Photo Credit: Cristian Alexandrescu Photography

♪ Jay Z- On to the next one ♪

I've changed a lot in the last five months and there are a bunch of reasons: leaving my hometown. living on my own, studying Medicine, being away from my best friends (and coming to terms with the fact that we can only rely on Skype and Facebook to keep in touch), not being able to hug my little sister and parents every day and having survived the first storm of finals in Med School. I don't think anyone can ever prepare you for the first important exams in your life as a student: I had 8 major exams (not counting English, Psychology etc.) in the course of 24 days and it has been the most intense and challenging experience I've ever had. 

I really wanted my comeback post to include a list of the changes I noticed:

- I'm more confident than ever that I chose the path that's right for me- as hard and impossible the finals were, I realized I love studying all the subjects and that I really can't see myself in any other place!

- I don't get scared so easily-  I used to panic before an important test- sure, the fear is still there- but I'm more confident and I handle stressful situations better.

- I know when enough is enough- During those 24 crowded days I had times when I would just sit all day at my desk and then days when I would go out for a movie ( on that subject, you HAVE to see Whiplash, it's genius!), for a Starbucks coffee (we now have Starbucks in Iasi too, yay!) and listen to some good music to clear my mind.

- I like.. snow! I have always dreaded winter and the unbearable cold, but it all changed during the winter holiday. I went on a trip to Busteni with some of my best friends- we stayed there for 4 days and we faced train delays, a LOT of snow & cold and yet I loved every single moment of it because we were together! We cooked all the meals on our own (um, okay, on the 1st of January I gave up and went for a delicious pizza- photo proof in this post), we visited a lot of beautiful places ( the Cantacuzino Castle is a must see, I'm so proud our country has such an incredible heritage), played a lot of hilarious games, danced, laughed- I just felt infinite and I cherish the memories we've made!!

- I have less.. regrets! Every week I did not post on this blog due to university work I felt really sad and had tons of regrets. Now, I finally realized that I have kept in touch with the fashion world by constantly following the updated on various fashion websites and with my readers thanks to Instagram and my Facebook page (you can check them both when you miss my posts, I post updates often). Sure, it's not the same as the act of blogging but, I want you guys to understand how I really feel about Med School right now:

"I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. If you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good." — Roald Dahl (one of my favourite authors)

- I really want to improve my... time management technique. I'm starting the second semester on Monday and I hope I learned a thing or two from the first one when it comes to time, so I want to believe I'll update this blog from time to time because there are so many awesome photos I took this winter and I would really like to share them! Of course, I want to also share my thoughts on the 2015 Spring Trends. I guess we'll see, fingers crossed!

Now, some of the photos we took during our AMAZING trip to Busteni:

♪ Beyonce 7/11 ♪

Okay, I can't believe my last post was in October!! I feel like my life  has been put on fast forward ever since I got into Med School. It's tiring and stressing because the University I chose likes to keep things old school, so I have at least 2 tests and one project every week. My best friend studies Medicine as well, in another town and she isn't so busy and sleep deprived as I am, but I've come to terms with the fact that I have to study harder, because it will help me for the finals in January. Although it's a massive amount of information to be learned in the course of 12 weeks, I love it, especially the Anatomy of the human body.

A lot has changed in my life. My cousin Alex turned 18 and I tried to prepare him a rad surprise (he states that I pulled that off). He had an awesome birthday party, I really needed a night with some of my close friends. I got another roommate and I adore her!! We support each other and know where to draw the line when it comes to studying ( meaning we take some shopping breaks and we go out for dinner in fancy places when we feel we've had enough). Last night we had the Freshers Ball, hence we are tired and haven't been able to read a single line for the upcoming  Anatomy exam (which is a MAJOR thing, you can't even imagine the pressure). I decided to take this day off and do the things I love most: talking with my family, listening to good music and blogging. Mom took these photos in 

late October or early November (?? can't really remember at this point) when I bought this pretty floral H&M dress. I've been wearing it a lot this whole autumn, it has an amazing fabric and it's perfect for both school and get-togethers with my friends.

One thing I truly miss is the voice of my readers. It's a compromise I wasn't really willing to take when I started Med School, and I hate that I don't really have the time of energy to blog. So, what I want to know: are you still out there? I've been trying to post often on Instagram so we can keep in touch, but it's just not the same!! I used to write a recommandation about a book, a song or a movie  in every single post, now I have 5 new book and haven't had time to even open one. What I can advise you, though, is to go & watch Interstellar!! Christopher Nolan is a brilliant director ( Inception will always be one of my favourites) and this movie emphasizes the power of love like no other!

