Firelight Camps Travel Diary

September 15, 2016

Candle by Shop Evil Queen, Adventure Awaits.

Sunflower Graffiti Ithaca Downtown New York Portrait

When I attended an event at the W Hotel in Midtown this summer, I was introduced to the world of 'glamping'. That is, glamorous camping. Or rather, my kind of camping. ;) I knew I had to experience this before the weather got too cold. That's why I brought my husband and our pooch, MaQ, to Firelight Camps right before the start to New York Fashion Week, for a lil' R&R before our chaotic schedules ensued.

Located in Upstate New York, schools such as Cornell University and Ithaca College are nearby, yet the campgrounds transport you to the middle of nowhere. With 18 safari tents made up with high thread count linens, they are warmly lit with battery-powered lanterns and covered with mesh screenings to help keep the bugs out. The furniture is impeccable. With hardwood floors and either a king-size bed or two full-sized beds, each tent also comes with its own deck and writing desk (My DREAM). Out on the balcony there's two rocking chairs that over look a lush and leafy oasis. Imagine how the foliage will transition - oh the views! Did I mention the tents come with wi-fi? #alwaysworking But come nighttime, you can see the stars and hear the crickets while you fall asleep. Super cozy.

The main tent lobby has daily complimentary continental breakfast, complimentary happy hour tasting of Finger Lakes craft beverages (the rosé is 👌), a cozy mini-lounge where there are campfires daily both in the morning and evening (hello smores), a Bocce ball court and other onsite games like cool boardgames such as Sorry! and more. There's even yoga! You have immediate access to the Buttermilk Falls hiking trails but we instead wanted to see one of the tallest waterfalls on the east coast, the Taughannock Falls! What was really wild was the drought. It looked as if someone shut the water off! There was no waterfall, but it was totally fun running with MaQ where there should be water running through.

Ten minutes away from Firelight Camps is the downtown scene with bars, restaurants, bookstores and cute antique shops. You can even catch a film at the Ithaca Commons. The food's delicious! One night we even tried Mexican at Viva Taqueria, and were pleasantly surprised by the freshness and quality of their food. And pet-friendly. Great service too! I also had the immense pleasure of eating Jimmy John's for lunch as well, after not having their subs since college which was awhile ago. They are so unbelievably good! There are tons of wineries and cideries to visit close by, and let's not forget to mention the spa that's literally a few steps away from the campgrounds! To see a full list of things to do, click here.

We had the best glamping experience one could ever imagine. I'm a city girl but also love the country life and love to go hiking with the boys during our downtime. I don't get to enjoy nature very often so when I do, I like to soak up every minute of it! Whenever I escape the city I'm always left rejuvenated, uplifted and inspired. Ready to go at it, all over again! To read more on Firelight Camps, go to www.firelightcamps.com

Special thanks to Emma for making this trip possible! Xo.

Our most recent travel experience, glamping at Firelight Camps in Ithaca, NY! Special thanks to Emma for making this trip possible. We never camped this luxuriously before! www.firelightcamps.com

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

A Day at Fox & Jane

September 12, 2016

Happy Monday, everyone! NYFW has been crazy busy with lots of running around to shows, events, parties and let's not forget to mention working! Thank goodness to the one and only, Fox & Jane, the only hair salon in New York City that cuts and colors my hair. I've been with them for years and cannot express the amazing talent and team they have! With the new season approaching us this month and the fact that my hair has gotten too long to wear up, (I have *serious* thick hair so ponytails were no longer a possibility due to major headaches - yes, your hair can literally weigh you down.), I was long overdue for a cut & color. Just look at the top of my hair and how flat it looked because of the length! Don't get me wrong. I love having long hair, but it's a healthy change - both for me and my hair. :)

Whenever I go in to get my hair done, I get it cut just past my collarbones. Not too long and not too short, and with layers. I also have been continuously doing balayage highlights, the goal in mind is to get lighter and lighter, but naturally and healthily. Asian hair is extremely stubborn, and in my case, my natural hair is jet black and wants to stay that way! It has taken many sessions to today's results. And I'm not at all the high-maintenance type, especially when it comes to my hair so I try to stay away from major drastic changes.

Which is why I only work with one stylist, my girl Lataye! She not only fully understands my hair type, but she also knows what works for me in terms of personal style and everyday care. I'd rather be doing a lot more with my time than just standing in front of a mirror maintaining my hair all day long. And balayage highlights is perfect for low maintenance - yet it looks seamless and refined at the same time. Lataye's work speaks for itself! And I just love her - she's the sweetest!

