiler furnaces that heated the greenhouses. My grandfather would let us know when kittens were born, and when their eyes were open, my grandmother and I would take her deep basket, cushioned with a dish towel, over to the greenhouse. My grandfather would then climb down into the boiler space and somehow fish those kittens out for me. He would put them in the basket. I would carry the basket home, trying to keep the kittens from climbing out as we followed the path home (the older they got, the more impossible that became).

When we got home, we would go into the three season sun porch, put a blanket on the floor and I would play with the tiny kittens, admiring their needle-sharp nails, tiny eyes, short tails, and multi-spectrum fur.  My grandmother often sat on the floor with me as we cuddled them, one by one. Then we would pack the kittens up and take them back to their boiler home until my next visit.

This same basket is what we used when we packed picnics in the park, scurrying away from the nasty geese who tried to chase us away. My grandmother pushed me on the swings and even ran to make the manual merry-go-round spin me endlessly.

Today this precious basket is in my family room and is one of my most special possessions.

I spent a lot of my time as a child at my maternal grandparents’ house.  My grandparents were there for me when my parents were at work, and then when I started school, I came home to their house every day off the bus. I have an incredible stable of comforting happy memories from those … Read more →

This week’s basket is from Waikoloa, on the Big Island of Hawaii. I came across this in a tiny group of shops we happened upon in an unexpected area. I also bought a Hawaiian quilt in the same shop. I found the shopping on the Big Island to be fantastic. There were so many handmade, beautiful items for sale that all reflected the natural beauty of the island.

The basket is an open top basket with a handle. It is made from royal palm. I particularly like the stitching down the sides. There is a piece of fabric that is used as a flap and it has a shell sewn on it. The tag that came with it called it a purse, but I think of it as a basket.

This week’s basket is from Waikoloa, on the Big Island of Hawaii. I came across this in a tiny group of shops we happened upon in an unexpected area. I also bought a Hawaiian quilt in the same shop. I found the shopping on the Big Island to be fantastic. There were so many handmade, … Read more →

This week’s basket is from Juneau, Alaska. Juneau was a port on our Alaskan cruise. It was a very foggy day there and the helicopter ride to the glacier where we were going to ride dog sleds was cancelled. This was pretty crushing, but we saved the day by instead booking a visit to a dogsled camp (not on the glacier) where we got to see (and pet!) the dogs and ride in one of their practice sleds (what looked and felt like a huge armor-plated golf cart). We had a wonderful time, particularly when we got to hold puppies. The day was saved, and I also had time for some shopping. I found this basket in a shop in a little side street. In the middle of the basket is carved whale bone inset with blue beads. There are glass beads attached with rawhide at four spots around the outside of the basket. Unfortunately the little tag that describes the material used to create the basket has gone missing, but it was crafted by Native Americans in the area. I really like the pattern used to create this basket.

This week’s basket is from Juneau, Alaska. Juneau was a port on our Alaskan cruise. It was a very foggy day there and the helicopter ride to the glacier where we were going to ride dog sleds was cancelled. This was pretty crushing, but we saved the day by instead booking a visit to a … Read more →

Today’s bookmark is from Maine. You’ve probably seen bracelets made with this sailor’s knot technique (I had one as a child). This bookmark is special to me because it reminds me of Captain Bob Smith. For most of my childhood, my family rented a cottage on Smith Cove (near Blue Hill), Maine for two weeks each summer. Bob and his wife Wilma owned Gull’s Way Cottages, a group of three cottages. The one we stayed in was built of logs and must have been built in the early 1900s. It was a summer home for a wealthy family, complete with a tiny maid’s cottage on the grounds. It was a magical place. The screened in porch sat above the shore and there was a decrepid upholstered porch swing I spent my days on, reading. In front of it was a cobbler’s bench that served as a coffee table. A card table was set up on the porch with a jigsaw puzzle. A creek trickled through the property to a small waterfall on the shore. A stone patio with a fireplace was built into the hill and stone steps went down to the rocky beach where there were mussels and shells. A wooden pier led to a floating dock where a rowboat we used was tied. I would swim in the frigid water and explore on the shore that smelled of salt, mud, clams and seaweed.

Captain Bob had been a sea captain and so were both of his sons. When we arrived each year, we sat in his living room with his mementos and looked out a big picture window on the cove. He would stop by our cabin every few days to check on us and tell stories of his life. He took us out on his Boston whaler and let me steer.  He learned to make sailor’s knots during his time at sea. It helped pass the time. He wouldn’t eat lobster (scavengers he called them and insisted no real Mainer would eat them) and told me Coke was poison (he may have been right about that).

One year he gave me a sailor’s knot light pull he had made for me. For years, it hung from the overhead light in my bedroom, then on my closet light until I got married. It traveled with me and eventually got left behind on the pull of a closet light at a rental house. Moving out with a two-month baby, I simply forgot about it. It makes me sad to have left that behind. So this bookmark that I bought on one of our trips to Maine makes me remember Captain Bob and the cottage on the cove that I loved so much.

Today’s bookmark is from Maine. You’ve probably seen bracelets made with this sailor’s knot technique (I had one as a child). This bookmark is special to me because it reminds me of Captain Bob Smith. For most of my childhood, my family rented a cottage on Smith Cove (near Blue Hill), Maine for two weeks … Read more →

Last week I talked about how my bookmark collection started and shared my Alaska bear bookmark. I thought I would share another beautiful bookmark. This one is from Venice. Venice is one of my all-time favorite destinations, so it is special to me for that reason. The scene (of the Grand Canal) is hand-painted on leather. Leather is an Italian specialty. I love the view of the Grand Canal, which emphasizes the bridges that cross it and the tall buildings that surround it. The gondola ride we took through the canals is one of my favorite memories of all time.

