UNDER THE SHEETS

Clinomaniac diaries. Denim and countless cups of tea in bed, no rush. The clocks will run out of time before we stop travelling in our daydreams.

A new addition has been made to my camera collection- a small Olympus, one of the compact film ones. I've missed writing and taking photographs, it's time to bring that part of me back.

CRÈME

Dearest essentials, la crème de la crème.

  Oh.skin harness; Zara glasses

HEAVEN OF DELIGHT

Spontaneous escapades to the Royal Palace when life seems to lack majesty. Gold spilling from the ceilings onto what seems like endless promenades between mirrors, in this ethereal corner of heaven.
Lace, fur and chokers remain the dearest essentials of mine, even in summer. Also, drinking fresh lemonade from a crystal flute is becoming a habit.

FRAGMENTED

Zara coat; Oh.Skin leather harness

Enter, London. Ambient, vibrant and full of life at any point in the day. Here, you are never alone, as the streets are always busy, and yet it is mostly in crowds that you catch yourself feeling lonely. I suppose it's something you come to learn eventually, not to seek the company of others, but rather to focus inward and, without wishing to sound clichéd, enjoy the moment, forgetting the negative thoughts that underlie loneliness in the first place. It's all about going with the flow and living mindfully, but with the added element of learning to be impulsive and make crucial decisions when the time is right, all on your own. Just let it happen (cheeky Tame Impala reference because I haven't separated myself from 'Currents' for more than a couple days at a time this summer, after seeing the band at Rock Wercher).
The people, the buildings, all the lights in the streets and shadows in the dark alleys- it all merges into one big entity. Much like other big cities, London is, to put it simply, its own little world. It's independent, you will find yourself needing it more than it needs you. It consumes you and tires you out, but you love it, because London is without a doubt one of the best cities in the world. During my time here,  I involuntarily, yet nearly completely distanced myself from everything that I had back home, including the blog. It may have something to do with the fact that between spending time at uni or in my halls room resting, there wasn't much in my daily routine to photograph. Taking pictures of something brings you closer to it, and I already spent so much time in my room that I couldn't possibly have wished to distance myself from it any more. I guess I just needed space.

So here I am, giving it another shot after months of absence. Hoping this try is the last one I'll need.

PARC DU CINQUANTENAIRE

Spot check: the Parc du Cinquantenaire is one of my favourite places in Brussels. I especially love it in spring, when it's filled with people having picnics on the grass, enjoying the sun and the breeze of the fountain. This is where families come to spend time together, where first dates take place and where friends reunite after a long time apart. In a way, it reminds me of the Jardins du Luxembourg in Paris- both places have a very welcoming vibe and time seems to stop whenever you're there, admiring the park and the neoclassic architecture of the structures around it.

The buildings are actually museums- I remember visiting the cars museum as a kid and being fascinated by all the different models of luxurious vintage cars that were on show (still daydreaming about that Bugatti type 57, to be completely honest!) The sleek design of the cars influenced my sense of aesthetics more than I could realize- it made me develop a lust for something modern and futuristic, yet elegant all the same. As I got older, I felt a burning desire to dress as though I would be cruising down the boulevard in one of those bad boys- bright lips, wind in my hair, eyes tactfully camouflaged behind a pair of opulent sunglasses. The ultimate femme fatale. I'm channeling the same kind of vibes in this rather pure white/creamy look, the golden heels to mirror the shine of a polished car is an extra plus. Although I do love dresses, I always end up coming back to the suit for a glamorous look. It's simple and classy with a bit of a bold edge, or in other words- exactly what you want. Who said a woman is any less feminine in a pair of trousers?

MARBLE REIGN

Zara jumper, heels, clutch; Mango trousers

My family helped me move all my luggage out of my bedroom into the car on a sunny mid-September morning. They would barely let me lift a finger, I just stood next to the open car door and waited. After all of the typical good-bye rituals, I buckled myself into the passenger seat, took a last glance at my empty bedroom window through the rear mirror and drove off to the train station. Destination: London.

