SUMMER 2024: WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN IN MOSTAR
Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! This is going to be a chatty post. My last post was rather a lengthy one, a review of the new The Count of Monte-Cristo film. Today I have something more simple and less philosophical for you. In this post, I'll show you what I have been wearing lately.
Yesterday, I had a pleasant surprise. I went out on the balcony and it wasn't unbearably hot. In fact, it was quite pleasant. I wondered what was happening and then I checked the temperature and it said 34 degrees. Only 34? Not, that's something different. Usually it's 40 degrees at least. A few moments later, the temperature dropped to 32 degrees. What a relief!
Mostar is known for its extremely high temperatures in the Summer. I've written about this in the past, and it's a well known fact. Often the temperatures here go over 40 degrees in the Summer. It's a wonderful place to live in- expect for in the Summer. That is why during the Summer I only go outside when I must during the day. We usually only go for a walk in the evening. Today, however, the weather gods decided to have mercy on us. Finally!
So, I was actually sitting on my balcony as I started typing this post, enjoying a nice cup of coffee with almond milk. I didn't manage to finish this post yesterday because life but I really enjoyed that moment at my balcony, especially as I had had a sleepless night because of chronic pain the previous night. I needed that break. I'd also had some bad news at that point, so I really needed that break.
We just got to make the most out of those little moments in order to establish joy in our life. And if you didn't know- my blog is called Fashion Ode to Joy (that's what Moda Oda Radosti translated to Croatian). When I started my blog, it was bilingual, but as I tend to think and write in English, I found it increasingly hard to find the time to translate my posts to Croatian. Anyhow, I think we can all find those little things that bring us joy- for some it will be fashion, for some art, for some make up, for some a great many things.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZaNNQCFgDRERThjvtQYct6g5TnLeljKcy0XA-Utzcqe6KNg8KjsOSpZG9Y4q3GTSV9-WaWAsJ7cpJNqJzvA-sTPdz7sZ9hP-w_jjACnq53qO9ryQxEZm0rr6CRN7kg0sJ5PhsBuGBrWjE9i0WShXwuqD2uOEVkSa25ZLo1p9tpcpz0c6nBW378jwoFA/s16000/MixCollage-21-Jul-2024-07-27-PM-8595.jpg)
OUTFIT NUMBER #1 AN ALL FLORAL LOOK
A FLORAL SHIRT PAIRED WITH A SATIN FLORAL SKIRT
HOW I WORE THESE ITEMS BEFORE?
THE STORY OF MY OUTFIT !
THE FLORAL SHIRT -I've had this floral shirt for ages. I'm actually planning to do one of those 'X ways to wear a X item' with this floral shirt. See how I styled it with a parsley brown skirt, a olive green vest and black moccasins here & with a LBD dress and stiletto metallic heels here.
THE FLORAL SATIN SKIRT - Last worn here.
from Ozz brand by local fashion designer Stanka Zovko.
THE BURGUNDY BAG
This bag is honestly one of the most worn bags in my closet. See how I styled it here with my Amadeus blue bag and in this post you can see it in a half of dozen outfits.
OUTFIT NUMBER #2 A CHIC WAY TO STYLE A DENIM SKIRT
A FLORAL SHIRT PAIRED WITH A SATIN FLORAL SKIRT
HOW I WORE THESE ITEMS BEFORE?
THE STORY OF MY OUTFIT !
THE BLUE SUMMER TOP- This is my fourth time wearing this top. I got it last year from my sister in law and she got it from someone else, so you could say it's third and not second hand item. :)
1) My first (documented) wear that I can recall was when I paired this blue top with the blue midi skirt combo for one of my Witcher book reviews.
THE AMADEUS DENIM SKIRT- 20 PLUS WAYS TO WEAR A DENIM SKIRT POSTED IN 2020!
Since then, I styled this denim skirt with a leopard top and here with a white tunics.
THE WHITE LEATHER HEELED SANDALS
I purchased these white leather sandals with wood heels back in 2016 and I plan to wear them until they fall apart. I was attracted to this pair immediately. What impressed me in particular was the unique heel design. I always enjoy wearing these sandals because they are not only chic but also surprisingly comfortable. Back in 2020, I posted 20 ways to style this pair of white heeled sandals. Since then, I've worn them many times and I don't plan to stop and time soon.
OUTFIT NUMBER #3 A CASUAL WAY TO WEAR A BLAZER IN SUMMER
HOW I WORE THESE ITEMS BEFORE?
THE STORY OF MY OUTFIT !
THE VINTAGE GREEN BLAZER
- I styled this green blazer recently with a black skater skirt, and a pink top and matching heels.
In 2020, I styled it with a floral skirt, leopard tights, kitten heels and a green top.
In 2021, I styled it with a yellow jumpsuit and heeled boots.
I've consider travelling somewhere for vacation this Summer, but I don't think I'll be able to do that for a number of reasons. As it turns out, I'll be having a working Summer. I do have some days off, so I still have some time to rest. I had few beach days at the beginning of July, and that was so nice. Maybe I'll manage to take another vacation before the school year begins, but my calendar is filling up quickly.
What are you up to? If you're looking for any reading recommendations, maybe I can be of help.
What kind of books do you like reading in the Summer? I think magic realism is a pretty good choice for this time of year. Afterall, there's something magical about Summer itself.
10 MAGICAL REALISM BOOKS TO READ THIS SUMMER
1) THE ISLAND OF THE MISSING TREES, A NOVEL BY ELIF SHAFAK
Published in 2021, this postmodern novel follows two story lines and uses framed narration. The Island of Missing Trees tells the life story of a Greek Turkish couple and their adolescent daughter. This novel examines and explores a number of topics such as identity, migration, immigrant life, war trauma, memory, love and family. It's an ambitious novel that examines serious topics with due respect and sensitivity. I read it months ago, but I remember it vividly. Honestly, I cried a lot while reading this novel. It really moved me greatly. In fact, that is probably why it took me this long to finish this book review. I needed to emotionally process the story.
The Island of Missing Trees is set in London and Cyprus. The narration isn't chronological. The story jumps back and forth, following two main timelines, one set in modern time London (approximately year 2010) and the other during the civil war on Cyprus. So, one story line follows a young girl (the daughter of the couple in question), and the other ( focusing on the couple living on island Cyprus) is set mainly in the seventies. Through it all, there's the narrative voice of the fig tree. The fig tree in question was replanted to London from Cyprus.
If the idea of a talking fig tree sounds odd to you, then you haven't read much magical realism. If you're new to magical realism, it's basically a literary style that features fantastical elements in otherwise realistic narrative. Yes, the style of writing in The Island of Missing Trees can be described as magical realism. Moreover, The Island of Missing Trees can be compared to works of Orhan Pamuk, Laura Esquivel, Isabel Allende and Salman Rusdie.
2) BLACKBERRY WINE, A NOVEL BY JOANNE HARRIS
As I said, this was my first book by this author. Joanne Harris is an English- French writer. Her father was British, while her mother was French, a fact that seems to play a big role in her writing. From what I noticed from this novel, Joanne seems very knowledgeable about both the British and French culture. What particularly impressed me is how she understand that different generations of British and French people belong to different cultures. Culture is dynamic and different generations can perceive it quite differently. Moreover, Joanne Harris is simply wonderful at contrasting these two cultures in her writing.
I quite enjoyed this novel, especially one character (more about that later). It wasn't as good as I think it could have been, but it was still pretty good. I suppose that like with Elephant Moon, I felt like this was a novel that didn't fully live up to its potential. I felt like the writer sacrificed potential depth for entertainment. However, I still enjoyed this novel a lot.
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-book-review-blackberry-wine-by-joanne.html
3) MY NAME IS RED, A NOVEL BY ORHAN PAMUK
My Name is Red is a novel by Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk. Published in 1998, this lengthy postmodern historical novel focuses on a group of miniaturists working in sixteenth century Istanbul. Most of the major characters are a part of the same group of artists. The novel opens with a murder mystery. What follows is a story that has two main characters (protagonists if you will) but also subplots.
There is a love story of sorts within this murder mystery, but My Name is Red is not a typical romance. It's, in many ways, a philosophical and detailed dive into Ottoman Empire. The realism of this novel is at times graphic (featuring graphic descriptions of violence) and at times dreamy (featuring poetical descriptions).
My Name is Red often focuses on philosophical debates about the nature and purpose of art. It uses postmodernist writing techniques and is narrated by various characters, some of which are fantastical, for example a tree or a dog. The very first chapter is narrated by none other by a corpse- a man who was killed by an unknown killer. From then one, the novel switches narrators pretty much every chapter. Some readers might find this shifting narrative confusing, especially as the readers dive deeper into the intrigues.