Hotel keys with tassels

The tail of the bookmark is a tassel, another Venetian specialty. Tassels are thought to have originated in the Middle East and later became popular in France and England. What lies between the two? Venice. Venice was the gateway to Asia and the Middle East, so trends passed through here. This is one trend that stuck. There are shops in Venice that sell nothing but tassels. I was delighted to find that at our hotel, all the room keys were attached to big, beautiful tassels, which you must turn in when leaving the building each day. I found the display behind the hotel desk so beautiful.

Last week I talked about how my bookmark collection started and shared my Alaska bear bookmark. I thought I would share another beautiful bookmark. This one is from Venice. Venice is one of my all-time favorite destinations, so it is special to me for that reason. The scene (of the Grand Canal) is hand-painted on … Read more →

The beginning of my bookmark collection

One of my travel collections is bookmarks. They are wonderful to collect because bookmarks are sold in almost any destination and they are small, light, and inexpensive, making them easy to transport home and easy on the wallet. Bookmarks have been around as long as there have been books. Medieval book readers used them and it’s likely even papyrus scrolls were marked with bookmarks. (Read a brief history of bookmarks here.)

My bookmark collection started with a little bookmark I was given when our local library moved to its new home, about 13 years ago. We went to the grand opening and the first visitors were given bookmarks. I really liked it and I realized that bookmarks represented so much about me – not only am I someone who writes book, but I am an avid reader of books. I also love locally made hand crafts and there are many artisans who create bookmarks. My collection was born.

My bookmarks are displayed in groups in large frames in my office. Some are behind glass. Others are simply attached to a backing and put in a frame (if they are too thick for glass to fit over them). My husband has become very adept at attaching bookmarks with invisible fishing line with a little stitch to hold them in place. When I bring my bookmarks home, they live on a shelf next to my desk until there are enough to fill a new frame. I’m always so excited when I have enough to create a new display!

I have bought bookmarks from so many places over the years. When I first started  I bought a few at local bookstores, but my collection has evolved to where I now only buy them while traveling. As always, it’s not only about the end purchase, but the thrill of the hunt. This gives me a reason to go in stores and tromp around places I might not feel compelled to go. And each bookmark carries some special travel memory for me now.

This wooden bookmark was bought in Alaska. I love the bear. While we did not see a polar bear on

Alaska bookmark

our trip, we did see a black bear. Our cruise ship actually turned around in the middle of dinner one night to circle past a bear and her cub who were on the shore eating a whale carcass. That’s the reason I bought the bookmark. It reminds me of that evening and the beauty of the Alaska scenery (so wild yet so beautiful).

You might wonder, do I actually use these bookmarks? I don’t and have to admit I often find myself grabbing a post-it note or scrap of paper to mark my place, even though I have a few bookmarks that are not display items. I’m always misplacing them!

One of my travel collections is bookmarks. They are wonderful to collect because bookmarks are sold in almost any destination and they are small, light, and inexpensive, making them easy to transport home and easy on the wallet. Bookmarks have been around as long as there have been books. Medieval book readers used them and … Read more →

Nantucket lightship basket

I love to travel, but I also love the thrill of the hunt while traveling. I like to bring home items that are handmade from the place I’m visiting, and failing that, at least something that reminds me of the locale.

Several years ago when we rented a cottage on Cape Cod, we took the ferry to Nantucket for the day. (We also went to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket won, hand’s down). I was in love from the moment the ferry neared the shoreline. Nantucket town is quaint with cobblestone streets and stern Yankee architecture. At the time we visited, there were some artisan shacks near the dock. We took a tour around the island and saw the cranberry bogs, the cute towns, and the lighthouse. We had only a few short hours to

Non-Nantucket basket

enjoy the island, but in that brief time, it spoke to me. I’ll go back some day, but for now every summer I read Elin Hildebrand’s latest Nantucket chick lit novel to tide myself over.

Lining

I also have an authentic piece of Nantucket to keep my longing in check. I bought a lightship basket while there. A lightship was a ship that anchored over a shoal to warn other ships of the shipwreck danger. It was like a mobile lighthouse. Nantucket has many shoals, so lightships are a big part of her history. Lightship baskets were handmade baskets made by the sailors on these ships, as a way to pass the time, and to make some extra money. The era of the lightship basket was in the late 1800s (I would love to own an antique basket!). The baskets had a solid wooden base that was made ashore. The sailors wove the rattan baskets aboard the ships. In the 1900s, the baskets were made onshore and became a local island industry.

By the mid-1900s these baskets were used as purses (called friendship baskets and given to girls) and carved decorative pieces were added to the lids. They became a symbol of the island. Today you can still buy lightship baskets from craftsman on the island. And as you walk around Nantucket Town, you are likely to see women carrying them as purses. It has become a statement on the island and there’s something very kitschy about using a small basket as a purse. It also somehow just screams summer.

I bought one during our visit. The shop I bought it from allowed me to choose my basket shape and carved piece for the top. They customized the basket and we picked it up before we left the island. I don’t remember what it cost, but it was not inexpensive. The basket has a hinged lid, handle, and closure on the front. It is one of my most treasured souvenirs. I don’t use it as a purse though! It is displayed in a cabinet in our family room.

The second and third photos are of a similar basket that I couldn’t resist. I bought this basket at Plimouth Plantation a few days after we visited Nantucket. It’s not an authentic Nantucket basket, but I love it anyhow. It’s lined with cloth and the top is meant to look like scrimshaw. I display the two of them together.

I love to travel, but I also love the thrill of the hunt while traveling. I like to bring home items that are handmade from the place I’m visiting, and failing that, at least something that reminds me of the locale. Several years ago when we rented a cottage on Cape Cod, we took the … Read more →