♪ 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:

♪ Lorde - Love Club ♪

How should I start this post? I must have erased ten senteces by now, this always happens to me when I'm euphoric! So, I'm just going to write it down: IT'S FINALLY HERE! My collaboration with the incredible brand Fame&Partners! When I started this blog, I had no idea I would ever get to design something on my own thanks to it. I still pinch myself everyday when I talk to the talented team behind the Fame&Partners brand. 

It all started back in December, a couple weeks before I left for Paris. I received a mail that sounded too good to be true: how I would like to design a prom dress? As I'm in my last year of highschool I was like: "I very much need a prom dress!" but I couldn't quite process the fact girls all over the world could choose this dress as their prom number as well. It has been by far the most exciting creative endeavour I've ever been involved in. It took a lot of dedication from both parts, sacrifices to meet via Skype because of the different timezones and even accepting to change the final colour of the dress you're looking at. How so?

My primary inspiration was a photo you can see below in the Polyvore collage, featuring the back of a beautiful salmon colored dress. That moment, I knew my dress would have a similar cut in the back and I was opting between peach and lavander for the color of the dress. I decided for lavander in the end, but the tricky lace changed everything a couple months ago. I say "tricky" because both myself and the Fame&Partners team thought the lace was essential for the dress, yet the right fabric was nowhere to be found. In March, I received a photo of the most delicate lace from the design team and I told myself: this is THE lace we need! The only thing about the fabric was the fact that it only came in peach, so we decided the dress had to be salmon/peach again. I am honestly really happy about how it all turned out, this is perhaps the Universe's way of telling me that the dress was meant to be in this shade and I cannot wait to receive mine (it's on its way) and try it on!

You can find the dress for sale here or in their Ebay store. I made this Polyvore collage to show you a way to style it ( I intend to make a couple more suggestions in the future). I believe you should wear this dress with nude pumps or sandals (although, let's face it : those Givenchy rose gold sandals are probably the ultimate match made in heaven, but we can't all be incredibly rich) and with statement earrings (perhaps an earcuff? ). No necklace should appear, in my opinion, because the details of the dress in the neck area shouldn't be hidden.  As for the clutch? You can either match it with your shoes, go for a bold tone like bordeaux or intense purple or choose the ultimate accessory: a book clutch.

♪ Lorde- Buzzcut Season ♪

I hope everyone enjoyed Easter and the brief holiday! For me, this year it was emotional because there are only a few months left of my last year of highschool, so half of it I had to prepare for the final exams, and the other half I spent with my family, eating the best sweets brought from London, going to bowling, reading the American Vogue "Kimye issue" (yes, I love them as a couple and how Kim's style is completely different from her old days) and the British Vogue issue, which features a great editorial styled by Kate Moss.

I am so happy my cousins came back in time from their Liverpool-London trip to celebrate Easter, because I can't imagine this amazing holiday without them. As always, they brought me incredible souvenirs, my favourite one being this "C'est la vie" Next jersey. I'm a huge fan of this sweatshirt trend, but I couldn't find one to sum up all my needs: a thick fabric, a cool print, a color which would flatter me. Well, my aunt did! And I was over the moon, especially because the A is the Tour Eiffel (and I'm sure you can remember how much I adore it). Something from London which also reminds me of Paris? The perfect combination!

In these past few fashion seasons, I developed a sort of love-hate relationship with my favourite brand, Zara. The collections are exquisite, but they don't flatter my type of body, plus the prices have gone up, which makes it nearly impossible for a teenager on a budget like me to shop there. Therefore, every time I enter a Zara store I promise I won't buy anything, but somehow this winter I couldn't help myself from buying an overpriced pair of black boots (that I'm wearing here) and a pink&bordeaux statement necklace.

I can truly say that I wouldn't be able to imagine my closet without these two items. I still wear the boots on a daily basis (because spring is refusing to come) and the necklace is probably the most complimented piece of jewellery I have ever worn.  I bought the necklace because you know I have this obsession for nude shades and I didn't have anything to match with my numerous nude sweaters and tops. I really love its craftmanship and the various type of beads that somehow go so well together. Plus, it can take a simple and casual look, like I am wearing in the photos, at a whole different level! I don't know if I'll ever buy clothes as I used to from Zara, but I will enter their store always to check for the statement necklaces. I just think they're an incredible investment for your closet!

How do you feel about this statement necklace fashion that has been trending for over two years? Do you think it's becoming an essential, like owning a little black dress?

It's no secret that I don't know what I would do without my Iphone and Ipad. I try to limit the amount of time I use them though, now that I'm in my senior year.. That's why whenever I find a cool application I love to blog about it, because I noticed most of my readers are also tech savy (thank you for following me on Instagram & Facebook!).

A couple of days ago I discovered Poptalk and I just had to share it with you! Poptalk is an instant messaging app. So far so good, but I bet you're thinking "There are hundreds of them, why should I start using a new one?". If you are like me, then you will find it ideal because it literally shows your emotions. How many times did you find something funny and replied with "haha" and then you found out that the other person thought it was sarcasm? Or when you were anger with somebody, yet your answers didn't give anything away? I like the fact that by using Poptalk you can wear your heart on the sleeve! You must have noticed that I tend to overuse the "!!!" sign in my writing- my favourite author F. Scott Fitzgerald would strongly disagree- but I do it because I want to express my excitement somehow.  To put it in Poptalk emoticons , when I'm blogging about it I feel like :(dance) . 

There is one more aspect that made me start convincing my friends to start using it as well: it's an app worthy of a fashionista! Your avatar can have any hairstyle, you can buy clothes, even statement necklaces (they won my heart with this!) and you can choose a background.  You'll see in the next photos that my avatar has some sleek nude shoes, I would love to own them in real life! And speaking about nude shades, I love my new sweater from H&M, the one that I'm wearing in the pictures. It's so comfortable and easy to wear with both jeans and skirts, and perfect for this weather as well.

Photo Credit: Cristian Alexandrescu Photography

Although I had one major exam this week and I still have another coming up on Tuesday, I decided to take a break from the exhausting life as a highschool student in her final year. Therefore, I'm in my favourite city in the world (sorry Paris, I love you, but I wouldn't be able to live as a Parisian!): Iași. There is a certain serenity and peace here. Whenever I feel lost, sad or have a writer's block, I feel the urge to visit this beautiful city. The truly exciting part is that if I get admitted into the university I want, I will live here. 

Most of the times, I dream and make plans about moving. But I just came across these beautiful pictures Cristi took of me a couple of weeks ago in my little city and I'm thinking: will I ever be able to do this? I know this is the most natural thing that comes with growing up: moving. But for me this change also means staying away from most of my friends, because they will attend universities in other cities (and even countries!). I'm conflicted: on one hand, as I'm looking through the window right now in Iasi I'm thinking: "Yes! I want to live my whole life here!" , and on the other hand, as I'm looking at these photos I wonder how will I be able to keep in touch with some people who are really important in my life (especially mom & dad, I can't imagine waking up and not finding them in the house). I guess in the end I have to accept these major changes and hope that I will make new friends in this beautiful city while still reconnecting with my highschool mates.

Oh well, I still have three full months left until that turning point, so let's talk about fashion ( cause this is what the blog's about, right?). I may haven't had time to post outfit photos this winter, but I will tell you what I wore mostly: SWEATER DRESSES. So comfy while still tight, they always keep you warm, they go great with boots: what not to love? My favourite one is from Zara ( you may have seen it on my Instagram) and as spring arrived I was sad I couldn't wear it anymore. My mom surprised me and got me another sweater dress , the one I am wearing in this post, only the fabric is lighter and it has these cool epaulettes. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to shoot it properly because of the texture of the fabric: you know when people wear small stripes on TV? That's how awful my dress looked in photos taken from distance. Therefore, I leave you with a few portraits so you can at least see the details:

One of the things I love about blogging is the fact that after I post something me and my friends create a whole chat offline about it. Therefore, after my recent post about bridesmaid dresses, we started talking about how much should this kind of dress cost, as you're paying for it. We came to the conclusion it's worth to opt for cheap bridesmaids dresses, especially since there's a big selection on the Internet. One thing led to another and we ended up talking about how much should the bride spend on her dress. 

Being a fan of "Say yes to the dress" show back when I was younger, I noticed how brides who had a 2000$ budget could barely find their dream dress, so I got the idea that you should have some money put aside for your big day. One of my best friends think you should have even the double, because it's an unique day and you want to cherish its memory forever. Others think you can use the money in a better way and spend it on your honeymoon, so both you and your soulmate can benefit (or buy some Louboutin shoes you can wear also after the wedding, the options are endless).

In the end, we all agreed there should be a cutback on the wedding dress budget, but how big? I started searching out of curiosity online and I found some incredibly cheap wedding dresses  at DressDressy that I included in the sets in this post: I just can't believe they're under 300$ (hello, you can't even buy a designer bag at this price!). Where have I been living in this past few years, thinking that you should have at least 3K put aside for your dream wedding dress? That's the great thing about internet, you never know what marvel you may come across!

How do you feel about wedding dresses: would you recycle your mom's dress, buy one on sale or go completely over the top and choose an expensive designer one?