Girls will be Girls.

Though the settings may change
as life evolves and moves on,

the ridiculous female shenanigans continue.

I think we all shake our heads

and "mmmm hmmmm" when we hear such talk...

But it's still happening.

So can we all make a promise:

Can we, as ladies,
just believe that people are doing
 the best that they can
and to take things for face value.

I think it would do the world some good.

How do you deal with girl drama?

Confront it & nip it in the bud?

Or ignore it and hope it goes away?

(Me? I think there is a time and place for both responses.)

*    *    *

While you're dreaming up a response,

here are some cute picks

that I hope every girl can agree on...

*image

A Surprise Hen At the Daylesford Organic Farm

Three years ago,

I would think that the title of this post

would guarantee a story of a chicken

would be about to unfold.

But guess what...

it's not!

A "hen" (or "hen-do" or "hen party")

is what ye olde Brits call bachelorette parties.

So surprise!

This isn't a blog post about chickens...

it's about a girls weekend away

celebrating my friend, Amber, 

and her upcoming wedding.

We surprised Amber with a weekend away

to a undisclosed location.

I came over an hour before we were leaving,

helped her pack a suitcase

with weird, vague scenarios she might encounter.

(Example: Pretend you are going to be in the "It's All Good" cookbook photoshoot.)

Amber thought I was crazy...

which makes her very intuitive.

We hopped the bus,

arrived at Paddington

and- surprise- all of her ladies

were waiting for her at the Paddington Bear statue.

We hopped a train,

gave her a box of clues,

and before we were out of the city-

our destination was revealed:

a ladies weekend at the famous
Daylesford Organic Farm
in the Cotswolds.

We had such an amazing time.

I really can't think of a prettier and more relaxing weekend.

We stayed in the Wild Rabbit Inn,

had a group yoga class,

got a visit to the spa for massages,

and took a four hour cooking class.

Now, I can hear your thoughts:

Lauren, you're supposed to be cheap.

This place looks fannnnncy.

Who do you think you are, Nora Ephron?

It was, but going as a group helped out the pricing so much!

We paid for our hotel separately, 

but for the yoga, 45 minute massages + cooking class

it was only around £160 per person.

That's not terrible for two days of activities...

especially of this caliber.

(And this group of girls was a pretty awesome one to share it with.)

Personally, I have to say,

it far trumps my bachelorette party,

which was so much of a disaster

I'm not even going to talk about here.

*    *   *

What do you think?

Is this your type of girls weekend

or would you spend that £160 on a flight to Ibiza?

(Personally, this girly weekend was my Gwyneth-y cup of tea.)

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

A Few Of My Favorite (Blings): Viola Edition

My friend, Meg, is Australian.

We met her & her husband at Oxford

while our boys studied in the same "programme,"

and we all eventually ended up working in London after graduation.

We both also had baby girls.

She teaches me silly words that Aussies use

like arvo (afternoon) & bub (baby).

Meg is extremely creative

 and loves to bake & throw parties-
as you might have seen from my instagrams this weekend.

But most importantly to this blog post,

Meg makes Viola some of the cutest headbands.

 I begged her to put some on my site

so that anyone that had asked about them

could finally get some...

And, of course, like good friends do

I asked her to discount them. ;)

(And, like good friends do, she humored me & agreed!)

These are my three favorite styles that she makes.

The first two are made with fabrics from Liberty London-

only my favorite shop in the world.

For as busy as they are,

I think they somehow go with everything.

The third is probably my very favorite... 

with it's (handmade) over-the-top glittery gold bow.

You can also choose what color band you'd like from:
navy, pale pink, grey, white
& grey chevron

Suri Cruise only wishes she had worn one of these as a kid.

So, for this one time only, you can buy them directly 

from Aspiring Kennedy at a heck of a deal.

So here you go...
each style has a limited run,
so get 'em while they're hot.

Aspiring Kennedy Collection

One Headband £6.50 GBP Two Headbands £12.00 GBP Three Headbands £17.00 GBP

Indicate which headbands here:

Child Age (for correct sizing)

You can also check out Meg's Etsy shop for more styles & goodies.

***

In the meantime,
I hope your weekend was killer
and that the week ahead is even better.

*images via MegMade

Happy (7)th of July!

Blame it on the timezones...

but today, we had a street party

to celebrate the American Independence.

(Also known as the 4th of July,

but since we were a bit late

we can just call it the former.)

My friends, Lolly & Tyler,

hosted us in theird adorable tiny street 

(or "mews" as it would be called here in England)

which is so cute

that Posh & Becks decided to make the house on the end

their London residence.

No, they didn't join the rest of the street...

but they were invited and David was apparently bummed to miss.

Can you even imagine what I would have done

if Harper & Viola were playdates at a BBQ?

I'll tell you exactly what I would have done:

 I would have peed my pants.

Even though the glam squad wasn't there to party with us,

we still had a pretty rocking time.

So I'll tell you what I want,

what I really, really want....

This gorgeous necklace!

During the party,

Viola & I tucked inside to play for a bit in the indoors.

While I was falling pretty hard 

for their exceptionally cute flat,

Viola felt so inspired she leaned up on the couch

like a champ to observe the festivities below.

So while it may not be Cape Cod,

it sure was this Aspiring Kennedy's dream way

to celebrate the Fourth... or the Seventh.

Whatever.

I hope you all are having a great day

where ever it is you may be...

and that you have as much sunshine 

as we are expecting this week in Blighty!

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Life's a Beach: The Ups & Downs of Expat Living.

Living in England means I can travel to Italy 

several times throughout the year

on a budget that is anything less than luxurious.

Living in England means

I can be a ten minutes walk 

from Kensington Palace...

and that much closer to becoming 

best friends with Kate Middleton.

Living in England means

I get to dress my baby in Baby Zara.

Living in England means

I get to wander Notting Hill's Portobello Road

ever single day and still be enchanted 

by the colorful houses & stalls of aged wares.

But living in England also means

that I'm far away from home...

and that we live, as expats, in a transient society.

People come for a few years

to work or study,

and then, it seems, 

that they leave in waves.

Right now, we are in one of those times

where it seems like life is pulling our friends

back out to the lives 

where they originally came from

and our community is washed down

like a sand castle by the tide.

image via

This month, we are saying goodbye to several of our friends here

and also the two expat bloggers that I've spent my time abroad with:

Liz (Explore. Dream. Discover) & Megan (Across The Pond).

I'll be honest,

as excited as I am to see our friends so happy 

for theses new chapters of life,

it kinda sucks to start over.

When I arrived at college 

and was feeling the standard freshman awkwardness

of the gap of loneliness that happens

when you leave your high school friends,

but are yet to make your college friends.

My friend, Amanda, was a sophomore at the time,

told me that her freshman year,

she asked God to give her just one person for that day

to help her feel less lonely.

So that's what I decided to do,

and over a few weeks & months,

those small interactions became friendly faces

and then those friendly faces became friends...

and by Christmas, 

I had more friends than I knew what to do with.

So when we moved to England,

I did the same...

and, again, God was good

and brought some ridiculously sweet, smart & talented people 

into our lives.

When you live abroad with family far away,

your community of friends 

becomes like family to you.

When our babies were born,

our little group of friends rallied

in a way that made us feel so loved.

I'll always be thankful that our lives were so full of dear friends at that time.

image via

Now as it begins to drain back down

I can only wonder what new, wonderful friends 

the tide of relocation & expatriotism will bring our way.

It can be lonely.

It can be awkward...

but it always shakes out to be okay, doesn't it?

Yup.

I think so, too.

I Pledge Allegiance...

My favorite things about coming back to the US

are, in no particular order:

 DONUTS

Unfortunately, these don't really exist in London.

I mean, there are donuts...

but they aren't the good kind.

They are the yucky, old, in a plastic box from the grocery store kind.

It's extremely upsetting.

Every Saturday morning,

I roll over to Tyler 

and tell him that the only thing missing in our life

is a donut shop that we could go to for breakfast.

By the way,

I had 3 donuts this morning....

and 5 donut holes.

Disgusting, right?

But also great.

GOOD HAMBURGERS

I know there are getting to be some good places in London

that now serve a decent burger

{Meatliquor and Patty&Bun, I hear ya),

but they don't do it without a huge line

and this cheap.

