Indian Summer – Wear a One Piece Swimsuit into Fall

August 23, 2017

WEARING: ZAFUL TIED CAMI PLUNGING NECK HIGH CUT SWIMSUIT |
VAGABOND HONEY JAKARTA DENIM PANTS | NA-KD FASHION WORN OUT LEATHER JACKET |
STELLA & DOT LAYERED FEATHER NECKLACE | CALVIN KLEIN RUBY PATENT SLINGBACKS
ZAFUL TRIANGLE CLUTCH | MAD-STYLE IGGY SUNGLASSES

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ZAFUL AND STELLA & DOT.

Happy Wednesday, guys! NYFW is right around the corner (starting after Labor Day) and I am in full swing getting ready for the crazy but fun-filled week! I love this time of year as the weather is changing, but the season doesn't click right away as if it likes the period of transition as well. So today's post is dedicated to those unpredictable days where like a woman, can go from hot to cold in an instant. What better way to keep wearing those adorable (and yes, some racier) one-pieces into fall instead of putting them away now that summer is coming to an end?! These kinds of swimsuits I feel can be styled in so many different ways, I had to share my take on it with you! And this gorgeous army green is one of my favorite colors to wear come autumn season! Come take a look and see how you can still wear your swimsuit come fall!

The tied cami plunging neck high cut swimsuit from Zaful is not only a showstopper but actually really comfy to wear! I love the back to it too. And the tied-up spaghetti straps? Too cute. I paired the one piece swimsuit with my favorite jeans from Vagabond Honey. I think I'm in need of a new pair as I've literally worn these ones out (or you could say I'm a jeans-addict too... whichever you prefer...) To bring down the oversized look from the denim, I wore a pair of Calvin Klein slingbacks. They are circa 2008, I believe, and yes, you bet your ass I still wear them! I love them so much, especially the ruby color and shape of the shoe.

I styled the swimsuit with a worn out jacket from Na-kd Fashion to complement with the jeans and edgy look. Plus, tell me a girl who doesn't wear the crap out of leather jackets come fall?! Ha ha ha! Guilty as charged! And I have no shame because a great leather jacket can make any outfit stylish! And let's not forget about this incredible, layered feather necklace I received from Stella & Dot... With three different ways to wear the possibilities are endless! Wear as one cohesive statement or remove the feather strands to wear the top piece for a simple everyday layering look. In this look, I wore it as a whole because I loved each piece so much and couldn't make up my mind! But I'd love to show you the different ways of wearing it, perhaps on Insta-Stories?

Lastly, my triangle clutch is also from Zaful (can you tell I dig this store?) and my round sunnies are from Mad-Style. You can still use my code, 'maqandsuz' for 20% off your purchase today at www.mad-style.com. Also, I get a lot of questions about my makeup, so here's a little more info on today's look: Yves Saint Laurent Beauty Women's Smoker Eye Duo in Smokey Green and Lancôme Matte Shaker High Pigment Liquid Lipstick 272 Energy in Peach.

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

Zaful Cami Plunging Neck High Cut Swimsuit

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Fall Stripes with Red Panama Hat

August 21, 2017

WEARING: MAD-STYLE FLUTED SLEEVE CREWNECK TOP | MAD-STYLE RED PANANA FLANNEL HAT |
 GENUINE PEOPLE BELL BOTTOM CROP JEANS | PERIDOT BOUTIQUE LOAFER SLIDES |
 MAD-STYLE PEARL MULTI RING CHOKER

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY MAD-STYLE.

Happy Monday, guys! How was everyone's weekend? The past few days I've been struggling with the mundane everyday life responsibilities, just finding the time to do laundry has been challenging! Life happens when you're busy making other plans, am I right?! But I have no complaints, I'm so crazy about what I'm doing in terms of work that I literally forget about the other things in life I also need to be doing (until I'm on my last run of granny panties... then you know you've outdone yourself HA HA) But that's also the great thing about New York City, don't have time to do the laundry? Drop it off somewhere and have someone do it for you. (No, I don't do that but I could...) you can even have someone come and pick up your laundry for you! Aside from my hectic schedule that doesn't seem to be calming down anytime soon, my all-time favorite season is just around the corner and I couldn't wait to get started on my new fall wardrobe! Today's look is all about bold colors and patterns that will super trendy this season, and at the same time keeping the outfit somewhat casual yet super chic! Let's take a closer look at some of my new favorite items I picked up from Mad-Style.

