Full Bloom in Central Park

WEARING: AGNES & DORA AUSTEN DRESS | STEVE MADDEN LUXE BLACK OPEN TOE PUMPS | 
FOREVER 21 BLACK BELT | NEW YORK & CO. FLORAL CLUTCH PURSE 

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Well, I've had quite the 'bumpy' morning! As what seemed to be the start to a great week from our last shoot, took it's downward fall earlier today. It's been drizzling rain in New York, but despite the gloomy weather, I took MaQ out for a rollerblading session. Overly cocky, I paid little to no attention to the slippery sidewalks and roads. Only about five minutes in, I was passing through at a crosswalk only to suddenly feel, by instinct, that one, I was going too fast with the wolfie pup (watching too much of GoT, perhaps?!) and two, that my balance was slightly off when taking a small hop off a ramp. Yup. I totally and completely fell flat on my ass (well, tailbone if we want to get really technical). I'm fine, but what I'm mostly left with is a bruised ego. I was so embarrassed! But, like a typical Spiegoski, I got up and brushed myself off and kept the F&CK going. Because that's what you gotta do. And yes, those figure skating days have trained me to be mentally strong. I guess it wasn't for nothing. Nothing is, am I right?

Now, let's talk about the dress. Because it's stunning. Because it's so comfortable. Because it's wedding season and this Austen Dress from Agnes & Dora is the PERFECT summer dress!  I love adding pieces to every season that can be staples in your closet, only to trickle down from these pieces with accessories and other styles of clothing. With this dress and my petite size, I wore a thick black belt from Forever 21 to give more of a Coca-Cola bottle figure. The belt definitely brings more shape to my teeny-tiny figure. To continue elongating my silhouette, I wore 5-inch heels from Steve Madden with an open-toe. This brings more height to a shortie like me. And lastly, to add a little sparkle to the look, I carried my New York & Co. floral clutch purse I've had since I was in college! I always try to preserve/keep sentimental pieces in my collection. It makes me feel special and is a reminder of who I am and where I come from. What are some of your favorite pieces like this in your closet? 

Coming up on the blog this week: a new food/cooking recipe that I'm totally excited to share with you! I'll also be doing another cocktail recipe as well, so stay tuned! There's a lot of upcoming stories/posts in the next few months that I cannot wait to just share with you guys, but to tell them, relive them, and to experience them with you all. Until next time, enjoy the editorial video I made from this look down below! Please don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!

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photos + videography by Gilles Decamps | director, editing, styling, hair + makeup by Suzanne Spiegoski

The concrete jungle is in full bloom! Here is my sixth editorial video, shot in Central Park, New York City, New York. This week's video is inspired by chic, Parisian, style and springtime in New York, which to me, is the ultimate, most romantic time of the year in the city.

To shop the look, please continue below.

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

Lessons Learned in 2 Years of Marriage

You might start reading this blog post with a lingering 'ICK' in the back of your mind. But this isn't one of those entries where I'm going to go on and on about how wonderful marriage is or how blessed my life has become, now that we're husband and wife. I'm not one to fabricate - so this all all about keeping it real and remaining true to myself.

If any married couple wants to argue their relationship doesn't have it's ups and downs, all the while claiming they're 100% always happy with one another, then they're telling you a BIG FAT LIE. Don't get me wrong. I madly love my husband; with every fiber of my being. This doesn't mean I don't want to ring his neck simultaneously! Love is pain. And pain is love. Marriage isn't always easy. Think about it. You're making the ultimate commitment to another person. You're flawed. They're flawed. At some point, you're bound to come across some bumps in the road, even a cul-de-sac (or so it feels like at the time) every now and then, which can be downright frightening. Just because you love someone doesn't mean they can't disappoint you or let you down, or disagree with you or call you out on your bullshit. Some days feel like it'll never be right. But at the end of each day, if you both love each other, no matter what circumstances or obstacles life wants to throw our way, we're in this together. Just because you're on a sinking ship doesn't mean you need to bail. (Hello, Jack and Rose from Titanic!) Because for better or for worse, we are in it for the long haul. If that's not dedication toward another living soul, I don't know what is.

A week ago was our 2 year anniversary. I would've done a post earlier or on the actual day if my life wasn't so crazy at the moment. We still haven't even had a chance to celebrate because life has really gotten in the way lately. And with the past week, especially with so much chaos going on in the world, I still feel the need to fight against hate with acts of love. Whether they are in real life or down on paper, or in a blog post, I still and always have felt the urge to share some of the life lessons I've learned from my journey thus far. So here's a few lessons I've learned in 2 years of marriage.

Lessons Learned in 2 Years of Marriage

• Always stay true to you. Sure, it's not about you anymore. And if you mix in children (furry or non-furry), it becomes less and less about you. This doesn't mean you should lose yourself in the process now that you are married. Be your own individual. Have your separate group of friends, your own thing, whether it's a career, or a hobby, or time-spent volunteering or getting in your workout fix. Just do it because you love to. Don't take it for granted or push it aside because (e.g; there's only 24 hours in a day, or whatever excuse you want to conjure ), life is too short to completely base your life on someone else. It is truly good to have your own time by yourself and in the process, remain true to yourself and to have your own identity.

• Compromising is KEY. This can be challenging for my husband and I at times because we are both extremely opinionated, passionate and stubborn people. And when one partner is angry or upset by the other, it can be difficult to come to some sort of agreement. We always eventually do, but the longer I've been married, the more I'm starting to see that the sooner a compromise can be reached, the sooner you can move on from it. You have to keep the ebb and flow of life constantly moving. And it saves a lot of time and grief arguing over something that's usually not very important and actually quite silly.

Constant and open communication. This kind of goes with compromising because without talking to one another, neither of you are going to get very far! And if talking means shouting, yelling, screaming, or anything non-positive, this will also get you nowhere. You have to be able to sit down like two adults and talk things through, no matter how much you don't want to. The lines of communication (along with the compromise) have to be a two-way street, where you meet somewhere in the middle and work it out.

Focus on the good, not the bad. While it's easy to get caught up in what you find annoying, frustrating or irritating in your partner's flaws, try to remind yourself in the good qualities they carry instead. Don't just say, 'ugh, he sips everything through his teeth and I find it to be the most unnerving habit!' but rather, "yeah he sips through his teeth, but I adore him for making me coffee every morning." I find it that the more you're worrying about what is bothersome in your partner, you'll only become more in tune to whatever it is that's bugging you and you will start to mirror the bad habit! Everyday is a choice of how to look at your partner. And it should only be with loving, adoring thoughts - no matter how hard it may seem. Even on those absolutely terrible days.

Make time for just the two of you. Living in one of the most competitive cities in the world, it's challenging enough to work and thrive let alone maintain a social life. This should never be an excuse not to be able to sit down and plan for some quality time. Just you and him. (Or you and her ha ha!) It doesn't have to be extravagant, luxurious or even extraordinary. It's the two of you embracing one another, conversing with one another, sharing a moment together in time, because you're not alone. It can be just staying in and watching really bad prime time television, all the while joking together about it, snacking down on some tasty treats and spending whatever time is left together. Because you never will know when you're time is up.

Take a road trip together if you haven't already. To me, this is a milestone in your relationship, like when you two first moved in together. If you can survive through the experience and actually enjoy your time together with something like that, then you can pretty much get through anything. It's not a day trip kind of thing, but something that's going to take you at least a week to do. We did take a road trip before we got married and were only engaged. We drove from New York to Michigan for one of my close girlfriend's wedding and to see some relatives. It's one of those journeys together as a couple where you really see the person for who they are. And we both loved every single minute of it. We still laugh from those memories until tears are rolling down our cheek. 

Always love. This seems easy right? Did you forget we're human? We may want to love 100% of the time, but we all have insecurities and pockets of anger, moments of sadness, pure despair. Even in those tickles of annoyances, you're probably not filled with only loving thoughts. Always try to remember, no matter what your partner is going through, if they're not intentionally hurting anyone or themselves, then love them with everything you have. It is the most courageous and powerful act of all. And I know for some you will find this way too cheesy, but I do too believe that love conquers all.

Until next time, be well my friends. Take care of each other. And take care of yourself.

Gilles, my sweet darling- I love you. To infinity and beyond.

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

P.S. - Many many thanks to our dear friends & photographers, Gary Calderwood & Agnes Fohn for our wedding photos! We love you! xoxo

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