SkirtBike

How amazing is the red Pashley Britania bike in these photos? Unfortunately, it’s not mine, but I did have the pleasure to borrow it for an afternoon and take some photos. I could even wear one of my usual get ups - the low frame and large front wicker basket are designed to give you the freedom to wear skirts and dresses and carry your usual bag and everything else you feel like having with you. A polka-dots dress seemed like the obvious choice for my red bicycle!

I’m also taking this opportunity to talk about a lovely event here in Bucharest called SkirtBike which aims to celebrate the independence and empowerment that cycling can provide to all women and to encourage those who don’t already cycle. SkirtBike is a fun, colorful and friendly women bicycle ride, where the skirt or the dress is the proper outfit (the next one is coming really soon – on July 6th).

Mie vara imi vin tot felul de idei. Acum ma gandesc cat de frumos ar fi sa merg la slujba in fiecare dimineata cu bicicleta in loc de metrou sau autobuz. Sigur, ar dura putin mai mult (poate la fel avand in vedere ca mereu pierd metroul), dar as respira aer cat de cat proaspat si as face si 40 de minute de miscare. Am mai avut ganduri asemanatoare si alta data iar de la intalnirea cu Roxana la Digital Divas, cand mi-a povestit de Skirt Bike, am inceput sa ma gandesc din nou la chestia asta. Doar bicicleta imi lipseste!

Nu si in aceste fotografii insa, pentru care am imprumutat una absolut superba de la La Vita e Velo – modelul se numeste Pashley Britania si este o bicicleta clasica englezeasca bazata pe popularul model Princess al brandului Pashley. Pozele sunt facute de Costin si cartile din cos pe care tocmai i le inapoiam dupa ce le citisem au servit ca recuzita neintentionata, dar destul de potrivita.  

Asa cumva ziceam, totul a pornit de la intalnirea cu Roxana si apoi cu Mihaela si Oana care organizeaza Skirt Bike, o initiativa despre care merita sa va povestesc putin. SkirtBike este un eveniment care celebreaza independenta si sentimental de eliberare pe care mersul pe bicicleta il ofera tuturor femeilor si doreste sa le motiveze pe cele care inca nu pedaleaza sa o faca in viitor. Urmatorea editie Skirt Bike va avea loc in cateva zile, pe 6 iulie, in București începând cu ora 15.00.  Plimbarea in care fustele si rochiile pe bicicleta sunt, nu doar perfect acceptabile, ci si incurajate, va porni de la  Palatul Copiilor (Bd. Tineretului, nr 60), ora 16.00, pe următorul traseu: Bd. Tineretului- Bd. Dimitrie Cantemir-PiațaUnirii-Piața Universității-Piața Romană–Piața Victoriei–Bd. Aviatorilor–Parcul Herăstrău–Roaba de Cultură (intrarea Pescăruș). Si mai multe detalii gasiti pe blogul SkirtBike, dar si pe pagina lor de facebook!

 Photos: Costin 

I’m wearing:

polkadots dress / rochie - CiChic (here)

pink leather jacket, bag / geaca piele roz, geanta - 

   pumps, bracelet / pantofi, bratara - New Look

cherry earrings / cercei cirese - romwe

  bag/ geanta - random brand
rings / inele  - H&M

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Colorful and bejeweled

Summer has this way of making everything feel better – it’s like vacation mood it’s on even if you’re still at work and following your usual routine. For me it comes with that feeling of endless possibilities and the overwhelming need to wear colors.

And I’m not just saying that, I’m going straight for neon green – my dress can probably be seen from space (which was my evil plan all along).

And I topped it with the most amazing statement necklace ever – my new love from Borealy. The blue one I showed you here and here, finally has some serious competition for my heart.

Acum ca a venit vara, sunt decisa sa port toate chestiile super colorate din dulapul meu, incepand cu rochia asta verde neon care-i vizibila din spatiu. Ce ziceti insa de colier? In ceea ce ma priveste l-a detronat pe cel albastru (purtat aici si aici) in inima mea. Las fotografiile sa vorbeasca pentru ca mi-e greu sa explic cat de reusita este combinatia de materiale si culori - imi plac in special pietrele smarald si contrastul cu piesa centrala.

Photos: Costin 

I’m wearing:

necklace / colier -  Borealy (here)

   pumps / pantofi - New Look

neon dress/ rochie - Romwe

   clutch / geanta - Debenhams

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The little black dress

We’re all chasing and working for the future so desperately, we sometimes forget to enjoy the little, perfect instants in our present. I know I do! Fortunately I have my glimpses of clarity when I look upon moments and things and see their true worth and beauty.

