collection

This is such an exciting post for me to share for many reasons. First and foremost, I absolutely LOVE the holidays….almost as much as I love traveling! Second, this collection has taken years to accumulate, and I’m thrilled now to have so many regions of the world represented, with many more to go! And being highly sentimental, each ornament has a story and brings a memory.

I have posted previously about my favorite souvenirs to collect while traveling. Well, truth be told, I collect more than textiles. I collect ornaments, too. NO WAIT! Before you imagine a tree covered in tacky plastic Eiffel Towers, Pyramids and snowglobes, hang on. One of the reasons I love textiles is that they are made of natural materials and often by hand in the country of origin. I have the same criteria for my ornament purchases, pretty much. I’ll consider anything that is not mass-produced or made of plastic. Ideally, hand-made, hand-painted, ceramic, glass, wood, metal….but most importantly, representative of and made in the country where purchased!

Where to start when you’re covering the world? I’ve decided to break it out by continental regions, and here I’ve created mini slideshows for each one. I hope you enjoy your trip around my tree…and around the world!

AFRICA