we're a team.

i had a really really REALLY bad day today, and i haven't had one of those in a long time.

if you've ever watched "Broadcast News," i felt like holly hunter this morning in my cubicle. i wanted to cry and then i'd be ok.

to add to injury, my car went into the shop only for it to overheat again on the busy interstate.

luckily, it's okay now but it was a big let down and kind of scary for this small city driver.

my husband met me while we waited on my car and as we sat outside on a busy highway, i whined about my bad day. he listened to my moans and when i was done, he reminded me that this wasn't a bad day. That it could be so much worse, nobody was hurt... nobody is sick, and that at least i'm not alone.

"you are my wife and i love you. we're a team. i've got your back." -- words spoken after my little meltdown.

and i realized, he was so right.  we're a team. and it's so good to have him by my side.

i am a lucky girl, not just because i have an amazing husband but i'm also lucky to have the most amazing friends. Thank-you for your sweet twitter/fb comments!!! it is so good to be your friend.

speaking of great friends, Katyha made my day with an email of this drawing she is working on of me and my husband. isn't it so stinkin adorable?! i LURVE it! <3



it feels good to belong to a team, both in love and life.

 because just so you know... i have your backs too!  xoxo

art from Museum of Wonder could be yours! details here :

two things i love : dogs and art.

which is why i fell in love with this unusual and original terrier portrait by artist Butch Anthony. 

unfortunately, it was sold but! i have something exciting to share. 

my beautiful friend Kat of Fritzi Marie is the girl who first introduced the artist behind museum of wonder to me. 

and because she is amazing, she is giving you a chance to score an original piece of his titled "Love Birds."

i love his touches on this precious piece of vintage memory. whenever i'm out at a thrift/antique store, i always go through the bins of forgotten photographs looking for images just like this... of couples who were in love once upon a time. i always wonder how their story turned out.

seriously, i hope i should be so lucky to win the Butch Anthony giveaway for this original painting but i couldn't help telling you lovies about this awesome giveaway going on now at Fritzi Marie. What are you waiting for? get your name in the hat! *wink


details about the artist + giveaway here.

Wanting to Know you Wens.

this week i wanted to know one of your someday hopes.

someday i will... 

have a closet full of sparkly fancy vintage dresses. 

your turn! 

(image : live creating yourself)

Postal Service.

has it really been since february that i've posted one of these? wow. and it's already fixing to be April and i haven't even gotten around to showing off my birthday spoils! have i mentioned i've got the greatest friends?

^this birthday pressie was from the lovely alyssa, rhianne, and gracie. isn't that just the sweetest of all of them to get together and get me this gorgeous vintage postal scale? practical and a decor swoon! i love imagining all of them talking about making my birthday a fabulous one! kisses to you 3!

 

^all the above were spoils from one of my best girls, my Claire. She picked the two books up at a book sale knowing how much i love reading {the "kite runner" is one of her faves, and loving the film version, i can't wait to read the book!}, H&M bracelet and zip purse that now hold my girly products, the most perfect "micaela find"-- a thrifted martini glass with italian written on it, and though you'll have to forgive me for the blurry photo above, but i absolutely LOVE the floral dress she sent me! perfect for spring! but of course... claire is not only a gift giving goddess, but knows me so well. i mean she even included dark chocolate godiva for me. need i say more?

^from erin : beauties! another girl who gets my heart. {lip gloss? amazing! i can't live without it in dry/windy el paso}

more birthday card love : rhianne (someday my closet will look like that), phoenix, alyssa, maria, and priya.

^don't you love the top and earrings from my girl fiance? she also sent me some milano cookies! I laughed when i opened them, because let me tell you -- i could eat a package in one sitting. 

^from the kindest girl ever, carrie marie.

^from claudia 

^from my first ever pen pal and one of my closest friends, sanja in slovenia. this perfume smells really pretty! and how can you not like the pom pom? or chocolate!!! i love that my friends know how much i LOVE my chocolate!!!

^from my dearest friend Katyha. As you know from earlier, books are such special gifts. katyha sent me one that touched her heart and already i can't put it down!

really, 27 has been such a good year so far! thank-you for all you lovies who made it even more special! it all meant so much to me. xoxo

^my first letter to katyha

^barbara streisand postcard for my bestie Marisa

^a letter for my first pen pal sanja in slovenia

^a photo i took and made into a postcard for alyssa

^a little thank you for bethany for this she sent me. i made her the postcard on the left and including my favorite chocolate candy. since she shared a generous amount of her penguin postcards, i ordered the below two from the blue balloon. i wanted notecards she could send her long distance love. (their relationship makes me swoon!)

what happy things have you been getting in your mailbox? 

