Inner Katie Girl // OOTD

WEARING: WET SEAL GRAY SLEEVELESS JERSEY DRESS | BERGDORF GOODMAN BLACK 

CASHMERE CARDIGAN | RALPH LAUREN RIDING BOOTS 

“Hello! C-C-C-Curly!!”

— Carrie Bradshaw

If any of you gals are huge fans of SATC, you'll know what I'm referencing to. How many of you are Katie girls? We're talking about the ones with that 'wild curly hair'. When I was in college, and also when SATC was still airing on TV, I had become quite infatuated with the character, Carrie Bradshaw's Boticelli-esque, ever-flowing ringlets. (Not to mention her all-around adorableness.) And I had begun a new hair cycle.

But I stopped doing this regularly because quite frankly, I don't have the time! It takes me about an hour to complete curling my hair! Sometimes I'll straighten it because it isn't as time-consuming as it is with the curling iron but for the most part I just leave my hair all-natural. Since I haven't really done my hair like this in many years, I was really in the mood to have some big hair today! What's even better? The morning-after hair! The curls will still be intact, but looser and more bedhead. Which is my favorite because it's carefree yet rebellious. What do you think of my curls? Are you into this style?

I have a confession to make on top of secretly crushing on Ms. Bradshaw. The cardigan I'm wearing from Bergdorf's belongs to my husband! It's my favorite cashmere piece and I'll admit that I stole it! He barely ever wears it because I always do during this season! Ha ha ha! It's so soft and comfortable, plus the lil' after smell of the hubs is always a plus.

I've had this jersey dress since I first moved to New York City! That's nearly 10 years ago! I love the versatility of it. You can wear it all four seasons and playing around to mix and match the dress with different pieces is always so much fun. I love that you can even wear it off the shoulder, making it a bit more romantic and sexy. 

Last but not least are the riding boots I'm wearing from Ralph Lauren. I love wearing these during the Fall. They pair perfectly with leggings, mid-skirts or dresses. Tights too! I love boots that aren't too high-heeled. I have a ton of running around to do and need something that won't kill me by the end of the day. I know some of you ladies only wear heels, and I have to say, I don't know how you do it!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my outfit of the day along with my new C-C-C-Crazy do! ;) In case you're wondering, all photos were taken by me. Self-portrait, all the way baby!

We'll be back on Halloween, in costume! All 3 of us. Me, my boo, and my other boo, MaQ! I'm so pumped for you to see! I think it's gonna be a hit this year! Stay tuned... you're going to love it! Until then, check out my other blog posts on fashion & beauty, food recipes, photography, street art, and more!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

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A Day in Central Park

Last week's Fall Mini Session left me inspired to shoot more of this glorious Fall weather before everything becomes bare and brittle. Did I mention frigid? We lucked out yet again today, here in New York City, with 70°F+ temps. So, with my rollerblades intact and MaQ by my side, I ventured the nearly 3 mile-trip uptown to Central Park. The workout wasn't exactly easy, given the backpack I was carrying which included my camera, a change of clothes, my boots, treats, a large bottle of water, his ball, and then some! Phew! I would say it was about an extra 20 pounds on my back during the trek! To say the least, we did it and it was totally worth it!

Isn't that just a spectacular view?! I was so glad to visit there today. It reminded me why I live here again. The hustle & bustle of the streets; the competition, the raw honesty in it's purest form; the smells of every kind of food you can imagine; the beauty within the park; and those wondrous skyscrapers that can't help but make you dream big. Live big. Love big. This is my city and I'm so proud to call New York my home. It ain't always pretty, but it's undeniably f*cking real to me! So is life.

When we first entered the park, MaQ was really excited about the horses! I remember when my husband and I got married in Strawberry Fields he totally went bananas over 'em and desperately wanted to make friends. Regardless, he's quite the stud muffin, isn't he? Plus, Fall makes for the best pictures! And trust me when I say this folks, the foliage is looking pretty groovy at this point! Y'all need to go for a stroll before all the beautiful colors are gone!

I really wanted to do a nice Fall portrait with the both of us, so I brought my little remote and snapped away. The light is a little harsh, but I only have my distraction to blame from the magnificent beauty Central Park holds! It just makes you think you have all the time in the world, I almost forgot I wanted to photograph us! Ha ha ha!