It has now been three months since the day I first walked into my room in halls and unpacked my belongings. I had brought so much with me- three enormous suitcases filled with books, clothes, photos, decorative pillows, anything that would make it feel like home. And it did. Nevertheless, I must've spent my first day in London resting on my bed, trying to fully understand the fact that I've moved to one of the craziest cities in the world.

Oh, how I've come to love that craziness. The city, always in a constant state of rush, always moving and changing, has a raw kind of charm. While, yes, there is one colour to describe the entire city with the entirety of its streets, buildings, sky and people (grey, what a surprise), it feels alive. And even though being in massive crowds can be overwhelming, it is easy to feel like you're a part of it all. Truth be told, often the more people you are surrounded by, the lonelier you feel. I appreciate the time I have with my friends now more than ever- it feels great to have a constant group of people to come back to after a long day spent at the university's campus in Oxford Circus, where everything being frantic is the norm. I am lucky if I get home before half seven when I finish classes at six, due to the cramped underground stations; at rush hour, it's like the hunger games in there. But once you're back out into the surface, you just carry on with your day as if you did not just wrestle that man with an umbrella to fit on the tube. Go figure.

I am now back home in my sweet sweet (not jut because of the abundance of chocolate and waffles) Brussels for three weeks. Twenty-one days of nothing but pure relaxation. The attic has been converted into my own little flat, now that my younger sister took over my old bedroom. I now have a floor all to myself. I've been keeping myself busy with this new interior design project opportunity, gathering bits from all over the house in order to create a space that is welcoming and cosy. My attic is my own little oasis, my getaway spot. Here, Chet Faker is on repeat and time seems to freeze on the pages of a Salvador Dalí coffee table book, in between the dancing candle lights, for a moment just long enough to realize that you're feeling right at home.

AUBURN SKIES

With summer slowly fading into autumn, it is only a matter of days before I plunge myself into my new life. Big changes are ahead of me- not only am I moving to London in a short while, but I will also starting university in the end of the month. I will be studying fashion design with the hopes of never ceasing to create for the rest of my life. Of course, it'll be a long way before I get to where I want in the industry; surely there will be struggles and tears, lots of hard work and self-motivation involved, but I think I'm ready for it all (or at least I hope I am). It is time for me to step out of my comfort zone and swap it for something I'm not used to. I will be trading my lovely home in Brussels for an empty twelve squared meters room near Brick Lane... saying that I'm excited would be an understatement. Although I am anything but fond of packing, I've come to force myself to do it. I've started sorted out the things I need the most and the ones I will be getting rid of. It is time for a new start, but I find it so hard to let go of things I've grown to be so attached to. OK, I'm not gonna lie, my main concern right now is transporting my entire wardrobe across the sea with only two suitcases at my disposal. They will soon both be so heavy that I won't be able to lift them, but hey- it's worth it.

Hopefully my current situation and my upcoming transition is good enough of an explanation for my lack of activity on the blog. I'm trying, I really am! More posts coming soon, keep your eyes open!

SILVER ASHES

I'm not one to tolerate excessively warm weather for more than a week, I simply run out of things to wear. I'm all about that eighteen degrees Celsius layering, coats and knits in every shade of grey... especially in summer. Floral prints and bright colours are my last resort and I believe that you don't need to be wearing a rainbow to stand out in a crowd. To me it's all about texture and volume, the way a garment moves with the body, how they compliment each other. Some people say that when living in a big overpopulated grey city, it is best to wear vivid colours, otherwise you might find yourself to be depressed all the time. But wearing all shades of grey makes me joyful, as if I was a part of the city as opposed to an accessory. Grey is architectural and romantic in a haunting way. It creates nuance, it's poetic and has charm. I've been raiding Zara's knit section for the past couple of months and keep finding little gems such as these two knitted sweater dresses. This is as summery as it gets for me and my gloomy wardrobe.
Tonight I'll be hopping on a bus that will take me to Tallinn. I'm more than excited to be going back, the time I spent there last summer with a friend was tons of fun. Estonia part 2.0, here I come! It hit me the other day that I've been excited about summer for such a long time and here it is, almost reaching its end. For some reason every time August comes around I start thinking of going back home and going back to the scholar routine. Except this year, there will be lots of nuances in my life, lots of new greys. I'm moving to London in September, starting a new experience that is bound to be great. I'm curious as to what the future has in store for me, but I'm also petrified. Excited, but also melancholic about leaving my all-white room in Brussels to start a life in a tiny dorm. Surely, it will take some getting used to, but it won't be long before that dorm becomes 'home'. With that being said, I'm off to treat myself with a cup of freshly pressed grapefruit juice- my new obsession- before tonight's long trip. I hope you're all having an amazing summer!

SATURDAY ESSENTIALS

Many times I've wondered about what I consider to be so-called 'essentials' to my being. Obvious vital necessities aside, a cozy sweater and a pair of sleek heels are both strong competitors for first place. Runner-up, we've got lipstick in every gloomy shade on the spectrum of reds and purples and last but not least: a casual pair of jeans. I'm currently loving mom jeans and anything high-waisted, especially when paired with anything cropped on the top half. I am fond of anything comfortable to roll around in on Saturday mornings, especially after a big celebration.

Yesterday was a big day for me- I graduated. High school is behind me and it's time to move forward... which means university, here I come! But before taking a step into the adult life (or into my future twelve squared meters dorm room), I have two months of summer holidays. Even though I'm not normally the most enthusiastic person when it comes to high temperatures, my appreciation of summer and everything that comes along with it is unquestionable. In four days I will be heading towards Crete with a group of friends. One last trip together before splitting up and going our own ways. Bittersweet? You could say that. But it's also essential to create some last great memories to remember each other by when we leave. The way I see it, leaving school and all your friends is not a goodbye, it's a see-you-later, except the 'later' might mean a longer period of time than it used to.

MEDITERRANEAN BLUES

Looking over the Mediterranean sea as every bit of worry in the world gets washed away in the foam of the breaking waves- that's how I like to spend my days off school, away from all the worksheets and hand-outs, with my only dilemma being which fruit to have freshly pressed into juice. Days like that are only a fantasy to me right now, since nowadays I keep finding myself drowning in indescribable amounts of procrastination- such a convenience right before my final exams. A week from now, I'll be waving goodbye to my school with a smile on my face and possibly tears streaming down my cheeks. I'm not gonna lie, that place has grown on me. No matter how much people complain about school and the overflow of 'hard work' that comes along with it, most of us will end up missing those grumpy teachers and hallways constantly flooded with rushing students. It's the end of an era, a raindrop in the ocean, as some may say. Right now I'm optimistic about what the future has planned, I'm on board for whatever adventures are ahead. I'm diving in.

Cut-out

There's something ever so enchanting about nature in spring. Of course, artificial beauty has its own charm. I'm an architecture junkie. Whatever defies the laws of physics or simply is glorious in its construction and structure- I love it. But the feeling I get from seeing all the blossoms appear every May is completely different and actually quite hard to put into words. It really does feel like the world is coming back to life and it's so empowering. In spring, I always feel the need to try new things- wear combinations of garments I usually wouldn't, experiment with colors and so on. So here I am, trying out the whole romper thing. I know rompers have been around for a long time; in fact, I've had this one from Casper&Pearl for over a year, but never wore it. Thus, when the time came for me to pack and leave to a warmer place, I realized that the amount of summer clothes I own is very limited-- half of my wardrobe consists of coats and faux fur-- which forced me to pull out some ensembles that never got to see the light outside of the house.

I'm currently in my couple of last weeks of school... ever. After these two weeks and then a relatively long period of exams, I will be done with school for good. Stress and excitement are both on the menu right now and I'm pretty certain that it will remain this way for a while. At least until I get my hands on that diploma.

