One Day, Two Knights: Chicago

First, thank you for all of the amazing hair advice.

Honestly, I have my work cut out for me 

in choosing a good salon

with all the options you sent my way. 

It's nice to know I'm not the only "head case" out there.

Secondly, my friend Holly just tried on jeans next to Kate Middleton at the GAP.

They shared the mirror together while checking themselves out and everything.

I mean... I'm dying of jealousy.

I'd tell you more if I knew it...

but that's all I know for now.

You'll have to settle for Chicago until I can get more D.O.C. information.

On our way home Friday,

we had one of those travel days

that kinda makes you wish

you never left the house.

Besides the fact that we woke up at 3:00am,

it was a comedy of errors from that point out.

Including but not limited to:

starting to take off and stopping to have a part repaired,

missing our connecting flight,

being rebooked on a later flight

and getting separated into the only two remaining {middle} seats.

Oh well.

It happens.

When we got stranded in Chicago for eight hours,

we could have lazied around the airport...

but for $2.25 we took the train into the city

and made a day of it.

I might not be Ferris Bueller

{though I did meet Matthew Broderick once in NYC},

but I sure did live up my one free day playing in the Second City

and I wore leopard as a nod to his classic leopard vest.

Chicago, you are a good time.

Thanks for showing us sunshine & cheap food.

It's a combination that makes our hearts happy.

If you could get stuck in a city for one day,

where would you go?

In The Hot Seat

Can I ask you a question?

Am I the only person who doesn't have "someone"

that always does their hair?

I just can't rely on ANYONE to consistently do a good job with my hair

and it leaves me waiting upwards of a year each time 

I need to cut my hair.

And I'm at this point again.

My last hair cut was May 2011.

I'm starting to look like Stevie Nicks.

I don't need anything fancy...

I just want someone that can consistently control my fro.

So if you are one of "those people"

who have long-term relationships with a hairdresser,

where/how/what did you do to find them?

{Londoners- any help?}

Does anyone else suffer from reoccurring trauma caused by the styling seat?

*image via

Postcards from Paris

Apparently, I have a thing for Paris this week.

I guess sitting traveling between Oklahoma, Arkansas & Texas 

can leave a girl dreaming of more exotic locals.

Go figure.

As fun as Paris was this spring,

my trip there in the July weather

reminded that the beloved city of lights

is best enjoyed in actual sunlight.

C'est magnifique!

{Editor's Notes: Find my travel guide to Paris here.}

taking my souvenir drivers for a spin around the tuileries.

first course at the amazingly cosy Le Coupe Chou. 

I'm packing up my bags

and saying my goodbye

before returning back to the UK

from our trip to the States.

It's always a bittersweet time

as you say goodbye to so many people you love

and head back to your new normal.

The pro's & con's of life as an expat!

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Souvenir Style: Paris

It's amazing how quickly we as humans adapt.

This is true for so many situations,

but I've been thinking about it 

with regards to fashion this week.

After traveling a bit, 

I've come to understand

that the fashion seen in cities around the world

is a mainly a result of the climate and lifestyle.

England's crazy weather = layers, lighter coats + messy hair.

France's chilly winter = bulky scarves + warm wool coats + slim pants to offset the bulkiness

Italy's sunny beaches = as little as possible to achieve the most skin surface area to tanning

{You get the idea.}

So while I'm now back in Dallas

wearing glittery shorts, enormous necklaces & wedges,

I'm dreaming of getting back to the cooler climate

and the simpler look that I fell in love with in this spring in Paris.

one | two | three | four | five | six | seven

Something about this look 

leaves me dreaming for a morning like I had this spring.

Just a normal day... running errands throughout town....

grabbing treasures from the nearby boulangerie....

walking a bit further than I'd anticipated...

and feeling like, yes, this was the life.

Where have you traveled that captured your heart (and fashion)?

Honestly.

Lately, I've been reading a lot of blogs & tweets starting with the phrases:

"Since so many of you have been asking me...."

& 

"I always get asked...."

All of these continue on into explanations of things that, actually,

I'm betting hasn't been asked more than once

but appear to be the new way

that we ladies start taking about a topic that is a bit self-indulgent.

I mean, come on...

am I the only one noticing this trend?

I've seen it SEVEN times today

in various (slightly altered to protect the innocent) forms:

"Since so many of you have asked, 

here are 152 pictures of my child from (insert any beach destination here)..."

"I always get asked how to (insert generic advancement towards career here)..."

"Since so many of you have asked, 

here is my family's secret recipe for (insert random food from baby shower here)..."

"I keep getting asked where I find my outfits. 

Here are some of my favorite places to shop (insert RewardStyle links here)..."

You get the idea.

I mean, the only questions I keep getting asked are where to stay in Paris

and what type of editing I use for my pictures.

Pretty exciting stuff.

Ok, your turn:

What's a question you {honestly} get asked on a daily basis?

Bonus points will be awarded for each answer that makes me laugh or spit out food.

*image via

Lauren Scruggs: Winning

I think Lauren Scruggs is the cutest.

Between being a Dallas native, a blogger

and having a handful of mutual friends,

I was pretty captivated by her tragic story.

But after her interview with The Today Show,

she made me want to hug & squeeze the mess out of her.

In her first appearance since her accident last Christmas,

she is talking about her recovery, her new book, and her new perspective.

Plus, she is in London for the Olympics

so she automatically gets +5 cool points from me.

Just hanging out with Sean Johnson. NBD.

What a girl.

Congratulations on your recovery, Lauren!

You inspire so many of us!

You can watch the interview here.

Pack Your Bags: Bath, England

I get to head out to Bath a few times a year 

and every single time I go, 

I fall more in love with this little city.

The city is a great mix of Roman history and Georgian architecture.

It offers amazing historical treasures in the Roman Baths & Jane Austen Museum

and a good blend of high-street shopping and quirky market shops.

Ok, so you want to go to Bath?

Good decision.

Here's what you should know:

It's a direct train ride from London to Bath

that will take you an hour and a half.

Leave from London's Paddington station and arrive in Bath Spa.

Once you arrive in Bath, grab a map

or just follow the signs into the city centre, it's easy.

Head to the Roman Baths.

The admission price is £12.25 and includes an audio guide

that will tell you everything you need to know.

{I opt for Bill Bryson's tour or the kid's tour... it's kinda awesome.}

The baths are amazing. 

Honestly, it's one of my favorite places to visit in Europe.

And no, you can't get in the water...

just in case you wondered, if you're anything like me. 

Afterwards, head to the Raven Pub for a pie.

When you've finished your pie & mash, you can head to the Jane Austen Museum

or the Fashion Museum to see period clothing like corsets & hoop-skirts.

Before you leave,

you may want to head back to the baths 

and have tea in the famous Pump Room.

It's gorgeous... 

complete with chandeliers and a string quartet.

Even if you aren't up for splurging on the price of a proper tea,

you should go to the small bar along the side of the room

in front of this little fountain.

There you can get a glass of water from the baths to drink.

It's..... interesting. :)

Even though I've only ever day-tripped to Bath, 

I have high hopes of staying there overnight

and partaking in the glorious sunset-spa experience.

Someday!

Have you been to Bath?

What did you love?

*all images original to Aspiring Kenendy

Real Life Jet-Setting

We are back in the States for Tyler's sister's wedding.

It was Saturday night,

and it was gorgeous.

When I get in pictures, 

I'll post them because I think...

well, I think you'll love them.

(I married into a pretty family.)

When we booked our flights home,

we were faced with some terrible options.

$1400 for a single ticket

(hello, summer & Olympics)

or 80k miles of AAdvantage Miles to fly with a flexible coach ticket.

Awesome.

But we found ANOTHER option.

85k AAdvantage Miles for a non-flexible First Class ticket.

Duh.

So we cashed in a butt-load of our miles

and got the First Class ticket.

(I know, a girl that says "butt-load" doesn't belong anywhere other than coach.)

It was amazing.

Let me give you some of the highlights:

(Oh yeah, I'm classy enough to have taken pictures the whole time.)

First,

you sit in your own little pod.

It's like a bubble of heaven

with fully reclining seats, stacks of blankets,

your own set of pajamas & slippers 

and three windows to your very own self.

The service is amazing.

No longer do you have to apologize to your flight attendant 

for bothering them by asking for a glass of water.

No, no. 

Your wish is their command.

We made great friends with our attendant, Rick.

He took extra good care of us 

and made us "Rick Specials" all flight long. 

But what I really want to talk about is the food.

Literally, you could eat the entire flight 

if your body could handle it.

The menu.

The starter.

The ice cream sundae trolley.

The finished result of my sundae creation

paired with Fiddler on the Roof.

(Weird choice, but I hadn't seen it in ages.)

Typically, when I fly home

I do my best to pretty much black out from check-in to landing.

Flying first class makes you savor every single moment

and feel like, at last, your life is where it should be. 

And now, as I face reality 

I come to the realization 

that I may never sit in coach again

without noticing the distant clinks 

of spoons scraping out the last bites

of hot fudge sundaes from crystal goblets

in the rows ahead.

Torture.

Have you even flown first class?

How did you ever go back to coach?

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy