keep on the sunny side

As you may have suspected from the title, once again I'm listening The Carter Family, what is my deal! Sadly it's from my computer and not humming from the record player. I've been listening to them so much I guess I really should keep my eyes peeled for some of their records next time I'm out. Noted to self.

But back to it! Last week my cousin and her husband came up for a visit all the way from Texas. From grilling to cheese festivals to hiking, we had such a lovely time and to make things even better she came with an entire extra suitcase of goodies for my me and my brother. Among them, this adorable 1950s gingham dress from my mother's shop, Deoma's Boutique. It's a bit loose in the bust but that isn't going to stop me from wearing it out this Spring! I think I've got just about the greatest mother a gal could ask for. Thanks mom!

* Vintage cotton dress from Deoma's Boutique
* Tan Bonnibel pumps
* Knock-off Raybans


Don't forget to check out the Renegade Sale over in the shop where everything is 50% OFF! Oh and be sure to enter our giveaway for a $50 DV Gift Certificate. 50 it seems, is the number of the moment!

bits of love

Hope you're sipping on warm tea or coffee this lazy Sunday morning! Oh and in case you can't tell, I adore red. Please bear with my crimson thoughts this morning.


dreaming and scheming cures for wanderlust
(perhaps skies filled with persian rug taxis)


brightening hazy days
(with the brightest of bright from my closet)


indulging in an extravagant breakfast
(best served in bed just after rubbing the sleep out of your eyes)


dolling it up in kitschy cute sunnies
(and painting crimson lips)


catching glimpses of ladybugs
(especially when they sneak into your house)

eylul aslan, bee hives, jasmin a, kurara ha, thomas hawk

renegade sale

Well ladies, the time has come. I've got so much gorgeous vintage that I've been dying to put in the shop but it's just so darn full of vintage clothing already! Imagine that. What's a gal to do? My solution, a Renegade Sale! Starting tomorrow everything, and I mean everything, in the shop will be 50% OFF. Run over today for a peek to see what goodies you love. Several things are marked down already, but I'll be marking the rest down at midnight tonight CST.

armoire d'amour: le blog de sushi

I can hardly believe three months have passed since I did the first post in the armoire d'amour series. My how quickly time flies! I had wanted it to be an every other month sort of thing, but things just got so hectic with my move it completely slipped my mind.

Not to worry though, it's started up again and hopefully on a more regular basis! This month I've been ogling over the closet of Aussie blogger Sushi via her aptly named blog Le Blog de Sushi where she shares peaks into her wardrobe and daily wears along with street style, inspiration and a whole lot in between.


Dalena Vintage: Good morning Miss Sushi! What inspired you to join the blogging world and start Le Blog de Sushi?

Le Blog de Sushi: I had been uploading a few outfit photos on Chictopia and Livejournal but found these kind of communities didn't give me enough freedom. What I really wanted was my own blog where I could set out everything exactly to my liking and write about other things as well, such as what was inspiring me, shopping, outings and projects I have been working on.

DV: Le Blog de Sushi is in its second year! Congratulations on that, do you feel your style has changed since you began blogging?

LBS: Thank you! It seems to have gone so quickly. I think my style has changed a lot since I started blogging. Before I flitted from trend to trend much more but now that I've found a more distinct style I feel much more comfortable with myself and more confident with getting dressed in the morning.

DV: As a graphic designer, do you ever step back and see funny little correlations between your designs and the clothing you wear?

LBS: Yes, actually! I do think my personal aesthetic shows through in both. I'm partial to sleek, pretty, chic, soft things and I think that's definitely reflected in the way I dress and my design work.

DV: Where do you find inspiration in your daily life?

LBS: Once a week I like to go to a bookshop and have a coffee with a friend while I look through Vogue, Frankie, Nylon, Grazia, Russh, etc to see what's going on in the fashion world. I also find other blogs and people I see on the street a great source of inspiration.

DV: Ah, yes! I'm a huge fan of street style myself and love that you do a bit of that on your blog. Currently who are a few of your favorite designers?

LBS: Sretsis and Lover are my favourites at the moment. I always find myself drawn to anything Chloe and Miu Miu too, though sadly most of their pretty things are out of my price range.

DV: I completely understand that. But a girl can dream and definitely take inspiration from collections! When you're in the mood to splurge, are you an online or brick and mortar gal?

LBS: Definitely online! I always have my eye on something or other...

DV: And a few of your favorite shops?

LBS: Asos, eBay, Sportsgirl and Urban Outfitters to name a few.

DV: Blog reading can be so addictive, what are your daily must read blogs currently?

LBS: I've got a giant list, but the ones I'm really inspired by at the moment are Chicmuse, Cocorosa, The Cherry Blossom Girl, Intangible and Le Blog de Betty.

DV: Style is such a hard thing to define, but what does it mean to you?

LBS: I agree that it's very hard to define and I'm still considering what it means to me. It's not about putting something on and assuming you look great because you're wearing the latest designer/trend or spent a thousand dollars on it. I think that style comes with being comfortable with who you are and how you look, which then reflects in the way you dress yourself.

DV: What is your favorite piece in your closet at the moment?

LBS: Only one?! Hmmm, probably my new Tony Bianco nude studded heels.

DV: What's on your wish list for this Winter? I almost forgot we're in different hemispheres!

LBS: Lover Madeleine coat with detachable cape, Alannah Hill lace up bow tights, Asos scalloped leather shorts, Zara cat-print dress, thigh high boots, Miu Miu bow bag, Lover About a Girl playsuit/romper, Ferragamo Varina ballet flats... there's more but I'll stop there!

DV: Do you have a "go-to" outfit or a place you go for inspiration when feeling glum?

LBS: I like to curl up in bed in my pajamas with a good book to get my mind of things when I'm feeling sad.

DV: Thanks so much Sushi, for giving us a snippet into your life! Your blog is definitely filled with inspiration in itself and I'm excited to see where it goes this next year!

mixing prints & another giveaway

Today's warm weather made shooting these two pieces so pleasant! One 1970s Floral Halter + 1960s Pea Green Print Skirt = The Perfect Print Mix! Both of these lovelies will be up in the shop later this evening, so stay tuned if you like what you see.

A couple of ya'll made the comment yesterday that you're not on Facebook, and I have to say...I commend you! I also have to say it made me a little sad that you wouldn't be able to participate in the $50 Dalena Vintage gift certificate giveaway we're having over there. Well, to make it up to you I teamed up with Quincy of Q's Daydream for another Dalena Vintage giveaway. It's not a gift certificate but it is a rather cute 1960s Sailor Schoolgirl Hat as you'll see below! Head over to her lovely blog to enter and don't blame me if you quickly become addicted to her adorably quirky posts!

oh my! dalena vintage giveaway

I'm so blessed to have such a lovely readership here on the blog and a growing customer base over at the shop! In celebration and appreciation, I'm giving away a $50 Dalena Vintage gift certificate. Yes indeed, that's $50 worth of free vintage goodies to one lucky winner! For this particular giveaway, I decided to shake things up a bit this time around...

Seeing as we're a bit lonely over on the Dalena Vintage facebook fan page, you'll have to head over there to enter. Simply become a fan yourself if you aren't already, suggest our fan page to your friends and leave us a little note. That's all folks! It's as easy as pie and you'll automatically be entered. The giveaway closes May 31 so run along and get suggest'n!



I've also got a fun little giveaway starting tomorrow with a certain Southern-bound vintage lover! Check back in tomorrow for details on that, you won't be disappointed!

Modern Rapunzel

Last year I decided to take the plunge into long hairdom. At the time my hair was just past my shoulders, and I naively thought it would be easy enough. Now here I am with the summer months quickly approaching and am so tempted to start chopping at it. And really I do mean that. I keep a pair of shears in the top drawer up my bathroom for trimming my bangs but I’m thinking about putting them under the lock and tossing the key into the ocean. It’s just too tempting! Alas, persistence and patience are necessary. The first, no problem. The second, well, I’m in the process of learning. In staying true to my goal of elbow length hair, I’m looking to these long-haired beauties for inspiration. And oh how lucky for me and you, they’ve graciously offered a few tips for those aspiring long locks of their own.


Nicky of The Stitchy Life...
Eat lots of fruits and veggies.
Plenty of rest.

Francesca of The Snail and the Cyclops...
Don't skip trims!
Don't wash it that often.
When shampooing only apply shampoo to the scalp.
Coconut Oil.
Supplements.
Eat well.

Hannah of Hannah and Landon...
Patience.

Kennedy of Kennedy Holmes...
Keep growing!
Combined with the bit of research I've done on the subject (and boy has that been lot) I'm thinking this might not be so hard after all! And I suppose it's a good excuse to keep a healthy diet while I'm at it. I really love Francesca's advice of applying coconut oil to the ends of your hair. I'll definitely have to try it. Even with regular conditioning I feel as if my the ends of my hair are always dying of thirst.

If you're interested in my two cents, here are a few other tips I recommend following...Brush your hair before showering. I've found this helps prevent a tangled mess when it comes time to comb. And yes, always comb when wet! I never brush my hair when it's wet because I'm so afraid of breaking it. I've also taken to sleeping in braids. This could be just me, but it's another tangle preventer. And the bonus is you've got morning waves.

So what about you...Tips? Techniques? Advice? From solid text advice to old wives tales, I would love your thoughts on the topic.

bits of love

Gathering photos for Sunday's Bits of Love posts is quickly becoming one of my favorite posts to create. The quest for visual delights expressing the simple things I love in life is creeping into my daily being, and I'm finding it's given me fresh eyes and an appreciative heart. It's oh so lovely to see beauty in some of life's quietest moments. How do these make you feel?


drifting away in summer breezes
(and ending up with a windblown mess of hair)

days filled to the brim with laziness
(where even taking off my shoes is a burden)

cozy craftsman style lofts
(filled with DIY loveliness)

waking to blurry sunlight
(and wondering where the day will take me)

settling into a warm afternoon
(with the following checklist: quilt, records, games, cuddles)
parker fitzgerald, sherbert tone, old chum, skeleton marie, moodboardblog

organic by john patrick

Believe it or not ladies and gents, but this is a Spring collection despite what your initial instinct might be whispering in your ear. I think I was struck by these pieces because they seem to emulate the way I've been feeling so far this Spring. Which as you may have noticed, is not at all pink and pastely as is the typical Spring mindset. I wish I was feeling that way but nope, not there yet. Perhaps it's the cooler weather, the laid-back style of the locals or the need for sensible flats almost all the time. I feel funny wearing heels around these parts!


Last Spring, folks were deeming Organic by John Patrick as depression chic, which I must say I wasn't too keen on. Don't get me wrong, the dresses were gorgeous and an obvious throw back to the 1930s. But really, isn't calling something depression chic, a bit, um, tasteless?

Moving on to this season though, I'm loving the draped high waisted trousers, the tailored jackets and droopy stockings in the style of the late great Kit Kat Club ladies. If you're like me and can't afford the real deal, these looks can easily be recreated via your local thrift store. I'm thinking sheer cut-off stockings and a scavenge in the little boys department are in order.

sun snow sun

A couple of strange slash funny slash good things about the past few days. I'll start with yesterday's trip to Goodwill where I found the cutest little black and white polka dot summer dress. Sadly it had no tag on it! Usually I have a hard getting Goodwill to sell things without a price tag, but alas I thought I'd give it a go so I took it up to the counter with the rest of my load. When the guy got the dress, he just looked up, smiled sheepishly and stuffed it in my bag sans payment. Jackpot! A cute little dress that I'll probably wear constantly and free of charge.

Now fast forward to my late afternoon errands. I'm sure some of ya'll are probably the same way, but when I get my hands on something new I have to slip it on right away and give it a run around. Once I got home, I quickly nipped of the ends of my new sheer stockings (which I got for 99 cents!) and jetted over to the post office. There I was, standing at the counter, just chatting as usual with the postwomen. I felt a little something slip up my skirt, gave a big shriek and turned around only to find a little boy with his hand up my skirt! Oh my goodness! Of course I started cracking up because he was only about two years old and took off running to his mom when he saw he was busted! His mom was so embarrassed and claimed it was probably because he had never seen a pair of nylons in his short little life and needed to investigate. Hah!

And now for my big finale. It's short and sweet. I don't think I need to explain myself in detail. But it snowed on me today and by the time I took my photos it was sunny and warming up. Seriously, what is up with this weather!

* Striped Aeropostal sweater stolen from my brother's closet. Shhh!
* Thrifted black & white summer dress
* Thrifted sheer black stockings
* Black Old Navy flats

hickory wind

This morning woken by the wind. My camera almost broken by the wind. I can't believe how strong it's blowing today! Thankfully I was standing right next to the tripod when a huge gust of wind tried to topple my camera. Hugh sigh of relief here!

Other than a little trip to the post office in a little while, I'll be hiding out indoors so I don't blow away. No worries though, it'll give me a chance to list these lovelies in the shop throughout the rest of the afternoon.

bits of love

I suppose I've been feeling rather woodsy lately. I didn't even realize it until I looked back on the photos I had collected for this post. Each and every one is woodland. Strange. My mind must already be on the afternoon hike I have planned!


tiptoeing across fallen logs
(and living in secret moments)

magical treehouses over rushing rivers
(secluded and surrounded by serene sound)

immersed in woodland beauty
(and catching the golden light of day through the branches)

piggy back riding
(anywhere, anytime)

dressing up and doing funny things
(when no one is looking)
l1ajuanas, jasfitz, colin h., jordan blanchard, crashbangsqueak