Summertime Melancholy

August 3, 2020

WEARING: CRISSCROSS TIE BACK SHIRRED WAIST CROP TOP | FOLD PLEAT WIDE LEG PANTS

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY SHEIN BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

All dressed up with nowhere to go! Sounds about right these days… but I have definitely been enjoying these ‘studio sessions’ of self-portraits at home. It’s not the same as street style photographs, where somewhere like NYC, there’s a million and one locations to go shoot at. But just at home? It’s like a blank canvas and not much noise in the background. My style has evolved into something more minimal and I’ve been loving how I incorporate that into the styled image. So in today’s post, I’m sharing a small series I did over the weekend wearing my new favorite matching set. The dusty purple color has me swooning, along with the quality and fit of the pleat wide leg pants and crisscross crock top. It is quite simple, yet understatedly chic. Just the way I like it. And the price is nice. Less than $40 for the set. Would be cute to mix and match, such as wearing the halter top with jeans or the trousers with a different colored top. You can shop the look throughout this post. Wishing you a lovely and safe week! See you soon, friends. x

LOVE & XX’S,

SHOP THE LOOK

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

New Year Vibe

December 18, 2017

WEARING: NEW VIBE JERSEY DRESS | VENDULA LONDON ROUND FILM BOX CROSSBODY BAG | EGO METALLIC BOOTS

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY NEW VIBE & VENDULA LONDON.

Happy Monday, everyone! Are you ready for the Holidays yet? I can't believe Christmas is in a week! This year has completely flown by... I'm still not done with my holiday shopping yet! But I must confess, I've always been a last minute shopper. I'm also not the biggest fan of this season for a number of reasons, so in today's post, I'm sharing a holiday look that's not your usual glittery gold, silver, red or green colors, but a color more outside the box: Navy Blue! I've been completely obsessed with this color all year, and I just can't get enough of it! I even have some gorgeous navy blue satin sock boots coming in and I'm so geeked up on styling them. Last week's fashion post featured sustainable wear by NEW ViBE, you can check that outfit here, where there are hints of reds to inspire you for a more 'passionate' look for the holidays. The jersey dress in today's post is also made by the same brand. Come take a look at how I styled this dress for a more holiday-inspired look!

You can wear the navy blue jersey dress in a number of ways just like the dress with the red lace, I think it would look adorable with some sparkly tights, should you want to layer it up a little more for those colder temps. Since we chose to shoot indoors, I opted out with the pantyhose and went bare :) I brought in accents of gold from the Gucci belt, rose gold metallic boots, and hoop earrings. The final touch is this amazing yet unusual bag from Vendula London. They make some really unique bag, like this round film box crossbody bag with gold chain. The love the subtle added detail of the negative strip on the strap as well. Very cute and super chic. Go check out more of their bags here!

I'd definitely say this look is not suitable for a black-tie event, but you could definitely wing this for many different kinds of holiday parties, from a friends' get-together to an office party, it's a really great dress to wear for these occasions as well as after. I'd totally layer this with a good pair of jeans and boots with a touch of street style flair with a Vetements belt or a chunky statement earring, well into the winter months. To see more by NEW ViBE, be sure to follow them on Instagram to get on the waitlist for their newest collection. Have a wonderful week! I'll be back soon. xoxo

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

Vendula London Round Film Box Crossbody Bag

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Our First Q&A Episode

October 13, 2017

WEARING: AGNES B GREY FRONT BUTTON SHIRT | PERSOL GLASSES

Hey guys! Welcome back to my blog! And to new visitors... welcome and stick around because you're in for a treat today! Since I've started my blog which was roughly two years ago, I get asked a lot of questions about my dog and what life is like in a big city with him. Whether it's in person or on social media, everyone adores my German shepherd, McQueen... or, what most of you guys know him as: MaQ! There were so many questions to narrow it down to due to time constraint and the desire for wanting to keep a few precious moments private such as when and where we met him, why and how. And even though I like to keep that sort of balance within my personal life, I still wanted to share a few fun facts about my partner in crime. So let's take a look, shall we?

