Keep Cool And Stylish In Gingham Style

I usually wear a lot of dresses, but this summer I am mixing more skirts into my wardrobe. I love pieces that I can wear more then once and style them differently for multiple occasions. Skirts are perfect for that. With minimal effort and change of accessories you can have a completely new look. I wear all my looks in real life and is important for me to get the maximum out of my shopping.

I was looking for a light summery skirt with a flow and chic quality to it and when I saw this one at Nordstrom Rack, I knew this was the one. I knew I wanted to mix some gingham print in the look, but wasn’t feeling all the black and white gingham that’s out now. I wanted to keep this look light and airy and the yellow gingham top matched my vision perfectly.

The accessories are mix of old and new pieces from my collection. My favorite MODO sunglasses are a sample sale find for $20.00 and my absolute favorite from their collection (I also have it in black) The round shape is super chic and never really goes out style. All the tassel pieces are from my epic $0.99 find from Saks Fifth Ave and I put them together with some I already own.

Now about this bamboo clutch. In the past few years I literally saw the original Cult Gaia back everywhere, every blogger, every magazine, every store. However I wasn’t sold on it because it was too expensive for a bamboo bag and completely impractical until I spotted this baby on Target website and the price changed my mind. I love the size, I love how it goes with everything and did I mentioned the price? Unfortunately as of this moment its sold out, but I am linking a similar one plus everything else from this look below.

Back To NYC And The Perfect Day To Night Look

After a long time away and no matter how much fun it was, it’s always nice to get back home.

I certainly had a great time in Sofia, but I had to face the reality of everyday life in NYC and I was so excited to do so. I had a lot of things on my calendar – tons of work was waiting for me, had to catch up on some shopping ( because I didn’t shop at all while away) and of course a date night with my husband. I needed an outfit that will take me from day to night without stopping home to change. I had the photoshoot with the amazing Jemima Richards already scheduled and decided to take full advantage of my day. Do my work in the morning, shoot my outfit and run to meet with my husband for dinner.

For the shopping part, luckily the Marc Jacobs sale was happening the day after I came back and I got there at the perfect time to score some super cute bags. When I say perfect, here is what happened. I go to the sale and looked around, but was very underwhelmed by the selection. The collection of stuff that I love was still very expensive ( I saw a denim jacket 90% off for $600.00 ) and the rest too dated and not exciting. Then I got to the bags table where the discounts were 85% for bags and 90% for SLG. At this exact moment they started to bring the Heart bags in two colors and  also boxes with wallets. The good part is that for some reason they had the bags as SLG and the discount was 90% so the price was $29.50 down from  $295.00. They were so cute I couldn’t decide between black and nude so I have to buy both. But at this price who can blame me. They sold out so fast that if I was a minute late I would not be able to get it.

The day of the shoot I left for work with my LV and later changed to the Heart bag that was the element that tied this outfit together. When  looking at this outfit, everybody assumed that this was a dress, but actually they are two separate pieces from two different brands. My skirt is H&M and I had it for some time now and the top ( CeCe by Cynthia Steffe) is a sample sale find for only $5.00 (originally $89.00 )

My booties are Karen Millen, you know I own tone of them because I buy them so cheap, usually between $10-$30, this particular ones were $20.00

My necklace is from one of the most epic sample sales I have ever been to where all the jewelry were only $1.00 and my earrings from another one for $5.00 The total of my outfit is $69.00  when the retail is close to $900.00

The whole day I was getting compliments on my look, the red was getting tons of attention. It was the perfect day to night outfit.

Playing Queen for a Day

I know is already being over a month since I came back from Bulgaria and yet I am  still posting about it. Actually this is my very last post about my trip to Sofia. It took me awhile to complete all the posts because I had to catch up with all my other work and shoot more new content for the blog and Instagram.

I kept this for the grand finale because I was so excited about both my outfit and the gorgeous location the shoot took place at. The Vrana Palace or as known in Bulgarian as Двореца Врана. It’s the former royal palace located just outside of the capital city of Sofia. Currently the park is open for visitors and is a major attraction for locals and tourists with its beautiful gardens, lake and buildings.

The original owner Czar Ferdinand was a passionate botanist and he was inspired by some of the major gardens in Europe at the time. Today the park is home to 821 botanical species from 118 families and is the first example of Park art and architecture in Bulgaria. The only disappointment I had is that the palace is still under reconstruction and not open to see on the inside. I was wearing my outfit for a dinner that evening and really wanted to showcase it in the best possible way. A visit to the palace was already planned when I decided to combine both and have a special experience out of it. The funny part is that it looked that I had an actual shooting crew with me. I went with two of my best friends and we had 2 teenage boys (son and nephew to one of them) as an additional entourage.  People were stopping and trying to figure out what’s going on. We had an amazing time exploring the gardens, taking photos, learning the history of the place and just having a relaxed day.

This was the perfect place to show my outfit. Even though the outfit is very modern, the long skirt makes it so regal and the park and palace were the perfect backdrops for it. It was so much fun to feel like a queen for a day. For a person who has never worn yellow before, I am somewhat obsessed with the color this spring. Everything started with my Michael Kors collection suede sandals that I scored from Nordstrom Rack for $18.00 down from $695.00. This is my all-time favorite shape of sandal, platform with a block heel is classic that to me never goes out of style.  I own many varieties of it, three pairs in Michael Kors collection alone. Then I found this Zara blazer on sale and it was confirmed that I am going to wear yellow. My skirt is BCBG Max Azria and you won’t believe that I found it a thrift store for only $5.00 and originally $238.00. My t-shirt is Calvin Klein from Century 21 for $9.99 and you probably saw it million times on me already. I need a new one, because this one is getting old. The bag is my beloved Gucci clutch that I’ve had forever and is my go to clutch for any casual special occasion. You know what I mean, you want to look cool and special at the same time. The earrings I got from H&M for only $3.00 on sale and they also became an item I wear over and over again.

