Fox & Jane Hair Salon

The upper floor to the gorgeous Fox & Jane Salon location in the UWS.

I'll Cut You! // Downstairs lounge and waiting area. Those pillows are the cutest! ✂️

Coffee table reading material: Portfolio, Dream Language and more! Beverages anyone?

My personal hair stylist, Lataye Studwood (left) hard at work on another client with hair-cutting sweetie, Richie Andrew (right). Nothing but good vibes in here!

Good Vibes | Products Galore. Featuring some R+Co products from their line.

Hair wash area in the back of the upper floor.

Final result! Sitting pretty in the big chair! :)

I had the best weekend! Hope yours was just as fun and pleasant! On Saturday I got to see one of my closest girlfriends who I haven't seen in over a year due to her West Coast move. We brunched it up and afterward checked out the new Barney's in Chelsea. All I have to say is it is a very, very dangerous place to visit! You've been warned and get ready to break the bank... ha ha! Sunday was spent with the hubby and I took us to the New York Botanical Garden to see the Orchid Delirium Exhibit. It was insanely beautiful! Can't wait to share all the photos with you! Stay tuned, I'll be posting them up later in the week with a 'look of the week' as a two-parter!

Last week, after not being able to stand my long hair any longer, (seriously, I get headaches if I tried a ponytail due to my hair weighing me down. Literally!) I made an appointment at the only hair salon I religiously go to, Fox & Jane. After meeting my now-hairstylist almost two years ago, Lataye is the only one who I allow to do my hair! Gotta stay loyal, you know what I'm saying?! Initially, she was down in the East Village location (where we first met) but due to wanting to be closer to home, she transferred to the Upper West Side salon. At first, I was a bit anxious because I like to do all my errands in my hood, but Lataye is far too good to lose! The ultimate hair magician, I trusted her with my long 'horse mane' locks and since then she's created some of the most incredible balayages with my hair! Before meeting her, I at some point in my life stopped coloring my hair for a number of years because for one, any hair stylist could not get any other color but a brassy one to work with my hair and two, I donated my hair to Locks of Love many times in honor of my mother who passed away from cancer. But Lataye never fails to transform my hair to a fun, fresh and hip new look - and something that's totally me! She's the sweetest girl and I recommend any New York gal to check her out should you need a new do! Seriously though, she is ridiculously talented, funny and so, so kind. You'll love her like I love her! ❤️

Also being so used to the East Village salon, I was wondering how the Upper West Side location would turn out. It's spacious, with a generous two-floors, plenty of natural light and just like the East Village location, which is what kept me coming back again and again, was the atmosphere. It's so down to earth with no pretentious attitude. There's a clear, fun family vibe to their 'tribe'. I LOVE positive energy and they are never without it! Every time I leave the salon my belly aches and my mouth feels like I left a coat hanger in it. And I always feel like a million bucks! The carefree environment makes every visit such an enjoyable and relaxing one, heck I feel like I'm part of their family! They are the best hair salon in New York City not just for their first class and high quality skills, but for their impeccable service, their super-friendly staff, and their super-chill ambiance that really reminded me of the West Coast. So, the next time you're in need for a hair cut & color, be sure to check out Fox & Jane and book your appointment with my girl, Lataye!

Love & xx's,

Meisterdish

Incredibly easy dinner meal kits delivered on-demand, no subscription.

Everything is prepped, Meisterdish saves time in the kitchen for us busy New Yorkers!

Cherry, kale & walnut salad with radicchio, Pecorino cheese and pumpkin seeds. Yum!

Cherry, Kale & Walnut Salad with Lavender Steak on Pearl Couscous from Meisterdish in NYC.

This past week I tried out Meisterdish — incredibly easy dinner meal kits for New Yorkers delivered on-demand, no subscription. You can choose from a daily menu curated by top chefs. I went for the cherry, kale and walnut salad with radicchio, Pecorino cheese and pumpkin seeds as the starter and then for the main course; a lavender steak on a beet-reduction pearl couscous with green beans, leeks and cashew nut. Can I just say that I've never had lavender spice with steak and HOLY MOLY is it off the chain! And the beet juice rendered into the couscous was absolutely delicious. I'm still dreaming about it! 😊

I really love how the ingredients come washed, prepped and chopped, where I've heard mixed reviews on Blue Apron's prep time. Why bother getting a dinner meal kit when you have to do all the work to begin with? Sort of defeats the purpose, in my opinion, but with Meisterdish you can complete a complete, savory meal in 15 minutes! They've got a killer Korean bulgogi meal up this week but note that their menu changes on a daily basis, which was the only little thing I hope they'll be able to fluctuate in the future.

As a New Yorker who is crazy in love with cooking & food, my crazy schedule tends to make it nearly impossible to cook dinner every night. I don't even have time to prep in advance like some of my friends do! This is such a terrific option for those busy nights where you literally have only twenty minutes to whip something up in the kitchen. And no subscription required is definitely a plus in my book! I will definitely be trying Meisterdish again soon. If you're in New York City and into Blue Apron, I strongly recommend trying Meisterdish!

