Angela Roi Handbags

March 18, 2017

WEARING:

LOOK 1: ZAFUL ARMY GREEN WOOL BLEND MASCULINE COAT | FRAME DENIM VEST | 
ANGELA ROI JULES BUCKET BAG | SHOEDAZZLE FAUX LEATHER LEGGINGS | 
STEVE MADDEN BLACK ANKLE BOOTS

LOOK 2: H&M OFF-THE-SHOULDER DRESS | BETSEY JOHNSON CHUBBY FAUX FUR COAT | 
UNIQLO HEATTEACH TURTLENECK | ANGELA ROI DARK GREEN MORNING CROSSBODY BAG

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY ANGELA ROI & ZAFUL.

Happy Saturday, friends! A couple of months ago I styled two outfits with Angela Roi handbags as a part of their Urban Model campaign, and I'm so thrilled to share the complete shoot with you! Angela Roi is a New York-based ethical luxury handbag brand, using premium animal-friendly materials and working closely with artisans to craft their handbags. Every sale supports mistreated animals with ASPCA. As a major animal lover, this brings me such joy knowing a brand is doing great work on top of their high-quality craftsmanship!

The first look features a modern workday lady boss vibe. The Zaful wool coat brings a good touch of masculinity to any kind of look and is perfect for the office and even a laid-back dinner with your girlfriends. I'm also obsessed with the fit and color of the coat, I've been wearing it since NYFW! I love how this casual outfit can go from day to night as well. The Angela Roi Jules Bucket Bag goes amazing with so many looks and is wonderful for those long days where you need to fit your essentials into just one bag. I think it's also super trendy for the fashionable mommies! The bag is not only stylish but efficient in size and space.

The second look is a bit more feminine with a bohemian edge. I've worn this dress in the past, (blog post here) but it was more into the season of spring. In this look, I wanted to showcase my favorite form of styling – layers, layers, and more layers. It's a great way to continue wearing seasonal pieces all year-round like slip dresses as this one. I paired it with an Uniqlo Heattech turtleneck to stay warm along with black tights and a fuzzy faux fur coat. My favorite color combination in the recent years is pink and green. How gorgeous is the Morning Crossbody bag?! They have a variety of colors too if you're into more rich, vibrant colors. Shop the two looks down below! Have a lovely weekend! :)

photos by: Arthur C. Hauser

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOKS

Zaful Army Green Wool Blend Masculine Coat

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Korean Coq Au Vin

March 17, 2017

Happy Friday and Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Kiss me, I'm Korean (and Polish)! ;)

In light of the 'blizzard' this week here in NYC, we got lucky. Expecting over 2 feet turned over to only about a foot and the conditions were mostly icy with frigid temps! I bet a lot of you are looking forward to spring just as much as I am! With a snow day on our hands midweek (seriously everything was closed, from schools to banks... even Starbucks!), I cooked up more of a fall/winter dish that I've been dying to make. A well known French dish, I also wanted to put a twist on it and created a Korean Coq au vin.

DOWNLOAD RECIPE

Korean Coq Au Vin

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

24 to 30 pearl onions
4 chicken thighs and legs, or 1 (5 to 7-pound) stewing chicken
¼ to ½ c AP flour
2 Tbsp water
6 ounces bacon, chopped
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp butter
2 bottles red wine, preferably pinot noir or cabernet
2 Tbsp Gochujang
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, quartered
2 medium carrots, quartered
3 cloves garlic, crushed
6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken stock

Directions:

Preheat oven to 245 degrees F.

Cut off the root end of each pearl onion and make an "x" with your knife in its place. Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop in the onions for 1 minute. Remove the onions. Allow them to cool, and then peel. You should be able to slide the onions right out of their skin. Set aside.

Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the chicken pieces, a few at a time, into a large sealable plastic bag along with the flour. Shake to coat all of the pieces of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the bag to a metal rack.

