SAVONBOX & THE SCENT OF FIR

Hope everyone is enjoying the seasonal celebrations so far! Today's post is all about my most recent bath essentials. One of the main pluses of our apartment in the city is having an actual bathtub! I never realized how much I missed taking baths after living in our older apartment for seven years. Our older apartment's bathroom was tiny, fitting only a standup shower, a toilet and a sink. Not much space for anything else. But now, for the past couple of years, I really enjoy taking baths. It calms the body and mind, in my opinion, and who doesn't enjoy a little R & R?

As much as I love a good bubble bath, sometimes I just like to soak in the tub without the bubbles. And these luxury soaps from SAVONBOX are terrific! Fine glycerin bars for day and night, the Blue Opal and Black Raspberry Vanilla soap bars are fresh and fragrant, perfect for everyday use. My skin tends to get dry during the winter but these bad boys are hygroscopic, which means it attracts moisture, making it one of the most moisturizing varieties of soap. And my skin is so smooth!

The Blue Opal bar is a fragrance of joy, the essence of a sunny, happy morning. Fresh apple, plums and bergamot as top notes proceed into the floral heart composed of freesia, lily, rose and morning orchid with Amber. Trust me when I tell you this, it is heavenly! Such a great smell to get your day going.

The Black Raspberry Vanilla bar has a burst of black raspberry with the soothing warmth of vanilla undertones. Raspberry is a known aphrodisiac, and vanilla inspires love. <3 I use this one at night. Just the scent itself is extremely calming.

And what better scented candle for the Holiday season? The Thymes Frasier Fir Pine Needle Candle is crisp with it's just-cut forest fragrance, making it smell like there's a Christmas tree in your bathroom!  :)

I know I will definitely be getting more for the Winter time. The smell is so contagious, I want one for every room!

You can get the Blue Opal & Black Raspberry Vanilla soap bars together for this month's SAVONBOX, now for only $20! And if you subscribe, you can get it for $15! Go check their other variety of soap bars here, and for other Thymes Frasier Fir products, go here.

What are some of your favorite bath time essentials? Are you a bath lover like me? MaQ does not, but he's a really good boy about it. You can see him in all his glory here from the archive. ;) Happy Monday!

Love & xx's,

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

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 

The Writer's Desk

I don't know about you but I am so glad it's a 3-day work week. Life has been busy and stressful, so the idea of a cook-a-thon of some of my most favorite eats is more than thrilling. Yes, I mean this in the most non-sarcastic way. It relaxes me. And by celebrating and giving thanks, though we should be thankful every day, it's always so nice to reflect during this time of year. Because we do have so much to be grateful for.

New York City is pretty chilly today. The perks of working from home as a writer and blogger has it's pros and cons, and I will still take a break and get out of the apartment. I'll go for a run or a walk with MaQ and some of his other dog friends, or grab something to eat, or just to people watch. These daily activities are constant but today, I don't know; maybe because it's awfully cold (supposedly these are normal temps for Nov, or is it? Can't keep track anymore thanks to global warming) or because in my mind it's already Hump Day, but it was one of those days where it felt like Sunday. A case of the Monday's if you will.

So I stayed in my Calvin's, or rather PJ's I guess, and wrapped myself up in one of my hubby's shirts, then went to work. Can't get cozier than that! Along with comfort, as a writer, I also need seclusion. Here are a few more of my daily essentials I always need at my desk - the writer's desk.

My Microsoft Surface Pro Tablet. This little guy packs a mean punch. I do all of my blogging, writing, research, editing, and even conference calls on it. It is vital in my every day life. Without out, I don't know how I'd be organizing my crazy life!

Paper. Lots of paper. Sometimes I'll use my trusty ole' typewriter, but it's for rare occasions. I use paper to jot down ideas, timelines, research/case studies, or just to make a checklist or to-do list of some kind, whether it's blog-related or a simple grocery list, as a writer, I've always been constantly around the stuff.

