Monstera Deliciosa

MONSTERA DELICIOSA, SELF-PORTRAIT SERIES, AUGUST 30TH, 2016.

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PHOTOS BY: © Suzanne Spiegoski 

When it comes to my work in self-portraiture I rarely if ever photograph myself in the nude, let alone publicly show any of the photographs. Self-portraits are not easy to do, in fact, it's the most challenging subject I have ever had. Well, so far... we'll see if that'll ever change. ;) But the more involved I become in the torrid affair that is - one with the camera, the more open I am in the relationship. When I first started 'dating' the camera, I was always so anxious to start clicking away. Now, don't get me wrong. I still get that feeling to this day. But there's a more calm formality to it now. With time and effort, a shitload of patience, and experience, I've learned quite a bit. But that shouldn't stop there. Never stop learning. 

This past year has been all about taking risks, good and bad, perhaps even downright ugly when I come to think of it. But the more chances I've taken, the more rewards I've been given. Does it have anything to do with money? No. Vanity purposes? Not at all. To me, self-portraiture is all about the relationship you have with yourself and with the camera. To know oneself is to know many, in my belief. What better way to know how to photograph anyone or anything? No, not every photographer does self-portraits, and they shouldn't have to nor need to be a good photographer, but it's a wonderful path to self-discovery and in my opinion, one of the best forms of self-expression. Being first and foremost a writer, there are sometimes feelings... stories... concepts that I cannot put down in words. With photography being my other medium, it aids me in releasing vulnerabilities I didn't even know were there. 'A picture is worth a thousand words', and sometimes the image of a subject can convey its meaning or essence more effectively than a description does. I get the best of both worlds as someone in the arts. I'm very fortunate to be able to do what I do. And I never forget it.

Lastly, today I had the immense pleasure and honor of interviewing the wonderful Henry Leutwyler at his studio in downtown Manhattan. He is a wonderful photographer with a new book coming out this Fall that'll I'll be writing about on the blog! I can't wait to share my experience with Henry and his amazingly talented work. You are going to be blown away! Just utterly spectacular. I'm so excited about this story! Stay tuned... in the meantime I'm doing another recipe this week and step-by-step video! It's got a ton of avocados by the way..... :)  

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

OTHER SIMILAR POSTS

How to Create a Bouquet - How to Arrange Flowers

Yesterday's post was all about me and my mother's style intertwined together. As a two-part story, today I'm writing about the perfect gift idea for Mother's Day. And more specifically, how to create a bouquet and how to arrange flowers while doing so! You see, my mother had the green thumb of the family. Growing up as a kid, I had little to no interest in flowers or gardening. I wondered why my mother loved spending so much time in hers.

But now as an adult, I've become more like my mother and have a huge passion for floral work and design. Anything involving plant life, I'm down for. If my mother was still here, my gift to her would be just the two of us creating bouquets and arranging flowers together. She taught me a lot about flowers and so in today's story I'll be giving you a few pointers on how-to's when it comes to DIY!

1. Add two kinds of greenery
2. Fill vase with cold water
3. Grind 2 aspirin pills to easily dissolve in water (did you know that putting in 2 aspirins in any bouquet will keep your flowers alive longer?) Go ahead and sprinkle that magic in!
4. Measure flowers, trim to desired height and place in vase
5. Remove leaves from stems so they aren't in water
6. Fill in empty spots
7. And voila!

You can also check out my YouTube video down below for a full tutorial on how to create a bouquet! Thank you so much, Starbright Floral Design, for your gorgeous, intoxicating flowers! I used white and pink lilies, some Holland tulips, eucalyptus, and purple snap dragons. Want to create your own? Use my discount code 'MaQSuz' to get $10 off your purchase from Starbright!

Please don't forget to subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel!

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

Mother's Day is fastly approaching us and I'm collaborating with Starbright Floral Design for the perfect gift idea to give to all of the momma's of the world; your mother, your baby mama (or mom-to-be). How about instead of ordering bouquets or quickly grabbing them from the market this year, you hand pick and arrange an assorted floral bouquet yourself?! It's thoughtful and straight from the heart - and such a great activity spent with any mother!

Check out my DIY video tutorial, showing how easy (and fun) it is to be working with flowers, including my own bouquet I arranged myself! Want to design your own? Use my discount code 'MaQSuz' to get $10 OFF of your purchase from Starbright Floral Design!

LOVE & XX'S

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Birthday Giveaway

Happy Monday! Last Thursday was my birthday and even though I'm not a huge fan of my birthday, in particular, my husband and I went for dinner at One If By Land, Two If By Sea - voted by The Culture Trip as one the 10 most romantic restaurants in the world. It was amazing. Period.

I have my reasons for being awfully quiet about my birthday. And no, it's not because I'm getting 'older'. I won't even indulge in it, because to me, age is nothing but a number. I may be a certain age but I don't feel a day older than 16! Even though I'm young at heart, I am an old soul and do find it important to keep my personal life private. Which is why I took a six-day break from the blogging world. It's refreshing (and healthy) to embrace some downtime, especially around an occasion such as your birthday. Like reading a book while taking a bath. Enjoying a strong cocktail with a good meal. Or taking a 5-mile stroll through your city just because. Or people-watching (MY FAVE.) I can't help it, I'm a writer. Everyone's got a story to tell and I'm always looking for one.

In light of my birthday, I'm also celebrating with a giveaway! So attention to all the bookworms out there, I'll be hosting an EBook giveaway until April 4th. And it's my first novel! What's it about? A New York City homicide detective, Lily Dietz, who becomes engrossed in the hunt to catch a killer who favors Asian-American women — a category she herself falls into. And here is something that isn't mentioned in the synopsis: I love German shepherd dogs so much I felt compelled to create a dog character in the book, Cuffs, Lily's beloved K-9 working-line GSD. He is her shadow, her confidant, and her best friend. Interested? Cool. Want to read it? Even better! Here are the requirements for participation:

• 18+ years of age (or legal age)
• Resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia
• Must own a Kindle

The first 10 entrants will win a FREE Kindle copy of The Fisherman's Lily! Click HERE to enter. This giveaway will be running until next Monday, April 4th. Don't miss your chance to read my debut novel... on me!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! For more upcoming looks and food & recipes this week, don't forget to subscribe to my site down below! A little hint for what's to come? I'll be doing a Korean-fusion cocktail again, but, this time, it's more suitable for brunch than with any other meal! Hm, any clues? Stay tuned...

LOVE & XX'S

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ!

Happy International Women's Day

“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.”

— Zen Shin

Happy International Women's Day! Ladies, my wish for you all is that we will all be able to live freely and know that you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to! YOU can be anyone you want to be because you're crazy beautiful, smart and amazingly talented in your own right. We are all unique. I love you all, through good and bad because even though we are flawed, this will never take away our self-worth because we all matter! It's what you do is what counts. To each and every day, I hope yours is as wonderful as you are.

So, why do so many women have 'frenemies', then? You know, the women who say they want you to win but deep down, hope you lose. Ick! I can't stand anyone who thinks they're better than someone else for whatever ridiculous reason they've concocted up in their head. I'm a lover, not a hater. I can, within five minutes after meeting someone, tell whether or not they're a genuine person. And no, I'm not always 100% right (because who is) and yes, people still surprise me but in light of taking better care of myself, I've steered clear of anyone who brings any kind of negative or fake vibe. It's such a loss of time and energy. I just can't.

See to me, the community of women is greater than competition. That's the beauty of New York as well. You never know who you're going to meet or what you'll end up doing! But when it comes to some women and their attitude towards their driven career paths, they can very much be 'mean girls'. Which is why last week when I attended a blogger network party, thanks to the wonderful hostesses from Out of Office NY, I was a bit uncertain of what the environment was going to be like and also what kind of women I'd be meeting. But to my pleasant surprise, everyone was so genuine and sweet as cherry pie! I loved how we were all rooting for each other rather than talking behind each other's backs. I'm all for celebrating every woman's success, both in work and in life. I very much look forward to getting to know these fabulous women better and meeting other like-minded bloggers in the future!

Lastly, here are some selected photos from the New York Botanical Garden's desert section. You know what's one of the things on my bucket list? To see the sunrise alone in the desert. There's something completely isolating about it, yet at the same time, overwhelmingly connected to everything. The older I get the more I'm in tune with mother nature. I respect her and admire her. And yes, I am convinced she's female! :) Hope you all enjoyed my favorite photos from the NYBG. (Click source below for all the orchid photos.) Coming up next on the blog is a new food recipe! I'm not telling you what it is, but know I'm sticking to Korean fusion cuisine! Stay tuned...

Love & xx's,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