Add the 2 tablespoons of water to a large, 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat along with the bacon. Cover and cook until the water is gone, and then continue to cook until the bacon are golden brown and crispy, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the salt pork from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, using the remaining fat, add the pearl onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté until lightly brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside. Next, brown the chicken pieces on each side until golden brown, working in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan. Transfer the chicken into a 7 to 8-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven.

Add the mushrooms to the same 12-inch sauté pan, adding the 1-tablespoon of butter if needed, and sauté until they give up their liquid, approximately 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Pour off any remaining fat and deglaze the pan with approximately 1 cup of the wine. Pour this into the Dutch oven along with the chicken stock, tomato paste, gochujang, quartered onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Add all of the remaining wine.

Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Maintain a very gentle simmer and stir occasionally.

Once the chicken is done, remove it to a heatproof container, cover, and place it in the oven to keep warm. Strain the sauce in a colander and remove the carrots, onion, celery, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Return the sauce to the pot, place over medium heat, and reduce by 1/3. Depending on how much liquid you actually began with, this should take 20 to 45 minutes.

Once the sauce has thickened, add the pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon and cook for another 15 minutes or until the heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, remove from the heat, add the chicken and serve.

*Tips: If you want to do it overnight, just do everything up to putting the chicken in the oven. That part is for the next day :) The longer you marinate, the better the flavor! xo

Coq au vin is a French dish of chicken braised with wine, lardons, mushrooms, and optionally garlic. What are we talkin' bout here, optional?! I LOVE garlic so hell YES you best put those bad boys in with the rest of the ingredients! So what's the Korean twist? Kimchi? Nope. I used a spicy red pepper paste called gochujang. It's a staple paste in Korean cuisine and I thought the already-complex flavors would be killer-good in this dish. And with old school mashed potatoes? Oh YAY.

What's the secret to the most delicious mashed potatoes of your life? Butter, milk, and salt. That's it. I make sure to really boil the bejeezus out of the potatoes and make sure they're Idaho! I feel like this is the starchiest potatoes and are perfect for mashing. I know I'm sure I've mentioned it before but you guys have no idea how much I LOVE mashed potatoes. I always tell people if I were deserted on an island and only had one choice of food to live off on, it'd be just that. And I'd die a happy woman. HA HA HA! BUTTTTTTT, (enter sad face) I've discovered after experimenting for a few months, that the more dairy products I consume, the more my skin breakouts! Also, did you know that eating more dairy also dries your scalp, leading to dandruff and other skin issues? A good substitute is chicken or vegetable broth, if you want to opt out on the milk in the potatoes.

Stay tuned for a new post coming up on the blog featuring an amazing NYC-based ethical luxury handbag brand that I had the pleasure of working with! Can't wait to share with you guys our photo shoot! It snowed that day and we had lots of fun taking photos in the Financial District of Manhattan. Soon to come, have a great Friday, friends! For more recipes, check them down below. :)

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE PRODUCT

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How to Wear an Ankle Length Kimono Wrap

March 13, 2017

WEARING: ROSEGAL ANKLE LENGTH KIMONO WRAP | ZARA BLACK SWEATER
ROSEGAL BLACK JEANS | LITTLE E NYC KC BEAUTIFUL DAY BLUE BAG | 
UO BLACK PATTI LOW HEEL MULE | VINTAGE JADE HOOP EARRINGS

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY ROSEGAL & LITTLE E NYC.

Happy Monday! New York City's spring has not sprung yet and we're about to embark in one last blizzard (hopefully) of the winter season. A blizzard in NYC means over a foot of snow, so I know a lot of my fellow Michiganders are scratching their heads over this ha, ha but it went from a foot to now two feet... and I had an early meeting at a showroom tomorrow that just got postponed! I bet I'm not the only one who is SICK of the cold and nasty-ass weather.

But this won't stop me from showing you my new favorite spring piece for the upcoming season! Prints are still on-trend but those unique finds that aren't only suiting your personal taste but complement with your already-diverse wardrobe are what gets me excited to style it. I've been searching for a kimono that not only flattered my petite frame but was also not a cliché type one (sorry folks, I've seen far too many that make my eyes cringe.) But when I stumbled upon this one from Rosegal, it wasn't just the print that caught my eye. The details such as the length and the velvet straps on the sleeves and waistline made my heart skip a beat.