With this I am concluding the posts from my spring trip to Bulgaria and it will live in memory until the next one.

 

How To Wear Polka Dots Trend This Summer

The world can’t  get enough  of   polka dots trend  and we   continue to  see it everywhere from    the runway to the streetway. Previously associated with vintage looks and considered  little bit of an old fashioned now polka dots are reinvented  and becoming a classic. Designers are having fun with it  and I see so many variations of it  from super girly to more structured and abstract looks. You can find  it on cool dresses, tops, jumpsuits, skirts and even accessories like hats, bags, scarfs and shoes.

I was browsing H&M  in early March  and  looking for a fun dress to wear for Easter.  Of course my first stop was at  the sales racks and the moment I saw this super fun dress I knew this is the one. Thankfully they had it in my size   and the price of $20.00 down from $59.99 was exactly  what I was  looking for. This is my usual thing when I am looking for a dress for a family event. I know I am only going to wear it once and  I don’t want to invest too much in it. H&M and Target are great places to find pieces like that because they always have something on sale.

The dress is sold online, but always check your local stores, because people often change their minds and return a lot of good things.

I wore the dress for  Easter lunch at home, but I loved it so much I had to take it out for another spin. I love mixing prints and pair it with this very cute DVF pumps I got at  the brand sample sale for only $40.00 and a Karen Millen clutch also a great find for only $20.00 down from $200.00

If you are afraid of mixing prints, follow the simple rule  I follow – make sure they are of very similar or exact  colors and the pattern is of a very similar or exact  size. Simple, right?

This was a semi-vacation for me, I had to do a lot of things, but also had a lot of free time to enjoy the city. As usual we (me and my sister)  started with coffee then a photo shoot and from there we went to a small restaurant called THE LITTLE THINGS. I noticed that there is a  really cool trend going on in the way some restaurants are decorated in very interesting and cozy mix of new and old.

When people are eating outside is easy to take good photos of the interior. I am sharing it here with you and hope you are enjoying my story and my look.

I am linking few polka dot options below  for you to try.

The Flower Garden

The Flower Garden

I was doing a search on the best locations for photos in Sofia when the the University Botanical Garden popped up. I remember going to the garden as a child with my parents over 25 years ago, but in recent years I totally forgot about it. The weather was lovely and there is no better time then spring to look at flowers so I made plans with my sister to meet  there.

The Botanical garden is located in the center of the city and  is very close to some other must see landmarks as Sofia University, The National Library and The Alexnader Nevsky Cathedral.

I took the Subway and got off at the Sofia University station. From there is just a short walk and the  University and The National Library are along the way.

Let me tell you this was the perfect spring day,  the garden in front of the library was in full bloom and picture perfect. I stopped there for a while and looked at the gorgeous tulips and tree blossoms while waiting for my sister.

The Botanical Garden is surrounded by high green plant fence and passing by you might not even realize is there. Once you are in it’s like you are stepping into a different world.  The garden is  relatively  small but a home to  more then 2500 botanical species. Established in 1892 and  over 125 years old with  the first tree they planted  still living. The garden serves as a serene place for relax, but also a home  to serious  conservation and educational activities.

Here is the link  to their official web page in case you want to read more about it or plan a visit your self. http://www.ubg-bg.com/en/

It turned out that we picked the best day to be there because the tulips just opened the day before. The garden turned out to be more then I expected and I will not wait another 25 years to go back.

If you are ever in Bulgaria I highly recommend a visit to the Botanic garden and Balchik palace also part of Sofia University gardens. A true masterpiece of architectural design and one of the most beautiful places in Europe.

I planned my outfit around this visit and went with a gorgeous floral duster from Target for only $8.00. My shoes are a sample sale find from Paul Andrew Aslihan  for only $50.00 down from $995.00. My jeans are also from Target and this is the second pair from the same style. Linking similar items below if you want to create a similar look.

Let me know if there is a place that you just  recently rediscovered and stay tuned to see more from my trip to Sofia and don’t forget to subscribe and follow me on Instagram.

Sweet Brunch With My Sister In Sofia

Travel is one of my favorite things in life, even when I travel back to my own town of Sofia. I love the familiarity of being there, but I also like to rediscover long forgotten places.

Culture, history and dining is the formula that makes a city interesting and Sofia has it all.

Walking around and stopping for coffee and brunch is an absolute fave past time for me and my sister.

On a beautiful spring Sunday we did just that. We enjoyed the beautiful weather in the center of the city and visited a small vegan restaurant called Sun Moon.

This is a cute little space with many healthy options and adorable decor. Of course on a warm sunny day we sat outside and this gave me the opportunity to take few photos of the interior.

Located in an old house the place have few rooms on different levels with  mix of modern and new furnishings to create a perfect  cozy space.

After brunch we walked some more and stopped for few photos of my look.

I been avoiding yellow for a very long time because is never been my color. However recently I got few yellow pieces and I am loving it. Everything started with a pair of Michael Kors sandals and the rest just followed up.

Spring is the season for blazers and I was wearing a  Zara blazer that I got at the last sale for only $22.00 For a casual look I pair it with black jeans, killer pumps and a cool Calvin Klein t-shirt.

In true Bulgarian fashion we stopped for coffee again and this concluded our amazing day.

Stay with me and my journey to see what other places I visited while in Sofia and let me know in the comments below what your favorite place to travel to is.