handcrafted love + a Giveaway!!!

have you seen these handcrafted beauties?! i think i might have bought doug and beca's first pair when she first blogged/tweeted about adding them to the tumbleweeds shop. my husband is the hardest person to shop for but as soon as i saw that she could also make them in clear lenses i got him a pair. 

Darling Husband has perfect eye sight thanks to Lasik (not me, i'm blind as a bat!) but indulges me by wearing a pair of fashion fun glasses because i think there's nothing sexier than a guy (or girl) in glasses.

i love this man. love him. the fun part of his gift? i get to enjoy them too!

really, they are gorgeously made and you get to customize them! you get to pick the wood selection and frame color because these sunglasses are made to order. i can't believe how affordable they are too for the quality. i was so impressed, i already ordered these sunglasses for an upcoming trip.

beca also threw in a special gift -- a tumbleweeds wooden bracelet (which i can't stop wearing). Like their sunglasses, these are also handcrafted.

so a gift from me to one lucky reader.... You can win a Handcrafted Sunset Wooden Bracelet from the tumbleweeds shop! 

ways to enter: 

+ leave a comment about what you are looking forward to this summer

+ favorite (heart) the tumbleweeds shop on etsy

+ extra entry if you follow my dolce vita

+ tweet about this giveaway // my twitter name is @dolcemicaela

+ blog about this giveaway or put my giveaway button on your blog

a total of five different ways to win! 

{PLEASE leave separate entries for each one you do and of course this is open to international readers as well}

i'll pick the winner a week + a day on June 8th so get your name in the tin of chance! xo

also do yourself a favor and check out Beca's blog-- you'll love her, i promise!

Sharing Sundays... darling vintage.

i think i first found out about this darling shop through a tweet by the ever fashionable diana. 

i think what i love most about darling vintage is its range in sizes (because let's face it, not all of us can wear a vintage xs). Instead of me showing you a few pieces randomly, i decided to try something new. i created an outfit i'd wear, all from the shop centering around my favorite piece, the petit chien sweater. this dog mom of two little furry babies wanted to buy it right away! 

i'd wear it over the '80's pale pink confetti print dress

carrying the brown woven summer festival basket bag

walking around in grey snakeskin colorblock peep toe heels

what do you think?


etsy : darling vintage

summer book club? yes, please!

i have been looking forward to this ever since sarah mentioned wanting to start one awhile back and now she's done it! along with beca and carla, they've started a summer book club.

read the details here on the sadie blog and then do what i did... head down to your local library and get to reading! because i can't wait to discuss it with these girlfriends and of course you.

i was glad to have it when our street's power went out for a few hours. it kept me company on our back porch and while i sat on the kitchen floor devouring food i thought for sure was going to go to waste (like birthday pecan pie... deli fancy cheese...) all the while, still reading.

 i'm also really loving my handcrafted wooden bracelet, a gift from sweet beca {you can sport your own from her shop tumbleweeds} i could go on about how much i am a huge fan of her shop and her boyfriend's craftsmanship, but that's in a post all on its own.

(husband's birthday gift? yup! bought from their shop)

reading and wood is sexy. no pun intended.

(actually danielle, that perversity was for you girl fiancee!)


P.S. and speaking of books, there's two more days to sign up for the blogger book swap hosted by claire and lindsey. 

i forgot to add...

chocolate ice cream with m&m's to the happy list.  *please excuse the quality of this photo booth snapshot.

my favorite DQ blizzard is one with m&m's (okay, and reeses) so imagine my elation when i saw this "new" flavor while picking up birthday candles at walgreens.

i believe in copious amounts of ice cream in the summer. 

{danielle, do you recognize my cardi?}

happy things to end the week with.

first and foremost, today is my husband's birthday! i am so glad he was born to one day become my life's blessing. he has to work today, so these gifts and a birthday pie will be waiting for him.

picking up my bridesmaid dress for my little seester's wedding in july (excuse the wrinkles and my non-matching shoes but this is the photo i sent seesters, so it was right after i picked it up!) *see twinkie in her  dress here.

 not being the domestic goddess quite yet, i was so happy when my momma's banana bread came out perfectly on my first try! i made this to eat while i both cried and got goosebumps watching the end of an epic era, my shero Oprah's last show (stop laughing justin!)

you know my love of milano cookies (i love how some of you have even emailed me pics while grocery shopping saying you thought of me & my love obsession with said cookie) ... it runs in the family. My youngest niece Sophia enjoying some, love the chocolate on her baby face.

i fell in love with Kylie's hand made pillow cases and giggled when she said that lately she's been up to, "stichin and bitchin." Gorgeous, no?

and of course this... !!! & after last night's Chicago Bulls loss to the Heat... hello rematch! i've already started praying.

also... i've loved reading all your answers to my wanting to know you post.

playing along with summer b. 

more photos of husband's birthday celebration later... though i can't compete with the Mac he got me for my birthday, i got him some pretty rad stuff from etsy that i can't wait to show off! is your boyfriend/husband hard to shop for like mine? 

