Month: January 2020

concannon vineyard

happy friday!

 

this week, i wanted to share about one of my favorite places in the bay and where i wish i was on this friday afternoon – concannon vineyard.

 

06A5ACF9-C056-41FF-BABA-73C87C39A012_1_201_a

 

it has been in livermore for 135 years and produces some amazing wine.  i have never tried anything i did not like but on the board above, you can see a sample of all of the wines included in a tasting flight for just $15!  if you are a member, that is waved for both you and a guest.  lucky for me, one of my best friends (anj) is a member.  this beauty takes me along with her whenever i am visiting her in livermore…

 

DB039DE6-A522-43B1-8625-D71682EE06E988476ACB-123D-43CE-9793-838D8C265DB1

 

although not listed, one of our favorites is the rosé.  typically after a flight, we split a bottle outside.  we got lucky to get gorgeous weather even during a winter day in january.

 

94F4C2E8-A820-4441-AC1D-893CAABC3F6F_1_201_a

 

my day was improved exponentially from the moment we pulled into the vineyard because i ran into one of my closest friends from grad school, roshan.   he just happened to be visiting the winery with his family for the day.  we don’t get to see each other often now that he is in law school in the south so it was incredibly special.

 

 

 

just as we were about to leave, anj got a phone call and one of her girlfriends (blythe) was at concannon working a wedding.  this place is absolutely stunning on both the interior and exterior.  we stopped by on the way to the car and she was in the middle of setting up the most amazing charcuterie spread.  *this was right before she added the salami and it was still to die for

 

27C758B0-E12C-4DA7-A0EE-463BB676913C_1_201_a

 

concannon is open daily from 11am to 4:30pm but can be open later for private events.  if you are ever in livermore, make it a point to swing by.  if you are in the bay area in general, it is worth the trek.  i cannot wait for my next visit!

 

have you been to concannon?  if so, what is your favorite wine?

 

xoxo,

k. tap

thought of the week: choose you.

yesterday was thought provoking not just because it was the one year anniversary of this blog, but because so many of the questions i was asked to answer on my instagram live (which is still up until 8pm pst) were about love and relationships whether they be romantic or platonic.

a common theme was about how to successfully set boundaries and/or cut ties once the relationship has run its course. while there are a million ways to approach boundary setting or cutting ties, the overall message is more simple than most of us make it. at least a week ago, i saw this quote and took a screenshot of it. i didn’t know when i would use it but i knew it was one that would come in handy.

9BFECD74-B621-43EE-9604-C612FE2204AA

“choose people that choose you.” –the good quote

it’s that simple.

take a look at the people you are pouring into. are they pouring back into you? if not, imagine how good it would feel to choose people that actively choose you. you deserve at least that.

xoxo,

k. tap

one year anniversary

for those of you who grew up listening to r&b, just know that i have been singing “anniversary” every single day for the last week.

 

one year.  today marks one year of blogging on keepupwithktap.com, getting to know more about so many of you and getting to know one hell of a lot about myself.  it has been lesson after lesson about vulnerability, letting go of being a perfectionist and realizing that authenticity is definitely underrated.

 

i had planned on reviewing my analytics to find out which posts you all liked most but luckily, top nine did that for me.  two things stood out to me:

  1. you are unafraid to dive deep with me
  2. i need to show more of my face on the gram since you all seem to like those photos

 

C47DE56B-0C98-4F50-BAC9-7964D8CDC36A

 

for those of you who have not been reading since the beginning, i have linked the top nine posts below:

1. a much needed psa

2. bikinis for big girls

3. 29 and fine

4. family does not mean

5. people in therapy

6. pale pink + polka dots

7. #100

8. graduation (started from the bottom, now we’re here)

9. veuve polo classic – east coast edition

 

to say i am grateful to each of you who has read along in the last year would be a gross understatement. i am so excited for year two together. as we enter 2020, a new decade and my 30th year on this earth, i will continue to talk about some topics you can’t get enough of (psych, relationships and self-improvement). i will cover some new topics you’ve requested (like dating, narcissism, wedding season and more things fashion oriented).

 

i cannot wait to connect with you all on instagram live tonight at 8pm pst.

 

sending you all so much love and here’s to the next year together. 😘

 

xoxo,

k. tap

saturdays are for sipping cocktails on the rocks

my time spent with anj and aaron is never short on good conversation or good drinks. typically, we drink a lot of wine as all of us are members at various wineries. during my most recent visit, we mixed things up a bit. anj asked if i had heard of the brand “on the rocks” before and ironically, i had just 24 hours before. however, i had never tried it.

the concept is brilliant. they are single serving sized cocktails that are created by a mixologist and all you have to do is pour it over ice. while i enjoy making cocktails, this would definitely help me cut down time when hosting while also providing variety for my guests.

in the bottles above, you can find both the cosmopolitan (vodka based) and the aviation (gin based). the aviation is what you see poured over ice – the flavors of violet and lemon were prominent and the color was beautiful, too.

there truly is something for everyone: old fashions, mai tais, jalapeño pineapple margaritas, margaritas and of course, cosmos and aviations.

on their website, you can type in your zip code to see what stores near you are carrying these delightful drinks. you won’t be disappointed!

sipping cocktails on the rocks is definitely the best way to spend a saturday.

xoxo,

k. tap

thought of the week: there are a million ways to say those three words

happy friday and here’s to the first post of 2020!

for those of you who have been following along since the beginning, you know i swear by the 5 love languages. with that being said, i am constantly trying to improve my relationships with the people i love by loving them in their preferred love language(s). i have many people in my life who truly love and appreciate words of affirmation and that is not one that comes naturally to me outside of big days (birthdays, graduations, weddings, etc.). while i have been working on it, this quote below made me chuckle because it is just so me.

“people don’t always say: i love you. sometimes it sounds like: be safe. did you eat? call me when you get home. i made you this.” –thinking humanity

i realized that while i may not say “i love you” as often as i should to those who i love, i do say it in a variety of other ways:

1. how can i best support you during this difficult time?

2. is there anything i can do to lighten your load?

3. can i get you a blanket?

4. what would you like me to make you do dinner?

5. are you getting enough sleep?

6. what have you done for yourself lately that is just for you?

7. text me when you get home.

8. i actively miss you.

9. this song made me think of you/here’s this playlist i made for you.

10. you improve my life quality.

i could make this list go on forever but you catch my drift.

are you already good at saying “i love you” or are you like me and need a little work/say it in a variety of other ways? if so, i would love to hear about them below.

xoxo,

k. tap