Brandy Saldana – Page 12 – Will Bake for Shoes

Outfit
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Butterflies

Posted on October 13, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Butterfly Print Navy Dress Closet London via Modcloth (here) | Magenta 3/4 Sleeve Cardigan New York & Co. | Nude Patent Ulltra Pumps Steve MaddenI have been obsessed with prints as of late, and this is one dress I can’t get enough of. I love the feminine silhouette, the fun butterfly print, and of course, the pockets! It has a cute sash that ties in the back, making this dress super girly and fun! Modcloth just has a way with dresses. Navy has definitely been one of my favorite colors, especially for the end of Summer. I wore this dress with a neutral trench and different heels when I attended my sister’s graduation, but I feel the cardigan makes the dress a little playful and compliments the rich shade of navy.
I am excited to share this post not only because of how much I love this dress, but also because of the great hair day I had thanks to Cinta Salon. I received a complimentary blowout when I attended the IFB relaunch party early in August, and I loved how I was pampered in such a short amount of time. My hair was kind of frizzy due to the heat when I arrived, but they fixed my hair up in no time. I love the soft curls I was left with, but most of all I really appreciated the very friendly staff. I really want to visit again! I rarely treat myself to a luxurious salon hair cut, but I feel like going to Cinta Salon for a haircut (or hair coloring?) again. I feel this needs to happen sometime before the year ends! I love that there is an option to request a hair stylist based on different levels of skill since it is connected to the Aveda school, so I won’t have to spend as much on the salon experience.
Hope you are having a great week!

Cocktails

Cat Cora Meet & Greet and Pomegranate Martini Cocktail Recipe

Posted on October 11, 2015by Brandy Saldana

As I mentioned in a blog post last week, I attended a Q&A with Chef Cat Cora at Macy’s in Union Square hosted by the Macy’s Culinary Council. I had seen Chef Cat Cora compete in an episode of Iron Chef, and it felt exciting to meet the first female Iron Chef winner and to hear more about her memoir.

Details of her book were discussed, and one vivid description was of her first kiss where she described herself as a human sparkler. What struck me most from the Q&A with Cat Cora was the underlying message of her book “If I can do it, despite all the adversity, you can do it too.” Chef Cat Cora is a positive female role model and is an example of what hard work, dedication and perseverance looks like. Her book sounds fascinating and this was a great way to be introduced to it.

During the event, we were given some bites and recipe cards of the items courtesy of Chef Cat Cora. I had a Greek Cinnamon Stewed Chicken (which was amazing and seasoned really well) and a non-alcoholic Pomegranate Martini. I’ve decided to share the recipe with you since their blood red color may be perfect for a Halloween party and can easily incorporate 1 part of Vodka.

print recipe

Pomegranate Martini Recipe (Non-Alcoholic)by Cat Cora October-10-2015Ingredients5 oz. Pomegranate Juice5 oz. Pineapple Juice1 Tsp. Fresh Lime Juice2 Lime Slices for Granish1/2 Cup IceInstructionsIn a martini shaker, combine all ingredients. Shake well and strain into chilled martini glass rimmed with sugar. Garnish each glass with lime wedge.DetailsPrep time: 10 mins Cook time: Total time: 10 mins Yield: 2 servings

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Outfit
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Watercolors

Posted on October 9, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Black Trench Coat Luii | Watercolor Print Dress BYER California | Pink Bow Leather Belt Kate Spade | Navy Suede Ulltra Pumps Steve Madden | Cliff Gray Cedar Street Maise Purse Kate Spade (here) | Bow Bracelets Forever 21 | Jackie Oh II Sunglasses Ray-Ban (here) | Le Rouge 205 Fuchsia Irrestible Lipstick Givenchy (here) | This is my second time wearing this colorful dress that I picked up a BYER CA a few months ago, but I have no photos documenting the first time I wore this. I styled it with a long black cardigan, pink suede flats and used the braided belt that came with the dress, but I made some changes in how I wore it for this occasion. I found the belt at the Kate Spade outlet store when I visited the BYER California Outlet store. Of course, I had to wear my new bag, which has been my latest obsession as of late.

