Ice Cold Turquoise

January 6, 2020

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY J.ING AND H&M BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

New Year, New Me! (?) The last couple of months in 2019 have been very difficult. I’ve never felt more lost in my career, had major family problems that will remain undisclosed because I still think some things are meant to be kept private and respected, but I will say have been quite emotionally draining, and then I guess what felt like the last nail to the coffin: my beloved, MaQ, had suddenly died. Those that know me knew how much my German Shepherd meant to me. The loss has forever impacted my life. I am no longer the same person I once was.

So in today’s posts, I’m sharing my intentions for the future while also remembering the past. Now that my co-star is gone, the blog doesn’t feel the same without him. He was part of the reason why I had started this blog in the first place. And now I’m lost without him. I took the month of December off to mourn, reflect and sort out many unexpected circumstances resulting from what had occurred. Doing anything creative-wise was a no-go for me, as most holiday campaigns we’ve done in the past were with my boy. I still find it hard for me to be motivated or inspired right now. I’m deeply hurting but I know I’m not defeated. Time does heal wounds, and I know I will be needing it.

This month has brought so much insight for me. I’ve realized where I was heading into my career, unintentionally becoming an ‘influencer’, and all the while being relatively happy with collaborations/projects, what I became aware of was my dissatisfaction as well. I started to become more and more anxious as my following grew and I was more and more in the public eye. All I have ever wanted to do was create and in return, give people something to feel and think about. Even for only a fleeting second. My passions run deeper than just stylish outfits. However, I love expressing myself through fashion and beauty. But I’m first and foremost a writer and a photographer. And now that it really feels like an end to an era now that MaQ is gone, I cannot carry on as if nothing has happened. A part of my brand died too right along with him.

The legacy of MaQ will live on through my work. And in honor of my beautiful boy, MaQ + Suz will be transitioning from a blogging platform to a creative agency! It has been a big dream of mine for so long, and now the timing finally feels right. I am ready to embark on my new journey as a creative director. I will still share similar content as I have in the past, but going into 2020, the new goal is to create with brands but rather than having me be in front of the camera, I now will be more behind it! I also have a couple of very personal projects I’m working on and will not say much (would rather show you when it is ready) that will definitely be taking up a lot of my time. But a lot of my focus this year will be writing and photography. Now that the word is out, I’m excited for the next chapter in our story.

Last but not least, I incorporated this photoshoot for today’s post specifically because of the monochrome color. I’m feeling quite blue, as you can imagine, but also feel hopeful and at peace. The language of color is powerful and even though this outfit was photographed before MaQ’s passing, it’s ironically fitting for today’s message on the blog. Turquoise is a warmer hue of blue to me, and I found this color to be the best of both worlds when it comes to blue. Exactly like how I’m feeling: conflicted with mixed emotions, both good and bad. As always, you can shop the look down below or towards the end of this post. I want to thank everyone who has reached out the past month. This has been one of the hardest moments of my life and the friends who always have my back, your love, and support… there are no words. I’m just forever grateful.

LOVE & XX’S,

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Satin, Leather, Denim and Springbok

October 31, 2017

WEARING: SATIN ROSES SILK DRESS WITH DENIM SLEEVES & COLLAR | 
NA-KD FASHION WORN OUT LEATHER JACKET | GENUINE PEOPLE BELL BOTTOM CROP JEANS | VVA 
CARLINA YELLOW CROSSBODY BAG | GUESS CARRIE BLACK SATIN PUMPS

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY SATIN ROSES CLOTHING.

Happy Tuesday and Happy Halloween, everyone! Today's post is dedicated to the art of layering. With fall in full swing, one of my favorite ways to continue wearing spring/summer pieces is by incorporating them into my autumn wardrobe. A great example is this featured piece on the blog today, a white satin dress with denim sleeves and collar. Normally this would be perfect to wear during the warmer seasons, but from the moment I laid eyes on this Satin Roses piece, I wanted to show you how you can style a dress like this from your closet and straight into your fall collection. It's easy as 1-2-3!

Satin Roses was launched in 2016 by designer Amanda Kamhawy. After finishing her education in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology, Kamhawy began to focus on her own line that she had been envisioning since the age of seven. Inspired by something that women of all sizes can wear and feel great in came Satin Roses. In her quest to always give back, 10% of proceeds benefit will go to charity. Based in New York City, I had met Amanda last month at her preview collection held at the W in Union Square. I was immediately struck by the materials and shapes being used in her designs. Mesh, lace, faux-leather, satin, and more, it's very trendy but also has a decadent, luxurious quality and timeless staple to the collection.

