Vacation Decoration

Obviously, I am a huge fan of Lauren and her blog, I especially am inspired by Fly Away Friday. Not only do the features make me want to visit the beautiful towns, but also make me think about my own travels. Yes, I love to travel, whether it is across the globe or exploring some of the small towns within a few hours of where I live. And, over the years, I have amassed quite an inventory of vacation treasures. Some great and some that reside in the storage bins in the garage. So, as the summer vacation season comes to a close, I thought I would share my three favorite ways to decorate from my vacations and staycations.

Use photos as art. On a recent road trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, I travelled the back roads that were once a thriving freeway. Luckily, those back roads are full of vintage motels that are no longer in operation, but are still mid-century modern beautiful. I stopped to take some photos {like the one above}- these now hang in my living room in two sets of three.  And, in my bedroom, I had a terrible time deciding what art to hang over my bed. After reviewing photos from my trip to Europe, I just knew I had the perfect art! I blew up three photos from my three favorite cities: London, Venice and Paris. So remember, some of the best “artwork” was probably taken with your own camera!

Buy a coffee table book. Whether you are visiting a city you love or are lucky enough to live in a history-filled city, coffee table books are a great way to keep memories alive or spark new conversations when friends visit. I lived in San Francisco for a few years and love thinking back to my time exploring the city with my Yorkie Harley {who has since passed away}. I had been a tourist for over ten years before moving there; and even as a resident I had the excitement of a tourist…and still do. I keep a coffee table book from the city as a great memory and reminder of my beautiful life with Harley in North Beach. I also have one from my current {and temporary} home, Fredericksburg, Texas, a historic German-settled community in the heart of the Texas Hill {and wine} Country.  

Invest in trinkets. When I visited Columbia, I bought some very small neon pink clay pots that didn’t cost me more than five dollars. I have carried those small pots through countless moves and they have adorned my dressing table and probably always will. In Puerto Vallarta, it was a dark wooden dolphin on the beach that caught my eye. And, on the pricier side, I purchased a wooden mask in Aruba last summer, called Mopa Mopa, using a historic Indian decorative technique. This piece hangs in my living room over my vintage sofa. Really, no matter your budget, you can find something that will last decades if you buy for your taste. I was just a teenager when I bought that dolphin, but it works great in my beachy bathroom.