And none of them have

ranch, American cheese, bacon, avocado & grilled onions...

and for that, it is all the lesser.

Friends & Family

Well, I have some pretty awesome friends in London,

but I still miss these sweet faces while I'm gone.

Oh, and do you know what is really fun?

Getting to introduce your baby to her cousins...

and aunts...

and great-grandparents....

Viola Wallace and her namesake, Jeanne Wallace Knight.

and so many other people that you love dearly.

It's been such a treat.

We are having a great time in the States.

Texas & Oklahoma down,

Charlotte & Arkansas up next!

***

While I'm elbow deep in donut-holes & chimichangas
during our trip around the States,
I'll be doing a few good giveaways here on the blog.

Don't worry- they're all awesome.

You wont be mad about them. ;)

The Lovely Drawer: Chorizo & Butter Bean Stew

Sometimes it can be scary when people offer to cook for you.

You just don't know if what tastes good to someone else

will taste as good to you.

But with a newborn baby,

you kinda don't really care.

You just relish the idea that you won't have to think through what to make,

bother with running to the store 

or have to spend any time in the kitchen...

other than the few seconds it takes to slide something into the oven 

& pour yourself a drink.

Luckily for us,

our friends all have really good taste

and we had zero disastrous meals.

{I attribute this to the fact that most people here don't cook dishes

that are structured around cans of "Cream of Mushroom/Chicken Soup,"

which as a southerner, I can admit comprises approximately 85% of most home-cooked meals.}

Everything our friends made for us was really delicious.

Especially, this stew that our friend Teri cooked for us.

It was so good that I asked her to share the recipe with me...

and with you, too!

You'll love it.

It's simple, it's filling, it's packed with flavor,

and, well, it's just an all-together good recipe 

that you need to add to your collection.

PS. You've got to check out Teri's gorgeous blog, The Lovely Drawer. 

It's crazy-cakes cute, 

just like you'll see she is in the pictures below.

* * * * *

CHORIZO & BUTTER BEAN STEW

{with lemon couscous}

Here's what you do:

1) Chop the red onion, chorizo, orange peppers and sun dried tomatoes.

2) Heat a little olive oil in a pan on a medium heat. Then fry the onions with the garlic salt & paprika.

3) Add the chorizo and orange pepper. Season and stir.

4) When the pepper is cooked, add the sun dried tomatoes, beans, mixed herbs & half the thyme- after you've pulled the leaves from the stalks.

5) Turn the heat down. Slowly add your stock, in turn with the chopped tomatoes. Stir as you go.

6) After everything is added, let it simmer for 10-15 mins, until the flavours have infused and the sauce has thickened a bit.

7) Meanwhile pour your couscous into a bowl and add boiling water. Let sit for about 5 minutes and then use a fork to separate the grains. Add the lemon juice & zest and combine with the fork.

8) Sprinkle the remaining thyme over the stew and serve with the couscous.

* * * * *

Did you make sure to bookmark this recipe?

Pin it?

Print it out and tape it your fridge?

Okay. Thanks.

Because it really is that good

and I really want you to love it, too.

*photos by The Lovely Drawer.

When a Friend Grieves: Your Guide to Being a Super Hero

So the last two months have been great.

They've also been tough.

{Perhaps an understatement?}

Fortunately, we have some amazing friends

who have made our lives a bit brighter

and have keep us incredibly taken care of.

I hope that no one ever goes through what we did,

but if/when you find a friend going through a tough time-

here are some ways we have been (& continue to be) loved

that have rocked our world.

So skim this post today,

but bookmark it for later

when you need to put on your knight armor

& trot off to rescue someone in need.

Who ever knows what to say in such circumstances?

Probably not you,

but the good news is that 

your friend that is hurting doesn't have 

the right words to say either.

No one really knows what to say on either end.

Are you doing okay?

Well, no not really.

I understand what you're going through.

Great, but it still hurts.

Is there anything I can do?

Yes, but I have no clue where to start.

When you're in these moments,

here are some ways to say that you care

without actually saying it.

Groceries!

Once a week, bring by essentials: 

bread, milk, coffee, jam, toilet paper, kleenex, magazines,

cereal, fresh fruit, or whatever else they might often use.

