i can confidently say that i am thrilled january is over. while it wasn’t a particularly terrible month, it just seemed to move at a glacial pace. february has so much for me to look forward to. not only is it my birthday month but today, my baby turns two!
misu has brought me an inordinate amount of joy. he has shown me so much about unconditional love.
i feel like in some ways, we rescued one another. when i think of how he loved on my mom last year while i was hospitalized, it can bring me to tears. to say they have a special bond would be an understatement.
misu and i are certainly fortunate to have so many people who love him so much. here are some of my favorite shots taken by/with some of his favorite people:
pool day with auntie lynnie – summer 2021freshly groomed with auntie amanda – spring 2021dinner with uncle pooh bear – december 2020
happy birthday to my little rascal. i just adore you.
just before christmas, i was lucky enough to venture to vegas for a much needed getaway with some lovely ladies from my last job. we had agreed to ahead of time to do one calm night and one wild night. our calm evening was definitely memorable because we had the most magnificent dining experience at giada.
for all of my fellow food network lovers, dining at giada was just as dreamy as you think it would be. i was especially excited to experience this with annie – she has all of giada’s cookbooks, loves a good italian meal. today is her birthday so this post is in honor of her. happy birthday, annie!!!
i cannot go to an italian restaurant and not have burrata. the burrata crostini was served with a kale salsa verde and toasted pine nuts. it was absolutely divine.
next, i had an arugula salad. it definitely had a little something special since it was combined with candied lemon, crispy pancetta and parmigiano-reggiano. it was a simple salad but absolutely decadent. for my main course, both amanda and i had the ravioli which comes with lobster, candy stripped beets and preserved lemon butter. our waitress suggested we get the lemon potatoes as a side to share and dip them in the preserved lemon butter sauce. it was absolutely to die for.
annie got giada’s signature lemon spaghetti and was in heaven. the presentation was just stunning.
michelle and vicky split bone-in tuscan ribeye and salmon paired with roasted broccolini. to say they were pleased with their choices would be a gross understatement. everything was seasoned to perfection.
more cocktails were consumed than i care to count and every single one was amazing. my favorite was probably my drinkable dessert. giada’s take on affogato included a bailey’s gelato they make in house. i am still dreaming of it.
our experience was seamless from start to finish. there are few things that compare to an amazing meal with even more amazing women.
if you are in vegas, be sure to make reservations via opentable at giada – the cromwell las vegas. you will be so happy you did.
phew. to say that i am thrilled to start a new year would be the understatement of the century. 2021 was filled with the highest highs and the lowest lows. ironically, back in may of 2021, my dear friend melissa and i made a pact to spend new year’s eve together. little did i know that in august of 2021, melissa would be the one to set the ball in motion to be sure i made it to the hospital (where i ended up staying for 35 days with covid). fortunately, i am now healthier than ever and was able to make the trek to sacramento to visit melissa in her new home.
december was a big month for her. she had a birthday, started a new job, moved into a new home and had her first official house guest – me! i definitely had to get her a few things to celebrate. my favorite gift was one that i got for us both.
our initial rings are from happy jewelers. in addition to being gorgeous, understated and super dainty, i love that the rings are adjustable and come in three different metals. i got melissa yellow gold and rose gold for myself. they are definitely rings that can be worn daily and if you are into stacking, they are perfect. my friend hayley is a jeweler there and uploaded a video to show how to adjust/wear it. if you are looking for the perfect gift, look no further.
what did you do to celebrate the new year? we stayed in, watched the newest sex and the city episodes and had much needed quality time paired with cocktails. misu was in heaven being all cozied up with blankets and his auntie.
happy new year from me (melissa and happy jewelers) to you!
anyone that knows me knows that i do not typically love christmas. however, after the most tumultuous year of my life to date, i figured a little holiday cheer was necessary. luckily, my brother was willing to oblige.
for all of my fellow hip hop lovers, our crewnecks are paying homage to “area codes” by the one and only, ludacris. if this kind of christmas sweater is up your alley, you can find it on amazon ranging in sizes xs to 5xl in green, red and black. i let pooh bear pick his color first and it worked out perfect since red is his favorite and green is mine.
my little brother has been a constant source of support and inspiration in my life. this year has been on another level. there is no one i’d rather spend christmas with.
how are we already in december? these posts started off being called “thought of the week” because i was posting them weekly. getting back into a groove/blogging regularly post covid has been more challenging than i thought it would be. i have missed writing, however, my days are far more packed than they used to be between having a new job, commuting 30 miles each way and going to personal training three days a week after work. by the time i get home, i am wiped out! misu and i curl up on the couch and often fall asleep with bravo blasting in the background. the time change certainly did not help in the energy department. it is pitch black by 5:30pm and i am often yawning before i even get home. with that being said, i had three goals for thanksgiving break: getting a sleep schedule together, thoroughly cleaning my apartment and spending quality time with friends i do not get to see often enough. i am proud to say i accomplished all three and as a result, am feeling both rejuvenated and so excited to get back to blogging regularly.
last week, i had dinner with my best friend, his wonderful wife and two of her friends. we talked about everything from favorite outdoor activities to what we were binging on television to thoughts on covid to how to go about finding the right therapist (something all of us had in common was valuing mental health). over a plethora of tacos and margaritas, we talked about not only our experiences in therapy but finding the right therapist. something i said at dinner (that i also tell my clients) is to be able to differentiate feeling uncomfortable (because it is unfamiliar) versus feeling unsafe. if therapy is something that is a brand new concept, there is a chance it won’t feel great initially and that’s okay. doing the work is what is most important. this quote summed things up perfectly.
“you’ve relied on time to heal your wounds, but time alone isn’t enough. i hope you learn to hold yourself accountable by practicing what is right for you even if it feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar. i hope you adopt a habit of consistency when it comes to how you treat yourself.” -billy chapata
what are you doing to treat yourself better? i will be answering that very question along with many others soon on my next instagram live – questions with k. tap. it is on sunday, 12.12 at 11am pacific standard time. dm me your questions and i look forward to connecting with all of you then!
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