I love the watercolor brush stroke print, and the bright colors. I feel like I’ve leaned towards “light” dresses with bold prints lately, and it is such a difference from the typical dark outfits I used to wear. I think about how much my style has evolved and it has definitely gravitated to pieces I can wear more than once and statement making pieces.

I am happy to announce there is another BYER California store opening at the Napa Premium Outlets this weekend. There will be plenty of deals and Instagram contests going on to help you earn store credit. I encourage you to visit and to share the promo below since you can enjoy 50% off your purchase $50 or more through Sunday, October 11th.

I didn’t see the dress I am wearing listed on the website, but maybe it will be in store? I’ll be stopping by to check in the new spot and to take advantage of the sweet deals going on this weekend. Follow me on Instagram to see what I find!

Outfit
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Adam Lippes for Target

Posted on October 6, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Gray Draped Cardigan Splendid via LE TOTE (similar here) | Painterly Plaid Crepe Tank Top Adam Lippes for Target (here)| Black Knit Pencil Skirt Trina Turk | Play the Wild Card Idiom Bracelet Kate Spade | Gold Criss Cross Bangle Express | Black Studded and Gold Leather Wrap Bracelets E. Kammeyer Accessories (black/gold) | Antique Crystal Bracelet Noir Luxe via LE TOTE | Cedar Street Maise Cliff Gray Purse Kate Spade (here) | Black & White Plaid Pointed Toe Pumps Adam Lippes for Target (here) | It’s starting to feel like Fall (finally!) I love the plaid trend that has hit Target last month, especially the items from the Adam Lippes for Target collaboration. I picked up this top and pumps and what I love most about this collection is that items were actually available in stores and everything wasn’t sold out.
I struggled deciding between the plaid print flats or heels, and in the end I am pretty glad I went with the heels. They add a nice pop of print along with some height and I like the contrast there is with the top. I only picked up a few items from the collection, but I am interested in the bar set and tumblers for my bar cart. I am holding off on purchasing them until they go on sale, so fingers-crossed that they are around long enough for a discount on them.
I am debuting my latest Kate Spade bag. I’ve learned that the best way to save money is to unsubscribe from emails alerting you to sales. I picked up this Kate Spade Maise bag on flash sale, and luckily I was in the market for a new Fall bag. I love my black Kate Spade bag, but some days I want something smaller that can still hold my camera but also adjust as a cross body. This gray color is amazing and perfect for Fall. Now all I have to do is unsubscribe so that I am not tempted the next time there is a flash sale or surprise sale.
Did you pick up anything from the Adam Lippe collection? I’d love to see how you styled any of the pieces as well! It might convince me to pick up something else during my next target run.
Until next time,

September Instagram Recap

Posted on October 4, 2015by Brandy Saldana

September was so good for me. I loved all the food-related events and shared more photos of food than my outfits this month. Don’t worry, more outfit posts are coming, but take a look at what I did last month and follow along on Instagram @willbakeforshoes.

At the beginning of the month I was invited to a dinner kicking off the launch of TableRunner. TableRunner is a new food delivery service that delivers fresh, chef- prepared meals made with ingredients that are in season. It is like having a live in professional chef making meals you want for the week. You can find more information on their website, but I was really impressed with how delicious the food was and how easy they made eating one of these meals at home. Just pop it in the oven, plate and enjoy! Their packaging is sustainable and can be shipped back to the company to be reused at no extra charge.

I attended the Brit+Co. RE:MAKE 2015 Conference held at Fort Mason and I had a blast hearing the speakers and having a chance to paint while listening on topics related to being creative. I met Lindsey Sterling and saw her perform live again! This event is one of the few things not food-related on here for this month’s recap, but I did enjoy some delicious food for breakfast, lunch and for our snack breaks. I also had a chance to meet the Founder, Brit Morin, and she liked the Kate Spade accessories I was wearing that day.

