Our First Q&A Episode

October 13, 2017

WEARING: AGNES B GREY FRONT BUTTON SHIRT | PERSOL GLASSES

Hey guys! Welcome back to my blog! And to new visitors... welcome and stick around because you're in for a treat today! Since I've started my blog which was roughly two years ago, I get asked a lot of questions about my dog and what life is like in a big city with him. Whether it's in person or on social media, everyone adores my German shepherd, McQueen... or, what most of you guys know him as: MaQ! There were so many questions to narrow it down to due to time constraint and the desire for wanting to keep a few precious moments private such as when and where we met him, why and how. And even though I like to keep that sort of balance within my personal life, I still wanted to share a few fun facts about my partner in crime. So let's take a look, shall we?

HOW DID HE GET HIS NAME?

McQueen was named after the devastatingly handsome actor, Steve McQueen. Both carry such a look and are equally charismatic, Steve and I even share the same birthday, so it was only natural to give him such a unique name. We call him 'MaQ' for short because of coined phrases like, "Big Mac" and "Mack Daddy". He is quite big and a total ladies man. :)

HOW OLD IS MAQ?

5. In human years, he's technically 35 but still acts like a kid. Young at heart, I suppose. ❤️

FAVORITES?

He just loves to play. If he could have it his way, he'd run me around all day! He's a total ball hog like many GSDs I know, but his favorite game is the toy game, or "identification" game where he can search and find whatever stuffed animal I ask him to go get, and he's got a lot of 'em. I am thinking about doing a video on this because it's just too cute and you'd be impressed with how smart he is on top of how many toys he's spoiled with!

He also love to eat and share food with us. Yes, I'm guilty as charged and am totally that paw-rent who indulges in feeding her pooch table scraps. I can't help it! I don't want him to feel left out, ha ha! I of course only share with him what's healthy and reasonable. But every once in a while you just gotta go for the carbs. We love to share french fries together and his favorite is pizza crust. I love it too but since having MaQ, I give all my crust to him as if it's some kind of ritual between us.

He is never without his "security blanket", or rather, his "Natty" girl. It's a plush stuffed animal monkey and I named her after Natalie Wood, who was one of Steve McQueen's ladies back in the day and they were quite the couple! You should see her in the video from this post, Natty was the size of MaQ when I first got him!

DISLIKES?

Cats. Baths. And the rain.

DOES MAQ HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?

If you looked this good, would you be with only only person? Ha ha ha! He is a total player! You should see him picking up chicks on our walks... both human and canine! He's got a thing for blonds and leggy women. Hey, can ya blame him?

DOES MAQ SLEEP WITH YOU IN BED AT NIGHT?

Honestly? No, he and I like to have our own space. I'm the type that likes to cuddle for about 3 minutes and then I'm good. He's the same, ha ha! What he tends to do most at night is keep watch. He's a good ole' boy and protects the house.

That's it for now! Be sure to come back and see more upcoming Q&A's! Don't forget to watch our episode on YouTube down below and if you have a question you'd like answered about us, leave it in the comment box or find me on social media! Follow me and MaQ on Instagram! Have a great weekend, everyone. We'll see ya back here on Monday!

OUR FIRST Q&A EPISODE!

Happy Friday, guys! Today's video is our very first Q&A with my partner in crime, my German shepherd dog, McQueen (AKA: MaQ)! After receiving a lot of questions about us from our readers, I thought it was finally time to do a sit down and answer some of them! Click to watch!

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

New Level

October 6, 2017

WEARING: NATIVE YOUTH GRAY LONGLINE COAT | DETROIT TIGERS BASEBALL CAP | 
LEVI'S INDIGO PERFECT POCKET TEE | ZAFUL SIDE STRIPED VELVET PANTS | 
PUMA CLYDE SNEAKERS | KYBOE! WATCH | FOREVER 21 OVERSIZED ROUND GLASSES

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ZAFUL.

This week has been just been crazy with a lot of ups and downs so in return, I'm sharing a new editorial street style post... video included, definitely with no f*cks given. Most fashion content I create is polished, intended styled looks but what I realized is I've never really shown you what I wear when I'm just bummin' around the hood, runnin' errands, shootin' photos or kickin' it on my rooftop. I thought I'd show you a side of me most don't get a chance to see! There's definitely a 'hardness' to my style at times, especially when my mood has been the way it has been this week: Fed up AF but still taking it like a champ and putting in that work. Come take a look for yourself and continue reading more about that Detroit style that'll never cease to fade away in me... it runs through like blood.

When I think of Detroit style it's definitely not feminine, soft or uber chic. It's got grunge, soul, punk, rock n roll and a whole lot of street. The first time I picked up an issue of Vogue (US) I was in my teens and couldn't pronounce half of the designers featured in the magazine, and there was something even back then that made me fascinated about the fashion world but because of where I came from and who I was, I never really embraced the industry until recent years. Everyone has their own journey when it comes to personal style, but I believe what sets the foundation of what your style really is where you've originated; your own backstory will help mold you and constantly interchange you and your style.

So I really enjoy mixing the better of both worlds I've been involved in and continue to be in. I think staying in one box, one style is playing it safe and gets boring after a while. Let your style have its own voice and let it run its mouth! Inspire others to express how they're vibing through their style. In today's post, I've created two different looks with just one change from each outfit and that's outerwear. Outerwear can really set the tone of a look. For example, this Native Youth longline coat gives me a bigger and bolder statement, looking a tad more luxurious than in the second look. The second look is with a more preppy but ghetto vibe. One can be both, trust me! I took one of the oldest Nike sweatshirts I own and cut the sleeves to give it fringe and added toughness to it. I styled it over my shoulders as well as around my waist.

Check out my YouTube video down below or HERE to watch all the different looks going on while still maintaining the same overall vibe. I've also revamped my YouTube Channel and gave it a more polished look, so let me know what you guys think. And don't forget to subscribe while you visit my channel! Shop directly down below and feel free to leave me a comment on what you thought of today's post and how you like to express yourself through style! Have a great weekend, everyone. Take care of each other and yourselves and don't ever stop believing in the good in people, hope and most importantly, LOVE. :)

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

To Know You Is to Love You

June 17, 2017

WEARING: VIP ME BLUE VINTAGE EMBROIDERY BELTED MAXI DENIM DRESS | 
BLACK BANDANA PAISLEY

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY VIP ME.

I'VE GOT THE BLUES...

I lost him. Suddenly and unexpectedly. When my brother made the call, I thought at first he was playing a cruel joke on me. Then the shock factor waved in. I cried the entire plane ride home. After I handled my affairs though that's when I nearly lost it. My heart was broken. Hell, it still is. His death led to my estrangement from my family. They all turned their back on me. Some even betrayed me. I'm haunted by words left unsaid. And the pain still to this day is sometimes too unbearable to take. I miss his wistful smile and the sounds from his guitar. I miss our long talks in the car when we'd drive 'up North' to visit those we loved. I miss seeking his advice and him letting me cry on his shoulder until I soaked the entire damn shirt. I miss my father.

I have my mother's spirit, but I have his soul. I love what he loved. Music, books, cars, boxing... German Shepherd dogs. When he was a kid my father had taken in a female German Shepherd that was abandoned and had named her Lady. But he lost her too soon when she was hit by a car and died in his arms. He was so crushed he wore her chain collar around his neck afterward, even leading some of the kids at school poking fun at him for wearing it and resulting in a fight. She was his everything. I respect this breed for the same reasons my father did; loyal, dedicated, courageous, intelligent and loving. They are the ideal family dog. Even at an early age, I begged my parents to have one, but my mother refused. Opposite reasons for what my father wanted, she had lost her Keeshond while living in California, and I think it hurt her so badly, she didn't even want to risk having me or my brother go through the same thing. Now as a grown-ass woman, I have to say, that getting my German Shepherd dog, MaQ, was one of the best things I have ever done in my life.

One of our favorite films we loved to watch was 1979's boxing movie, The Champ. Even to this day, I still get all choked up when watching any boxing film. There is so much heart in the sport. I know some might not care for the violence, but that's not what it's about. In the boxing ring of life, it's not how hard you can hit, but rather how many times you can get hit and keep moving forward. That's what I see in a good fighter, in any sport for that matter. Someone who is full of adversity and still has the will to persevere. Whether in the ring or out of it, no one likes a quitter. And when anyone gives up, I guarantee you they don't feel good about it.

What I really miss is hearing him play in the background growing up as a child. He had his own 'man cave' down in the basement, and once he plugged in the amp to one of his electric guitars, you could hear him jamming all the way up from the second floor. (I grew up in a duplex house) As much as my mother hated it, I found it to be rather soothing in a rollercoaster type of childhood. I had always encouraged him to try and make a demo, and I know I sound biased with what I'm about to say next because I'm his daughter, but he was very talented. When he played the blues, you could feel the pain. Guitars cry too, you know. It's kind of like opera or ballet, either you get it or you don't. I believe there takes a certain type of person to play the blues well. And my father was the epitome of that.

My father has been without me for nearly five years now, and it was only last year since his death where I even had the courage to take out and look at the only guitar had left in his possession. It is a gorgeous ruby red Ovation Guitar, and I find it so fitting he chose such a color as him and I are both Aries's. Our element is fire and color is red, and our birthdays are two days apart. I'm March 24 and his, the 26th. I'm similar to him in many ways, some good, and some not so good, but I do take pride in who I am. Like my father, I can be stubborn, cocky, impatient, blunt, even sometimes slightly intimidating but I am also generous, kind, loving and true. I don't let my friends down and would give a stranger the shirt off my back if that's all I had left. And I too, can sometimes not have the guts to go after something because I fear I may not be good enough. I don't think this was entirely the case with my father, but his reason for never making a demo tape was his love for playing and not anything else.

I think if you're passionate about something like my father was with music and playing the guitar, you should continue to pursue it and not just consider it as a hobby. So in honor of Father's Day on Sunday, I wanted to share with you some bits and pieces of him, like his guitar in this post, along with his Fender picks, amp plugs, written music notes, and cassette tapes he recorded his favorite songs on plus the music he'd make himself. And a lot of my readers have been wanting to see more videos like I used to create, and given this has been a project I've had on my mind and I wanted to make it extra special, I definitely had to make one in honor of my father. I hope he would have liked it, and I hope you do too with a tiny fraction of who he was. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read and watch something that really matters to me. And to all the father's out there, Happy Father's Day to you on Sunday. I love you, dad. Wish you were here, but I know you're watching and I hope I've made you proud. Until I see you when I see you, keep on keepin' on.

Digging this denim maxi dress? It's from VIPme, you can use my code, 'Suzanne584' to get $5 OFF your purchase of any order over $50!

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: SUZANNE SPIEGOSKI

PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER: GILLES DECAMPS

PRODUCTION & STYLING: SUZANNE SPIEGOSKI

{To Know You Is to Love You} In honor of Father's Day this Sunday, I finally created an editorial video after a long hiatus - come check it out & press play! :)

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

VIP me Blue Vintage Embroidery Belted Maxi Denim Dress

Ovation Celebrity Elite SuperShallow Acoustic Electric Ruby Red

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!

LOVE & XX'S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Full Bloom in Central Park

May 24, 2016

WEARING: AGNES & DORA AUSTEN DRESS | STEVE MADDEN LUXE BLACK OPEN TOE PUMPS | 
FOREVER 21 BLACK BELT | NEW YORK & CO. FLORAL CLUTCH PURSE

Well, I've had quite the 'bumpy' morning! As what seemed to be the start to a great week from our last shoot, took it's downward fall earlier today. It's been drizzling rain in New York, but despite the gloomy weather, I took MaQ out for a rollerblading session. Overly cocky, I paid little to no attention to the slippery sidewalks and roads. Only about five minutes in, I was passing through at a crosswalk only to suddenly feel, by instinct, that one, I was going too fast with the wolfie pup (watching too much of GoT, perhaps?!) and two, that my balance was slightly off when taking a small hop off a ramp. Yup. I totally and completely fell flat on my ass (well, tailbone if we want to get really technical). I'm fine, but what I'm mostly left with is a bruised ego. I was so embarrassed! But, like a typical Spiegoski, I got up and brushed myself off and kept the F&CK going. Because that's what you gotta do. And yes, those figure skating days have trained me to be mentally strong. I guess it wasn't for nothing. Nothing is, am I right?

Now, let's talk about the dress. Because it's stunning. Because it's so comfortable. Because it's wedding season and this Austen Dress from Agnes & Dora is the PERFECT summer dress! I love adding pieces to every season that can be staples in your closet, only to trickle down from these pieces with accessories and other styles of clothing. With this dress and my petite size, I wore a thick black belt from Forever 21 to give more of a Coca-Cola bottle figure. The belt definitely brings more shape to my teeny-tiny figure. To continue elongating my silhouette, I wore 5-inch heels from Steve Madden with an open-toe. This brings more height to a shortie like me. And lastly, to add a little sparkle to the look, I carried my New York & Co. floral clutch purse I've had since I was in college! I always try to preserve/keep sentimental pieces in my collection. It makes me feel special and is a reminder of who I am and where I come from. What are some of your favorite pieces like this in your closet?

Coming up on the blog this week: a new food/cooking recipe that I'm totally excited to share with you! I'll also be doing another cocktail recipe as well, so stay tuned! There's a lot of upcoming stories/posts in the next few months that I cannot wait to just share with you guys, but to tell them, relive them, and to experience them with you all. Until next time, enjoy the editorial video I made from this look down below! Please don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!

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

The concrete jungle is in full bloom! Here is my sixth editorial video, shot in Central Park, New York City, New York. This week's video is inspired by chic, Parisian, style and springtime in New York, which to me, is the ultimate, most romantic time of the year in the city.

To shop the look, please continue below.