So many of you liked my post about my lightship baskets that I thought I would share another basket in my collection. This is called a sweetgrass basket and it is from South Carolina. Charleston is considered the home for this particular type of craft. Sweetgrass baskets were a skill brought to this country by slaves from West Africa. It’s one of the oldest African art forms still created in the U.S.  Baskets were made on plantations for agricultural use by male slaves. One of the most common types of baskets was a rice winnowing basket, for separating out the rice. Baskets were also made for home use by women slaves who used sweetgrass for its pleasant smell.

Sweetgrass baskets are a specialized artform. It can take months to make just one basket. Sweetgrass itself is becoming scarce, making the materials expensive and harder to find. Antique sweetgrass baskets sell for hundreds of dollars. The skill is one that is passed down from generation to generation within a family.

If you visit Charleston, you’ll see stands selling these baskets on Highway 17. I bought mine in this area. The gentleman who sold me the basket explained that his wife makes them and it was a craft that was passed down in her family. He told me that once a year I should soak my basket in water then let it dry in the sun (I confess I have not done this – I’m afraid of ruining it, but it really isn’t dirty at this point).

I love this basket because the pattern is beautiful, but also because it has the very unique untied ends decorating it. It has a very solid and substantial feel to it even though it is incredibly lightweight.

Before we went to South Carolina, I researched the local handcrafts and knew I wanted to buy a sweetgrass basket as a special trip souvenir. Fortunately, we were on a road trip and could just put this in the car. It would have been hard to fit this into a suitcase without damaging the fragile ends.

 

So many of you liked my post about my lightship baskets that I thought I would share another basket in my collection. This is called a sweetgrass basket and it is from South Carolina. Charleston is considered the home for this particular type of craft. Sweetgrass baskets were a skill brought to this country by … Read more →

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

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.

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 →

I love to visit new places to experience the culture, soak up the scenery, enjoy the food, and immerse myself in a different life. But let’s be honest here, the thing that gets me the most excited is the shopping (to the dismay of my teenage son).

Caribbean islands are tough nuts to crack when it comes to local artisan shopping. Although there are seemingly many artists who make their homes in this area of the world, seeking them out is harder than it should be. St. Martin was no different.

Philipsburg

St. Martin has a French side and a Dutch side. There are two large cities, Philipsburg (Dutch)

and Marigot (French). Philipsburg has the largest number of tourists due to the cruise ships that dock here. Colombian Emeralds and Diamonds International make me shudder. I want locally created crafts and art. The only shop worth visiting in Philipsburg was the Guavaberry Emporium, where you can buy guavaberry, an alcoholic spirit that is a specialty of this island. I was hoping to find some other guavaberry items in the shop, but other than honey, everything is alcoholic in nature. My daughter brought home a bottle of this to add to her limoncello from Italy.

Marigot

Marigot was another disappointment to me. There is a lovely harbor in this town but the shopping is disappointing. If you want designer goods, head to the West Indies Mall. Gucci is not a souvenir I need

however, so instead we went to the Marigot market which happens every Saturday and Wednesday right on the harbor. The market is similar to those you’ll find in most other Caribbean ports – lots of goods made in China or India, very few from the island. This market did offer some locally produced goods, but not as much as I had hoped. There was a booth filled with hand painted tiles showing scenes from the island. There were a few painters scattered throughout. But all in all, I was not impressed. I did buy a small wooden turtle box for my son, but I doubt it was made in St. Martin.

Cupecoy

The Cupecoy beach area on the Dutch side sounded promising. There is in fact a small courtyard with a cute collection of shops. Unfortunately all but one were closed the afternoon we made it there (I really wanted to visit the Bloomin’ Baskets shop).  I did go in the Shipwreck Shop here. The Shipwreck shops are an island chain with several locations – I’d breezed through one in Philipsburg, but this shop didn’t feel like a junky souvenir shop as the one in Philipsburg did. There were some very nice collections of Fresh Produce clothes (a brand you find in Florida and the Caribbean) as well as some other beach-y brands.

My daughter bought a very cute bathing suit cover up here. I found 2 notecard sized prints of

paintings I liked, a set of two bookmarks, and I bought a wooden box with hand-painted tile set in it.  I also found a coffee table book of St. Martin (I always buy one wherever I go). And I found my magnet (another item I always buy). I almost bought a small steel drum that had been hand painted, but walked away from that.

Grand Case

I’ll be doing another post about the food in Grand Case (not to be missed!), but it was also the place with the best shopping. We actually shopped this tiny town twice (which is easily walkable from one end to the other). Many shops are open in the evening, when the restaurants are open, which is when we shopped.

