Puno pozdrava iz Sarajeva - or: A NewYork-ish outfit.

Zdravo!

I guess it took me almost a month to get settled... Actually no, just to write.

I’ve arrived in Sarajevo and I have been running around ever since. To be honest though: I could not be happier. I simply did not have the time nor the muse to sit down and write. Furthermore the Internet at my hostel is so slow that it is honestly a pain in the a** (excuse my language) to upload pictures which have any kind of quality whatsoever.

Anywho. I’ve been working a lot but also saw/visited/learned a lot of things and most importantly: met a bunch of AMAZING new people. Not only from Bosnia but from all over the world. I’ve made a new friend from America: Brittany who has been with me the entire time. She was also interning but unfortunately headed back to the States yesterday. Thanks to her, my amazing colleagues at work and the other awesome people I’ve met at the hostel and in Sarajevo, the time here has been lovely and to be honest: I don’t ever want to leave again. All in all: I enjoyed myself – and still do, even though I will leave on Tuesday. I’ve decided to come back after Banja Luka (before I have to leave Bosnia). If everything works out I will be back soon – at least for the Sarajevo Film Festival in August. My colleague Amra (whom I LOVE) convinced me to come since she used to work there. She is also the one who introduced me to many other lovely people and showed me the heart of the city. I couldn’t be more grateful for that. Also I had the great honor to meet Elmira - she is helping me learning the language.

Back to the last weeks. Of course I also went to Zenica again, a couple of times actually, to catch up with good ole’ friends. 

The hostel I am staying at right now is more than amazing. Nice staff and great people to share a roof with. I'm so fortunate to have met Brittany and I cannot wait to see her again and more often in the future since she will be studying in London. Y’all know how much I love LDN. Besides that we plan on visiting Belgium next summer for a music festival. We had SO much fun. I still cannot believe that a month has passed already. Luckily we went on one last trip the past weekend: To Dubrovnik. In my opinion Croatia’s most beautiful city by the way... The next post will be about the trip, including some breath-taking pictures (;)), which make you want to catch the next plane to this little piece of paradise. It was my first time there and I enjoyed every minute of it due to good company (even though someone else was supposed to join us but unfortunately it didn’t work out).

Lastly a little bit about this post and its pictures which are – to be honest – not really up-to-date anymore. It is the promised “haul” of at least some of the stuff I bought in NYC, as well as pictures of me leaving Germany (yes my mom took the pictures the day I was leaving for Sarajevo). Details of everything will be below.

I hope you enjoy.

Srdacno,
Tvoja Lea.

******

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 Jewelry & Shoes.

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 Goodbye Germany :)

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Items:

- Cardigan from Forever 21

- Shirt from Juilliard (Drama Dep.)

- Parker from Zara

- Jeans from Levi’s (Demi Curve Modern Rise Skinny)

- Sneakers from Nike (Dunk Sky Hi)

- Watch from Fossil

- Evil Eye Bracelet from Henri Bendel

- Butterfly Earrings from Tiffany & Co.

 Make-Up:

• Face:

- MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF 35 (in NW20)

- MAC Mineralize Concealer (in NW15)

- MAC Studio Fix (in N4)

- MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in "Dollymix"

• Brows:
  -BeYu Eyebrow Gel (in 3)

  • Eyes: 

-  MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in "Engraved"

- MAC Pro Longwear Eye Shadow in "Legendary Black"

- Lancôme Cils Booster

- YSL Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils (in 1)

• Fragrance:

- Joop! Le Bain

******

A Bosnian Summer. - or: Dobro došli!!!

Zdravo dolls!

Yes - I am back from my trip to Bosnia. And yes - I didn't upload any posts during my stay. Like Marilyn said: "I've tried to change my ways but the things that make me late (in this case: the things that wouldn't allow me to spend time on blogspot) are too strong, and too pleasing."

Anyways. I had an AWESOME time and wish I could go back or at least could have stayed a bit longer. Unfortunately I had to go back since I am moving on Friday and university starts in less than a month. 

Just like the last two times I went to Bosnia I arrived with a lot & returned with more. With more  information, stronger feelings, more soul & more will to come back again (also: more stuff... don't judge me ;-)). I feel like I got to know myself a little bit better, once again. Besides my 'personal growth' it is amazing to see how much changed in only 3 years. Houses which were still destroyed by the war are now back to their old beauty. People look different. More at peace, even though there is still some tension and obviously pain in most of their faces. I can't even put my finger on it but something has changed. It is like the country grew, grew stronger. Not to what it was before the war, I guess, but into something else. Something new. I believe once BiH finishes growing it will turn into a totally new form of beauty (if there can ever be an end to growth like this). Bosnia is a country which evolves, quickly - even though I am not too sure whether this quickness is good (I can't imagine people suddenly having enough money to rebuild their houses in 3 years if they didn't have the money to do so for nearly 14 years. But that's another story.) In my opinion the fact that there is a development is most important & the fact that this development goes way deeper than building new houses or driving new cars. It is about the people I've met, the people I know. 