Suite life

Good morning! Reporting live from my queen size bed back in Brussels. I came back home last night at around five o'clock in the morning. The sun was almost rising by the time I was ready to get some of that much needed sleep. Right now, there's a huge suitcase and bags waiting to be unpacked, but knowing myself I will probably leave them there for a bit longer, just enough for me to settle down again. It almost feels surreal that just yesterday I was still enjoying the sun in that little part of paradise that is Turkey. Suddenly waking up in cloudy Belgium makes it feel as though it was all just a dream. A beautiful one, to say the least. I have a lot of pictures ready so bare with me while I 'unpack' them little by little and share moments from my getaway with you, starting with these shots taken in the hotel room we stayed in. The natural light shining through the soft white curtains was almost fairly, so pure and enchanting... made me want to dress in white the whole time (I didn't, though). Alright, it is now time for me to make some tea and maybe some toast with avocado. Perfect way to kick off this last day of holiday!

Gates of gold

 I think it's time for a quick update, what do you say? I'm currently on a little getaway in Turkey, where sunbathing by the pool, enjoying countless taste explosions (when I say 'countless' I truly mean it- I don't think I've ever seen, let alone ate, this much in my life... oops!) and wandering around on the rocky coast are some of my every day activities. Taking a break from the 'real world' and all the stress that comes with it is always a good idea. I've only got a few days left in this beautiful place before I go back to the ever so cloudy Brussels. Got to enjoy every moment left here, I am now going to hit the gym for a bit before dinner. For now I'm leaving you with some pictures from back when I was in London a couple of months ago. The Buckingham palace is everything.

SPIRIT IN THE SKY

River Island satchel bag

Trying to bring some color into my dark and gloomy wardrobe, one blueberry-milkshake- coloured satchel at a time. This one I bought back in August when I went to Tallinn... I have not taken any regret in purchasing yet another bag as a souvenir. It's not only perfect aesthetically, it's also more practical than one would think. It comes with a long strap that you can choose to either fix onto the sides of the bag to carry it on your shoulder as one would usually do, or you can fix that same strap in a way that'll convert the handbag into a beautiful little backpack. Genius, right?

For a couple of weeks now, the feeling of spring settling in has been growing stronger every day. My house is filled with flowers- some I received the other day during my school's annual fashion show (yes, I made another capsule collection), some were brought in by my mum who loves decorating with pastel bouquets. I'm definitely not complaining. My evenings are spent working on an architecture project of designing a concept store for art class while listening to Franky Valli and the Four Seasons. What's not to like!

DOUBLE PEARL

You may have noticed how much I love wearing massive neck jewelry. Earrings, however, have never been something I cared about, I usually just opted for the classical pearl earring. That is, until I saw the Dior double pearl ones. Double the class; instant crush. Classic with a bit of edge, just the way I like it. I was beyond happy to find out that I could get pretty much the exact same earrings from Six, so I ended up buying a few pairs... just in case. That's something I've noticed I do if I really like something- I have a tendency to buy that item in several different colors. I can't really explain this phenomenon, it's just something that keeps happening and I can't help it.

My spring holiday will be over in a week and I have so many things to do until school starts again- I'm working on yet another collection for my school's annual fashion show. If any of you remember the post I did about my previous collection, you'll know the color palette was mostly blue&black. This time, I'm going for some vivid red tones to switch things up a bit. The show is in around three weeks, we'll see how it'll turn out. I'm excited but also slightly stressed, I still have to make five outfits out of eight. Wish me luck!

