Military Latte

February 8, 2017

NYFW is one day away and when it comes to maintaining the energy of a marathon runner, I've been drinking a whole lot of what's called a military latte. Originally created in Japan and then onto Chicago, I stumbled upon an article a couple of years back about the interesting coffee concoction.

Named for its camo-like surface, the drink is made up of a matcha latte, cocoa powder, espresso and vanilla syrup. I know sometimes it is made with white chocolate but since I'm trying to avoid sugar (I think it's the culprit behind my breakouts) I opted it out of the ingredients when it came to making my own version of it!

I would love to be one of those cool people that can create latte art such as beautiful leaves, hearts, unicorns and more. They even do 3d art now which is so amazing! This is my first attempt at any kind of latte art and I have to say it's not all that bad! What do you guys think? I also used a larger matcha bowl for aesthetic purposes. The green brings a nice accent with the dusting of the matcha powder.

DOWNLOAD RECIPE

Military Latte

Serves 1

(Matcha green tea latte, cocoa powder and espresso)

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons coffee/espresso.

1 1/2 tablespoons matcha green powder

12 ounces milk

1 tablespoon vanilla syrup

dash of cocoa powder

Directions:

Mix espresso, matcha and vanilla syrup together.
Add warm steamed milk.
Sprinkle a dash of matcha and cocoa powder on top to decorate.

What's your energy booster as of late? Are you more of a coffee or a tea drinker? I love both which is why I had the idea to blend both worlds together, to begin with. You can definitely say my cooking is definitely focused on fusion cuisine! I can't wait to share more food content, but fashion week starts tomorrow so stay tuned for lot more content on that for the next couple of weeks! So much more to come, I can't WAIT to share with you what I'll be doing in the next couple of months!

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Valentine's Day Rebel

February 6, 2017

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY MAUMERO NEW YORK SHOES, DRESS LILY & CLOSET ACCESS.

I may not be the biggest fan of Valentine's Day. There are many reasons; one – my mother's birthday is the day before and I always feel a tad guilty celebrating love with her not around (for those who don't know, both of my parents are unfortunately deceased) and two, I've always found it to be such a bologna-Hallmark holiday. It's overrated and you shouldn't need a day to show someone you love them. What will I be doing this year? Strutting around with my girlfriends and hopping from one fashion show to the next. Let's not forget the events and after parties... it's going to be a killer week here in New York! Let's link up while you're in town for NYFW!

Also, what's a girl to wear rebelling against Cupid's favorite day of the year? How about saucy mixed with a laid-back rocker chic vibe? Not going to lie... my nips froze to all hell while shooting this in 32-degree weather (Fahrenheit y'all) but with my trusty and most worn Assembly New York coat, it actually wasn't that bad. (I may or may not have done a bunch of jumping jacks in hopes of staying warm ha ha!) Even though I got cold fast I love how the embroidered bodysuit has a built-in choker. Don't you think it polishes the look all together? To keep it semi-casual, I styled this look with my favorite J Brand skinny black jeans and Urban Outfitters's Maribel Western belt. I know a lot of you girls have a similar one in black but a pop of brown, especially if your brown hair is on the lighter side, can complement well with each other.

And lastly, let's not forget about the details! Firstly, my fringe bangs are in need of a trim (yay hair cut & color on Tuesday) so I did a half-up-half-down top knot/messy bun hairstyle to be able to pull the bangs back. And with a darker lip, I could totally get away with being Eric Northman's girl, no? ;) The maroon mini saddle bag from Closet Access is not only chic but definitely affordable. Aren't the stitching and sides of the purse so well-designed?! I've really been into the color maroon. Normally I'd say it's a fall color, but I feel like darker colors are transitioning from the winter into the spring period this year. Like these gorgeous suede and leather bound laced-up ankle boots from Maumero Shoes in New York. Sometimes, depending on the light, the boots will appear more blue-grey than gray. I love its versatility as you can pair these with leather leggings or a dress, from day to night I know I'll be wearing these 3" boots often. ❤︎

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

Dress Lily Sleeveless Embroidered Sheer Bodysuit

Assembly New York Standard Black Belt Coat

Maumero New York Shoes Hannah Ankle Boots

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Carlina Springbok VVA Handbags

February 2, 2017

WEARING: VVA CARLINA YELLOW LEATHER HANDBAG

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY VVA HANDBAGS BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Functional versatility is the driving force behind VVA Handbags. Made in Britain, the collection evokes both versatility and elegance, and are individually produced and crafted by hand, using the finest British and Italian leathers. Each VVA bag can be carried and styled in several ways. The new arrivals, like this Carlina Yellow Leather Handbag, which I'm totally obsessed with its uniqueness and vibrant color!

The Carlina shoulder bag is a handbag with attitude - a showstopper, in your face statement handbag that will certainly catch the eyes of many! What makes this bag ultra-special to me is the leather is Springbok (South African antelope) which has beautiful markings and a rich "punk" effect on the front and is paired with Italian black leather on the back, along with the handles and interior trimming. It even has a signature pink interior!

Designed to be your go-to handbag the roomy interior provides space for your technology, magazines, work documents, and other daily essentials. There's an additional inner handbag in Springbok attached with press studs making it easy to remove and can be used as a separate shoulder or clutch bag. Hand finished with silver nickel details, VVA Handbags are standout investment pieces to your wardrobe. I definitely can say my new bag will come in handy during NYFW! I'm getting excited for next week, how about you guys?

PHOTOS © // GILLES DECAMPS | CREATIVE DIRECTOR // SUZANNE SPIEGOSKI

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

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Veggie-Packed Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich

January 30, 2017

A childhood friend of mine passed away last week. She was the eldest daughter of two families that lived next door to me. I am saddened by this and have been thinking a lot about them and that time period in my life. I think about the other people I grew up with on that block as well. The other family that lived next door to me happened to be one my mom's best friends. I too was and still am close to her, as she was the one to notify me of the unfortunate news.

The first time I ever tried a grilled cheese sandwich of any kind came from her, my mom's best friend. It wasn't anything special. Just an open faced grilled cheese with a slice of tomato and green pepper on it. I was playing in their backyard with the kids and she brought it out for lunch. I loved it so much and even to this day, it's one of my favorite ways to eat a grilled cheese sandwich. So I put my own twist on a Korean fusion-inspired one. Because one, I've been missing creating food content and two, it's been more than THREE months since I've last done one!

DOWNLOAD RECIPE

Veggie-Packed Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 slices whole wheat bread 3 Tbsp butter 4 slices Colby Jack cheese 1/2 cup kimchi Few slices green, red & yellow pepper 5-6 cherry tomatoes

Directions:

Melt one third of butter in a large non-stick skillet (or grill pan in my case) over medium heat until foaming subsides. Add 2 slices of bread, then 2 slices of cheese on top, press firmly into pan and cook until golden brown on bottom side (approx 2 min.)
Char kimchi, peppers & cherry tomatoes while the bread is grilling for approx. 4-5minutes.
Chop up kimchi and veggies, then add on top of cheese. Remove sandwich using a flexible metal spatula. Add the remaining butter. Repeat steps 1-3 with second sandwich. Serve & enjoy immediately. :)

Twists include using a cast iron grill pan to give a nicer design on the bread. I always use whole wheat bread unless it's homemade stuffing. That's the only time I'll make an exception for white bread. I charred all the veggies while grilling the cheese and in the same skillet. It gave the cherry tomatoes and peppers a nice tiny roast, which in turn brought more flavor in my opinion. I also grilled the kimchi in the pan for a few minutes to soften the cabbage. And whenever I am making a grilled cheese sandwich I always, nine out of ten times, use Colby Jack cheese. It's a favorite aside from Havarti and Emmental. What's your favorite cheese to grill?

I have some really exciting content coming to the blog soon! This week I'll be shooting more fashion + style content. I'll be heading down to the Financial District on Tuesday for one of them so stay tuned on my Insta Stories for some BTS! There will also be a brand new cocktail recipe posted more toward the end of the week. And lastly, I'll be attending NYFW again in the next couple of weeks but this time I'll be getting to go backstage to some pretty cool designers... I can't wait to share! Did I mention travel content is also coming to MaQ + Suz in the next few months? Clue? It's international... Looks like 2017 is off to a great start! ;)

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Crop Top and Trench with a Side of Maroon

January 27, 2017

WEARING: SHOPFW RIB KNIT STRAPPY CROP TOP | 
MICHAEL KORS BLACK TRENCH | BDG HIGH-WAISTED JEANS | 
JILL-E DESIGNS SMART TABLET PURSE BERRY | HUNTER LACE-UP RAIN BOOTS | 
ESPERE DIAMOND PAVE WAVE RING

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY SHOPFW, JILL-E DESIGNS & ESPERE JEWELRY.

First, I got to get something off my chest. I read a quote the other day. It said, "I have a bad habit of searching for beauty in beasts and forever in temporary people." Sure, nothing lasts forever. But dammit, I'm a die hard romanticist and just absolutely LOVE falling in love with people. Why can't it be forever always? Because most people you'll come across in your life aren't meant to be with you permanently. Meaning, the majority of people you know will not be there for you when you hit rock bottom and are at the end of your pitiful rope. Sadly but truly, from one human to the next, people are bound to disappoint you, and even worse, hurt you. (Grrrr face.)

Have you ever had such a connection with someone, one from the inner depths of your soul; one that was so strong, as if you knew them from a past life? Can be a lover or a friend. It's a rarity to come by these days and I've only experienced it a few times. But something always goes awry - you're just a passing distraction to one's amusement, or the timing isn't right, or somebody never follows through. Perhaps one grew easily tired of the other or it's just a fleeting moment/chance encounter. People drift apart and can change. I believe you meet everyone for a reason, though, and yes, it's all for the better because you LIVE and LEARN. My best relationships were all happy accidents.

Having a conversation over drinks with a new girlfriend this past week we discussed how important it was to us to have meaningful relationships in our lives. And no, not everything in life has to be deep and intense because you can't take life so seriously. It's true, you'll never get out of it alive. And not everyone you meet is going to shake you to your core (so to speak), but like many of you, I'm sure may feel, I miss my friends. Always. Old and new. What a fool to be bothered with such nonsense, right? Hardly. I'm a highly sensitive, emotional creature. And yeah, it does suck knowing that not everyone wants you to be happy. And yes, (yikes) many are there to either use you, abuse you... (Annie Lennox rolling through ha ha!) Most likely, though, 99% of the time it's because they're unhappy. I don't expect to be lifelong friends with everyone I meet, but to the special ones I've made especially this past year, I'm beyond grateful for you. Without you, I wouldn't have grown the way that I have, and this means more to me than you'll ever know. So, apologies for the semi-LONG rant (HEY, I'm first & foremost a writer so...) but thank you for continuing to inspire me and for always making me want more than 24 hours in a day.

Onward to what's going on in this look today! I'm showing you guys what I normally wear on a typical rainy day here in NYC, but given the mild temps and the fact that my abs got a serious workout at a boxing fitness studio the other day, (yes, I took my first boxing class!) I wasn't as shy to show some skin. :) This crop top from ShopFW is rib knit fabric and has a self-tie strappy midriff which gives an ultra-sexy feel to it. And it's really comfy! I styled the top with my usual rain boots from Hunter and Michael Kors black trench coat. Along with my most worn, and quite possibly, favorite pair of high-waisted skinny jeans to date, is the super cool and tech-savvy smart tablet purse by Jill-E Designs. It's great berry/maroon color is only the icing on the cake. Inside is a Joey Energy charger where you're able to charge your phone, tablet/laptop, etc. on-the-go! It even has a longer strap to make it a crossbody. I know this will come in handy come fashion week! And last but not least is the gorgeous ring by Espere Jewelry. It's such a statement piece and I love its shape and design. Perfect to sparkle up any gloomy, rainy day!