Aspiring Kennedy

Summer Scarves: Give 'Em The Run Around

Paul Smith, Multi Dye Stripe Scarf £95 | Alexander McQueen Anenome Scarf, $625 | Paul Smith Pink & Gray Canvas, £125
Missoni Coral ZigZag, £165 | Madeline Thompson Lattice Print Scarf , £170 | Me & Kashmere Pink Python Scarf, £125
Paul Smith Pink Polka Dot, £90 | Bindya Pink & Purple Scarf, $125 | Alexander McQueen Leopard Scarf, $475

I've never been one to stick with a particular style.

I ride the recent trends with gusto,

and relish experimenting with any & every style

as if I'm in a constant state of celebration for Halloween.

Instead of dressing like a fairy, vampire, or slutty sailor,

I opt for dabbling in genres like hipster, sorority girl & Northeastern trust-funder.

Flipping through styles allows me to constantly play a respectable form of dress up.

{Because we can't all be Lady GaGa.}

A couple of summers back,

as summer scarves started appearing on every girls neck,

my sister rolled her eyes at me one day

as I plopped down at the breakfast table.

"What the heck is the purpose of a scarf at this time of year?"

Erm, I don't know.

To look awesome?

It's probably true.

In Texas, there really was no need for a scarves

except to serve as decoration for your decolletage.

But now that I live in Europe,

I realize their merit

as they constantly provide the perfect transition

between the constantly fluxuating temperatures.

Hot bus to cold street.

Warm day out to chilly night on a terrace.

There never seems to be a day when I don't realize

how glad I am to have the extra layer.

As I begin to plan for my summer travel schedule & packing list,

a new scarf is definitely on my check-list.

I'd love to invest in one of the amazing scarves...

but until I'm ready to trade my awesome job

for a more lucrative one,

I'll just have to enjoy these from a distance.

What do you think about summer scarves?

Completely awesome or Completely ridiculous?

FOUR SALE: Ted Baker

Hauling one's possessions for one too many trips

can teach even the silliest of overpackers

to trim down on what they are toting along.

While I do my best to keep my clothes to neutrals & smart layers,

one item that I won't apologize for is a large toiletry bag.

Make-up, straightener, hair products, jewelry case...

it's the only place in my travel wardrobe that offers any variety.

When I passed these bags the other day,

my heart stopped a beat.

A large wash bag from the Rose Bug collection... for £28.

The size is deliciously large...

you can easily fit a hair dryer & straightener alongside your other goods here.

The shape is terribly chic...

not only does it have a beautiful red & gold zipper,

but it folds over like a clutch.

And the fabric...

sigh.

It's a beautiful vivid satin print

of Ted Baker's spring pattern, Rose Bug.

So, in typical Four Sale fashion,

I bought one for me...

and four for you.

Canvas shopper £69 | Scarf $110 | Floral Shorts £89 | Sweetheart Dress $310

As you can see,

compared to regular prices for the line

this piece is a steal!

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share the love with all of you!

First come, first served.

A Little Introduction: Les Profiteroles

Do you know what profiteroles are?

It's okay if the answer is "no."

I have to say, I dind't know what they were for too many years.

{It's a shame I bare daily.}

In case you are in the dark, like I once was,

let me do you a quick favor

and introduce you to your new favorite dessert.

I'll do my best to paint a picture of what awaits you

the next time you see "les profiteroles" on a menu.

Start with the basic construction of a cream puff.

Imagine the small, orbs of slightly-chewy pastry puffs

filled with cream inside it's cavernous center.

Now, subtract the cream.

Add really cold, vanilla ice cream to where it once was.

Then, pour warm dark chocolate over the top.

Quite a lot of it, actually.

Sometimes, you'll have the addition of roasted almond slices to sprinkle on top.

Once you have all the components in place,

grab a spoon

and get to work.

You don't have much time to waste

once that ice cream starts warming up.

For all you visual learners,

here is a quick tutorial.

These particularly delicious profiteroles were from Cafe Constant,

a really delicious restaurant near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

If you'd like to eat here

{which I highly recommend!},

be there when the doors open for dinner at 7pm.

If you are just 5 minutes late,

you could find yourself standing at the bar

for up to 2 hours waiting for a table...

which means you'll have to watch all the restaurant eat their profiteroles first.

*All images original to Aspiring Kennedy. Please source accordingly.

Beginner's Manual For Staying In A {French Manoir}

When our friends, Anthony & Kellee, planned a trip over here,

we wanted to do something that would get us out of the city...

so I started combing through the interwebs for private home rentals in France.

There were some amazingly gorgeous places out there- for about €12,500 a week.

They looked like the place where Eva Longoria + Tony Parker got married,

making them completely amazing... and totally unaffordable.

Somehow I hopped around the internet and found this place:

Le Manoir Champfreau.

It was €200 a night for the entire, three bedroom home.

We emailed the link back & forth wondering if it was too good to be true.

Well, thankfully we went for it.

And when we rolled through the main gate together,

we realized we had, indeed, hit the jack pot.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I present to you

Le Manoir Champfreau.

{Commonly confused with "the best place on earth.}

I can't recommend it more.

There are three residences within the property...
we stayed in the larger of the three.

Next time we'll be back to enjoy the pool!

Beyond the gorgeous setting in Saumur
and the amazing home you'll enjoy,
you'll also get the privilege of meeting Stephen & Bruce,
the proud owners of this glorious manoir.

Between their pasts as a private chef (Bruce) & butler (Steven) for a high-profile household,
you are pretty much guaranteed an amazing stay.

Bruce Riedner, Chef Extraodinaire. Bruce's spice rack (shown below).

But while you are in the midst of being pampered by these two dear American ex-pats,
you'll also feel like you've become a part of their family.

