Tag: vegas

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

giada – the cromwell las vegas

just before christmas, i was lucky enough to venture to vegas for a much needed getaway with some lovely ladies from my last job. we had agreed to ahead of time to do one calm night and one wild night. our calm evening was definitely memorable because we had the most magnificent dining experience at giada.

for all of my fellow food network lovers, dining at giada was just as dreamy as you think it would be. i was especially excited to experience this with annie – she has all of giada’s cookbooks, loves a good italian meal. today is her birthday so this post is in honor of her. happy birthday, annie!!!

i cannot go to an italian restaurant and not have burrata. the burrata crostini was served with a kale salsa verde and toasted pine nuts. it was absolutely divine.

next, i had an arugula salad. it definitely had a little something special since it was combined with candied lemon, crispy pancetta and parmigiano-reggiano. it was a simple salad but absolutely decadent. for my main course, both amanda and i had the ravioli which comes with lobster, candy stripped beets and preserved lemon butter. our waitress suggested we get the lemon potatoes as a side to share and dip them in the preserved lemon butter sauce. it was absolutely to die for.

annie got giada’s signature lemon spaghetti and was in heaven. the presentation was just stunning.

michelle and vicky split bone-in tuscan ribeye and salmon paired with roasted broccolini. to say they were pleased with their choices would be a gross understatement. everything was seasoned to perfection.

more cocktails were consumed than i care to count and every single one was amazing. my favorite was probably my drinkable dessert. giada’s take on affogato included a bailey’s gelato they make in house. i am still dreaming of it.

our experience was seamless from start to finish. there are few things that compare to an amazing meal with even more amazing women.

if you are in vegas, be sure to make reservations via opentable at giada – the cromwell las vegas. you will be so happy you did.

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

guess who turned two today?

admittedly, i have been off the map post christmas. normally, i would apologize. 30 year old me will not. i took some much needed time away from my macbook since i had a couple of weeks off from work which meant being able to avoid the double digit number of google meets/zooms and prolonged blue light exposure that typically fill my weeks. at the beginning of this week, i made a list of topics i wanted to cover within the next two weeks. then it occurred to me that something special was happening on the 7th…

it seems like just yesterday that i sent out a group text to my girls about voting on names for this blog. keep up with k. tap had a nice to ring to it (and coincidentally received the most votes).

like many people, i thought 2020 would pan out differently than it did. i kicked off the year with some amazing moments, including turning 30 and having the most epic birthday celebration in vegas. exactly one month later, the world as we once knew it shut down. being the planner i am, i mapped out all of the topics i wanted to post about month by month. little did i know that i would end up being so burned out on all things screen oriented. even still, there were definitely some memorable posts this year. i took what many of you said into consideration and showed my face more on the blog. those were some of the top posts for 2020.

there was some variety in what spoke to you all but the top three were ones i loved as well. the most liked (and commented on) post was about normalizing apologizing to children. while there were some photos from vegas that i adored that made the top nine, the most liked photo of me was one that was completely carefree from some much needed time away in indio this summer. plus, who doesn’t love a yellow bikini? and the final of the three might be my favorite quote from the last year. it is simple yet significant – choose people that choose you.

more than anything, i appreciated having my blog in 2020 as a way to connect with people i know and love plus people i have had the pleasure of meeting online. this was a year where it was important to know that even if we were physically alone, there are still people here for you. many of my posts felt incredibly raw and vulnerable. some stirred up controversy. i got wild direct messages and even lost followers but i wouldn’t change a thing. i can see my growth and that makes me so excited for 2021.

what would you like to see more of on keep up with k.tap this year?

thank you so much for your continued support. it means the world to me. two down, forever to go.

xoxo,

k. tap

closer.

last night’s post was all about filling your cup. while we all might have our own approaches to doing so, one of the most significant pieces in my own journey has been being sure i am surrounding myself with the right people.

road tripping to las vegas with this beauty a couple of weeks ago was everything i needed and then some. and while i loved the poolside passion fruit margaritas, dance parties in our suite, 4am deliveries from room service and bubble baths in the sunken tub, the most meaningful part of the trip was the drive home.

psychology today published an article some years back with 36 questions to bring you closer together. this could be done with a friend, family member or partner. some of my favorites were:

1. what would constitute a perfect day for you?

2. if you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

3. what do you value most in a friendship?

4. when did you last cry in front of another person? by yourself?

5. if you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? why haven’t you told them yet?

for the full list, look no further…

here they are, in order:

1. given the choice of anyone in the world, who would you want as a dinner guest?

2. would you like to be famous? in what way?

3. before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you’re going to say? why?

4. what would constitute a perfect day for you?

5. when did you last sing to yourself? to someone else?

6. if you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you choose?

7. do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

8. name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.

9. for what in your life do you feel most grateful?

10. if you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

11. take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.

12. if you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be?

13. if a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

14. is there something that you’ve dreamt of doing for a long time? why haven’t you done it?

15. what is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

16. what do you value most in a friendship?

17. what is your most treasured memory?

18. what is your most terrible memory?

19. if you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? why?

20. what does friendship mean to you?

21. what roles do love and affection play in your life?

22. alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. share a total of five items.

23. how close and warm is your family? do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?

24. how do you feel about your relationship with your mother?

25. make three true “we” statements each. for instance, “we are both in this room feeling…”

26. complete this sentence “i wish i had someone with whom i could share…”

27. if you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.

28. tell your partner what you like about them. Be honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.

29. share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.

30. when did you last cry in front of another person? by yourself?

31. tell your partner something that you like about them already.

32. what, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

33. if you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? why haven’t you told them yet?

34. your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. after saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. what would it be? why?

35. of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? why?

36. share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.

if you try these with a loved one, let me know how it goes. i am curious to know what your favorites are.

and to britt, even after all of these years of learning and growing, it was truly a pleasure getting to know you even better. cheers to 13 years of friendship, vulnerability and being unapologetically us. i love you.

xoxo,

k. tap