Author: keep up with k.tap

snagged at the half yearly

i am a huge nordstrom fan and the half yearly sale in december is definitely a time where my nordstrom card gets a little extra use. not only is it the holiday season, but a lot of my friends have december birthdays so why not knock it all out in one even swoop?

this sale, i snagged this amazing longline open cardigan by bp at the half yearly. it was originally $49 and was on sale for $29.40. i couldn’t leave it there when it clearly belonged in my closet/on my body.

photos taken by gracelyn bateman

i would describe the color as chestnut but it is called brown cattail. i don’t just love the feel and the look but i am living for these pockets.

you also may recognize this dress from my post about the veuve polo classic. in la, we are lucky enough to be able to throw on a cardigan to be prepared for winter weather.

while the cardigan might be sold out, i still want to know what great things you may have found at the half yearly sale.

xoxo,

k. tap

thought of the week: it should help you grow wings

in sessions with my clients, when they show me/bring up quotes about love, it is evident that their minds automatically go in the direction of romantic relationships.  i often challenge them to think about how they love themselves, the love between them and their families, friends, etc.

 

when i saw this quote from billy chapata about love, i thought both about how murky the waters can be with family, friends (the family you choose) or a partner.

 

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“when love for someone starts jeopardizing the love you should have for yourself, then it’s never worth it.  love shouldn’t hinder you, it should elevate you.  love should never silence you, it should give you a voice.  love should never weigh you down, it should help you grow wings.” -billy chapata aka iambrillyant

 

LISTEN (yes, i did have to use caps for emphasis so you know it is real af).

 

i thought about all of the ways i used to compromise who i was (i will at some point have to do a post on how i do not believe in compromise) to better fit the mold of who i thought the other person wanted me to be for the relationship (whether that person was a parent, a friend or a partner).  i thought about times where i felt small as a result of the relationships i was engaging in with people i loved who claimed to love me.  i thought about the times where i felt suffocated by someone who truly believed they loved me.  and what i realized is this:

 

while they may have truly loved me, even loved me to the very best of their ability, it does not mean that they were capable of loving me in the ways i needed to be loved.  the best types of love i have experienced have made me feel even more like myself.  the best types of love have made me feel completely liberated.

 

are you currently loving someone in a way that jeopardizes how you love yourself?  if so, what are you going to do to change it?

 

xoxo,

k. tap

the best bath bombs

one of my favorite ways to decompress is in the bathtub.  i can honestly spend hours in the tub whether it be in silence, with a great playlist, with my macbook sitting on an ottoman streaming a show i am behind on or just stretched out with a good book.  i am all about ways to enhance my bathing experience.  because my work wife (reens) knows this about me, she surprised me last week with a dozen bath bombs.

 

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life around 2 angels is a california based brand and can be purchased via etsy or amazon (you’ll get them extra fast if you are a prime member).  what i love most about them aside from how wonderful they smell and how soft/silky my skin felt afterwards is that there was not an ounce of color in my white bathtub afterwards.  the first bomb i used was the black raspberry vanilla and when i saw the deep eggplant color spread throughout my bathwater, i was holding my breath just thinking about how much i would need to scrub the tub afterwards.  that could not have been further from the truth.

 

i noticed that i did not need to apply as much lotion post bath because the bomb served as a gentle moisturizer without leaving a residue on my skin.  while i could smell hints of berry and vanilla on my skin afterwards, it was not overpowering and did not clash with the perfume i wear almost daily.  after looking on amazon, there is a reason why with over 7800 reviews, life around 2 angels has five stars.

 

i am already dreaming about my next bath. the hardest decision will be what scent to use next.

 

what is your favorite way to enhance your bath?

 

xoxo,

k. tap

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.

 

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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…

 

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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.

 

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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

 

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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.

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“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