It's an easy, quick way to help

keep life going on

when it feels anything other than normal.

Perhaps the most common route,

but not one to be overlooked!

This is a tangible way for you to send your thoughts.

We got flooded with cards

that at the time,

I couldn't really process...

but these days,

these letters and thoughts 

are so sweet to read over.

And over time, it will be a nice reminder

of who walked through this with us.

{Emails are also pretty sweet, too.}

***

Another amazing thing:

friends that have sent postcards & notes at random

now weeks later

sending sweet notes to uplift us,

silly notes written from "Kate Middleton,"

& encouraging us with sweet sentiments.

The first thing I think is important to say

is that the first response wave is crucial to helping someone through tragedy...

These are the people that come and visit you in the hospital.

They send flowers & baskets of muffins to warm up your home.

Their presence helps make the suddent impact of everything better.

Then comes the second round.

These are the meals that are brought to lighten the daily load.

These are the letters & cards that arrive to offer love and mark the occasion.

These are the gifts that try to ease the loss.

But after the initial shock is over

and people go about their daily routine,

the hurting are still reeling.

And then, comes the (often forgotten,) third round.

This is where small notes arrive in the mail after the others have stopped

just reminding you that you are being thought of & prayed over.

These are the flowers that arrive months later when the others have long been thrown out.

This is the massage appointment that has been booked for you.

My advice is this:

reach out initially with love

and immediately call a florist/spa/food delivery service

and do whatever it is that you can do to love them...

but arrange that the gift is given several weeks later.

It will remind them that someone is still thinking of them

and offer a huge impact in the quieter days ahead.

****

We were lucky to have friends use the amazing site,

Care Calendar

to coordinate meals & drop-offs

that were scheduled for 4 nights a week

for eight weeks after our babies were born.

It was so nice and gave us time to see everyone 

and visit with them individually.

We were spoiled with special gifts

from friends & family

that eased our grieving 

and commemorated our daughters.

Beautiful jewelry with the girls initials to wear as a reminder,

relaxing bath oil to use when I needed to hide out,

& sweet handmade blankets knitted with love and prayers.

When everything sucks in your life,

it may seem shallow- 

but it does feel great to be pampered.

You need to have some sort of win,

and while things won't ever replace your loss,

it does make you feel like you're ahead of the game 

in some small way.

________________

So there you have it.

I hope you don't have to use any of this anytime soon...

but if/when you do-

just know that no matter how you reach out in love for someone,

you probably can't go wrong.

Doing anything is better than doing something that isn't perfect.

A Royal Baby Shower

While I may have anticipated pregnancy including

 blowing out of my clothes,

flares of emotional absurdity,

and a slew of other unwelcome aspects,

one thing beautiful about pregnancy I never anticipated

was the outpouring of LOVE that I would experience.

 I have been blown away

by the amount of love and support 

that has been gifted to us during this time.

Not only does it remind me 

of how lucky we are to have such great people in our life,

but it's also been a good reminder

of how important it is

to gift that sort of love and attention to others...

{Because being treated like a princess feels amazing.}

While in the States in December,

I was spoiled absolutely rotten 

with beautiful showers 

in Dallas & Oklahoma City....

So when my friends in London

hosted a THIRD shower for me this weekend,

it almost felt like too much.

Almost. :)

The afternoon was intimate,

attended by a handful of girls I adore,

and prettier than a Pinterest dream...

It was a "Royal Baby Shower"

completely decked out in gold & glitter

for our two princesses. 

{Kate Middleton only wishes 

her sister threw parties this adorable.}

Homemade Tahitian Vanilla & Coconut Cake? I ate an enormously huge wedge of this. Recipe here. 

Sparkly sugar cookies that tasted like a dream and flaky palmiers.

________________

Thank you Amber & Helena 

for hosting this gorgeous day for

me and my little girls...

I can't believe all the work and love 

you both put into making this day so special.

***

Thanks to all my blogging friends

who sent in your secret videos for the day.

Oh my goodness...

it was fantastic to see all of your sweet faces

make a surprise appearance at the shower.

***

And a special shout out to Liz  for flying in from Amsterdam

for the weekend to celebrate & take maternity pics for us...

what an amazing gift!

*images original to A Diary of Lovely.