♪Summer Days - Martin Garrix feat. Macklemore ♪

Long time no post, I'm about to turn 24 really soon and I have to admit I miss blogging. A lot of things have changed in my life- like the fact I have two nephews and one niece now. I love them all so much, I'm so happy I was able to arrange my schedule so that I could be present for my youngest nephew's christening this Sunday. Picking a dress for the occasion was stressful up until I visited Paris again and I went shopping at the Galeries Lafayette- Claudie Pierlot was literally the first store I entered there and this dress was waiting for me - 70% off, I call this one of the birthday gifts I got myself (the other one will be a donation to the charity which is closest to my heart). 

As I got to the cash register, I noticed the saleswoman had her name on necklace , it was golden and so beautiful, I kept admiring it. I've always been fascinated with customized jewelry, I think I've been taking mental notes like " Get name necklace " even way back when I was a teenager, yet this item somehow still isn't part of my jewelry collection. I remember searching for a website about nine years ago (wow, I feel old just writing this!) and there was no suitable option, whilst I can buy it now from GetNameNecklace. Things change, the fashion industry has grown in the online world at an incredible pace, I'm happy you can now find things you only dreamed of having after just one simple search.

As I was getting to leave for the party my mom told me "the back of the dress is extraordinary, but" *sighs* "you could really use a simple, yet unique necklace in the front". I knew she was right, because I had the exact thing in mind- a rose gold necklace, small, with "Mary" spelled on it. I think you'll agree with me, seeing this photo with the front of the dress:

The party may be over, but my determination to get a customized necklace is not. And if you've been thinking about this type of purchase for some time as well, you can choose to buy here! The only reason why I didn't order one right after I came from the party is the fact that I discovered on their site infinity necklaces and rings as well, and I'm fascinated with them (again, rose gold is my favorite shade!). Therefore, I'm thinking of maybe getting the name necklace and an infinity ring. For me, jewelry is the most personal item you own in your closet. Of course I love to build a story around every single purchase that I make, but it's different when it's a ring, a bracelet or a statement necklace. It's probably because I don't rotate jewellery as often as I change my outfits, so wearing them on a daily basis makes me feel more attached to them. If you're a fan on personalized jewellery like I am you can go here! What about you- do you feel like jewels are the pieces you hold dearest? I'd love to hear your opinion on this subject!

♪ Reborn - Kids See Ghosts ♪

I wanted to post this back when I visited Madrid back in February, but then the second semester started and I never got round to pick my favorite photos from the ones we took on our last full day in Madrid. As this summer I'm going back to two places I've seen before, I was searching through the blog today for the travel blogs I wrote years ago and I realized how helpful they are to me! This blog truly is my virtual diary, just as the name goes, because there are many small details that I've forgotten in the span of 5 years about some of my trips, but the moment I read my old blog stories, it all came back in a matter of seconds. That's why I decided to share a guide on my last day in Madrid, while the memories are still unfaded.

Our third day was our most prolific one because we were determined to see everything we couldn't visit in the first two days. We rented a place on Airbnb in Lavapiés  which is a neighbourhood famous for the amazing street art, the buildings are so artistic! We took a 15 minutes walk around the streets we knew we'd find the most amazing graffiti , en route to our next destination: Atocha train station. Although it's the largest railway station in Madrid, we visited it for a different reason: the station in famous the palm trees and luxurious vegetation it has inside! I loved it so much, if all the train stations would look like this, you would catch me more using a train. Next up, we walked past the Reina Sofia Museum, Caixa Forum and Prado Museum (photos & review on my first post of Madrid here ) to say our farewell, and we arrived at the end of Gran Via, in front of the iconic Metropolis building, where S. took some amazing photos I will cherish my whole life. Next up: Puerta del Sol where I finally found the perfume of my dreams on sale at Sephora: Black Opium by Yves Saint Laurent. Then followed a little break: we saw Plaza Mayor, Madrid's main square, had lunch at Mercado de San Miguel (and the best sangria ever!) and dessert at the world-famous Chocolatería San Ginés -they have a history of serving churros with hot chocolate and I was in heaven!

Probably the hardest thing in the whole day was walking after that lunch to the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral , but once we got to visit the breathtaking palace, it all got better. After our last tourist activity, we managed to walk to our apartment and rest for one hour and then came the most exhausting activity of them all: shopping for our loved ones. The stores were closing at 10 PM so we had 3 hours to manage, and I actually ended getting some cool stuff for myself as well. I couldn't help taking a picture of all the souvenirs I got, I really have a lot of friends and family and I'm happy I was able to return with something for them, although the gifts occupied a whole bed and it took a lot of creativity to pack them, but I'm always up for a challenge!

