Stockholm Postcard

It seems like ages since I went to Stockholm (not to mention how long it’s been since I last wrote something here). Not to become one of those girls that do a photoshoot and post a picture a month for the following year, you know, just to remember everyone that they went on said photoshoot, but I was browsing through pictures from my Scandi trip and the sun and warmth of Stockholm won by miles against London’s chilly weather. 

I came back from Stockholm thinking it had not impressed me too much, thinking I might have set the bar too high and being a bit confused by how in the three days I spent there the city managed to remind me of both Vienna and Barcelona at the same time. I did not score pictures of the best views and felt like I had lost my photographic mojo for a while there but I guess I traded impressive photos for fun nights with old friends, Pizza Hut for dinner and just a great time in the best company. Not a bad turnout I guess…

Inspiration #19

                Once again, apologies for being away for a while. I can’t help but feel silly every time I write something along these lines in a post because, at the end of the day, is there really people reading the random blabber I post online? (Oh, hey mum)  I swear I try to get into a routine of posting. I don’t know how other people do it but kudos to those who manage to post every day and remain true to the quality of their content. If you didn’t deduce from this post, my attempt at doing that means another inspiration post. Unfortunately, I never lack in that department. Putting a tripod up and actually shooting something… that’s another story. Back into a new year at Uni and one thing I didn’t think I’d ever say was I’m happy autumn is here. I have, in a way, betrayed myself and my commitment to summer but it seems that I have discovered a new found love for autumn. Layering, leather trousers and an excuse to chill at home listening to music whenever it rains. I live in London so you can draw your own conclusion on what effect that has had on my productivity.

                Anyways, this picture pretty much sums up my feelings about autumn this year. Calm, cool and sleek. With a pop of burgundy.  

 

 

160

Not much to say about this. I'm on a break between my seminars. Thought it would be interesting to take the pictures outside a blank wall. (Didn't work out exceptionally well). Took these pictures on the hallway outside my flat. I was rushing but kind of feeling this outfit so I snuck in some pictures as well. Hope you enjoy it.

 

Wow, was I confusing this post with a tweet by any chance?

VFNO

So, this happened...

You know how sometimes you participate in a random raffle or giveaway and you are lucky enough to be the winner? That never happens to me. Never ever. In my 20 years of living I have never won a giveaway and God knows I’ve signed up for my fair share of them. That was until this Tuesday.

I had completely forgotten about Vogue Fashion Night Out (despite the two reminders I had set on my phone) when my best friend let me know she was coming to London especially for it. And, because the best things happen when you least expect them (I do love a cliché every once in a while), the 23^rd of September turned out to be my winning day. I got to win a gift voucher at Aldo and then won the House of Fraser Twitter competition. It might not seem like much but for me this pretty much makes up for a whole life of losing strikes. I remember that when I first started blogging I was overwhelmed by the thought of being noticed. I couldn’t understand how the bloggers I followed had managed to get such exposure when there were thousands others doing the same thing – how could you get your own voice across? And even so, did I have a voice or was my blog just another one of those that would eventually fade into the background? To be fair, I still haven’t figured that out and I think only time will be able to give me the answer to this question. My point, however, is that on Tuesday I realised how much being in the right place at the right time matters. Is it only good luck? Maybe.

                Here is a compilation of some pictures I took while we were out, I truly had a great night with my friends and wanted to share it with you. I’m really glad there are fashion events widely available out there, where people can get a taste of this industry without requiring a formal invitation or 10k followers on their social platforms. Fashion week is amazing but still holds a sense of exclusivity which disappears at VFNO so I definitely encourage giving it a go next year – who knows what will be in store for you?

Hope you have a great weekend! :)  

Sit Tight

Vienne Milano by mariadinca featuring a black dress

                It might sound strange but ever since I was little, tights have been a very controversial topic in my life. Every winter meant that, when temperatures would drop, my mum would whip out thick ass tights for me to wear underneath my clothes. By the time I was 12 I had an impressive collection of patterned ones - stripes, butterflies, you name it. People couldn’t even see them if I was wearing trousers but it seems like my mum had embedded the idea that whatever I wear I should do so for myself from very early on. #deep.