Music. Not just any type of music. If it's just getting the day started or building a rough draft of a blog post, I'll usually listen to what's new in the music world. I do, however, appreciate every genre in music. When it's time to buckle down and work on my novel, it'll always be a certain theme in tune with what I'm writing about. I have a deep passion for Classical music, but also go for original soundtracks or instrumental music. Lyrical music while trying to write a chapter doesn't work well for me.

Candles. Any time of the year, I adore candles. I think aromas and scents can set a tone or deliver a certain essence in the environment you want to create. Plus, they bring warmth and light to any room, which is always a good thing especially being a writer. We spend a lot of time alone! ;) All kidding aside, I have been using Yankee Candles since college. They're my favorite besides Diptyque.

My Leica Coffee Mug. We received this as a gift in our first year of marriage from a dear friend. I love the size because it holds more coffee than any other mug we own. A writer's dream, or rather, fuel to burn the midnight oil! Ha ha!

Greenery or Flowers. Visually they are pretty to look at. I write a lot about how to kill people. I need something that'll bring me back from those sometimes dark places. Plus it's the girly girl in me. Now older, I've become quite fond of plants and the idea of growth. It's also just another great way to style up your place without looking like you're trying too hard.

My i-Phone 6. I know... BAD idea to ever have a phone near you while trying to get some work done. But it's my way of staying in touch with the world. And I do give myself time intervals. Every two-three hours, depending how much writing I do, I'll take a small 15 minute break.

My Ray-Ban eyeglasses. What can I say. I'm getting older. I need these around me more and more. I'm near-sighted, so it's not a matter of not being able to focus at a close object but rather one that is at a distance. I leave CNN on mute in the background. I'm addicted to what's going on in the world because I think it imperatively matters. So, from time to time, I'll need them to see what's going on the TV screen. :)

I would've asked MaQ to join me in the photo but he was far too busy sunbathing closer toward the windows. I didn't want to wake up my angel bear. He sends is love though! <3

Have a short and happy work week everyone!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Unakite Necklace Giveaway!

Happy Monday! I'm starting this week off with another jewelry giveaway! This month I've teamed up with an Etsy store called Breezy Please run by the amazingly talented Shannon Boyce. Located in Las Vegas, Shannon creates wire wrapped necklaces with chakra stones and other unique pieces like pendents and even earrings.

Ain't she a beaut?! Let me tell you a little more about this precious stone, unakite.

Unakite, also called epidote, comes from the Greek epidosis, which means- growing together. It is a combination of red jasper and green epidote solidly bound, originally first discovered in the Unakas Mountains in North Carolina. From the combo, we get the meaning of what comes together, belongs together.

This is a highly Spiritual stone. It will bring though serenity and optimisim in regards to the future and will also aid your spiritual growth. This is a great stone to use during the difficult times the world is currently going through. Unakite has a protective element within its make-up and will help you to release negative energies and addictions that may be holding you back.

Unakite Jasper is a stone that encourages visionary abilities by opening your psychic vision. It works through the third eye chakra and aids you to visualize what you desire in your life. It also has a powerful vibration within the heart and thymus chakras, also known as the higher heart chakra. The higher heart chakra encompasses love and compassion, as well as love of self.

So how do you enter to win this necklace for FREE? All you have to do is go to the end of this post, like the article, then comment about what you are digging most about this necklace! There are also a couple of extra freebies which are loaded in nothing but positive vibes- I'm including a Quartz piece cell phone charm, which fits into the headphone port on any phone or device AND there is also a little bit of white desert sage and a small quartz point, bad energy be gone!

Now, there is also one other way you can enter! If you have an Instagram account, please go to my IG profile (@suzannespiegoski) and do these 3 simple steps:

1. Like the photo of the necklace. 

2. Follow me @suzannespiegoski and @callmebreezy42

3. Tag 2 friends in the comment section.

The winner will be contacted directly this Friday, 11-6. 👏 Good luck guys! 😘

Got questions? I aim to answer them :) and happily so! Please feel free to fire away down in the comment box or contact me here. You can also catch me on Twitter and Google+ which I'm frequently on.

Have a great week everyone! Stay tuned for upcoming graffiti trending in nyc and a fun, new Korean-infused recipe! Oooooooh..... :)

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz