Shaken Not Stirred

WEARING: ROMWE BLACK HALTER BACKLESS CUT OUT SLIT DRESS |
TOBI STRAIGHT SHOT STATEMENT NECKLACE | BRIAN ATWOOD SATIN POINTED TOE PUMPS

---

Happy Friday! With Halloween only three days away, we're excited to share our costumes for this year! Every year we come up with a theme where me and my boys dress up for a family photo-op. It's always so much fun and we never grow tired of this holiday. I know some of you might think you're too 'old' for Halloween, but to me, you're never too old to dress up and have a good ole' time with your loved ones. And who doesn't love a treat or two? Perhaps you're more of a trickster. 

This year's theme is my husband's favorite character in books and film, 007 Special Agent James Bond. Okay, maybe a close runner-up to Simon Templar but he's an obsessed fan. I can relate. Ever since I saw my first Bond film I was immediately struck by the agent's dangerous and lavish life. I'm fascinated seeing and/or reading different parts of the world through the eye's of Ian Fleming. And his depictions of many stories. Whether it's through action-fighting scenes trying to save the world or falling so madly in love with a person who is unattainable, the world of Bond is a dreamy one. An escapism to the impossible, but strangely enough is.

So when we think of Bond, what comes to mind? No, I'm not 'cool' enough to fit an Aston Martin in a studio, ha ha! But signature accessories, if you will? A vodka martini, a killer tux and a girl. And not just any girl. A Bond girl. What's a Bond girl then? To me, they're not just physically beautiful women that only bring sex appeal to the story, but mysterious creatures offering much more. Style, power, wit and intelligence. A worldly traveler. A stupendous side kick. The love of your life. 

For MaQ we used styrofoam balls as the olives, covering them in green acrylic paint and red felt for the pimento part of the olive. We then held the styrofoam balls with a wooden stick as the garnish holder and completing his look with a clear collar (dog cone) as the martini glass. Isn't MaQ the cutest vodka martini you've ever seen?! I think I'm going to receive a payback of some kind after what I've done. ;) You can shop similar items down below to make your very own martini for your dog!

Are you guys big on dressing up for Halloween? What about dog costumes? (If you missed our 'X-Files' themed costume from last year, check it out here.) Got a trick or treat recipe you're just dying to share? Check out my 'Frankenstein' popcorn here. We'd love to hear what you and your family are planning to be and/or do this holiday. Coming next on the blog: A feature interview I've been so excited to share will finally be up and ready to view! Can't wait! Get all the behind the scenes in the next few days by tuning into my Instagram Stories and/or SnapChat! Have a great weekend, everyone. :)

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE MARTINI

SHOP THE LOOK

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

OTHER SIMILAR POSTS

Our Thanksgiving Spread

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your day was filled with warmth, love & full bellies! I am thankful for every day. Every sunrise or sunset I get to see makes me filled with gratitude. However I'm thankful most for my husband, Gilles and our fur baby, MaQ. They are my family and without them I'm not sure where I would be today. Their love makes each day worth getting up for. I love these two more than anything else in the world. Thank you both for always having my back.

Today's post is all about my cook-a-thon from yesterday's feast! I've been cooking our turkey's for the past 7 years and I must admit, this year's turkey was the best yet! I got a decent-sized bird to last us for days, just shy of 14 pounds! I panicked the first time I handled a turkey. The idea of cooking the darn thing was intimidating enough, let alone preparing all the side dishes and appetizers, cocktails, etc. Secondly, I was honestly grossed out. But now, with persistent practice in the kitchen, I prep faster and with more confidence, therefore with much more ease. It's a breeze now and I relish the idea of cooking a 20+lber one day, ha ha! This year was also the first time where I never felt overwhelmed! My cooking skills are improving, and I'm so happy to share with you my progress thus far! Here are a few tricks of the trade I've learned from the many Thanksgiving dinners I've made in the past years:

ALWAYS PREP IN ADVANCE! I can't tell you how many times I was that dingdong who'd rush to the market on the day of Thanksgiving. BAD Suz! BAD. Life is continuously hectic in New York, and I never could seem to manage to prepare anything beforehand and made everything on the actual day! This year in particular, I bought everything I needed the day before. Lol. I also made the pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Eve, which definitely helped take off a little pressure from all the cooking on the day of.

BUTTER, BUTTER & MORE BUTTER. What's the secret to French cooking? That's right, folks, the more the better. If you want your turkey to have a super moist, rich taste, the key is where you put the butter. I like to season mine first with a variety of herbs & seasonings, then take the mixture and place it under the skin. The trick is to not to rip the entire skin off though. I will poke a hole through each end on both sides, and will especially be generous with the butter when it comes to the breast. I put most of the butter in this section because this part of the turkey has a tendency to be the most dry.

COVER TURKEY WITH FOIL. Remove the foil when there is only 1 hour left to finish cooking the bird. This is the time to baste the turkey from the cooked juices, I usually try to do this every 10-15 minutes (for an hour), giving it a nice brown on the skin. Doesn't it look delicious?!

USE UNFLAVORED DENTAL FLOSS TO TIE THE LEGS. It's easy to remove and even easier to tie if you have an extra pair of hands. (Thanks, hubby bear for the awesome teamwork!) I'm not sure what everyone else uses, but I've been using this method for years and it's never failed to secure them tightly!

A VARIETY OF SIDES GOES A LONG WAY. Some of my favorite trimmings are mashed potatoes and stuffing (or dressing as the South calls it). I could literally survive on the stuff! But you never know who's going to show up, so it's a good thing to mix it up and try different and new recipes. I also made my version of candied yams & apples, which is on the sweeter side comparatively to the other dishes. Salad is also a great starter. I mixed mine with mushrooms, red & yellow peppers, onion, cucumbers, tomatos and shredded carrots. I also will normally have some kind of bread at the table but I totally forget about it in the photo! Last are the cranberry sauce and green beans which are always winners.

HOW TO GET THE FLUFFIEST MASHED POTATOES. A whisk! Just whip those taters up like you're whisking eggs and it'll be the airiest potatoes of your life! Secret's also in the right amount of butter and milk. Don't forget the salt too!

APPEARENCE DOES COUNT. Any kind of decorative effort brings liveliness to a place/setting. Whether it's flowers, funky-looking squash and pumpkins, or a fabulous table runner, I try to keep the spread looking simple yet appealing. Plus, you'll still have all your decorations after which will still keep your place looking fun and festive, unless you like to jump into Christmas right away.  :)

What are some of your favorite tricks for Thanksgiving dinners? Favorite sides? What about your least favorite dish you still come across? Like fruitcake during Christmas? Ha ha! Have a safe rest of your Black Friday and enjoy the Holiday weekend! <3

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Trick or Treat!

I WANT TO BELIEVE.

Happy Halloween everyone!!! Every year, my husband and I do our annual costume tradition where we come up with a different concept/theme. Last year, he opted out on playing dress up and only took photos of MaQ and I being Cowboy & Indian. But not this year!

Because I've been an avid fan of The X-Files since the tender age of 12, and the fact that the series is coming back this January (I can hardly contain myself), I knew we HAD to be Fox Mulder & Dana Scully! Do you likes our FBI badges? We even put our own photo in the badge, ha ha! Nerds... I have to admit- being a redhead is actually kind of fun! I'm digging the shorter-length, perhaps it's time for a haircut?

I went all out trying to capture Scully's essence as best as I could. I wore a cross necklace like she did throughout several seasons in the show, wore nude-colored pantyhose with black heels and everything!. Plus being an FBI agent is totally bad-ass. Come on, you know it is! And who got to be a little green man this year? Yep, MaQ the Martian, is out and about and on the loose! Lock your doors and hide your 'Samantha's' - we're coming for you tonight! ;)

Have fun and be safe trick-or-treating tonight. Check out all of our photos below, and remember...

TRUST NO ONE. And, THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE.

Ha ha ha ha!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

P.S. No animal was harmed during this photo shoot. The guns are just prints on paper. :)

Shark Attack!

WEARING: ANIMAL HEARTED 'PAWS' TANK TOP | TOP PAW™ PET HALLOWEEN SHARK COSTUME

Duh nuh. Duh nuh. Duh nuh duh nuh...

I love Halloween, and what I love even more is dressing MaQ up in all sorts of absurdities. Last year we were Cowboy & Indian. I have several ideas for this year, but have yet to make a final decision. To get into the Halloween spirit, I decided to play around with a tank top I got from Animal Hearted with the word 'PAWS' on it, a hilarious reference to the movie, 'Jaws'.

I am actually terrified of sharks, finding them to be one of mankind's most primitive and powerful creatures on Earth, I'm like that African American woman who made a video that went viral about the growing concerns of shark attacks. "When you go to the beach, go to the beach. Not the ocean! That's home to the sharks." Don't get me wrong, I love the ocean. I love to boogie board. I love the taste of salt. BUT, I'm now more aware of it. So instead, we played with sharks on dry land (and with one land shark in particular)... !

Look at my baby shark! Isn't this the cutest shark dog costume?! We found this one at PetSmart when we went looking for something that would go with my 'PAWS' tank top. Here we are together, having the grandest time. Photo shoots are never a dull moment with this guy. ::: Heart Literally Melting :::

What I love about Animal Hearted is their apparel and gifts save animals! 25% of proceeds from every order go directly to help animals in need. What a win-win for everyone! I love this clothing company! Check them out at www.animalhearted.com for all their adorable products!

I have to say it's a kinda hard finding dog outfits for a XXL dog like MaQ who is about 100lbs! Even somewhere like here in NYC, the majority of doggy costumes are intended for smaller sized ones. But dang it! My pooch likes to play dress-up just as much as his mommy! ;)

Yup. You heard it here first. Sharkies playing against other sharkies. Only in different forms. LOL! MaQ is always such a trooper with these kind of shoots. I think he just loves spending time with me just as much as I love spending time with him! Or maybe he does, in fact, enjoy being ridiculed... tee-hee!

Whoops! The costume came undone while playing. I love adding candid shots with portrait shots to make it more engaging. They're like behind the scene shots, where you can see what's going on during a shoot. With us, they're always so much fun and a pleasure to do!

Clearly, we never have an entertaining time. This fella makes me smile every single day and just for that, I'm grateful for every day spent with him. You betcha #iflmdog! ♡♡♡

Looking for a dog photographer? Or need some pet portraits done? How about a fun Halloween shoot like this one? Please go to my Contact page for further details on how to reach me!

Are you a dog costume company that carries much larger sizes for dogs like MaQ? We NEED to link up! Want to suggest your ideas on what our Halloween costumes should be this year? We would LOVE to hear from you! Like, share and/or comment below.

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

SHOP THE LOOK