HOW DID HE GET HIS NAME?

McQueen was named after the devastatingly handsome actor, Steve McQueen. Both carry such a look and are equally charismatic, Steve and I even share the same birthday, so it was only natural to give him such a unique name. We call him 'MaQ' for short because of coined phrases like, "Big Mac" and "Mack Daddy". He is quite big and a total ladies man. :)

HOW OLD IS MAQ?

5. In human years, he's technically 35 but still acts like a kid. Young at heart, I suppose. ❤️

FAVORITES?

He just loves to play. If he could have it his way, he'd run me around all day! He's a total ball hog like many GSDs I know, but his favorite game is the toy game, or "identification" game where he can search and find whatever stuffed animal I ask him to go get, and he's got a lot of 'em. I am thinking about doing a video on this because it's just too cute and you'd be impressed with how smart he is on top of how many toys he's spoiled with!

He also love to eat and share food with us. Yes, I'm guilty as charged and am totally that paw-rent who indulges in feeding her pooch table scraps. I can't help it! I don't want him to feel left out, ha ha! I of course only share with him what's healthy and reasonable. But every once in a while you just gotta go for the carbs. We love to share french fries together and his favorite is pizza crust. I love it too but since having MaQ, I give all my crust to him as if it's some kind of ritual between us.

He is never without his "security blanket", or rather, his "Natty" girl. It's a plush stuffed animal monkey and I named her after Natalie Wood, who was one of Steve McQueen's ladies back in the day and they were quite the couple! You should see her in the video from this post, Natty was the size of MaQ when I first got him!

DISLIKES?

Cats. Baths. And the rain.

DOES MAQ HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?

If you looked this good, would you be with only only person? Ha ha ha! He is a total player! You should see him picking up chicks on our walks... both human and canine! He's got a thing for blonds and leggy women. Hey, can ya blame him?

DOES MAQ SLEEP WITH YOU IN BED AT NIGHT?

Honestly? No, he and I like to have our own space. I'm the type that likes to cuddle for about 3 minutes and then I'm good. He's the same, ha ha! What he tends to do most at night is keep watch. He's a good ole' boy and protects the house.

That's it for now! Be sure to come back and see more upcoming Q&A's! Don't forget to watch our episode on YouTube down below and if you have a question you'd like answered about us, leave it in the comment box or find me on social media! Follow me and MaQ on Instagram! Have a great weekend, everyone. We'll see ya back here on Monday!

OUR FIRST Q&A EPISODE!

Happy Friday, guys! Today's video is our very first Q&A with my partner in crime, my German shepherd dog, McQueen (AKA: MaQ)! After receiving a lot of questions about us from our readers, I thought it was finally time to do a sit down and answer some of them! Click to watch!

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

The House of the Angel

September 11, 2017

THE HOUSE OF THE ANGEL

photographer SUZANNE SPIEGOSKI

stylist SUZANNE SPIEGOSKI

hair STACEY PALANCIA

makeup STACEY PALANCIA

model HANJING (ANGEL) ZHENG

Clothing credits

Look 1 Sarah Swann Two-Piece Track Suit

Look 2 deux A White Shirt Dress

Look 3 & 4 Layana Aguilar Black Dress // LELET NY Butterfly Necklace

Look 5 & 6 Floriane Fosso Winter Shearling Coat // LELET NY Silver Earrings & Bobbies

Look 7 Sarah Swann Detachable Green Fur Hood

Look 8 Sarah Swann Grey Marl Coat

Look 9 Forever 21 Burgundy Dress // LELET NY Poppies Wide Headband

Look 10 deux A White Shirt Dress (Styled differently from Look 2)

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Are You a Katie Girl?

August 28, 2017

WEARING: ROMWE WHITE STRIPED SPLIT DRESS | ADORE ME LYANNA TOP |
CLOSET ACCESS MINI ARIA SADDLE BAG | EGO NASH BACKLASS ANKLE BOOTS | 
MOVADO ESPERANZA BRACELET WATCH | FOREVER 21 FISHNET CREW SOCKS

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY EGO SHOES.