Once again, Armando and I attended the Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival, this time invited as Media. We attended a workshop in the morning to see how a chocolate ghost was made and received some goodies before setting out to sample all the chocolate we could eat. I plan on sharing a dedicated post of the chocolate festival since we tried so many good things! I might have entered the Ice Cream Eating contest, but you’ll have to check out that post to see whether or not I won.

The weather made another drastic change and gave us a hot weekend when Armando and I attended the Eat Real Food Festival at Jack London Square (a big difference from the weather we experienced at Ghirardelli Square the previous weekend.) Our morning started with some delicious Zeppole donuts and Vanilla Fraiche dipping sauce by Girl Friday Zeppole. We washed it down with some Organic Raw Milk. For lunch we had Coconut Milk Fried Chicken Banh Mih from Bicycle Banh Mih. We ate plenty of ice cream to withstand the heat, but our favorite treat were the Kouign Amann Sandwiches from Frozen Kuhsterd. I enjoyed some delicious cider and went home with a fun souvenir cup.

I had the chance to try some new items for Breakfast. The first was some Oatmeal sent to me by Modern Oats. I plan on sharing a full review, but I have to say I am really impressed with how good this oatmeal tastes. It is nothing like other oatmeals, and is in the prefect container for someone on the go. I also had a chance to try the new Toasted Graham Latte from Starbucks. I was never a Pumpkin Spice Latte fan, but I am all about this new latte. It is perfect to enjoy while being bundled up in layers and enjoying the crisp Fall breeze.

My last food event of the month was hosted at AQ restaurant on Mission Street in San Francisco. Guinness hosted a launch party introducing their Nitro IPA. The restaurant features seasonal menus and decor, and I really liked that about the place. I enjoyed my dinner and liked having a chance to taste the new IPA. I am not sure I would says its my favorite, but I am still developing my taste for beer.

I wanted to take a look at last month’s outfit posts since most of them featured a little bit of blue. The weather was still warm enough for summer dresses, but I am looking forward to the Fall weather here in the Bay Area. Two of these dresses are available for sale in my closet on Poshmark, so pick them up while you can.

Hope you enjoyed my recap for September! Here’s hoping October is even better!

Everyday
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Summer’s End

Posted on October 1, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Dark Wash Denim Jacket Kut from the Kloth via LE TOTE | Strapless Blue Polka Dot Dress Alice + Olivia (here) | Orange Bow Belt Kate Spade New York (similar here) | Silver Wedge Sandals DV Dolce Vita | Fedora BDG | Gold Nadia Arrowhead Bracelet Adia Kibur via LE TOTE | Estelle Charm Bracelet & Antique Crystal Bracelet Noir Luxe via LE TOTE | Sunglasses Diane von Furstenberg | Mandarin Bolero 304 Le Rouge Lipstick Givenchy (here) | September in the Bay Area doesn’t really mark the end of Summer for me. While it rained and started to feel chilly this week, I wore this just two weeks ago to the Eat Real Festival in Jack London Square and it was one of the hottest weekends here.
I’ll be sharing a few photos from the festival in my monthly recap, but I couldn’t end September without sharing this outfit. I wore this fun polka dot dress by Alice + Olivia I found at Crossroads Trading Co. on Fillmore Street. I haven’t given it much attention since I’ve bought it, so lucky for you it’s available for sale in my Poshmark closet. Since I had my dark denim jacket and all the blue in the dress, I decided to add a bright pop of color with the orange belt.
I used a canvas tote I received from an event as my bag for the day, and that made it easier to store free bags of chips from the festival along with my weekend essentials (on this day it included sunblock and a bottle of water.) I have a pretty big collection of canvas bags from events and gift bags, and it is one of my favorite budget-friendly ways to change up a look.
I still expect to have a few more warm days in October, but I won’t be pulling out as many of my summer dresses. Stay tuned for my monthly recap and I hope you’ve RSVP’d for this weekend’s Cat Cora event at Macy’s. See you there!

Brandy