Author: keep up with k.tap

thought of the week: memories are a dangerous thing to be in love with

over the last month, i have had more conversations than i could count with friends and family about what a healthy and happy relationship looks like.  while i do not think there is only one version of a healthy and happy relationship, there are some basic prerequisites in mind that are truly nonnegotiable.  respect. both bringing something of substance to the table. independence. trust. loyalty. honesty. being secure as an individual.  i am sure there are more that i could add but these are the ones at the forefront of my mind.

 

with every single conversation, there was this theme.  all of the relationships had happy memories.  and with that came some confusion – some happy memories is not synonymous with a healthy and happy relationship.  when i came across this quote from billy chapata, it perfectly captured my thoughts and feelings on the matter.

 

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“memories are a dangerous thing to be in love with.  i hope you learn to discern the difference between the love you have for someone, and the love you have for the moments you spent together.” -billy chapata

 

i have seen friends and family do this and i have definitely been guilty of it – staying in relationships longer than we should have because of the memories we are in love with.  great memories are not strong enough to be the glue or backbone of any relationship whether it be with a significant other, a family member or a friend.

 

are you able to differentiate between the love you have for someone versus the love you have for the moments you’ve spent together?

 

xoxo,

k. tap

roots & rye açaí bar

since moving back to la in summer of 2017, i often feel like i tourist even though i lived here the first 17 years of my life.  there are so many new spots that popped up while i was living in the bay.  when one of my close friends from high school recommended a local spot for us to meet for breakfast, i had not heard of it.  once i arrived, i realized that it is literally a few steps away from the barre studio i go to.  let me introduce you to roots & rye.

 

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roots & rye is tucked away in a little alley in old town pasadena off of colorado boulevard and is the absolute cutest.  if you are person that enjoys a fresh and filling breakfast or are in need of a pick me up post workout, this is the perfect place for you.  they have açaí bowls, smoothies, milkshakes, ice cream and toast.  absolutely everything is dairy free.  one of the things we enjoyed most were the unlimited toppings/add ons.

 

my friend had a medium sized bowl and i had a smoothie and avocado toast.

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everything we had was delicious.  her bowl was overflowing with goodness and flavor and was only $9.  my smoothie was blended perfectly and i could really taste the fresh berries – it is also a great way to get a serving of greens in without even having to taste it (i added kale to mine).  and lastly, the avocado toast was to die for.  you have the option of getting it with or without chili flakes.  because i love a kick, i asked them to mix in extra.  when they brought it out, i thought about asking for salt but figured i should take a bite first.  i am so glad i did because it did not need anything!  it was seasoned well and was zesty (due to whatever fresh squeezed citrus was added).  i enjoyed every bite.  and for $5?  you really cannot beat that.

 

if you are in the pasadena area, i highly recommend roots & rye.  there is also an echo park location.  it was the perfect breakfast on a hot summer day.

 

xoxo,

k. tap

thought of the week: blow your own damn mind

my thought of the week was inspired by the mom of one of my closest friends.  carolyn, or mama oz as i call her, is a talented artist and owns the cutest shop in tacoma, washington.  if you ever find yourself in the area, be sure you stop by creative forces gifts and sundries.  you can check out her work here.

 

what first caught my eye was the beautiful backdrop of this quote.  the hues reminded me of my grandmother which made me smile.  mama oz and grammy both have the same favorite color – purple.  when i read the quote, i knew i had to blog about it.

 

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“once in a while, blow your own damn mind.”

 

i like this for a variety of reasons.  first, it is realistic.  it is not likely that you will blow your mind every single day or even have your mind blown by someone else that frequently.  all this is asking is that every once in awhile, you astonish yourself with your own awesomeness.