Happy Friday Lovies and HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS to my darling husband!!! 

HUZZAH!

Dallas Morning News

 what i wore: Dallas Shirt by Adidas tucked into bloomers shorts by Tracy Feith for Target and thrifted bangles, the gold one from a vintage jewelry swap

 hate my thighs but love the eyelet detail

VENTURINI heeled booties (thrifted in NYC)

and a HUGE smile. huge. 

Wanting to Know you Wens.

i just finished reading "One Day" (which i loved) and the label, the one that got away came to mind.

we all have them... maybe you've just experienced that heart-ache. maybe for you it was years ago but they're there... this blurred vision of another life.

it's brave to admit it out loud. even kind of liberating, to admit that was then and that now (or someday) you'll be a better person for what you went through.

so a simple question today that will take a bit of courage...


what was the name of the one that got away? 


that simple. just a first name. you can add more if you want, but i think it will be interesting just to see the different names of those that slipped out of our grasp, whether it was mutual or we did the leaving or they left us. 

here goes... Chris.


but if i'm being really honest, my husband. my husband was almost the one that got away.

what i'm wearing tonight.

because it's GAME TIME and i'm ready to eat piled high nachos with jalapenos and cheer for my DALLAS MAVERICKS while wearing my favorite player (that's him in bobblehead form) and shirt. 

LET'S GO MAVS!!! 

and i can only hope i don't pee my pants like i almost did in Game 3 when we nearly blew a 23 point lead... but that's what sports is all about right? anything can happen... like us winning the Championship!? a girl who always hopes... xo

Summer Must Haves.

i am a huge fan of swaps and fun themes that i was excited to participate in Krysten's swap celebrating summer! the best part of a swap is meeting a new friend/blog to love... the bonus is putting together a package for that person and receiving one in return. 

that's exactly what happened when i got paired up with fellow newlywed (and dog mom!) Kristen of

i could not have been paired up with a better match! the idea was to send things we loved during the long summer months. what i think is cute about me and my swap partner is we also sent things that the other person mentioned liking (and as you'll see... great minds think alike!) 

kristen spoiled me with all kinds of goodies: a floral summery mug for my a.m. coffee because "every girl needs a pretty mug," notebooks to keep in my purse, the most gorgeous necklace that will go perfect with tunics in the summer, essie nail polish in "french affair" + mini nail files along with local rhode island made soap in a fresh summer scent (and made the whole package smell beautiful!). She also remembered my love of vintage & postcards and threw in one to go perfectly with some delicious chocolate! note : one chocolate bar was already consumed by the time i took these photographs! 

kristen, you truly spoiled me! thank-you for so many thoughtful gifts to make my summer all the more enjoyable! xo

(not pictured : a bag of my favorite starbucks coffee)

Kristen mentioned that she loved running, chocolate, baking, and fresh cut flowers-- so i sent my favorite pair of running socks + flower hair tie, my love of printed kitchen towels (that i think are instant art for the kitchen) for summer baking and because every girl should enjoy personal indulgences for primp dates: essie nail polish in "bachelorette bash"to go with the chocolate foam bath/face mask, and my favorite chocolate candy. floral scented soap made in italy since she dreams of going there one day. 

i love that we both sent essie nail polishes in pink (our favourite colors), chocolate, and pretty smelling soap. my kind of girl!

{see kristen's sweet version of our swap here}

if you're looking for a fun swap to join, look no further... april's hosting one all about indulging oneself -- click here for details.

happy swapping!!!

Sharing Sundays... simple & handmade.

nicole is the curator of simple & handmade; a journalism student in love with everything handmade from decor to fashion. 

i don't know about you but when i see DIY, something inside me feels inept. and yet, she makes it seem do-able with these simple (but oh so pretty) projects.  

  button magnets

doily envelopes

hanging flower vases

finally, DIY instructions made for me that doesn't require a sewing machine or hardware tools... makes me wanna roll up my sleeves, put my hair in a messy bun, and do even if i stick out my tongue in quiet determination.

for that, i say thank-you Nicole!


blog: simple & handmade

my go-to actress.

when i'm in need of a movie date with myself, i watch one of charlotte gainsbourg's.

the last one i saw was The Science of Sleep, suggested ages ago by a darling blog reader. i was excited the director was also behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, one of my absolute faves.

i love her effortless (almost plain?) style. how she hardly wears make-up in any of her movies.

one of my favorite foreign films of hers is this one for the mentioned scene alone.

but i'm pretty curious/excited to see her make another jump to the american screen in the upcoming melancholia {thanks for posting about it kary!}

ps. i loved this description of Gainsbourg's reason for beauty:

"Charlotte Gainsbourg won the genetic lottery in 1971 when she was born into fame to the gorgeous English model/singer/actress Jane Birkin and French icon (and not uninteresting-looking) Serge Gainsbourg."

(remember my serge painting, thanks to my bestie? he's propped in a frame against my bookshelf)

photos via google search except for #1 - via credited article