♪ Lykke Li- I'm Good, I'm Gone ♪

I'm making a real effort here by posting this- not only because I want to keep you updated, but also because so many things happened in my life in the course of two weeks that I'm afraid that in one year from now I'll forget everything, and I have to write this- let's call it diary entry in order to remember everything.

So, I moved to Iasi two weeks ago and I'm currently a Med student. As mom would put it: "You had more awful things happen to you in Iasi in two weeks than you would have in one year in our hometown". I moved in the most adorable dorm room- I consider it perfect, but I've been having all sorts of unfortunate things happen: the window wouldn't open, the door wouldn't close, the toilet wouldn't work (this was by far the most terrifying thing, we had to call for the plumbers two times). It didn't happen all at once- just gradually, As soon as I'd take care of one problem, another one would pop. My heart's pounding as I'm writing this, because I'm not spending the night in my dorm room and I'm afraid of what I might find there tomorrow (please, enough with the bad luck?). I also caught the nastiest cold and I was bitten by a dog (thank God my sympatetic nervous system kicked in and I ran like a professional athlete until it got tired of chasing me) - so there have been some minor health issues.

Adulthood wise, I'm doing far better than I expected. It's hard to be on your own ( I can rely on my aunt for support when things go south, fortunately!!) but I can't say I dislike it. I'm also missing my family like crazy and they came to visit me this weekend (I didn't know I can hug them so many times in one day) and fortunately, I also manage to keep in touch with my friends. I still don't realize that my best friend Simona doesn't live in the same town as I do, we talk all the time and I just feel like she's super close to me. In fact, these are the last photos she took for the blog before we both left our hometown. There is no one to take photos of me for the blog yet, nor time. 

Okay, I mean, time wise, I can manage to squeeze some hours to go out with my friends (another post about time management as a Med student will follow). Last night we went to see David Fincher's Gone Girl. Most of the movies he directed are on my "Forever Favourite Films" list, like "Seven" , "Fight Club", "The Social Network", "Zodiac", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and I've just added "Gone Girl" to the list as well..Mindblowing, intense and brilliant- I would need a whole different post just to describe how much of an impact it has, but then again, I'm running out of time!

♪ Yong Forever/Halo #OnTheRunTour - Beyonce & Jay Z ♪

The time has come! Tomorrow I'm leaving my hometown and trading it for Iasi, where I'll go to Med School. Generally, everyone is so excited when they go to college: a brand new life, with freedom and adult responsabilities, new friends. Well, I can't say I don't feel those things, it's just that I'm an OVERTHINKER. I'm super organized and stressed out and I'm quite scared about being on my own. It's not the studying part I dread, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to study such interesting things, it's the impossible schedule and having to be independent. Plus, I'm going to miss my friends like crazy- we met for the last time before going away to different cities for college- I can only say there were a lot of pancakes, Pringles, old photos and crying involved. I'm determined to always find time for a chat with them, their friendship is invaluable. I find it strange how writing down these thoughts in a blog post makes me feel better. It's soothing, I look everything from an optimistic angle now that I read them.. Blogging often turns out to be the best therapy for me!

Speaking of best friends, here are the photos of the last day of my trip to Brasov with Simona. We went around our favourite streets one more time and had lunch at a lovely place, with the best pasta (I had some divine 'quatro formaggi') and bought some souvenirs for our families and friends. I love the fact that we had our train at night so we had all the last day to soak that Brasov energy in.

To end this anxious post on a high note, I recommend you watch the video I suggested at the top of the article- it's a live performance by Beyonce and Jay Z- at their last concert of the 'On The Run Tour', held in Paris. Besides the fact that they sing heavenly, there's a footage in the background of featuring their story- the start of their relationship, the trips, the engagement, the wedding, the pregnancy and the most important stages in Blue Ivy's life so far. It's touching to see such a caring family so devoted to love, art and music!  DON'T WORRY, BE YONCE!

♪ Iggy Azalea - My world ♪

I am back with lots of photos from my trip to Brasov, as I promised. It took me a lot of time to sort them out because I decided this trip I would go on a photo overload in order to remember all the details (& be able to share them), unlike Paris when I was in a total rush. I really wanted to travel somewhere with my best friend Simona after our college admission and Brasov turned out to be the perfect choice!