 

then, i started thinking of when the last time was that i blew my own mind.  if you follow me on instagram or twitter, then you know that my brother challenged me to a workout challenge.  now, a workout challenge is one thing but he challenged me to workout for 30 straight days.  then, once the 30 days are over, i can “drop down” to five days per week.  initially, i thought he was crazy.  even with the lifestyle changes i have made in the last year (tracking everything i consume, trying to hit the gym or a workout class at least three times a week, being more aware of alcohol consumption, etc.), i just didn’t see myself as a person that would or could work out for 30 straight days.  i honestly couldn’t see myself working out for seven straight days.  i have only done that one other time in my adult life and it was when i was on a crash diet where my weight went up and down like a yo-yo afterwards.  additionally, i am not one of those people who gets super pumped to go to the gym or work out.  i am always happy afterwards but that is not always enough motivation to get me there.  i am also always happy after watching pretty much any show that is aired on bravo.  if you are a fellow bravo fanatic, i am sure you understand how my couch often wins the battle.

 

with my brother being part of the reason why i started to drop weight over the last year paired with him being a collegiate athlete, i figured why not give it a try.  i am just over 1/3 of the way in and i have not just been impressed by my dedication but i have been impressed with the results i can see happening already.  if i am seeing this and i am on day 11, it makes me that much more excited to see what changes i will notice by day 30.  and now that i have worked out for a double digit number of days consecutively, committing to 5 days per week seems more than feasible.  special shout out to pooh bear for pushing me to be my best.  i am blowing my own damn mind.

 

lastly, i love this quote because it is a simple reminder to do something extraordinary.

 

when was the last time you blew your own mind?  how did you do it?

 

xoxo,

k. tap

crosley cruiser deluxe turntable

even though i have been in my apartment for about a year and a half, i find myself obsessing over different nooks depending on the day of the week.  one corner that i will never get over is the one that houses my crosley cruiser deluxe turntable.

 

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there are so many things to love about this turntable.  first, it was gifted to me by my dear friends reens and sam.  if you have been following along for a bit, you probably remember me mentioning them all throughout my chicago post and/or seeing sam’s amazing skills behind the camera in my post about what i would have done differently in grad school.

 

next, let’s just have a moment for this amazing pop of color – green is my absolute favorite.  if you know me, you know i am a music fanatic.  there is something so spectacular and nostalgic about hearing one of your favorite songs on vinyl.  an added bonus is that this record player is bluetooth compatible, incredibly lightweight and beyond easy to transport.

 

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*the beautiful records with rick ross, adele and justin timberlake above the crosley cruiser were handpainted by emilio cortez aka dj too tall – you can check out his artwork here

 

i started collecting records little by little at music festivals, i have received a few here and there as gifts but the best records came from my grandfather when i moved into my apartment.  he gifted me a huge box of records that belonged to my favorite uncle.  it was stacked with gems – everything from sade to the police to whitney houston.  it makes me think that my varied taste in music comes from him.  it also might explain my music festival obsession.  i can’t help but feel closer to him when listening to any of those records.  it is an unparalleled feeling.

 

the crosley cruiser comes in about 10 different colors and can be found at nordstrom – just add it to your cart while you are shopping the anniversary sale.  trust me, you won’t regret it! for $69.95, it is worth every penny.

 

did you grow up listening to music on vinyl?  what are your favorite records?

 

xoxo,

k. tap

create your own happiness

for more years of my life than i care to admit, i was consumed with figuring out how to make those around me happy.  and if they ever reached that state of happiness, i then made it my job to figure out how to help them maintain that state.  i would beat myself up if the people i loved seemed unhappy, discontent or disappointed.  it took me a really long time to break that mindset.

 

at the end of the day, i am only in control of my own happiness – no one else’s.

 

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“i cannot make you happy, but i can commit to support you in the creation of your own happiness”  –yung pueblo 

 

when i read this quote for the first time, it brought tears to my eyes.  while i had changed my mindset years ago about being able to make another person happy, i could not quite figure out why i initially felt guilt.  i think part of it felt like i was abandoning someone i loved while they were on an important journey.  to me, this quote highlights that while i cannot make someone happy, i can still walk alongside them in their journey to find happiness without doing the work for them.  that is the beauty of it all.

 

how do you create your own happiness?  how do you support your loved ones in creating their own happiness?

 

xoxo,

k. tap

 

p.s. i know i have been posting a ton of poetry lately (all in lowercase letters just like how i like to write) – now you know how much reading i get done when i have time away from work.  i hope you are enjoying it as much as i am. 🙂