Tuesday nights are when the town has its weekly street festival and this is when you really want to be sure to go. The main street is closed to traffic (meaning you park outside of town and hoof it – it wasn’t too far however). The street is lined with vendors selling jewelry, handcrafts, art, food, and alcoholic drinks, in addition to the regular shops.

In a funny little shop called Oops we each bought a piece of larimar jewelry. Larimar is from the Dominican Republic and is sold throughout the Caribbean. It’s a beautiful light blue stone with more marbling than turquoise. I bought the necklace and my daughter got the ring. The shop sold the jewelry according to weight, which was an interesting method. At the same place I bought a sheep. I have a large flock of sheep that I tend to and am always adding to it. This sheep was made of something I’d never seen before. It’s called vegetable ivory and is made from the seed of the tagua palm tree. The seeds fall from the trees, harden into what looks like ivory and are carved. This was a fantastic find and one I will definitely treasure.

There are several clothing and jewelry shops in Grand Case, and my daughter bought a scarf with silver and blue beading at the ends of it at one of them. We ogled but did not buy the many white flowy tops and dresses at one store, as well as a shop that sold a variety of fine Dogeared.com-style necklaces with the tiny round charms.

Grand Case is home to Tijon, a perfumery. They sell a full line of lovely fragrances for men and women and also offer classes.

At the street fair I found an artist I liked, named Asif Hakh. Originally from Guyana, he lives and works on St. Martin. Although he gave me instructions for how to find information about him online, all of the pages are no longer working, so I can’t share any links with you! Asif had a large collection of prints, of which I bought two (one shows Orient Beach the most famous beach

on the island, and the other shows the Radisson Blu where we stayed). He also had some original work that incorporated rope or string to create multi-media pieces of hammocks or wicker chairs in a tropical scene (I’m adding these to the gallery in my mind).

A small table near the end of the street held baskets freshly woven from palm leaves – and the artist was making them as we watched. I’ve seen this method before on other islands and have a flower made by a peddler who went around a restaurant in Puerto Rico. What intrigued me was the beautiful pattern in the center of the basket, so I was happy to bring one home to add to my basket collection. It’s still green, so it will be interesting to see how the basket changes as it dries.

I was happy with my finds, but wouldn’t you know it? As we drove to the airport to leave, we passed a handcrafts store? No time to stop, so I’ll always

wonder what I might have found there….

I love to visit new places to experience the culture, soak up the scenery, enjoy the food, and immerse myself in a different life. But let’s be honest here, the thing that gets me the most excited is the shopping (to the dismay of my teenage son). Caribbean islands are tough nuts to crack when … Read more →

My mom and I each have a gallery in our minds. The galleries are beautiful, with perfect lighting, neutral walls, and welcoming spaces. And they are completely filled with things we didn’t buy on our trips, but we wish we had.  (If you were wondering where I got the travel shopping bug from, it’s definitely from my mom).

My mom’s gallery includes a carved leather coat from Calgary and an Inuit bear from Calgary. There is also a sculpture from New Orleans.

My own gallery is becoming quite large. I may need to expand to a larger space and hire a curator. The gallery includes a stunning stone mosaic (called intarsia: see Wiki page here with some images of this beautiful craft) I saw in Florence (I just couldn’t spend $500 on it!) and a seascape and dunes painting I just saw in Florida (the artist’s web site is here, with one similar painting – again, it was lovely but just more than I could spend). There were beautiful, crazy-expensive quilts made by the Amish in Sarasota, FL and also in Chautauqua County, NY that I would have loved to own (I get a little crazy over quilts. My grandmother had several made by her mother. There was one made up of pieces of dresses my grandmother used to wear as a child and she used to point to the pieces and tell me about the clothes. I guess quilts take me back to that moment).

I still remember a vase covered in turquoise I saw in a shop in Santa Fe. It was stunning, but it was ungodly expensive and the inside was black, which didn’t excite me. That doesn’t stop me from wishing I had bought it.

A watermelon

tourmaline necklace from Maine and a vase painted with the New Mexico sky were on the list until my husband bought them for me as Christmas gifts after our trips. I have longed for larimar jewelry after seeing a piece on a trip to Colorado (of all places, since larimar is from the Dominican Republic: I actually just took this one out of the gallery when I bought a necklace in St. Martin — details in an upcoming post about that trip!).

Then there is the Capri watch. I saw this in a free magazine we got on the train in Italy then I saw it in a jewelry store on Capri. I fell in love when I first saw it in the magazine (the woman across the aisle from me did too – she held it up to show her husband). I had trouble in the store finding one that was right. I don’t think they had the one pictured here – it might be the perfect one. Note to family: hint, hint.

