never say no to napa!

back in early november, ibi and i made plans to do a quick getaway to napa during the last weekend of january. we had busted our butts in 2020 in ways we didn’t know possible so it was time to let our hair down and celebrate. little did we know that even outdoor options in napa would close shortly thereafter. we were bummed but determined to see one another. lucky for us, on the last monday of january, napa announced they’d be reopening starting that friday. it was official – napa was back on and we were pumped. i quickly rebooked all of our reservations. the first stop? brunch at celadon.

this wasn’t my first trip to celadon and it certainly won’t be my last. we started off the day with peach bellinis. because i knew we would do a little nibbling at the wineries, i wanted to keep this meal a bit lighter. a half caesar with avocado and their calamari (that comes with this delightful chipotle chili and honey glaze) hit the spot.

we realized we were ahead of schedule for our reservation at domaine carneros so we pit stopped at madonna estate. ibi loves a good pinot noir and they have one of my favorites. unfortunately, it was reservation only to be mindful of numbers due to covid. however, when bob realized it was me (i have visited quite a number of times, including in november for kendall’s birthday), he graciously accommodated us. i was sure to tell him we didn’t need a formal tasting – a bottle of pinot noir and a couple of glasses would do the trick. i knew i was going to be seeing marilena the next day for coffee so i picked her up a bottle of their rosé – it’s made with a pinot grape and is subtly sweet. our visit to madonna was short and sweet. i made sure to set an alarm so we weren’t late to our reservation at domaine carneros. with ibi and i both loving bubbles as much as we do, i couldn’t wait to take her. the weather was absolutely perfect!

the tent definitely helped to shield us from the wind and the heat lamps were an added bonus. our sparkling flights refreshing and paired perfectly with our charcuterie boards. before we knew it, we had been there for 2.5 hours!

we were excited to check into our hotel. neither of us had ever stayed at the archer but between recommendations and reviews, i couldn’t wait to check it out! something that really appealed to me (outside of its beauty and central location) is the idea of the double rooms coming with two cal king beds. talk about perfect for girls trip. while there were only two of us, four could have definitely stayed comfortably. there were so many great touches from cute slippers to tasty caramels to high end toiletries to a wine fridge. the list is truly endless. we will certainly be back again.

before even solidifying our hotel choice, i had made us a dinner reservation at this italian restaurant – ristorante allegria. at domaine, our server recommended the mushroom ravioli and i did exactly what he said. i had zero regrets.

if you are headed to napa, call ahead or use open table to make reservations. it will make it substantially easier. the most important thing, however, is your company – ibi and i laughed, cried and laughed so hard that we cried. there is nothing better than feeling reinvigorated after a trip.

what way are you going to treat yourself this month?

xoxo,

k. tap

never say no to napa!

back in early november, ibi and i made plans to do a quick getaway to napa during the last weekend of january. we had busted our butts in 2020 in ways we didn’t know possible so it was time to let our hair down and celebrate. little did we know that even outdoor options in napa would close shortly thereafter. we were bummed but determined to see one another. lucky for us, on the last monday of january, napa announced they’d be reopening starting that friday. it was official – napa was back on and we were pumped. i quickly rebooked all of our reservations. the first stop? brunch at celadon.

this wasn’t my first trip to celadon and it certainly won’t be my last. we started off the day with peach bellinis. because i knew we would do a little nibbling at the wineries, i wanted to keep this meal a bit lighter. a half caesar with avocado and their calamari (that comes with this delightful chipotle chili and honey glaze) hit the spot.

we realized we were ahead of schedule for our reservation at domaine carneros so we pit stopped at madonna estate. ibi loves a good pinot noir and they have one of my favorites. unfortunately, it was reservation only to be mindful of numbers due to covid. however, when bob realized it was me (i have visited quite a number of times, including in november for kendall’s birthday), he graciously accommodated us. i was sure to tell him we didn’t need a formal tasting – a bottle of pinot noir and a couple of glasses would do the trick. i knew i was going to be seeing marilena the next day for coffee so i picked her up a bottle of their rosé – it’s made with a pinot grape and is subtly sweet. our visit to madonna was short and sweet. i made sure to set an alarm so we weren’t late to our reservation at domaine carneros. with ibi and i both loving bubbles as much as we do, i couldn’t wait to take her. the weather was absolutely perfect!

the tent definitely helped to shield us from the wind and the heat lamps were an added bonus. our sparkling flights refreshing and paired perfectly with our charcuterie boards. before we knew it, we had been there for 2.5 hours!

we were excited to check into our hotel. neither of us had ever stayed at the archer but between recommendations and reviews, i couldn’t wait to check it out! something that really appealed to me (outside of its beauty and central location) is the idea of the double rooms coming with two cal king beds. talk about perfect for girls trip. while there were only two of us, four could have definitely stayed comfortably. there were so many great touches from cute slippers to tasty caramels to high end toiletries to a wine fridge. the list is truly endless. we will certainly be back again.

