Cleaning Out The Closet

I spent three hours in my closet the other day. No kidding. Out with the old, in with the new. Even though trying on clothes, and deciding what stays and what goes can be tiring and a bit tedious, the end result is so satisfying. It has been proven to me over and over again: less is more.

I usually end up with two piles, plus a cleaned out closet. One pile is “get rid of it, you’ve never even worn it –aka “you’ve worn it a million times, time to go” and the other pile is “Not ready to get rid of this yet, guess I’ll decide next year”. I try to keep the latter pile as small as possible, and try to be brutally honest.

Here is where the fun begins- time to put outfits together and be creative. Can I wear last year’s top with a new scarf or a new Italian necklace? How about those tight Italian jeans with this year’s new wedges? What about that 10 year old dress from Florence? What can we do this year that's new? I love letting my own style and personality come through in my choices. Mixing designers is one way; I also like layering and mixing textures.

The easiest way for me to dress is to keep my clothes neutral and add pops of color with accessories. I do this with scarves, belts, Italian jewelry, a watch, sometimes an Italian handbag. But I’m careful to never overdo it.

And really, in addition to all of the great fashion items of this season, one of the best accessories is a great lipstick, and THE best accessory is a smile. Try it on- you’ll feel great.

A Wonderful Week in Barcelona

We’ve just returned from a terrific week in Barcelona. What a vibrant European city! Barcelona is sophisticated and fun, culturally stimulating, and there’s something for everyone. The city is on the beach, but it’s very cosmopolitan with a real city feel to it. The food is terrific- I’d say it’s good to be a seafood fan although not a necessity- and a pitcher of Sangria can cool anyone off on a June day. My favorite is Sangria made with Cava, light in taste and in color, and very refreshing.

Our sole (no pun intended) means of transport were our poor and tired feet! We walked everywhere, and explored a different part of the city each day. My favorite for shopping is the Born-Ribera district, where there are lots of interesting boutiques. I also enjoyed shopping in the Eixample area, an upscale and sophisticated part of town where there are larger stores, some designer stores that we see in the States, but also some uniquely Spanish and Italian shops.


Just like in Italy, all women wear their pocketbooks across their bodies. It’s a functional, safe and stylish way to carry a bag, and is so very European. Here are some photos of women walking in the city:

You can find bag of this style on our site: http://www.serenaimports.com/
More blog posts and photos to come about all that Barcelona has to offer and about the beautiful Catalan language!