♪ Blessings - Big Sean, Drake & Kanye West ♪

Every year I like to do a photoshoot on my birthday and post it on my blog so I can remember it. I always get emotional, because after I post it I start searching my old birthdays on the blog and see how much I've grown up. This one's a little late, my birthday was on the 12th of August, but due to the fact it was between the Untold Festival and the Rihanna concert in Bucharest I attended, I did a small celebration this year, surrounded by two of my best friends and family. Still, from something meant to be low key it turned into one of my favorite birthdays ever! It was a day full of surprises. I woke up to a giant bouquet of roses and an Iphone SE (I had no clue or need for a new phone). It's the perfect iphone for me because it's basically an Iphone 6S in a body of an Iphone 5 => it has a 12 MP camera instead of 8! It really makes a huge difference, looking back of all the photos I took at the Untold festival with my old phone vs. the Rihanna concert with the SE I still can't believe how lucky I am to have it! 

The roses were my dad's work of art, he got the idea when I got a day earlier from my birthday a small bouquet of roses- he went and got seven of those in different colors and arranged them together in a box - it's my favorite flower arrangement ever (may I add he has no idea about the box of roses trend that's been going on lately? haha). I also had the best cake, it's from the same bakery I got it two years ago, but this year they put more forest fruit cream between the layers, divine! I was finally able to wear this Zara lace skirt on my birthday! I say "finally" because I've been looking for the right top for it for four years now and this summer I found it in the Mango summer sales.
All the other gifts I included in the post from my cousins and my best friends made me so emotional and grateful, I honestly don't know where I would be right now if I wasn't so blessed to have so many beautiful people in my life! As I grow older, I come to the conclusion that birthdays aren't really about gifts for me, they're about celebrating with the people most close to my heart, the ones that are always there to support me, make me laugh and hold me down. I just want to say a big "I LOVE YOU" to mom, dad, my sister, my cousins, my aunt&uncle, my best friends & you, my dear readers, who chose to follow my journey from time to time!

♪ New Day- Jay Z & Kanye West  (Watch the Throne)♪

I've always loved birthdays, but I have to admit I was freaking out a bit about my 20th. I finally feel like it's the absolute end of the teenage years (funny now, what should I do about the name of the blog? When I started it in the 9th grade I was like "I'm gonna name it 'Teen Fashion Diary' because most likely it won't last more than a couple years"). Young adult life: ON. I live far from my family now, I'll have a car with me at the university starting this fall, I have to cope with being on the budget and focus on my studies. 

Fortunately, turning 20 was actually an incredible experience: it was on the last day of my holiday in Rhodes: I had a good swim in the morning, an amazing lunch with my family at my favorite place in Ixia, Elysee and a long walk in the old town of Rhodos where I did a special shoot (you'll see it soon, you know how I love to mark my birthdays on the blog with photo shoots).

And the most unexpected thing about my birthday: the gifts. I usually post one photo on Instagram and that's it, but yesterday I was in the mood of taking photos and nobody ever wants to model for me (yes, lil' sis, I'm talking about you) so I ended up taking these shots.. You see, this year even my parents and best friends gave me my birthday gifts with a month in advance- and I'm grateful because I got to use my iphone 6 an extra month of my summer vacation this way. Before we took off for Rhodes, my cousins came up with a surprise: they got  me 'Fangirl' by Rainbow Rowell and some amazing 'Game of Thrones' posters. Rainbow Rowell in honestly my favorite author at the moment and this book is perfection.What never ceases to amaze me about Rainbow Rowell is that you can always find yourself in her main characters. Still, Cath, the heroine of 'Fangirl' remains the one I can relate to most: maybe it's her sense of humour, or the 'Kanye emergency parties' she throws, or the fact that she writes fanfiction with an astonishing devotion and has a romanticized idea of love. 

When I arrived in Rhodes and found so many great shops I made the decision to get some gifts for myself from my savings. As much as I love the gifts from my family, they don't see the point in getting an YSL lipstick for example and I just wanted to spoil myself a little in order to remember this birthday forever.
I feel blessed and I want to thank all my loved ones for always supporting me and making my 20th birthday the best!

I'm no fall fan, as I stated tons of times on this blog. I'm going to share with you the main  (& kind of obvious) reason: you know I like to dress all classy and feminine and wear skirts and dresses, so when autumns arrives I find it impossible to do it, I just don't like to wear tights. I go back to my skinny jeans and I suddenly don't feel special anymore. These photos show the last time I wore a dress this autumn (parties don't count- I just drive to the party and freeze until I enter the restaurant). It was a gloomy day, it even rained an hour later and there I was, in my new favourite dress , with my best friend taking photos of me (she was in a tank top as well).