before even solidifying our hotel choice, i had made us a dinner reservation at this italian restaurant – ristorante allegria. at domaine, our server recommended the mushroom ravioli and i did exactly what he said. i had zero regrets.

if you are headed to napa, call ahead or use open table to make reservations. it will make it substantially easier. the most important thing, however, is your company – ibi and i laughed, cried and laughed so hard that we cried. there is nothing better than feeling reinvigorated after a trip.

what way are you going to treat yourself this month?

xoxo,

k. tap

my main squeeze turns one – happy birthday, misu!

guess who is celebrating their first birthday today?!

my baby is officially a year old! while misu and i found one another in october, i truly cannot imagine my home or life without him. we found one another at just the right time. he has brought me an unreal amount of joy and reinvigorated me amidst a global pandemic. i am eternally grateful for his presence in my life.

who wouldn’t love that little face?!

if you find yourself looking for a cute tag, two tails pet company is the best! between this main squeeze one and a catchy one misu has in white and rose gold, he is covered in the event he gets separated from me. it truly gives me peace of mind.

“i’m lost – somebody call my mama.”

i couldn’t love misu (or these dog tags) more. cheers to his first trip around the sun.

xoxo,

k. tap

thought of the week: let’s celebrate!

even when i was younger, as my birthday drew closer, i found myself being reflective on how my last year of life went. what spots were the brightest? what spots were the darkest? what would i do differently with the wisdom that i had at the exact moment of reflection? well, even though i spent most of 30 being locked up due to quarantine, my 31st birthday is less than a month away. unlike most years, i was not feeling as reflective. it might be because so many of the days since last march have felt the same as all of the other days that week or month. it could also be because january was jam packed with the capitol being stormed by domestic terrorists, returning back to work after winter break and the inauguration of biden and harris. i think i almost forgot that february was just around the corner.

recently, i was asked about my ability to not just show up, but celebrate others. i almost thought perhaps i was misunderstanding the question. a dear friend of mine was talking to me about a series of things that did not go my way in 2020. all of them had one thing in common: terrible timing. while there were still many things for me to be grateful for, i started to understand what she meant. there were definitely things i set out to accomplish that did not come to fruition. but for me, that was (and is still) completely separate from showing up and celebrating my loved ones.

instagram clearly heard our conversation because within 24 hours, i stumbled across this quote:

“my own desire to succeed does not prevent me from celebrating others people’s success” -adam j. kurtz

i am not only happy to show up for the success of my loved ones, i celebrate it. so many of the people in my orbit are the hardest workers i know. they are also kind and compassionate beings. if there is an area of my life where i have yet to find success and they have, i celebrate them. once the celebration has subsided, i then turn to them as a resource. maybe there is something they have tried that i have yet to discover.

even if there isn’t, i view a win for a loved one as a win for us all. there are plenty of seats at the table and seeing my tribe do their thing inspires me even more.

do you show up to celebrate other people’s success?

xoxo,

k.tap

everything is made better with pockets

i have a lot of nicknames that people have come up with for me. one of them is the cardigan queen. i live in cardigans! not only do i love the feel and how it can shift the look of what i have on, i also have to keep my tattoos covered at work. a cardigan is the perfect way to do that without the stiffness of a jacket or a coat. plus, i tend to run a bit warm so having the ability to easily roll up my sleeves is a must.

as if i wasn’t already obsessed with my custom crewneck, imagine my excitement when hazy + rose co. rolled out so much great inventory including amazing cardigans?! this was made exponentially better when i saw that one of my favorites came with pockets.

i am all about figuring out how to look put together while also being comfortable for my endless number of zoom calls daily. bonus points are given when the item is functional. with me having misu (my little maltipoo) now, pockets are great for me to throw my keys and phone into when taking him down the block for potty breaks. this amazing cardigan allows for all of that. plus, i somehow only had one other black cardigan (gray is my favorite neutral so a lot of my staples are in that color instead).

hazy + rose co. has so many great pieces that are perfect for working from home that transition well if you are leaving the house. when buying an item, i often think about the cpw (cost per wear). a cardigan like this one can be worn with loungewear, to work (as pictured here), to brunch (with a crop top and some skinnies) or for date night (with a fitted dress and a pair of booties). the possibilities are endless.

lucky for you all, hazy + rose co. is having another drop this sunday, the 24th. for those of you in the sacramento area, a pop-up shop is happening on the 13th (my birthday!). and, a HUGE drop is scheduled for valentine’s day. if you are not doing so already, be sure to follow hazy + rose co. on the gram. you will be happy you did!

xoxo,

k. tap