Engagement Shoot – Hilja & Tom

January 21, 2017

TOM & HILJA – PORTRAITS BY SUZANNE SPIEGOSKI

I've known Hilja for nearly 25 years. We met as young kids at a track meet both competing in the chin-up/pull-up category. But it wasn't until six months later where we crossed paths once more - this time at a skating rink and became inseparable. Growing up together she has always been like a sister to me and is one of my closest and dearest friends. So, when she told me was coming to New York with her fiancé, Tom, I wanted to do an engagement shoot as their wedding present.

While growing up in Detroit like myself, Hilja met Tom while in grade school. But a romance didn't brew until way later when they reconnected as adults. I'm a firm believer in all the twists & turns that life will lead you to, like moments such as this, where sometimes you don't even know what's been under your nose the entire time. Love ain't easy and I think one has to go through a lot in order to know who and what they want. And with these two, I haven't seen such a happy couple in so many years.

One of the reasons for their visit to New York was for Tom's birthday and part of his gift was a trip to Madison Square Garden to watch his favorite college basketball team, Duke, play. And being that they are both from the Motor City, I wanted to embody their laid-back but gritty attitude. So the first part of the shoot, I took them to Alphabet City and shot in an empty basketball court. This was an easy-breezy moment before the second part of the photo shoot.

I was adamant in shooting part of their engagement series on Top of the Rock during their visit here in New York around the holidays. But on that particular day, there was so much fog there was literally zero visibility. The staff even forewarned us – suggesting we exchange our tickets to another day. My stubborn streak never ceases to shine through and because it was the last day of their visit, I pushed for it anyway.

"Maybe we'll get lucky," I thought.

Going up I had anxiety. You can't control Mother Nature and I was concerned we may be going up but with no NYC skyline. However, when shooting you got to go with the flow. As we started to warm up for our shoot and ease into our environment, the clouds parted and a beautiful incandescent light emerged from above. Much like the weather, you cannot control love and all that comes with it. A definite blessing from the universe. What a day. Are you a believer in spiritual energies as such?

Hilja and Tom will be married In Michigan come this fall. I feel so honored to be a part of her wedding and for our friendship. Life has thrown us many curveballs (even really bad airballs if you will) but we have been there for each other through the thick and thin. Seeing her full of life and joy brings me much happiness. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for all of us! To many more years of love & laughter, adventures and more. I love you guys!

P.S. Want to see more lovey-dovey couple photos? Click here.

LOVE & XX'S,

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L'Oréal Extraordinary Clay Haircare

January 9, 2017

EXTRAORDINARY CLAY, SELF-PORTRAIT SERIES, JANUARY 7TH, 2017.

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY L'ORÉAL HAIR & INFLUENSTER.

When you think of washing your hair, clay is probably not the first ingredient that comes to mind. But thanks to L'Oréal #ExtraordinaryClay, a hair care trio that includes a 30% clay hair mask, this treatment has become a popular trend. So I was delighted to try these products, especially on my newly-do mane.

You first begin with the pre-shampoo mask, which is what is in this self-portrait series. Please note this treatment is meant for your entire head of hair, from root to end. But because I felt like thinking outside the box creatively within the self-portraits the mask is only shown on the top of my head, though I did do a full treatment after the photos. I'm thinking of doing a lot more work on self-portraiture this year, what do you guys think? Would you like to see more of these photos? Back to the lecture at hand (lol), what does the clay mask do? It rids of oils from the roots and moisturizes the ends, even purifying the scalp.

After shampoo & conditioner, my hair felt ultra-fresh and lightweight. And what's also amazing about the products is it absorbs enough scalp sebum where you won't even need to be using dry shampoo a couple days later, even with bangs! Even a few days later, my hair was still bouncy as ever. This trio line is the real deal. Find more L'Oréal Extraordinary Clay hair care info here. You can also shop the products down below. Happy Monday! :)

LOVE & XX'S,

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L'Oréal Extraordinary Clay Pre-Shampoo Mask

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Why Should Boys Have All the Fun?

