zagreb advent

This year was honestly such a whirlwind of emotions, both for me personally and for the world in general. But I'm not going to be talking about that now. The only thing I currently need is some winding down and relaxing. And snow, please, let there be snow soon. My semester is finally over, and I've just had my last exams two days before Christmas so I'm not really in the festive mood, but oh how I will make up for all the lost days of Advent that have passed whilst I was studying.

Now let's get to the actual theme of this post, which is Zagreb during Advent. Our Christmas market has been voted the best in Europe for the second consecutive year! It makes me so proud to see that other nations recognized my hometown as something worth visiting and talking about.

Probably the most interesting thing about the Christmas market in Zagreb is the number of locations it is spread across. It's not just one street or one square, it covers both the Upper and the Lower town, and it even goes under the city through the Grič tunnel. The most popular part is the area surrounding the main square and the ice-skating rink, which is located next to the main railway station. This area is packed with tourists, so if you enjoy the murmur of crowded places, you'll love it.

If you' d like something to eat, visit Martićeva street or European square. But you can find great food all around the city. In my opinion, the best part of Zagreb Advent takes place in the Upper town. It is much less noisy and much more cozy. If you fancy drinking some mulled wine while listening to live music, The Courtyards are the best choice for you (and me, too). They are very popular during summer, when museums and private houses open their courtyards for the public, but 2016 is the first year that this event took place in winter, too. I don't even know if I like the winter or the summer edition more.

There is something for all types of people in Zagreb, whether you're out-going and like busy places or just want to have a peaceful walk under the fairy lights. Even though Advent has ended, the markets will be up till the middle of January, so you can still have a spontaneous trip to Zagreb and see the Christmas magic. If you can't make it to Zagreb this winter, go ahead and enjoy a little bit of the magic I tried to capture with my camera.

see you soon peeps

yours, adela

the iridescent dress.

First semester of Uni is almost done, Christmas break is here, and man, I just really want to get some sleep. So many thing happened, I've made so many new friends, learnt some new things, all in all I can say I'm pretty happy with my life at this point. Plus, I am so excited for the things that are coming my way! Amid all of that joy and happiness, I wanted to share with you this cute lil outfit with the most amazing dress I've ever seen.

Yes. It's freaking iridescent. I got this lovely dress as a birthday present from my dear friend (and co-blogger hehe) Adela and when I saw it I had tears in my eyes. We both agreed that if I were a dress, this would be it. It is from Bershka and the colours change from pink to purple and blue, depending on the light and the angle you're at it from.

As this dress is pretty eye-catching, I decided to wear something neutral under it, so I wore these plain black tights from Forever 21 and a simple black undershirt from Intimissimi. Plus, because of the plainness of the clothes, the colours of the dress really pop up.

For the shoes, I decided to go with these simple black ankle high boots from H&M, and these white iridescent, almost opal like, rings are from Primark, I had to buy them as soon as I laid my eyes on them. For the makeup, I used the Galaxy palette from BH Cosmetics as the colours in there matched the colours of the dress.

dress / bershka

tights / forever 21

shirt / intimissimi

boots / h&m

rings / primark

Thank you for reading!

love always,

paula avalon

last days of autumn

Autumn's so close to it's end you can almost taste it, which means no more skirts and coats, only layers and layers of clothes, and hopefully a bit of snow! My dear friend Irma and I finally had chance to sit down for a coffee while making some exciting plans for the future (stay tuned!) and casually had a shoot. What can you do, Uni life is quite demanding during November and December.

What I'm wearing here is just a casual outfit I usually wear when I go to University because as you all know, nobody has that much energy when they wake up at 8am knowing you have to attend one of the most boring lectures of your life.

I finally brought a bit of colour to my outfits by wearing this denim crop top from Mango, but to keep it low-key the rest of the outfit is well.. black. This cute high waisted corduroy skirt is also from Mango, but I love wearing it as it brings a bit of a grunge vibe to every outfit.

I believe this leather backpack is what the cartoon version of me would wear as it is constantly on my back, does't matter whether I'm going to Uni or just for a stroll around the town, I am constantly wearing it. But hey, it's cute, it's black and you can fit a lot of things into it, what more can you ask for?