Stripes are hot, hot hot right now and will definitely transition into the cooler season. This fluted sleeve crewneck from Mad-Style is my new favorite striped shirt! What I find so adorable about this top are its large bell sleeves! This oversized flounce sleeved top brings such a lovely detail to any casual look, it's perfect with your favorite pair of jeans or maxi skirt. I also love how thin the stripes are as they make it for a flattering fit for anyone!

One bold color I always wear when feeling fabulously confident is red. I'm an Aries and red is definitely a hue that has burned long and hard in my heart when it comes to my selective choices in color. When I first noticed this Panama hat, I was immediately drawn to its rich color along with a unique belt accent that adds another notch of luxury and style. This buckle adornment is very eye-catching along with the flannel material in this boho, fedora style hat!

My jeans are from Genuine People and my loafer slides are from Peridot Boutique. The last piece from this look and also from Mad-Style is this gorgeous pearl multi-ring choker necklace. The stunning multi-strand leather necklace with large conjoined rings and large pearl stone in the center I found to also be very unique. The rings come in different gold tone finishes: gold, rose gold, and silver. Are you guys loving the striped shirt, red hat and/or necklace? If you are adoring the Mad-Style pieces as much as I am, use my promo code, 'maqandsuz' to get 20% OFF your purchase from Mad-Style! They also carry a variety of accessories such as jewelry, clothes and even dog apparel! You can also shop this look down below. Don't forget to leave a comment on your thoughts from this post! Follow me on Instagram too! Have a great week, everyone! :)

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

Mad-Style Fluted Sleeve Crewneck Striped Top

Mad-Style Pearl Multi-Ring Choker Necklace

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Sidecar Cocktail Recipe with Martell Blue Swift

August 18, 2017

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY MARTELL BLUE SWIFT & FLOWER DELIVERY NYC.

Blue Swift the first-ever Martell VSOP matured in French Oak casks and finished in Kentucky Bourbon casks. Enjoy on its own, over ice, lengthened with a mixer or as a cocktail. Characterized by delicate notes of candied fruit and plum, now complemented by the subtle sweetness of vanilla and toasted oak from bourbon casks. On the nose, I first noticed gourmet aromas such as banana and caramelized pears. Then a subtle sweetness appears, and notes of vanilla & coconut mixed with spicy and menthol are revealed. In the mouth, it is soft, round and gourmand. I taste deep and fresh notes of ginger and white candied fruits such as plums. I then felt the ample, smooth and long toasted oak finish from Kentucky Bourbon casks. Today's post is on the classic take on the 'Sidecar' cocktail with a recipe in partnership with Martell Blue Swift. Continue on to check out the easy-peasy recipe!

Martell Blue Swift Sidecar Cocktail

photos + recipe by Suzanne Spiegoski — photos + recipe by **Suzanne Spiegoski**

Ingredients:

Sugar

1 1⁄2 oz Martell Blue Swift

3⁄4 oz Cointreau

3⁄4 oz Fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Coat the rim of a cocktail glass with sugar and set aside.

(Do this a few minutes ahead of time so the sugar can dry and adhere well to the glass.) Add the remaining ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice.

Shake, and strain into the prepared glass.

Garnish with a slice of lemon.

And look at this truly original bouquet of lovely roses, daisy poms, stock, alstroemeria and monte casino in shades of pink and purple. I received these flowers from Flowers Delivery NYC and they are so beautiful! They totally made my day! And this Martell Blue Shift's VSOP finished in Bourbon Barrels is the perfect start to a great weekend! I have a classic recipe for the traditional sidecar cocktail above, so don't forget to take a peek and download! What are your plans for this weekend? Whatever it may be, hope it's a great one! Cheers :)

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE PRODUCTS

Lavender Dreams™ Flowers Delivery NYC Bouquet

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When Life Gives You Lemons, Make a Jumpsuit out of It!