For my international readers, Brasov is an important city in Romania, with an impressive history and unique architecture. It has various places to visit (all incredible, I can guarantee!) and you'll be stunned to see the Tampa mountain from every corner of the city. There are also a lot of great places to eat and I particularly loved the atmosphere, the people are so kind and welcoming! It attracts many tourists from all over the world, so it was nice to hear different languages while I stayed there.

These photos are from our second day in Brasov, when we did most of the visiting. I admit I'm a bit of a control freak when I visit a place, I usually have my schedule noted down to every single minute in order to see as many things as I can in a foreign place. Well, Simona proved to be the first travel buddy who somehow made me change the schedule constantly. I don't know how or why, but the fun part is that I actually didn't mind at all. We went with the flow and it turned out to be the most exhilarating trip! 

Before I start telling you about all the incredible places we visited that day, note the outfit in the pictures. A navy maxi dress from Gap, which I simply adore and my Zara statement necklace. I forgot my sunnies at home, but I was lucky enough to find this pair at Accessorize in Brasov. Okay, story mood: ON!

♪ Beyonce - Superpower ♪

4th of September = Beyonce's Birthday! I first heard one of Beyonce's songs when I was eight - 'Crazy in love' - I barely knew any English back then, but the chorus was so fun and simple! (I will admit that the version for the 'Fifty Shades' trailer is simply the best). As I grew up, I would see so many of her clips on MTV- "Upgrade U" was an all time favourite and it struck me that her music and fashion style evolved at the same pace. Ask me about a Beyonce song or a performance and I'll tell you what age I was and what I thought about her outfit. 

She has the most angelic voice and she is such a perfectionist when it comes to performances. Just when you thought she had the most creative show yet, you get a surprise once again. Let's recap 2014  for example-"Drunk in love" performance with Jay Z-watched it countless times,  performance in London- green sequined dress by Tom Ford, remember?, 'On the run' tour with her husband,  the iconic VMA show. I was so happy to receive 'The Visual Album' by Beyonce for my birthday, the songs follow in a such a harmonious order and the videos are flawless!

 I also notice a constant evolution on the fashion front. To be honest, I started regarding her as a fashion icon in 2011, I just felt like something changed in her style. 2014 has been her best fashion year yet, in my opinion! She often shares her daily looks on Instagram, which I love, her Versace bodysuits which you can see on tour are to die for and she wore perfect dresses to all the Awards ceremonies she attended!

I made a set (see above) with items from the fall collections which are Bey-worthy. First off, we have a gorgeous Stella McCartney bodysuit and some cool Stella McCartney earrings. Stella is one of my favourites this autumn, she just took everything to a different level (I will write a post about this soon). Next, we have the famous Stella McCartney Elyse Shoes (those nude stars are so cute!!), a Stella McCartney backpack, a Kate Spade dotted mug, a Kate Spade passport case because she is always 'on the run', Kiehl's creme de corps, and a rad shade of NARS lipstick.  The colorful watch is also Kate Spade and it goes perfectly with that lavander Stella McCartney clutch. This J Crew printed skirt is so Bey and I matched it with an American Apparel crop top, because you know how much she loves those! Now, I put together a gym look as well, we can all see she's in an incredible shape! The T-shirt is Mango and the pants are Adidas by Stella McCartney (and so is the yoga mat). I also loved the Swarovski 'Love' necklace and the orange J Crew pumps. The Iphone case is by Kate Spade and the sunnies (I think we're going to see her wearing a pair of these pretty soon, it's her favourite model) are Stella McCartney.

Now, let's all enjoy some photos of Queen B., the birthday girl:

♪ Lana del Rey - Shades of Cool ♪

On 12th of August I turned 19. I can say I started my adulthood at 18, when I got my driver's license, went to Paris without my family and had my college admission, but for some reason 19 strikes me just as important as 18. It's the age that kind of tells me "Adolescence is gone" because I will be moving into a big city this October, in order to attend Medical School. I'm scared, suddenly I'm thinking how to pack my whole life in a couple boxes in order to fit into my small college bedroom. I have a credit card, I have responsibilities and I got gifts such as a toaster or an iron for my birthday this year. Also, it's probably the last birthday I get to celebrate properly in my hometown. I love my home so much, so instead of taking my friends out for a pizza I threw a casual party, with a special menu and a "Just Dance" marathon competition. I had a lot of fun, being surrounded by special people, my family and I loved my gifts so much!!!

It was the perfect birthday, it's not like I won't be coming home from college when I have time (although it is a 4 hour drive), but I just want to remember it this way, filled with laughter and positive energy. You'll find notes under each photo in this post (my gifts, my cake, flowers etc.), but I just want to tell you the story of this outfit first. Three days before my birthday, I left with my best friend Simona on a "birthday weekend" to Brasov. I fell in love with the city, it reminded me so much of Prague and Florence, yet it had its own distinctive air, and visiting it with Simona just made the experience a thousand times better! On Friday, the day we arrived there, I had no idea what I would wear at my birthday party. After visiting the Black Church(more on that in my future post) we decided to briefly check out the shops. After one hour of shopping there, I had my whole outfit planned (and another great purchases)!  I initally loved the Accessorize necklace I'm wearing in the photos, but didn't buy because I didn't have any outfit in mind for it. Ten minutes later, I walk into a Depot96 and I see this floral skirt! I've been in a quest for a perfect floral skirt for years now, and it was 50% off. As I bought it, I thought how perfectly it would match the necklace: it has two blue chains and two tangerine ones. As always, I took the photos before I had my curls and makeup done, so excuse the just-washed terrible hair.

♪ Kanye West ft. The xx - Touch the sky ♪

I've put a lot of thought into this post, on whether to share a very important life achievement online or not. I figured out it's the right thing to do because it is my personal blog and I want to remember this moment, but also because it explains why I took more than one month hiatus on Teen Fashion Diary. As you know, I graduated highschool at the end of May and getting into university is a challenging experience. I first had an essential exam, called Bacalaureat- if you don't pass it, you are not eligible for college. I worked really hard on this complex exam (actually- exams- there's three of them) because it meant 25% of my college admission grade (and it went amazing, thank God). Two weeks after it, I had the actual exam which would determine my future (75% of the final grade, Anatomy). It has been the most intense experience of my life! I have been learning Anatomy for almost two years and ten days before the big text I have studied for 12 hours a day. Thankfully, I was the first to get into Medicine.

I still can't wrap my head around this achievement and I have my family to thank for constantly supporting me through this process! In these last few months I felt like I would never have a vacation again. But now that time has arrived, I have started watching "True Blood" (why did no one persuaded me to check it out before??) and reading all the John Green books I can get my hands on! After the big exam, before I left Iasi (my future home, starting October) I had a serious shopping session. I really felt like I deserve to get myself a gift, a really big one. So I went rogue at the Sephora sales, found a couple of cool T-shirt at Oysho, finally found a earcuff that suits my ear and I bought this gorgeous statement necklace from Zara I'm wearing in the photos. It was love at first sight, although my mom says it's only for special occasions I kind of match it with everything, I just can't stop wearing it! 

As for the title of the post- I found my ideal Palazzo Pants after three years of searching! They cost a lot, but I didn't care because they're actually more of maxi skirt meets palazzo pants and with really cool splits on the sides. One week after I purchased them, they went on sale at 70% - I'm not always lucky when it comes to fashion deals. I saved them for a special occasion- which came on Saturday when I took my family out for lunch at our favourite place in Iasi - Little Texas to celebrate my college admission. The food is simply the best - I managed to snap a couple of pictures of our desserts because we jumped right on the chimichangas, nachos, tacos etc. They also have a beautiful garden, which you can see in these pictures and it's such a serene and magic place!

With my college admission exams coming up, I find myself most of the times at home, studying for the important moment. But how do I keep my sanity when all I see is my room and a pile of books on my desk? I have four different activities which I alternate, depending on how much spare time I allow myself a day. First of all, I watch Audrey Hepburn's movies again. There are so many details in "Sabrina" or "Funny Face" which I haven't noticed before, I'm thinking about making a post about Audrey's exquisite work. Secondly, I watch my favourite TV shows from time to time- the "Game of Thrones" finale was certainly an epic one, I loved it! Then, I have my usual get-together with my friends (pictured above on the right) where we complain about our studying and the fact we won't get to see each other on a daily basis next year and we indulge in some fancy desserts.

