In Your Dreams, Baby Mama.

My good friend Beth Dotolo

is kind of famous.

At least,

you won't be able 

to convince me otherwise.

You've probably heard of her 

super cool totally unique design company,

PULP Design Studios.

{If not, now you have!}

She designed our little nursery

which you may have seen

on the Apartment Therapy tour

of our tiny flat from earlier this year.

{If not, now you have!}

You've probably already seen

that they are currently doing a giveaway

for a gorgeous nursery

worth $6000

together with Tottini.

{If not, now you have!}

The giveaway is open to US residents

and you can sign up

for your chance to win!

So what do you think?

Have you put your name in the hat to win?

{If not, now you should!!}

*    *   *

*photography by Kevin Dotolo

Dallas Blogger Party

Hey Y'all Pillow, Two Peaches Etsy. $29.

If you've been following along

with my Instagrams,

you may have noticed

I've crossed over the pond

and am residing in the US

for the month of August.

Tyler had to work

and I figured

I should be here in the sun

instead of alone in our flat

taking care of a baby

all by my lonesome.

Duh.

I am obsessed with these custom/affordable pillows from Two Peaches. $29!

So here I am,

back in Texas.

And here (some of) you are, too.

Wanna meet up?

Beth Dotolo & I are having a get together

(a really casual, super-fun get together)

to meet up with some of Dallas' finest...

and then regular people, like us.

It'll be next Friday, Aug 16th here in Dallas.

Details to come, 

but go ahead and plan on being there

that evening.

We can't wait to meet & mingle with you!

Let me know if you'd be interested below

so I can know what/where to plan this thing.

The British Are Coming! #pinitforwardUK

My friend, Beth, forced me into blogging

all those many years ago.

She also forced me to join this new website called Pinterest

that all the other bloggers were doing.

So I did it,

because when Beth tells you to do something,

you do it.

I thought it was the coolest thing.

And soon after, most of my American friends

started to join in the fun

and it seemed like the world of Pinterest exploded.

Dreamy pictures of Parisian cafes,

Paleo recipes & fashion week styles

began trending through our lives

and began offering us more visual stimulation

than a 12 year old gets watching 

the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders at halftime.

My boards- I kind of love them.

And for the past few years,

there have been different waves of discovery

for this amazing site...

...except here in the UK.

It's not really as big of a deal.

But it will be.

{Kinda feels good to be sending trends the other way over the Atlantic, doesn't it?}

This month, 

Pinterest is officially here in the UK.

Helena, Amber, Evan (Pinterest founder!) & Me

Kicking off with a FUN party in London

and now the PIN IT FORWARD UK blog campaign,

they are officially here to stay!

So what is Pinterest?

What does it mean to me?

It's a great way for bloggers

to pin ideas that inspire us for future posts...

it gives us a place to pin gadgets & travel gear

for our upcoming journeys...

it offers us working women a place to find

a delicious meal to make for dinner...

and, ultimately, it gives everyone stuck in a boring job

something fun to do every day from 2-4pm.

Are you already on Pinterest?

If not, it's time...

JOIN THE FUN.

And if you need to learn more about it-

maybe check out the ABOUT page,

where you'll see... you know, me.

{PS. I feel SO cool to be featured here.}

Jump on the fun of meeting some great UK bloggers

by following the Pin It Forward UK campaign.

Tomorrow, my dear friend, Amber,

will be carrying the baton...

don't miss it!

Do you remember when you first "met" Pinterest?

Pulp Home Pillows are Pretty (&) Cheap.

I'm cheap.

I can't help it.

I love pretty things,

but I just can't justify shelling out top dollar for them.

I mean,

I think Gap at full price is kind of expensive.

And isn't Gap supposed to be, like, an affordable, low-end store?

If I'm going to pay $80 for something,

it won't be on the regular racks of a chain store at the mall.

It will be a hidden gem crammed in a back corner

of a designer sample sale

or outlet store,

thank you very much.

Or I'll shop on designer sale sites 

like Gilt Groupe 

or One Kings Lane.

So combine discount shopping

with one of my favorite companies, Peacock Alley

and a pillow line offering you two color different looks

that was designed by one of my best friends, Beth Dotolo,

and her partner in crime, Carolina Gentry-
the two brains behind Pulp Design Studios.

Whaddaya get?

Well, I get excited.

I bet you will, too.

These pillows have a reversible band

that gives you two options...

which, in my mind, says =

two pillows for the price of one at half off.

That's some solid math, people.

Go on, check out the sale, & snag one for your home

and support a fellow blogger!

{Do you read Beth's lifestyle blog Hello, Splendor? It's good stuff.}

Happy Weekend!!

Juicy News from PULP.

Our flat is really cute

...if I may say so myself.

With it's big bright windows,

white walls & hardwood floors...

it just feel exactly like

a flat in Notting Hill should.

While it may have a winning bone structure,

it has a long way to go in the finish out.

{Editor's Note: Yes, that would be my fault entirely.}

When you live in a rented space,

it's always tough to balance what you want to do

and what you are allowed to do in someone else's space.

After hours of clicking through Pinterest,

wasting nearly an entire tree from sketching out ideas on printing paper,

and wandering aimlessly around IKEA,

I gave up and

decided it was time to call in the experts.

I emailed Pulp Design Studios

 and begged principal designer, Beth Dotolo, 

to take on our tiny nursery

and our even-smaller budget for the room.

I was just hoping that our space could have a PULP look-

one that would be both clean & luxe all at the same time.

Guess what?

Not only is Beth helping us,

but she's done an awesome job

of staying in our budget

and creating a look that, I think,

is out of this world.

It's perfect for our style,

for our rental constraints,

and... well, we can totally afford it

which makes me happy.

{Editor's Note: It's all still in the works- but once it's finished, I'll share it with you!}

So what does all of this baby room nonsense have to do with you?

Well, this morning

PULP Design Studios

has had a little baby of their own...

PULP HOME.

Yes, a store that sells luxe+modern merchandise 

that they have designed and produced.

The shop is stocked full of amazing pieces 

-both large & small-

that you've seen dotted around their spaces

in press mentions or on your home board on Pinterest.

The best part is-

Beth is a fellow blogger (Hello, Splendor)

and there is very little that makes me happier

than to see a fellow blogger grow their dreams.

I love when people in our community succeed

and their businesses thrive...

kinda leaves me with a lump in my throat.

.

Congratulations, Pulp Home!

{Remember us little guys when you're famous. }

*photography by Kevin Dotolo

If I Could Wake Up Anywhere: BEACH EDITION

While packing each of my two suitcases 

in preparation for the mystery trip Tyler is taking me on

{one for hot weather, one for cold weather}

I started to ask the obvious questions

one starts to ask herself 

when she has had no part in planning the trip she is about to go on:

"Where could we be going?"

"Have I been there before?"

"Should I have been eating for swimsuit attire this week?"

"Will this trip suck?"

I started to dream about where we might go...

Somewhere close by & relaxing?

I would be more than happy in a cottage by the coast for four days.

Somewhere new & exciting?

I hear Morocco is nice this time of year.

I realized I could be pretty content with any place Tyler takes me.

And then I got to thinking...

Where would I want to go?

Like, if I could pick to be anywhere tomorrow when I wake up...

where in the world would I want to be?

Then I decided to let some other people answer that same question....

Welcome to the guest series where some of my favorite bloggers

{and I'm sure some of yours, as well}

answer this exciting question.

These three bloggers drifted to warm climates

with fruity drinks & quiet nights...

photography by: kevin dotolo

Cliche? Who cares. 

I want to wake up in Kauai, Hawaii where my husband and I honeymooned. 

It was the most beautiful, exciting, and fulfilling week of my life.

 It was the best of everything... 

relaxation with not a care in the world 

mixed with exciting adventures, new experiences, freshest food, and most delicious cocktails. 

If I could wake up anywhere in the world, 

I'd want to be there with my hubby waking up on the pillow next to me.

Beth Dotolo

 Hello, Splendor | Pulp Design Studios

Lately I've been craving a little r&r. 

My perfect getaway would be to wake up in Tahiti 

in a private hut floating over the water 

with my hubby relaxing by my side. 

Allison Vieger

Design from A to V | AVDesign

image via

It would be paradise to wake up on the ancient Aeolian islands in Sicily; 

coffee in hand as we gaze at the volcano Stromboli, 

take dips in the crystal waters 

and eat fresh citrus fruits off the tree!

Marissa Bognanno

The Boot 

Ahh... don't each of those places sound completely perfect?

Now it's your turn to play the game...

Where would you go if you could wake up anywhere?

Bloggers: We're Just Like You {Vol 2}

I'm so glad you liked the first installment of this series...

I was going to be bummed if it was a low response post,

because I really have so much material 

that is just waiting to be used.

The next edition is dedicated to anyone out there

who has ever felt ugly talking on skype or gchat....

Because guess what?

So do I!

And though I do spend a lot of time on skype conference calls

looking cute & professional,

....these are the real calls that fill up my days.

The PULP boardroom

family time

see, even Hello Splendor is human, too!

raspberries are good.

talking to my 3 year old nephew...

until he gets bored and ditches us for cartoons...

So there you have it...

Real life.

ONE for the Press.

My friend, Beth, has a kid.

His name is Maxton, 

and he is pretty flippin cute.

And he looked extra adorable

in Dallas Child's latest issue

on his 1st birthday party!

Holy cow, Beth, 

stop being so creative & cute.

...or at least offer to be my surrogate.

*photos by Kevin Dotolo

*check out Heather & Carolina's mention

Souvenir Stylings: Provence, France

Hello again!

It's Aspiring Kennedy's faithful interior designer,

Beth Dotolo

of 

Pulp Design Studios & Hello, Splendor.

I'm charged with the task 

of designing her dream homes abroad 

and helping her recreate her travels at home.

...and by 'charged' I mean: 'out of the kindness of my heart'.

Recently Aspiring Kennedy travelled

to Southern France for 'work'.

(Yes, that's real life.)

Southern France is known for

it's picturesque countryside & rural villages...

But, let's be honest,

Aspiring Kennedy ain't no farm hand! 

So we're taking French Provencal up a notch 

& adding a little twist.

Because, even though 

Aspiring Kennedy 

is simple at heart... 

She's just plain... fancy. 

Now, that's a French countryside 

I could see Aspiring Kennedy

hanging her hat on. 

Here are a few great pieces

that can add a bit of that

French Provencal style,

without making your space 

look like a farm home...

No.1 Eat Table Linens | No.2 French Marble Console Table | No.3 Morandi Square Bottle Vase | No.4 Slate Message Board | No.5 Square Wire Tray

If you could travel abroad 

and take that 'look' home with you,

where would you go?

Aspiring Kennedy's 

Faithful Interior Designer,

Beth Dotolo

of 

Pulp Design Studios & Hello, Splendor

All the juicy bits...

Whether you drink your OJ smooth,

or with the added pleasure of "juicy bits"

{as my British friends would say}...

you've gotta love 

PULP.

PULP Design Studios 

is the new collaboration of

 Carolina Gentry & Beth Dotolo {of Hello Splendor}

...and boy, 

is it fresh.

Check out their cool new blog,

Pulp Culture...

and follow them on twitter

 for your daily recommended dose of 

hilarious & inspired design chatter.

photography by: Kevin Dotolo

Naughty... but Nice.

Today I did something naughty.

{but with good intentions...}

I hi-jacked Beth's blog.

But I had to make sure everyone knew that

TODAY IS HER 30th BIRTHDAY!

So do I regret it?

Nope.

Will I be punished?

Probably.

But, hey, what are friends for?

photo by Steven Visneau

Monday Moods: I feel... sneaky.

Oh yes, I feel sneaky... to say the least!

My dear friend, Kellee, is having a baby this morning...

and her sweet husband flew me in to be a part of the day

as a great big surprise to his baby mama!

{Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard?}

I also got to surprise my other great friend, Beth,

with a 30th Birthday brunch on Saturday....

as we laughed our way through what became

 a hilarious comedy of errors!

I'm here for just a brief few days, but it's been great to be home

to be with the ones I love so dearly-

and have missed so much over the past four months!

Souvenir Stylings: Canary Islands

Hello again!

Beth Dotolo, from Hello, Splendor, here... 

Aspiring Kennedy's faithful interior designer.

Do you remember how faithful??

Yes, that's right, so faithful...
 I work for free!

Well, Mr. & Mrs. Aspiring Kennedy

are back from a brief jet set

to the Canary Islands.

For this souvenir styling edition, 

I wanted to give them a small reminder

of their blissful getaway!

Not everything has to be so literal...

So, we're introducing a hint of canary yellow! 

Let's give them just a pop...

A hint to remind them of their quick trip to the Canary Islands...

Because don't we all need 

a small reminder

of our escapes?

How do you keep your vacation alive 

when you come back to the real world?

Aspiring Kennedy's 

Faithful Interior Designer,

Beth Dotolo

Hello, Splendor

P.S. Are we friends on facebook? Because we probably should be!

*All images via the Bright.Bazaar Pick Your Colour Tool

Souvenir Stylings: Italy

Hello Aspiring Kennedy readers!

For those of you I haven't met,

I'm Beth Dotolo, 

Aspiring Kennedy's faithful 

Interior Designer

(So faithful that I work for free!).

Aspiring Kennedy recently took a trip to Italy! 

While I'm insanely jealous, 

I've still managed to muster up picks 

from some of my favorite Italian designers. 

I'm thinking that we need to 

infuse a little color into

this Oxford-dweller's life!

1. Missoni Kalahari Rug

2. Amethyst Chandelier

3. Pucci Book

4. Missoni Lisboni Throw

5. Kartell La Marie Chair

Who is your favorite designer out of Italy? Fashion or otherwise!

Aspiring Kennedy's 

Faithful Interior Designer,

Beth Dotolo

of

Hello, Splendor & Nest Interior Design