This past Saturday was one of those days. I just got dressed up for no particular reason and went out! I wore this amazing black dress and just let myself feel good because beautiful clothes excite me!

    

And right now I’m all about this little black dress with a twist – I adore the unusual asymmetric cut and the sultry layering that lets me show off my legs without looking trashy. Even better – the dress is made here in Romania in a little workshop called Miss Grey. They create wonderful, tailored clothes with a very feminine touch. The little number I have on fits me like a glove - so much so, I didn’t even feel the need to wear it with the cute gold belt it come with.

My obsession for the Irresistible Me hair extensions I ranted about in my previous article is still going strong. This time I attempted an ombre effect meets “in your face” highlights and I actually love the result. These extensions have actually revived my passion for experimenting with different hairdos and hair styles – I finally have enough hair to attempt some of the amazing things I collected on my Pinterest boards.

Am atat de multe to do-uri pe lista, incat imi este din ce in ce mai greu sa ma bucur de lucrurile simple.

Imi dau seama ca aproape toti alergam cu disperare dupa viitor care in mintea noasta este mereu mai bun decat prezentul pentru ca-i imaginat din toate visele si sperantele noastre. In goana asta uitam sa ne bucuram de acum si aici-ul cu micile lui momente perfecte. Se mai intampla insa sa-mi vina si mintea la cap! Rar, dar se intampla!

Sambata trecut a fost una dintre zilele de claritate. M-am gatit fara niciun motiv si am iesit sa  ma plimb prin oras. Fara un motiv anume - in afara de poze! Nu pot fie o visatoare fara griji pana la capat! Si-mi plac si lucurile frumoase, nu doar momentele.

Imi place rochia asta neagra ca-i simpla si complicata exact ca mine si, in plus, imi vine ca turnata. Ideea cu straturile transparente - foarte in trend acum -  iar imi place pentru ca-i sexy, fara sa fie vulgara. Faptul ca-i creata si cusuta intr-un atelier romanesc sub brandul Miss Grey este inca un plus. Chiar am fost in vizita la showroom-ul Miss Grey si au o multime de rochii superbe pe care le gasiti in magazinul online care livreaza in toata tara, dar si pe pagina lor de Facebook! Abia astept sa incerc si rochia verde, lunga pana-n pamant si sa v-o arat si aici pe blog. Nu stiu cum sunteti voi, dar hainele frumoase ma fac fericita – sunt  ca un pretext de joaca si de evadare pentru oameni mari.

Dupa cum vedeti obsesia cu extensiile Irresistible Me continua. De data asta am incercat ceva diferit – am folosit o combinatie de culori (white blonde si medium brown) pentru un efect instant de highlights amestecat cu un soi de ombre. Nu stiu ce-i cu mine, dar au  mi-au reinviat pasiunea pentru par si acum am chef sa le folosesc tot timpul ca sa pun in prcatica tot felul de idei adunate de pe Pinterest si Youtube.

 I’m wearing:

little black dress/ rochie - Miss Grey (here)

  pumps / pantofi - Asos

  silver bracelets / bratari - Topshop

hair extensions / extensii -  Irresistible Me (here)
 clutch / geanta - random brand

earrings /cercei - here

 

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How to get instantly long hair

This article is a lesson in “never say never”. Let’s start with the obvious – I have super long hair in these photos and we all know my normal hair is pretty short. 

Well guys, it’s not magic – it’s just hair extensions! And really great hair extensions if I can say so myself. And to think I have always dismissed them before – I knew hair extensions existed but was never really all that interested. Just like Jon Snow – I didn’t know anything.:)))

 

Instead, I was blaming my damn genes for not being able to provide Blake Lively or Selena Gomez type hair. I now realize I was delusional – there’s no way in hell that’s their natural hair. Now that my eyes have been opened, I could bet my life all those celebrities with heavenly hair wear extensions all the time. And my genes are perfectly fine, thank you very much! 

And since I got the rant out of the way, let me tell you a few things about all this hair on my head.:))) The extensions are Irresistible Me in Silky Medium Brown (#4), they are 20 inches long and the weight is 200 grams. They arrived very fast for an overseas order (the processing stage is 3 to 5 business days and the shipping another 2-4 days). They ship worldwide and the shipping is free for orders over $150 (otherwise you’ll have to pay $10 that are well-worthed since they use FedEx and the extensions will be delivered to your door). 

They are clip-ins and perfect for someone like me who doesn’t wear extensions on daily basis and just wants to put them on occasions. They have these little, sturdy clips that can be added in your hair in a matter of minutes (they are equally as easy to take off). They come in 10 wefts of different sizes (1 piece of 4 clips (8"/20cm), 2 pieces of 3 clips (6"/15cm), 5 pieces of 2 clips (4"/10cm) and 2 pieces of 1 clip (1.5cm) and there’s so much hair you can actually leave a few pieces out and only use part of them. The big weft is epic and has so much hair it can be used by itself and it’s going to look great. 

This is me before adding the hair extensions and thinking about how good I was going to look! :)

The best part is the hair itself – super soft, shiny and silky - so much so I have this crazy compulsion of touching it constantly. Fortunately, the shedding is minimal so that’s a problem just reported to my mental health. Being 100% human Remy hair, the Irresistible Me hair extensions can be cut, colored and styled without any problem as long as you take the same precautions you would with your own hair. Right here, I curled them because I wanted them to blend in perfectly. The ultimate goal was to trick everybody and make them believe I have breathtaking hair all on my own. And I think I did! The day I wore them everybody was looking at me with envy and/or lust!:)))))) I’m telling you, these are better than a boob job…a lot cheaper too (or so I heard:)))

All the hair inspired me to wear this insane ruffled maxi skirt with a salsa vibe. I might have tried a few dance poses as well, but I decided to only share those via Facebook where people are expected to be crazy and ridiculous. I couldn’t help myself and I threw on my Borealy necklace as well – it’s so pretty, it seemed like the necessary topping on the cake (and by cake I mean myself :)).

Since I know an unsettling amount of things about extension from my sister, I feel it’s my patriotic duty to make an even more detailed review about my Irresistible Me hair extensions (I have a second blonde set that I wear as highlights or instant ombre depending on the mood) and show you how to put them in! Willing or not, you will be educated!:):):):)

 If you like the hair extensions and want a set for yourself, I have a a permanent 10% off coupon code for you for anything you like on Irresistible Me, just use IrresistibleAlice at checkout by adding it in the Promo Code box.

 

Nici nu stiu de unde sa incep, asa ca o sa zic o chestie super evidenta – am parul lung si ieri era de destul de scurt! Nu-i o minune – sunt doar extensii!!! Rar am fost atat de incantata de un lucru pe care il incerc pentru prima oara! Extensiile sunt o gaselinta de a carei existenta stiam, dar nu eram neaparat interesata. Le asociam cu aspectul artificial al tipelor care fac din solar, unghii lungi, silicon si botox un ritual zilnic. Dar zau ca m-am inselat! 

Acum imi dau seama ca majoritatea celebritatilor cu par superb pe care le invidiam din acest motiv (Blake Lively, Selena Gomez, Rhianna) au mereu extensii in par. Si cand ma gandesc de cate ori mi-am blamat genele ca nu se ridica la inaltimea asteptarilor mele legate de par si nu numai!!! Cu siguranta exista o multime de extensii care arata ieftin si nenatural, dar acestea din capul meu sunt 100% naturale si arata grozav. Sunt sigura ca cei care nu ma cunosc si nu stiu lungimea reala a parului meu, nu si-ar da seama ca am trisat.

The before and after pictures from behind (well, that sounds a bit dirty but you get the gist!)

Extensiile sunt de la Irresistible Me (gama Silky Touch), au 20 de inches (50.8 cm) si 200 de grame. Am ales culoarea Medium Brown si bine am facut pentru ca se potriveste aproape perfect cu nuanta mea naturala. Un alt detaliu important – sunt clip-ins - adica se ataseaza cu clipsuri micute in par si pot fi puse si scoase super rapid (chiar si eu le-am pus in aproximativ 5 minute). Mai mult dureaza ondulatul care mie mi se pare ca ajuta enorm cu partea de “camuflare” – asa chiar nu o sa stie nimeni ca podoaba capilara este doar partial a ta. Parul meu este subtire si capricios, dar foarte moale si stralucitor si extensiile acestea sunt chiar si mai matasoase si mai frumoase decat ma asteptam (egaleaza si chiar intrec aspectul sanatos al parului din dotare). Am tendinta sa le ating tot timpul si din fericire, nu cade parul din ele, altfel chiar ar fi o problema.

