New Favorite Conditioner

Today I tried a new hair conditioner. "The Hair Growth Botanical Renovation Paraben-free Conditioner restores damaged frizz-prone hair and prevents hair breakage by coating and penetrating the hair shaft to create a protective barrier that restores hair and prevents further damage. By smoothing the hair surface it reduces hair knotting and breakage, so hair looks healthy, shiny and easy to manage because of improved elasticity. This Deep Conditioning Formula is based on the understanding of human hair structure and characteristics. It creates a protective barrier, increases mechanical strength of the hair fibers, detangles & restores elasticity, softens dry damages hair, returns shine and enhances thickness, nourishes and defrizzes, and improves color vibrancy with gentle treatment as it helps preserve the brilliance of hair without weighing it down. This deep treatment works to repair and to revitalize the surface of the hair for instant detangling, softness and shine. Designed for weak dull thinning hair, this conditioning treatment leaves hair smooth, healthy and strong with bounce, volume and shine. This ultimate hair conditioning treatment, specially formulated with essential oils and royal jelly extract, intensely replenishes vital moisture while reducing frizz and breakage, and leaves hair supple and free-flowing for ease of styling. The conditioning of this treatment forms a protective layer over the cortex where the cuticle cells have broken away, which provides a secure layer of coating over these rough edges."

I like to do a weekly deep conditioning earlier in the morning before I get the day going, rather than do it at night and getting it all over my pillow. This is going to come across rather strange, but I love the smell your pillow develops from the hair products you use, and call me a weirdo - I do not care, I just really enjoy the scent while sleeping! I do it before the day begins to give the products some time to wear in, so to speak.

This picture (they're all self-portrait by the way) cracks me up because this is how I typically look in the morning before coffee -  makeup free and aloof. I'm that girl who NEEDS her first cup of coffee before having a conversation. I'm not a morning person! Sorry! Ha ha!

I literally jumped in the shower, shampooed my hair with my regular shampoo, then to the fun part, trying the new conditioner! Most conditioners will tell you to leave it in for no longer than 10-15 minutes, but my secret? 30 minutes for any deep conditioning. After snapping a few photos for you to see it in use, I ran to the kitchen, poured myself my first cup of coffee and sat on the couch checking my emails and responding to messages with CNN in the background. My Instagram addiction will also tend to get in. Those 30 minutes went by quick! ;)

The scent of Rose geranium and cinnamon are lovely. The touch of floral with the heavy accent from the spice are complementary to one another. The conditioner is light but coats well into the hair. I liked the fact that it wasn't goopy like some products I've tried in the past.

After 30 minutes, I rinsed the conditioner out before blow-drying my hair, and then finally straightening it. Check out the results! Even after all the heat, my hair still felt and looked hydrated and silky smooth. And with some volume! Mind you - I haven't gotten my hair cut or colored since June! I'm really happy with this product and would recommend it to anyone, but especially those who may be prone to weaker, thinner hair.

Interested in learning more about this conditioner? Click here to direct you to the product available on Amazon. And if you make a purchase, use my 20% Discount Code: 6FI8TI6V

Have a great rest of your Tuesday!

* Please note, I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review.

LOVE & XX'S,

#HairGrowthConditioner

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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

Christmas Coffee Cake

Happy December! During this month every year, I make a delicious coffee cake that I can never get enough of. I was obsessed with this streusel-filled cake, and only this cake, as a child – especially around the Holidays! It's the perfect side with your coffee on Christmas morning, but it's so scrumptious you'll want to have it every single day! It's not exactly the most healthy cake I've ever had, but every once in a while, you just got to treat yourself. With all the running around I need extra calories to burn! :P

Christmas Coffee Cake

Serves 9-12

Ingredients:

Batter:

1 ½ cups AP Flour

¾ cup sugar

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ cup milk

1 egg

Streusel filling:

½ cup brown sugar (packed)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ cup finely chopped nuts

2 Tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 375°F.

2.       Grease 9 -10” springform pan

3.       Mix batter ingredients together, then add only half of the streusel filling in with the batter.

4.       Pour mixture into pan, sprinkle remaining ½ streusel mixture on top

5.       Bake 25-30 minutes. Let the cake sit for 5 minutes before serving.

I used walnuts for my chopped nuts, but you can use a variety of nuts if that's your thing. You can also substitute the butter with shortening, or to make it less fatty, substitute the butter with some applesauce! It's a great trick for those who are wanting a more healthy option when baking a cake!

I used a 10" springform pan to bake the batter in, but you can also use different sized baking pans such as 9x9x2, 8x8x2, or 9 x 1/2 round. From my experience the squarer the pan, the fluffier the cake will be! If you are into making it a more round shape, the cake will be more compact but still as yummy as ever!

Don't be surprised when you want a second (okay, maybe even a third) serving in one sitting! I'm not kidding when I say how truly good this cake is! Not a coffee drinker? This cake also goes perfect with tea or a glass of milk!

You can also add some dried fruit like apricot, cranberry, etc. but I'm not really into it because it reminds me too much of fruitcake, which I am soooo not a fan of! But it's always nice to mix things up!

What are some of your favorite Holiday baking recipes? I love sharing recipes and would love to see your version of a coffee cake! Stay tuned for more baked goodies coming up on the blog this month! Look out for gingerbread cookies and a Matcha pie! Yummy :)

Love & xx's,

maQ + Suz

Sunday Hiking Adventure

To close the long holiday weekend, I took the liberty to stop everything I was doing and to escape the city, even if only for the day. Life has it's unexpected twists and turns in every chapter of a person's story, and since we haven't been able to get away for a while, we just wanted, and more importantly, really needed the break.

Yesterday we went to Harriman State Park, the second largest state park in New York. With over 200 miles of hiking trails, it is a haven for hikers and paradise for dogs! We've been up to Bear Mountain last year and wanted to mix the trail up with a new path, taking the Blue Disc Trail. 

The trail climbs two mountains (!), Almost Perpendicular and Pound Mountain, and passes two major rock formations, Elbow Rush and Claudius Smith Rock. It's crazy, the trail dates back to the 1920s! It wasn't the hardest hike I've ever done but it was steep and all together we trekked around 7 miles! We played with MaQ's Hawaiian Flyer Frisbee, and of course, he chased around one of his Chuck It balls, his ultimate favorite toy. All the exercise was a great way to burn off all the turkey from this weekend. :)

Take a look at our photos from our hiking adventure below! I love when my hubby and I go somewhere because the photo results always speak for themselves, but the making of memories are what are instilled within us forever. And for every day I'm alive, I'm am utterly grateful. And, any time spent with those two hooligans is always a plus! At least to me it is! ;) ♥

How 'bout it, New Yorkers? What are some of your most memorable scenic trails in New York? There's so many to choose from, I know! What are some of your ways of staying fit with all the Holiday food ready to entice you? 

Love & xxs,

maQ + suz 

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