Anyway, I digress. By the time I was 13 I got over tights and started embracing the cold that came with my decision, I had grown up. Then, around 17, I figured that I was a strong enough woman to wear tights underneath my trousers without feeling stupid instead of suffering in the cold. Point is, I’ve always had a strange relationship with tights and I believe they can be very confusing for many people: they tear, irritate your inner thigh and pop out from your trousers at the waist when you sit down but we still wear them. When I was about 5 years old, my grandfather came to pick me up from kindergarten one day with orders from my mum to change my tights before leaving. Being a man, he didn’t catch the changing part and we had a half an hour fight (I was quite feisty at 5) over why I shouldn’t be wearing two pairs of tights. I won in the end.

Needless to say, this incident tainted my experience with tights. We still get along but I now go back to them when I feel like wearing a dress in the colder months. I’ve been back in London for a while and even though it has been surprisingly warm outside we're slowly getting back to British weather. So when I was contacted by Vienne Milano to style a look featuring their hosiery, I thought it was an offer that couldn't have come at a better time. So here is the look I created - pretty basic, a lot of black (as if this were coming as a surprise) and a little pop of colour with a baby blue coat. I’ve been eyeing a black leather backpack for a while so here you have featured the upgraded version - vintage Chanel - of course. 

 So... what are your thoughts on tights? Friend or foe? 

London Fashion Week

Last year I posted inspiration from the Fashion Week I hadn't attended. This year I'm posting pictures from the Fashion Week I sort of attended. I was actually in London during Fashion Week this season so I decided to go around Somerset House and take some pictures of the fashion scene around there, maybe meet some of the bloggers I've been following for a while. However, I decided to go there on the worst possible day - the day Burberry held its show in Kensington Gardens. Needless to mention there was no one there, apart from me and a couple other people that probably hadn't got the memo. Memo or no memo, there were a couple of pretty cool outfits that I spotted around so I just thought I'd quickly slap them on here. I haven't been feeling very inspired lately so I am slowly trying to get my mojo back and get back into a blogging routine (if I ever had one haha).

Inspiration #18

                Sorry, I know I said I’d be away for a while but here I am, again, bugging you. Halfway through moving all my stuff in the new place and I’m starting to think about how to make it more cosy and warm. Plus, I need to keep busy until my internet arrives. Surprisingly enough, there are as many things that my room in halls had and this flat doesn’t as there are the other way around. Anyway, I started my Sunday morning with a little bit of Pinterest inspiration and thought I could share. Hope you’ve all had a great weekend!

Golden Times

                If someone would ask me to attach one word to my life I would say “change”. Everything around me is moving so fast that whenever I stay too long in the same place I feel like I am wasting my time. My biggest craving is variety. When I left London for the summer I was freaked out about what I was going to do for three months in the same place. Summer had always been my season, three months of travelling, excitement and new experiences. This summer, however, wasn’t shaping up to be any of those things. Between work, stressing out about my new flat and sleeping I didn’t know which one would break me down first. None of them did, obviously.

Now that I’m back in London what I do realise is that there’s something so sweet about familiarity, something often overlooked. Every time I go out I look for someplace new and exciting, something I have never seen before. My friends and I often complain about going to the same places every time. But what is wrong with that? As fun as discovering new things is, sometimes it’s better to just go back to what you are used to. There’s nothing wrong with wanting everything to be the way you know it to be. Nothing wrong with being scared of the unknown.

This is my way of saying that I will be away for a couple of days, due to... changes. So while I am trying to figure out how to make new things familiar here are some pictures I shot a week or so ago. We caught the golden hour, my favourite time of day, and the pictures turned out stunning. Can’t wait to experiment some more with my camera; test different lightings and moods. Let me know, what do you think? 

Wasted Outfits

Fall Inspiration by mariadinca featuring Acne Studios

            There is a general consensus lately that one should always make the most of life, suck every little ounce of opportunity every single moment. Films like – make you think that even while your senses are still half asleep during your 7:30 coffee, lashes still more or less glued together and mood cranky enough to seriously diminish the number of friends willing to stand you, opportunity can arise, be it professional or romantic. Bottom line, you always have to be at your best. No exceptions. Mick Jagger might pop by your local grocery store and you will wish you put on your Rolling Stones t-shirt instead of the baggy sweater you have been living in for the past three days.

            The funny thing is, most of the time, it’s not the opportunities missed due to outfits, it’s the outfits wasted because of lousy days that get us. Few things are more disappointing than getting dressed up in the morning, loving your outfit and then realizing it was all for nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I am all up for being self-sufficient and not needing other people’s approval to feel good, but let’s admit it. We are suckers for the attention. Has a compliment ever felt bad? I love myself in sweatpants, but I love myself even more when I get to dress up and have compliments shot at me.

            In the name of wasted outfits, here is some of my inspiration for fall. Hope you enjoy!

           

            

Fall Inspiration by mariadinca featuring a duster coat

Oxblood by mariadinca featuring a new balance footwear

Fall Inspiration by mariadinca featuring a black ankle bootie

Mood Board

This month's mood board. Inspired by Monica Vinader jewellery. Hope you enjoy :) 

Do Holiday Destinations Have Expiry Dates?

                I am probably the only one of my friends that hasn’t been to Ibiza. But then again, I’ve always been a bit late to jump on the bandwagon. Ibiza has probably been one of the most popular summer destinations for a couple decades now, with clubs providing live sex since the 70s and colonies of nudists around most beaches. Four out of five people I know have been to Ibiza following their graduation to enjoy uncensored fun* before parting with their classmates to go to University. For the past 5 years (the time I have consciously planned holidays for myself) Ibiza came into discussion every summer either because someone had been or was planning to go there. I still have no idea what Ibiza is like, I have never Googled it nor have I looked for pictures of its beaches. And even if I had planned to go there I still probably wouldn’t have done that because Ibiza has a reputation that surpasses any reasonable online search. You do not question why key destinations like this one are this popular nor do you look to see whether you would actually enjoy it. Going there is an experience in itself and you are GUARANTEED to have a blast. Also, you are 17 and hormonal and non-stop partying is what you think will help you relax after exams. Weirdly enough, it does. 

                Anyway, enough with Ibiza. Apparently that’s what holiday karma said last year. Over the course of two years I have noticed how Ibiza has slowly given way to its heir, Mykonos, as Holiday King/Queen (let’s not discriminate). Everyone and their mother seems to have been to Mykonos this year. I could probably write a full post on Mykonos right now after all the pictures, tips and tricks, packing advice, partying advice, eating advice and many more articles I’ve read during the past months. While my Instagram feed has been buzzing with Santorini sunsets and Mykonos windmills, Ibiza has been terribly quiet this year. So my question is, do holiday destinations have an expiry date? Do places need to hand out their crowns to their successors or is it just that one generation gives way to another? Do people genuinely go elsewhere or is it just the people I am surrounded by that have changed their holiday patterns? Or even worse, have we outgrown Ibiza?! Have we given up on house music and vodka in Ibiza in favour of house music and a romantic Santorini sunset in the Greek islands? 

* perfunctory sex, getting too drunk (maybe naked) with you school friends because it’s the first and last time you will ever get to do that together

September Vogue 2014

 

Probably the most anticipated magazine edition all around the world is the September issue of Vogue. It was Anna Wintour that decided, with her first Vogue cover, to use a picture of a carefree Michaela Bercu instead of the traditional glamourous supermodel shot and it was her that later on put celebrities over models on the cover. With this edition however, she not only went back to the giants of modelling, but she chose nine of them to don the cover of Vogue, keeping it young and carefree nevertheless. To be honest, I think this is what still makes it relatable to the everyday woman. 

                Nonetheless, what makes me so excited is that one of the nine supermodels featured on the cover is Andreea Diaconu. Although Andreea is no stranger from Vogue, landing her first cover in February 2013, this particular one places her amongst the most influential models in the world – see Cara Delevingne, Joan Smalls etc. I am always proud to acknowledge the work of other Romanians so this cover makes me extremely happy and excited to add it to my collection once it hits stands in September.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend!