finally, fall weather!

2,888.

that is how many miles i had to travel to finally be able wear this cardigan i bought a full month ago. while i love living in la, this week on the east coast has been wonderful because i absolutely love real fall weather. is anyone else a sucker for actual seasons?

i have been chaperoning an extensive east coast college tour. today is day three and we have toured six universities (and still have a few more to go). it has been great to be able to see the amazement on the faces of my students. it has also been great to be able to wear pieces of my fall wardrobe. i have had this cardigan on my list of things to blog about for quite some time but with la having 95 degree weather all throughout october, it just wasn’t an option.

the good news? i have been able to wear so many sweaters, jackets and scarves since arriving to the east coast!

the bad news? this beauty is already sold out! i got it for just under $30 from forever 21. i have linked some other soft and cozy cardigans in a variety of sizes and at a similar price point from forever 21 for you to check out.

one!

two!

three!

four!

five!

xoxo,

k. tap

big sur for britt’s big day

i had to wait until i was well rested enough to write this post because it is one of the most special ones of the year.  this past weekend in big sur was absolutely magical and i couldn’t picture it any other way for britt’s big day.

 

4A570B89-B011-4A93-8017-16C1CAC8CDD0

*this photo is completely unfiltered which i know seems impossible

 

both leslie and i flew in from our respective homes after work on thursday and spent the night in san jose.  friday morning, we took a beautiful road trip to big sur.  the twists and turns to make it to our destination were absolutely worth it.  it felt like we had entered a whole new world.  we were staying at glen oaks big sur and it was just as charming as it was beautiful.  i think the selling point for me was the fireplace in our suite while leslie was obsessed with the heated floors in the bathroom.

 

directly across the street was this quaint little restaurant with comfy indoor seating and extensive (fireside included) outdoor seating – big sur roadhouse.  the menu is simple yet there was not a thing we ordered that was not delightful.  if you are there for breakfast, i would highly suggest the avocado toast with two poached eggs.  if you visit for lunch, the pulled pork sandwich (with fries) is phenomenal.

 

IMG_3874

 

5b1092d3-ce69-4e95-9af5-d651bc280151.jpeg

 

8fa9411e-86cb-47c8-a219-8a2eb15af167.jpeg

 

friday night was spent at a cocktail reception in carmel valley but the real magic happened on saturday.

 

britt and ryan got married at ventana big sur.  and while i had been to big sur before, i had never experienced it like this.  everything was just so picturesque.  the views were to die for.  brittany was a breathtakingly beautiful bride.  ryan could not have been a more dapper groom and his vows to britt created a flood of waterworks during the ceremony for us all.

 

IMG_3761

IMG_3762

IMG_3765

 

the love present both between them and amongst every person present was all consuming.  it carried from the ceremony to the cocktail hour…

 

1E72E79B-C49C-4F13-8100-260612F609C9

6CCDA094-5A50-4F0E-B7A2-B2C6FCAF905A

201EEADE-42B7-4918-9C8E-673F3A9ECA84

 

to the reception…

 

8E2120BC-48E1-4F14-A09C-C136F5A12329

ED6A92DD-88D0-4991-A509-52549AD8209D

3772E248-0DBF-4F4D-931D-378C55759001

3CF0239F-B2A4-4397-B1FA-AA6F1126C70F

F6782342-6AA6-4EB0-AC04-FB9EA63CC214

 

to the after party with my favorite sparkly dance partner…

 

FF569734-A07B-4B89-ABB4-879A5BA8A508

 

my outfit for the wedding was a game time decision as i initially ordered this gorgeous peacock colored dress from nordstrom.  i even ordered some skims (which i will be reviewing soon) because the slit on one side definitely higher than what i would typically wear.  even still, the slit was just a tad too high for me to do anything other than sit or stand at the wedding.  that’s just not my style.  i knew i wanted to be on the dance floor.  so, on the day before leaving for the bay, i went to nordstrom and found this sparkly number by xscape – it was not only the only one left in my size but it was the only one left at all.  i took it to the dressing room and once it was on, knew i had to get it.  while it is not typically my style, i have been doing a lot of stepping outside of my comfort zone in 2019 – this outfit choice was no different.  my faux fur coat from asos was absolutely perfect when the temperature dropped in the evening.

 

i am forever grateful to the housing and res life team at santa clara university for placing me on the second floor of walsh my freshman year.  i honestly met some of my soulmates that year and it was nothing short of magnificent to see one of them marry the love of her life this weekend.  life really is better with #alittleRnB – congratulations to britt and ryan!

 

xoxo,

k. tap

 

 

 

at least i can pretend like it’s fall…

so i am sure you all remember my post from the end of september celebrating fall and all the wonderful things that come along with it like amazing candles and red wine, right?  well, that fall weather was short lived and yesterday, it was 90 degrees in la.  i almost allowed that to ruin some upcoming outfit posts i had but figured there are still new pieces i have that look like fall without it actually having to feel like fall outside.  let me introduce you to one of the latest additions to my wardrobe that is allowing me to pretend like it is fall…

 

 

this  sanctuary sundown duster cardigan pulled me in initially because of the color.  while this yellow can be worn in the fall, it also is a piece that i would wear during spring and summer (in the evenings, at least).  nordstrom was recently doing a special event where you earned 10x the number of points on every purchase so i had to get a couple of things, this duster being one of them.  it feels great against my skin, can be paired with denim, leggings or dresses and is light enough to not be overpowering on the warmer fall days but functional enough to knock the chill off.  at around $50, it was worth every penny.  this one just sold out so i have linked some of my other favorites in a variety of sizes at a similar price point:

one!

two!

three!

four!

five!

 

have you already pulled out your sweaters for fall?  or at the very least, purchased a couple to add to your wardrobe?

 

xoxo,

k. tap

 

 

spicy like tabasco

even though there is still about a month left of summer, with work resuming for me next week, it feels like summer is coming to a close. when i think of summer, i think of super bright colors but as we are transitioning into fall, i think of colors that are a bit warmer. this brings me to one of my favorite recent purchases – this ribbed t-shirt dress from asos.

while i would describe this dress as a burnt orange, i love how asos described it as tabasco. as a hot sauce fanatic, i appreciated how they described the color.

the kimono is one i’ve had for years from forever 21 but the gladiators are a more recent purchase my mom gifted me from torrid.

what i love is how effortless it was to throw this outfit together and it was perfect for this warmer weather. it’s easy and breezy.

what are your favorite retailers to get easy and breezy outfits from?

xoxo,

k. tap

national ootd day

happy sunday!

 

today is special for two reasons.  first, it is my grammy’s birthday.  even though she passed a little over two years ago, i still think about her daily and feel her spirit with me all of the time.  secondly, it is national ootd (outfit of the day) day.  this day was founded by stassi from vanderpump rules last year and is all about self expression, personal style and kind of having a uniform or go to fit (while just switching up colors and textures from time to time to add variety).  ironically, grammy was one of the most stylish people i knew and she always knew how to dress her body.  i’d like to think i inherited some of those same qualities.  how fitting that national ootd day and her birthday are on the same day?!

 

if you have been following along since the beginning, you know i definitely have a “uniform” or a go to fit.  i am a huge fan of t-shirt dresses in all lengths and typically pair it with one of the many things i love – cardigans, denim shirts, faux fur or kimonos.

 

1-7 copy 2

photo cred: gracelyn bateman

 

this olive maxi and floral kimono are both from forever 21 plus.  while both items are ones i have had in my closet for some time (so they are sold out), i have linked some of my favorite maxis and kimonos for plus sized girls here:

one!

two!

three!

four!

 

and here are some additional maxis and kimonos in standard sizing!

one!

two!

three!

four!

 

what is your national ootd fit?

 

xoxo,

k. tap