I tried to take several shots in many forms of light. The park is perfect for that, at some point, (being a hardcore perfectionist) I wasn't ready to leave because it was just too enjoyable! But there are only 24 hours in a day and I only have a zillion things to do! I love the little lens flare from the light in the shot above. He looks like Rainbow Brite! Plus I'm still that young rebel who doesn't like to follow the rules so yeah, I like to shoot against the light sometimes. ;)

MaQ is adored everywhere he goes, like today when I was right in the middle of shooting (on a non-sturdy rock of all places) and this sweet maybe 12-year old Eastern European kid bravely walked up to me, and shamelessly asked if he could pet my dog. At first, I was kind of annoyed since he didn't seem to care that I was in the middle of trying to take a shot (of MaQ unleashed all the while), but when I looked into his piercing blue eyes, there was something so familiar and peaceful at the same time, I couldn't help but say yes. I wanted him to meet MaQ. And it made him so very happy, where it, in return, made me so happy!

We also visited The Pond, which is also where the first crime scene takes place in my debut novel, 'The Fisherman's Lily'. It's nice to go back to places where you've researched, and this being one of the very first chapters I wrote in the very beginnings of writing my book, I of course had to stop by and pay homage to my special place. I took a shot of MaQ on the bridge (right above The Pond) to encapsulate the feelings I had with the initials ideas of writing fiction many, many years ago.

Toward the very end of our photo taking, we played a long, rewarding game of fetch. We played out in an open field, and it was such a pleasure to watch him at full speed. I think the day completely wiped him out because he's been asleep for the past 5 hours! He really did a lot, so it's good he's resting. I seriously had the best time up there today! I wish we lived closer to Central Park, because we'd go there everyday!

We hope you enjoyed in taking a glimpse into our adventures! We love sharing them with you and the world. Would you like to do a Fall photo of some kind in the park? Please feel free to contact me about any inquiries you may have!

Thanks so much for reading! Please pass on & share! Happy Thursday! ♡

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Mickey & Butterflies

WEARING: FOREVER 21 MICKEY SWEATSHIRT | JENABELLE FLUTTER MARLEY SKIRT 
| BAMBOO SHOGA SUMMER WEDGES |PURPLE SPARKLE PASHMINA SCARF

This week I'm pleased to announce I've teamed up with Jenabelle, an online fashion retailer based here in New York City, in collaboration with Shopping Links. Jenabelle's motto is 'Fun. Affordable. Fashion.' And it is so much more than that. They carry many different fashion trends, with it's clothes, accessories and shoes, serving any stylish gal a silver platter of endless tasteful chic choices.

I've never been one to only wear one style or label. I'm a mixer, just like my ethnic background and love to combine feminine and masculine pieces, even high end and lower end labels or vintage, and west coast vibes with the Midwest's. Detroit Rock to be exact! To me, style is all about how you carry yourself in whatever choices you make with your statement.

For today, my statement, of course, is even though I'm totally infatuated with the Fall Season (it really is my favorite!) I'm a California-born chic and am never fully willing to let go of summer! Now that it's getting colder in New York, but warm enough to hold on to maxi skirts and wedges (perhaps too stubbornly), I'm all for bundling up, but my legs and feets are not! I blame it on 20+ yrs of being a rink rat. Or what most people refer us as: figure skaters. :P

I mixed up a Fall statement pashmina scarf, a more masculine piece with Mickey (cause this mouse is from Cali LOL), a Bohemian flowing skirt from Jenabelle, and my go-to summer wedges! I like to think of this outfit as "Hippy & Shabby-Chic meets Casual & Fun!"

As a New Yorker, I am guilty of wearing too much black and barely smiling in photos. New York will make you too honest, raw, and sometimes, sadly, will unknowingly start to take yourself too seriously. Life should be fun and your clothes should be too! (At least from time to time... if you're really that into black..) ;)

Here's a close up of Jenabelle's skirt's gorgeous fabric and illustration of butterflies with some floral foreshadowing in the background. I love how feminine and free-spirited this piece feels on me! As soon as I tried it on, I got major L.A nostalgia, reminiscent of Venice Beach, Disneyland and my mom's immaculate flower garden at our first home in Anaheim.

I love the shoe embellishments of these Bamboo wedges. The beachy, west coast vibe shoes go very well with the lightness of the Jenabelle skirt. And I'm all for adding a few inches on my short self when wearing long dresses or skirts. Plus, my feet want to soak up as much sun until it really gets too cold! Brrrr!

Here's the back of the Mickey sweatshirt. How many of you are a fan of the messy bun btw? I love it but when my hair gets too long, there's literally too much to bun! Ha ha ha! I'm thinking about cutting the hair short again, but I love my hair long. Ah, decisions, decisions. :)

What's your signature style? Feel free to share and comment! We love to hear from our readers! See a fashion piece you're eyeing for yourself from this look on my blog today? You can shop for it below!

Thanks for stopping by! We hope you had a not so manic Monday. <3

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

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