Fall Staples: Unique Watch, Plaid Thermos & Chic Camel Coat

FALL STAPLES: JORD FRANKIE SERIES WOOD WATCH | 
GENIUINE THERMOS® RED HERITAGE PLAID BOTTLE | VIP ME CAMEL LAPEL LONG COAT | 
PUMA VIKKY PLATFORM SUEDE SNEAKERS 

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY THERMOS L.L.C., JORD WOOD WATCHES, VIP ME FASHION & BLOG LOVIN' BUT THE CONTENT AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE ARE MY OWN.

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The wintry chill is finally setting into the streets of Gotham and brrr! I need a warm cup of something to keep me going in the next colder months. That's why I've partnered with Genuine Thermos® Brand and created a non-dairy drink recipe to share with you guys! 

Non-Dairy Chai Latte

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 heaping Tbsp loose leaf black tea

1 whole anise pod

2 Tbsp whole chai spice blend - use less if ground

Cane sugar, honey or other sweetener of choice

1 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk (e.g; almond milk)

Dash of nutmeg

Directions:

1. Add water, tea, anise and spices to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to fully steep.
2. Remove from heat and add non-dairy milk and sweetener of choice and stir. Warm for 2-3 minutes off the heat, and then pour over Geniuine Thermos® bottle using a fine mesh strainer.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more for sugar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan) for sweetness, and ground cinnamon for a little extra warmth.

The Thermos® brand heritage plaid tumbler is an amazing vacuumed insulated beverage bottle. What's great about not just the design (how freaking cute is the red?!) but also its double purpose to being able to serve both hot and cold drinks. A perfect drink holder for someone like me that's always on the go! It's also a great stocking stuffer for the upcoming season. :)

Thermos® brand will be offering a limited time promotion that gives you guys the chance to enter to win Genuine Thermos® Brand products through a promotion that is hosted on the Thermos brand Facebook page. There will be a total of 10 randomly selected winners for the promotion. Thermos brand and Spong will be facilitating the shipments. Don't miss out! Click here now!

Along with my new favorite Thermos brand tumbler, there are a few other fall pieces I've been wearing nonstop that I know will transition into my winter wardrobe as well! The JORD wood watch I received is from the beautiful Frankie series in dark sandalwood and an emerald face. I was appreciative of their custom wrist measuring and the incredible green emerald face. It is such a cool, chic watch!

I'm so crazy for these unique watches I've partnered with JORD to bring you a special giveaway. Enter your name and email into the giveaway here to get a $20 gift card to any JORD watch. One lucky winner will receive a $75 gift card, but here's the score: Even if you don't win the giveaway, you still get the $20 gift card regardless, so what're waiting for?! The giveaway ends November 27th, so enter here now!

The other two fall staple pieces I've been obsessed with are the VIP ME camel lapel long coat with a belt and the cutest silver brooch. The coat fits me well and I love the back of it that flares out just a bit to bring a subtle, feminine touch. Use 'Suzanne379' to get $5 off your purchase of any order over $50! The PUMA suede Vikky platform sneakers are super comfy. I feel as if I'm walking on clouds when in them. They're truly amazing and know I'll be wearing them a lot more before the wet, snowy weather kicks in. These sneakers will be released on Dec. 15th in stores, so keep your eyes peeled for them! Also makes for another great holiday gift (or treat for yourself). 

Lastly, even though I stopped working as a figure skating coach (yup, that's right – on & off for ten years) before making the change the focus more on my career as a writer and digital content creator, I still love to go skating when possible! Before I even taught skating, I was a trained figure skater. The sport has always been a big part of my life, and though I've built a love/hate relationship with it – I still miss skating from time to time and am definitely thinking about doing a get-together with bloggers for a day of skating, more chai lattes and laughter! What do you guys think? I'd love to share this with you, imagine the fun to be had!   

LOVE & XX'S,

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Watches Made From Wood

The post is brought to you by Activate by Bloglovin and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

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Fall Fashion Trend Alert: Socks and Sandals

H&M CAMEL CARDIGAN W BELT | BCBG MAX AZRIA STRIPED BLACK/GREY DRESS
SHOE DAZZLE FAUX LEATHER PANTS | FAR FETCH MUSTARD YELLOW SOCKS 
ZARA CORK + LEATHER WEDGES | ALDO CROSSETT CROSS BODY

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Happy Hump Day! Today I'm sharing a new fall look. This past month I've been so taken aback by every single fashion week, most especially with Miu Miu's new collection in Paris. Starting with NYFW (see my post about my experiences here) I was swirled with emotion from the 80's and raver culture-inspired Marc Jacobs show, and also JW Anderson's textures and Mulberry's stripes & colors in London. Let's not forget Maison Margiela's weirdness and Gucci's decadent & intricate vibes along with the risqué YSL show. Can you tell I'm kind of into fashion & style? Ha ha! 

