A goodbye note

It's been a while since my last post and this is my actual last post. I am now in a different place in my life (both psychological and geographical) and I believe I need to step back and re-analyse my priorities, decide what's best for me at the moment and accustom myself to all the new things that have been happening to me. I therefore take this moment to say goodbye and just let you see the (most probably) last project The Shoe Pendant is involved in.

A couple of weeks ago, Takko Fashion approached me for a blogger competition, in which I would only use 25 euros/ 33 dollars/ 20 pounds to create an extraordinaire outfit. So here it is, my wonderful outfit. The next step of the competition is voting me until the 7th of October :), here. "

Special thing to consider, I will send a cute gift to one of the people who vote for me, if I win first, second or third place :) The gifts/gifts will be from stores such as New Look, Primark, Topshop or something similar :)

I do hope to see your votes and reconnect with you in future projects.

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Princess in the woods: Don't save me!

Princess in the woods: don't save me!
Or how to abjure your own boring reality and substitute it for a more fancy and simple at the same time.

I sometimes like to think of myself as a princess that got lost from her original (royal!!) family and now tries to live up to her natural-born-with standards. However, it's obvious that being as lazy as I am is another thing to consider, therefore not having to bundle up in jewelry and high heels sometimes seems an oasis of happiness. This is why, when I picked this stunning evening gown from Edressy, I instantly knew how I'd pose in it.
The dress is a perfect blend of long, ravishing silk, perfectly crafted cleavage and a lovely assortment of sequins and pearls. The diamond shaped cut in the back is so refined, yet extremely sexy(smokin').

Until the next time, go get yourself lost in the wild with a beautiful dress and no shoes. See how it feels!

A take-it-easy weekend

As I was saying in my last post, I am officially enjoying my summer holiday by indulging myself in my three main activities of the summer (so far): I am reading/rereading some beautiful books, I am studying/researching for EYP's International Session Zurich 2013 and learning Spanish. I understand how these can be seen as not so leisurable activities, but I'm actually extremely happy that I am not boring myself to death in the summer heat.

About Spanish, I have to tell you that it has been on my to-do list for many years, but I never really got to studying it properly, grammar-wise and whatnot. I do speak it, on a conversational level, but I am (a little bit) unable to write in Spanish. I recently discovered a lovely website called Duolingo and I have improved my basic skills considerably. I also had a try with German, but it's obviously still too far from my range of loved languages. I plan on finishing Spanish and moving on to French. I do hope, however, that I will end up finishing German too, but hey, one never knows.

P.S. : Remember "An open end story"? Turns out I'm quite the lucky SOB. I ended up getting an average of 9,65/10 (!!!) in my exams and now I am waiting for my diploma in order to properly enroll in my dream college of my dream country!

In between stages

It's officially summer 

and I'm officially free of any duties whatsoever!

I am happy to announce that I'm done with my finals (the last one was yesterday) and I can now focus on much more important things, such as sleeping, reading, swimming, running (which I've missed like crazy) and simply laying around. It is, after all, my last summer free of worries until I start college.

In another order of thought, these are the first pics with my new 50 mm lens ( I've been craving this little sucker for quite a while now) and my new hair color ( whiskey on the rocks, please!! ). I feel like I'm developing into a new person and it's quite a good vibe.

However, stay fabulous and love on, as I'm now leaving for a lovely evening to celebrate a friend's 21th birthday.

Cheers, mates!

An open end story

I do apologize for using my dog as a cover, but the circles under my eyes are not to be seen by any kind of audience what so ever.

Once upon a time, there was a ravishing girl that had just finished her Senior Year and graduated from highschool. She was due to leave for college in a few months and until then spend her summer according to her princess-like needs and wishes. However, faith had something else in store for her: her final exams, otherwise known as the (Dreadful) Baccalaureat ! She had to study hard: literature, the art and science of sociology, the mistakes and successes of her ancestors, but time was of essence. Her peers had started studying a year ago, but her procrastination power had kept her enjoying indulging in ephemeral distractions and only now had she realised the danger she was in.

A number of sleepless nights (if you count falling asleep at 1 a.m.) and a couple of tons of caffeine (this is not as much of a joke as I'd like it to be) had brought her to the verge of quiting. But don't fear, she has quit yet. With only 2 days to go, she is in her fittest form and no Harap-Alb can bring her down.

And in case you haven't realised that I am the ravishing girl, here's the spoiler. And here are also a couple of things I've learned while wracking my brains to study the whole material in a number of 5 days:
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Hashtag DigitalDivas13

As I was saying last week, on Friday I attended the so coveted Digital Divas' second edition, which took place at the Biavatti lounge (an extremely beautiful location if I might add). I met with old friends and got some new ones. I also finally met Irina, the owner of Add some style, who is, guess what, from the same town as me. We had the chance to chat a little bit and enjoy together all the lovely speakers. I'll also do something that I don't usually do, and present some of my favorite speakers with what they said.

A summer wedding

Busy day ahead, but that doesn't mean we don't have to take advantage of what the present moment has to offer.

Probably that is what I would say if I were to talk at a conference like Digital Divas, which is actually (finally!!!) taking place tomorrow. I'll be heading to the Biavatti club at 8:30 (probably covered in concealer to avoid looking like a zombie) to register and get my caffeine dose until the first session (and the one I'm looking forward to the most) starts. Then I'm going to meet all of you there that I haven't met so far and have fun. I guess that sums it up. Also, here's some info on the "star" of the conference: Yvan Rodic.

Yvan Rodic also known as Face Hunter was Born in Vevey, a French-speaking part of Switzerland. Rodic (1977-) studied Communication at Polycom Lausanne before taking on copy writing stints for Leo Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi in Geneva, Brussels and Paris. A born trend-spotter with a natural eye for photography, it was not long before he combined writing for magazines with snapping pictures of people at art events in his then home, Paris. In February 2006, almost casually, he began posting the results online: and just like that, Face Hunter was born. Widely considered one of the most influential movers and shakers in fashion, his original blog and more recent Visual Diary receive approximately 1 million hits per month. Over this short period, Yvan has been at the vanguard of one of the decade’s most remarkable trends. When he began in 2006, street style blogging was still in its infancy: in part it is thanks to his work that it has subsequently become a phenomenon. As one of those to experience first-hand the insatiable public appetite for a more democratic view on fashion, Yvan found himself caught up in a whirl within the first few months of his website’s inception. With the telling tag line: “Eye Candy for the Style Hungry” above portraits of individual characters with arresting styles, Face Hunter instantly developed a reputation for being one of the most satisfying style destinations online.

But going forward and talking about the post, the pictures were taken in the hotel in Pitesti were I stayed during a friend's wedding. My mom helped me make a dress, a pencil skirt with a silk blouse adorned with lace, but one way or another, I'll have to show it to you in a different setting, as I forgot to pack it for the wedding. Thankfully enough, I'm a mega-packer, so I had one-too-many dresses with me and it wasn't hard to come with a solution. So it happened, that this dress was a perfect fit for such a summery event. I mixed it with my (fabulous) red Stradivarius sandals and the outfit was a blast!

And here's yet another surprise you'll be seeing from now on on the blog: a column!
I'll be adding this little column called "Just a tip" from now and then to my blog posts, just to share bits of experience and help you make wiser and bolder choices for you wardrobe!

Just a tip

When going to a wedding-like event in the summer, make sure your outfit fits in with the dress code. Most events like this, such as a Christening, a wedding, an outdoor cocktail, require light dresses. Go for silk, in flowy and comfy cuts. They not only look good in this kind of evenings/afternoons, but they also prevent you from feeling weird in tight, fitted clothes in the dashing sun. You can go a little bit wild with your accesories, but summer outfits usually go better simpler. Don't forget to add a nice and highly comfortable sandal and you're set to be the queen of the night.

Digital Divas Ambassadeur

Or actually Ambassador, but I like to give myself more posh-ness with some French name.

But yes, I am a Digital Divas Amabassador and I am now going to tell you what exactly this lovely event is about and why my keen interest in it.

Experience

The speakers will show you how your passion for blogging could be a real job.

Networking

A great opportunity to network with well-known fashion and beauty bloggers and celebrities.

Prizes

Every participant will receive a goodie bag with beauty products and cosmetics.

And not to mention all of the speakers!!! My personal favorites are certainly Ana Maria Morodan, Oana Pellea, Bogdan Th. Olteanu and Ovidiu Buta. Others speakers are the Fabulous Muses, Cristian Lupsa, Dana Paun, Mirela Bucoviceanu and Catalin Opritescu of Lightaholic.
Besides this, you might want to know more about Yvan Rodic (about whom I'll talk more in a future post) and about the fact that you are all invited to cast your vote in the People's Choice Awards (how exciting is that?).

You have to go here and vote for your personal favourites! My personal favourite is probably Add some style by Irina Sandu.

Until the next post, don't forget to request your invite over at the Digital Divas website!

Toque, or the long awaited graduation

Well, I will not say this in too many words, as words are simply superfluous. My last highschool adventure ended with toques flying in the air. And even though we rushed our robe ceremony (I'll get the chance to repeat it when I finish college), it was a very heart-warming moment: getting an award for the "English Person of the Class" and watching my best friends get "crowned" Valedictorians were things that made me feel proud and ended the 4 ( 8 if you count junior high) years I spent between the walls of "Ion Maiorescu" National Highschool.

To all of my classmates, see you in ten years!

To all of my friends, come to England for free accommodation!

The last leaf

It's been more than two weeks since I stepped ( more or less gracefully) on the steps of the restaurant where our Senior Prom was held. It is only now that I am realizing how fast time goes and how time is probably the only thing I don't have right now. Being burried under piles of endless finals material with a desire to pump caffeine through my entire system, I want to take the time and acknowledge the times that have passed, just to make a clean slate to the ones that are coming.

What was highschool for me? Probably what it was for most of the people in the world: 4 years filled with (unfounded) drama, delightful (and not so delightful) new experiences, new friends, best friends, frenemies (*wink*) and body image issues ( was I too fat?). It was a great life experience, though probably not the best so far, but I do have to give it some credit for getting me together with some of my best friends and Prince Charming ( yes, the people I adore with all my heart). It tought me how to experience intense feelings (not only thanks to Prince Charming *wink again*), but also to the people that thought me there was a reason fairytales were written: to put the bad guy to sleep!

But about Prom night? It was loads of fun (though a little short-cut if you ask me), it gave me and my besties to feel like princesses for a night and wear long, sexy gowns (though mine was probably the most nerve-wrecking experience I've had), luxurious hairstyles and ravishing make-up. The photos are proof of how well we felt and we can only wish to have the same impressions after our 10-year reunion (which I cannot wait for more than this!!!).

All in all, it's been a fun set of years and we can now only ask ourselves what our future (and our finals) has set up for us.

Bande a Part

Hello, lovely birds! How have you been during this lovely Spring weather? Have you been travelling or relaxing yourselves as you should? Or are you planning your future trips as we speak? If so, I have the destination for you!

I was tellin you a while back (here) about how amazing Craiova is and the many places I saw during my stay there. After spending a whole week in Le boulevard, my dearest Catalina showed me a little piece of Heaven called Bande a Part *heart,heart,heart*. As you can see, it's the fashionista paradise, with walls filled with fashion in it's greatest form: the magazine.

What do I love so much about it? 

(In case you are still wondering)

I have to say that I love, most of all, the atmosphere. I saw a lot of boheme people, smoking their cigarettes and cigars while talking about arts (yes, I eavesdropped, oupsy), a couple of actors and models and even one famous photographer (Catalina told me he was and I believe her. I cannot, by all means, remember his name!).
I also adored the decor. Everything was white, "sprinkled" with vintage items, such as an old phone and wooden white chairs. La pie de resistance was, of course, the wall filled with magazines. I recognised some of the latest issues of Haarper's Bazaar, but also retro Vogue numbers.
Another thing I fell for? (There are countless anyway, no need for numbering) The alcohol tea! I drank Irish Tea for the first time in my life. It was no surprise I loved it, as I also adore Irish Coffee so much. But yes, tea just got into a whole new dimension of awesomness for me!

Hippie Hippo

And here's yet another old shoot with the same jeans you saw in the past post (which are now saddly ripped and un-wearable for eternity).

However, this time I'm simply going to let the pictures speak for themselves and let you enjoy one of my favorite (and oldest) pair of heels ever!

A woman's affair

Oups! Seems like I said I would post this yesterday and I kind of missed the deadline. It's been happening to me lately: skiping deadlines, missing appointments, forgeting promises. I'm just too stressed. I'm even too tired and lifeless that I can't strike a pose for an outfit post. However, it seems like I'm not always that careless (thank you so much, past me, for taking these gorgeous pics!!). Upon rearranging my computer files (because yes, procrastination), I discovered that I had yet to unleash some of my past looks, even one from the Basic Item series I was promising before I left for Craiova.

As for the look, you might say it's not that me. And it actually isn't. I am in love with color, more or less, and I always add that touch of crazy and chic in all of my outfits, but it seems like I went for a more mature look in this one. I don't really remember the story I wanted to tell with this outfit, not because it was too long ago, but because it's so simple, yet refined, that it invites anyone that sees it to think of a story.

Today, I think that this semi-transparent blouse is the perfect item for a business woman: soft and delicate in the front, and edgy in the back. You know, like in that quote. Who's quote? The Iron Lady's, of course!

Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.

Mission Statement

Apologies are to be avoided, right? Therefore let us start fresh!

However, I will try to motivate my prolongued absence through the fact that my life has suddenly become a life that is no longer mine. Silly as it might sound, it's frightening to see how all of my passions are now changing or, to say the least, transforming. On top of this, I have the pressure of final exams (which are only a month and a half away => double the scare). And the very reason for which I am sitting here today and typing away my thought and ideas of the moment (or actually the month), is that I have gotten the time to reflect upon the real reasons of why I even spend a second of my time thinking about this blog and the reasons I choose to continue. This is also the reason I'm not accompanying these gorgeous pictures with some fantastic words of wisdom or fabulousness. You will have to wait until future posts for that ( aka for me discussing 100 Years of Fashion ).

1. I started this blog out of a craving for success. I knew what I wanted and then I did what I wanted. It didn't turn out great though. I'm not a match for Chiara Ferragni or for the Fabulous Muses, that's for sure, but for me, personally, it's probably one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. No, I don't have a sad and weird life, but that's exactly it. I am always in search for something new and I get bored as fast as you can say "parrot" or "carrot". My blog has been around here for more than 2 years and that's probably the only thing I've done with such consistency.

2. But why didn't I start over fresh, with already gained knowledge and skills, so that I can become a match for the above mentioned? I have to confess, I have given that idea too much thought. Starting fresh, with a new name and valuable information and gadgets, it would seem easy-peasy. But I won't. Because every time I get this thought, I go to my blog and surf it, randomly, and I get to re-live so many of those fabulous moments I've shared with so many readers and it's always showing me from where I started and towards where I'm getting. It's been tracking my progress for the past 2 years and something and that is what makes it so special, both for me and for the loyal reader.

3. I am going to start fresh, but not in that way: I am adding rambling and removing planning. Hopefully, this will turn The Shoe Pendant back into something that represents me, and not the average fashion blogger (concept about which I will be talking shortly, in one of the next couple of posts).

Until my next entry, stay strong and believe in your accopmlishments, no matter how small they are to Madonna. They are probably the world to you!

Le Boulevard

I told you I had tons of content from Craiova! But did you believe me? No? Yes?

Well here is the second post, this time featuring one of my now favorite spots to hang out in Craiova. I discovered it while in desperate need for a coffee in a lovely place and let me tell you, this pretty much sums it up. We entered the place very tired after the journey to the Olympiad and went out fresher than ever. Not only thanks to the great tea, that is.

What I love most about it is the decor,filled with a very girly, Belle Epoque and... girly air. The colors are really light and warm, consisting mostly out of nuances of green and beige. An unique aspect is brought to you by the chairs: there aren't 2 chairs alike: they are all different, in aproximately the same style, but mostly out of different materials. A cabinet filled with photo frames and a cabinet adorned with candle sticks and some more photo frames gives the place a cosy, home-y feeling and the glass case filled with sweets is simply mouthwatering(!!!). Also, half of the restaurant is placed above ground, with a wall made of glass, facing the street, exactly like a French cafe.

I am seriously planning of revisiting it as soon as I get back to Craiova and in case you get there before I get the chance to try some more delicious things, try the pizza with fries (do no ew me, it's quite delicious if you do give it a try!!), the Irish coffee and the Tiramisu (you're getting it served in tall glasses).

Until next time, stay fabulous!

Olympic Diary

Hello, female lads! It's been quite some time (almost 1 month) since my last post and I am truly sorry for that, but together with a week of no internet service and my laptop suddenly deciding he needs a spa treatment (aka some new windows software), the blog became an unhabitated place. However, I will now let you enjoy an avalanche of content, as I have gathered a lot of lovely information from Craiova that I will be sharing with you shortly. Furthermore, I have 2 things that I believe are crucially, let's say, shareable. For starters...

I got 4th place in the English National Olympics, with a staggering 100/100 points in the Speaking task. I've been waiting to get a prize like this for quite some while and now, in my Senior Year, I am so proud to finally see myself as an English Olympic.

Secondly, I dyed my hair a chocolate brown, with lighter roots and darker ends. However, you will see this probably in a couple of weeks' time, in case you aren't following me on Instagram :)

Besides this, what else can I say? I spent a wonderful week with my fellow Olympic mates, had a thriving re-encounter with one of my dearest (and most loveable, quirky) friends and managed to spend some quality time at my cousin's. Another couple of days were spent procrastinating in Bucharest and now I'm back to my diet life sprinkled with the ocasional exercise and serious finals study.

Until next time, stay fabulous!

A new: March Instadiary

Shoe sketch / Harper's Bazaar and new H&M necklace / Elle Magazine and Takko Tees / Yesterday's outfit

Between face masks, luggage packing and trying to understand how to fit 5 pairs of shoes into the littlest of suitcases, I decided that it was about time to integrate my Instagram account into my blog. I am doing this thanks to 2 reasons: today I hit 300 followers on Instagram and it's also my favorite thing to do away from my computer. I'm wondering how I hadn't done this earlier, but later is better than never. Or so they say. However, it's going to be my only fixed column and you will be able to see my monthly Instadiary on the last day of each month!

For now, enjoy!

Spring?

It seems like spring is just passing by these days, one hour at a time. Today, while looking for a present for a friend's birthday, I got the opportunity of snapping some pics with my newest T-shirt, that I got for Takko. It was a whole lot of a bargain, costing only about 5 euros and it's made entirely out of cotton. I'm also loving the simple text message: Why not?. Besides this, you can see my Chuck Taylor's, comic book edition.

What is more, I'm leaving for Craiova this Monday and will be spending around a week there. I'm not going to promise any posts, as I usually do, but if you want to stay up to date, check my instagram feed, over at @shoependant .

Rocks in the city

It's obviously Spring in the calendar but I guess train tickets were so expensive that it didn't quite reach Romania yet. Still, this didn't prevent me from walking the streets of one of my favorite cities in the world, Bucharest. See how I styled myself for a lovely day of walking around ( P.S. I brought some boots with me too) and enjoy some city-specific locations that, in an abstract way, fascinate me.

One handsome pooch

My dear darlings, it's been a while since I last posted. And I truly apologize for that. However, I'm here to make it up to you by showing one of the most personal posts I have to offer. Ever. This is my best-friend, my companion for almost 13 years and my little angel: Oli. Not to be too sappy or cuddly, I have to say that this little creature has been here for worse and for better, much more than a spouse would.

I always wanted a puppy, like any kid back then, so when a coworker of my mom announced her dog had given birth to 4 adorable white little doggies, I somehow managed to convince my mom to get this little piece of fluff for me. I was entering 1st grade and as I'm approaching my high school graduation, I have to say that she has been the sister I never wanted my mom to give me. All the fun and smooshiness without the extra care.

She's also one heck of a beauty and a lady. She never bites, she barks like a mad man when she doesn't like something and she acts like a true queen. Not a princess, a queen. She's also wearing make-up. No, don't think of me as a complete nut job, just take a look at her perfectly contoured eyes and her lovely pink muzzle.

All in all, she's been my companion for so much time now, I believe it was time for someone to give her some credit. After all, a dog is a man's best friend.