December 21, 2016

WEARING: OUSHANG FRILL SLEEVE H-LINE PEARL SWEATER | 
ONEBUYE BLACK WORK STRIPES WIDE LEG PANT | OLIVER BILOU TAYLOR BAG | 
CALVIN KLEIN STRAPPY SANDALS | DANIEL WELLINGTON WATCH

This post is sponsored by Stylewe, Oliver Bilou & Daniel Wellington.

Most of you know I'm not much of a girly-girl. I don't wear pink, I rarely wear dresses and am as far from prissy as a woman could get! Why should boys have all the fun when it comes to wearing the pants in everything? Since when can't a gal wear her big girl pants and be taken seriously without the sole form of sex appeal? Fashion is all about the art of expressing yourself through style and trends. And lately, I'm feeling LIKE. A. BOSS. Girls run the world and this mixed play on masculine with feminine into this look is exactly my mood as of late. Instead of the regular blasé sequin holiday dress getup for your next Christmas party/event, why not roll through looking like one of Helmut Newton's tough, fierce and empowered (slightly masculine) female subjects?

The wide-leg striped pant fit me like a glove. I feel like a total bad ass when running around the city in them! Like Superwoman! With its tough masculine quality, I paired these trousers with a gorgeous, soft h-line pearl sweater. And since it's way too cold to be wearing strappy sandals bare, I added in some black tights to help finish the overall black outfit. Additional accessories are the Oliver Bilou Taylor bag and my new favorite Daniel Wellington watch. Aren't they both so wonderful? Sleek, minimal and chic. Love!

Stay tuned for one more post this week! On Friday, I'll be posting a new self-portrait series. Things might get a little saucy up in here! You've been warned! ;) Happy Hump Day, guys...

LOVE & XX'S,

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'Tis the Season for Red

December 2, 2016

WEARING: VIP ME RED COAT | FOREVER 21 KNIT SWEATER | 
BDG JEANS | STEVE MADDEN LUXE CRISS CROSS PUMPS | 
MACY'S PEARL EARRINGS | MADORA BLACK POM POMM HANDBAG

SPONSORED POST IN COLLABORATION WITH VIPME.COM

It's getting festive up on the blog this month! Happy December & Happy Holidays! Today's post is brought to you by vipme.com, the largest flash sale online retailer in the world! They not only carry fashion apparel but also handbags, shoes, jewelry and tons of more accessories to fit any fashionista's needs.

Now that we're gearing up towards the holiday season, I wanted to find a bright red winter coat. I love this one I got from vipme.com, the slits and cut of the coat is amazing and I love the material too as it's slightly fuzzy (50% mohair). What's great about this coat is not just its vibrancy, but that it's an amazing day-to-night coat.

You can style it casually as I did here with a white knit sweater, slightly distressed denim and black criss-cross pumps. To make the day look a tad chicer, I also added pearl earrings and a Pom Pom black handbag. This red coat would also be fantastic paired with a holiday sequin dress or any kind of wintry evening look. How would you guys style this coat at nighttime?

Lastly, you can use my code, 'Suzanne379' to get $5 off your purchase of any order over $50!

LOVE & XX'S,

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Portraits of Sammy

November 30, 2016

photos by Suzanne Spiegoski

It's portrait time! As many of you, I am not just a blogger and writer, but also a photographer. I mostly focus on portraiture & lifestyle and have been shooting since I was a teenager. And lately, I've been shooting more on a regular basis which has been nothing but totally awesome!

So, every once in a while I come across a person that if I don't photograph him or her I will most certainly regret it. Enter Sammy: half-Indian half-British Ford model and actor. I was quite surprised when he first spoke because I wasn't expecting a soft gentle voice from such an intense, mysterious face! What a beautiful creature and an even kinder soul. We became quick friends and I cannot wait to shoot with him again soon. You can find Sammy on Instagram and Twitter.

Interested in working with me? Send me a message on Instagram or email me at suzanne.spiegoski@gmail.com I always love hearing from you guys! And if you're in New York City like I am, stay dry out there! The past couple of days have been raining like cats & dogs! Until next time..