♪ By Design - Kid Cudi ft. Andre Benjamin ♪

I needed to do some soul-searching because if you're reading this and you know me (in my natural environment) I'm really stressed about a lot of things. In theory, I am aware of what I should do to control certain moods, but throw in Med School, with tons of tests and hours spent away from home and there goes your zen state! At least in my case, and I think for me this comes from the responsibility my future job entails. I don't have time to learn a course about a disease, let's say. I never hear about it again, since it's not in the domain I choose. What if years later a patient comes with that disease and I'm not able to see the signs? This is exaggerated example, but you get the point. It has been really hard for me to live a balanced life in college. Something's gotta give! I found the cutest pink notebook at Stradivarius two weeks ago (dear Secret Santa, if you're reading this, take note haha) and it had a motto on it "Don't stress, do your best!". It may seem plain and simple, but it was just the boost that I needed. 

I started accepting that I can't control every aspect of my life and I'm currently using the quote from that notebook as a mantra. It's okay to go with your friends when you have a two-hour break every Tuesday to eat fast food and take walks in the park. We laugh about how in our first years we would run straight to the library and make every minute of the gap count! I wrote this because maybe some of you are struggling with anxiety or stress and I need you to know that IT'S OKAY. You can change this, you just have to love and put yourself first. Surround yourself with positive people and save some time for your soul.

For this special post, I wore a special outfit. This is the dress I bought when I started my first year in Med School. I took photos of my outfit back then, and it was my first blog post away from home. As I am comparing the photos, I can see how much I've changed. And I'm not just talking about the fact that now I know how to apply makeup haha. And let's all take a moment to appreciate my dear friend Codrina for capturing this precious moment!

♪ Hanni El Katib - Hearbreak Hotel ♪

I don't know if I also blogged about this, but I will say it one more time for those of you who are not following me on Instagram(@marymanaila): I haven't been in love with a fashion season the way I am with F/W 2017-2018 IN SO LONG! Today we're going to talk about my absolute favorite trend for this fall: DARK FLORALS. Zara is the best in this department, they have such a wide range of black dresses with floral prints on! I've been in a vicious circle of saving money and running to Zara afterwards, I might go tomorrow to buy one more floral dress. The thing is I'm not buying them just for the sake of the trend, but they're super classy and they work so well for the medical congresses I'm attending. 

My absolute favorite (and the most expensive one) is the dress I'm wearing in these photos. I bought it for a Cardiology Congress, it was just love at first sight and I've been wearing it on a daily basis. I loved it not just for the intricate floral details, but also because it showcases another major trend for this fall polka dots&see-through fabric. And what better place to shoot these photos than the Botanical Garden in Iasi? Every autumn they have a special exhibition with the most beautiful flowers and this year I finally got to visit it with my friends. Special thanks to Codrina for having the patience to shoot this (& my beloved friends), it was by far our hardest shoot because it was super crowded that day and everyone wanted to take photos with the flowers. It was honestly more chaotic than seeing Mona Lisa at the Louvre haha.

What trend are loving most this fall? Have you purchased any floral prints yet?

♪ That Side- CyHi The Prynce, Kanye West♪

If Kanye can make a comeback to the music scene (oh, how I missed his music, such a good vibe!) then so can I. Every single college year starts the same- I never have time to blog. It took some time to manage my schedule and work out how can I crowd some small photoshoots with my dear friend Codrina. I have plenty of fall trends I want to show you, but I didn't have time to sort them and edit them yet. It's tricky, but the thing is I love Medicine so much that when the school year starts, it's all I can think about. That being said, once I settle it, I always start missing fashion & blogging.

We took these photos in that marvellous time frame when it's pure autumn, I adored seeing colorful leaves everywhere! I wanted to show you three items I've been wearing this fall obsessively, because I honestly think they're some essential items we should all own:

1. Sweater with a funky message- I love Tally Weijl because they have the best text on their shirts! My cousin Ioana picked this, I got it a gift from London and I can't stop wearing it because it's my favorite color and for some reason the text reminds me of that saying "Kanye attitude with Drake feelings" .

2. Black boots- autumn staple that's for sure, I own plenty of pairs but this one is very special because I got them from my sweet cousin Monica. One day before I left my hometown for college, I tried these with her, in navy. I sighed " if only they were black...". Two weeks later, I received them as a gift from her, they're custom made and honestly I've never had such comfy boots before.

3. Cosy COS Coat - I feel like screaming with joy about this purchase, I've always loved the COS brand and I wanted a new fall coat this year, this navy number is so versatile and easy to wear! I think you should invest in a coat of this lenght and color, because it's perfect to wear with both jeans and skirts, casual to formal.

