Tag: asos curve

36.

maybe it is because i am putting finishing touches on my 37th birthday trip to bali or maybe it is because it truly was one of my favorite weekends of 2026 but i know one thing – my 36th birthday celebration deserved a post all of its own.

a theme each year around my birthday is gratitude. it is rare to have so many of my favorite people in one place so naturally, it felt extra special to have people who have known me since birth dancing alongside people who have entered my orbit in my 30s. one thing is for certain: vegas owes us nothing.

before recapping the weekend in its entirety, it has to be said that there is something extra amazing about feeling your best when ushering in a new year and part of that is looking your best. i was obsessed with my outfits, hair and grateful to have been experiencing a good skin week. it really is the little things.

my rules when planning a group trip are simple:

  1. have only one or two events that are mandatory and outside of that, allow people to opt in as it suits them
  2. be intentional about who is invited – it only takes one bad apple to fuck up the barrel
  3. have a balance of daytime and evening activities – not everyone is a morning person and not everyone can party until 3am
  4. give ample notice when extending invites – people need time to budget, schedule and prep
  5. scheduling in solo down time if you are an introvert like me (even if it is an extended soak in the tub each day) is absolutely crucial in order to show up as the best host possible

driving in from la is always easy when going to vegas and allows me to bring as many things as i want. this is especially important when hosting because I want everyone to have yummy things to snack on and delicious cocktails to enjoy at any point of the day or night. we arrived on friday which was my actual birthday. i was excited as this was the night roughly 20 of us were going to be celebrating with people traveling in from as far as atlanta (shout out to my girl, joss) and people ranging from 30s to 60s (shout out to my mom, godmother and cousin val who all were dropping it in the club as if meg the stallion birthed them).

we spent friday night at liv (located in fontainebleau) and got to see mario perform. he has PIPES. it was important to me that my mom and the aunties were present on a night where there would be r&b accompanying all the club bangers. a. time. was. had.

saturday, we did brunch at brewdog las vegas. it was important to me to do something casual, cost friendly and where people could pay separately as some people were going to be heading directly to the airport whereas others were going to be in town until monday or tuesday. the ambiance was great – it was airy, lively, good music (and at a volume where we could still hear one another), bomb food and lemon drops that i am still dreaming about. you can make a reservation on opentable for up to 20 people!

after brunch, a few of us hit chanel because michele had been eyeing a bag for years and decided this was the trip to bite the bullet. the store and entire shopping experience was an absolute vibe. when i am ready for my first chanel (manifesting that for 2027), this will be the location i choose for certain.

saturday night may have been a smaller group but trust me when i tell you that we partied as if there were still 20 of us. 10 of us circled back to liv. while i typically do not repeat the same club two nights in a row, once i saw the kehlani was the performer for valentine’s day, there is no other place i wanted to be. who was going to say “no” to seeing her serenade us with “folded” live?!

to say i was beat on sunday would be an understatement. that is when having an amazing hotel suite and even more amazing friends comes in handy. i did not leave my suite, stayed in pajamas all day and hosted those that wanted to socialize for a boozy game night in. uno feels elevated when on the las vegas strip. a sushi dinner on the couch with champagne was divine – shout out to my car business boo, leroy, for treating the entire group.

while the remainder of friends left monday, my mom and i stayed until tuesday. monday and tuesday were the ultimate mommy and me days. we shared meals, laughter, deep conversations, carpool karaoke sessions, blackjack hands and enough peach bellinis to fill a hot tub with.

each year, i pick a theme word or phrase. 35 was about surrendering while 34 focused on calm…you get the picture. for 36, the theme has been: flow.

flowing not forcing.

as a recovering control freak, it can be difficult to let things flow and not force square pegs into round holes. 36 has been about allowing things to flow, not punishing myself when things do not according to plan and being able to pivot as needed. it has allowed me to be more grateful for the life i am currently living, not just the one i am building.

i cannot wait to ring in 37 in bali with loved ones.

xoxo,

your favorite aquarius

on fridays, we wear fringe

every year, i purchase my coachella tickets in june for the following april (before the lineup even is released). shortly thereafter, we book a house. no later than january, i am searching high and low for outfit options. this year, that did not happen and i was PANICKED.

early last week, it occurred to me that i had done zero shopping whatsoever and that coachella was less than two weeks away. every year, at least one of my outfits has been from asos. i quickly went to their site to see if there was anything that caught my eye and immediately fell in love with this little fringe number!

coachella vip – weekend one – day one

i never say no to a little black and knew as soon as i tried it on that i would be wearing it long after coachella. it was initially $50 which i would have been happy to pay, especially because a dress is an entire outfit. imagine my surprise when it was on sale for just $30?! getting it was a no brainer.

one of the things i love most about asos is their inclusive sizing. whether you wear a 00 or a 28, need short pants or an extra long pair, need maternity wear or a wedding dress in an extended size, they have it all.

if you go to coachella, where is your favorite place to get outfits from? do you go for aesthetics, comfort or both?

xoxo,

k. tap

32 (part three).

to round out our time in the south bay, my mom and i did lunch at one of my favorite italian spots. afterwards, we picked up some of my favorite women on earth and made our way to napa.

we checked into my favorite hotel there (the archer) before freshening up before dinner at a restaurant i have to go whenever i am in town (celadon). while i had never been there for dinner before (my friends and i often end up there for boozy brunches), it didn’t disappoint. i was so glad that my godmother happened to be in sacramento that week for work so she joined us for dinner and drinks at the hotel afterwards. we shared so many laughs over dinner – nearly three hours felt like 30 minutes.

celadon has the absolute BEST calamari (i used caps so you know it’s real)

wednesdays are meant for wine and we definitely did just that. first, we started with breakfast at charlie palmer steak. it came highly recommended and a couple of weeks before our trip when i mapped it, i realized it was in our hotel. somehow (even though i had stayed at the archer before), i had no idea it existed. i had definitely been missing out because we all enjoyed our meal so much.

avocado toast (with smoked salmon, cucumber, watercress, pickled red onion and a poached egg)
belgian waffle (served with butter, strawberry compote, blueberry compote and maple syrup)
huevos rancheros
blood orange 75 (gin, blood orange liquor, lemon and sparkling wine)

i would absolutely go back again and i would recommend ordering a savory dish for yourself and splitting the waffles with another person or two in your party. and even with me being a vodka girl, i had to have a couple of blood orange 75s. they were absolutely delicious. if you want to go to charlie palmer, make a reservation via opentable.

next, our wine tasting tour began. my mom had never been to napa so i was excited for her to get to experience it, especially with women who we both love so much. our first stop was artesa!

the view of napa from entrance of artesa
me + melissa 🤍
interior of artesa
complimentary glass while we waited for our table.
this yellow jacket is my new favorite item in my wardrobe. it’s by lezé the label and is part of hayet rida’s honey glow collection she released. it is so soft yet heavy enough to keep you warm while being so breathable. my dress is from asos.
sofia 🤍
mom + sofia 🤍🤍

artesa is a winery i had always wanted to visit but it seemed impossible to land a reservation on any of my weekend trips. i figured i would try my luck since we were going on a wednesday and booked it immediately. since i am a member at the two wineries we went to next, i knew i would be able to secure a reservation at each of those easily. we all loved the service at artesa and i thought their rosé and their reds were perfect. i think on my next trip this june, it is likely i will become a member. afterwards, we made our way to madonna estate.

the fields at madonna – we had perfect weather
me + mama bear 🤍
the garcia sisters + me 🤍🤍🤍
alexz hates pictures but we take such good ones together that she ends up forgiving me
melissa – quite literally my lifesaver

we all did tastings at madonna but ended up purchasing multiple bottles afterwards that we loved to enjoy there while we soaked up the sun, took photos and talked about anything and everything. melissa was such a fan that she became a member. i know she won’t regret it – i certainly haven’t. after leaving madonna, we drove just up the road to a winery that has my favorite views in all of napa – domaine carneros.

the squad.

we went all in. tastings. charcuterie plates. bottles. smoked salmon plates. we laughed. we cried. it was the most like myself i had felt since before being hospitalized last summer. it was just the most magical day.

sparkling chateau tasting
charcuterie
bottles on bottles on bottles.
smoked salmon
lil’ spoon + melissa 🤍🤍🤍
loves of my life

after leaving domaine carneros, felecia and i dropped the girls off, went to the airport and flew home. each part of my birthday was exactly what i needed it to be – from la to the bay to napa, i was surrounded by love and laughter. no matter what part you showed up for, just now how grateful i am.

xoxo,

k. tap

a little leopard never hurt anyone

can you blame me for reminiscing about being on vacation after a 12 hour work day? while i normally love swim separates, this one piece from asos caught my eye in the fall (back when i thought i’d be spending the week before christmas in kauai).

it’s fun, it’s flirty and can easily be paired with a skirt or some shorts to create a little outfit.

i tend to gravitate towards swimsuits with wire/structure. while this one doesn’t have that, it does have this black belt that loops around just under the bust near the natural waistline. definitely adds a little something extra.

because i was more concerned with cocktail time than thinking of photos for my blog, i have included a couple from the actual website so you could see the suit in all its glory.

since this number is sold out, i have included a few of my favorite one pieces from asos.

1. this mixed print black and white number is to die for!

2. an all white ruffled one piece would be perfect for those bachelorette parties this summer

3. a sleek and sexy one piece in black? count me in.

4. florals for spring? groundbreaking.

xoxo,

k. tap

saturdays are for suspenders

it seemed like it had been forever since i had put on something new to go out. that being said, a girls trip to vegas seemed like the perfect excuse to snag something fresh. i wanted to look and feel good for our night out at crimson in bloom. this combo from asos + nordstrom definitely did the trick.

the skirt with suspenders was a new purchase from asos. the leather jacket is an oldie but a goodie (also from asos). while it has been in my closet for over a year (thanks, COVID), the goldenrod bodysuit is from nordstrom’s bp section and was only $15! while this particular one is sold out, they have plenty of other options for both color and cut offered in sizes from xs to 4x. what i loved most about it was how soft and smooth the ribbed detail was AND there was no annoying snap closure – i just stepped right into it.

here is a close up shot so you can see a little more detail:

i have already thought of a million other ways to style this skirt with suspenders – an oversized sweater with high top sneakers, a sleek black bodysuit with heeled booties, a pastel pink scoop neck with ballet flats. the possibilities are endless.

xoxo,

k. tap