I find Fox & Jane's technique and all-around vibes to be top-notch. And when I find a good thing, I stick with it! You know what I mean? Loyal until the end. If you're in the city and are looking to try a new salon, I 100% recommend Fox & Jane. There are multiple locations in Manhattan; East Village, Lower East Side & Upper West Side. There's also one in Brooklyn, San Diego & more recently, Colorado Springs! Give them a try ladies (and gents) - you won't regret it! Take a look down below at the time lapse video I created from my last visit. And be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for new videos every week.

I'm off to get more work done and wrap up the rest of the fashion week. Stay tuned for several stories coming up on the blog! I'll be sharing my travel diary from our glamping trip Upstate (it was incredible // check out my Instagram for some teaser shots), plus my experiences & favorites from NYFW and lots of upcoming fall fashion editorials. And an interview or two. Phew! All coming soon! Stay tuned...

photos + videography by: Suzanne Spiegoski

Happy Monday! This week's video is a time lapse one from my most recent visit to Fox & Jane Hair Salon in the Upper West Side in New York City.

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Chilled Avocado Salad

September 4, 2016

Long holiday weekends call for easy-does-it recipes. And poolside! I'm sharing one of my oldest recipes: a chilled avocado salad. It is simple, fresh and healthy. Delicious. And the best part? AVOCADO. There's really nothing to it. Let me show you how you can make your own!

Start by whisking olive oil, rice wine vinegar, salt, oregano and cumin together in a large bowl. Add chopped avocado, then toss gently to coat. I always use a silicone spatula to prevent mushing the avocado. You don't want it to look all squished together, as it looks messy. Not as appealing to eat, let alone serve.

Chilled Avocado Salad

recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski — recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1/4 c. olive oil
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into bite-size pieces
1 c. cooked brown or white rice
1/2 c. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large Roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 green onion, sliced

Directions:

Whisk oil, vinegar, salt, oregano, and cumin in large bowl. Add avocado; toss gently to coat.
Add rice, black beans, tomato and green onion; toss gently to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Enjoy with tortilla chips. :)

Add in cooked rice, brown or white, but in this recipe I used white (non-sticky), canned black beans, tomato and green onion. Toss again to mix, season with s & p, then refrigerate for an hour before serving. I normally serve it with yellow corn chips, but any kind of tortilla chips will do just fine.

Optionally you can also add in a little tabasco sauce for added spiciness. But sometimes it's nice to keep a dish fresh and true to its recipe. Every time I serve this at a dinner party, it's gone lickety-split. People love this appetizer, and rightfully so! What's not to enjoy?! ;)

Check out the step-by-step YouTube video down below! And be sure to subscribe to our channel for weekly videos on style, food & cooking, beauty tutorials and more! I've been passionate in my adventures in videography and love sharing not just my experiences, but the learning curve that has come with it. What's been your latest passion? Or what have you learned recently that's taken you on a new journey?

Thanks for stopping by! We love reading your comments, questions & feedback! Be sure to comment down below and to share! We hope you enjoy the long holiday weekend! We'll be traveling for the next few days and can't wait to show you where! It's another place I've never been AND I'll also be experiencing something I've never done before either! It's going to be amazing!!! So excited! Stay tuned...

videography + photography, styling + editing

by: Suzanne Spiegoski

Happy Labor Day Weekend! I whipped up a chilled avocado salad to enjoy during the long holiday weekend! Subscribe for new videos every week http://bit.ly/21XFK0K

Cheers! xo.

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Monstera Deliciosa

August 31, 2016

MONSTERA DELICIOSA, SELF-PORTRAIT SERIES, AUGUST 30TH, 2016.

When it comes to my work in self-portraiture I rarely if ever photograph myself in the nude, let alone publicly show any of the photographs. Self-portraits are not easy to do, in fact, it's the most challenging subject I have ever had. Well, so far... we'll see if that'll ever change. ;) But the more involved I become in the torrid affair that is - one with the camera, the more open I am in the relationship. When I first started 'dating' the camera, I was always so anxious to start clicking away. Now, don't get me wrong. I still get that feeling to this day. But there's a more calm formality to it now. With time and effort, a shitload of patience, and experience, I've learned quite a bit. But that shouldn't stop there. Never stop learning.