I had to show you this dress, although I didn't want to be in this light, because I look too damn pale and everything is so foggy. I kind of like the photos now, though. The dress is from the Autumn/Winter 2013 Zara collection was a birthday gift from my best friend, Sara. She really knows me! The funky print, the cut which really flatters my body type, its colors (I can wear it to formal school events thank to the navy on it) and its fabric- perfect for both daily wear and parties- make it the perfect dress for me! Even my flats have a funky print, you'll see if you scroll down to the photos of the details. They're from Persunmall and I just love them! 

Photos by Simona

♪ Fergie - A little party never killed nobody ♪

" I can't believe that I'm 18 ! " it's what I've been saying to myself these past 13 hours (even dreamed about it!). I don't usually make a big deal out of my birthday, but this time it felt different, it's such an important age, and my friends and family made it clear with their countless surprises and gifts!

The first birthday present I got this dress, in advance, because I had this amazing wall in my room decorated especially for this occasion and wanted to take some awesome photos, but I had no special outfit! When my mom saw how dissappointed I was , she gave me this Zara dress that I was to receive at 00:00. I love this shade, fuchsia meets honeysuckle. 

Another incredible gifts followed, all received at 00:00 sharp. The biggest surprise was a white Iphone5 from my parents, followed by the fact that even if my aunt,uncle and cousins don't live in the same town as I do, I received their gift as well, the Miss Dior Cherie perfume!!! If you've been reading my blog for, let's say, one year, you must have noticed how in my Polyvore collages this fragrance was always there and how I would always state my obsession for it. 

I just want to be happy today, to have fun and spend some quality time with my friends and family! Thank you all for reading this, I can't believe I won't be a teenager for so long..

PS: Make sure to come back later to see a photo of my AMAZING cake. (clue: Miu Miu)

PPS: How do you like my festive wall? It took me one hour to do this, I had so much fun!

Farewell, my dear holiday! Oh, my summer holiday is officially OVER. I'm so sad, I mean it's been the best holiday I've had so far as it involved a lot of travelling, SHOPPING, making new friends, improving this blog, reading, cooking & even a little driving. And there is one more major thing that happened in this beloved holiday of mine: I got my (now) favourite fragrance , Gucci Guilty & a Givenchy bag from some family friends!

Yes, a Givenchy bag! I was over the moon! It's not made of leather or anything, it's more of the light and beach-appropriate type but it has golden details, a great size (perfect for school) and the most incredible shape!!! What more can a girl ask for?

I took it out for a walk and decided to match it with some grey and sandy yellow tones, I love how every detail works! Of course my outfit needed a splash of color, so I went for a mint (I know, such a surprise! haha)  scarf which I got for my birthday from my cousin.

 Also, note my incredible statement necklace I got from my friend Andreea, I love it! I really have amazing people in my life, thank you all for supporting me and always being so kind! Yes, I am talking about S. too , who took these stunning photos and also about M. who spoiled me today with the cutest navy top!

Giveaway: Chiffon & Summer Dreams by marylu1 featuring christian louboutin shoes

I try to host a giveaway every season (remember the April-May one, with the necklace Bianca won?) and I was really nervous about what I should get for my favourite season. Needless to say, the SheInside brand totally saved me! They want to offer one lucky reader this amazing chiffon dress! What's not to love about it? The tangerine colour, the golden&sparkling epaulets and that fancy cut!!

The giveaway runs: 6th of July- 6th of August  and it is internationally open.

So, what do you have to do in order to win the dream dress, perfect for summer? Just follow these 3 easy-peasy steps:

That's how my motto was born:

All my friends know they've nailed a gift by seeing it here. Therefore, one of closest friends, Diana, was really concerned about the blazer she gave me for Christmas because she has never seen me wearing it. Well, let me point this out: I love it, I'm usually into striped things and it has just the perfect fabric and shape!

Sorry about the quality of the pictures, it's been showing heavily here in Romania (schools are closed: YAY!!) and all I do is take silly photographs and watch Desperate Housewives, Gossip Girl and Sex and The City.

What do you think about my blazer?

This Christmas was completely special for me. I have bought a lot more gifts than usual because this year I had the luck to bound with so many incredible people, I got an amazing surprise from Santa, I got to spend half of Christmas's eve with one of my best friends and the first day of Christmas with my other one(soul sister x). I also went caroling with my class and my family has been very kind and supportive.

This is a short visual diary of this holiday, which happens to be my very favourite. The bad thing is that it didn't snow at all, but oh well..when I saw that big box under the Christmas tree I instantly forgot about it.

I wouldn't have dreamed in my wildest dreams that I would get an Ipad, not to mention a Marc Jacobs case, which I ABSOLUTELY adore! Funny thing, I have always thought that my first expensive bag would be a Miu Miu, but I love Marc Jacob's creations and this is no exception!

Therefore, enjoy the story..