THE WORLD IS MADE UP OF TWO TYPES OF WOMEN: THE SIMPLE GIRLS AND THE KATIE GIRLS. I AM A KATIE GIRL. ~ CARRIE BRADSHAW

If you're a SATC fan, I'm sure you know by now what episode Carrie said this in, with who, and why. It all comes down to Hubbel and why Robert Redford didn't end up with Barbara Streisand, or as us girls know her as, Katie... the complicated woman with wild curly hair. “Hello! C-C-C-Curly!!” Not all men, but many would prefer being with a simple girl rather than a Katie girl. Why? She's basic... ordinary... nothing special. She won't challenge you or inspire you or make you want to be a better person, but more so has the talent of keeping things light and well... simple. A definite non-core shaking kind of gal. And there's nothing wrong in that. But men I find to be highly intelligent and sophisticated will eventually grow tired with boredom. Wouldn't you rather find someone who touches your soul? What is the phenomenon of some men wanting to have a more quiet, less intense-filled relationship? Let's take a closer look...

There are a variety of reasons. One is that some men have trouble handling a Katie girl. We're passionate, ambitious, and sometimes yes, wildly difficult. Not because it's cool to be a great deal of maintenance required, but because we have opinions and aren't afraid to stand up for them let alone share them with you. We don't have simple minds and nothing about a Katie girl is basic. Ever see that couple walking down the street where the man is drop dead gorgeous, but not the woman? Now she may not be ugly, even far from it, but there's nothing particularly unique about her. She looks like a dime a dozen, and the personality is the same. An attractive man may prefer being with someone less attractive-looking for the sole purpose of being the better looking one. And because they know this, they too realize that these women will also worship the ground they walk on. They need that sort of validation from this kind of girl as they'd never receive it in the same way with a Katie girl. Plus, a man like this tend to also be extremely insecure or narcissistic, and would also have trouble being with an extremely desirable woman. Just the idea of another man looking at her would piss them off to no end. (Yes, I've been with a guy like this before, and ugh, such a turnoff.)

The other reason comes to down to simplicity. As mentioned before, the easier the relationship is - the happier the guy will be in this situation. No muss, no fuss. But how can you grow with someone that you never disagree with let alone shares any kind of objections with? You think they're going to share their hopes & dreams on top? The same goes for women wanting a Katie guy. Is there anything real in that? But I also think not everyone wants fireworks... complications... difficulties. Most of us hardly have the time to see our friends let alone immerse themselves in an intense relationship as such. And how many times do you encounter a love like that? Once? Maybe twice if you live long enough? I think the key to finding and maintaining a successful healthy relationship is definitely figuring out what you want... what works for you, what doesn't. Because no one is exactly the same.

How do you guys feel about this dynamic? Do opposites really attract, or is it just a disaster waiting to happen? Find out at least, in my opinion. I like to live with no regrets and if making a few mistakes leads me to something great, it's worth looking into right? But only if you're truly into the person. And I mean, TRULY. Lastly, I can't forget to mention a few shout outs with this fun pre-fall look! I'm all about the layering lately so today I matched an Adore Me pajama blouse with a cute summery striped split dress from ROMWE. I love the lavender satin ribbon detail in the back of the blouse, it brings a nice feminine added touch to the overall edgier look. My new backless ankle boots are from Ego Shoes, and they're one of my favorite shoe brands based in the UK! I added fishnet crew socks to complement the layered outfit. And my Movado watch was my mother's, a gift my father once gave her as an anniversary present, and a lesson within itself that you cannot buy back time. Don't forget to check out the entire look by shopping directly down below! You can follow my everyday adventures on Instagram too! And leave those comments down below about how you feel about basic b*tches vs. non-basic b*tches... and/or what you look for in a relationship that works for you :) I hope you all have a great week!