Sharing Sundays... Someday Hopes.

i instantly fell head over heels for this blog filled with someday hopes; sweet wishes for their life. 

below were some of my favorites...  someday i will: 

"live in a place where i can sleep all summer with the windows wide open."

"wake up in the morning and not be in a rush-- rather, drink some tea, soak up in the morning sun while taking time to become inspired before starting my day."

 "eat everything--- even my blueberries-- on the finest of china"

"someday i will find my jim halpert"

blog : Someday Hopes

be prepared to both swoon, relate, and wish for the same things. 

happy things to end the week with.

loving my pilates sculpt class

texts like this from my husband while he's stuck working late : "i want to have a glass of wine and fall asleep with you."

a movie date with myself watching this sweet film at the urgency of twinkie {who's seriously crushin over Damon these days}

this new bueno bueno design with my beloved state

"I've always admitted that I'm ruled by my Passions." 

-Elizabeth Taylor

february 1932 - march 2011

my good friend john sent me an email with the subject "you and elizabeth's timing" joking that he had read she requested her funeral start 15 minutes later : "reminded me of you and your late starts. she was beautiful just like you." 

it made me laugh because i am notoriously late for everything, or at least i used to be. i love that elizabeth taylor always kept her sense of humor. 

happy friday lovies! xoxo

something i've been working on...

collage postcards part deux 

( see part one here )

Wanting to Know you Wens.

i read this post from Catherine over at Jumbleberry Orchard about lessons learned from being a Half where she recounted what she's discovered about herself since moving in with her boyfriend. It was all so true and had me giggling remembering the first time i ever moved in with my now husband.

so today i wanted to be nosey and ask you about your living arrangements. one thing i think i've always regretted is never living on my own. I've always lived with either a group of girls or this or that boyfriend. 

currently, i live with my husband and our three puppy babies in a pretty big sized duplex. we're lucky that our neighbors on the other side of the duplex are now our closest friends in el paso and our friday night double dates. 

what about you? do you live alone? in a college dorm? with a sibling or significant other? or are you on your own in a studio apartment? do tell!

and the winner of the "micaela headband" giveaway is...

this is going to look so pretty on you Amanda! 

please email me your mailing address so i can pass it along to gracie :)

thanks to all you lovies who played along xo

hosting giveaways makes me happy, but more than that is having the best readers. i'm a lucky girl!

"because without the bitter, baby, the sweet ain't as sweet."

"Flew over El Paso @ 10 am this morning and wondered where you were down there."

text received yesterday morning from a lover i once knew. 

Stay Handmade Etsy Swap : in/outbound.

monday's usually dedicated to a postal service blog here at dolce vita, but today i want to highlight the latest swap i participated in. For jessie's stay handmade etsy swap, she partnered two bloggers together and from there you exchanged brief bios and favorite etsy shops with one another. I love the concept because not only did you get to support handmade {and you know all about my etsy addiction} but meet a new friend in the process. I was lucky enough to do just that when i was partnered with the ever sweet Amanda over at Itchin' Stichin'. 

the deadline to send out swap packages isn't until the 25th, but we had exchanged so many emails right off the bat, we were both excited about the swap we got started right away. here's what Amanda spoiled me with!

she sent me these adorable cards/postcards from BibbysRocket. 

 she also sent me this custom map pendant from Designs by Taylor2u with a note that said, "I know how much you love your state. Now you can carry it close to your heart wherever you go." I absolutely love it!

that was just the etsy side of the swap. we also sent each other a little gift. her gift to me was extra special because Amanda is a crafting goddess, so i love that she included something so beautifully handmade for our house, along with other micaela-esque goodies.

doesn't she get my taste perfectly!? thank-you so very much Amanda for being the swap partner of my dreams! xoxo

for amanda, i decided to use her etsy favorites as if it was a gift registry. these are the two items i sent her for our swap.

this beautiful mermaid print from Artist Andrea. Amanda mentioned wanting to revamp her bedroom and i fell in love with the colors in this piece. I thought it would be perfect in a vintage frame. 

i also really love how amazing the artist/etsy owner was! usually it takes 5-7 days for printing, but when i mentioned it was for a blog swap, Andrea not only generously got it out to Amanda faster, but she also threw in the eco tote bag with one of her original art drawings. {andrea is seriously the kindest to wok with and her shop is full of beautiful one of a kind art-- you should check her out!}

i also got this vintage ballerina hankie from random retro. i always carry a vintage hankie in my purse but with this one, i thought it'd even be pretty framed. 

since amanda loves vintage tins like me, i sent her this one because i loved the top.

as you can see, me and amanda were perfect for each other!


thank-you amanda for being a fun swap mate and cheers to our new friendship xoxo

jessie, thank-you for hosting such a fun swap! (love you)