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" Whether you spent your summer vacation on a lake, near the ocean, in the country or on the other side of the world, chances are you&amp;#039;ve brought back a souvenir or two to remind you of the journey. It might be a prized catch reeled in on a fishing trip, a vintage book or cookie tin discovered at a flea market, or a smattering of shapely shells picked up on a sandy beach. Whatever you bring home, these collectibles deserve a special spot in your home\u2014where they&amp;#039;ll spark a conversation or elicit a happy memory. Here are six simple ways to show them off in style.   Flea-Market Finds On their hunting forays, flea-market fanatics often pick up all manner of bric-a-brac\u2014vintage textiles, old lunch boxes, out-of-print books, even tattered teddy bears. Rein in the urge to have it all and focus your collections by unifying them with a color theme or by limiting what you gather to an era or place, like 1950s Americana\u2014that way even a motley mix will coalesce with a clear point of view.    Elegant Urns You don&amp;#039;t have to be a potter to appreciate the value of a hand-thrown ceramic vase. Indulge the urge to acquire these sculptural beauties over time by choosing only those in one or two colors, such as white, or blue and white. Dedicate an entire wall to showing them off and feel free to move them around to make room for new pieces that come into the fold. That way the collection will always remain interesting and dynamic, while the simple color scheme will keep the effect harmonious.    Spectacular Shells Who can resist the lure of a sculptural shell cast up on the beach? Instead of letting these small wonders wash back out to sea, comb the surf for the best you can find, pool them together in a clear vase or lidded jar, and set them on a side table or laundry room shelf to catch the eye and focus the mind as it wanders on a winter&amp;#039;s day. Think about gathering another batch during next year&amp;#039;s summer getaway to add to your collection.   Fish Tales If the massive muskie you reeled in on a fishing trip is your only summer souvenir, then give the preserved version of your catch pride of place over a fireplace mantel in a casual dining space or on the wall of a relaxed den where family and friends frequently gather. When someone new asks about your finned friend, you can relive the experience of catching it again and again\u2014and maybe even embellish it a bit as you go along to add a little excitement to the story.   Delightful Dishes Mounting a collection of pretty plates on the wall in lieu of art has long been a classic approach to adding color, pattern and personal flair to dining areas, halls and kitchens. One approach is to construct a plate rail around the perimeter of a dining room and set upon it a collection of plates\u2014often mismatched, yet related in color or period\u2014evenly spaced all around. Wall-mounted arrangements, on the other hand, are ideal for giving a lone mismatched plate a place to serve a new decorative purpose with others like it. You can constantly add to the collection with complementary vintage finds from flea markets. Some people opt for a balanced arrangement like this one, with plates of similar scales facing off on either side of a central line. A modern take on this classic technique is to create a thoroughly random arrangement that provides an artier effect.   Mother Nature&amp;#039;s Masterpieces If you passed on the road trip, opting for a staycation this year, and therefore have no new souvenirs to display, then consider creating a collection of natural wonders. Soon trees will be shedding their diverse leaves, and all it takes is a stroll through the park with a little paper bag and in minutes you can gather a dozen or more of the multifaceted beauties. Press them between sheets of wax paper in the pages of a heavy book for a week. (To preserve their color, nip off the ends of their stems and soak them in glycerin first.) Then mount them with a few dots of glue on white artist&amp;#039;s paper, surround them with matching mats cut to fit, then frame them (the frames don&amp;#039;t have to match) and place the whole collection on shelves with other cherished items for a super-easy, au naturel addition to your decor.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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