Brandy Saldana – Page 15 – Will Bake for Shoes

Cocktails

Blade and Bow Bourbon Whiskey Cocktail Recipes

Posted on August 13, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Before our dinner at the Dirty Habit, there was a fun cocktail hour with 4 specialty drinks featuring the Blade & Bow Bourbon Whiskey. I am happy to be able to share the recipes for the two drinks I tried that night a Manhattan and a Presbyterian. These recipes were made by Sarah at the Dirty Habit. Let me know what you think and, of course, enjoy!

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Blade & Bow Manhattanby Dirty Habit December-8-2015Ingredients1 1/2 Oz. Blade & Bow Bourbon Whiskey.25 Oz. Cherry Heering.25 Oz. Sweet Vermouth2 Dashes of Angostura BittersInstructionsStir. Strain. Garnish with a cherry.DetailsPrep time: 4 mins Cook time: Total time: 4 mins Yield: 1 Serving

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Blade & Bow Presbyterianby Dirty Habit December-8-2015Ingredients1 1/2 Oz. Blade & Bow Bourbon Whiskey.25 Oz. Lemon JuiceTop with Ginger AleInstructionsBuild in a Collins glass over ice. Top with ginger ale. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
DetailsPrep time: 4 mins Cook time: Total time: 4 mins Yield: 1 Serving

Food

Blade and Bow Southern Dinner

Posted on August 11, 2015by Brandy Saldana

In my June Instagram recap, I briefly mentioned I was invited for a whiskey tasting by Blade and Blow at the Dirty Habit restaurant in SF. The whiskey was paired with an amazing Southern inspired dinner and I was lucky to be able to enjoy it with my foodie bud Chanda.

But before we get into the details of the dinner, let me tell you a little bit about Blade and Bow Whiskey. Blade and Bow’s name comes from the two parts of a skeleton key – the blade shaft and the ornate bow. The logo is a tribute to the five keys that once hung on the door of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, but they also represent the five steps of crafting bourbon—grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation and aging. The keys now adorn each bottle of Blade and Bow and 5 are also available to collect.

We had the rare opportunity to taste 22 year old, and 102% proof, whiskey during the dinner and it was delightful! The trick to enjoying whiskey is tasting really good ones, but also breathing out through your mouth since the strong smell of alcohol can affect your sense of smell. I really enjoyed this taste and it was pretty smooth.

My favorite dish was from dinner was the Pork Shoulder with the peach preserve and my favorite side dish was the Creamed Corn. Of course I was busy enjoying them to take photos of them, but luckily Chanda did in her post. The red pepper jam that came with the biscuits was really something else! There were a lot of amazing flavors, and the wedge salad was tasty and looked amazing on the platter it was served.

Of course, my favorite part meal is dessert, and the Dirty Habit did not disappoint. we were treated to Lemon Meringue Tarts and Fruit Beignets accompanied by Whiskey Flavored Ice Cream. I loved the beignets! We paired it with more whiskey, and the ice cream was a really nice compliment to the whiskey.

Blade and Bow Whiskey is enjoyable on its own, makes a great addition to an ice cream, and of course makes a great cocktail. Stay tuned for my next post as I’ll be sharing some cocktail recipes I picked up using Blade and Bow Whiskey!

Outfit
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- Work

Blue Diamond

Posted on August 4, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Blue Diamond Jeanne Pleated Dress Diane von Furstenberg (here) | Trench Coat Banana Republic Factory Store | Statement Necklace J. Crew Factory Store | X Ring Waffles & Honey via Les Mechantes | Gold Leather Wrap Tassel Bracelet E. Kammeyer Accessories (here) | Gold Nadia Arrowhead Bracelet Adia Kibur via LE TOTE | Estelle Charm Bracelet & Antique Crystal Bracelet Noir Luxe via LE TOTE | Nude Patent Peep Toe Wedges Jimmy Choo | Black Cedar Street Small Elissa Tote Kate Spade New York (here) |At the end of May, I attended the opening for Saks Off Fifth in San Francisco and took 2 Diane von Furstenberg dresses home with me. The extra 15% off sealed the deal for me. This Blue Diamond Jeanne pleated dress fits so well and I love the color. I wore it on the day I met Hilary Duff thanks to We Heart It, and to a teaching program orientation as my sister’s guest. Both times I wore heels, but the length and flare of this dress would work with some cute flats too.
I am really obsessed with nude Jimmy Choo wedges that I scored on The Real Real. The shoe section is amazing, and has become dangerous to me and my wallet. I have found some good deals and definitely recommend visiting. I thought I was going to return these heels since I do own quite a few nude heels, but these are now my favorite wedges. They are so versatile, and even though I own this wedge in Gold and Silver, I can’t help but like how simple these are. There is currently a sale on the site for 20% off (exclusions apply). Enter the promo code AUGUST at checkout until August 8th.
As you can see, I love sales and a great discount, so I am really excited to share that I have teamed up with E. Kammeyer Accessories to provide 25% off for my readers with the promo code WillBake. I wear my leather wrap tassel bracelets almost everyday and I love how they look stacked together. I plan on buying a rose gold tassel wrap and potentially another one. With 25% off, how could I not stock up?! The necklaces and hair accessories are also pretty amazing, so I encourage you to check those sections out as well.

Hope you are having a great week so far!

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- Weekend

Poshmark Bundle

Posted on July 30, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Tan Cardigan Merona | Stripe Silk Tank Top Marc by Marc Jacobs (here) | Straight Leg Jeans 7 for All Mankind (here) | Nude Patent Wedges Jimmy Choo (here) | Coral Leather Hobo BCBGeneration (similar here) | Pink in Devotion – Color 6 Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick YSL (here) | Poshfest 2015 has been announced, and I have yet to buy my ticket for this year’s event. While I have attended two meet-ups already, I feel it may be necessary to attend just to hang out with the wonderful women I’ve met on the app, but also to hear about other people’s experiences with the new Bundle feature.

+Poshmark now allows you to request a bundle within a closet as a buyer, and as a seller you can provide a percentage off based on the number of items that are bundled. I have yet to sell a bundle through my closet, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been preparing for that day.

The top and jeans featured in this outfit are listed in my closet separately, but I am hoping how I styled the two together will encourage someone bundling action. The 7 For All Mankind jeans are light wash with a straight leg cut. I had them hemmed, but I still prefer wearing them cuffed. I have a lot of jeans, and I generally don’t wear them to work as often, which is why I decided to list this pair. The Marc by Marc Jacobs top is perfect for summer, and unfortunately this photo shoot is the only time I got around to wearing it. I love Marc Jacobs, and the material feels amazing. I wish I would have worn it more often, but my loss is definitely someone else’s gain.

What has your experience been with the +Poshmark bundle feature? Have you used it to purchase something or have you sold more than one item with it. Let me know!

Until next time,

Outfit
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- Work

Stripe Cupcake

Posted on July 23, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Vapor Grey Yoke Blouse BCBG Generation via LE TOTE (here) | Stripe Cupcake Skirt Kate Spade New York (here) | Trench Coat Banana Republic | Silver Bow Bracelet Kate Spade New York (here) | Ring Macy’s | Spiked Stone Collar Necklace French Connection via LE TOTE (here) | Nude Ulltra Pumps Steve Madden | Tower Avenue Samira Pink Clutch Kate Spade New York (here) |Kate Spade surprise sales present a bittersweet problem for me. Receiving the sale email alert results in me adding everything to my cart before removing each item one-by-one until I narrow it down to the items I can’t bear to part with.
I am wearing the stripe cupcake skirt from a recent surprise sale and the bow bracelet and clutch were from previous surprise sales. I try to really consider how often I’ll wear an item before I buy it, and the skirt is one I’ve already worn 3 times. It’s been dressed down with a jean jacket and white t-shirt and also worn with a denim button down. It’s pretty versatile, and I will admit the name Stripe Cupcake Skirt spoke to me.
I am in love with some of the recent items included in my last LE TOTE box. The French Connection stone necklace is amazing and I was really tempted to purchase it (and am still thinking about it after I’ve returned my box.) I also really liked how the BCBGeneration top felt and how it looked paired with the colors of my skirt. I received an email recently from LE TOTE mentioning their own Summer Sale, so I may have to take a peek at that too….
Hope you are having a great week so far!

Outfit
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- Weekend

Summerthing with JORD

Posted on July 14, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Patterned Kimono c/o Swell (similar here) | Asymetrical White Shirt Kenar | Destroyed Boyfriend Denim Jeans Joe’s | Rogan Cognac Sandals Steve Madden | Koa & Rose Gold Watch c/o JORD (here) | Fedora BDG | Bracelets via LE TOTE | Sunglasses Tory Burch | Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick – 4 Danger in Rouge YSL (here) |
A few weekends ago, I spent my weekend “living” in the city. Armando and I spent the final Saturday morning of June at the NorCal Corgi Con at Ocean Beach and then I made my way to make ice cream, souffles and eclairs with my fellow blogger friends and Maison Jules. We finished our Saturday watching Inside Out with a couple of friends (and I loved it!)
Sunday we made our way over to Golden Gate Park for a free concert hosted by Alice 97.3 featuring Elle King, Rachel Platten, Matt Kearney and Kelly Clarkson. Getting dressed for the morning. The concert was a blast, and the weather was perfect for the day! We found a great spot to set out our picnic blanket and Armando took some great shots during the performance.
I knew I wanted to wear something that would be appropriate for the concert in the park. I’ve never been to a music festival, so I think I channeled something more boho than I would normally go for. I started out with my floral print kimono and really wanted the neutral pieces I paired with it to stand out. I scored the jeans recently from Crossroads Trading Co. and they are the most comfortable pair of jeans I’ve ever purchased. I don’t normally opt for boyfriend jeans, but I don’t understand why!
My other favorite piece in this outfit is actually my watch. The Koa & Rose Gold watch, from JORD’s Cora series, is a nice neutral. When I first received it, I wasn’t too sure what I would wear it with, but it does in fact go with everything! Since I was using my phone a lot throughout the weekend for photos, checking it for the time felt like a waste of my precious battery (and made me realize I should invest in a portable charger). Luckily I had this pretty watch to look at to keep track of time and to provide an earthy element to my boho look. This watch is part of the first automatic timepieces for JORD and comes in a variety of other colors. I was pretty tempted getting the Zebrawood and Turquoise or Maple and Lavender, but I had been on a Rose Gold kick lately and really felt this fit my style.
I will note that the packaging for this watch was on point! It came in a wooden box (so cute!). Measuring the sizing of my wrist for it to fit perfectly when it arrived was extremely easy and I appreciated the level of detail that was given for that. I know I need to share a photo of the cute box soon, but what do you think? How would you style a wood watch?
Hope you had a great weekend and are having a great start to your week!

Watch Gift Ideas

This post was sponsored by JORD Wood Watches. All opinions expressed are my own.