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!

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.

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!

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!

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 .

A modern fairytale

Let me tell you a story. A story about how "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and how each and every little thing can become not only a piece of art, but a variety of pieces of art.

Now continuing...

I never agreed with my mother's taste in fashion (maybe only in her twenties, when she would create herself some lovely outfits), especially now that she no longer embraces her femininity and goes for elderly looks, and especially with the clothes she buys for me. However, as soon as she buys a new piece, I somehow manage to either borrow it from her or steal it (or how I call it :"borrowing without a deadline"). I am not quite sure why I do this, but it's somehow thrilling to see my fascination and need to mix and match these items even more than anything I buy for myself.

The same thing happened last week, when my mother arrived home with this dress and a cardigan: they were a set. The cardigan is cute, but the dress seemed too bland... I might even say monotone. But this was even more of a challenge: it wasn't your average basic piece, but it was a great piece all together. My mind was filled with ideas on how to mix and match it so I took the opportunity of creating the perfect outfit inspired by city streets.

So what does this outfit say? It says everything about layering, about being feminine with an edge and about proving the impossible: dresses go well with pants. For me, this was a great alternative for letting my feet freeze in the weird weather that's currently residing in Giurgiu.

Now, stay tuned for part 2 of my challenge of mixing and matching my mom's green basic dress.

Please be a good sport and fetch me that bag

It's Sunday and I'm spending it as relaxed as I can: sipping some hot coffee, eating some chocolate ice-cream( don't tell my dentist). All while surfing the web and waiting to go for a stroll with Prince Charming until he returns to College for the week. But this isn't something I could say about yesterday.

Yes, yesterday was as chaotic as a Saturday can get. I had to do some cleaning up around my room, place some books and notebooks in their assigned places, go shopping to help the above mentioned Prince Charming get a new pair of sneakers (he's that type) and go a little bit grocery shopping. The glamorous life, huh? So yes. It was tiring. When I got home, I managed to edit some of the pictures I'd shot for the day catch up with some studying for my final exams (I can hear them circling me!). Finally, in the evening, we went out with a bunch of friends and had dinner.

But what I'm trying to say here is not exactly about how I had a full Saturday, but the fact that I sometimes wear extremely comfortable clothes. Even my wedge trainers are commodity transfigured in a pair of shoes. I like losing the glitz and the glam I so love in pictures and getting more down to Earth. Because, in God's name, who wouldn't die from wearing 15 cm heels in a shopping/grocery spree?

Still, I added just a little bit of glam with one of my favorite possessions, the Hippie Hippie Shake necklace that I got for my 17th birthday. It's one of those pieces that I consider an investment. And even more? It's timeless and perfect!

And pink!

How to feel good: A lady's guide

Hello, my darlings! It's been two days since I showed you how I created my first batch of perfect Vanilla Meringues and I do hope some of you tried it and were as delighted as I was. Now, I'm enjoying myself by writing this post, checking some online reading and then I'm off to get up to date with my real-life reading. All while indulging in a big glass of wine ( you know the one Jules has in Cougar Town ?) and wearing my favorite pair of heels, which are, coincidentally, the same ones I am wearing in this post. Why am I telling you what I'm wearing and doing right now? It's because it's one of the things I find pleasure in: dressing up while I'm in the house and pretending to be a countess ( blame my favorite dark countess, Ana Morodan, for this). I think it's every little girl's wish to be a princess, we just develop on the way. So is this different from dressing up with a tiara? So here are my pieces of advice to you...

2 years of glamming

Hello, lovelies! Nice to see you after so much time. This time, I'm going to try to bring you up to date with a couple of events from the past week.
On Thursday, invited by the lovely Stefana Chivoiu from Delazero advertising company, I attended the event called "2 years of glamming", which celebrated 2 years of Remington's Romanian blog, Remington Style, and it's award of public's favorite. Since I am such a fan of hair products and such a lousy personal (aka my own) stylist, I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn some new things and maybe figure out in which beauty gadget I should invest in next.
The evening was lovely and I got to meet some new friends with whom I will hopefully meet up at future events too! Sorry about the lack of pictures though and my face in them, but busy days get the best of me (and forgetting my make-up bag at home never helps either).

Bangs, stars and hearts

Hey,guys ! I'm finally here with an "outfit of the day" post. Haven't done it in a while . And it's not because I've slacked off dressing nice, but because taking photos requires extra attention besides my already hectic life. So , here's the deal for today : not only did I wear this great dress that I hadn't worn in ages , but I spiced up with a turqoise shell necklace and starry converse sneakers. Oh,and did I mention I got bangs ? Which shine in a very intense shade of red ? I'd been wanting a big change for a while and here it came ! I got my hair cut on the very first day of school and absolutely no one would recognise me when I arrived. By the way , I plan to redo my "back to school" outfit these days just to show it to you , because I liked it very much but didn't have the chance to photograph it. I promise to show it to you by Friday. I'm getting so much serious with my blog, now that I organised a giveaway and that I reached 102 followers. See you soon and don't forget to join my Giveaway !