Fun: On My Nightstand- Diane von Furstenberg's The Woman I Wanted to Be.

Growing up, I was never an avid reader. I'll admit to that much. I remember being in first grade and having the longest list possible of 'recommended' books (which in Romanian parents talk meant required books). I went into summer with an overachiever attitude, proud of the fact that I was old enough to be assigned homework! In elementary school!

But that didn't last long as I discovered that reading just wasn't my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, magazine articles, features, and the interwebz will be my dear friends for life, but as far as straight up books go, it's always been a challenge.

I can count the number of times I've felt unstoppable while reading on one hand. The Virgin Suicides. The Great Gatsby. The Wizard of Oz. The Harry Potter Series. 

And now, the beautiful Diane von Furstenberg. 

As a form of enrichment, I've decided to attempt to read one book per week- a mix of biographies, novels, self-help, and everything else that's good in the world.

I purchased The Woman I Wanted to Be as soon as it came out, but sadly it didn't come with a dose of motivation. Having carried it around for a while, I decided it would be the perfect first book for my little project. And luckily, I didn't even realize how good of a plan that was!

The moment I opened this book, I could not put it down. Of course, part of this is because Diane's life is one of the most interesting stories you'll ever hear. But it's not just in the story itself. It's in her tone and demeanor throughout the book. Her storytelling is enchanting, and many a times I found myself daydreaming about the exact people and moments she was describing. 

The way she speaks about her experiences as a financially and sexually liberated woman, with no judgement, with an air of ease, gave me such hope and peace of mind. She writes in a gentle matter-of-fact tone, with optimism in sickness and in health, with sincerity and intimacy. 

Reading her words was an inspiring and empowering experience, and dare I say, this is one of those rare, life-changing books. It made me curious, excited for the future, more passionate about my career choices.

She is the woman I want to be. Fearless, fun, beautiful inside and out. 

Thank you so much for stopping by! Make sure to give this book a chance. It's definitely a must-read.

Outfit: Charlotte Russe Skater Dress + Touches of Red.

Photos by Aidan Bradbury-Aranda

hair accessory- Chico's

jewelry- handmade by boyfriend

clutch- thrifted

sunglasses- street vendor in Romania

dress- Charlotte Russe (gifted)

shoes- Rue21

As someone who is, for the most part, anti skater dress, I stand corrected. This adorable Charlotte Russe number was gifted to me by a friend (thanks, Laura!) and I've been waiting for the perfect occasion to wear it for a while. A museum outing just fits perfectly with this dress' vibe, doesn't it? A detail that I forgot to photograph is the massive zipper with red details on the back of the dress, the main element tying the dress to its accessories. I'm pretty bummed about forgetting, but I'll definitely feature this dress in future posts and make sure to share all of its cuteness with the world. 

Style Tip: For a timeless feel, choose one color from your main piece and match it with the accessories. The color scheme of this dress screams winter, but by adding red accessories, I managed to lighten up the entire look. Red is scientifically proven to make people look more attractive, so why not indulge? By choosing red as opposed to neons, this look maintains a classic elegance contrasting the current highlighter outfits popular among the younger crowd. 

As part of our little LACMA endeavor, we visited the Journey of a Dress DVF exhibition. The displays were a girly girl's dream with pink walls and insane prints! Below I've added some drool-worthy display shots. Gosh, I can't stop daydreaming about that sparkly black number and lip printed wrap. To anyone reading this: MY KINGDOM FOR A DVF WRAP DRESS. 

The only downside was very obviously being judged by some guy for my Rue21 Valentino look-alikes. I felt like such a phony, but oh well! Not all of us were born in fluff. 

As per usual, I am insanely grateful that you stopped by! Thank you so much! :)