Author: Brandy Saldana

June Instagram Recap

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

As I mentioned in my last post, I had been thinking of doing a recap of all the events I attended in June. I did a better job documenting them via Instagram, but some of the images I am sharing may not have made it on my Instagram feed (yet!) These are just some of the highlights and I am hoping this becomes a regular thing for my blog!

To kick off the month, I attended a brunch at Pinterest HQ for the announcement of the “Buy It” button. By now it’s been rolled out, but it was pretty exciting being part of the crowd that heard the announcement first. (Visiting the headquarters again was pretty cool too!)

I also attended a couple of parties hosted by local startups. One was the Gold Rush SF event hosted by Rocksbox, where I took some polaroid photos with some fellow SF bloggers. The other was the Live from SF party hosted by Poshmark at Mercer.

Chelsea invited me attend a Party for a Better World sponsored by the Better World Hub. The Party’s focus was to promote organic products such as Numi Tea, Marys Gone Crackers, Nature’s Organic, and Equal Exchange. The organic products were not limited to food, and even featured toys, beauty products and clothing. There were samples, a food competition and a raffle at the end. I won the breakfast food packet on the bottom right and left with a pretty impressive haul of organic products. It was a great way to be introduced to organic products and to be able to try them.

I found out through Gal Meets Glam’s instagram account that she would be hosting a collaboration event in SF kicking off Birchbox’s pop-up shop at GAP. For $15, you can pick out your own samples. I am pretty excited about to try out the products I picked out.

On the same night, I made my way over to the Casper Snooze Bar pop-up. I tested out a Casper mattress, enjoyed gourmet waffles and had my dream interpreted by a talented local artist, Frances Marin. I recalled a dream as a kid passing through bushes of lavender, and I love how she illustrated my dream. I was also pretty stoked with the experience and being able to take some cute slippers home with me.

I was invited to dinner and a whiskey tasting by Blade and Bow. I will be doing another post sharing a couple of recipes of the mixed drinks I tried, but I will say the food was delicious and it was great that I had a chance to experience this with my fellow foodie bud, Chanda.

I am a suggested user on WE HEART IT, and randomly I received an email asking if I could be free for lunch on a Wednesday to meet Hilary Duff.  I RSVP’d hoping to get picked, and was selected for an exclusive Meet and Greet with Hilary Duff.

The weather for June was pretty inconsistent, but we actually had a couple of days where it was so hot that I appreciated the invite to taste SKYY Vodka’s latest line of vodka SKYY Barcraft hosted by Victoria Smith (@sfgirlbybay). There was a cute station to dress up your drink, and I had a blast trying out each of the new flavors and decorating my drinks.

On an unrelated blog note, Armando and I adore corgis. So we made it our mission to attend the Norcal Corgi Con, a meetup for corgi enthusiasts at Ocean Beach in SF. This dog is named Dog, and I thought her hat was simply too cute! It was fun watching and playing with the corgis at the beach.

After the morning in the beach, I made my way to North Beach to bake French Souffles, Custards and Cremes blogger friends (Jennifer/Laurelai/Chanda/Kat) at the Parties that Cook kitchen hosted by Maison Jules. I worked with my group to make Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee Ice Cream. It was my first time making ice cream from scratch! We worked on using fresh peaches as part of a garnish to our ice cream. Tasting all the food at the end was the best way to end our cooking class.

On the final Sunday in June, Armando and I attended Summerthing, a free concert at Golden Gate Park, sponsored by Alice 97.3. We layed out our picnic blanket , enjoyed free Clover Ice Cream and listened to Elle King, Rachel Platten, Matt Kearney and Kelly Clarkson.

The best was saved for last, and the month ended with Armando and I celebrating our 9 year anniversary. I am very happy to have spent that much time with my best friend and partner-in-crime, and I can’t wait to see what adventures are in store for us together this year.
Hope you enjoyed my monthly recap. You can always follow my daily adventures on Instagram @willbakeforshoes. Until next time!

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Zippers and Zebras

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Black Portofino Button Down  Express (here) | Navy Zipper Pencil Skirt  French Connection via  LE TOTE (here) | Zebra Print Calf Hair Ferris Pump  DV by Dolce Vita (black pair here) | Small Cedar Street Elissa Bag Kate Spade (here) | Jackie Ohh II Sunglasses Ray-Ban (here) | Le Rouge 306 Carmin Escarpin Lipstick  Givenchy (here) |I feel like I have been a little MIA, but the end of June kept me pretty busy. I have been thinking of rounding up all the things I did in June into one post, so stay tuned for that. I spent the holiday weekend at home with my family and celebrated my mom’s birthday on Sunday. My dad and sister left for a trip to Mexico on the 4th, so it was just me, my mom and my sister’s Westie Bella. We went out for brunch, and it was nice to get to spend some quality time with her in the morning and continue celebrating with my brother’s family and my grandma in the afternoon.
I was in charge of planning a big retirement event at work, and it is finally over after today. Event planning is fun, but it can be pretty draining when you have a lot of details to think about. Luckily I didn’t do it by myself, but it is nice that it was well-received and that it ended on a positive note.
Today’s outfit features a skirt from LE TOTE that I’ve shared in a previous post. I loved the zipper detail, but in the end decided it wasn’t a piece I needed to keep in my wardrobe. It was fun to style for work and I am sure I could have come up with some more combinations, but I didn’t see myself reaching for it more. I love that I can try pieces by LE TOTE and get a sense of how many times I might be wearing something.
I am most excited about the shoes I paired with this outfit. These DV by Dolce Vita pumps are posh finds! I got a really great deal on them on +Poshmark and love how they look! (They were also only worn once and looked brand new!) If you haven’t joined the app, you need to get on it. You can use my referral code to start off with $5 shopping credit. It’ll be handy to have, especially now that the new bundle feature has been implemented on the app. I haven’t used the new feature in another closet, but I’ve implemented it on mine and now you can automatically request to purchase more than 1 item in my closet with a discount on that bundle. Seriously dangerous,  but it will definitely save time as a seller from having to manually combine items and save you money as a buyer. Let me know if you tried it and what your thoughts are as well!
Hope you are having a great week so far and until next time,

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T3Micro Twirl 360 Styling Iron Review

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

11/9/15 Important Recall Notice: T3 has issued a safety recall on the Twirl 360 Motion-Sensing Auto-Rotating 1.25” Curling Iron (MSRP $230) in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada. The clamp on the tool can detach while in use, posing a burn hazard.
If you’ve purchased one before November 2014, please stop using this tool immediately. For information on how to send in your tool for repair, please contact T3 consumer services at 1-866-8880 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit T3 online at www.t3micro.com and click on the “Product Recall” link at the bottom of the page here. 
Thanks to iFabbo, I had the chance to test out the new T3Micro Twirl 360 Auto-Rotating Styling Iron. I realize it might sound silly that I, the girl with curly hair, would jump at the opportunity to try out this styling iron to curl my hair, but trust me when I say it takes a lot of product to get the curls I have. I do typically wear my hair curly, but my natural hair can get pretty frizzy if I don’t apply products to it immediately after stepping out of the shower. (I’ve bounced between Tresemme and Herbal Essance Mouse, but splurged at Sephora recently and am trying the Mousse and Styling Cream by Living Proof, which I feel is less heavy and a bit more natural looking.)
However, I would always admire girls who could curl their hair using a curling iron. I would have “gorgeous” curls for special occasions when my Mom or family friend would spend a pretty long morning curling my hair, applying hair spray, and generally commenting that my hair was perfect for curling since it was thick and could hold the shape of the curl.
I never became an expert or knew how to curl my own hair, but it is always something I’ve wanted to do. Enter the T3 Micro 360 Motion-Sensing Styling Iron. When I first saw this curling wand, I could hear a chorus singing “Hallelujah”. My typical curls are pretty relaxed, but I dream of having seriously glam curls without as much work as I remember my mom going through when curling my hair as a teen.

The T3Micro Twirl 360 promised beautiful waves and curls. (Waves are another item on my beauty  bucket list.) The gyroscopic technology detects motion and triggers automatic barrel movement with the simple twist of your wrist to create easy, flawless curls. Add the T3 Tourmaline Technology of ionic, infrared energy from the Tourmaline gemstone to fight frizz and you should have the perfect combo to achieve fabulous curls!

I really had high hopes for this styling iron. At first glance, I thought it was a beautiful item and I absolutely loved the rose-gold detail. It also had some great features and looked really simple to use.
I will admit that my first attempt using the wand was, in short, a disaster. It was a bigger wand than I was expecting, but as I would clamp my hair under the lever, I would have trouble finding the GO button again. And by the time I hit it and flicked my wrist to move the styling iron to the right position, I had my hair close to heat barrel too long and kind of burnt the bottom part of my hair. I think there was a lot more user error on my part, and initially didn’t understand how the curl would work thanks to the fact that I had reviewed a similar iron before, but definitely not the same as this.
I had started out styling my hair without a mirror when I first began using the T3 Twirl, so that may have also been where I went wrong. I felt flustered and a little bummed I had burnt my hair after also trying to curl the same area with no good results. I had also attempted to reduce the heat of the barrel by trying to press the power button and GO button simultaneously, but was unable to figure out how to lower the temperature.
I do feel a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to get it right the first time (and having to put my hair in a bun since curls were just not forming due.) I took photos of my frizzy hair from before, but really felt bummed I was not good at this right away and for not getting an after shot. I didn’t want to be late for work, hence the bun I ended up doing that day, but I haven’t given up hope that this could work for me and give me the curls I desire to have.
That being said, I don’t think this is the right styling iron for beginners. I am sure if I watch videos on Youtube I can get the hang of it, but I would have been hesitant splurging on this without any prior experience with a similar curling tool. This particular model retails for about $230.  It is a gorgeous device in person, but I recommend watching some tutorials and starting with low heat to avoid potentially burning your hair.
Stay tuned as I attempt this again (once my hair heals) and for the before and after look (or at least some parts of my hair) curled with this styling iron.

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All Typed Up

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Black Boyfriend Blazer  7 For All Mankind | White Portofino Shirt  Express (here) | Eddie Zipper Skirt  French Connection via LE TOTE (here) | Red  All Typed Up Clyde Satchel  Kate Spade New York (similar) | New York Gold Charm Bracelet  NY&Co. | Black Patent Pigalle Heels Christian Louboutin (here) | Le Rouge Carmin Escarpin 306 Lipstick  Givenchy (here)|
Starting off the work week with an outfit for work that is a little bit more serious. My recent box from LE TOTE featured a lot of items that I absolutely loved! This skirt is one I have been wanting to try, and recently LE TOTE rolled out a feature where you get to see what they’ll be sending you with a notice via email and giving you the option to change any item in your tote within 24 hours. I love this feature since it can guarantee you’ll have really want to try in your next box. I loved the surprises initially, but I have a lot of items in “My Closet” that I would prefer to prioritize when they be sent. I appreciate that there are plenty of items to wear for work, and this French Connection skirt did not disappoint!
I paired this skirt with classic Christian Louboutin patent pumps. I think the heel height and zipper in this body con skirt add a little sex appeal to the outfit, but in an appropriate way. Not a ton of leg is showing and my top half is covered up. Adding a fun, quirky bag changes the tone of the outfit making it office appropriate.
I found this fun Kate Spade bag on Poshmark, and it has become on my favorite bags as of late. I love the bright color but also the fact that it looks like a typewriter. I started blogging because I love to write, and this just felt like me. It is so fun to carry around and I received a lot of compliments on this bag. It’s not sold in stores any more, but searching for “All typed Up Clyde” or “Kate Spade Typewriter” should help you find a listing of this bag on a resale site like Poshmark or eBay.
Hope you are having a great week so far! I am so excited to share a couple of collaboration posts I’ve been working on, so stay tuned for that later this week.