August 16, 2017

WEARING: FOR LOVE & LEMONS LIMONADA JUMPSUIT | 
LOUIS VUITTON BROWN MUSETTE TANGO BAG | 
STEVE MADDEN CHERISH RUCHED TOE SLINGBACKS | DANIEL WELLINGTON GOLD MESH WATCH

Enjoying the last few weeks of summer before the chaos of fall season begins, you can be sure to see me wearing this around town - When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade out of it right? Oh no... why not do something more fun for yourself and make a jumpsuit out of it?! Yes, you heard me right! Today's style post is solely on this way too adorable lemon-print jumpsuit from For Love & Lemons and I got it from the coolest on-demand clothing rental in Manhattan called TrendlendNYC. Come get a better look at this cute, summery look and to read more about the recently discovered TrendlendNYC!

Maggie is the founder and created TrendlendNYC because she kept finding all her 20-something year old friends in NYC were always complaining that they never had anything to wear, but were too broke to go spend $100 on the pieces that they actually wanted to buy while they endlessly shopped on the internet during their day jobs. Her vision for TrendlendNYC has been years in the making and she is determined to create a new way of affordable on-demand shopping in Manhattan. I can definitely say nothing but the best things about TrendlendNYC! I had a prompt and timely pick-up and drop-off delivery services with the messenger (they bring the clothing pieces to you) and had no trouble with sizes and the way the item looked, it was exactly the way it was on the site! And you get to schedule the time of your choosing either dropping off or picking up.

I love this jumpsuit not only for its lemon-print, because honestly how stinking cute is the entire style of this jumpsuit?! I love the short, flutter sleeves and the dainty fabric-covered buttons along with a tie belt that cinches from an elastic waistband. This is probably the most lively, citrus print I've ever worn and I'm completely enamored with this jumpsuit! And there's patch hip pockets!

To accessorize the already eye-popping jumper, I wanted to neutralize the color palette and veer away from vibrant colors. So, with my newly colored hair, I went with a pair of Steve Madden slingbacks with a ruched pointy toe that I've owned since my college days! One of my favorite kinds of shoes are slingbacks, I feel so great in them! What shoe makes you feel powerful and sexy at the same time? To keep in the same color scheme with the shoes, I paired it with my favorite Louis Vuitton musette bag. Lastly, my gold mesh watch is my new favorite accessory. Clean and luxurious, it's the perfect watch to wear day to night! Use my code, 'SUZANNESPIEGOSKI' to receive 15% off your purchase at Daniel Wellington. Don't forget to leave your comments down below and to follow me on Instagram! Happy Wednesday, everyone.

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

Steven Madden Cherish Ruched Toe Slingbacks

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Back to School – 10 Memorable Moments

August 14, 2017

WEARING: FOREVER 21 OVERSIZED CUTOUT SHIRT | HOLLISTER CO. RIPPED DENIM MINI-SKIRT |
 GUCCI BELT | JACOB ALEXANDER FOREST GREEN SKINNY TIE | 
BRAHMIN ANDESITE GABRIELLA MELBOURNE BAG | PERIDOT BOUTIQUE LOAFER SLIDES | 
FOREVER 21 FISHNET CREW SOCKS | PERSOL EYEGLASSES

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY BRAHMIN.

It's that time of year where summer is winding down and the kids are beginning to get ready to go back to school. I love this time period where the days seem more relaxed and the weather is still hot though there are a few days here and there that are starting to get cooler. August is like the Sunday of summer. I wanted to take a trip down memory lane along with a cute outfit to re-boot! ;) But y'all know I'm far from posh and even further from the typical Catholic school girl, ha ha ha! So I put a little twist on my modern-day version of a really cute first day of school outfit... with a touch of menswear, a little geekiness and a whole lot of rock n roll attitude! But before I get more into detail about my outfit, I wanted to share with you ten of my most memorable moments back in my school days. I may not be old, but I'm definitely reaching old school!

1. Some of you may not know, but I received a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University. What a lot of you don't know is because I have such a deep passion for art (the first class I ever took at 4 years old was an art class), I managed to accidentally obtain a minor in art history on top of my primary major. The look I had in the office from my guidance counselor was priceless because I really never had any intention of doing it! I even considered changing my major to creative writing or literature before anything else. It's funny how some things just fall in your lap.

2. The first time I ever got in trouble at school was in kindergarten. And you'll never guess what for... kissing! I had the craziest crush on a blonde boy from my class and I was completely infatuated... I just kept running around smooching him every chance I could get before the teacher put me in timeout. Ha ha ha!