So this outfit's theme is circulated around my many fashion week inspos, but more specifically, the idea of breaking the rules and making it new. Case in point: Socks and sandals. I bet a lot of girls (and boys) find this pair together a big no-no. However, sometimes something so wrong can be surprisingly, so right! At first I thought the styling of the platforms with the socks would prove to be too gimmicky/too much, but I think with the rest of the outfit it gives it a pop of vibrancy and strangeness. Style should not be taken so seriously all the time. Style is about having fun, trying something different one normally wouldn't try - taking risks. Taking chances. This is exactly how I felt about Miu Miu's latest show. Don't even get me started on their shoe collection!

Mustard yellow has been quite a prominent color for fall fashion and I combined colors I found to work with such a distinct color. Rust/copper, camel/beige tones with black and grey; a touch of pink and blue. And for the finish, I went for a vampy lip. I used YSL, but can't remember the name of the color. Ask and I'll check for ya! :) I've been carrying this tribal beauty bag from Aldo around with me everywhere. From our summer vacation to the Cape up until now, I simply adore its versatility as well. Transitional pieces are always good to have in your closet, as I'm not the type of girl to wear something once and that's it.

The belt is actually part of the cardigan, but instead of keeping it together, I separated them to give the BCBG Max Azria dress some shape as it's a maternity dress! No, I'm not pregnant. But I'm obsessed with oversized clothing at the moment, and speaking of transitional pieces, I know I'll have a reason to wear this dress again in the future. Fun fact about this maternity dress: It was the dress I wore to my hubby and I's first official date to a swanky Korean restaurant in Soho. Sadly, the place has closed since then but I remember eating next to Famke Janssen and how crazy I was about my man before he even started courting me. (*Omg, how old do I sound?!) 

Stay tuned for new upcoming stories on the blog! This month we'll be doing a pet photography piece, as many of you have been asking me how I get those amazing shots of MaQ! There will also be a love story about where and how my husband proposed to me, AND a very special feature interview with an acclaimed photographer releasing a new book in the beginning of November. And of course, continued styled looks and recipes. Can't wait to share everything with you guys, as always! Catch y'all soon. :)   

LOVE & XX'S,

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Portraits of Samia

Last month after sifting through hundreds of photos I come across on Instagram daily, I stumbled upon a face I immediately felt drawn to. Samia is six feet of intense beauty. A sense of extreme curiosity compelled me to message her and see if she'd even be interested in collaborating together.  It's not as common as you may think, (perhaps it's because I'm a tad shy when it comes to reaching out to people for the purpose of photographing someone. Or maybe it's because I took a long hiatus from photography in itself.) But I have never been the type to be as forthright as I was when I contacted her. I was pleasantly surprised when she replied back right away.

My hiatus consisted of writing my first novel as well as working as a figure skating coach, which explains the break. It's can be tough when you're passionate about multiple projects!  I've been wanting to update my portfolio for some time now. I think MaQ was the one who led me back to the camera since I've been pretty keen on only photographing him besides everyday snapshots of my husband and friends. And now with the blog, it's become second nature. I love documenting our journey together and sharing it with you guys!

For me, it's not just about a photo. It's about telling a story; a conversation; a conflict. A photograph is worth a thousand words as they say, and I think what makes photography truly special, is the constant absorption we receive from each photo made. Sure it should be technically sound but the affect it has on it's viewers is what matters most to me. Photos should make you feel something. I love portraits that make me feel like I already know the person but what I love even more is how it can make me want to get to know someone I don't already know. Especially strangers. Not only are you getting to know each other but you're always learning from each other.

I'm a total people-watcher. As a writer, all you interesting folks bring such inspiration when it comes to creating characters. The art of observing is what motivates me to bring them to life. I, however, never click and tell on who and where it's originated from. :)

Scroll down for more photos of Samia! You can catch more of this beauty on her Instagram.

Interested in a photoshoot together? I'm always happy to hear from you!

Message me here or on my personal Instagram account. Happy Monday!

Love & xx's,

maQ + Suz

Sunday Hiking Adventure

To close the long holiday weekend, I took the liberty to stop everything I was doing and to escape the city, even if only for the day. Life has it's unexpected twists and turns in every chapter of a person's story, and since we haven't been able to get away for a while, we just wanted, and more importantly, really needed the break.

Yesterday we went to Harriman State Park, the second largest state park in New York. With over 200 miles of hiking trails, it is a haven for hikers and paradise for dogs! We've been up to Bear Mountain last year and wanted to mix the trail up with a new path, taking the Blue Disc Trail. 