What did you add to your closet this fall? How are feeling about the fall trends this year?

♪ Ruby Tuesday-  The Rolling Stones ♪

I had such a tiring first day of college- 12 hours that I was once again ready to surrender and not blog today. You see, I wanted to blog today because I love my new bordeaux/ruby jacket and the title "Ruby Tuesday" was such a good pun! Friends tried to prepare me for how many hours you spend in hospitals during the 4th year of Med School, but you can't really understand until you experience it. I was also at gone for 10 hours today, but I then I remembered I have as many hours in a day as Beyonce, so I'm writing this post!

I'm not going to focus on the negatives, like prioritizing making sandwiches at 6am over my makeup routine, but I'm going to point out some positive aspects in my life:

1. I'm in love with athleisure right now. I found these pants the same day I also found this top and for me they're both perfect examples of this trend. I love the pants because they're so comfy and these white stripes on the sides make you look so slim and tall. As for this ruby satin top, I love the fact it has a zipper and you can also wear it as a jacket, it's the perfect fall investment, so easy to match with jeans, sport pants or even a bodycon dress.

2. College may be back, but so are my friends!! It's great to share your hardship with eight wonderful people, I'm lucky to have such a support system.

3. I'm hosting a giveaway on my Instagram @marymanaila because I really feel the need to give some of my favorite products- I thought of this because maybe some of you are not excited about going back to uni so maybe the #GIRLBOSS book and some L'Occitane products will cheer you up!

4. I discovered the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino last week and it blew my mind, I called it my best coffee of 2017 and I still stand by my choice.

5. I started cooking 'sugar-free' (not with sweeteners, but with honey/maple syrup, all about that natural sweetness right now) and I made the best banana bread I could ever imagine, it's divine when I put peanut butter on top of it!

6.  The same day I found the best coffee in the world, I was lucky to find the last MAC x Nicki Minaj "Spice" lip stain in the store. It matches my Naked Heat makeup so well, just what I needed!

Have a productive week & remember to always find time for what you love!

Wearing: Zara pants, C&A top, Converse shoes, Pandora bracelet, Jord watch

♪ Macklemore feat Skylar Grey- Glorious♪

I've been meditating about a lot of stuff lately, but this happens every single fall I have to leave for university. This post is quite symbolic, because here you have the last summer dress I purchased and wore, the last photos I took with my long hair (head over to Instagram @marymanaila to see my new cut) and the last time I had my bff Simona snap photos for the blog..for the next three months. I can't stand the fact my family doesn't live in the same city as I do (gonna miss my god-daughter so much, she just turned 6 months yesterday) and that my bffs are attending college in Bucharest, but I know it in my heart that it's the best path to adulthood. I value the fact I've been on my own for three years, because it meant stepping out of my comfort zone a lot. And that's the key to growing up in my opinion. I will say there's place for improvement, there were many times I chose to buy a Zara dress instead of buying more expensive ingredients for my meal or the other way around...Being a leo, I'm really impulsive when it comes to buying lavish things and every year I promise I'll be more careful with my finances. Let's see if I can do better this year (although, after becoming obsessed with Benefit cosmetics, I highly doubt it!).

There are a lot of things going through my mind, and it all started from reading Lilly Singh's book "How to be a BAWSE" (twice!). She is honestly unstoppable, I admire how she hustles relentlessly, it's honestly the best motivational book I've ever read. I love following her journey on youtube, she truly is the definition of a SUPERWOMAN. Next on, another movie really touched my heart- "Carrie Pilby". I will admit I pressed "play" on Netflix only out of superficial reasons- William Mosley was on the poster (if you watch The Royals, you know what I'm talking about!) but I was so moved about this movie, and about one major part of it in particular: her favorite book is J.D, Salinger's "Franny & Zooey". I highly doubt there is one reader other than my mom who remembers that I wrote one passionate post about this book and even took photos of it 5 years ago haha. I won't give you any more spoilers, but it's one of those cute young adult movies which melts your heart and makes you realize some important things. On a totally opposite note, I also want to talk about the TV show "The Good Place", because for me it was mind-blowing! You think it's your average comedy sitcom, you watch it because you love Kristen Bell and you're intrigued about the concept: in the afterlife, you either make it to "The Good Place" or the bad place and Eleanor(Bell's character) was sent by accident in the good place- hence the drama and impossible situations. The action builds up, and at the end of season one, you get one major plot twist- like "Who is Gossip Girl" level of MAJOR. I should've expected it from the minute I saw Kristen Bell in the cast haha. To me this was so interesting because the creators of the show managed to turn this cute, funny comedy into a dark & deep show. It really puts things into perspective, I honestly recommend it!

Okay, rant about movies&books over, but I really felt inspired and I wanted to share this, maybe it will help you too. Wishing everyone an amazing weekend, although the weather is not really on our side.

♪ Flume- Never be like you ♪

I've always been very passionate about standing by my fashion choices, because I'm the type of person to try some things before they are cool or embrace the craziest trends. Most of the times, the first person to question my choices is my mom, because she is quite conservative when it comes to fashion. Ever since I got into Med School, there is a new phrase she uses "I'm not saying I don't like it, it's just something a doctor shouldn't wear". This is, of course, also what she said when she saw these boyfriend ripped jeans. I love my mom, but this is where we agree to disagree. The thing is, I'm in LOVE with these jeans not just because I found them on a major sale when I most neeeded them (on the last day of Untold it rained and I had no jeans in my luggage so I just went to the mall and found them in a heartbeat), but also for the fact they have the best glitter game, exquisite fabric and they fit my curves! I'm not saying I would wear them to the hospital, but I don't get why society virtually sets these crazy rules, I see it fit to wear them whenever I please in my spare time.

I'm obviously thinking on a larger scale right now, there is always a general opinion you shouldn't wear something if you have a certain profession, or dye your hair a certain way or have tattoos. I have decided I will never judge a person by their style, because I believe everyone should feel comfortable in their clothes. There are always these high standards, but society has to evolve at some point. Take  pants for example, what would it be like if women never started wearing them? Can you imagine going everywhere wearing a big fluffy skirt and a dreadful corset?

I'm honestly grateful I'm a regular woman and that I'm able to make my own choices, I don't mind the scrutiny. I've been really passionate about the history of the British monarchy lately and I finally had the courage to watch "The Crown" on Netflix. I'm using  the term "courage" because portraying history on television is a really delicate matter. I never expected it to be so raw and emotional, to show the events in every small detail- the resemblance with the actual photos and films of the time is spectacular! As most little girls, I used to dream and admire the concept of royals when I was young (Prince Charming was my absolute favorite haha). The fascination never faded away, but I see it with such different eyes right now.  I mean, here I am, talking about being free to choose my glitter-y ripped jeans and HRH Princess Margaret had to choose between the love of her life and keeping her title and family. It really puts things in perspective.

PS: You absolutely have to watch the show "Victoria" as well, it's fascinating! 

Photo credit: My bff Simona ♥

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♪ Tinie Tempah- Holy Moly ♪

Honestly, I've attended many music festivals, but when I think about the most memorable night for me, my mind instantly goes back to the third day of Untold 2017. It's because that day we had our fair share of surprises- from the food we tried to the artists we decided at the last minute to go check on smaller stages.

We got to the festival early in order to have lunch there and experience the activities. I had the best streetfood experience- a hotdog and homemade fries, topped with their homemade sauce, I was hooked. The maracuja lemonade from Meron served as the best dessert. I was also determined to be there early in order to see Tinie Tempah live (we managed to be in the second row). Living in Romania, Tinie Tempah would always be in the top 10 with his pop/rap/hip-hop hits when I was in highschool and honestly, thanks to him I discovered I was the most attracted to this type of beat- and that's how I started to try and listen to rap. The rest is history, I've been mainly listening to rap for six years now. My favorite album will always be "Demonstration" for all the fashion references and for the whole vibe. He dropped his YOUTH album this spring and it has so many tracks I would play on repeat while stuck in traffic! During the concert, my best friend S. would be like "I heard that in your car first". Therefore, I was excited to see him live for the first time. He did not disappoint, there was so much energy, love and showmanship, it was truly a performance I'll always remember!  

I honestly thought it couldn't get better after Tinie Tempah, but little did I know- the whole night was going to be EPIC. The Hurts followed and my heart just melted! After that we took a leap of faith and went to other stages to see Romanian artists and we had so much fun, the energy was crazy! Then we tried some ice-cream crepes- they tasted incredible, but it was not such a good idea to get ice-cream crepes during summer- there was ice-cream everywhere and my black dress had to pay the consequences (luckly, the spots got out quickly, because the dress is all lace). 

After we got to the main stage- something mind-blowing followed- Marshmello's mix. I knew who he was, but I did not know we would mix at least 15 of my favorite rap songs- I was in house/dance/hip-hop/rap heaven, his mix was just my cup of tea!! I remember I just couldn't stop smiling and singing my favorite lyrics! Armin van Buuren followed and he is considered the ultimate king of Untold, in case you didn't know.

I had such an amazing time, I will keep these memories close to my heart forever, and I also loved what I was wearing that day. I found this black lace dress at H&M, on sale for 12 euros, it was the last one and some of the lace was torn apart. I bought it anyways, because I paid 1/3 of the original price and I solved the problem quickly with a needle and a black thread. I was told it's a basic festival piece and I couldn't agree more, it was so comfy and chic at the same time!

H&M dress, Bata sandals, Stradivarius backpack, Carolina Herrera sunglasses, Pandora bracelet, JORD watch

I realized today I never shared with you one aspect that fundamentally represents me: my obsession for stationery (or maybe those of you who follow me on Instagram have noticed this over time!). It started early on in my life, my mom still drags me out of the stationery department in every store (shoutout to you, mom, for letting me buy all those cool notebooks today!)  and my friends know they can never go wrong with some cute invitations, a diary or glittery pens. One really important aspect when I host a party is the invitation. I'm really particular about my ideas, so I usually do them on my own. Come to think of it, I think that's why I started using Photoshop in the first place. My funniest work yet was for my house-warming party, I won't go into details but I will say this: Codename: kids next door haha.

Therefore, you can understand that I'm always looking for inspiration when it comes to invitations (thank God for Pinterest!). I was searching for birthday invitations the other day, when I came across Basic Invite. Honestly, I felt like Carrie Bradshaw entering a Manolo Blahnik store! The templates are beautiful and tasteful, and you choose every single detail you'd like for you invitation. And this is where it got amazing to me:  they have the same thinking when it comes to colors as I do-the more shades, the better. You can choose from their +180 colors, and you can change the color of each element on your card-talking about shades of pure joy. If I'm being honest, I would probably end up doing them all in rose gold foil, but you know me and my obsessions by now haha. What really got me over the moon was this wedding invitation I found on Pinterest(collage number 3) which came in a hot pink envelope and then I discovered they have over 40 different colors of envelopes. Like, honestly, how do I go back to my homemade cards after seeing this? I gotta step up my game!

You know how my brain is ultimately wired to fashion (I mean, I do own a fashion blog). While going through their surprise party invitations I actually started thinking what I would wear for such an occasion. I thought I would make some visual moodboards to share them with you. It all started with the first card, for a birthday with an ice cream parlour theme. I don't know who Sarah is, but two things are certain: she is brilliant for choosing this theme and her friends are so lucky to attend this! I would wear some pastels to match the ice-cream for sure, and the dress would have to be ethereal and loose (there is ice-cream involved after all, I wouldn't come in skin tight jeans haha).

For the second scenario I was even more excited, because I found this first birthday invitation. That's obviously because I love my god-daughter so much (it's her name day today, by the way: Happy name day, little angel!! ) and I can't wait for the day she'll turn one, because I know she is going to have an epic party (I'm already making a moodboard on Pinterest). What would I wear? A dress for sure, but I would try to keep it light and casual, and in the childhood theme, so I guess those Chiara Ferragni slip-ons would do the trick (keep daydreaming, Mary!)  

And let's not forget about wedding invitations, because everyone knows they are the trickiest (I grew up watching Bridezillas, so many flaskbacks right now). I honestly feel like you can't fail if you choose Basic Invite, because it's all on you. You make every single choice, and they have this unique option of custom samples. It's great to see everything on paper and the color in real life before sending out hundreds of them! I also love the free address collection service- you share a link they provide with your guests, they can write their address once they click on it, and you receive a nice list of all the addresses you have to mail your cards to.

How do you deal with special occasions, my dear readers? Am I the only one who cares about every single detail (especially stationery) so much?

♪ Summer Bummer - Lana del Rey, A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti♪

This spring one major 2000s trend came back: the choker. I didn't know what to think of it, because back when it was in fashion I was 10 years old and I would wear one non-stop. Therefore, I kind of associated it with childhood, and I couldn't bring myself to buy one.  It all changed when my cousin Ioana was abroad on vacation and she asked me if I would like a cool choker from Tally Wejil. I was intrigued, because she told me it had several charms, it wasn't just a simple choker. Little did I know she would also pick a dress from Primark in the exact same color as the choker! When I received these two items together I knew right away- "here's my second Untold festival outfit!". Kudos to Ioana for her flawless fashion choices, it was such an amazing gift to receive!

The dress is super light and breezy, truly a summer dream and the best choice in terms of festival wear! The only thing I had to add is this wide belt, which fortunately is purple, because the dress doesn't really emphasize your waist on its own. I absolutely loved this look, it was effortless, comfy and cute at the same time!

Special thanks to my best friend Simona for taking the photos!