Fiind 100% naturale, pot fi tratate exact ca parul meu: le pot spala, tunde, vopsi, ondula, indrepta cu placa si asa mai departe. Fiecare set vine cu 10 bucati de diferite marimi: o bucata epica cu 4 clipuri de 8 inches (20 cm) si mai mult par decat am eu in tot capul, doua bucati cu 3 clipsuri de 6 inches (15cm), 5 bucati de 2 clipsuri de 4 inches (10 cm) si doua bucati de 1 clip de 1.5 inches (aproximativ 4 cm). Bucata mare este atat de grozava incat poate fi folosita si singura in zilele in care ma grabesc. Trimit colete in toata lumea (transportul este $10 sau gratis pentru comenzile peste $150) si spre deosebire de alte comenzi de peste ocean, acesta a ajuns super rapid si direct la usa cu Fedex (procesarea dureaza 3-5 zile si transportul alte 2-4 zile). Nu am platiti nici taxe vamale in caz ca va intrebati.

Daca va plac, am un cupon permanent de 10% pentru orice comanda pe Irresistible Me, este suficient sa folositi cuponul IrresistibleAlice la checkout in sectiunea promo code si veti primi reducerea!

Sincer, sunt obsedata de ele! Da, am ajuns si acolo – pot spune cu mana pe inima ca sunt obsedata de extensii! Daca va intereseaza o sa fac un review amanuntit si un tutorial in care sa va arat cum se pun! Datorita Sarei stiu nefiresc de multe despre acest subiect si ar fi pacat sa las nefolosita atata intelepciune – asa ca vrand, nevrand o sa va informez.

Parul lung m-a inspirat sa port pentru prima oara aceasta fusta maxi cu volane careia ii tot dadeam tarcoale de un an, dar fara mare succes. Ma tot gandeam cu ce sa o port ca sa evit sa arat ca o dansatoare de salsa putin nebuna. Cu toate precautiile am avut niste tentative de dans printre blocuri, dar am pus dovada doar pe Facebook unde este normal si asteptat sa fi putin ridicol:). Nu putea sa lipseasca colierul Borealy pe care il port atat de des incat ati putea crede ca-i singurul meu colier! :)

So what do you think? How do you like me best - with shorter or longer hair?

 I’m wearing:

hair extensions / extensii - Irresistible Me

  skirt / fusta - Asos

crop top/ top scurt - random brand (very similar here)

leather jacket / geaca piele - random brand

 necklace/ colier - Borealy

  rings /inele - here

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Maternity style – a few thoughts

As a very tall girl I have always struggled finding certain articles of clothing to fit properly: maxi dresses and maxi skirts are never long enough, pants and jeans are always shorter than I’d like,  miniskirts are too short for me, sleeves rarely go to my wrist and the list can go on and on.

High street and even designer stores generally fail to cater to the needs of niche silhouettes and heights and prefer going the safe route with the standard sizes and shapes that are going to sell and appeal to most. And even those which have tall, petite or curvy sections, don’t pay enough attention to them, so they end up being a disappointment as far as variety and design goes, especially compared with the clothes you can find in the “normal” section.

Based on some of  my friends’ experience and what I’m constantly hearing from readers, the situation is quite similar when it comes to maternity clothes. Pregnant women have a hard time finding stylish clothes specially designed for this wonderful, but equally difficult period of time in their life. They usually have to get creative and buy clothes a few sizes bigger or just give up and pretty much avoid going out during the last months of pregnancy. The few stores which do sell maternity clothes are often not what they are looking for - having an outdated and unflattering selection of clothes that’s just plain depressing.

 

Thankfully, there’s always online shopping and the magic of internet with its myriad possibilities. That’s how I discovered Isabella Oliver – which is probably the best maternity brand I’ve come across so far. The way I knew they were great was when I realized I had spent over an hour  browsing  through their shop and was actually considering ordering something and I’m not even pregnant, nor do I  have plans to get pregnant in the near future. But that’s the cool thing about Isabella Oliver – the clothes are designed so that you can wear them during and after pregnancy justifying the higher price tag. That, the cut and the quality of the fabrics they use make the clothes a pretty good investment. 

I made quite a few collages using my favorite looks from their site to serve as visual aid and get you inspired and excited about the various ways you can dress if you happen to be pregnant or generally going in that direction!:)

 

I'd love to hear from those of you who know more about maternity style first hand! Don't hesitate to share your tips and favorite shopping destinations with all of us!

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