3. During second grade, the elementary school I attended was holding their annual cultural potluck meal, where the parents' kids came up with dishes pertaining to their ethnic background and brought it to school for all of us to enjoy and learn more about different culinary foods. I initially (and quite desperately) wanted to bring dried up squid as our Korean dish, but my mother was against it due to the tentacle oddities & seafood smell and was concerned the kids wouldn't go for it. I was crushed! I really wanted to share my favorite snack! But umma came through and made her famous kalbi ribs, that dish went completely empty the minute it sat down on the table!

4. The first person to have ever told me I should be a writer was my creative writing teacher in high school, Mr. Ikens. He was quite peculiar looking, with ghostly skin and matching white hair even though he was only in his mid-thirties at the time, and had a deep-seeded fear for the Pillsbury Doughboy. He was the first to see my work and was the first to suggest that I set my career in writing. I'll always remember the music he played while we sat in his classroom working, from Bob Dylan to this very strange song called, "Rollie-Pollie Fish Heads", he inspired me to write more and eventually led to where I am today.

5. One of the most tedious classes I ever had was an advanced course in European history while in high school. I'm not proud to admit it but I must have fallen asleep in that class at least three times a week! It was also where I had to speak in front of a whole room with a presentation, which made me hella nervous, but to this day did teach me a lot about public speaking and yes, European history.

6. I learned how to read Shakespeare well from the likes of Mr. Webb. He was a disgruntled man who taught English in my junior high school, and we had read Romeo & Juliet during our time with him. Though I had already read several books by Shakespeare and Mr. Webb normally scared the bejesus out of me, he did teach me a thing or two about writing and I still remember him to this day.

7. When I was in elementary school I was one of the best in the state for chin-ups/pull-ups. I used to easily be able to do at least 20 in one sitting! I even made it to the state tracks to compete where I met one of my closest friends to date. We've known each other for over twenty years and she is like family to me. What's funny is we didn't become glued to the hip after meeting at the track competition, it was not until the following season where we bumped into each other at a skating rink when we became close very quickly.

8. My first dance I attended was in high school. Yeah, you can say I had a late start to everything. I remember I had picked this really pretty green with black embroidered floral print spaghetti strapped dress to impress my boyfriend, who happened to also be the first boyfriend I ever had. My mother was so adamant about me wearing a bra, and to this day I still HATE wearing them, that I did leave the house with one on, but took it off in the bathroom at the school dance and threw it out! Free the nipple, ha ha ha!

9. At around 8 or 9, as an April Fool's joke, I pretended to have an asthma attack during class after watching The Hand that Rocks the Cradle at a sleepover at a friend's house. Let's just say I was kind of a naughty child, and definitely a troublemaker!

10. When I was in college I studied abroad in Ukraine. For nearly six weeks, we visited six different cities and it was one of the most adventurous and life-changing experiences of my life. I miss the place and its people often and hope to visit again one day very soon. I think my favorite memory from this trip was perhaps firing my first gun and seeing a live autopsy for the very first time. Such a wild and fun experience. Now I want to share photos and experiences in a post, what do you guys think about that?

And now onto this school girl-inspired outfit. Initially, I was going to go for a more monochromatic look with a long black dress with this oversized cutout shirt from Forever 21. I received this beautiful andesite Gabriella Melbourne bag from Brahmin in celebration of their 35th Year Anniversary. At Brahmin, they're are all about the details. Since 1982, they've been creating handbags and accessories that combine inspired functionality, quality materials, and standout style. Selecting luxe leathers and on-trend accents, their team designs 100% of their products in-house in Massachusetts. The result is a modern collection celebrating the textures you love. And I can definitely say this is my new go-to staple bag for the season! I took it for a little 'stroll' the other day and got so many compliments on it! You guys should check them out, really top-notch quality! I'm completely obsessed. My skirt is from Hollister paired with my trusty Gucci belt. I accessorized with fishnet crew socks from Forever 21 and loafer slides from Peridot Boutique. To give a more librarian, nerdy feel to this look, I wore a loosely tied men's skinny tie in forest green and my favorite Persol glasses. What do you guys think of this look? And what's one of your favorite memories from your school days? Leave your answers in the comments below where you can also directly shop the look. Have a great week, everyone! Catch ya back here on Wednesday.