Category: home decor

#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

bath essentials

if you know me personally or have been following along for a bit, you know i love baths. i use them as a space to relax, clear my mind and just be. i definitely view a long bath as a form of self care. if i have a restless night of sleep, i will often take a bath to recalibrate and be more centered before starting my work day.

there are many components to the perfect bath but the item that has transformed my time in the tub is this bamboo bathtub caddy.

my friend carolynn got it for my birthday and it is such a game changer. there is space for absolutely everything. i am usually one of those people struggling to figure out where to sit my wine glass, my ipad or macbook, different bath bombs, soaps or scrubs i am using, whatever book i’ve been reading, a candle and anything else you can think of without getting something wet that isn’t waterproof or accidentally knocking something over. hint: that something has been my wine glass on more than one occasion. *face palm*

i think it will be hard for me to take another bath if i don’t have this caddy as part of it. so if you’re at home due to covid-19 and looking for ways to up your self care game, this caddy is available on amazon prime.

thank you so much, lynnie!

what things make your bath experience better?

xoxo,

k. tap

one year anniversary

for those of you who grew up listening to r&b, just know that i have been singing “anniversary” every single day for the last week.

 

one year.  today marks one year of blogging on keepupwithktap.com, getting to know more about so many of you and getting to know one hell of a lot about myself.  it has been lesson after lesson about vulnerability, letting go of being a perfectionist and realizing that authenticity is definitely underrated.

 

i had planned on reviewing my analytics to find out which posts you all liked most but luckily, top nine did that for me.  two things stood out to me:

  1. you are unafraid to dive deep with me
  2. i need to show more of my face on the gram since you all seem to like those photos

 

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for those of you who have not been reading since the beginning, i have linked the top nine posts below:

1. a much needed psa

2. bikinis for big girls

3. 29 and fine

4. family does not mean

5. people in therapy

6. pale pink + polka dots

7. #100

8. graduation (started from the bottom, now we’re here)

9. veuve polo classic – east coast edition

 

to say i am grateful to each of you who has read along in the last year would be a gross understatement. i am so excited for year two together. as we enter 2020, a new decade and my 30th year on this earth, i will continue to talk about some topics you can’t get enough of (psych, relationships and self-improvement). i will cover some new topics you’ve requested (like dating, narcissism, wedding season and more things fashion oriented).

 

i cannot wait to connect with you all on instagram live tonight at 8pm pst.

 

sending you all so much love and here’s to the next year together. 😘

 

xoxo,

k. tap