Back at You.

Yesterday was one of those days

when blogging is so rewarding.

I got so many kind words of encouragement

for my niece,

and I have to tell you:

bloggers are awesome.

I first got a glimpse of your kindness during Well: Done,

and yesterday, I was reminded of

how lucky I am to be a part of this community.

THANK YOU!

The surgery went better than we could have hoped,

and the little lady seems to be recovering well.

a pre-op photo op

I saw this today, 

and it made me think of all of you.

via

This little blog land we are in

really is chocked full of 

the most creative, courteous, and supportive people.

I'm so glad to have you be a part of my every day life!

Role Play.

I wear many hats.

{literally & figuratively, I suppose.}

Between family life, work, & blogging...

it's a wonder I get my teeth brushed every day.

Naturally, when we all have so much going on-

we let things slide.

We have to.

{..this also helps me justify not working out...}

But one role that I never skimp on is 

my role of an aunt.

Because honestly- how could I not love these kids?

My sister had three boys that stole all of our hearts away...

...and then, viola, she got pregnant again.

This time with a little girl.

This little girl happily reigns my family's heart...

and today, I'm asking for her to be in yours, too.

 

My niece has spina bifida, and her spinal cord has tethered-

so today, this little one is having surgery.

It's risky surgery and a doozy of recovery,

{especially when you have three boys to take care of...}

but we have faith that God will take care of her.

{He sure has, so far!}

Thanks for your support, friends! 

xoxo- lauren

Blog Crawl: It's in the bag!

Ever since Ashley asked me to be in her blog crawl,

I've been trying to think of a great way to set this post up.

Who doesn't love a good glossy mag's feature

of a celeb's spilled bag chocked full of

 La Mer moisturizer, Fendi sunglasses, & matchboxes from exotic hotels?

 I would have loved to create some gorgeous piece

that shows an edited & posh peek in my life...

but seeing as how the person 

I actually am 

got in late from our trip from Italy

because Ryan Air is completely absurd....

this was the best I could do:

thank you mr. ak for the candid shot...

Yup.

A photo shoot on the train in from the airport.

Cause that's how I roll, baby.

Super classy.

But, hey, that's who I actually am... 

and this is what I actually have in my purse:

First things first:

Command Central

{my wallet}

I love this Michael Kors wallet

because it can hold boarding passes, passports, 

all types of currency... and a squillion credit cards & loyalty cards.

{like my 3 completed cards to Moo Moo's Milkshake Shack.}

Next up:

My brain food.

Ok... maybe it's junk brain food, 

but any kind of reading counts as brain exercise, right?

Plus I love Sophie Kinsella/ Madeleine Wickham 

for better or worse.

in sickness & in health.

as long as we both shall live...

Oh, and my notebook.

I commute to London several days a week 

and I pen my thoughts/doodles/future blog topics here.

Finally:

The Essentials.

Totes Houndstooth Umbrella.

I live in England. This contraption goes everywhere with me.

Glasses.

My eyesite has gone to crap.

{and when I say "crap," please re: overdramatic.}

Lips.

YSL lipgloss & Blistex... 

don't mess with this combo. 

Pen.

Because this whole island is always short on supply of them.

and the unsung hero,

the wind beneath my wings:

my iPhone... 

{who took all of these pictures!}

Thanks, Ashley, for asking me to be a part of the blog crawl-

and thanks, Christa of C Jane Create for passing the torch on to Aspiring Kennedy!

I can't wait to see what Carla has in store tomorrow

as she carries on the blog crawl at her site: Paper Clippings of a Wandering Artist!

We Love Burgers... and I do, too.

When you go to Maine, lobster is your meal.

Onward to Texas? You gotta try the chili.

Heading to California? Baja Tacos, baby.

But what about all the other places in between?

{Yeah, I'm talking to you Milwaukee, Slough, & Phoenix.}

My goal is typically to find the best burger I can get my hands on.

We Love Burgers

is a fun website that maps out the world's best burgers

through submitted photos & reviews by people like us.

