Month: April 2020

thought of the week: fika

today was my first day back at work after being on spring break for just over a week. while i am fortunate enough to be able to work from home during this pandemic, i feel just as fortunate to have had some time off last week. even if unable to leave my apartment, it served as a great time to just reset. part of this was made easier due to my friend teki challenging many of her close friends to 21 days of meditation with the final day being her 30th birthday. talk about perfectly timed, right?!

anyway, both the meditations and writing in my gratitude journal daily while not working granted me a special opportunity. this swedish word captures it best:

“fika – a moment to slow down and appreciate the good things in life.”

during quarantine, have you taken a moment or two to slow down and express gratitude? i have found that sometimes, it is enough to shift my entire day.

xoxo,

k. tap

drunk elephant

if i could create a skincare line with a name that represents me, drunk elephant would fit the bill.  in all seriousness, it is no secret that i love a good cocktail, wine flight or bubbles and my favorite animals on earth are elephants.

 

admittedly, my skincare regimen has been pretty simple for the last decade or so as i spent a lot of time in my adolescence working on my skin to get it to a stage where i could just maintain it.  however, when i turned 29 last year, i realized how close 30 was and how i needed to pay closer attention to my skin.  i implemented a few new products to just protect my skin from the wear and tear of aging + the california sun.  i think a lot of my friends have been paying closer attention to things like skin, hair and nails – we are no longer at an age where we can take these things for granted.  the bounce back is not what it used to be.

 

fast forward to my 30th birthday this past february.  there were a variety of things i did to celebrate but the biggest celebration by far was vegas.  it was truly one for the books.  friends and family came from all over the country to celebrate.  little did we know that for many of us, it would be the last time we were all together before being quarantined in our homes due to covid-19.  while i told my friends that their presence was my present, i am still sorting through gifts from that weekend.  my friends jason and vana gifted me some amazing products from drunk elephant and i have been using them most nights before bed for the last few weeks.

 

prior to this, i had no nighttime skincare routine on days where i was not wearing makeup.  terrible, i know.  but look, we are all evolving and now i have a nighttime skincare routine that uses three products simultaneously.  i am not a person that is cut out for something that requires like 43 steps.  when i am ready for bed, i am ready for bed.  the end.

 

let’s get to these products!  first, there is the b-hydra intensive hydration serum which is all replenishment and evening out both skin texture and tone.  i combine this serum with the tlc framboos and the virgin marula luxury facial oil. these two products can be bought together and are referred to as the nighbright duo.  the tlc framboos gets rid of dead skin while tackling fine lines and reduces pore size.  the virgin marula luxury facial oil is filled with antioxidants and gives a really healthy glow.  the nightbright duo helps to lock in the hydration serum.

 

 

i simply place a pump of each into the palm of my hand after washing my face and rub it all over my face, neck and chest.  a little really does go a long way.  my skin is softer, smoother and more even.  i cannot wait to try more of their products, especially with all of them being natural, fragrance free and made right here in the u.s.

 

do you have any drunk elephant products?  if so, which ones are your favorites?

 

xoxo,

k. tap

 

 

thought of the week: do it scared

i wish i could tell you that today was filled with productivity but if i am being honest, i slept for the bulk of the day (this is spring break at the school where i work), watched more television than i ordinarily would and had a few calls with friends.  coping with covid has definitely been a rollercoaster, especially as someone that lives alone.

 

that being said, on days where i have been more productive and feeling up for more socialization, i have been challenging myself.  challenging myself to be more vulnerable. challenging myself to have conversations i have been putting off.  challenging myself to put myself out there in ways i would not typically do.  if quarantine has taught me anything, it has taught me the importance of connection and not taking it for granted.

 

my thought was each thing that i did to challenge myself would bring me to a point where i would no longer be fearful at all.  that has not been the case.  but here’s the thing…

 

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“sometimes the fear won’t go away, so you’ll have to do it scared”

 

i have been doing plenty of scary things and so far, i have not had a single regret.

 

what is a conversation or challenge you have been putting off due to fear that could be conquered during covid-19?

 

xoxo,

k. tap

gucci gang, gucci gang, gucci gang

i wish i could tell you that “gucci gang” by lil’ pump wasn’t a song that got stuck in my head more times than i could count but that would be a lie.  it is just too damn catchy and is short enough to want to play it on loop a few times.

 

while i have my fair share of great leather handbags, i did not have any high end leather wallets or cardholders.  somehow, anjelica and aaron always seem to know just what i need for my birthday.  for my 30th, one of the the items they gifted me was this stunning emerald green gucci card case.

 

 

one of the funny things about this was that anj was sure about the color choice but aaron was surprised.  i think oftentimes, people do not realize that green is my favorite color.  i don’t wear a lot of green but it is a color i find to be so aesthetically pleasing.  lucky for you, if green is not your cup of tea, this gucci card case also comes in hibiscus red, nero (black) and porcelain rose (a deep blush).  all of them have the double g hardware in a warm gold.

it is sleek, chic and holds all of your essentials. for me, that’s my driver license, a credit card, my insurance card, my nordstrom card (i could never leave home without it) and a small slit in the middle for a few bills.

 

and as if this wasn’t already a fantastic gift (along with some great makeup items i cannot wait to post about when i actually have somewhere to go), the best gift they gave me was telling me i would be an aunt to their first born this september.  my hope is that anjelica will write all about it on her blog for all of you mothers and mamas to be out there.

 

i cannot wait to use this in place of my bulky wallet, especially when carrying smaller handbags/clutches.

 

xoxo,

k. tap

thought of the week: don’t be clingy

two of the many interesting things about quarantine are additional time to connect with others and a great amount of time to reflect.  each day, i have had at least two meaningful facetime calls with friends and family.  there has been a ton of overlap in the themes of these conversations.  the one i am highlighting this evening are relationships that have run their course.

 

i think there is this idea that is instilled in many of us from a young age around the amount time spent doing something or building a relationship with someone being a factor that is significant enough to continue doing it or being in that relationship.  what is not discussed is the idea of being able to stop doing something or cut off a relationship once you have done everything in your power to make it a positive experience and it is not working or the other party is not doing their part to keep the relationship afloat.

 

i had a conversation over the weekend with a dear friend and he kept saying how many years he put into the relationship.  he then went on to list all of the ways this relationship was not only toxic but abusive.  but in his mind, the justification was the number of years put in.  it was this idea that if he truly ended things, all of the time spent in that relationship would have been wasted as opposed to viewing it as an experience to learn and grow for himself and for the next relationship.

 

it made me think of this quote i stumbled across a few weeks ago:

 

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“don’t cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it.”

 

i shared this image/quote with him and he was shook.  it was exactly what he needed to read in order to start the process of letting go.

 

what thing or relationship (and not just intimate, platonic ones count, too!) are you clinging onto simply because of the amount of time you invested?

 

xoxo,

k. tap