Get 50% OFF your first order by going HERE! Have a nice weekend, everyone. ❤️❤️❤️

Love & xx's,

Graffiti Day

Mr. Smiley :) Put on a happy face! ♡

It's almost Friday! (Thank goodness.) We've been busy with several upcoming projects that I can't wait to share with you guys! I really haven't had the time to go and check out the new graffiti and street art in my neighborhood lately. I enjoy these city walkabouts, very much so, with my pooch, MaQ. We've been at this for a couple of years, running around the city and him posing in front of some seriously talented and amazing art! But this morning I had a little extra time so off we went! You can check out MaQ's Instagram feed for tons of New York City graffiti, videos and more! As you can see, he takes pride in his modeling work. It's tough being a stud muffin! :)

The first art piece MaQ posed with is Zukie's Art and these adorable lil' critters. According to the artist, "Zukies are mysterious creatures that do not talk. They communicate with thought bubbles and facial expressions. Zukies intend to generate emotions through their visual thoughts and that is how they create an emotional bond with us." - Miss Zukie

Bullseye! ◎

Happy Happy, Thank God it's almost Friday! Let's dance!

I can't seem to find the artist who did the mural with the bullseye in the background. If anyone by any chance knows, please get a hold of me! I always leave credit where credit is due. It drives me nuts when I can't find something I'm looking for! Can anyone else relate to this? :P

The photo to the left is me in front of Steve Zolin's mural. His graphic art is just simply amazing! It reminded me of Diego Rivera's work at the Detroit Institute of Arts. There's so much life and color in Mr. Zolin's piece even though when I look at the mural as a whole, it's very industrial-inspired. Lots of blue and purple tones, as if it's being vivacious with feelings of melancholy simultaneously.

Centre-fuge Public Art Project with Hissxx's kitty cats & MaQ!

Yay! Hiss Art has made yet another appearance at the well-known trailer that displays graffiti from different artists with the Centre-fuge Public Art Project. We photographed some of his older work as well a few months back on this graffiti blog post. Funny random fact about MaQ: he despises cats! When he was only an itty bitty puppy (a stocky 18-pounder at 10 weeks!) one of our friend's cat's scratched his nose in retaliation of MaQ trespassing onto his 'territory'. Poor bub, ever since then, the two don't mix. They're like oil and vinegar. You should see us with a New York City bodega cat. They really startle us when they're outside of the stores sometimes. Perhaps someone wants to play peek-a-boo and the other doesn't? Ha ha!

I'm with Batman, not Robin. ;) Graffiti by: Ramiro-Davaro Comas

Isn't this Batman & Robin piece so dope? I believe MaQ secretly thinks he's Batman. Eh, who am I kidding, I think everyone secretly WANTS to be Batman. Heck, I wish I was, don't you? :) Batman is my ultimate favorite superhero. Everything about him is just so bad-ass and the toys that he's got? Talk about cool. The artist behind this stunner is Ramiro-Davaro Comas and I can't wait to see what he'll do next! I'd love to see an artist do a mural of X-Men characters. I would be totally geeked up about it!

Look at me! Graffiti by: Billy the Artist

Lastly, I have Billy the Artist's new art up on E. 6th Street. (Between 1st and 2nd Ave.) We also covered a mural of his back in September in this blog post, see for yourself; he's all sorts of awesome! Thanks for stopping by! We hope you had fun looking through our batch of graffiti photos! Until next time... have a spectacular, vibrant day! ♥♥♥

PS Don't forget to check out MaQ's IG Page down below! :)

Love & xx's,

Gallery Block

This is an example. To display your Instagram posts, double-click here to add an account or select an existing connected account. Learn more

Best Snow Day Ever!

WEARING: UNIQLO DOWN COAT WOMEN IN BROWN,
 LULULEMON RUN WITH ME NECK WARMER & FROSTY RUN GLOVES,
 FOREVER 21 POM BEANIE HAT, WOMEN'S SOREL CARIBOU WINTER BOOTS.

MaQ & I enjoying Blizzard Jonas. New York City, January 23, 2016. © Gilles Decamps

Hey there! Just another manic Monday! This weekend, New York City almost broke the record for the biggest blizzard here to date. We made it to the second most largest snowstorm, piling up with over two feet of snow. (26.8 inches of it to be exact!) We had a blast, to say at the very least, especially my boy, MaQ, who LOVES the cold and even more so, the pow pow!

Start of Winter Storm Jonas, New York City, 14th Street, January 2016.

I think a lot of New Yorkers like myself kind of scoffed at the idea of a big bad snowstorm because in recent years, the meteorologists have been far from being accurate. What can you do, you can't predict Mother Nature! We even got more snow than D.C. had initially planned on getting! But the city is back up and running today, except in some boroughs like Queens who basically got the short end of the stick when it came to snow maintenance on the residential streets. So how did we enjoy the weekend?

"Let's play all day, every day, always and forever." -MaQ's mantra

By playing like children, of course! :) MaQ had way too much fun frolicking in the snow. I love watching him roam around in the deep snow banks because he prances around like Bambi. He just can't get enough of it! We played for hours on Saturday morning before it really started to come down hard. We went to the Stuyvesant dog run where we relished in a snowball fight and ran around with other doggy pals full of light-hearted laughter and youthful grins. ♥

Want to see some real-live action of my fur baby? Check out the slow-motion video of MaQ running through the snow! I love how he always checks on me, even when I'm videotaping him! Show off. ;) To see more videos of MaQ and I in our daily adventures, please subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Who's ready for a snowball fight?!

On Sunday, we went out first thing in the morning for round 2. We trudged through deep snow taking in the aftermath of Jonas before stopping to run and romp around in blankets and blankets of the unpaved snowfall. As an original Michigander, I'm quite used to the massive amounts of the white stuff but there's something so magical and peaceful about the city after a huge blizzard. This was my fourth or fifth big snowstorm since being in New York.

The happiest boy!

But being from the Midwest, I'm pretty prepared when it comes to the winter season. Especially when it comes to attire. MaQ may have a double-layered coat, but as for myself, I need a few extra layers to keep me warm! ;)

How I feel about going back indoors.

I always wear my trusty Uniqlo down coat to stay extra bundled. It's got a wonderful zipped hood that you can detach should you not want to wear it. When it comes to keeping my hands and neck warm, I never leave the house without my Lululemon gloves and scarf. And I adore pom beanie hats! They are too cute. And the best winter boots during this season in NYC? Sorel boots all the way. With all the mushy and slushy puddles at every crosswalk, you got to have some serious waterproof footwear!

The best of friends.

What are some of your everyday winter wear? Like to layer up or keep it simple? What are some of your favorite brands for this season? I really love and have always loved the heat-tech from Uniqlo. It keeps you very warm without weighing you down and is the perfect addition with other forms of layering.

You want to go back inside?! Quick! Hide!

We hope you and your pooch had a marvelous weekend! What are some of your favorite activities to do with your best furry friend in this kind of weather? Whatever it may be, we hope you stay cozy and safe out there. Have a great week.

The most beautiful, magnificent creature I have ever known. I love you dearly. x. ♥

Love & xx's,

Metropolitan Museum of Art - Part 2

Jacqueline de Ribes — The Art of Style

Gossip Girl here. ;-) Follow me on Instagram! ✖️⚪️✖️⚪️, 💋 @suzannespiegoski

Happy Hump Day, y'all! Yesterday's post I reflected on some of my personal favorites at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today I'm sharing the Costume Institute’s Fall 2015 newest exhibition, Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style, which focuses on the internationally renowned style icon Countess Jacqueline de Ribes. She is one of the most celebrated fashion personas of the 20th century. A designer herself, she was also a muse to many — and was quickly recognized as the quintessential of French style. She is a classic but modern – beauty, like Audrey Hepburn, whose elongated neck, refined profile and couture clothes were well known to fashionistas here in New York as well as Europe. Emilio Pucci called her “Giraffina,” or “baby giraffe”; Yves Saint Laurent called her “an ivory unicorn”; Oleg Cassini found her “elegant to the point of distraction”; and Valentino named her “the last Queen of Paris”. She eventually went professional in the 1980s after raising money on her own and was no longer held back by her aristocratic in-laws from pursuing her career, officially becoming a commercial designer. It is very clear from this exhibition that Jacqueline's taste and style were timeless as opposed to trendy. In fact, her clothes are so classic – whether she designed them or simply chose them from the couture houses of others, it’s hard differentiating which decade they were made. I guarantee you, you could step into any of her clothes and feel magnificently dressed. The exhibition is on view in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Anna Wintour Costume Center until February 21, 2016. If you're at all into fashion, this is a must-see! Now let's go take a look inside! (Scroll down to see more photos from the exhibition.)

Love & xx's,

Entrance to the exhibition. Jacqueline de Ribes, 1955
Photograph by Richard Avedon, © The Richard Avedon Foundation

Photos of Jacqueline de Ribes through the years.

The many, many magazine articles on Jacqueline de Ribes with family and friends.

"Narcissism" photograph of Jacqueline de Ribes by Richard Avedon for The New Yorker magazine.

"My mirror, my only truthful advisor." -Jacqueline de Ribes

Yves Saint Laurent haute couture A/W 1980-81

Costume du Bal Oriental, 1969. Isn't this some supreme inspo or what?!

The Masked Ball Series. "Ball's were not for one's amusement, they were for being ravishing." -Jacqueline de Ribes

Fringe Envy.

"Glamorous people bring something to others. They are seductive, attractive—and it has nothing to do with frivolity. Glamour sticks to people. An object is not glamorous, but places where people go are glamorous. That's why New York is the glamour capital of the world." ♥

YSL Love.

Exquisite colors for evening wear.

A Christian Dior haute couture gown owned by Jacqueline de Ribes.

Flights of Fantasy.

"Elegance. It's an attitude. A frame of mind. An intuition, a refusual, a rigor, a research, a knowledge. The attitude of elegance is also a way of behaving." -Jacqueline de Ribes.