We Love Burgers is curated by two lovely foodie photogs

named Victoria & Kate, 

who contribute their own stops on the road 

with glossy mag style shots that make me feel cooler just looking at them.

Do these girls shoot recipe books for Williams Sonoma and the like? Yes. 

Do their pictures look like food porn? Oh, yeah.

Do my iPhone pics look like doo-doo next to theirs? For sure.

But that's okay... 
because that's what makes the site great.

Just good people sharing good food with other people,

even when their pictures... aren't so good.

WWW.WELOVEBURGERS.COM

Check out their relaunched site,

to see if your local favorite is listed...

and if not- submit it! 

{I figure since I'm already wearing that cheeseburger on my leg,

I might as well tell you where it came from!}

Camelot Comes No More.

I received an email last night 
from a friend

that made me terribly sad.

It was this link that announced 

the cancellation to the 
controversial A&E mini series,

The Kennedys.

With a cast with as many stars

as the American flag,

{lead roles by Katie Holmes & Greg Kinnear}

the network has decided that the representation

is not a good fit it's brand.

Already produced? 

Going to waste?

Devastation.

It's like having a wrapped package under the tree

{that you've already peeked to find its fabulous}...

and getting tossed in the trash on Christmas eve.

Here's the trailer below... 
It looked so good.

I think we should be able to vote on the fate of this movie.


{Because those in favor, of seeing it air, would be... I.}

Safari... So Good.

While I'm gone, 

I'm sending you on a mini-vacation of your own!

How does Africa sound?

{I always prefer an impromptu safari on a Saturday morning.}

And of course, only the best for Aspiring Kennedy readers...

this is a Micato Safari! 

{the best provider in the world}

Campsites with furnished tents & plumbing, personal drivers, 

private planes that land you in plains of zebras,

and nannies that insist on blowing on hot chocolate to cool it down for the kiddies...

Oh man... you are living when you travel with Micato!

And really,

 what family vacation would be complete 

without a conspiracy to con their gullible sibling 

into feeding a giraffe out of her mouth

under the guise that 

"everyone else already did it while you weren't looking?"

Enjoy your little get-away... 

I hope you packed light!

*all images are original to Aspiring Kenned. You're welcomed to use them.

Back At It...aly.

If only Ryan Air had a frequent flyer program.

I'd be like a diamond-super-dooper-golden level flyer...

even though my customer lifetime balance

is somewhere south of $500.00.

{which is probably exactly why they don't offer additional rewards...}

We got back yesterday from the US-

and are leaving today for Italy

for our anniversary!

And what better place to celebrate love than Italy?

We looked at other destinations...

but Italy was the only place 

that seemed to do the occasion justice.

First to Venice

{Tyler's favorite city....}

Then to Florence

{My favorite city....}

Ending in Lucca

{Our favorite city together...}

Ah... I really do LOVE Italy.

You know you're one of my good friends 

if you have rolled your eyes over my ceaseless gushing.

I dream about it all the time.

In fact, so much so...

I'm trying to scheme up a way for a blogger retreat in Italy.

How amazing would that be?!

Talk about being inspired...

it would be like the G-8 of good design with cool people.

So... who's in?


{and who wants to sponsor the villa?}

Ciao, amici!!

Penguin Books: Marching to a Prettier Drum.

Let's be honest:

We all judge books by their covers.

In fact, I'm pretty sure the main reason

I never read my required reading in school

was because of the shoddy artwork on top.

And finally, Penguin Books understands it's audience.

Have you seen their new collections?

Imagine them as the perfectly blended love children

of your high school drama darling & AP english bookworm.

They've got beautiful artistic bods holding in some fancy scribbles.

These clothbound cuties are enchantingly available at Anthropologie, Liberty, & other fine stores.

Deep thinking & letterpress covers... for £5? Cheers to that.

Bold colors for the adventuresome reader.

Just looking at these books helps me understand love more.

Aren't they gorgeous?

Each of them deserve top marks for unique style.

And with covers as pretty as this,

I may find myself giving those 

overlooked summer reading lists

a second thought.