Italian For Beginners

Headed to Italy anytime soon? 

Whether you have a fabulous trip planned

or just need a diversion from your inbox,

here are some phrases that I find to be quite handy when in Italy.

Okay, okay...

Obviously, I don't use these particular phrases that often.

In fact, I googled translated most of it...

but now that I've got them,

I'm putting them in the back of my mind

for my girls weekend in Rome

that I'm leaving for today.

And, oh baby, am I excited...

I will be meeting up with Oxford friends

that I haven't seen in over a year

and, the best part... zero percent chance of rain.

Check me out on Instagram (aspiringkennedy) as we explore the Eternal City.

Ciao ragazzi!

PS. What places do you love in Rome? Suggestions, per favore!

My (Awesome) Monogrammed Purse

Last week, I posted about the 4th of July

and how we celebrated at the Mayflower Pub...

In the midst of all the patriotic kumbayah we were passing around,

a lot of you asked about the purse I was sporting...

and I'm so glad you did as I've been waiting to tell you all about it.

Yes, this purse does have my initials on it!

And yes, it's totally awesome!

(Oh wait, you didn't ask that question did you? Oh well. It is.)

My buddy, Beth, got one for Pulp Design 

and I went bonkers over it.

Like, I emailed the company, GiGi New York, right then & there.

My own bag arrived just in time for my June trip through Milan & Paris.

Not only is it modern & pretty,

but it's also a great traveling accessory.

It poses well with you in touristy photo-opps,

.... it's functional design makes it ideal for holding small adorable children,

.... it behaves well during Chinese foot massages,

... and it sticks by your side when you are headed to the US Embassy,

your shoe slips off on the Metro platform & falls below the train,

and you are forced to walk with one barefoot up the Champs Elysees to buy a new pair.

{Editor's Note: This is a very real story that I can not retell without crying/laughing.}

I absolutely might have an awkward strong affection for this purse.

Thank you GiGi New York for making something awesome 

that I can also (and maybe most importantly?) put my initials on.

If you'd like to stay in the loop with this cool company

(who is the sister brand to one of my all-time favs, Graphic Image)

you can follow them in these cool places:

Twitter      |      Facebook      |      Mailing List

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

** these images are all from instagram: aspiringkennedy

*** this bag was sent to me by GiGi as a product for review.  All opinions are my own.

A Pretty Picture: Watercolor, Florida

If you need a great place to take a summer vacation-

you now have a great option: 
Watercolor, Florida.

This little town is right on the beach

and gives families a perfect place to lounge around together.

{And take matchy-matchy pictures together on the beach.}

You'll feel like you've stumbled upon Cutesville, USA.

And you kinda have.

I won't go into too detailed of an explanation,

because the pictures speak for themselves.

I mean... you've been to the beach, so you get the idea.

Now just add cute pastel houses, snow cone shacks & 

families peddling on cruises down to the beach

and you'll get the full picture.

Of course, my nieces were paraded around as princesses... there are certain life skills I feel obliged to teach them.

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Why I Love: Fashion For Home

While I often find myself in a hotel room

& sleeping cuddled up to my purse

on an overnight train...

I actually do have a sense of home.

In fact, I've always felt that it's because 

of this solid sense of having a place to belong

that I feel to free to roam this pretty planet.

I know that, regardless of what may happen, 

I always have a good home base that I can return to.

{Editor's Note: I know you aren't supposed to end sentences with "to,"

but I can't reword it in a way that doesn't sound stupid. Please forgive me.}

With Pinterest bubbling over with dreamy interiors

and designers (like my friend like Beth) whizzing up gorgeous pads for clients,

it's hard not to set your standards high

on what your own home should look like.

The only problem is: 

my bank account never matches these aspirations.

That's why I really dig Fashion for Home.

This site has really great pieces

that can transition into modern or transitional spaces,

has super functional pieces for urban living,

and is, drumroll..... affordable!

Yay!

The mid-century inspired range is really cool...

and so many of the couches & chairs extend into beds!

How cool is that?

Beyond the furniture,

they also feature some really cool furnishings & accents.

{Honestly, I want that fire fixture... I'm thinking tableside s'mores.}

So there it is: Fashion for Home...

have you ever heard of this line before

or is it as sweet sounding to your ears as it was to mine?

*This post was sponsored by Fashion for Home. However, I only partner with companies I actually like & want to recommend... so go on, give it a try. I honestly think you'll like them!

Just In Case You Wondered... The Mayflower Pub

Just in case you were curious,

here are some pictures from 

our little Independence Day soiree at the Mayflower Pub!

This pub is tucked in a neighborhood 

quite a bit out from central London.

It's tucked on a quiet street

in the middle of a neighborhood,

but I am SO glad that my friend, Holly, found it...

because it was the perfect place to spend the evening!

{And there were some other Americans there who had the same idea. Instant friends!}

The pub was built on the site of the jetty where the Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower.

It's been there, ever since the 1600's, watching the view of the London skyline change over time.

I did my best to dress festive... but Holly shamed my attempts.

No one outfits for the 4th of July like the South Dakota Wal-Mart.

We ate delicious American food like cheeseburgers...

and some English food, too, like chicken & leek pie.

While there may not have been any roman candles or sparklers,

their Eton Mess was making me see fireworks.

Amazing.

Then we soaked up the sunshine before returning home.

I hope your holiday was (or is about to be) as great as ours!

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Sweet Land of Liberty

image

It may sound hypocritical to say how proud I am to be an American

since I, willingly, moved to another country...

in fact, the country that we fought so desperately against 

to gain our own independence.

Well, yeah, it kinda doesn't make sense,

but the truth is-

America is a great country

& I consider myself extremely fortunate to be one of its citizens.

I feel very safe, very protected & very fortunate to call myself an American.

And while I won't win any awards for being the most loyal citizen,

I can list some of the things that make it uniquely special.

Bumping around from place to place makes you realize

what actually is great about the country from which you come.

So, dear America, on your birthday,

here are some things that make you so lovely:

1. Your customer service. 

It really can't be beat. Constant refills. Upgrades upon complaint. To-go cups after a meal.

It makes my head spin when I go home... thank you for spoiling us all.

2. Tex-Mex

No matter where in the world it's attempted, it is only successful stateside.

Chile rellenos, drippy queso, refried beans & tortillas.... be still my beating heart.

3. Discounted Merchandise

Because nobody knows how to mark-down merchandise better than the US of A. 

4. Summer Time

Sorry England, I love you... but you really suck at summer. Three cheers for a land who enjoys lazy days at the pool, grilling out in the heat & months of warm nights spent outside.

5. Problem-Solving

This trait can manifests itself pretty ugly while traveling overseas (e.g. endlessly commentating how waiters could do their job better), but the get-it-done mentality of the people in the states is an attribute that also makes it great. What other country can claim life changing inventions such as the microwaveable popcorn bag, roller-suitcases, sunglasses & the golf cart. (Because who says playing a sport have to be physically exhausting, anyway?)

Tonight we are headed off to celebrate where it all began: The Mayflower Pub.

Yup, that's right.

We are going to the Thames where the Pilgrims set sail for the new land.

Do me a favor & shoot off some fireworks to the east tonight.

Happy Fourth of July!

The Vlog.

As some of you might have seen my post on facebook tonight

during the final moments of editing,

I might have gotten in over my head when I offered to do this vlog.

I loved getting all of your questions,

(it's amazing how many of you asked the exact same ones),

I loved thinking through the answers,

but answering them on tape?


Didn't love that so much.

The original plan was to be low-key and film this on our terrace,

but then Tyler was super sweet & supportive

& wanted to help me film it somewhere cool.

We compromised on my favorite street in our neighborhood 
and after an hour of awkward taping, we got seven minutes of decent video.

So if this is all so awkward, why did I do it?

Because after watching my friend Michelle's vlog-

I felt like I knew her all the better.

Somehow seeing her "in real life" confirmed who I thought she was
after reading her blog for so long...

and I thought it might be nice to do here.

 I hope you like it,

I hope it answers some of your questions,

but I mainly hope you don't notice how many times

I say the phrase "I don't know."

So.... what'd you think?

Am I what you thought I'd be like?

*special thanks to Tyler Knight for putting up with hearing this audio on loop for hours while I edited. poor thing.

** I know, I know... I didn't answer every question on this... it was just getting sooo long. I'll try to address them in the future! (Or you can email me if you're needing an answer sooner.) :)