There is self-awareness to this narrators. The narrators often address the reader directly. Some of narrators are unreliable narrators. Some are fantastic, for example a talking dog. However, the novel really flows once you get used to its magic realism. In many ways, My Name is Red invokes the magic realism, particularity magic realism of Latin American writers. At the same time, it is deeply rooted in Turkish culture.
“For if a lover's face survives emblazoned on your heart, the world is still your home.”
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2023/11/my-name-is-red-novel-by-orhan-pamuk.html
4) EAST, WEST, A SHORT STORY COLLECTION BY SALMAN RUSHDIE
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2019/12/autumn-outfit-and-book-review-east-west.html
5) OF LOVE AND SHADOWS, A NOVEL BY ISABEL ALLENDE
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2016/09/of-love-and-shadows-isabel-allende.html
6) LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, A NOVEL BY LAURA ESQUIVEL
9) SWIFT AS DESIRE, A NOVEL BY LAURA ESQUIVEL
This is a historical novel with elements of magic realism, written by Croatian author Ivan Aralica. The title could be translated as The Builder of an Inn. The novel is set during Napoleon wars. More precisely, the novel takes places during the French occupation of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The author is extremely knowledgeable about this period and exceptionally gifted at recreating past times. However, this novel is more focused on the psychological exploration of its main characters than on historical events or politics.
I would dare to say this is the case with most (if not all) of Aralica's novels. Aralica is an author who focuses on the fates of 'common' people during turbulent historical times. Ivan Aralica's writing is more on the deep and philosophical side. He often writes about friendships formed between people belonging to different nations, religions and classes. Born in 1930, this author must have had a lot of life experience to draw and pull from.
Thank you for reading and visiting!
Lindos atuendos. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Deletegracias
un beso!
Oh my, 34°C is already hot for me, so I'm definitely not envying you those 40°C.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your Summer outfits, my particular favourite being the first floral one.
Thank you also for sharing those 10 magical realism reads.
I'll be mainly staying at home over the Summer months but am looking forward to a week away in September! xxx
I know. 40 degrees is hard to handle even for me, and I grew up here.
DeleteBeautiful pictures! And, thanks for the reading recommendations:) 40 degree temperatures are horrible and exhausting. Take care, it is not recommended to be outside in this heat
ReplyDeletebut it's Summer, so we better get used to it.
DeleteThe all-over floral outfit is great, I love it.
ReplyDeleteThe shiny skirt is amazing and looks great on you <3
I really enjoy styling this skirt.
DeleteThank you!
I love your skirt!
ReplyDeleteBeijos e Abraços,
BLOG | Instagram
bejios!
DeleteWhat a nice books, thanks for your sharing
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteGreat evening outfits. I do love that satin floral skirt :-D
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteThank you Ananka!
DeleteSuch a powerful list of books! Thanks so much! I like many of these authors! So great to see such inspiration in your fashion. Wishing you lots of sweet times ahead this summer. Living in Nebraska, it is quite humid with the heat. We have had a few pop up showers the last day or so. Thankfully, not hail.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteSo many lovely outfits for summer. Love the photos. Yes, I love a bit of floral on these hot summer nights! Such an awesome post, mixing fashion with fiction! Thanks so much for the great list! All the best to the rest of July!
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteIt's nice that the weather allowed you to sit outside and enjoy your balcony. It's been an unseasonably hot summer in NYC this year and like you, I only go out when I have to. I usually run my errands in the morning to try to beat the heat.
ReplyDeleteIt is very hot.
DeleteI imagine that in a city as big as NY, it gets very hot.
I like the sound of those books- not read any of these although I read one Joanna Harris book.
ReplyDeleteThe heat sounds awful! We had 40 degrees 2 years ago and I couldn't bear it! I've been grateful for our inclement weather these past 2 years.
I like your outfits very much, esp the second one. I like third hand items. Kezzie xx
Yes, 40 degrees is rough. Imagine how it is for people who have to work outside in this heat. I'm grateful I don't have to do that. Third hand items are always extra cool. :)
DeleteI'm sorry you haven't had good news about your health problems, I hope it's just a little scare and that everything will be fine, I'm also sorry that you have chronic pain, and that you have to work with all those health problems! I think your job should be just to blog and you should be paid very well for that! I love that lilac floral skirt of yours! You are an exceptional person Ivana! Thanks for the reading recommendations!
ReplyDeleteI know you understand me. Living with a chronic illness is really hard at times.
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