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Macy’s Culinary Council Presents Rick Bayless

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Are you ready to wow your friends or relatives this holiday season with your recipes or does the thought of hosting anything make you want to hide in your pantry? Well if you are not ready, or are looking for more ideas or inspiration, you should check out the Macy’s Culinary Council for upcoming chef demonstrations in your area. If you are in the Bay Area, you are in luck because there is an event happening next week!
Chef Rick Bayless will be teaching you how to impress your friends with tips and trick on November 19, 2015 at 6:30PM at the Macy’s in Walnut Creek, CA. He’ll be sharing tips on how to prepare his favorite award winning dishes from his cookbooks and there will be plenty of delicious samples to enjoy!
The event is free and you can sign up through Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/macys-walnut-creek-vip-preview-night-tickets-18893412706

If you happen to spend more than $35 in the Home Department,  you will receive a $10 Macy’s gift card, and a copy of Rick’s cookbook Frontera or Everyday Mexican**, which he’ll sign for you after the event!
Seating is first come, first served, so make sure to get there early. Hopefully I’ll see you there enjoying some of the tasty dishes.
Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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

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Cat Cora Meet & Greet and Pomegranate Martini Cocktail Recipe

Posted on by 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.

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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

Hope you enjoy this recipe and let me know if you have a favorite recipe by Cat Cora!
Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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

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Cat Cora at Macy’s Union Square

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

I love to bake and have only recently started to enjoy cooking. I am excited to share a fun culinary event that will be taking place at Macy’s in San Francisco, Union Square next Saturday, October 3rd, 2015 at 1 PM. Chef Cat Cora, and co-host Liam Mayclem, will be presenting a special Q&A session about Cat’s memoir on Southern life, Greek heritage, and the meals that have shaped her memories. Chef Cat Cora is is the first female Iron Chef and co-host for Around the World in 80 Plates.
As an added bonus to guests attending this event, any purchase of $35 or more in the Home department will receive a $10 Macy’s gift card and a copy of Cooking As Fast As I Can (which Chef Cora will sign directly after the event!) I know I’ve been looking into finally buying a blender, and this sounds like the perfect time to do that and to discover some of Chef Cat Cora’s favorite recipes.
This event is free in the Lower Level Cellar Kitchen, but don’t forget to RSVP at: https://macyscatcoramemoirs.eventbrite.com. Hope to see you there!

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

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Summerthing with JORD

Posted on by 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!

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

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YSL Mascara Volume Effect Faux Clis Review

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

I was lucky to be chosen by Influenster to test out the Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils in a recent Voxbox. I was pretty excited since the Yves Saint Laurent  brand represents elegance and high-fashion to me. I have always admired the packaging of the make-up, especially for the lipsticks, but I could never bring myself to splurge on it. Getting the chance to try out the mascara and its remastered formula changed my mind about the beauty line and to consider trying out other products.

At first glance, I am already in love the packaging. The tube is a nice gold with the simple YSL logo. The brush is nice and thick with various sizes of bristles, ideal for adding volume to your lashes. My eyelashes are pretty long, and I noticed they looked fuller when I used this mascara. 

My favorite mascara is the  Marc Jacobs Volumizing Mascara , but the YSL Mascara ties with with that mascara since it does provide volume and since the mascara is not clumpy. They also last a long time, even when my eyes are wet. I’ve noticed that when I was my face, neither of these smear or drip down, which is a nice bonus. I have not taken any photos (that I can remember) wearing the YSL mascara, but it is on my to-do list and I will note it in blog post if I am. This mascara also comes in 6 shades, but I am a big fan of the black.

I loved the mascara so much that I decided it was time to splurge on some of the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks I had been eyeing for awhile. I became a VIB member at Sephora almost 6 months ago and had a 15% off coupon I was able to use on these earlier this month. I am pretty obsessed with these colors and enjoy the candy smell that comes off of these lipsticks. Pigment is a lot lighter than I expected, but these are pretty different from the usual Givenchy Rouge lipsticks I use. I don’t know why I ever doubted whether it would be worth it, but thanks to Influenster I was able to experience some dramatic and luxurious lashes and finally get myself some new lipsticks.
What are your thoughts on YSL Mascara? Will you be splurging or do you have a go-to mascara already? Let me know! 

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

Disclosure: I received the YSL Mascara complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own

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Pumping Up the Volume with Voloom – Hair Volumizing Iron Review

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

As I hinted at my last post, I am sharing a review today. iFabbo gave me the opportunity to try out Voloom’s Hair Volumizing Iron. I of course agreed because I am always interested in trying out new things with my hair. 

What is the Voloom Hair Volumizing Iron? It is not an iron that straightens or curls your hairs. Instead it is the first heat-styling tool that is specifically designed to add volume to any hair with body and bounce minus the stickiness and weight that comes with using hair mousses and sprays. The best part is it just takes a few minutes.

With the Voloom Hair Volumizing Iron,  3 firm-grip clips, precision brush and a heat resistant mat and travel pouch were also included. 

The Voloom features a digital temperature control, fast heat-up, ceramic-coated plates, 8 ft 360-degree swivel cord, tool-locking feature for travel convenience and auto shut-off after 30 minutes of non-use. I really liked the 360-degree swivel cord and how fast iron heated up. I also am a fan of the locking feature not only because it makes it easier to store but also since it protects the plates.

On the left is me with my hair air drying. It is pretty limp after a shower, especially at my crown. I turned on the Voloom Hair Iron and had my hair parted normally. I pinned the top layer of hair on the right first. Taking the Voloom, I crimped small sections of my hair briefly and released immediately. I did it about 4 times for each side and unpinned my top layer to cover where I used the Voloom. 

Overall, it was an easy-to-use device. My hair felt soft and I liked how the volume on top balanced out my thick curls. I have not used it on myself with straight hair, but I am looking forward to trying this out again when I do.
If you struggle with flat hair and are not getting the results you want with your products, this might be the perfect investment for you. The price for these retails at $129.99 at Voloom.com. There is currently a 30-Day Risk-Free Trial period. I would recommend trying it out to see if it is not better than your current methods, especially when there is the opportunity to return it if it isn’t for you. 
I was very happy with the results and how easy the iron was to use. I will note when I’ve used it in an outfit post (especially if I’ve straightened my hair.)
Hope you enjoyed my review and let me know if you are thinking of getting a Voloom Hair Volumizing Iron. To make the decision a little easier, note that VOLOOM is having a special sale for Valentine’s Day. Use promo code VDAY15 for 15% off.
Until next time,
Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Voloom and iFabbo. All opinions expressed are my own.

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