SAVAGE BEAUTY

Zara fur scarf+trousers, Morgan leather jacket, h&m booties

My spring holiday kicked off with a trip to London. I stayed there for a week- a couple of days on my own and then five days with a friend. We had an amazing time- toast and fresh fruit salads in the morning, watching Orange Is The New Black (which surprisingly enough has now become a series I really like, although I was skeptical about it at first) in the evening, exploring different parts of the city during the day. While Brick Lane and the entirety of Camden are charming in their own ways, I fall in love with South Kensington and its neoclassical architecture every time I go there. This time I ended up in that part of town because I was eager to finally visit the Alexander McQueen 'Savage Beauty' exhibition held at the V&A. It is no secret that I've been admiring McQueen's work since I was twelve. I remember showing my friend the collection entitled "The Horn of Plenty" back in 2009, and while that friend of mine was having none of it, I was going crazy over the avant-garde silhouettes, the theatrics and the whole concept of the show. I'm pretty sure that was the turning point for me- the moment I realized I, too, want to be in fashion, creating art in the form of garments, but also putting on a show for people to watch and enjoy. The exhibition was inspiring and absolutely stunning, to say the least. It felt unreal to see McQueen's work up close, I wanted to soak up as much of that breathtaking atmosphere as I could, it truly was splendid. One of my favorite parts had to be the hologram of Kate Moss, floating in the air dressed in a swirly-fabric gown. I always admired McQueen's wish to incorporate modern technology into his shows. It gave them a futuristic-romantic feel. All in all, this exhibition made my stay in London even more amazing. I already miss it so much!

KNIT HAPPENS

Wildfox sunglasses, Zara dress

When it comes down to dressing casual, anything knitted will do the job. It's all about slightly shapeless, non-restraining garments, anything that makes you feel free and comfortable. As much as I love dressing up, sometimes I do enjoy putting together a simple outfit like the one in these photos. Yeah, they're also from Venice. I had such a great time there, it's difficult to part with the memories, so I keep the photos coming! However, this is the last of it, I promise.

I've been feeling quite sick for the past few weeks, it's always hard to cope with the changing weather. The transition from winter to spring always manages to catch me off guard- the temperature outside rises by a few degrees, I go for a walk without a scarf and the next thing I know: I'm feeling sick and spend my days watching 'The Office' and drinking tea. I'm not complaining (too much). Hopefully, you guys are having a better start of spring!

POSTCARDS FROM VENICE- PART II

More photos from day two of my recent trip to the beautiful city of Venice. We spent most of the day on boats, traveling from one part of town to the other in order to take in as much of the Venetian flair as possible. The mood was very laid-back, we made a couple of stops at cafes to simply enjoy the moment. I took time to write a postcard to one of my friends, I wonder if it has reached her by now.

At night, we got lost in the streets of the old town, which we did not do on purpose, but apparently it is something that everyone should do when in Venice. The thing about that city is that it resembles a giant maze. The buildings are tall, the streets are narrow and all of them are connected by more tiny passages. The more you wander into the depths of the city and further away from the Piazza San Marco, the more you actually get to discover the true essence of the authentic Venice.

LAZY

As much as I enjoy outings on sunny days, I would never say no to snuggling up in blankets and numerous layers of soft material on a regular basis. Add to that a cup of tea or two, a bowl of fruit salad and I'm not leaving my bed all day. That's basically what happened to me this week- my time off school turned into the biggest lazy-fest. With this holiday coming to an end, I am now realizing how unproductive I've been for the past week. This means that all of the work I had ten days to finish will have to be done in one day. Hello, all-nighter!

This gorgeous floral-printed romper from Wildfox has become my uniform for daydreaming or flicking through the pages of photo albums. It's soft and light, perfect for wandering around the house or just sitting on my settee, watching series. It's from their Valentine's Day collection and even though it's been a week since the celebration, the romper's got me feeling festive every day. I absolutely adore it!

CLOUD NINE

You know what's fun? Walks around town while dressed as an ice-blue marshmallow/cotton candy/blueberry milkshake. It feels so refreshing to finally incorporate some color into my otherwise monochrome wardrobe. Dark looks are my usual go-to's, especially in winter, but you never know when an exception will occur. This was one of those times. I had to dig for a bit in my closet to find this pair of white jeans that I hadn't worn in ages, but it was worth it. No matter how much I've always been in love with wearing all-white, this time the outfit was calling for a touch of this dreamy blue faux fur. The ice queen vibe is on point, if I shall say so myself.