Weekend Away

I took a weekend's leave from the Internet and disappeared to this beautiful place.

This is Opatija, a Croatian town on the Adriatic, on the Kvarner Riviera, to be precise. A town that used to be a resort more than a 100 years ago, in the times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The architecture is stunning...

We didn't only step back in time, but had a glimpse of summer too, as the weather was gorgeous. This is what I wore while travelling - I have to say I look a bit exhausted, but after waking up at 4:30 and arriving more than 10 hours later I think it's just normal. :)

The necklace I wear is a traditional souvenir from Croatia - laquered gingerbread. We received a pair from an aquaintance in Zagreb, and I couldn't resist wearing one. However tacky it is. :)

I always travel in tights or leggings, depending on the weather. I feel much more comfortable spending hours on trains and buses more covered up. Arriving into the great weather of the Adriatic, these tights were a little warm, so the next day I switched to a much more summery attire, which I will post soon! :)

Handmade... Books

I've been looking forward to trying my hand at making books for a long time, and finally I did, attending a workshop for 9 hours - these two lovelies are the result.

 

Well, if someone ever gives you a handmade blank book as a present, revere it (and them), as a lot of time and effort goes into making these. But they're absolutely worth it. :)

My models wear scrapbooking paper, H&M and Jojó Art Shop roses
and lounge around on my clothes. :)

On a different note, this is what I wore today. I'm so inspired by Art Nouveau patterns at the moment (as you can see above). I'm aware of this wrap dress not being truly Art Nouveau, but it reminds me of it - and that's more than enough for something thrifted for ridiculously cheap!

Thrifted dress, Chinese leggings, Joid'art necklace and the same pink Humanic shoes hiding in the grass.

 These are my first attempts at taking my own pictures - thus the uncomfortable look. :)

Oh, and look, now you can:
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Power Cut

Tonight I came home to a power cut in both the avenue we live on, and the one right beside it. Pitch dark in the middle of the capital, even the streetlights were gone! After clambering up four stories without being able to see further than my nose, and successfully getting into the flat and finding a candle and matches, I had to realize I can't come up with anything to do without electricity. I couldn't read for fear of setting my book on fire...

Felt so hapless, the urban girl just staring out of the window and waiting for the Internet to save her evening. :)

Well, as you can see, it's back!

 

Coat - Promod, but dyed by my sister, Doc Martens, scarf - H&M, umbrella - street vendor

These wonderful photos were taken by Zsófi Raffay, a lovely girl and a very talented and ingenious photographer. Her portraits are superb, as well as her urban photography. 

(Perfect for me, the classic urban girl. With her beloved Internet connection.) 

Take a look at her pictures here!

These pics were taken a while back, actually, it's much sunnier now! 

And there's light in the flat. 

OK, OK, I'm stopping it right here.

Shapes and Sizes

Let me ask you to look at the pictures below, and see what your first thought is!

When I first saw this spread in this month's Hungarian Glamour magazine, I thought: Why would they publish two almost identical pictures of the same model in the same clothes?

And then I read the text and understood. The model on the right is size 36, the one on the left is size 42. They are wearing the same clothes, only of course in their own respective sizes. This is where the message definitely hit home.

As you know, I started my blog only recently and really enjoyed getting to know new bloggers all over the planet and the supportive nature of this community. I wondered how I could get involved more. I noticed many established bloggers have accounts on fashion community websites like chictopia and lookbook. So I went on and created an account at one of these. And proceeded to go through a proper crisis of faith within the next hour.

As I checked the popular users and looks, I felt more and more fat, old, and plain uncool. This shouldn’t work like this – I thought – why should I feel unwanted in a community I believed to be inclusive? Am I so naïve I didn’t realise what goes on behind the façade? (Wow, two foreign characters in one sentence. Anyway.)

As I thought about the bloggers I follow and the ones I just got to know in the past two weeks, I made my mind up. What sort of community do I want to belong to? The one that excludes me, looks down on me and makes me feel unwelcome even if I'm a little bit different? Or a crowd that is accepting, connection based, who welcome those of ALL shapes and sizes, and encourage every opinion? And who dare to look different, even, god forbid, imperfect?

The choice is easy if you ask me and if you look at Márk Viszlay’s great photos in Glamour Hungary. Beauty isn’t the requisite of the young and thin, despite popular belief, and those bloggers who dare to be different, who dare to be imperfect are my kind of people. So I deleted my account at the fashion community website and keep looking out for refreshing ideas from all around the globe, from bloggers with integrity.

What about you, have you gone through similar feelings when you started blogging? Do you still feel unwanted in the blogger community for whatever reasons?

Let’s discuss and build a community that is based on the visual, but kept going by what’s underneath!

(Disclaimer: The photos don’t belong to me, but to Glamour Hungary and Márk Viszlay. If you are the owner and wish to have them removed, contact me. Sorry for the poor scans.)

Everyone is So Much Cooler in Sunglasses

 The sun is so warm, I can't believe it! Finally spring is here!

Looks like that's all you need for your pictures not to be grainy! :)

These trousers make me feel a bit like Marilyn Monroe. Just a bit. :) They have a definite 50s vibe for me, and the classic-shaped sunnies too. The blouse with the ribbon closure also reminds me of decades ago.

I put my hair up using flower pins. 

I could say it was all intentional but in fact I couldn't find my hairclip. :)

 

The stuff I wear: 

Zara trousers, Thrifted blouse, 

Humanic shoes ( yeah, again, I know, I can't not wear them :) 

Sunnies: New Yorker, Earrings: some small boutique, Flowers: H&M.

I'm Grainy but Otherwise I'm OK

These photos came out really-really grainy, I was thinking about not posting them at all... 

What do you do when things like this happen? When you don't like your pictures for some reason?

Starting this blog also made me really aware of what strange faces I make when being photographed. Most of the time I look like I've just seen an alien or something. :) 

Do you have any tips on how to show your best face to the camera? Do you have anything you think about when you're photographed that makes you at ease? Or is it just practice practice and practice?

Today's outfit details: Jacket and culottes: Zara, Cardigan: Promod. I love how assymetric it is and that it has a pin as closure. I'm sure it will feature in not-so-grainy pictures for the details to be properly seen...
Belt: H&M, Flowers: Jojó, Ring: found :) I was actually told today that it's possibly Russian. I wonder who it belonged to!