Category: home decor

champagne for breakfast

happy sunday!

while i might be missing all of the bottomless mimosa brunches my weekends were filled with pre covid, i certainly have found a way to make weekends at home a bit more fun. who doesn’t love champagne for breakfast?

this adorable mug (gifted to me by my dear friend, steph) is from my favorite boutique in the world, ibiss. the boutique is in the bay area, specifically, willow glen. i fell in love with the boutique during undergrad and it became my go to spot to decompress after a long day of work/class. naturally, i got to know the women running the place. that just made me love the store even more. ibi is a true gem and makes every shopping experience so personalized. i think every girlfriend of mine has received a gift at some point from ibiss – whether it be a party dress, a beautiful pair of earrings, a chic jumpsuit or a set of champagne flutes, there is truly something for everyone.

ibi and i have become great friends over the last decade plus. her energy is magnetic. if you are looking to support a small business operated by a woman of color, look no further.

xoxo,

k. tap

p.s. yes, i am still enjoying the coffee cake

p.p.s. i pretty much only use mugs for cold things like ice cream, parfaits or even ordinary beverages because i don’t prefer hot drinks. plus, it reminds me of my childhood summers spent with my godsister at her granny’s house. ms. bessie would always serve us cold drinks out of mugs, especially slushy 7up on a hot summer day.

boxfox

prior to last month, i had never heard of boxfox and now, i am here to tell you about how much i love this company.  it is gift giving made easy while also having the ability to be totally unique and customizable if you so choose.

 

in may, i had a surprise delivery from my dear friend, nicole.  she is always on top of the latest and greatest in health, beauty and yummy treats, which is not surprising with her working on the love goodly team.  this is the box she gifted to me:

 

 

it included:

  1. a rose gold ink pen
  2. a floral notebook by rifle paper co.
  3. rose hibiscus coconut water hydrating face mist by herbivore
  4. cold brew gummy bears by sugarfina
  5. genmaicha green tea by no. six depot

 

with the month of may typically being a rough one and those emotions being heightened due to the pandemic, the craziness of work and the racial injustice in our nation, each of the five items have served a special purpose.  i love being able to put pen to paper to jot down thoughts, ideas, feelings and all of the things i am trying to figure out how to say in person.  i have been working on my skincare regimen because now that i am 30, i am ultra aware of how our skin is the largest organ on our bodies so i am treating it as such – shout out to my rose hibiscus face mist! i started drinking caffeine regularly again once we were sheltering in place and these cold brew gummy bears are the perfect midday pick me up.  and who can say no to a warm cup of tea to just soothe the soul?

 

as if i was not already obsessed with boxfox, a second surprise one arrived courtesy of one of my favorite couples, gio and liz.  liz has a super dope blog, by the way.  you can catch up on that here.  gio and liz regularly tune into my instagram live sessions and before even hearing my last one in full, gio told liz that i sounded sad.  i am typically good at compartmentalizing so the fact that he could pick up on that was quite telling.  fast forward to them surprising me with my second box in lieu of the hug we couldn’t do due to covid-19.  this box was equally awesome but had totally different items:

 

 

  1. two face masks by lapcos
  2. a sparking rosé candle by voluspa
  3. a stainless steel champagne flute by corkcicle
  4. dark chocolate with smoked sea salt by compartes
  5. 52 lists for calm by moorea seal

 

first of all, i teared up when reading the message both because i was so shocked and just touched by the thoughtfulness of my friends.  clearly, gio and liz picked up on the skincare obsession.  i have a stainless steel wine glass but did not know how much i needed this corkcicle.  while i do not eat chocolate often, when i do crave it, i like it balanced with sea salt or caramel.  and a book that involves list making and calmness?  that has kristin written all over it.

 

so i am sure you are interested in boxfox because who wouldn’t be?  there are prearranged boxes to choose from or you can build a box from top to bottom based on category, budget and vibe.  there are gifts for everyone on here, including dads (if you need to send a belated father’s day gift). and even amidst covid, they are shipping in three to six business days.

 

if you are looking for a birthday gift, bridesmaid boxes, graduation gift or something to just show someone how special they are to you, boxfox is the way to go.  if you have any questions, let me know!  i am working on building some boxes of my own as we speak.

 

xoxo,

k. tap

 

 

#girlboss (& all the blondie shop things)

i cannot tell you guys how long i have been waiting to write this post.

 

#girlboss – when i see that hashtag, i think of so many phenomenal women who are in my orbit, myself included.  so imagine my excitement when an old friend of mine, hayley, (who happens to be one of the women who encouraged me most to start this blog after successfully building her own) started expanding her business.  first, there were shirts.  next, there were all of these amazing pink items – pens, tumblers and beauty & the beast inspired rose domes.  but the item i was anxiously anticipating?