Last but not least, I do a lot of "virtual window shopping" especially because there are a lot of summer sales going on right now. That's why summer is my favourite season: best sales, fresh fruits , great weather to go out with your friends and the endless possibilities you have when it comes to your outfits. For example,  I have discovered some amazing printed dresses at Gliks like the floral number you can see in the set above. It's so fresh and flowy, and I've also come across to these Gliks coupons online! I will definitely keep an eye on this brand in the near future, I really love their creative cuts and patterns.

You may remember another brand I love from my old posts, Sanuk. I featured their "Dotty" espadrilles a couple of times here, but this summer they have taken the "print trend" to a whole different level. Just see for yourself in the set I made bellow, I need all those pairs! For all the sales lovers (just like me) who would love to own a pair of their new collection you can use these Sanuk coupons and see my favourite models for yourself:

I'm in for some gruelling weeks, it's my last occassion to prepare for the most important exams in my life. Therefore, I decided I need a mini holiday before everything so I left with my family for a couple of days to Iasi- my eternal love. I loved refreshing my wardrobe by shopping some summer basics, discovering the best hot chocolate (on a hot summer night, I know, but I got this terrible flu) and the best ice cream combination (called "Crazy Nuts"- clue: Snickers ice cream overload), reading the exquisite British Vogue number featuring Kate Upton on the cover while enjoying some Arizona Green Tea, chilling with my cousin and my friends who live there and last but not least, going to the "Edge of Tomorrow" movie. To elaborate, I've never been a Tom Cruise fan but I like Emily Blunt and my cousin insisted it would be a great action movie so I gave in. I went there, armed with my caramel popcorn and 3D glassses , without knowing anything about it except the main cast. And it was amazing! If I would have known the main topic was the battle between humans and aliens , I wouldn't have walked into that cinema! But the script was genuinely funny - it was an unexpected surprise.

Now, let's talk a little about fashion. That is a MOSCHINO bag, to address the obvious question! I have always loved the Italian brand and swore that I would buy an iconic bag when I would have a salary in the future. But I have a massive amount of luck- I follow Harvey Nichols on Instagram because I love their store and they were holding an exciting competition, in order to celebrate Moschino's 30th birthday. The prize? A classic mini leather bag, in a navy shade!

Ever since I got the bag, I have unconciously adjusted all my outfits to match it and this weekend, while I was walking into Otter looking for some new flats (I'm currently between sizes, bye bye my actual shoe collection!) I laid my eyes on the perfect baby blue flats. They are the perfect summer essential, so comfy and easy to match with pretty much everything.

The dress has another story- I'm all about finding some basic and comfy dresses for the hot summer we're in for. My aunt travelled to Athens recently and she found this beautiful, chic yet super casual Gap dress. I adore the soft cotton it's made of, Gap is all about excellent fabrics. She always surprises me with the most incredible gifts, I guess I've been really lucky lately!

♪ Iggy Azalea - Impossible is nothing ♪

The last two weeks have been the busiest of this year so far! Two important exams, lots of trips, graduation, being valeditorian of my year and actually having to prepare a speech for the occasion, the prom and even a wedding in my family. Imagine how hard it was for me to find time to fit into my schedule the shoot for the dress I designed in collaboration with Fame&Partners! Every single day I would wake up and see the gourgeous powder peach gown hanging near my desk and I would say: "This is the day! I have to show my readers how it looks!", but then something terrible would happen like four days of straight rain or an unexpected departure.

We tried to capture all the little details you can't see on the site, like how the intricate lace has a 3D effect, with that extra layer of florals. Also, you can notice how the dress isn't actually see-through on the sides. When I started creating this dress I knew that I wanted an open back dress, but I was concerned about the bra situation. As always, the Fame&Partners team was amazing and ensured me they would do a special support thing in the front- similar to a corset. It turned out great, you can dance your heart out on your big night and not have to worry about anything falling out of place!

Now, a little bit about how I styled it: I chose some nude open-toe sandals because the summer vibes got to me, but you can easily match it with some elegant nude shoes (or something baby blue- like those Gianvito Rossi pumps that stole our hearts this season). My watch is a golden rose shade, but pure golden would work as well! As for the earrings, I have to admit I'm still on the quest for a statement pair! Any affordable suggestions anyone? So far I've only found Chanel earcuffs or J. Crew chandelier earrings online (a girl can dream). For the hair, I went for an easy peasy sock bun- why did no one tell me it only takes two minutes to make and yet it looks so fabulous?

I really look forward to hearing what you think about the concept of the dress and the collaboration, my dear readers! Brace yourselves for plenty of photos: