Aquamarine Penelope

This is one of those posts when I feel like analyzing every single detail. You might think I don't know how the aquamarine shade looks like, but that's not the case. I've struggled to show you how this dress actually looks but we had no satisfying results- we even took photos on two different days, and yet this shade of blue stuck, if you want to see the  huge difference, you can find the dress online here , it's exactly the shade you see in the 4th picture and I love it!  The dress is from Sheinside and my, how I love their shop, they make such perfect dresses, with a top quality and cut! (Remember when I was the Gatsby Girl? )

And talking about the dress, it took me quite a while to decide whether I should order it or not. How so? You must have noticed that I mostly wear clothes which emphasize my waist, because of my body type. I love the Empire effect, but I jusn't wasn't sure I could wear this type of dress. Still, I'm happy I took the risk, I feel so amazing wearing it, it reminds me so much of the elegant Greek goddesses.  As we're on the Greek mythology topic, I felt like naming my post after Penelope because ever since I was a child I've admired her strenght and determination to wait for her husband for so many years and I've always pictured her wearing a similar dress.

Now , the background you see, that's a whole different story- I wanted to pose in this enchanting dress  in the park near the Palace of Culture in Iasi, it seemed so romantic and right. Unfortunately, I got a call  and I had to take care of buying a gift for a dear friend. Imagine me, running around dressed like this and having no clue on what I should buy! Once I was satisfied with the gift, I ran to the park only to have the most unpleasant surprise- the sun was up! There were no shadows or places for a shoot in the park. I spotted this corner, a restaurant which was facing the Palace and I got an idea- use the mirror effect. In the end, I got my shooting at the Palace, right?

SheInside dress, Zara wedges, Camaieu necklace, Fossil Watch, Mango Wallet

Playful Prints

♪ Avicii - Wake me up ♪

This post's song sums up what I should do right now : wake up , because I've been enjoying and indulging myself too much lately, forgetting that I need to blog and pay more attention to a major thing I've started today.

It's just that it's all so wonderful, dolce far niente, that's what I love most about summer and I can't believe this is my last holiday before university!  Take these pictures for example: one month ago I was struggling to find a little time to shoot for my blog dressed in different outfits and now I have had them in my computer for more than a week. I've always dreamed of a maxi dress with a genius graphic print on it, it's just that whenever I found one, I didn't like the cut or how the tones matched my skin. Imagine my surprise when I found the perfect number at ZLZ, an online clothing retailer. And I say 'surprise' not because of the brand (mind you, they have an amazing selection, I could shop on their site for days), but for the fact that a couple of years ago, I would have never imagined I will find my objects of desire on a different continent and have them delivered to my house in such a short amount of time. I love the fact that the tan/nude shade I love so much is like a canvas, and the triagles frenzy begins from there and how easily you can match this dress to many colors.


ZLZ dress, Staccato flats, Bershka belt, Marc Jacobs Bracelet

On friendship and teenage years

♪ Fergie- A little party never killed nobody ♪

1. Me and my best friend D. in our best friend's car / 2. Lunch with my best friends , had the best sandwich spiced with tons of laughter and joy / 3. My best friend M. just got her licence and she's a natural! / 4. Me and my best friend S. at a fabulous party / 5. Gifts I, my mom and sister got for my father's birthday / 6. New obsession- there's a new cake shop in town!

Photos taken from my Instagram: marymanaila

Oh well, my past two months were so intense I can't quite sum it up accurately for you. A lot has happened, school proved to be more difficult ( I still got one more important test coming up, fingers crossed) , there were lots of parties, trips, changes and even a public speech was involved (thank God I didn't embarrass myself!). Still, there's one thing I'm certain of : I feel thankful! Thankful I've been able to go through so many interesting things, thankful I have my best friends and such a supportive family. I've also come to realize that there's only one year left of high school, which is thrilling and frightening at the same time. 

Now, let us go back to the best friends label for a bit, because I've been promising to blog about it for ages. When I was little I found the notion of  a 'best friend' confusing. It felt like such a privileged and fancy title, such a weight on my shoulders to pick only one person who I can trust with everything.  But what happens when you find 4 girls who are equally trustworthy, fun , dynamic  and who you can completely trust and relate to?  You are once again, thankful (I know it's not Thanksgiving!), you don't question the reasons why you are so lucky, and just try to make sure they know how much they mean to you! 

Oh, and let's not forget an important detail: you have fun! TONS OF FUN! You create memories, you party, you watch all the good movies and discuss all the interesting books because your teenage years and magical and you have to remember them- even the drama, as "we are who we are because a lot of reasons", written  brilliantly in The Perks of Being A Wallflower.

I find fascinating how I have with different things in common with each one of them, and that's why I have to quote C.S. Lewis :  “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”

Do you have more than one best friend? Do you believe there is such thing as a best friend? And, if you finished high school , do you still keep in touch with your friends? 

Unexpected Acquisition

♪ Will.I.am & Britney Spears - Scream&Shout ♪

When you're in your teenage years, you have to shop carefully for a while, because you don't know what the final shape of your body will be, nor your shoe size. Two years ago, I felt blessed to notice the latter remained constant so I thought :"What the hell? Let's buy dozens of colorful flats and different party heels, I can wear them FOREVER! ". Wrong Mary, you were so wrong...I noticed I was between sizes when it finally got warm and and I was excited to go back to my beloved 7 pairs of Zara flats. Surprise!! I was in excruciating pain as I was trying each and every one of them. 

Okay, maybe I can squeeze my toes when I have a party to attend and heels are required ( Cinderella's stepsisters style! ). But on a daily basis? No way. So, I hardly brought myself to spend my spring shopping budget (which took so long to acquire) on two leather pairs of flats, which should be enough for now. You must be thinking I couldn't buy anything 'trendy' as a result but I had the fortune to find one of the pairs in an emerald shade. Color of the year declared by Pantone, I love it so much and I can't wait to show them in a future post!

Until then, here is the other pair from Bata, I went for cafe au lait shade because I'm obsessed with this color palette and it's classy and versatile. I found this coat at the New Look sales, I love the feminine design and how it emphasizes my waist. 

What about you, my dear reader, any successful spring shopping yet?

Bata Flats, New Look Coat, Zara top, Zara pants, Zara bag, Zara necklace

My fashionable princesses!

I. is wearing: Zara sweater, Zara jeans, Zara shirt, Zara bag, Zara shoes 

The other fabulous I. is wearing: Zara jacket, Levi's Jeans , Converse shoes
Can you guess who is my sister haha?