This past year has been all about taking risks, good and bad, perhaps even downright ugly when I come to think of it. But the more chances I've taken, the more rewards I've been given. Does it have anything to do with money? No. Vanity purposes? Not at all. To me, self-portraiture is all about the relationship you have with yourself and with the camera. To know oneself is to know many, in my belief. What better way to know how to photograph anyone or anything? No, not every photographer does self-portraits, and they shouldn't have to nor need to be a good photographer, but it's a wonderful path to self-discovery and in my opinion, one of the best forms of self-expression. Being first and foremost a writer, there are sometimes feelings... stories... concepts that I cannot put down in words. With photography being my other medium, it aids me in releasing vulnerabilities I didn't even know were there. 'A picture is worth a thousand words', and sometimes the image of a subject can convey its meaning or essence more effectively than a description does. I get the best of both worlds as someone in the arts. I'm very fortunate to be able to do what I do. And I never forget it.

Lastly, today I had the immense pleasure and honor of interviewing the wonderful Henry Leutwyler at his studio in downtown Manhattan. He is a wonderful photographer with a new book coming out this Fall that'll I'll be writing about on the blog! I can't wait to share my experience with Henry and his amazingly talented work. You are going to be blown away! Just utterly spectacular. I'm so excited about this story! Stay tuned... in the meantime I'm doing another recipe this week and step-by-step video! It's got a ton of avocados by the way..... :)

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Lavender Soju Lemonade

August 25, 2016

Happy Thirsty Thursday, everyone! I'm delighted to share with you not only a new cocktail recipe, but my very first food & cooking video, made by yours truly! I literally did everything by myself! Just a quick mention: I know a lot of you have asked me in the past who does my photos, who edits them, etc.; when many have assumed they were strictly done by my husband (who, yes, is a pretty well-known and very talented photographer) but besides the editorial fashion shoots we try and do once a week, everything else is my own content! And when it comes to video editing, that's all done by me too. Interesting fact? I learned how to cut & edit music, plus video, from my childhood figure skating days! And with photos of myself, if it is not mentioned that it's a self-portrait photograph, the pictures of me are done by my love. :)

Now back to the lecture at hand... ha ha! I've been in a creative rut lately, feeling like my recent work has been flat. Something didn't fit quite right. Yes, I'm a perfectionist and am completely guilty of being hard on myself (too much at times). But as they say, 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!' I've never worked with lavender in terms of culinary use, and when the idea of a refreshing yet soothing cocktail came up on a 'last days of summer' drinks story, I knew these little enchanting flowers were the perfect choice! Plus, having the excuse to buy extra lavender is always a good one. My whole apartment smells inviting yet calming.

My favorite part was removing the flowers from its stems. The aroma is intoxicating, I couldn't get enough of it! You can steep it for less or more than the 10 minutes I did. For a lighter scent, I'd recommend 5 minutes. If you really want to kick it up a notch, I'd go for a little bit longer than the 10. Observe the coloring, as the more it steeps, the darker the color. I also really enjoyed watching the colors combine with each other. The dark purple with the bright, vibrant yellow from the lemon juice. You can also use a juicer if you're not a fan of squeezing 'em by hand.

Save Recipe

Lavender Soju Lemonade

Cocktail recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski — Cocktail recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1c. lavender flowers
2c. boiling water
2c. cold water
1c. lemon juice
1c. sugar
5fl. oz. soju
1 tray ice cubes

Directions:

Place freshly cut lavender flowers in a pitcher; pour the boiling water over lavender; cover with plastic wrap and allow to steep 10 minutes; strain and discard the lavender from the water and return the water to the pitcher. Add cold water, lemon juice, and sugar to the pitcher and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add in soju, mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with a stem of lavender. Enjoy!

I also used pure organic cane sugar to be on the healthy side. (Even though I'm a sugar addict) And then the most important ingredient! I always use Charm Soju when it comes to this Korean liquor. It's my favorite and the quality is high. The secret is to add it last. You'll want the sugar to completely dissolve before mixing in the soju. I kept it light and simple when it came to serving the drinks. Over several ice cubes and a stem of lavender, I kept the garnishing straight-forward. But the idea of also turning these cocktails into a slushies did come to mind. Or perhaps Korean shaved-iced? Now that would be a fun cocktail to do! (Hint, hint!)

Korean Soju Fusion Lemonade Cocktails Recipe

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out the latest cocktail recipe I created! Be sure to check out the how-to video I also made down below! (Full steps included.) We hope you enjoyed the lavender Korean-fusion inspired lemonade we shared with you today and that you are soaking up as much fun in the sun before summer ends. Coming up on the blog, a brand spanking new travel diary (so excited to go!) and lots of NYFW coverage. It's gonna be a crazy, hectic next couple of weeks so brace yourselves! ;) Stay tuned...

Videography + photography, styling + editing by: Suzanne Spiegoski

Hey everyone! I got into a bit of a creative funk the past few days, so instead of whining about it I did this! It's my first food & cooking video! Better yet, it's how to make lavender soju lemonade! Cheers!