The black choker I am wearing is from Pull&Bear and my friends have started teasing me about it as I won't let this trend die. Never. As well as I'm never going to stop wearing Vans. Once you find something you love, it is quite hard to quit it. Plus, in case you've noticed that my lips are shiny and that the colour is a bit off, I am letting you know that I'm wearing a Global Fusion Shimmer Gloss by H&M, a collection they put out this summer with 6 amazing vibrant glosses. They are pretty pigmented for a gloss and the colours, my God, just pure heaven.

shirt & skirt // mango 

choker // pull&bear

shoes // vans

backpack // primark

thank you for reading!

photos by: irma v. (insta)

love always,

paula z

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a pair of Gazelles or a tiger?

The past few weeks have been incredibly busy and stressful but I finally managed to find some time for this virtual universe. Advent time has started which means that Zagreb is fully decorated and ready for the holidays. The fairy lights and the Christmas markets going on all over the city have filled the streets with people and people with joy. Those silly little decorations really do make everything just a bit easier.

What I have prepared for you is a little outfit post featuring a lot of black in very oversized shapes. And just a sprinkle of colour, in the form of my new Adidas Gazelle sneakers. Since the colour of them is a pretty vibrant yellow, some friends told me I resemble a bumblebee, but I'd rather you called me tiger...

Ask Paula about my style and she'll most likely tell you I dress like a tomboy, so it comes as no surprise that this look features quite comfy clothes. I'm wearing black skinny jeans with zipper details and pockets on the sides, which makes them just that tiny bit more interesting than your usual pair of skinnies. My top is a simple black ribbed T-shirt on top of which I layered a long grey cardigan and a shorter, black coat.

Since I'm always on the move, backpacks are my weapon of choice. The one I'm wearing today is a drawstring bag covered in a playful black and white pattern which gives a dose of fun to every outfit.

Winter time equals blanket time, meaning that when you head outside and leave your cozy bed, a blanket scarf is exactly what you need. I've been looking for huge black scarf for a long long time, so you can only imagine my excitement when I came across this one in Pull&Bear.

sneakers: Adidas

jeans: Pull&Bear

t-shirt: John Galt Clothing

cardigan: Benetton

coat: Brandy Melville

scarf: Pull&Bear

backpack: H&M

photos by Paula

stay happy peeps

yours, adela

trip to america, 2016.

I couldn't have imagined a better way to end my summer break between high school and university than a trip to America with my best friend Lora. Antea, who is Lora's sister and a friend of mine, had been working in Seattle for a couple of months at the time so we paid her a visit, and also visited Portland and Vancouver during our stay there.

This adventure started on a chilly morning of September 15th as we boarded our first plane from Zagreb to Frankfurt, where we later transferred on a direct flight to Seattle. It was only 11 hours... only...

Seattle
A classic American city with skyscrapers and busy streets, but with a bit of an European vibe going on. We stayed in a flat which was about a half an hour walk from the city centre and just next to South Lake, so we had no trouble getting around the city. The city transport mostly consists of buses, but we mostly used Lyft or Uber to get around as it was much easier.

Pike Place Market
One of the most famous things to see in Seattle, besides the Space Needle, is most definitely the Pike Place Market. It is located just next to the shore and there you can find fresh fruit, fish, vegetables, cute shops with vintage items, book shops, delicious food from all over the world and most importantly, the first Starbucks ever opened.

We visited this market many times during our stay, it takes you at least an hour an a half to see all it has to offer. Some of the things that I enjoyed the most were The Giant Shoe Museum and a shop that sold things related to movies and TV shows (I had to contain myself so hard while I was there from buying everything). The market has such a nice vibe to it and it is always filled with people either having a stroll, drinking coffee, buying groceries or enjoying their meal, no wonder why we kept going back there.

The Space Needle
Absolutely the most famous building in Seattle's skyline, the Space Needle. Not only is it an amazing viewpoint but you can also have lunch at their rotating restaurant from which you can enjoy an amazing view of the whole city while eating your lunch, plus if you do go the restaurant you don't have to pay to go up to the dock.

The Aquarium & the Zoo
Even if you're not a big animal lover, these are some of the most interesting things to see in Seattle. The Aquarium is located just next to the Pike Place Market on the Pier and in there you can see the marine life in the waters around Seattle, all from jellyfish to otters and seals. The Zoo, however, is located out of the centre and you have to take the bus to get there, but once you do it's totally worth it.