The trail climbs two mountains (!), Almost Perpendicular and Pound Mountain, and passes two major rock formations, Elbow Rush and Claudius Smith Rock. It's crazy, the trail dates back to the 1920s! It wasn't the hardest hike I've ever done but it was steep and all together we trekked around 7 miles! We played with MaQ's Hawaiian Flyer Frisbee, and of course, he chased around one of his Chuck It balls, his ultimate favorite toy. All the exercise was a great way to burn off all the turkey from this weekend. :)

Take a look at our photos from our hiking adventure below! I love when my hubby and I go somewhere because the photo results always speak for themselves, but the making of memories are what are instilled within us forever. And for every day I'm alive, I'm am utterly grateful. And, any time spent with those two hooligans is always a plus! At least to me it is! ;) ♥

How 'bout it, New Yorkers? What are some of your most memorable scenic trails in New York? There's so many to choose from, I know! What are some of your ways of staying fit with all the Holiday food ready to entice you? 

Love & xxs,

maQ + suz 

A Day in Central Park

Last week's Fall Mini Session left me inspired to shoot more of this glorious Fall weather before everything becomes bare and brittle. Did I mention frigid? We lucked out yet again today, here in New York City, with 70°F+ temps. So, with my rollerblades intact and MaQ by my side, I ventured the nearly 3 mile-trip uptown to Central Park. The workout wasn't exactly easy, given the backpack I was carrying which included my camera, a change of clothes, my boots, treats, a large bottle of water, his ball, and then some! Phew! I would say it was about an extra 20 pounds on my back during the trek! To say the least, we did it and it was totally worth it!

Isn't that just a spectacular view?! I was so glad to visit there today. It reminded me why I live here again. The hustle & bustle of the streets; the competition, the raw honesty in it's purest form; the smells of every kind of food you can imagine; the beauty within the park; and those wondrous skyscrapers that can't help but make you dream big. Live big. Love big. This is my city and I'm so proud to call New York my home. It ain't always pretty, but it's undeniably f*cking real to me! So is life.

When we first entered the park, MaQ was really excited about the horses! I remember when my husband and I got married in Strawberry Fields he totally went bananas over 'em and desperately wanted to make friends. Regardless, he's quite the stud muffin, isn't he? Plus, Fall makes for the best pictures! And trust me when I say this folks, the foliage is looking pretty groovy at this point! Y'all need to go for a stroll before all the beautiful colors are gone!

I really wanted to do a nice Fall portrait with the both of us, so I brought my little remote and snapped away. The light is a little harsh, but I only have my distraction to blame from the magnificent beauty Central Park holds! It just makes you think you have all the time in the world, I almost forgot I wanted to photograph us! Ha ha ha!

I tried to take several shots in many forms of light. The park is perfect for that, at some point, (being a hardcore perfectionist) I wasn't ready to leave because it was just too enjoyable! But there are only 24 hours in a day and I only have a zillion things to do! I love the little lens flare from the light in the shot above. He looks like Rainbow Brite! Plus I'm still that young rebel who doesn't like to follow the rules so yeah, I like to shoot against the light sometimes. ;)

MaQ is adored everywhere he goes, like today when I was right in the middle of shooting (on a non-sturdy rock of all places) and this sweet maybe 12-year old Eastern European kid bravely walked up to me, and shamelessly asked if he could pet my dog. At first, I was kind of annoyed since he didn't seem to care that I was in the middle of trying to take a shot (of MaQ unleashed all the while), but when I looked into his piercing blue eyes, there was something so familiar and peaceful at the same time, I couldn't help but say yes. I wanted him to meet MaQ. And it made him so very happy, where it, in return, made me so happy!

We also visited The Pond, which is also where the first crime scene takes place in my debut novel, 'The Fisherman's Lily'. It's nice to go back to places where you've researched, and this being one of the very first chapters I wrote in the very beginnings of writing my book, I of course had to stop by and pay homage to my special place. I took a shot of MaQ on the bridge (right above The Pond) to encapsulate the feelings I had with the initials ideas of writing fiction many, many years ago.

Toward the very end of our photo taking, we played a long, rewarding game of fetch. We played out in an open field, and it was such a pleasure to watch him at full speed. I think the day completely wiped him out because he's been asleep for the past 5 hours! He really did a lot, so it's good he's resting. I seriously had the best time up there today! I wish we lived closer to Central Park, because we'd go there everyday!

We hope you enjoyed in taking a glimpse into our adventures! We love sharing them with you and the world. Would you like to do a Fall photo of some kind in the park? Please feel free to contact me about any inquiries you may have!

Thanks so much for reading! Please pass on & share! Happy Thursday! ♡

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz