Author: Brandy Saldana

All Saints Black Dress

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Black Dress All Saints | Asymetrical Stacked Rings Forever 21 | Black Cardigan Forever 21 | Studded Belt Forever 21 |Black Beatrix Spiked Flats Sam EdelmanHope you all are having a wonderful holiday! I came to Salinas to visit the family for my three day weekend and I am happy to report that things with the family are a lot better. It seems odd to me that I was slightly afraid of coming home and having the door shut in my face, but that wasn’t the case. I received a warm welcome and I think it might be because I gave my parents time to process what had happened and their realization that it is time to move forward and not linger in the past.
I am ecstatic and even the cloudy weather cannot bring my mood down. Speaking of gloom, I know my outfit post might seem a little too dark, but I actually thought it was perfect to wear for happy hour after work last Tuesday. One of my co-workers is retiring at the end of the month and one person from the team would not be around for her good-bye party this Thursday and decided to invite everyone for a small get together at Sliver Pizzeria.
The pizza and the cocktails there are amazing! I ordered a Mint Julep for myself and it was surprisingly sweet and refreshing. It complimented my pizza slices very well. I sometimes wish I liked beer, as it is usually cheaper for happy hours, but I am just not a fan. I took a sip of a coworker’s PBR during our small party which wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t amazing. I feel if I keep going out with my co-workers I’ll eventually develop a taste for it like I did for coffee and espressos. ( I still don’t like black coffee, but I enjoy mochas a lot more.)
I dressed myself keeping in mind that I would be going to happy hour at a pizzeria where the dress code is pretty casual. I would have worn jeans, but I had been wanting to wear this dress for awhile now. I paired it with some accessories that complimented the odd structure of the dress. I wore this dress during the winter with more layers here and it amazes me how well it can stand with a few simple accessories for warmer weather. I am slightly cold in these photos because the winds started picking up during the afternoon, but the lighting allowed for some cool photos. Mando always comes through with his amazing photography skills and I am very happy with these photos! This dress is just meant to be photographed and I have Crossroads to thank for it.
Anyways, hope you have been enjoying your holiday weekend and remember to give thanks to those that served our country.
Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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Birds and Bunnies

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Pink Cardigan Charlotte Russe | Bunny Print Dress Erin Fetherston for Target | Natasha Petal to the Metal Cross Body Black Leather Bag and Wallet Marc by Marc Jacobs | Nude Ruffle Flats Steve Madden | Bangles Forever 21 | Silver Rabbit Ring Crossroads Trading Co.
After my last post I feel it is time to lighten up the mood with a quirky patterned dress and the latest additions to my wardrobe. I wore this dress last Easter as seen here and only changed the shoes and the bangles. This look was a lot more casual, but still flirty with the ruffle flats and colorful arm candy.
Accessories can really help reinvent an outfit, and I am happy to introduce the newest member to my handbag collection: my Marc Jacobs Natasha Petal to the Metal Cross Body aka the “grandma bag” as nicknamed by Mando. I’ve coveted this bag for about 2 years now, but could never bring myself to pay full price for it at Nordstrom. After finally being hired full-time at the office and imagining countless outfits I could have used it with I finally took the plunge and purchased this bag on eBay. I found a great deal for this authentic bag and soon after the wallet followed. It always amazes me that when it comes to designer handbags, the wallet will cost just as much as the purse! I got my wallet for a good deal on eBay as well,  and I am glad to have found a wallet that matches a majority of my black handbags.
I am very excited to own this bag and love the size. I was hesitant to make the purchase before, but I can tell I will be using this for awhile. I also appreciate its modest size. It forces me to not carry more than I need and really makes me reconsider what is essential.  And last but not least, I adore the gold plated sparrows! Mando does not find my bag cute hence the “grandma bag” nickname, but then again he isn’t the one using it (nor does he have a fashion blog so his point is mute). I collect animal jewelry, but it seems to be branching off onto my clothes and other accessories. I am quite content with this transition, but he might not be too thrilled. He thought this outfit was cute, so maybe he is okay with all the animal theme items I own. 
Hope your week has been great so far!
Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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Secrets