♪ Kids See Ghosts - 4th Dimension ♪

It's been a long time since I last spoke to you. That's partly because the 4th year of Med School came with a whole other level of responsibility, and the summer finals I just finished were particularly difficult. But another big part played the fact that time spent researching fashion was downgraded on my list. 2018 has been so far the year my mindset and priorities shifted dramatically. With everything that's going on in our world right now, I chose to spend my spare time reading history and politics books. 

Still, when I was through with my finals, I obviously craved the summer sales and although I got there 4 days late, I was lucky enough to find some really cool items for my summer holiday (more on that in a future post). One dress really caught my eye- a black flapper dress! I loved it so much, because you might remember about my obsession with F. Scott Fitzgerald's work and the fact that "The Great Gatsby" is always going to be in my top books list. I wanted to buy it so hard, but I really had to prioritize my budget and I already have a lot of black dresses in my closet. 

But when I got home I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I had a thought- are there online stores which sell flapper dresses? I discovered Wardrobe Shop and although I would wear all those flapper dresses to a theme party, one dress really caught my eye and I really had to show it to you as well. You can see it in the collage above or find it here. I literally gasped when I first saw it- first of all- it's white& long, I instantly thought bride material! Secondly, it was like all my fashion knowledge rushed back and I could see the influence of three major designers- the front- Elie Saab, the back- Ricardo Tisci when he was at Givenchy, Miuccia Prada for the twenties vibes she channeled when she designed "The Great Gatsby" costumes. I literally can't explain how much I love it , I'm basically looking for a special occasion so I can have an excuse to buy it- but I still have 2 years of Med School left, so no formal dance for me any time soon haha.

"I only wave the white flag when Real Madrid wins" - Rio , La Casa de Papel

Long time, no blogging, and when you write a travel story long time after the trip took place, it all comes out differently. Because you don't remember every single detail, but you know the feelings you had when you encountered certain places.

This is a very special post, and it took a lot for me to write it because there are a million ways I could do it. I could write it the day we took the photos, after Real Madrid beat PSG on Bernabeu, or when I got at home I thought about giving every single detail of the Bernabeu tour for the fans. As I am writing this, Real Madrid qualified for the third time in a row in the UCL final! Therefore, I decided to tell you a little story about my unconditional love for Real Madrid so you can understand why I'm smiling like a little kid at Disneyland in all these photos.

People tell me all the time " Don't you get bored of rooting for Real Madrid? What's the fun in being a fan for a team which is just expected to win everything?" Let's get one thing straight. When I became a Real Madrid fan, it was all about that Camerun effect they talk about in "La Casa de Papel" (meaning, when you see Brazil playing against Camerun at World Cup, you're always going to root for Camerun, it's human nature to root for the underdog). Real Madrid had a strong team, but weren't getting anywhere in the UCL. They were barely getting into 1/8 stage and losing there. And still, I fell in love with the team not just because of that, but I also saw they had something which represents me to the core: a strive for perfection.  I'm aware perfection isn't achievable, but the drive for it makes you the best in your field. And every single player to be presented at Bernabeu had that in his eyes and a fighting spirit! No matter how many years went by, the spirit and the need to win everything is there. And I think that's the core of Real Madrid's team spirit, I love how when we're a couple of goals down they motivate themselves and come back stronger.

And one more thing I need to point out for the ones that tell me "it's so easy when you have the most talented players in the world". I don't know how far talent gets you. There are way more talented people who never earned even 1/100 of what Real Madrid players make. And why? Because I think this team has the most hard-working players. That's the right word. And I don't mean just the amount of time they spend on the field and in the gym afterwards, but the fact they dedicate every single aspect of their life to their career at this club. See how Cristiano Ronaldo eats in order to still run like that on the field. See how Marco Asensio describes his usual days at just 22 years old (my age). I saw an interview in Spanish a while ago and I'll give you the summary: practice, lunch, a nap, dinner, some time spent with family (sometimes watching football games) & he doesn't really like to go out in clubs etc. That's someone who deserves to lift the UCL at 21, so let's not just let the newspapers praise their talent. Committing to your job with such determination gets you the trophies!

And speaking of trophies, let's get back to my Bernabeu tour. I've never been so emotional like the minute I walked into their UCL trophy room. Because I remembered every single final I saw them take the trophy home. In the last two years, it was during finals season (just like it will be this year as well) and it didn't matter. I couldn't study, I just had to live in the moment and cheer them on, even in front of my TV and with stacks of books around me. And I knew, looking at all those trophies, we deserve to get in the final this year as well, and I'm so happy to blog about this now. Just when I thought the tour couldn't get better, after the trophy room we entered a room with a short movie projected on a black wall (the players are like twice your size, to get the picture). This movie made me shed some tears of joy because it was basically the whole route we had to take in 2017 for the UCL - all the goals and big shots. Even my best friend who wasn't a Real Madrid fan per se got major goosebumps and we stayed there to watch it 3 times. Haters will say it's just common marketing, but I know I need some good fairytales in my life, and that movie was the best. Real Madrid, with all the magic goals, comebacks, secret handshakes, tough-love from the fans, fantasy records, is in my heart forever! When I hear the word "CHAMPION" the team pops into my mind first and I know it will always be like that.

PS: The outfit photos are all taken at the Bernabeu because I took so many photos on the tour my phone died and we had to rely on my bff's phone for the rest of the day. I'm wearing a H&M kimono dress because the blue details match the stadium and also because, being one of the most popular teams in the world, the Real Madrid jersey is too high-priced for me! I keep waiting for a season that will make me fall in LOVE with the jersey, because I know for a fact I'm only gonna buy one haha.

A POR LA 13!

I took some time before writing about Madrid because I needed to tone down the excitement a notch. Because travelling is so subjective and if I wrote this the minute I got back home I'm pretty sure it would have been all in caps and lots of exclamation points haha. But seriously, I never visited one city which made me feel so at home before this trip. It has everything I ever wanted: glorious art museums, my favorite football team in the world (spoiler alert : the next post will be exclusively about this), clean streets, magnificient arhitecture, amazing history (I basically wanted to move in the Royal Palace!), great shopping and INCREDIBLE PEOPLE! I will make a comparison to Paris, because it's always been the city of my dreams. When I visited Paris, it had all the things I previously mentioned (minus the Real Madrid team) but somehow I felt a sort of unease. I mean, it wasn't so safe to walk on the main boulevards at night (not the case for Madrid!), everything was more expensive and people were polite, but in Spain they're so loving and helpful! It's like they have a 6th sense for tourists who need help. I was sceptical at first because I never encountered such an hospitality in a big city, maybe we were blessed with this incredible experience because we stayed in the lovely neighborhood of Lavapies.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you must know how much I love Andy Warhol.  Although Andy may have taken his art lightly at times, famously saying "art is what you can get away with" I disagree with anyone who thinks what Andy did was not art. In my opinion, he is the father of the most fun & joyful art to watch: POP ART. My personality is a paradox, I admit: I can read for months books of history and stare in front of a Botticelli paintings for hours, but there is also a side of me who reads Mindy Kaling's crazy funny books and won't leave the sketches section Andy made for Vogue & so many fashion brands over the years! I don't get people who say you can be only into one type of culture/art. Pop art history is so fascinating, there are so many commercials which Andy invented and which are still going strong today and I bet you have no idea, I'm a fan and I just learned about the Absolut sketch on my trip to Madrid. Somehow, luck follows me when I visit a city: it's the third time I went somewhere and I found a pop-up Andy Warhol exhibition! This one in Madrid is really ground-breaking, with over 300 works of Andy, so much history and massive gift shop with all Andy Warhol things inspired (good thing I had my bff Simona with me and she only let me buy the small souvenirs, otherwise I'm pretty sure I would have spent most of my money on day one!). You can find it until May at Caixa Forum Madrid. I was so impressed with the fact they recreated one of Andy's project which people aren't really familiar with: CLOUDS. Andy made this from the NASA fabrics, in an era when everyone was obsessed with silver because it represented space and our hopes for the future. It's shocking how you can enter a room and just play with giant clouds, no they don't feel like helium balloons, you just want to move there, you could see everyone with a giant smile on their faces as they entered the room!

After this whole incredible experience, we visited the Prado museum. I loved it so so much, Velazquez is a genius, I'm so happy I got to see so many of his works, the famous "Las Meninas" is so moving, we just didn't want to leave its side. Also, the Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch left me speechless. I recommend visiting the Prado museum before the Royal Palace like we did because the museum is full of paintings of all the royals of Spain and when you get to the Royal Palace you'll be like "I know them all! I know their history! This king was painted by Velazquez". After that, we took a stroll and we ended up in front of this iconic Metropolis building and then enjoyed the exctiment on Gran Via because it was match night- Real Madrid was playing against PSG in UCL. It was one of my biggest dream to see the match on the Bernabeu but we couldn't afford the tickets. Still, watching the match in Madrid is a whole different experience than at home- the whole city freezes, everyone is so focused & you should hear the noise&joy when the team scores. They won 3-1 and it was a perfect way to end our first night in Madrid!

♪ Drake- God's Plan ♪

Hello, I'm back and in the mood for blogging! Maybe my absence is because I took Drake's "I'll be back in 2018 to give you the summary" lyrics to heart haha. But there are 3 major reasons I couldn't find time to blog lately: 

1. Finals season- over now, and I'm not gonna lie, it was the most exhausting in my four years of Med School.

2.  There aren't any photographers available on finals season (obviously) plus it's hard to look fabulous in the snow, I don't know how so many girls do it, I just get a Rudolph nose 1 minute into the shoot haha.

