Will Bake for Shoes

Outfit

Forget-Me-Not

Posted on February 23, 2016by Brandy Saldana

Forget-Me-Not Blue Dress KTR Collection (in cream here / blue skirt here) | Green Blazer Alice + Olivia | Orange Bow Belt Kate Spade (similar) | Coral Handbag BCBG Generation | Sunglasses Diane von Furstenberg | Yellow Suw Satin Jeweled Heels Manolo Blahnik (similar) | Gold Wrap Bracelet E.Kammeyer Accessories (here) | Estelle Charm Bracelet and Crystal Bracelet Noir Luxe via LE TOTE | Bracelets LE TOTE | X Ring Waffles and Honey (here) | Nail Polish Hands: Lean, Toes: Wet Floss Gloss | Le Rouge Mandarine Bolero 304 Lipstick Givenchy (here) |Today’s post is special for a variety of reasons. This outfit is from my birthday in August, which was pretty special. It should be apparent I love dressing up, and sharing what I’ve found during one of my shopping trips, which is one of the reasons I started blogging. It felt appropriate to share now because it is my blog’s anniversary! I’ve officially been blogging for 4 years, and I can’t believe that much time has passed since I started. So much has changed since the first post, and I am really happy with what my blog has become and what it looks like.
This post is also special because this dress I am wearing was designed by my good friend KT of KTR Collection. I picked it up in 2 colors. I initially missed my chance of getting this dress in blue because it sold out right away, so I picked it up in cream because I loved the print and hi-low design. I feel the blue compliments my skin tone a lot more and was glad to snatch this one up when it was restocked. This dress in blue is sold out now, but it is available in cream and there is a skirt version as well. Check out her website to see her other pieces and her new swim line in time for Spring Break!
I have to highlight the bright accessories I picked out. I like to step up my outfit for my birthdays, and wearing the Manolo Blahnik heels I found through The Real Real felt appropriate for a special day. I love the detail and yellow color. My belt is a thrifted find I scored through thredUP and has made its way to the blog before. I like that this color also compliments the tones in the dress and matches my purse.
Whether you are stopping by my blog for the first time, or have been following for the past couple of years, thank you for your support! It means a lot to me that you stop by to see what I wear or read what I have written and I hope to keep sharing for awhile.

Everyday
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- Outfit
  - Holiday

Heart On My Sleeve

Posted on February 14, 2016by Brandy Saldana

Happy Valentine’s Day!
This outfit is from last year, and I thought it would never make its way on to the blog. It’s a pretty simple look, but once these photos were taken it felt odd to post right after Valentine’s Day. Today seemed appropriate since I wore all of these pieces in some way or another this last week.
I found my Moschino heart print cardigan at Crossroads Trading Co. I love the fun heart print. I had to play up the cute factor by pairing it with my hot pink high waist skirt from Express. I paired it with gold details, like the flats and heart necklace and black top to balance the pop of color from the skirt.
My boyfriend, Armando, gave me the Kate Spade tech wallet as a birthday gift last year, and soon afterward I replaced my iPhone 4 with and iPhone 6. Now I can’t really fit my phone in it, but it makes a great wallet still and is ideal to carry around during a coffee break.
Speaking of coffee, did you try the Molten Chocolate drinks at Starbucks this week? I love dark chocolate and felt the Molten Chocolate Latte was nice and bittersweet. What were you thoughts?
Regardless of whether you are in a relationship or not, I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day and feel plenty of love from your friends and family.

Everyday
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- Outfit
  - Weekend

Knits and Spikes

Posted on February 11, 2016by Brandy Saldana

Dark Wash Denim Jacket Kut from the Kloth via LE TOTE (similar) | Black Ivory Knit Front Chiffon Accent Top c/o Pink Blush (here)| Quote Unquote Gold Necklace Kate Spade New York (here) | Black Skinny Ponte Pants Calvin Klein | Leather Wrap Tassel Bracelets E.Kammeyer Accessories (here) | Criss Cross Bracelet Express | Black Wool Felt Hat Forever 21 (similar) | Black Petal to the Metal Naasha Cross Body Bag Marc Jacobs | Pink Spiked Adena Flats Sam Edelman (here) | Le Rouge 105 Brun Vintage Lipstick Givenchy (here)On Saturday, I planned on getting a manicure and attending a cooking demo at Macy’s. I didn’t have a lot of time to get ready in the morning since I had a lot to do starting early in the day, so I pulled out my favorite denim jacket and black ponte pants as a starting point for my look and it all just came together.
This top is making its appearance on the blog for the first time, and it is from Pink Blush. This knit top has an opening in the back revealing the chiffon layer underneath. It is a fun twist and I can’t believe I forgot to ask for a photo of that, but trust me when I say it is cute.
I have also been wearing my new quote unquote necklace from the last Kate Spade Surprise sale with just about every outfit I’ve worn the past 2 weeks. It is a simple piece, but I love that it is big enough to still make a statement. It’s still available online and on sale.
Valentine’s day is just around the corner! I am debating on whether I’ll bake something this weekend, but more importantly on what to wear. It’s hard not to pick out something red or pink throughout this month. I am hoping I can share my outfit post from last year before the end of the week for some outfit inspiration, but a baking post could always win out. Regardless of what my next post, check out my Valentine’s Day box of mini cupcakes and chocolate heart topped cupcakes.

Food

Macy’s End Zone with Chef Marc Forgione and Alyssa Milano

Posted on February 2, 2016by Brandy Saldana

There is a pretty big football game happening in Santa Clara this weekend and San Francisco is a hotspot for free events this week leading up to the big day.
Macy’s is Gearing up for Game Day in Union Square this Saturday with guests Chef Marc Forgione and Alyssa Milano.

