Author: keep up with k.tap

happy valentine’s day

i love love and i’ve always loved valentine’s day. i was lucky enough to spend valentine’s day with some of my favorite people – my friends dom, kendall, nick and my mama. it was an extension of my birthday celebrations (a full birthday recap will be up this weekend once mom and i return from the bay/napa).

while red is not a color i often wear, i saw this dress a couple of months ago and knew it had to be worn this week.

i fell in love with this city chic dress in black a couple of years ago and wore it to the veuve polo classic. when i came across the same dress in red on the nordstrom app with a belt and on sale, i had to have it. it was originally $99 (which i would have happily paid, especially for a full outfit) – i got it on sale for $59! you can find this little number here.

city chic is a brand that carries a variety of sizes and has everything from dresses to blazers to leather joggers. i have a few of their pieces but this dress is my absolute favorite.

how did you spend valentine’s day? and what did you wear?

xoxo,

k.tap

thought of the week: the meaning of friendship

february 10th is one of my favorite days of the year. two of the most powerful women i’ve ever known were born today – my great grandmother (granny) and my best friend, anj aka twin.

when we met in 2010, it was odd to us that we hadn’t crossed paths before then since we had been at the same college (a small, private one) for two whole years. i am a true believer that timing is everything and like to think that anj came into my life exactly when i needed her. when we met, we were both 20. while we were definitely adults, there was so much growing to do. it has been beautiful to watch her evolve and to be able to go through my own evolution with her by my side every step of the way.

we’ve seen each other through it all. in our early 20s, it was wild nights at bars and house parties, helping each other move into new apartments and embodying the work hard/play hard mindset.

in our mid 20s, it was flying to see one another for weekends filled with quality time, music festivals and supporting one another through promotions at work and graduations.

in our late 20s, it was being present for the big life shifts – celebrating love and honoring those we’ve lost.

in our early 30s, it has been welcoming in new life (both human and fur babies included) and learning the importance of investing in ourselves (mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally).

across our 12 years together, you manage to ALWAYS show up. anj, you might only be three days older than me but i get the pleasure of learning from you every single day. sometimes, i struggle to explain just what you mean to me. however, i came across this quote back in december and saved it for today:

“friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. it’s not something you learn in school. but if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.” -muhammad ali

when i stop and think of what it means to have friends who have become family, anj is the very first person to come to mind. happy birthday, twin! i love you endlessly.

xoxo,

k. tap

happy birthday, misu!

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 2021
freshly groomed with auntie amanda – spring 2021
dinner with uncle pooh bear – december 2020

happy birthday to my little rascal. i just adore you.

xoxo,

k. tap

giada – the cromwell las vegas

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.

xoxo,

k. tap

happy new year with happy jewelers

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!

xoxo,

k. tap