USVI-On-Line

PSUWethr wrote:We always bring home coffee (Kiss of the Jumbie) and other spices. We have brought home everything else from a large stained glass barracuda from schnell and a large stuffed lobster for my daughter.

I think the most interesting "souviner" we brought home was a lizard that decided to pack himself int he suitcase. Unfortunately he did not make the trip and I had lizard guts in my dirty clothes!

Poor lizard! We had this happen to us last May but ours is thankfully still alive and living in an aquarium at our house. I feel bad that he doesn't live in St. John anymore but at least he's alive

I'm not a big collector (except hand thrown pottery) so this is SO not me. But one of our first visits we bought a coconut shell "bobble head" turtle by the ferry dock. Then we found another bobble head turtle of some sort. So now I have a small collection of VERY hard to find bobble head turtles (I want them to be different) and occasionally I will let a handmade turtle of some sort slide in there that doesn't have a bobble head. But it has to be good.

The big concern is that friends spot these turtles and start wanting to add to my turtle collection...I don't want a bunch of random turtle gifts! Don't I sound like a snob!

Slowly I am adding more and more island colors to the house. My bathroom has really cool blue and green tiles with accent murano tiles with fish swimming in them. I just painted the kitchen a two tome turquoise to match the color of the water in St. John. Am planning on painting some kitchen chairs in a bright pink with stenciled ocena creatures. Ahhh, anything to trick the mind!

To remind me to visit more often:

that's great Pat!

Caneel shampoo and lotion. Each trip Hubs would sweet talk the housekeeping staff into tons of extras.

Our son's bedroom is total STJ. We have some of those painted metal lizards from the smoothie stand and lots of framed pictures I took over the years and several shadow boxes filled with shells (from Caneel's turndown service) and other momentos.

There was a print shop in Mongoose years ago and we have at least three prints purchased there in our living room.

Hubs has a large Steve Simonson print in his office.

Good morning PA Girl. I enjoy waking up each morning in my snow filled yard in N.H and the first thing I look at is a 20 x 30 shot I took this past October of Trunk Bay! for that tranquil moment I remember the beautiful warmth of the Caribbean and remind myself that will be back in October!

CB

I picked up a very cute plaque/ornament at St. John's spice, two starfish on the beach with "St. John" written on the bottom. It now hangs in our half-bath on the main level. There's already a shells/beach theme going on in there so it fits perfectly. We also have some photos of our STJ visits in the basement, which has a Caribbean theme.

jayseadee: We, too, have Jonna White prints -- a pair of birds titled 'Cloisonne' and 'Satsuma'-- hanging in our living room. I love her work!!

I have dishes, wall sculptures and a hanging lamp from Donald Schnell.

I have a wall sculpture of reef fish from one of the art galleries in Mongoose Junction...the one across from Sun Dog cafe. Maybe Best of Both Worlds? I have some pottery from there also.

I have an entire drawer of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion from Caneel. I LOVE the way that stuff smells. That same bureau is deocrated with all the shells they leave on your pillow at night at Caneel.

I also have a basket of shells I collected off Hart Bay on our first trip. I knew not to take anything from the National Park beaches but I did not realize that the ban extended to the entire territory. That basket always makes me feel a little guilty when I look at it.

We have the National Geographic map of St. John framed and hanging in our dining room.

There's probably more stuff around but I can't think of anything else right now.

OK, now we know why Caneel is so expensive; you people are robbing them blind

We brought home cinnamon bay soap that smells delish and I swear lasted for years! You can buy it at the airport gift shop.

Patr I love the saying on your wall. I like it so much I may copy you!

I have a few pictures of our trip around the house; my desktop picture right now is a picture of Crabby's; I have a beautiful drawing of a tropical fish, drawn by my daughter, in my office; and almost every day I wear a ring and necklace that I bought on STJ. The back of the pendant has a petroglyph design.

I, too, used Caneel products for their evocative scent. I would always go there and buy a bottle of shampoo. I just realized I have not done that for a while.

Every trip, I bring down my watercolor set and do a painting of the view from our villa. So I always bring my paintings home with me.

But this winter, I've been getting out the paints here at home and doing St. John watercolor sketches every few days...I don't "need" the paintings (nowhere left to hang them!) but I find that the process is very soothing and brings a little bit of St. John sunshine into this very grey Northeast winter!!

Our living room has 10 8x10 stj photos matted and hung on the wall. Back yard deck has chairs in all different primary colors, and is decorated with windchimes and metal bright colored wall hangings of lizards, turtles, and frogs.(like the ones sold at the smoothie stand)Bathroom is painted deep blue, with close up pictures of sea turtle, angel fish, lizard and donkey on the walls. The coral bay donkey is a close up shot of just its eyes, and it lis lookin out from the back of the toilet. Also there is the required basket of stj rocks and seashells and other floatsom in the living room. I just finished 2 paintings of STJ, one of trunk bay and one of haulover bay. Have not yet decided where to hang them, so they are leaning against the piano. I'm sure everyone thinks I've totally lost it. Except prehaps for you all here.

It always seems a fair amount of STJ sand makes it back in both our snorkel and duffel bags.... Don't tell the NPS!