Serendipity and the Sailor: Global Fashion Inspiration

Every year from the time I was a child, my parents and I went on an annual family vacation to Mexico. My parents continue the tradition to this day, but now they're fortunate enough to spend five or six weeks there every year. And me? I haven't been back in two years, but my heart aches for it some days-- especially during this past long cold winter!

We started going to Puerto Villarta as a family after it was a resort town made famous by Night of the Iguana but before it was on the map of places to go. Today it's a world class tourist destination, but we stayed in "Old Puerto Villarta" with dusty cobblestone streets where it wasn't unusual to see locals tie up their burros outside the cantina while they stopped in for a cold cerveza.

Breathtaking hills surrounding Banderas Bay

I roasted my fair skin in the sun with no sunscreen (yyyyyiiiiikkkkeesss- and have the wrinkles to prove it) and got my hair braided on the beach. We took rickety taxis into town and shopped the outdoor market under the bridge for jewelry, blankets, pottery, silver, you name it. We ate at our favorite restaurant tucked away behind a wrought iron gate and bougainvillea flowers, where the waitstaff cooked table side. And although it's been out of business for over a decade, my parents and I still reminisce about many nights spent there listening to the mariachi band and watching the regulars dance.

Because it's a place near and dear to me, I love any reminders of it. So my heart swelled when I saw these beautiful Mi Golondrina tops and dresses made by women in small Oaxaca villages.

I already have an airy white cotton top with embroidery similar to the ones below, but I'd love to add to the collection!