When Bloggers Do Dumbo

June 3, 2016

WEARING: MOTO RIPPED MOM SHORTS | BASIC MEDALLION BANDANA | 
ARTIFACT NECKLACE | EXPRESS DENIM VEST | ALDO BUGIANO STUDDED ANKLE BOOTIES | 
RAY-BAN CLUBMASTERS | SEPCOEUR PARIS SUEDE DRAWSTRING BAG

Happy Friday! Last weekend, I met up with two other New York bloggers, Nataliya from Style Tomes & Andrea from Pretty Proper Quaint, to venture a day in Brooklyn. I love to meet like-minded bloggers from the city and do photo shoots. It's a great way to interact and engage with fellow bloggers. And, I'm all about learning and growing, which nevertheless will take place when getting to know others in your field and spending the day with them. Can you believe that I've never visited the Brooklyn Bridge Park since living here for over a decade?! It just goes to show that New York City is filled with endless amounts of adventure and fun.

We stopped at Jane's Carousel for a youthful outing. For $2, you can feel l like a kid again. Besides, you're never too old to go for a spin! And it's a great location for a photo shoot. Whether it's for your kids or a casual photo-op, I find this place to be whimsical and full of laughter and smiles. My kind of energy! We also visited Brooklyn-based artist Deborah Kass's Yo/Oy sculpture, which is a wonderful addition to New York's public art. I love to see anything that has to do with art, especially street art and graffiti. On the way back to the city, I suggest we take the East River Ferry, as this is also something I've never done! What's great about this form of transportation is you hop from Brooklyn, to Queens, to Manhattan, and even Governor's Island when in season. And bonus... you can take your dog with you! Can't wait to do it again with MaQ next time!

Coming up on the blog this week, a fusion recipe of a popular summer cocktail from the tropics (getting excited for me and my hubby's 10-yr dating anniversary trip!!!), a newfound love for a skincare product (with a giveaway so keep an eye out!), and a favorite quiche recipe, perfect for the weekend brunch! Stay tuned! :)

LOVE & XX'S

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How to Create a Bouquet - How to Arrange Flowers

May 4, 2016

Yesterday's post was all about me and my mother's style intertwined together. As a two-part story, today I'm writing about the perfect gift idea for Mother's Day. And more specifically, how to create a bouquet and how to arrange flowers while doing so! You see, my mother had the green thumb of the family. Growing up as a kid, I had little to no interest in flowers or gardening. I wondered why my mother loved spending so much time in hers.

But now as an adult, I've become more like my mother and have a huge passion for floral work and design. Anything involving plant life, I'm down for. If my mother was still here, my gift to her would be just the two of us creating bouquets and arranging flowers together. She taught me a lot about flowers and so in today's story I'll be giving you a few pointers on how-to's when it comes to DIY!

Add two kinds of greenery
Fill vase with cold water
Grind 2 aspirin pills to easily dissolve in water (did you know that putting in 2 aspirins in any bouquet will keep your flowers alive longer?) Go ahead and sprinkle that magic in!
Measure flowers, trim to desired height and place in vase
Remove leaves from stems so they aren't in water
Fill in empty spots
And voila!

You can also check out my YouTube video down below for a full tutorial on how to create a bouquet! Thank you so much, Starbright Floral Design, for your gorgeous, intoxicating flowers! I used white and pink lilies, some Holland tulips, eucalyptus, and purple snap dragons. Want to create your own? Use my discount code 'MaQSuz' to get $10 off your purchase from Starbright!

Please don't forget to subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel!

photos + videography by Gilles Decamps | director, editing, styling, hair + makeup by Suzanne Spiegoski

Mother's Day is fastly approaching us and I'm collaborating with Starbright Floral Design for the perfect gift idea to give to all of the momma's of the world; your mother, your baby mama (or mom-to-be). How about instead of ordering bouquets or quickly grabbing them from the market this year, you hand pick and arrange an assorted floral bouquet yourself?! It's thoughtful and straight from the heart - and such a great activity spent with any mother!

Check out my DIY video tutorial, showing how easy (and fun) it is to be working with flowers, including my own bouquet I arranged myself! Want to design your own? Use my discount code 'MaQSuz' to get $10 OFF of your purchase from Starbright Floral Design!

LOVE & XX'S

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Source: http://www.suzannespiegoski.com/maq-and-su...

Like Mother, Like Daughter

May 3, 2016

WEARING: H&M OFF-THE-SHOULDER DRESS |
DKNY DENIM JACKET | GG BOSS OLIVE GREEN FRINGE HANDBAG | 
VIA SPIGA KAMALA ANKLE BOOTS | KENDRA SCOTT CARLA EARRINGS

What I would give to spend Mother's Day with my Ma. But I refuse to be sad because my mother would not want me to be this way. She made it clear to live life fully and to make time to enjoy it. Life is endured with its ebbs and flows but also remember that it's short. It goes fast. So, for this week's look, I'm dedicating it to my Ma, Sun-Hui, a.k.a. Sunny.

My outfit I styled (including hair and makeup), is in reflection toward what I'd actually wear this coming Sunday. If I could be with her, we'd definitely start Mother's Day with brunch! New York City style! And this casual chic look is not only something I'd be wearing, but it is also a twist on her style, which was fresh, light, and always feminine. But she was also cheeky. I remember her having a tank top with the words, 'slippery when wet' on the front. I admired her fashion sense and even when I was little, she'd dress me up in girly outfits and hair do's. But that all changed around the age of 6-7, when I started to develop my own individuality. I didn't want her to pick out my outfits anymore because I felt they were no longer my style! I knew it'd hurt her feelings, and when I had told her she did take it badly. I just wasn't a girly-girl and dresses were not really my thing. My favorite piece of clothing as a kid? Colored sweatpants! 😝

Fast forward some decades later and yes, now I like dresses (from time to time). No, I still don't prefer sweatpants, though pajamas are a close runner up especially when working from home. Ha, ha! I'm definitely a t-shirt and jeans kind of gal. Add in some sneakers and I'm good to go. But, lately, I, myself, have been feeling more feminine. Like a flower, in the process of blooming. I can't wait to share with you a brand new story in the next coming days! It has a lot to do with flowers and I've got the perfect gift idea for Mother's Day! A definite must-do if I were to spend Sunday with my Ma. Stay tuned.

photos + videography by Gilles Decamps | director, editing, styling, hair + makeup by Suzanne Spiegoski

Mother's Day is this Sunday! My fourth 'Suz's Look' video is a play-up on what'd I'd be wearing if my Ma was still here and if I was lucky enough to spend the day with her. A twist on her style, if you will.

To shop the look, please continue below.

Music:

+ARTIST: Flume

+SONG: Never Be Like You Ft. Kai

LOVE & XX'S

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FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Source: http://www.suzannespiegoski.com/maq-and-su...

Just A Rolling Stone

April 23, 2016

WEARING: MOTO RIPPED OVERSIZED JACKET | MOTO RIPPED MOM SHORTS | 
ROLLING STONES TANK | BASIC MEDALLION BANDANA | 
CONVERSE - CHUCK TAYLOR ALL STAR SHOES IN CREAM

Happy Weekend, everyone! I'm happy to finally share my most recent editorial shoot! And it's pure ROCK N ROLL! I don't know about y'all, but when I heard the news of Prince's passing, I cried like a little baby. A prolific, musical genius, his lyrics, and tunes were always something that made me want to sing, dance, f*ck, party, and just live in the moment. He was one of the first artists who showed me that it was completely effin' AWESOME to do you; to lead not follow. To not conform like most. That it was okay to really believe in yourself, even if it made you look like an egotistical diva at times.

I could have paid tribute by decking myself out in purple like everyone else. But instead, I figured I'd try and embody a feeling, a mood, a tone to what Prince always brought me. And even though he brought so many variated genres into his music, such as funk, r&b, pop... to me he will forever be rock n roll. Forever Young. So when you think of rock n roll, what comes to mind?

How can you not think of the Rolling Stones? And yeah, I do feel the Stones were an influence in Prince's music too. It all comes full circle. And rock n rollers, such as myself, are young at heart and I clearly wanted to incorporate this into my style. The perfect part was finding the Rolling Stones tank top at Topshop. You can find each piece from this look at the end of this post and instantly shop for it! And of course, feel free to check out our new style video for this look on YouTube, or below. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel to stay up to date on all of MaQ and I's adventures! Until next time, let loose you deserve it!

photos + videography by Gilles Decamps | director, editing, styling, hair + makeup by Suzanne Spiegoski

Third 'Suz's Look' video, and it's pure ROCK N ROLL!

photos + videography by Gilles Decamps | director, editing, styling, hair + makeup by Suzanne Spiegoski

To shop the look, please continue below.

LOVE & XX'S, MaQ + Suz

Music: +ARTIST: The Rolling Stones +SONG: Sympathy For The Devil

LOVE & XX'S,

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Source: http://www.suzannespiegoski.com/maq-and-su...

Grey Tones

April 5, 2016

WEARING: H&M LONG GREY SUIT JACKET | H&M LONG SLEEVE GREY SHIRT
FOREVER 21 STRETCHY HIGH-RISE SKINNY JEANS 
STEVEN MADDEN NOBLE STONE PEEP TOE SHOE BOOT | GUCCI DIANA SATCHEL

One of my ultimate dreams in New York City has come true! It was so hard to keep it hush-hush for about a week now, but I am delighted and very excited to finally be able to tell you guys all about it! Sometime last week, I was having a very rough start to my morning and was really feeling under the weather, but I like to start my day by taking walks with MaQ, especially when I'm feeling down. Just the two of us roaming the streets of New York never fails to inspire me to keep going.

That morning was kind of cold. You know, those spring mornings where it's only slightly warm being in the sun. I was going to keep it a brisk walk and take MaQ out for a longer one later on in the day, as I had so much work to do. But, because I wasn't feeling 100% and the fact that I walk around to clear my head, I opted for a longer route and went to one of his favorite parks in New York City, Washington Square Park. He loves to find sticks to chew and play with, accompanying me while I people-watch and take snapshots. Suddenly, a deep male voice from behind said, "Excuse me, do you mind if I take a picture of your dog?" But before I could reply, he graciously continued. "I run The Dogist... I'm not sure if you've heard about us..."

My jaw dropped to the ground and I was beaming. Ever since Elias Weiss Friedman had created The Dogist in October of 2013, I've been following him religiously. With nearly 2 million followers on Instagram and over 10,000 photos of dogs from around the world, he's got my (well one at least) dream job, chasing dogs and traveling. I just never saw the man behind the camera! We had a blast shooting with Elias and his assistants, MaQ took his role as a supermodel VERY seriously. Come take a look at his AMAZING portrait shot HERE!

To see more incredible portraits of dogs by The Dogist, go to thedogist.com

Lastly, here's my look of the day! Grey tones meet casual chic with a long suit jacket from H&M, Steve Madden open-toe ankle booties and Forever 21 skinny jeans. It's one of my favorite comfy go-to looks. You can totally keep doing your #GIRLBOSS thang in this outfit. Sadly, due to grey tones not only being a part of this look, the weather did not allow us to film this look for the week. Boo, to rain! But don't worry, more to come soon, soon, soon! Stay tuned...

Photos by Gilles Decamps

Styling & Editing by Suzanne Spiegoski