When you think of Croatia rugged coastlines,  fortress cities and party islands probably spring to mind. What you might not associate with Croatia is lush forests, fern-lined pools and cascading waterfalls - cue the Plitvice Lakes National Park. Trekking the walking trails through this picturesque wonderland  conjured up childhood imaginations of how Neverland would be or the magical lands of Narnia after the thaw. 
Well worth adding to the bucket list. 
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Embroidered Map

If your anything like me,  you love nothing more than road tripping across country, taking a plane ride overseas or basically journeying somewhere unknown. One of the fruits of exploration is acquiring souvenirs for yourself, family and friends, marking the achievements of your journey. However, as I discovered on my travels around Europe souvenirs in tourist shops and market places can be quite generic with the only variation being the name of the place in which you brought it. Even worse is that these generic travel tokens are are not even made in the country you are exploring, but more often than not being made in China. 

I made a space saving conscious effort when travelling Europe to avoid purchasing those tokens that were generic, made in China or anything junky. While I did find joy in shops and stalls of the local artist, the reality of souvenir shopping, especially pressed for time, left me with very limited options. 

So when I returned home I went looking for unique, personalised ways to mark my travels.  And SUCCESS courtesy of LaurenConrad.com and Martha Stewart.com "The Embroidered Map" Idea. 

Basically all you do is:
 1) Take a journey somewhere 
2)  Get a map of where you travelled
3)  Embroider a line showing the path of your ramblings
4)  Frame and hang on your wall

Soon you will have a gallery of memories of your travels to share with your nearest and dearest. 

If you have any other ideas for unique travel souvenirs or tips for seeking them during your travels leave a comment below. They would be great to see. 

Happy sewing :D

For more specific instructions seek the wisdom of Martha Stewart at (http://www.marthastewart.com/375160/map-artwork)