I styled the ankle length kimono wrap with a pair of Rosegal black jeans that have such a fun fringe on the ends. To give the rough edges a soft subtlety at the same time, I wore mules with a low heel. The black suede also make them super comfy to walk around in, I just wish it was a little warmer so I can actually start wearing them! My favorite black sweater from Zara is also a great transitional piece from winter to spring, especially on those chillier days. This blue bag by Little E NYC is made from genuine full grain leather with a beautiful faux ostrich skin texture. I love the size of the bag as it can easily fit my iPad and other work essentials while running around the city. And how chic is it for spring?! Lastly, I've linked a similar pair of my vintage jasmine hoop earrings down below.

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

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Kimchi Hummus

March 11, 2017

I'm so glad it's the weekend! In the past, I always worked on the weekends and would get up extremely early (we're talking 4:30am folks) just to get to where I needed to be on time. Now, if I had the chance to redo it all over again, would I go back and change anything? No. Would I still want to do that though given the choice? Nope. I bet some of you are wondering what it was that I did to put me in such strange circumstances. I was a figure skating coach on-and-off for ten years. I loved what I did, to the point of sacrificing much of my time for it for a good chunk of my life (I was also involved in the sport long before and trained seriously for also nearly ten years) but I love what I do now even more.

Weekends now are meant to be my downtime. Throughout the week there's shoots, meetings, events, edits, promos and let's not forget to mention the crazy amount of emails I have to go through on a daily basis. It's a constant hustle and I am not complaining in the least bit, but everybody needs to recharge their batteries and it's really good to make time for your loved ones. Healthy, even. So this is what I try to do on the two days at the end of each week. There is the occasional photo shoot or meeting that'll occur on the weekend. Last weekend I shot & styled 5 looks in one day because my main photographer, who is also my hubby, wasn't going to be available for a while due to work schedule conflicts and that's how I got sick... staying out in the cold too long freezing my butt off ha ha! Totally worth it, though.

Download Recipe

Kimchi Hummus

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

16 ounces can chickpeas

¼ cups kimchi (napa cabbage chopped)

¼ cup tahini sauce

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ cup water

Directions:

Add all the ingredients except kimchi a blender. Blend the ingredients on high until smooth. Add in chopped kimchi with juice, omit the juice if you want the hummus to have a thicker base. Serve with naan or pita bread.

But when I have more time I enjoy spending it at home. I love going out and exploring my city, but I love to cook and hang out with my boys. Because I've been so busy working on fresh, new fashion content for you guys (especially more on the regular lately and that it's all a one-person job - aside from my husband taking the photos) it's been rather crazy and I've had no room in my schedule to create more food content! And I know a lot of you have been missing new recipes so I'm going to try to do one once per week. We'll see how it goes and as much discipline as I have, life is unpredictable and I just have to go where the 'wind carries me'.

On a more delicious topic, can we all get an amen to kimchi hummus?! I LOVE hummus. The rich, creamy texture paired with yummy naan bread is one of my favorite snacks. Even with veggies, like carrot or celery sticks, it's healthy and tastes heavenly. I paired it with kimchi, it's tart acidic flavor blended wonderfully together with the hummus. What's the secret to getting the ultimate creamy hummus everyone wants? The dryer the chickpeas are before you blend them is the trick. I love spiciness so I added in kimchi juice, which is why my hummus's texture is a little more smooth. I also didn't blend the chopped kimchi with the other ingredients for the hummus.

I suggest blending the kimchi with the main ingredients if you want a creamier, paste-like texture to the hummus. I'm Korean and love kimchi and actually like the added punch it gives when you bite into it here and there. The grilled garlic naan bread goes really well with the kimchi hummus too. I didn't make the bread from scratch but you can get it at the store and grill it over the stove top or in a grill pan of some kind. I used my cast iron grill pan to give it a nice char, the smoky flavor is awesome with the garlic. I'm getting hungry again just talking about this! :) Hope you all have a nice weekend. I'll be back on Monday!

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

To All the Ladies with Style and Grace

March 8, 2017

WEARING: CADIEUX SS 17 JACKET | UNIQLO HEAT TECH TURTLENECK |
SHOE DAZZLE FAUX LEATHER LEGGINGS | ANGELINA SHOETIQUE OTK BOOTS | 
BOOHOO MOCK CROC CLUTCH BAG | SHOPTIQUES ROSE EARRINGS

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY CADIEUX.

Happy International Women's Day! I could say the usual, such as how all women are beautiful, special and worthy of everything, etc.; but I'm not the usual kind. *WARNING* This post is not anger filled but brutally honest. Don't like what you read or see? Get outta my way. BYE.

There's a ferocious new trend-demic where women, but more so cliché-like cliques, that are parading around their 'love & support' for ALL women. Now, don't get me wrong. There are a ton of bad-ass ladies that are really about community and the idea of everyone getting their fair share of the pie with unity and togetherness, but then there are always the typical two-faced bitches (particularly in the blogger world) that are not only complete hypocrites, but also liars and manipulators and have no other motive than to cause drama because of their unhappiness and insecurities. Maybe they're not as terrible as it sounds because hey, I get it. We're all human. I'm flawed and complicated, and not in a light-hearted funny kind of way. But I'm in no way intentionally mean-spirited.

My closest girlfriends, which have been in my life for decades, can be counted on one hand. Why? LOYALTY. TIL THE END DAWG. We have been through so much shit in life I don't even know where to begin. I'm not talking about childish high-school breakups or fights with the folks, I'm talking about life & death situations. Loss, heartache, violence – our trials & tribulations were sometimes extreme and I really wouldn't have made it out alive if it weren't for my babes. And we didn't become friends because of race, social class, and other ridiculously atrocious reasons why some girls 'clique-ify' their way through life. It's the same type of girl who can't STAND being alone and always has to have a guy around. Seriously?

I don't need a pile of so-called friends to waste time shooting the shit with over coffee anymore. It's so mundane and it makes me nauseous just thinking about it. On the same note, it is crucial to network and to connect in New York City and also the world. It's not just about how hard you work to get towards that 'pie' but rather, who you know and what you can do for each other. Now is having coffee with any kind of friend, close/non-close a crime? Of course the fuck not. Yes, I continue to make new friends and they're all truly AMAZING but again life is so short and there will be very few people in the world that will deeply matter to you. And you to them. I'm not here today to engage in any kind of battle but I see what I see and I have the right to express what I want to freely. Dammit, I hate being a writer sometimes...

It's unnerving to continuously meet other bloggers who are not in this game for the right reasons. Sure, everyone has the right to go after whatever they want. I remember having a conversation with a 'part-time' blogger, and even though she wasn't doing it full-time, she thought anyone can become a blogger. That's like saying anyone can become a writer, a photographer and so on and so forth. BULLSHIT. It takes so much hard work, PASSION, dedication and discipline. It is by far the most challenging work I've ever had and I wouldn' have it any other way. And yes we 'all have to start somewhere'. You pay your dues, you learn & grow (I PRAY), and you work hard and be kind to people. BUUUUUUUTTTTT, that doesn't give anyone the right to make you feel uncomfortable about yourself. PERIOD. The second anyone, not just a woman, wants to treat you this way: DISENGAGE. Don't even give them the reaction that they're just dying to wait on. Pathetic. Let them get even more pissed because of your lack of care or effort on the situation.

To all my bad bitches, I LOVE YOU. I cherish our friendships and you all mean to me more than you'll ever know. Thank you for continuously inspiring me, supporting me, laughing with me and enjoying the good times with before they all fade away. To my loving followers, I may not have time to reply back to every single comment on social media every day, but I SEE you and I can never thank you enough for your encouragement and love to continue what I'm doing. Today is for you, ladies. Keep it real. Always. NOW, to all y'all weak-ass wannabes, I don't have the time playing checkers when I'm mastering my strategies at chess. Boom. Signing off. One Love.