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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How to Wear Pink and Not Look Too Girly

January 12, 2017

WEARING: ZAFUL LEOPARD COAT | ASTR THE LABEL DAKOTA TOP |
BROOKS BROTHERS FRENCH CUFF MEN'S DRESS SHIRT | FOREVER 21 RED JEANS |
DRESS LILY BLUE CROSSBODY BAG | STEVE MADDEN BLACK BOOTS

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY ZAFUL & ASTR THE LABEL.

Happy Friday Eve! A lot of you have been asking about the engagement shoot that's STILL not up. Why? For any photographer, I'm sure you can understand my pain. Ever shoot something so great and meaningful but then when you go back to it for editing, it's an absolute nightmare?! Especially when you're in a bit of a funk? I just can't seem to get the photos to be 'good enough' with my own eye. Call it what you will, but I'm a total perfectionist and am pretty hard on myself let alone with others. Fair? Nah. But it's how I'm built. It's who I am. I promise the photos are coming soon! If you want to see other lovey-dovey couple photo shoots in the meantime, please go here.

What's the one color you're not the biggest fan of? Mine is pink. Any pink. Dusty pinks, blush pinks, neon pinks, anything with the word pink I usually stray from. But with my newfound openness and passion for fashion & style, it's good to challenge oneself even when it comes to certain aesthetics or tastes you're not that into. So when ASTR The Label sent me over their gorgeous Dakota top in pink rather than white, I decided to improvise and take the task at hand. Because when it comes to styling, whatever it may be, sometimes you just gotta make it work, even if it's a piece you're unsure of. Sometimes uncertainty brings out the best outfits!

So how to wear a pink anything without looking too girly? Here are a few tips. Less is more. Layer it up. It's winter out there, folks. (Well, for most of us.) Give contrast. Play with other colors. Bring a touch of masculinity to the already feminine color. Check out this look for example. I paired the Dakota top with a French cut Brooks Brothers shirt from the hubby's closet (I love his style and some of my favorite looks have pieces from his wardrobe in it), and to give an extra punch to the neutral lighter colors I wore red skinny jeans with my favorite Steve Madden black ankle boots. The boots are sleek and chic, polishing up any outfit.

A super hot trend this winter are leopard coats. Mine is faux-fur (even though I love real fur, sorry not sorry). I think this Zaful coat complements really well with the light baby pink of the shirt. Makes it less feminine and more rocker chic; a bit racy. I like intensity. Can you tell? To counter-balance the play with color-blocking, I kept it cool with my fresh blue crossbody bag. Ain't she a beaut? Shop the look down below or just follow the links for similar pieces! Have a great weekend. :)

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

Brooks Brothers French Cuff Men's Dress Shirt

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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,

SHOP THE PRODUCTS

L'Oréal Extraordinary Clay Pre-Shampoo Mask

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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..

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Fall Staples: Unique Watch, Plaid Thermos & Chic Camel Coat

November 21, 2016

FALL STAPLES: JORD FRANKIE SERIES WOOD WATCH | 
GENIUINE THERMOS® RED HERITAGE PLAID BOTTLE | VIP ME CAMEL LAPEL LONG COAT | 
PUMA VIKKY PLATFORM SUEDE SNEAKERS

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY THERMOS L.L.C., JORD WOOD WATCHES, VIP ME FASHION & BLOG LOVIN' BUT THE CONTENT AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE ARE MY OWN.

The wintry chill is finally setting into the streets of Gotham and brrr! I need a warm cup of something to keep me going in the next colder months. That's why I've partnered with Genuine Thermos® Brand and created a non-dairy drink recipe to share with you guys!

Non-Dairy Chai Latte

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 heaping Tbsp loose leaf black tea

1 whole anise pod

2 Tbsp whole chai spice blend - use less if ground

Cane sugar, honey or other sweetener of choice

1 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk (e.g; almond milk)

Dash of nutmeg

Directions:

Add water, tea, anise and spices to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to fully steep.
Remove from heat and add non-dairy milk and sweetener of choice and stir. Warm for 2-3 minutes off the heat, and then pour over Geniuine Thermos® bottle using a fine mesh strainer.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more for sugar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan) for sweetness, and ground cinnamon for a little extra warmth.

The Thermos® brand heritage plaid tumbler is an amazing vacuumed insulated beverage bottle. What's great about not just the design (how freaking cute is the red?!) but also its double purpose to being able to serve both hot and cold drinks. A perfect drink holder for someone like me that's always on the go! It's also a great stocking stuffer for the upcoming season. :)

Thermos® brand will be offering a limited time promotion that gives you guys the chance to enter to win Genuine Thermos® Brand products through a promotion that is hosted on the Thermos brand Facebook page. There will be a total of 10 randomly selected winners for the promotion. Thermos brand and Spong will be facilitating the shipments. Don't miss out! Click here now!

Along with my new favorite Thermos brand tumbler, there are a few other fall pieces I've been wearing nonstop that I know will transition into my winter wardrobe as well! The JORD wood watch I received is from the beautiful Frankie series in dark sandalwood and an emerald face. I was appreciative of their custom wrist measuring and the incredible green emerald face. It is such a cool, chic watch!

I'm so crazy for these unique watches I've partnered with JORD to bring you a special giveaway. Enter your name and email into the giveaway here to get a $20 gift card to any JORD watch. One lucky winner will receive a $75 gift card, but here's the score: Even if you don't win the giveaway, you still get the $20 gift card regardless, so what're waiting for?! The giveaway ends November 27th, so enter here now!

The other two fall staple pieces I've been obsessed with are the VIP ME camel lapel long coat with a belt and the cutest silver brooch. The coat fits me well and I love the back of it that flares out just a bit to bring a subtle, feminine touch. Use 'Suzanne379' to get $5 off your purchase of any order over $50! The PUMA suede Vikky platform sneakers are super comfy. I feel as if I'm walking on clouds when in them. They're truly amazing and know I'll be wearing them a lot more before the wet, snowy weather kicks in. These sneakers will be released on Dec. 15th in stores, so keep your eyes peeled for them! Also makes for another great holiday gift (or treat for yourself).

Lastly, even though I stopped working as a figure skating coach (yup, that's right – on & off for ten years) before making the change the focus more on my career as a writer and digital content creator, I still love to go skating when possible! Before I even taught skating, I was a trained figure skater. The sport has always been a big part of my life, and though I've built a love/hate relationship with it – I still miss skating from time to time and am definitely thinking about doing a get-together with bloggers for a day of skating, more chai lattes and laughter! What do you guys think? I'd love to share this with you, imagine the fun to be had!