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.

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!

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.

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!

POSTCARDS FROM VENICE- PART I

I've been in Italy a couple of times before, but this time I got to rediscover it completely. Putting aside everything I ever knew about Italy- the rushing in the streets, the outspokenness, the abundance of vivid colors and the overall upbeat rhythm of the country- I completely changed my perspective on the place in this one week-end. Venice always seemed like a magical place to me, but the image I had of it in my head before actually visiting it (a.k.a. the way it's portrayed in 'The Tourist' with Angelina Jolie in beautiful attire) was slightly distant from the real thing... And I was blown away. Everything about Venice seems ethereal- the haunting palaces floating on the water, their reflections, the little alleyways and bridges, the whiteness of the buildings. What is more, I got to visit the city during the carnival season so the streets were overflowing with people dressed in Victorian gowns and masks. It felt like a masquerade. The masks added to the feel of mystery and anonymity. When in Venice, you can put on a mask and be whoever you want to be for as long as you're staying there...