Until next time,

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Striped Floral Skirt

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Trench Coat Viktor & Rolf for H&M | Denim Chambray Shirt  Banana Republic Factory Store | Floral Striped Mint Midi JOA (here)| Crystal Statement Necklace Urban Gem via  Rocksbox | Sunglasses  Diane von Furstenberg | Nude Patent Ulltra Heels  Steve Madden | Black Cedar Street Elissa Kate Spade New York (here) | I am having a moment with midi skirts, and this mint midi has a fun mix of floral and stripe. I found it while shopping on Modcloth, and there is only 1 left on the site. (So get it while you can!) It is the perfect skirt for Spring/Summer and I can’t wait to style it a couple of different ways. I really like this minty color.  I’ve worn this skirt with a denim jacket and heels for a more casual look, but the denim button down and trench coat keeps it looking classic for work. My next challenge is to dress it up even more, so stay tuned to see this skirt a couple more times on the blog.
Hope you are having a great start to your week so far!

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Truvee Wine Tasting and Sangria Recipe

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Right before I headed out to Hawaii, I was invited by the McBride’s Sister’s Truvée wine company for a food & wine tasting at Sen’s Restaurant in San Francisco. Sen’s is one of my favorite restaurants in SF, particularly because of its happy hours and gorgeous view of the Bay Bridge. So of course, I RSVP’d and made my way over for a delicious lunch to learn more about this wine.

I had never heard of Truvée Wines before, but I found that its story is pretty unforgettable. Two sisters, Robin and Andrea McBride, grew up without knowing about each other until after their father’s death. Both were born in LA, but Robin, the eldest, grew up in Monterey and Andrea was raised in her mother’s  native country of New Zealand. Both developed an early appreciation for wine because of where they grew up and became business partners soon after being reunited again. Truvée means “to find” in French, and I admired the relationship these sisters had, especially as partners in a business venture, and was excited to see what their wines tasted like.

We sampled the Chardonnay first and paired it with two starters: a Mediterranean Spread and a Spiced Chicken Meatball. This wine was very refreshing,  and tasted unlike other Chardonnays I’ve tried. It featured hints of citrus, pear, honeysuckle, green apple and pineapple and had a clean, crisp finish. We also paired this Chardonnay with our salad, which featured paige mandarins, avocado, grapefruit, and a lemon vinaigrette.

For my entree, I ordered the Paella and that was paired with the Truvée Red Blend.  The Red Blend featured notes of blueberry, blackberry, caramel, cocoa and red cherry, creating a smooth and decadent flavor. This was my first time trying Paella, but it was something I had always been interested in trying. I loved it and it was an excellent pairing for this wine.

And of course, this lunch would not be complete without dessert! It was a very tough decision, but I picked the Almond Basque Cake, a sponge cake with blackberry compote, almond croquant and chantilly.  The alternative was a Meyer Lemon Tart, strawberries on a toasted oat streusel with a strawberry sorbet, which looked equally delicious!
Between the two wines, it was hard to choose a favorite. I was glad I had the opportunity to sample the two wines and was surprised with how affordable at 15.99 a bottle considering their luxurious taste.  When I initially arrived to the restaurant, I was greeted with a Sangria made with the Truvée Chardonnay and I am happy to share the recipe of it that will be perfect for your summer get-togethers!

Truvée San Francisco Sangria (Serves 12)
Mix:

1 750 ml bottle of Truvée Chardonnay6 oz. bottle Ketel One Citroen6 oz. elderflower liqueur6 oz. Stellina di Notte Prosecco

Garnish:RaspberriesPeaches

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