The Zoo serves as home to many exotic species and you can get to know various different types of animals which are all separated into different sections based on where they usually live. Not only was it super interesting to see but also quite entertaining and if nothing else, a lovely walk (it took us at least 4 hours to get through the whole complex)

Alki beach
Located in West Seattle, the Alki beach is a great reminder that while you are in a big city, you are also next to the Pacific coast. Go grab a coffee in a nearby cafe and something to drink and have a seat on the huge lodges while you warm your toes up in the sand. The view from the beach is quite relaxing, and if you look at it for long enough, you might just spot a seal in the distance!

Bainbridge Island
Just a 30 minute ferry ride from the Seattle Pier, you can find a lovely island named Bainbridge, perfect for a stroll on a sunny day. My friend Lora and I decided to treat ourselves with a cup of coffee and tea and eat cake for lunch, so I can say that it was a perfect get away destination from the busy city. Also, while you're there, definitely go pay a visit to the Bainbridge Art Museum, a small museum located just at the entrance to the town which offers art made by locals and people from Seattle. It is quite small, the entry is free, but it is definitely worth a visit.

Random things to see
Seattle is full of hidden gems, and if you do your research you can easily find them. Some of the things I loved the most were the Archie McPhee's Shop, which is a shop dedicated to selling useless pointless stuff you can't stop yourself from buying.. trust me, you can't. We tried, didn't work. Near it, you can find the Fremont Troll, a huge statue of a true under a bridge onto which you can climb. Seattle is also home to the Giant Popsicle Art and The Haunted Soda Machine, and if you trust the locals, the best burgers you can find in Seattle are in Dick's Drive In. Not only are they cheap, but also delicious as hell.

Museums
As I am a huge fan of museums, you can already guess we visited quite a few. The most famous Museum is EMP, which is dedicated to music. Inside you can find a Nirvana section, a Jimmy Hendrix section, you can create your own music and just jam in a special studio made just for that. While we were there, there was an ongoing exhibition about Star Trek which was pretty cool. The museum is huge so you definitely want to spend at least the whole morning there.

Next to it, you can find the beautiful Chihuly Gardens, made completely out of glass. I wasn't sure what to expect and when I got there I was completely mesmerised. The gallery is quite big and so interesting to see, they have both an indoor and an outdoor space, and it is a bit hard to believe what people can do out of glass.

Something I was looking forward to the most is the Seattle Art Museum and what Lora was looking forward to the most was the Flight Museum. Both were amazing and had so many interesting things to offer and see and in the end, learn from. The Flight Museum was very much fun as there are many people around who you can ask anything and they will tell you everything about it.

Portland
During our first weekend in America we paid a visit to Portland with a few more friends. The State of Oregon is tax free so before going anywhere else, we went shopping. It was pretty good. The city isn't as busy as Seattle, and it has such a nice vibe to it. The skyline of the city is so pretty because of the many bridges it has as it is located on a river.

What we enjoyed the most was the Powell's book store. Oh my god. I swear to God I could've spend at least $200 in there had it not been for my self control. They are amazing because they sell both used and new books, so you can find some great books in there for really cheap prices.

We stayed in Portland for only 2 days so we didn't get to see much, but the walk along the river is so pretty, and what I loved the most was definitely the fact how many beautiful murals you can find there.

Vancouver
As we did spend 2 whole weeks in America, we decided to switch things up and go visit Vancouver. It took us about 3 hours to get there by bus, but the city is great for a weekend get away. One of the most famous things in Vancouver is the Stanley Park. Located just next to the ocean, it offers both a lovely stroll trough a small forrest and a big rock and sand beach where you can find many shells.

In the park you can also find the Vancouver Aquarium, and when I got inside I was stunned. They have huge tanks with jellyfish, and what I loved the most were the beluga whales they had. Every half an hour or so, they offer free talks about different sea animals they have, which are both educational and fun. If you love marine animals as much as I do, you certainly must visit this aquarium.

As we were walking through the streets of the city we saw that the Vancouver Gallery had an exhibition about Picasso and his muses, and it was a total hit. Unfortunately, we soon had to go catch our train ride back so we didn't get to explore much more, but the sunset we saw as we were travelling back was honestly the prettiest thing ever. Soon we learned that it was one of the prettiest train rides in America, and from the things that I've seen, I can definitely agree with that.

And on October 1., we packed our bags and headed back to the Seattle Airport where a 10 hour flight was ahead of us. All in all, I couldn't have wished for a better way to end this summer, this trip broadened my views and it has taught me so much. I'm gonna be a basic white girl and say that I truly feel blessed to have experienced this at such a young age.

Thank you for reading xx

photos by: paula z

love always,

paula xo