Get Ready For Some Book Hunting Adventures!

Introducing Bookworm Extraordinaire’s

 Book Hunting Adventures

This new feature on BWE is inspired by R.S. Garnett’s 1931 Some Book-Hunting Adventures in which he relates his own tales of scouring the shops for that perfect find. As I related in my review of it, I found this book quite by chance as I was in the stacks of my library in August. As I read it the idea of this series began to worm its way into my brain. Garnett had some pretty interesting tales about how he came into his books and the more I thought about I realized that I get my books in some strange places. Everywhere from thrift stores to a sketchy old man under a bridge my books have come to me in odd ways. BWE’s Book Hunting Adventures is going to be a new series in which I share my stories with my readers. I hope my Book Hunting Adventures amuse and inspire you as much as Garnett’s did me. 

~Laura!

Collection: Bookmarks- From Places

Bookmarks

From Places Collection

My FROM PLACES bookmarks!
(all pictured except the Toronto Zoo bookmark)

The bookmarks in this collection are some of my absolute favorites. Some of them are souvenirs from my travels, and the others are bookmarks that my family bought for me when they went on travels of their own! They are all unique and special and I love them all. 

My Washington, DC bookmarks!

Pictured:

• Washington silhouette bookmark was a gift from my friends Graham and Kellie
• Canvas bookmark from Mount Vernon
• Washington, DC bookmark was a gift from my cousin's trip there in 2013
• Lincoln Memorial bookmark
• Smithsonian bookmark from the National Museum of National History
• Manassas National Battlefield Park Bookmark
• Hologram Smithsonian bookmark from the National Museum of Air and Space

My Baltimore bookmarks!

Pictured:

• Ft. McHenry bookmark with charm
• 3 dolphin bookmarks from the National Aquarium
• Pratt eLibrary bookmark from the Pratt Library in Baltimore (I went there to see their Poe exhibit, but it wasn't open to the public!)

My Salem and Boston bookmarks!

Pictured:

• La Japonaise by Claude Monet bookmark bought at MFA Boston
• Old town Boston map bookmark bought at Old State House in Boston
• American Revolutionary war bookmark bought at Old State House in Boston
• Paul Revere bookmark bought at Old State House in Boston
• Friendship of Salem bookmark bought at Salem Visitor's Centre
• Salem bookmark bought at one of the witch museums

My random selection of From Places bookmarks!

Pictured:

• Giraffe Buffalo Zoo bookmark, origin unknown
• Wooden Buffalo Zoo bookmark bought during a trip there summer 2013 with Anne and Rachel
• Gettysburg bookmark from my parents trip when I was younger
• Statue of Liberty bookmark with charm bought during my trip there in 2010
• Vidler's bookmark bought one of the million times I've gone to the historic East Aurora 5 & 10 store
• Personalized Florida bookmark that my brother brought back from his honeymoon

Kelly's trip to Europe bookmark collection!

Pictured:

• Winsor Castle (London) bookmark- this is my favorite bookmark. I use it all the time. It is made of leather and I pretend that it smells like the queen!
• Prague bookmark
• Eiffel Tower bookmark
• Double Decker Bus (London) bookmark
• Notre Dame bookmark
• Vienna bookmark

My Toronto Zoo bookmark

Pictured:

• Toronto Zoo Panda poo bookmark- my cousin Kelly and I both love Pandas so when she went to see them at the Toronto zoo in 2013 she brought me back this panda bookmark! It is made with Panda poop, I am not even joking. I love this bookmark SO MUCH even though no matter how safe the back insists it is I plan on keeping in its nice plastic case!

I hope you enjoyed this tour of my From Places bookmark collection!

If you'd like to see more of my bookmarks, check out the bookmarks label! 

~Laura!

Collection: Souvenir Pennies

Souvenir Pennies

My pennies in their display case!

For anyone who doesn't know what souvenir pennies are, they are pennies that are smushed and stretched on  rollers in a machine, and when it goes through any design on the rollers is engraved on the penny as the machine elongates it! The tradition of making and collecting these special pennies started at the World's Columbian Exhibition in 1893. You can learn more about them at the official website.

My first Penny.

My Penny Case!

I don’t know exactly how old I was when I got my first elongated penny, but I know I got it at the Buffalo Science Museum when I went on a field trip there with my class. Some people are very serious about collecting these pennies. I am not a Serious collector, I collect pennies from the places I've been that have the machine. I don't buy them online, I prefer to make them myself. I didn't even know it was a serious market for these things until I was at the National Museum of American History, one of the Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC and saw a Collector's case with the website on the back. 

I like these because they are cheap, fun ways to remember an experience! 

(Sorry the following pictures are arranged strangely, it's the only way they would arrange on the page)

Pennies from Buffalo (my hometown):

I don't remember when I got this one.

I got this on a trip to the Zoo
in 2013 with my best friends.

I don't know where this one is from or when I got it.

I don't know where this one is from or when I got it.

I made this when I went in
2011 for the Narnia Exhibition

I made this when I went in
2011 for the Narnia
 Exhibition

I made this on a trip to
Darien Lake in 2009

Not technically Buffalo, but
made to commemorate my trip
to the Niagara Falls Aquarium
with my best friends in 2011

Most of these were made before I considered myself a collector of pennies.

 I was still a child when I made these.

I consider these to be the very first thing I started to collect!

Most of these were made before I considered myself a collector of pennies.

 I was still a child when I made these.

I consider these to be the very first thing I started to collect!

Pennies from My 8th Grade Class Trip to Ohio in 2006

(my first trip away from home):

To commemorate the fact that I went on
a roller coaster (the Raptor)

To commemorate my love of Polar bears

To commemorate my trip to Cleveland

Pennies from My Italian Club Trip to New York City in 2010:

I made this to commemorate
my trip to Liberty Island

To commemorate my trip to
Ground Zero 

Made this at the M&M store
in Times Square!

Pennies from Trip to Washington, DC in 2010:

I chose this because the dino skeletons
were my favorite and most iconic

I chose this because it was a cool exhibit!

I chose this because Sputnik was the only thing I recognized

To commemorate my trip to
Mount Vernon

This penny was a mistake.
I wanted the normal MV one
but I couldn't figure out the machine

This is the penny featured
in my Penny case!

Pennies from Trip to Baltimore in 2013:

To commemorate my Trip to Baltimore

To commemorate my time at the Harbor

To commemorate my time at
Ripley's Museum. This
made me laugh!

To commemorate my trip to the National
Aquarium

I never did see the Puffin
which is sad because they
are my favorites

To commemorate my experience with
the dolphins!

Pennies from Trip to Salem in 2013:

To commemorate my trip. This is the Official Salem Logo

I chose this one because
I love the pentagram

I chose this one because the bear
 is adorable

To commemorate my trip!

I really like the Salem Pennies. I think it's because they are all witch-y. Everything in Salem is witcht-y even their pennies!

Pennies from Trip to Boston in 2013:

To commemorate my love
of Myrtle the Turtle!

To commemorate my
bonding experience
with Kathleen over
penguins

To commemorate my trip to Boston's Aquarium

Other Commemorative Coins I keep in my Case:

Front of a coin I got at the National
Air and Space Museum

Back of the coin, commemorating the
moon landing

Front of the coin, commemorating the
Freedom Trail of Boston

Back of a coin I got at the Old North Church
where the lanterns to warn Revere were hung

I hope you enjoyed this tour of my Souvenir Penny collection!

Do you collect pennies, too? 

~Laura!