Tag: charcuterie

thought of the week: thank you for loving each version of me

last week, my very first college roommate turned best friend, turned 35. marilena was someone i immediately clicked with and i felt so grateful to be randomly paired with someone perfectly suited for me. to be honest, when i think back to our hall freshman year, it was filled to the brim with people i feel so blessed to know and love. now that marilena is back in the bay, we did a weekend of celebrating and it was the best.

on friday, marilena, makensy, jackie and i circled back to glow to make candles and it was so much fun.

makensy’s tile setup

after glow, we went to dinner at zazil on santana row. the drink that we had to have more than one of was the pintado de rosa. there is something about the balance of the fresh strawberry puree with the citrus and tequila that is just next level.

pintado de rosa

on saturday, marilena’s family hosted a dinner party for about 15 of us with the most delicious traditional mexican food and great cocktails. while we ended up at a bar after dinner and makensy and i kept marilena and jared up for hours once returning to their home, my favorite part of the night was when all of the women were gathered in one room after dinner. sonya (marilena’s cousin) spoke about what marilena meant to her and how wonderful it is to go from having marilena be her flower girl to them being friends as adults. sonya opened up the floor for many of us to share. a theme i couldn’t help but notice as women across generations spoke about marilena is how she has encouraged growth in each of us – we are all better for knowing her. there were many points where i glanced across the room at marilena, makensy and jackie and was in disbelief that this september will mark SEVENTEEN years of us knowing and loving one another. when i think of who we each were when walking into santa clara’s campus as 17 and 18 year olds, it is truly wild. in taking time to think of the plethora of versions of each of us that have existed between then and now, it is heartwarming to know that the love and connection has just grown deeper. while it isn’t a guarantee, it is true for us and made me think of this quote i stumbled across back in january:

there is something so beautiful about having long-term friends that have witnessed multiple versions of you and loved you unconditionally through each version.

man. nothing compares to being loved unconditionally by people who have seen you at your highest of highs and lowest of lows. marilena has truly seen me through it all and has taught me how to not only show up for others, but how to show up for myself. that isn’t something i take for granted.

marilena + me at mumm napa

on sunday, marilena, makensy and i did a day trip to napa. we started at domaine carneros, swung over to madonna estate, all toasted to marilena and our 17 year anniversary at mumm and wrapped with dinner at rh yountville.

sparkling flight – domaine carneros
pinot noir flight – domaine carneros

the weekend was jam packed and i wouldn’t change a thing. i was reminded all weekend why these women are part of my chosen family.

tell me about someone who has loved you unconditionally through many versions of you!

xoxo,

k. tap

christmas cocktails with kristin

my favorite part of this holiday season was hosting some amazing women for a little holiday get together i called “christmas cocktails with kristin” – it was a blast! while typically not a christmas girlie, i wanted to create some festive spirit since i knew i’d be helping to care for my dad over thanksgiving week. it was the best decision i could have made. there is absolutely nothing wrong with creating your own joy.

my little tabletop tree

i found the cute little gift bags (filled with prizes for our game winners), the sign and the christmas candle at hobby lobby. while visiting anj in washington the week before, i was able to find the bulk of what i needed for the party for under $60! truly unreal.

mimosa bar with cranberry blood orange + white cranberry juice options; a holiday punch with cranberry, pineapple, vodka and club soda; red sangria with a cabernet and bourbon + white sangria with a sauvignon blanc and vodka

i love having options for beverages and know that people gravitate towards different things. i wanted the girls to be able to customize their mimosas – maybe you want a lot of juice or maybe you just want enough to change the color. with them being able to pour it themselves versus it being premixed, that was more than doable. a few of my friends get headaches from champagne/sparkling wine so i also did two sangrias and a spiked holiday punch. all were enjoyed!

hot cocoa bar with marshmallows, peppermint crunch, sprinkles, original whipped cream and peppermint whipped cream

for the girls looking for a cozy beverage or a little something sweet, the hot chocolate bar was a hit. while i prefer my hot chocolate with milk, i used this hot water dispenser instead because lactose is not everyone’s friend. the girls being able to add as little or as much cocoa as they wanted was definitely the move.

the girlies 🎄🥂

i wanted everyone to be comfortable so we all wore our favorite christmas pajamas. my little sleep shirt is from asos. while we couldn’t all fit on the photo wall at once, it definitely worked in pairs/trios. reens covered the wall in a festive wrapping paper the night before the party (along with making my place look more festive as a whole).

your therapists need to have fun, too!
bagel bar, charcuterie boards and red velvet cupcakes

i like the idea of being able to graze, especially when not having formal place settings for each person. this allowed for just that.

christmas cookie decorating

the cookie decorating contest was hilarious and made me feel like a little kid again. i bought this set at target that included all pre baked cookies along with icing pens and sprinkles. we may or may not have borrowed some toppings from the hot chocolate bar for a little extra flair.

more than anything, i just loved having so many of my favorite women in one place. the holidays can be so tough, especially for those of us who have experienced a significant amount of grief and loss. this felt like a chance to make the holiday season feel more joyous and to do it on my own terms. 10 out of 10 would recommend if you are looking to reclaim the holiday season.

what was your favorite part about the holiday season? i hope that there was at least one part that made you smile like this.

wifey + me

xoxo,

k.tap

beautiful boards by drew

yesterday, we celebrated my godsister’s birthday. while we started on the rooftop of ballast point in long beach, we knew ahead of time that we would want to enjoy some time at the beach. in trying to think about what snacks to bring that would be equal parts delicious, beautiful and easy to transport, there was a clear answer: drew’s boards.

i mean, come on. can we just take a moment to appreciate the vibrant colors and the variety of options?

the boards were so beautiful that initially, no one wanted to eat them. everyone was able to get over that eventually because who could resist? there were multiple meats, cheeses, veggies, fruit, honeys, jams and nuts. the variety of crackers and baguettes were amazing. drew also included disposable tongs and forks for the boards because he knew we would be at the beach. he truly thought of everything.

*it was quite windy so we had to weigh down the lids with wine stoppers, plates and utensils

whether you are doing a girls night in, a date night, a beach day, hosting a party or a picnic in the park, these boards are perfect for every occasion. they are totally customizable and priced based on the number of people being fed. i already asked drew if he’d be willing to do a board or two for my coachella group this spring.

you can find drew’s beautiful boards on instagram here.

xoxo,

k. tap

beautiful boards by drew

yesterday, we celebrated my godsister’s birthday. while we started on the rooftop of ballast point in long beach, we knew ahead of time that we would want to enjoy some time at the beach. in trying to think about what snacks to bring that would be equal parts delicious, beautiful and easy to transport, there was a clear answer: drew’s boards.

i mean, come on. can we just take a moment to appreciate the vibrant colors and the variety of options?

the boards were so beautiful that initially, no one wanted to eat them. everyone was able to get over that eventually because who could resist? there were multiple meats, cheeses, veggies, fruit, honeys, jams and nuts. the variety of crackers and baguettes were amazing. drew also included disposable tongs and forks for the boards because he knew we would be at the beach. he truly thought of everything.

*it was quite windy so we had to weigh down the lids with wine stoppers, plates and utensils

whether you are doing a girls night in, a date night, a beach day, hosting a party or a picnic in the park, these boards are perfect for every occasion. they are totally customizable and priced based on the number of people being fed. i already asked drew if he’d be willing to do a board or two for my coachella group this spring.

you can find drew’s beautiful boards on instagram here.

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