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Hey everyone,
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and have really questioned why I blog. I started out thinking it would be easy to write about anything and everything and I quickly realized that wasn’t the case. My blog was initially meant to be a guide on how to dress because growing up I didn’t feel like I was stylish or fashionable. I didn’t really learn how to dress myself  until I read a Celebrity Style Guide by Teen People (a magazine no longer in publication), and since the eighth grade, I’ve gone through a lot of experimenting to be comfortable with my style now. There were a lot faux pas moments during my teen years, but my initial blog goal was me trying to be the stylist I never had for the girls that wanted to know how to get dressed in the morning and offering tips through the outfits I put together. 
At one point I found my blog to be silly because I questioned my own authority when I was, and still,  experimenting with fashion and I felt writing a guide was beyond my scope of knowledge. Despite not being completely tied down to one style or look, I would not be able to encompass all the different styles and looks out there that I used for trial and error. I’ve also stayed updated with a number of blogs by fellow fashion enthusiasts, and I realized others knew how to style themselves just as well, if not better, and didn’t bore readers too much with the details.
I admit I hid behind the details of my outfits and never really delved too deeply into my feelings. I could not freely write about everything and anything the way I imagined I could. For the longest time I was hiding a secret from my parents and I feel that made me secretive here. Armando and I decided to move in together 9 months ago and I felt I couldn’t really talk freely about my life knowing I had this open platform I interacted with daily. I did try to include them in the decision process by opening up to them about it and trying to be up front about everything. It made me regret putting myself out there with how they reacted and I felt like I shouldn’t be so open with my thoughts. I ended up saying we would not go forward with moving in with each other, but after a few weeks debating about it internally and talking it out with Arando, we ended up moving in together before the start of the Fall semester.
The truth finally surfaced out, and while my parents reacted exactly as I expected, in the end I know they still love me despite not doing exactly what they would have wanted me to. I care about my parents deeply and it has been about 3 weeks that I have been struggling with the fact that I did something that hurt them and damaged the trust I had built with them. In my mind I try to justify that I was never their problem child, I finished high school at the top of my class, graduated from one of the best universities in the world a semester early, and found a job right after graduating. I am not their oldest child, I have 2 older brothers who have already started their families, but I am their oldest daughter. I know my parents probably would have hoped I married Armando before I moved in with him, but at the same time I didn’t want to do that just because it was expected of me. He and I will be celebrating our 7 year anniversary together in June, and despite the length of time dating, I’ve learned more about him in the last 9 months so I don’t regret my decision. I’ve also been happier because I was no longer lonely and I have had someone else there for me to support me with my blogging endeavors. 
I might have done things differently, but instead of dwelling on the shoulda-woulda-coulda scenarios, I am moving on with the expectation that time can heal most wounds. I am relieved that this secret is no longer something I am hiding from my parents and the rest of the world and that now I can be a little bit more open. I am afraid of making myself vulnerable by opening up more publicly, but I am ready to take that risk and put more of myself into this blog.
I apologize that this post is so long, and a little overdue, but I hope you’ll stick around for my future outfit/cupcake posts as well as everything else that life throws my way.  =]  
Until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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Graduation Cap Cupcakes

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

 Commencement season is upon us! (Or at least it is here at the UC.) Grads walking throughout campus snapping their photos by the entrance to Berkeley, at Sather Tower, at Sather Gate, and restaurants packed to the brim with families and friends celebrating a person’s amazing accomplishment!
It is hard to believe I experienced that a year ago. I graduated early in December 2011 and participated in all the commencement activities then, but I walked two more graduations since I was still in the area when May rolled around. I got my money’s worth out of the gown I bought and appreciated being able to experience it 3 times. Each guest speaker and speech was different, but the message was still the same: Do what you love and do it well.
I made these cupcakes last year for a student intern who was also graduating and leaving the office for bigger and better things. I made her favorite flavor of mine that I had once brought to the office before: Apple Cinnamon Streusal Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting. The Caps are really easy to make and I encourage you to try them out for your grad’s celebration. These are great to put on a cupcake tower like pictured above or do what my sister did for a grad party and place them on a platter writing out the year of the graduation. 
To make the graduation caps: Place a Reese’s mini peanut butter cup upside down, add frosting to the top for “glue”, place a Ghiradelli chocolate square with the logo facing down, and add lines of frosting to create the tassel on top. I would not recommend using Ghiradelli squares that have a filling, despite being delicious, because those tend to break easily as you unwrap them. Stick to the Milk Chocolate flavor as it matches with the Reese’s Cup more. Make sure to decorate with the school colors whether it is with the frosting used on the tassels or the cupcake liners. Have fun and feel free to substitute the chocolate or the tassel decorations on top.
Congrats to the Class of 2013!  Hope life after graduation is sweet and you do what you love and do it well!
Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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Ted Baker Celebrates 25 Years

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Krystal and I wearing Ted Baker!

I’ll have the Langley please!
I was invited by Avanti, fashion blogger at 2 Eyes 4 Style, to attend the 25th Anniversary Party hosted by fashion blogger Krystal Bick of This Time Tomorrow at the Ted Baker San Francisco flagship store last night.  Music was playing, cocktails were given away, and to make the event sweeter there was a 25% off discount for your purchase for that day. The discount also applied online, but even though that is over there is still the chance to enter a contest to be sent off to some far off land. Check out the giveaway here.
The top I am wearing is the only item I own from Ted Baker, and had found it at Crossroads. Entering this shop for the first time, I was both in awe and in shock! I really loved the feminine cuts of the clothing as well as all the bright colors and prints, but I could not buy anything since I recently splurged on a Marc Jacobs cross body bag and wallet. If I hadn’t come in with that mindset I would have bought quite a few items in the store! For now I have to be content with just having photos of the clothes as a way of taking the store with me. (On a side note: all the photos were taken using my iPhone and I have to admit they didn’t come out to bad. I like the idea of covering events just with that instead of bringing along my DSLR camera a.k.a. my boyfriend Armando ;D.)
I ran into Alex from SFShopGirl which was a plesant surprise! We’ve run into each other 3 times and I expect it will continue happening. I also met a couple of new faces and I am excited to connect with them and run into them at other events too. While I enjoy sharing my love of fashion and baking, I have enjoyed meeting people through blogging just as much. It took me awhile to work up the confidence to start a blog, share it, and now put myself out there in the real world. It is easy to hide behind a computer and avoid making the effort to meet people face-to-face, but I can say from experience that I am always glad to have made it to an event like this. I am lucky to have met so many like-minded, ambitious, and kind women that live near me and I am thrilled at the thought of continuously meeting new amazing people. It is what keeps me inspired and tethered to the blog community.
On a side note, I would love to share news of upcoming events more often, and I am wondering what the best way would be to do that? Twitter? Facebook? A calendar posted somewhere on my sidebar? Let me know what you think would be the most effective tool or what you prefer just in case you decide to muster up the energy and confidence to go to an event in SF!
Thanks for reading!Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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Black and White School Girl Look

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Black Cardigan, Black and White Top, Denim Shorts, Rings and Bracelets Forever 21 | Tights c/o HauteLegs |  Flats ParisSomebody at work described me as a Japanese school girl in this outfit. I think it might have to do with the tights I had on courtesy of HauteLegs. They give the illusion of knee-highs, and I love how they completed my black and white look. This is definitely my favorite pair of tights out of the 3 I received because this is the second time I’ve worn them!
This was another one of those outfits I just threw on without planning it out the night before. Typically I have an outfit in mind that I want to wear, but this outfit came to me just before work. I had initially intended on wearing a white blouse tucked into the shorts to show off the high waist detail, but decided against it after I put on the sweater top with black ruffle detail. There was already a lot going on with this outfit, adding a ruffle blouse and tucking it in to show the detail on the shorts would have been too much. You can imagine me scrambling in the morning trying to put this outfit together quickly so I could still make it to work on time. Adding the accessories did not take long since my jewelry had been recently organized too! 
I had been trying to steer away from being too matchy-matchy, but I loved this look and am so glad I was able to wear the black and white flats I purchased in Paris after graduating high school.  I just have this thing for shoes, if you don’t already know.
Hope you treated your Mom to something nice this weekend!
Until next time, 
Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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