sand collection

i'm not a big souvenir fan. 

i mean, once in a while i'll fall in love with a momento that i "need" to take home from a

much loved destination. for instance, a slate cheese board from our trip to wales.

but usually, i collect sand from our holidays away.

above, sits our beautiful window seat sand collection. 

i first saw this idea in a magazine and loved it, then my sister began a sand collection, then i decided that i was going to start one as well. it has been an adventure, for sure. 

my very first collection is from 1987 on a trip with paul to new zealand. the last, to this point, is from our most recent family trip to carlsbad, california.

each bottle of sand brings back memories of not only the vacation but the specific ocean or lake sand collecting escapade. one of my favorite sand collecting memories is from our trip to london as we, at low tide, collected sand from the river thames and discovered clay smoking pipes discarded by dock workers as early as the 1500's! it has been a great family vacation tradition.