My mom and I spent 4 days in Sarajevo and 6 in Zenica where we were visiting good friends of mine (I'd actually call them family...). Despite the fact that our hotels were located in these cities we also  made a lot of road trips to the cities of Travnik, Mostar, Međugorje and Visoko, just to name a few.

I will definitely upload pictures of all of the places we visited. As a matter of fact here's the deal: The next days (maybe weeks) I will upload and include them in my 'Around The World series'. I've also got a haul coming up, containing the stuff I bought while I was out there.

On that note: Laku noć!!!

Yours, 

Lea.

Taking a break in Austria.

Nice boy selling 'lubenica' near the Bosnian/Croatian border.

Near Doboj.

Hotel #1. Hotel Grand in Sarajevo.

View on the Avaz Twist Tower from our hotel room. The first night in Sarajevo.

Hotel #2. Motel Almy in Zenica.

Mommy. :-)

Zenica.

>>Bosnia is under my skin. It's the place you cannot leave behind. I was obsessed by the nightmare of it all; there was this sense of guilt, and an anger that has become something much deeper over these last years.<<
  - Paddy Ashdown.

[Around The World #4] Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2009.

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Alo lovelies!

I guess it's time for another "Around The World", namely #4.

The pictures above were taken during my first trip to Zenica, Bosnia and Hercegovina in July 2009. Unfortunately I don't have any of the pictures I took on my second trip anymore (in October 2009) - don't ask why.

I visited the country in July 2009 to attend the wedding of one of my former friends. Ever since then I fell in love - some of my best AND some of my worst memories lay there. Even though not all of my experiences have been pretty: I don't ever want to miss ANY of them plus I am thankful for each and every single experience I made out there.

For some odd reason Bosnia feels a lot more like home to me than Germany does. I guess even though the culture is very different from Romania's, Bosnia is still more similar to Romania than Germany could ever be. I hope that makes sense. ;-) Since I never had the chance to stay in Romania for a couple of weeks, Bosnia is what I can connect with in that department - PLUS I have always been interested in its history [obviously.. otherwise I wouldn't start studying 'South East European Studies']

I thought I'd share the pictures in honor of me going back tomorrow. I am finally going on vacation - the last time before university. : ) 

  

Yours, 

Lea.

Hello Brooklyn!

"Like a mamma you birthed me, Brooklyn you nursed me
Schooled me with hard knocks, better than Burkley
They say you murked me by the time I was 21

That sh*t disturbed me, but you never hurt me
Hello Brooklyn, 

If we had a daughter, guess what I'mma call her: Brooklyn Carter
When I left you for Virginia it didn't offend ya
[...]
I love your corners, I'm half your soul
Hello Brooklyn."

- Jay-Z

Bună!

This is just a little OOTD/EOFTD-post.

Enjoy!  

BTW... I have always loved Jay-Z BUT since I saw him live [Marion and me attended the "Watch The Throne" concert in Frankfurt] I am obsessed. He's one of the best rappers alive. Hands down.

Yours,
Lea.

***

What I wore:

• "Brooklyn-Shirt"

• Maxi skirt from H&M

• Ankle boots from H&M

• "Cross Necklace" from Fashionology 
Fragrance:
• Beyoncé "Pulse"

 • Earrings: DIY - my grandfather bought the material I used.

• Left "hand": random silver bangles from my momma, cross bracelet from my grandma, nazar bracelet from Turkey, my tata's old watch; ring: bought at the bazar in Zenica, BiH. 

• Right "hand": red hamsa bracelet from Israel, purple hamsa bracelet from Morocco; rings: from my grandma & my mommy.

Make-Up:

• Face: 

- L'oréal Paris Studio Secrets Professional: Anti-Shine Mattifying Primer

- MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF 35 (in NC20)

- NYX HD Photogenic Concealer (in Fair) 

- L'oréal Paris Studio Secrets Professional: Poudre Fixante Universelle

- MAC Studio Fix (in N5)

- MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in "Peachykeen"

- MAC Matte Powder Blush in "Harmony"

- MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in "Soft And Gentle"

• Brows:
  -BeYu Eyebrow Gel (in 3)

  • Eyes: 

- MAC Paint Pot in "Painterly"

- MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in "Soft And Gentle" (inner corner & tear dot area)

- MAC Eye Kohl in "Smolder"

- MAC Eye Shadow in "Black Tied"

- MAC Eye Shadow in "Green Smoke" (Lid)

- MAC Eye Shadow in "Ricepaper" (brow bone/arch)
- MaXfactor 2000 Calorie Dramatic Volume Mascara (in Black)