I love the details of the white denim from this mostly-satin white dress. The blush-pink buttons down the front complement with the feminine touch of overall satin. To stay with the material, I paired the dress with black satin heels from Guess. But instead of wearing the dress by itself or with tights, I love layering these type of slip dress with a pair of jeans. These bell-bottom crop jeans by Genuine People is perfect for someone like me who is petite and short. The jeans help elongate my legs and with the heels, it definitely gives me the height I need!

To keep warm, I wore a long-sleeved bodysuit inside the satin dress and wore a leather jacket as outerwear. And then, to give a final balance and finished look, I wore this springbok bag tightly as a crossbody. It's a definite trend, which you will see much more in the next year. What do you guys think of this edgy, feminine fall look? Want to see more of Satin Roses Clothing and the collections? Go here to check it out!

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

Satin Roses Clothing Silk Dress with Denim Sleeves & Collar

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Off to the Races

April 24, 2017

WEARING: ECHTEGO LACE DRESS | GUESS CARRIE BLACK SATIN PUMPS | 
BOOHOO MOCK CROC CLUTCH BAG

Do you guys remember the 'elevator' shoot from a few weeks ago? (Post link here.) If not, let me jog your memory. It was an editorial shoot with a navy blue dress by a great Korean designer, Sungmin Shim, for Echtego. I discovered her from a new showroom, Dreams On Air (DoA) here in New York City and was immediately attracted toward her style and collection. I love her designs so much, today's post is focusing on another beautiful piece from her 'Sentimental Vengeance' collection. And I will be telling you why I had to style this statement dress, not only because of it's aesthetic-gorgeousness.

I love when an object, whether a piece of clothing, a photograph, or a musical instrument can bubble certain memories/feelings toward the surface. It might be nostalgia or melancholy, perhaps both, with a tinge of hope, joy or fear (eek), but what I find so wonderful is its (objects) power to evoke sentiments we wouldn't have otherwise. And when I saw this black and white lace dress, it immediately drew me to my passion for Classical music. (Check out this dedicated post solely on that here!) You guys know I live for opera, but my first love when it comes to music is the Classical stuff. It's been in my life since my figure skating days, but something about the way it made me feel as I listened to it brought my attention to study it and learn from it. Nowadays, it's one of my main choices in music to listen to while writing. It keeps me centered and relaxed. Plus I just really love it. I just find it so incredible how an instrument can make you feel things you wouldn't feel from anywhere else, or with anyone else. Do I have any Classical music lovers out there?!

I used to go to the opera and the philharmonic like it was my religion, but I honestly haven't had the time to do so in a few years. Plus, I don't know many people (my age) that are as into it as I am. And that's perfectly fine, but damn I miss the hell out of it! And how lovely would this dress be for a night out for something like that? But I also think this dress also works well for the office or even attending a wedding! The tiny striped trim on the sides gives the lace dress a little bit more of a chill factor, as in easy and cool to wear. But I would really want to wear to this while doing something more on the fancier side. I feel confident and sexy in this number, so why not do something a bit more fun than just hitting the office in it? Have a great week, guys! :)

LOVE & XX'S,

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Cami Over Shirt Trend

October 21, 2016

WEARING: DRESS LILY LEATHER BIKER JACKET | REFUGE GREEN SILK LACE CAMI TOP | 
FOREVER 21 WHITE T-SHIRT | BDG JEANS | PAPERCHASE BLACK SATIN CHOKER | 
MADORA BLACK CROSSBAG W/ GREY POM POM | RAY BAN EYEGLASSES | MADORA METALLIC PUMPS

This post is sponsored by Madora & Dress Lily. All opinions are my own.

Madora is a really great iPhone shopping app where you can easily shop for shoes, bags, and accessories with amazing discounts. Once I downloaded the app, I was immediately drawn to the favorites list. By taking pictures of an item you want and uploading them to the app, Madora will suggest similar items from its stock of more than 30,000 products at an affordable price. This will help the app recognize your style and will suggest other items you might like. How groovy is that?!

The app is easily accessible and fun to navigate through. I did, however, have a bit of a delay when it came to delivery, even though they offer free shipping and free returns. Not too much of a wait so I can't say it was for too long. About a week more than expected, and well worth it! I got a beautiful black cross body bag with a grey pom-pom and a stunning pair of metallic silver snakeskin pumps. I loved my pieces so much, I've partnered with Madora to do a giveaway for you guys!

GIVEAWAY

Madora has generously offered to give one of my followers a $50 gift card to shop their amazing collection. All you have to do is follow Suzanne Spiegoski on Instagram (like the corresponding picture for this post) and follow Madora. This contest will end on Sunday, October 23rd, at midnight EST. I will announce the winner sometime on Monday on my Instagram account, so be sure to keep an eye out for a direct message from me if you enter this contest. Good luck, everyone!

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my experience with Madora. You definitely should give them a try and down the app! It's easy as 1-2-3, and a whole lot of fun while shopping online. :) A couple of extra side notes: insert newly obsessed perfecto jacket by Miranda & Mocha: You can get it from here and yes, I sometimes wear eyeglasses. I'm actually required by law to wear 'em while driving. To get a similar pair of Ray-Ban's like the ones I have, go here.

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

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The Crème de la Crème

July 18, 2016

WEARING: F21 GRAPHIC TEE | HOLLISTER CO. RIPPED DENIM MINI-SKIRT |

VINTAGE BLACK SATIN RIBBON | THE SAVVY HEART NECKLACE | BLACK BANDANA PAISLEY

My intentions today were to delight you in a wonderful new gastronomy recipe, but it was one of those Monday's where some things just didn't work in my favor. Especially this morning. After mistakingly thinking Windfall Farms (where I get edible flowers) was stationed at the Union Square Farmer's market on Monday's, I quickly came to realize they were only there on Wednesdays and Saturdays. So I went with plan B, looking for other gourmet-type of grocery stores (I mean, you can't find anything on the island of Manhattan, right?!) that had available edible flowers. I've been wanting to incorporate them into my dishes not just for taste, but also for styling/plating. I searched through several Whole Foods where at my last one, and my FIFTH store, I called before heading over because of the heat. I thought it was my lucky day! They had a few left and they were going to hold them for me! Win! No. When I arrived to customer service where they had told me to pick up my reserved flowers, the poor woman's face immediately changed when I told her what I was there for. She informed me that the second the guy got off the phone with me and went to go get the flowers to hold them for me, someone had already grabbed them in the store! WHAAAAAAA! I walked over 20 blocks to get them. So I may not have a new recipe for you, but I'm tanner and not getting fatter so there is truth to always staying positive! Ha ha ha!

Since I had such an awesome response from my 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' story, I wanted to share a little more on the subject, like this crème de la crème graphics tee I've had over the years from Forever 21. When it comes to a lot of pieces from my closet, they've been around. Ha! Of course, I love updating staple pieces but I'm a little bit of a secret hoarder! I just can't throw any of my clothes out! I can't even give them away, which I've been doing a lot of this year, in terms of cleaning out my closet (sorry for the Eminem phrase). But I'm like Carrie in the episode where Aidan has moved in and she has to make room for his stuff, which proves to be rather challenging for her. This is exactly me! I just can't bear to part from any of my clothes. Why? I think it's because I get my clothes from all sorts of places and they carry memories and special meanings within them. Like the Hollister Co. ripped denim mini-skirt? I fell hard in 'em with my first love while in college. And while I still wear them because not only do they still fit, but because more importantly, they're a reminder of who I was and who I still am today.

Like most other girls, I've really been into the 90s comeback vibes lately, especially in the last year. I'm all for chokers, platform shoes and gothic emo looks. When I collaborated with The Savvy Heart almost a year ago, I was immediately drawn to their flair & style. They were one of the first brands I worked with when embarking my journey into the world of blogging. The black satin ribbon I'm wearing around my waist as a belt? This is the exact same 'belt' I wore when I married my husband! I love wearing satin, and when I wear this one in particular, I can't help but feel closer to my boo. Wearing it makes me all mushy, but I don't care, I love how I feel wearing it! And that's what really matters when it comes to what you put on.

Coming up this week? Definitely my gastronomy post, recipe included, you know I'm all on it! Wish I could give you a clue, but for this one I'm keeping it a surprise. I also have another anniversary coming up, my very first 'blogversary'! I will be doing a special giveaway, along with a post reflecting from the past year, so keep your eye peeled! Lastly, I'd love to hear some of your shared memories with pieces of clothing in your closets! Comment down below. Thanks for stopping by! We hope everyone has a wonderful, 'cool' week! :)

Photos by: Suzanne Spiegoski (Self-Portrait)