Then there was the small table, which was almost a step stool but not quite, that was made of inlaid wood showing a mangrove tree. We saw this in a gallery in Matlacha, Pine Island, Florida. I literally went back to that store 3 times to look at it. The kids gave up and sat in the car. We moved it into the light, out of the light, next to chairs and all around the shop. In the end, we didn’t buy it because I just couldn’t picture where I would put it.

In Jerome, Arizona, I saw an amazing puzzle box of a chicken I should have bought for my mother, who collects chickens. That one haunts me. Lesson to self: do not allow husband to talk you out of things you are certain of!

At the SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) shop in Savannah, GA I saw a huge, beautiful multi-media painting. It had pieces of music glued into the painting along with things like buttons and other items I can’t remember anymore. It was stunning but where on earth would I put something so huge? There was a mosaic mirror frame made of broken pottery and with Scrabble letters used to spell out words in it that I saw on Captiva Island, Florida. At the time, I couldn’t picture where I would put it (my solution to this was I made my own mosaic frame for a bathroom mirror, but I didn’t include the Scrabble letters).

It actually gives me great satisfaction to write about the gallery in mind. Actually recording the items here somehow makes them more real for me!

Do you have a gallery in your mind? What’s in it?

My mom and I each have a gallery in our minds. The galleries are beautiful, with perfect lighting, neutral walls, and welcoming spaces. And they are completely filled with things we didn’t buy on our trips, but we wish we had.  (If you were wondering where I got the travel shopping bug from, it’s definitely … Read more →

Shopping is always a primary concern of mine when traveling. And generally what I’m looking for are items handmade in the local area, usually specialty items from the area. Naples, FL is a lovely place to visit with wonderful white sand beaches, warm weather, and lots of conveniences nearby, but it doesn’t ring my bell when it comes to handmade treasures.

Art Shows

Your best best for beautiful handmade items in Naples is to look for an art show. There seems to be

one almost every weekend (check the Naples Daily News Friday edition for details on upcoming events). I’ve been able to find one every time I’ve been there. They are often in parks – Cambier or Wiggins Pass. I’ve also been to one in the parking lot of a mall. Keep your eyes open for these. They are wonderful events with lots of artists from around the country, but there are often local artists there also. I bought this lovely palm tree painting (which is textured – hard to see that in a photo) in a show in Cambier Park last year from a local artist.

Fifth Avenue

The most popular area in Naples is Fifth Avenue South. This main shopping area of the city is a few blocks long and has many restaurants as well as a theater. You’ll also find some lovely shops tucked in among there. There are clothing shops (I like Fresh Produce for clothes that feel like Florida – and they sell plus sizes).  Blue Mussel carries beautiful shells (not cheap!) if you’d like a memento of the sea. Royalty and Hollywood Jewelry sells reproductions of famous pieces of jewelry. They’re less than the real stuff, but again, not inexpensive. Stop into the Wind in the Willows for an overwhelming experience of a crowded store filled with clothing and a woodland fairy theme. It’s worth an hour or so of your time to walk up and down the strip.

Most people talk about 3rd Street South in the same breath when they mention 5th Avenue, but I don’t go here anymore. There aren’t many stores and those that are there aren’t interesting or exciting.

Malls

Naples has lots of malls. The Coastland Center is your typical suburban mall. Nothing of note there, but if you need some basics, it’s the place to head. Inside downtown Naples you will find Venetian Village. It’s a beautiful setting – a mall set right on a bay. There are numerous restaurants and the malls has an underground passageway under the street that kids love. It’s worth a stroll, but I find the shops overpriced and frankly quite small. It’s especially pretty at night.

Another popular spot is The Waterside Shops. I recommend it only because it’s a lovely setting. The stores are arranged around pools of water with fountains. There’s lots of greenery and it has a very peaceful feeling. Unfortunately, the shops don’t excite me at all.

Instead, I recommend heading north to North Naples and Estero. North Naples has The Mercato. This is designed to look like a small city. Stores on the first floor and condos are on the higher floors. There is a Whole Foods, a movie theater and many restaurants (try The Counter for burgers ordered to your specifications). The shopping again, is not local, but they do have a Sur La Table, a Coldwater Creek, and a fun little spot called Charming Charlie’s which is filled with reasonably priced accessories grouped by color. Z Gallerie is a fun home decor shop with a table of quirky books we spent a lot of time browsing. Grace and Shelly’s sells cupcakes you’ll want to sample while there.

Heading a little further north, I recommend The Best of Everything in Bonita Springs. There

is another outlet in downtown Naples, but I like this one better. This store is nuts. It’s a discount jewelry store with tables upon tables of jewelry. It’s always completely packed with people. When you come in, you’re given a velvet lined tray to put your finds in. I never leave without finding something. This year it was a sterling silver necklace with tiny gold beads for $11. You will be overwhelmed but you will find some great buys.

And a bit further north is Coconut Point, a mall so big you can’t see from one side to the other. It has nearly every shop you can think of. I like to go for World Market, which reminds me of what Pier One used to be like 30 years ago – imported items from around the world, with a really interesting selection (including types of sodas you can’t find anywhere else). I always find something to bring home.

Local Flavor

If you’re desperate for some local flavor, as I always am, I’ve got just the spot for you. Head

over to the Naples Ship Store, located next to the Naples City Dock on Naples Bay in Crayton Cove. This is an authentic ship’s store, where people docking at the city dock come to buy parts and supplies, but it also has a fun selection of gifts. There are tons of t-shirts and hats (including ship captain’s hats), but there is also jewelry, dried alligator heads, shell art, local paintings, maps, and lots of knickknacks. We go every year. When our kids were little they always used to find something they wanted. I bought a lovely tropical print there last year.  Stroll past the pizzeria next door to the two little art galleries in the same plaza. One is quite pricey, but the other has some affordable pieces. I bought a small print there a few years ago for just a couple of dollars. If you’re hungry, I recommend The Dock, right across the street for great seafood and a lovely view.

If you want to be a tourist, go to Tin City. This complex appears very quaint but it has that Disneyfied feel to it. This complex on the Gordon River was originally used for fish processing and shipping, but now it’s main goal is to take your cash. This is where to go if you desperately need some t-shirts from your visit, but there’s nothing handmade or nice to be had here. It’s all tourist junk, which your kids may love but it’s unlikely you will find anything. Frankly, we avoid this place at all costs.

Every year I come back to Naples and hope for more shops with locally made items!

Shopping is always a primary concern of mine when traveling. And generally what I’m looking for are items handmade in the local area, usually specialty items from the area. Naples, FL is a lovely place to visit with wonderful white sand beaches, warm weather, and lots of conveniences nearby, but it doesn’t ring my bell … Read more →

As I recently posted, my husband went to India on a 10-day business trip. I wasn’t able to go (and someday I will get over this, really). To placate me, he did bring me a couple of gifts. He also received gifts from the colleagues he visited. There was lots to see once he unpacked.

He received an interesting hat from the driver he spent some of his time with. The hat is made in the driver’s village in the Himalayas and the pattern is unique to that village.

He brought us all shirts. The girls got

patterned tops. The boys got shirts with Nehru collars. I received a beautiful blue scarf (the tag says it is a stole). My daughter got a crocheted purse. All of these items were bought when the mother of one of his associates took him shopping. He bought the clothes at a shop called FabIndia, which he said felt the Gap for India.

My favorite thing is a brass bowl in the shape of a lotus, painted pink and purple.

He brought home a drink mix of some kind, a syrup you mix with water.

His colleagues gave him a statue of Ganesh and two framed tiles. They are marble with glass jewels and paint on them to make a pattern. They are quite beautiful. One of them says it is supposed to be a replica of a piece of jewelry. The other has no label, so we are unsure what it is.

The treasures he brought home are fascinating!

As I recently posted, my husband went to India on a 10-day business trip. I wasn’t able to go (and someday I will get over this, really). To placate me, he did bring me a couple of gifts. He also received gifts from the colleagues he visited. There was lots to see once he unpacked. … Read more →

Check out my second guest post on My Itchy Travel Feet about buying unique and special mementos on your travels.

Check out my second guest post on My Itchy Travel Feet about buying unique and special mementos on your travels.

I bought these polka dot mugs in Italy and they make my mornings so happy! I have a thing for polka dots; I have a whole board on Pinterest with polka dot items.  Polka dots make me so happy. They are round and bubbly and cheerful. I once had a white t-shirt that had tiny little polka dots around the bottom hem. I slaved over that t-shirt, to keep it clean and white looking so I could wear it over and over again!

I usually like to buy things while traveling that are unique to that region or that depict or bring to mind the area. This time though, I bought these mugs just because I HAD to have them. I passed them in a shop window near our hotel every day in Sorrento. On our last day, I decided I needed them. The shop was closed! I almost cried. Fortunately it was just closed for the afternoon and was open again that evening when we walked by.

I bought these polka dot mugs in Italy and they make my mornings so happy! I have a thing for polka dots; I have a whole board on Pinterest with polka dot items.  Polka dots make me so happy. They are round and bubbly and cheerful. I once had a white t-shirt that had tiny … Read more →

I’ve got a guest post up on Donna Hull’s amazing travel site, My Itchy Travel Feet with advice and tips about how to find unique souvenirs on your travels that will make excellent mementos. I hope you will check it out!

I’ve got a guest post up on Donna Hull’s amazing travel site, My Itchy Travel Feet with advice and tips about how to find unique souvenirs on your travels that will make excellent mementos. I hope you will check it out!