3. I have a new passion project. Eating healthy is one of my major 2018 resolutions and I started an Instagram page to document my journey, plus I wanted to share with all of you my sugar-free, low calorie & sometimes gluten free recipes. You can find them all on DietAndDesserts.

This is the outfit I wore on one of my favorite December days of 2017. I was in Bucharest for a Medical Congress and I planned the best day with my best friend Simona- I finally had the famous American pancakes at Maison Des Crêpes and I got to hang out with S.'s close friends and I love the fact we bonded over medicine and food because they're both passionate cooks, I learned a lot of cool tips that day. After that, it was time for a stroll at the Romanian Athenaeum, my favorite place to take photos in Bucharest (thank you S. for these photos & patience) it always reminds me of Paris. Then came the highlight of the day, I finally got to see the National Museum Of Art and I was mesmerized with Stefan Luchian's flowers, as always, Nicolae Grigorescu's work and of course, Brancusi's "Wisdom of the Earth"- I really got the chills when I saw it. We ended the day with a trip to Ikea and I was just over the moon.

I wore the exact same outfit yesterday and I remembered I never posted these photos. I love this blush pink dress I got in the Black Friday sales at Zara, still can't believe how cheap it was! But the star of the outfit is the Forever21 backpack I got on that same trip in Bucharest from Forever 21 - I mean, the velvet, the color, the size! It's the backpack I've been looking for my whole life!

♪ Drake - Signs ♪

I wanted to post a regular fashion post today, but after making these two Pavlova cakes I felt like it should be one of those introspective blog posts I tend to do sometimes. I will not talk about my personal resolutions for 2018, I just want to take a moment to be grateful for what 2017 has given me : a new home, where I can bake just how much I like, a major love for a subject in Med School which I did not expect, a better approach to my health issues, stronger relationships with my friends,  an ability to prioritize better. That being said, it's hard to think that 2018 can be better, but I hope it stays just as good.

Still, when your personal life is so great, you tend to forget the issues our world is facing. When I was young, I would watch these comedies where everyone would mock the contestants in a pageant because they all said they wanted " world peace". And obviously, they didn't know how it could be achieved. I remember telling myself at 6 that when I would be older I would discover how you can do this. I'm 22, and I'm still clueless. I found probably the most inspiring speech of 2017 for me, a couple days ago. And I will leave you with the statement that I can resonate on so many levels:

"Ours is a world at an epic intersection, driven by the confluence of deepened globalization and disruptive technologies. We are at the brink of a fourth industrial revolution, which is redefining how we function as societies and how we relate to one another as human beings. Our hyper-connected world is at once bringing people closer together and widening the divisions between them."

- HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CROWN PRINCE AL HUSSEIN BIN ABDULLAH II at the UN General Assembly, September 2017 (you can read the whole transcript here).

Therefore, without getting political, what I really want for 2018 is a safer world. With less tension and tragedies, less rash decisions taken by some world leaders. And I know it's completely out of my hands, but I can pray for it. And I will also pray that, if you are reading this, will have an incredible 2018. Full of love, laughter and good memories. Know when it's time to go out and take a break, but also don't forget to focus on your work. Find a balance, and if you're not happy with what you're doing right now, take a leap of faith. Be brave, be bold, be kind, but most importantly, be the best version of yourself!

Have fun at your party tonight! 

Kisses and hugs, Mary

♪ Mama always told me - G-Eazy♪

I hope everyone had a joyful Christmas, full of love and surprises from family and friends! For me, Christmas always has that special impact and it was even more special this year because I got to host it in my own home. Let me know if you'd like a post on all the decorations and cakes I baked, although you must have seen them all on my Instagram profile ( @marymanaila) .

This holiday also meant watching the second season of "The Crown" (I wrote about how much I love the show in a previous post) and also two weeks prior to being released by Netflix I started watching tons of documentaries about the royal family (I'm behind with my TV shows because of them &if you don't know me: it's something major!). And just as I was about to start the 5th episode of "The Royal House of Windsor" I remembered I took these photos at the Palace of Culture this autumn and I totally forgot to post them. It's funny because I was attending a Medical Congress and I had no intention of doing a photoshoot, but when I saw this setting I couldn't help it. 

Also, I finally get to show you my favorite winter dress! I got it last year from Mango and I love its duality: last year I used to wear it with statement jewellery and  it would seem like a casual chic look (it has these cotton stripes which seem both elegant and easy-going at the same time) and this year I went for the classy version with these over the knee boots. The lenght is divine and it has these cuts on the sides, such a wow factor! Do you have that one item in your closet which you can wear on two totally different occasions?

Thanks to my dear friend Codrina for the photos, they were taken in a rush and still, these are some of my 2017 favorites.

♪ 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?