Chef Marc Forgione will be hosting a cooking demonstration sharing gourmet recipes perfect for you to prepare for your own tailgate or football watching party. The event is hosted by Macy’s Culinary Council and will take place Saturday, February 6 at 1:00 PM in the Cellar Kitchen on the Lower Level. There will be bites and guests that spend $35* or more in the Home Department can receive a $10 Macy’s gift card, a special game day gift, and an opportunity to meet Chef Marc and take a photo with him.
You can RSVP for this event here: http://marcforgionemacysusq.eventbrite.com/.

Macy’s and LIDS will also be hosting a Meet & Greet Alysaa Milano at 2:00 PMat the Locker Room by LIDS™ shop on the 4th floor. If you are one of the first 100 customers, you’ll receive an autographed photo of Alyssa Milano with a minimum purchase of $50 required.
Macy’s will also be hosting Kids Activities on the 5th floor starting at 11:00 AM and a Fireworks Spectacular live show at 10:00 PM.
There will be plenty of fun activities in the city, what event are you looking forward to attending? For more information on any of these events visit http://bit.ly/MacysEndzone16.

I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere has provided me withcompensation for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Outfit
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- Work

Kaleidoscope

Posted on January 27, 2016by Brandy Saldana

Navy and Orange Patterned Top Trina Turk | Purple Jewel Tone Skirt Silence + Noise (here) | Gold Tusk Necklace Banana Republic | Navy Suede Ulltra Pumps Steve Madden | Cliff Grey Maise Purse Kate Spade New York | Le Rouge 315 – Framboise Velour Givenchy (here) |
I helped my sister clean out her closet before she took off to Japan and I stumbled upon this jewel tone pencil skirt by Silence + Noise as part of the items she wasn’t using anymore. I remember finding it for her, and decided it needed to be worn at least once since she hadn’t used it before finding it a new home. I decided to pair it with my Trina Turk top I found recently at Crossroads Trading Co. I love it’s fun print and how the colors tied in with the skirt. The pattern reminded me of what you would see viewing through a kaleidoscope, hence today’s blog post title.
While I like the color of the skirt, I am not in love with the fit. I have it listed under my Poshmark closet in case you want to snatch it up. I am so stoked I’ve made about 8 sales on +Poshmark this month and my goal is to focus on selling everything I have listed in my closet now. Having nice cover shots on the app has helped me when it comes to selling an item and I am hoping to be able to style a few more items for a consistent look. One of the takeaways from Posh Fest was having consistent branding and for me that has been taking photos I have listed as part of an outfit.
I’ll be sharing more tips I learned at Posh Fest in an upcoming post. Stay tuned for that and I hope you are having a great week!

Food
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- Restaurant

Oakland Eats: Hopscotch Bar & Restaurant

Posted on January 21, 2016by Brandy Saldana

I had the opportunity to eat with lifestyle and food bloggers at Hopscotch Bar & Restaurant back in November, and am shocked I have not shared this post sooner! I love trying out new places and lately I feel I am venturing outside of Berkeley a lot more often for delicious bites.
Hopscotch Bar & Restaurant is located in Uptown Oakland, 1915 San Pablo Ave., and only 2 blocks from 19th Street Bart Station. It is home to rising star Chef Kyle Itani, winner of Knife Fight and the restaurant “seasonally inspired cocktails and regional American food with Japanese sensibility.”

After being seated, our drink orders were taken and their cocktail menu did not disappoint! In case you are interested in trying what I had, its called the Ectoplasm Cooler, made with St. George Spirits citrus vodka, kiwi ad lemon and is nod to the Ghost Busters-inspired Hi-C flavor. Definitely living up to serving cocktails “with a twist.”

As starters, we were served a mixed green salad and yonsei oysters. The yonsei oysters were gorgeous and although they have a small shell, the oyster takes up most of the space. They were also topped with sea urchin, salmon roe, and citrus soy. I’ve only started tasting oysters towards the end of 2014, but this is by far some of the best oysters I have ever tasted. These are definitely a must-have if you visit Hopscotch.

The main entree of the evening was the buttermilk fried chicken with a side of greens & shrooms. I don’t think I can describe how amazing this chicken was. I wish I had eaten a whole bucket by myself, but we were served a couple of buckets for our table to share with one another. The seasoning was perfect and made me question everything I had known about fried chicken up until that point. It was cooked well and something I would definitely order again.
The greens & shrooms were the perfect compliment for the fried chicken, but I heard the chicken is amazing for brunch when paired with their waffles.

And finally, we came to dessert which was their donuts with butterscotch cream. The donuts are really light and almost reminded me of a beignet. They are coated with sugar and the cream takes these donuts to the next level.
The food I enjoyed at Hopscotch left such an impression on me, that I ordered the Fried Chicken and donuts to share with some of my coworkers last Wednesday through Caviar. If you are in the East Bay, Caviar can deliver some of the Hopscotch goodness to you in less than an hour. You can try it using my referral code for $5 off your first order
On the other hand, you should at least visit the restaurant if you have a chance. The ambiance is great and the food is excellent. I had dinner in their extra space, but I want to go back and experience dinner in their restaurant and potentially enjoy another classic cocktail with a twist at their bar.
Have you tried Hopscotch Bar & Restaurant? I would love to know especially if you have any other recommendations of what to order. Check out my blogger friend Aimee’s post on Hopscotch here for more foodie pictures and details of the restaurant.