Between Stephen sharing his knowledge of the best area croissants,
Bruce pointing you in the direction of burgers topped with foie gras,
and being invited into their own home to see recent renovations,

you are going to hate leaving these two as much as le Manoir.

If you are planning to visit France,
I hope you'll consider the quick trip out of Paris
into the gorgeous countryside of the Loire...

Forget needing to see the famous Chateaux & Wineries,
you need to go just for the experience of staying here!

I'd love to introduce you to our new friends at the Manoir...
or if you contact them, tell them you came via Aspiring Kennedy.

They'll take good care of you. :)

*If you'd like to see pictures of the kitchen, read my post here.

*All images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Homesick Texan

Most days, I find it pretty awesome that I get to live in Europe.

I mean with a constant backdrop of such stunning sites,

it's hard not to feel lucky.

But there are certain days when I just want to be back in Texas,

sitting on a patio with friends in the warm evening air,

a giant Mexican feast sprawled out before me

and hot sunshine beating down on my exposed shoulders.

Cinco De Mayo is definitely one of those days.

images via

I can hear what you're all saying to yourself:

"But Lauren, think on the bright side:

living in England gives you the chance

of becoming best friends with Kate Middleton..."

And you're right.

Obviously, it is inevitable that, someday in the near future,

the two of us will be giggling on her 15x15ft Kensington Palace bed,

comparing shades of our brunette hair,

& asking the MI6 man guarding the door to order us in a pizza.

However in today's vulnerable state,

I might be willing to go all "Esau" and trade my future plans

for a chicken chile relleno, tortilla chips, & a ~~side~~ quart of hot queso.

Instead, Tyler & I will rally,

head out to the best Tex-Mex we can find...

and celebrate the 6th anniversary of our first kiss.

Even though I have no sunset happy-hour at Gloria's with friends,

at least I have this guy...

and I wouldn't trade that for anything!

{If you haven't read our love story- click through & get cozy.}

*PS. This blog is titled after one of my favorite blogs as an ex-pat: Homesick Texan.

Brunch? Mais, oui!

Weekend brunches in Paris might just be

one of the best perks of this enchanting city...

I know it sound sacrilegious to say

about the city that offers gems like

the Eiffel Tower, St. Germain, the Musee D'Orsay...

but I have to say...

it's pretty fabulous.

The entire city seems to crawl out of bed

after indulging in a full morning of sleep,

throw on something casually fabulous,

and serendipitously encounter their friends

at the sidewalk tables of a fabulous bistro

where they spend the rest of the day

chatting and drinking champagne.

I'm sure there is more to it than that,

but this is just an outsider's observation.

While I don't really know how this fabulous culture started,

I can tell you...

if you want to get in on the fun,

you'll need to dress the part.

Here's the basic anatomy of your wardrobe for Parisian brunching.

Oui, mon ami...

you are going to look marvelous!

How do you think about brunch?

Fabulous or Forgettable?

Scenes from a French Country Kitchen

I haven't had time to tell you much (or anything)
about our time in the Loire Valley

but while we were there,
we had the absolute luck to find ourselves

in one of the most charming manoirs, Le Manoir Champfreau.

We felt like royalty of our own special land

getting to have this 800 year old home all to ourselves...

Come on, admit it- you would, too, right?

After a day of castle-hunting & market browsing,

we decided to forgo a heavy, multi-course meal

and eat simple with the treasures we had found at the market.

As it often goes with understated moments,

this night ended up being one of our favorites of the trip.

Uncovering the quirks of a new kitchen together,

having good music cheering us on as we cooked,

laughing through disastrous attempts to caramelize sugar...

sending the boys out to pick herbs for us in the garden...

well, the whole night was just perfect.

And actually eating the food was nice, too. :)

My friend, Kellee, found a recipe in one of the cookbooks

that the owners of the Manoir left for the guests.

It was a risky choice, but we figured it just might be the combination

of two things that should had been keep away from each other for long enough...

French mustard + Italian pasta.

Could the marriage of these two beloved foods be a disaster?

Or could it be the joining of two houses once divided?

We decided there was only one way to know for sure.

Our instincts served us correctly...

it was delicious!

The recipe perfectly blends the tanginess of dijon mustard with cream...

and the addition of the fresh herbs brings in a fresh finish.

It would be amazing with roasted chicken.

This recipe is the best souvenir I took home from our trip to the Loire Valley...

From my (temporary) kitchen to yours,

Dijon Penne With Fresh Herbs

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of course sea salt

8 ounces penne pasta

1 cup heavy cream

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons French Dijon mustard

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground white pepper (or black, if you don't have white)

3 tablespoons of finely minced chives, for garnish

Freshly grated parmesan reggiano cheese, for garnish.

Method:

Cook the pasta in a large pot. Add a bit of salt to the water to add flavor, and a drop of olive to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Cook until it reaches al dente- soft, but with a bit of firmness.

Set aside for a few minutes until sauce is done

Meanwhile, in a sauce pan large enough to hold the pasta, combine the cream, egg yolk, and mustard.

Whisk to blend. Season to taste with sea salt & white pepper. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from the heat & keep warm.

Remove the colander and drain the pasta. Shaking to remove excess water. Immediately transfer the drained pasta to the saucepan. Toss to evenly coat the pasta. Cover, and let rest for 1 to 2 minutes to allow pasta to thoroughly absorb the sauce. Taste for seasoning. Garnish with minced chives and freshly grated cheese. Serve immediately.

*Images original to Aspiring Kennedy

**Le Manoir Champfreau is amazing. If you are looking for a private home rental in the Loire Valley, I can't recommend a better place to stay in the Loire. You feel like royalty- but you'll only have to pay like a normal person! :)