 

this #girlboss notebook.

 

 

it is not secret that i love organization, to do lists, planners, stationary, notebooks, etc. – you name it, i own it and use it regularly.  one of the things a standard notebook is missing is structure.  one of the things that makes a traditional planner annoying from time to time are the dates and it being impossible to customize it exactly as you want it.

 

 

the #girlboss notebook found a way to fuse together all of the things i love most.  i think it is even better that this came during quarantine when my day to day looks different than it used to.  it even has a little section to just remind you to take a moment – something that is more crucial now than it has ever been.  plus, i love that even though it is a spiral notebook, it is protected by the hard vegan leather cover (which is an added bonus if you ask me).  not only is it chic but it will not get hooked on things in your bag.  i have had that happen more times than i can count.

 

 

but here is what really sealed the deal on my purchase: i am all about supporting small businesses.  i feel even more passionately about doing so when it is a friend who often gives so much of herself to her loved ones without asking for anything in return.  that is who hayley is – she constantly shows unconditional love and positive regard to those around her.  it should have come as no surprise to me that she included something i did not even order…

 

 

how cute is this tumbler?  i might be trying to up my skincare game with face masks, wearing sunscreen more regularly (thanks, carolynn!) and drunk elephant products but at the end of the day, that it not enough if i am not drinking enough water.  this tumbler is the perfect reminder of just that.  i also cannot get over just how long my water has stayed cold.  a game changer for the summer months for sure.

 

who are the girl bosses in your life?  have you told them lately how grateful you are for their presence?  even though quality time is my primary love language, can you tell i have been trying to work on my words of affirmation?

 

hayley – you’re the fucking best.

 

xoxo,

k. tap

monday mules with king st. vodka

hi lovelies!  with surveys showing that alcohol sales have increased by about 60% during quarantine, i figured i would switch it up from banana bread recipes to cocktail recipes.  all throughout undergrad and grad school, i was known amongst my friend groups for making tasty drinks that snuck up on you.  this strawberry moscow mule is no different.  here’s what you need:

 

ingredients:

  • king st. vodka
  • ginger beer (my go to is by fever tree)
  • a few strawberries
  • a lime wedge
  • ice

 

 

and now, for how to make it:

  • fill a cocktail shaker with ice and 5-6 strawberry slices
  • add two shots of king street vodka
  • shake vigorously
  • strain over fresh ice into a mule mug
  • squeeze line wedge over (the now) strawberry vodka
  • pour ginger beer into the mule mug
  • garnish with additional strawberry slices
  • enjoy!

 

 

i chose king st. vodka for a few reasons.  i love kate hudson as both an actress and entrepreneur.  when i found out she had a vodka, i was definitely curious.  while quarantined, she was on the ellen show and mentioned how somewhere between 20-30% (i am forgetting the exact number) of the money made from each bottle was going to help aid bartenders during quarantine (since they are obviously out of work).  i have been paying close attention to how companies are treating their employees during this time and it has definitely shifted where i have been making my online purchases.  just something to think about.

 

this vodka is incredibly smooth with nearly next to no bite.  i cannot wait to make other drinks with it during quarantine so when i host my first event when social distancing is over, my guests will have an array of king st. cocktails to choose from.  also, how gorgeous is the bottle?  that is just an added bonus.

 

i purchased my bottle online from bevmo but have linked the king st. vodka site directly in the event you are not near a bevmo or bevmo does not deliver to your state.

 

i also linked a similar cocktail shaker set to the one i have.  i found mine on mega sale at nordstrom rack.  this one from amazon is definitely comparable.

 

have you tried king st. vodka yet?  what’s your favorite vodka based cocktail?

 

xoxo,

k. tap

 

 

 

telecommuting essentials

working from home has been quite the adjustment but honestly, i am just grateful to still have a job AND to be allowed to telecommute during this pandemic aka covid-19. something i have noticed is this midday slump i have been experiencing. it is probably due to me not walking around from building to building on campus for meetings or just getting as much fresh air as usual.

well, even though it is late march, i am finally putting the french press my mom got me for christmas to good use. but what good is a french press without good coffee? luckily, my quarterly shipment from nocking point comes with not only three bottles of wine but an article of clothing and a bag of coffee.

the most recent shipment included a bag of medium roast coffee with beans from central america and east africa. it has subtle notes of fruit and bakers chocolate but what i smelled most was caramel. so naturally, i had to make my own iced caramel macchiatos.

at first, the french press was intimidating just because whenever i get coffee, i am rolling through a starbucks drive-thru or going to a local mom and pop shop. however, my friend annie gave me a coffee grinder (since she has four) and i decided what better time than quarantine to put the french press to good use?

not only was the coffee delicious but it was probably half of the calories of my typical starbucks order.

what are your telecommuting essentials?

xoxo,

k. tap