Smart Souvenirs from a Devoted Minimalist ... and Jewelry from Me

So what do you do if you're traveling to a foreign country, say, Germany (for example) and you don't like the typical/traditional souvenirs? Maybe you aren't real into decorative cuckoo clocks or elaborate beer steins.

You look for something practical, that's what.  



One thing I admire about my Brother is that he's a minimalist.  He's very serious about only owning things he uses or needs.  He is definitely anti-knick-knacks or even extraneous kitchen tools.  Example: the last time I was at his apartment he didn't even have a silverware organizer.  (Claimed he just doesn't need it! and I guess he's technically right..)

Anyways, while he was visiting us he wanted to take home some unique, definitely German souvenirs. He looked for things that were practical, which I thought was just brilliant!  What he ended up with was this awesome butter dish. It says "butter by the fishes" and the funny thing is that it's obviously designed for German butter, which is sold in blocks in the stores.  So in the States, he'll probably have to break up his sticks of butter to fit them in this dish!  But that doesn't lower the coolness factor of this souvenir!  I think this was an awesome choice.

Then he went with some pretty practical (and useful) items:  a corkscrew and wine glass from our trip to the wine fest, plus the wine bottle signed by the wine princesses, and then the beer glasses from our trip to the Dino Park Jazz Fest.  One awesome thing about Germany is that you almost always get a real glass when you're at a festival.  You pay for the wine (or beer) plus a small deposit on the glass.  If you return the glass, you get the deposit back.  If you keep it, then you keep it and you get to brag for the rest of your life about how that particular wine glass is from that one time you went to a wine fest on the Rhine River!  

I guess you could say the empty wine bottle is impractical, and I doubt he'll keep it forever.  But it was still a fun memory!

Now it's time for me to move on to bragging about my HUSBAND'S most recent gift to me... a truly awesome souvenir...

This necklace is AMAZING!  It's a limited edition (the third one sold out of ten made!) by a jeweler right here in Otterberg.  It's designed after the rose window in the Otterberg church!  So it's perfect because it's a beautiful piece, plus it's a special memento that I'll have of one of my favorite parts of our village.  I love the length of the cord it's on, and also the fact that I can change things up and put it on any chain/cord I want later!

I always used to think "oh well I don't need souvenirs because I have all these awesome photos" but I'm so glad Jesse decided to get me this - It's the perfect souvenir for me and I will treasure it forever!  Thanks Babe!

So there you have it... it's you're a guy - get a butter dish.  If you're a girl - a pretty necklace!