Winter – Page 6 – Will Bake for Shoes

Japan
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- Travel

Tama Chuo University

Posted on January 6, 2014by Brandy Saldana

(Disclaimer:This post is photo heavy of the campus and landscape.) I spent a couple of days of my trip to Japan visiting the my sister’s college. She is a student at CSUMB, but is studying abroad for a year at Chuo University. The campus is gorgeous and reminded me of the UC Berkeley campus because it is located on a hill, has all these trees everywhere and has great views of the city in the distance. The sign above is what you see when you get off the monorail from Tama Center, so I avoided having to climb uphill from the bus stop. The air was crisp and as I’ve said a number of times in my other two outfit posts, it was cold! That might explain why there aren’t too many people in my photos, but it was the week before a holiday.

This building above is the Hilltop Building and it has about 4 floors and has cafeterias/bakeries in each one. Plenty of tables and room to sit. I shared what I ate there on my first day on Instagram here.

Japan
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- Outfit
- Travel

Japanese Convenience Store

Posted on January 5, 2014by Brandy Saldana

Trench Coat B.B. Dakota | Grey Sweater Kenneth Cole Reaction | Olive Cargo Pants 7 For All Mankind | Gold Beatrix Flats Sam Edelman | Gold Bauble Necklace Subversive for Target | Natasha Petal to the Metal Black Cross Body Marc by Marc Jacobs | Grey Flats Socks Purchased in Japan | Photos by Nicole Saldana I wore this outfit the day before my sister and I went shopping in Harajuku and Ameyoko. So technically this was my Saturday outfit (Friday in the U.S.). My sister and I were recovering from having spent our entire Friday at Disney Sea and just kicked back all day on Saturday. I didn’t have to worry about layering up too much since we were indoors all day, but I wanted to walk over to a convenience store nearby for some dinner and something to drink. As I mentioned in my previous post, my biggest mistake in packing was not bringing boots or sneakers. Buying socks for flats made a pretty big difference and my toes were not as cold.

I’ve narrowed down my favorite photos from each day of my trip so my next post I’ll be sharing a recap of my first day in Japan. I am so happy that last year I ended it by traveling and then spending the holidays with my family. I have been thinking about my resolutions for this year and have decided I just want to continue trying new things. At the end of the year we tend to forget we’ve accomplished a lot as we reflect on whether we kept our resolutions from last New Year’s Eve. I sort of stuck to mine of being more eco-friendly when it came to buying clothes and opted to buy secondhand as opposed to new more often. I went a little overboard and now have way too much in my closet so my goals are to reduce the amount of clothes I own. I’ve invested in some really good pieces and now just need to trim out what I am not wearing. It will probably make getting dressed in the morning easier, but I sometimes think it is harder to appreciate what you have if you own too much. Trying to figure out what to pack opened my eyes of how I am really able to create completely different outfits by only taking a few key pieces. I tried to fit a weeks worth into a carry on, and having fewer options forced me to be a little more creative. I look forward to approaching my closet like that everyday and really mixing what I own already.

Hope you’ve had a great weekend and have kept to your New Year’s resolutions. Stay tuned for my Travel series in the next few posts.

Japan
...
- Outfit
- Travel

Shopping in Harajuku and Ameyoko

Posted on January 3, 2014by Brandy Saldana

Black Pea Coat and Pants Forever 21 | Polka Dot Sweater Banana Republic | Magenta Scarf Jones New York | Gold Beatrix Spiked Flats Sam Edelman | Natasha Petal to the Metal Cross Body Marc by Marc Jacobs | Photos by Nicole SaldanaHappy New Year!
I am back in the States, but I wanted to share a few more outfit photos from Japan and also a recap of what I did during the week I was there.
My sister and I went to Harajuku to do some shopping. These photos were taken on a little side street on Takeshita Street in Harajuku. I love the bright yellow graffiti and the color of the wall made my black and white outfit stand out. I wore the pink scarf for that pop of color and to stay warm. I was wearing 4 layers on top, two on the bottom and even socks with my flats. I should have packed another pair of boots for this weather, but my previous trips to Japan have been during the summer and the hot and humid weather made me think it couldn’t possibly be too cold for flats.
I did do some shopping and came home with 3 new coats. Fur, either real or faux, was everywhere. Women had jackets with hoods lined with fur, coats with fur trim or had fur stools as a finishing touch for their outfits. Needless to say my coats have faux fur trim which is also detachable. The coats are ridiculously warm and I am excited to share them on the blog!
After browsing and doing some damage at Harajuku we visited Ameyoko which is an interesting shopping district in Japan. We shopped and bought a bunch of candies and sweets. (Ame means sweets in Japanese but also refers to America). It is mix of small shops selling goods, American Imports, seafood and items being auctioned. It will be tough pairing down the photos and videos from our day of shopping but I am excited to go through them as I eat some Japanese sweets. (Hello Green Tea Kit Kats!)
Hope your first days of the year have been great and easy for you to keep your resolutions. I haven’t thought of mine too much but I will keep you updated if I think of anything profound. I am really trying to be realistic about what I want to improve on. One thing for sure, I am glad I did a lot of traveling this year and expect to do some more this year.
Until next time,Brandy
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Holiday
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- Outfit

Recap of 2013

Posted on January 1, 2014by Brandy Saldana

In spite of the recent bad luck and news this month,this year was pretty amazing. I met some fun,interesting people, traveled to Japan twice and to Vegas for PoshFest. I’ve also tried a lot of new things so I am pretty proud of the way I lived my life this year.
I’ll admit I did not keep all (if any) of my resolutions from last year: I am still a shopaholic at heart and can’t resist investing money in my closet instead of my savings account. One way I have redeemed myself is earning back my impulse shopping money back thanks to the sales I’ve made on Poshmark. I’m pretty active on the app, and so much so that I’ve been named a Suggested User. I am not shopping at places like H&M and F21 all the time, but I am shopping too often at thrift stores and repeating my pattern of buying things because it is on sale/cheap. While I can sell some things on Poshmark, I buy faster than I sell, leaving me with a space issue in a studio apartment. (I am working on reducing what I am not wearing and avoiding the thrift stores so wish me luck and shop my closet if you want to help!)
As I reflect on last year’s resolutions and think of this year’s tweaks, I wanted to look back and share my favorite outfits of the year. I was planning on doing this for the blog’s 2nd birthday, but since I still have photos to share from my trip and a couple of collaborations, I thought there is no time like the present!
So without further ado, here are my top 12 outfit picks from 2013:

Holiday
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- Work

Office Holiday Party

Posted on December 28, 2013by Brandy Saldana

Black Princess Coat Steve Madden | Red Sweater Alexander McQueen | Demask Black Pants Alice + Olivia | Ring Forever 21 | Black Scarf Marc Jacobs x Target | Suede Black Booties Nine WestI wore this outfit to our office’s holiday party which happened 2 days before I left to Japan. I found/thrifted both the red Alexander McQueen sweater and demask print Alice + Olivia Pants at Crossroads Trading Co. I won the festive, Christmas headband at a holiday event the week before and knew I had to wear it to my office’s holiday party. We had it at a restaurant down the street from our office at the end of the work day, so I tried to dress festive but still be work appropriate.
It’s amazing to me how quickly the month and my trip went by. I’ve been absent from blogging not only because of the travel back to the U.S. and then to my hometown, but also because of some unfortunate tragedies that occurred while I was gone. To start, Armando’s car was broken into and his bike, his alternate mode of transportation, was stolen. That bummed me out to hear when I returned back because although he wasn’t hurt physically, I could tell he was affected by it as evident as the broken window of the car. As we cleaned the glass out of the car it made me reflect on how lucky we have been these past years together. Bad things happen sometimes, but we have each other and are lucky that we are okay physically.
The worst thing that occurred while I was in Japan was learning that someone from our office had passed away. It was completely unexpected and I am still in disbelief over the news. He was fairly young, about 39, and I had made cupcakes for his wedding in June of a vegetable garden. He was also part of the paintball team. My office environment is like a big, extended family and since I have been out of the office I can only imagine how devastating a blow this been to everyone who heard the news firsthand. It feels only fitting that this post is also one of those memories of him because I vividly remember him trying to convince others to “steal” his white elephant gift at our holiday party.
His sudden and unexpected death has made me very aware of how short life is and that tomorrow is not guaranteed. I spent the holidays with my family and I can honestly say that I treasured just being able to be with them.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas surrounded by family or close friends. With that in mind, please also send your thoughts or prayers to the family and friends of my beloved coworker and friend, Steve Maranzana.

Japan
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- Outfit
- Travel

Winter in Japan

Posted on December 19, 2013by Brandy Saldana

Red and Black Checkered Jacket and Black Pants Forever 21 | Black Merino Wool Sweater Banana Republic | Black Long Sleeve Heat Tech Shirt Uniqlo (Worn Underneath) | Leggings Wet Seal (Worn Underneath) | Scarf Marc Jacobs x Target | Brown Boots Ugg Australia | Black Leather Cross-body Marc by Marc Jacobs | Photos by Nicole S.Finally an outfit post from Japan! This was Wednesday’s outfit and I must admit I was not entirely ready for he really cold weather and rain in Japan. My previous visits have always been in the summer, and that can get extremely hot and humid. While I packed most of this outfit, the jacket and boots are borrowed from my sister’s closet. The rain and Ugg boots do not get along, unfortunately, so I have dully noted that if I visit Japan in the Winter I should make sure to bring weather proof boots or short rain boots. (I did bring an umbrella so I wasn’t completely unprepared for the rain, but umbrellas are really cheap and can be bought anywhere.) Layering is key and I would recommend having thermals to wear under your tops and fleece-lined leggings to wear under your pants.
Tomorrow I’ll be visiting Disney Sea in Tokyo with my sister and two friends. I am hoping it doesn’t rain, but if it does I am prepared since I spent my day browsing a couple of department stores and found a good pair of boots for this weather. They were also 2000 yen which is roughly $20. If they don’t fit in my suitcase I think my sister can make good use of them here since they are pretty warm.
I am not too sure what they plans are for the weekend, but if I have time while I am here I will post a recap of the things I’ve seen and done so far in Japan. I will admit not a lot of sight-seeing has happened. I’ve visited the surrounding cities (districts) and my sister’s school, Chuo University. I’ve even attended a few classes and even this photo shoot occurred on campus. Most of my photos that I’ve taken are of the university so it will be difficult deciding what to share on the blog. The campus reminds me of Berkeley and it makes me a little homesick, but I know I will be back home before I know it.
Good Night from Japan and until next time!
Brandy
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