Being Gifted: The Hostess Gift

I'm writing this from a ferry in between Wales & Ireland

as I make the last leg of the final trip

for my fall semester with my group.

Predictably, it's foggy and cold outside

but inside the ferry it's warm 

and I'm nursing a cup of tea

while my eye wanders back and forth from my computer

to the fat wedges of carrot cake sitting at the ship's cafe.

Speaking of fat,

my belly is getting pretty big these days.

I can officially no longer button my regular pants,

have split one pre-maternity dress all the way up the backside,

and have started being asked by strangers when I'm due.

At the finale of my semester and 24 weeks,

I now have the ability to tell when my babies are sleeping or awake,

and the awakening sensation that "this" is actually happening.

I'm going to have two babies...

and it's not going to be that far away.

Besides the tragic blowout of that dress, 

the other mile marker that is making all of this seem real

are my upcoming baby showers.

I'll be headed back to the States next week 

for two showers and an early Christmas in Oklahoma.

While I've been happily stocking our registry

full of cute things might someday fill our little flat,

I've also been shopping around for a way to say thanks

to the friends and family who are graciously sharing 

in this exciting time by hosting baby showers for me.

Hostess gifts are alway tricky for me.

What I want to buy and what I can afford to buy

for all of these great women

is a difficult equation to crack.

Today, I'm loving these new books

that my long-time favorite stationer & design studio,

Mr. Boddington has designed for these Penguin classics.

   All $17.99 at Anthropologie: Little Women | Jane Eyre | Pride & Prejudice | Sense & Sensibility | Alice In Wonderland

Classics like Pride & Prejudice, Alice & Wonderland & Jane Eyre

have been made to look oh-so-lovely.

I love any addition that can pretty up any home

without infringing on too much space.

{I'm not sure I can say the same for these two babies.}

You all have pretty good taste...

help me a sister out.

What's a hostess gift you have given/received that you loved?

Thanksgiving Goes Global

There are a lot of reasons to be thankful tomorrow.

When you're surrounded by people you love,

eating delicious food in lovely homes,

and enjoying the luxury of PTO...

it's easy to remember how good life is.

It's a little hard to feel those same feelings

when you are an ocean away

living in a country

that doesn't celebrate

or acknowledge this holiday.

So how does an expat cope

on this most American of holidays?

I've asked three of my favorite displaced bloggers

to chime in on how they celebrate Thanksgiving

where ever it is they've found themselves today.

Read more from Megan's hilarious life in Scotland here.

Read more from Liz's charming life in Amsterdam here.

Read more from Amanda's sweet life in Japan here.

So how will we be celebrating?

Well, if you've seen my instagrams,

you might know I'm in Scotland.

I'll be taking my students to St. Andrews

for a proper American Thanksgiving dinner

hosted at St. Andrews Old Course Hotel.

So when you can't be at home

eating seconds thirds of your mom's cherry pie-

you learn to find the next best thing.

And let me tell you...

being in a place like St. Andrews 

kinda does help ease the pain.

I'll be enjoying the day

being thankful for the jackpot God has given me:

his endless love, 

the funnest & nicest husband alive,

two (!) healthy baby girls,

work that constantly challenges & fulfills me,

a huge family who I couldn't love more,

and all of you, my blog family!

*follow me on instagram for daily updates on my life in the UK: aspiringkennedy

Pack Your Bags: The South Shore, Iceland

Is it cold yet where you live?

It's pretty darn wintery feeling here in England.

Almost about the same temperatures 

that we were experiencing two months ago in Iceland.

Not that it is too surprising to find yourself

bundled up in a land named, well, after frozen water.

Don't worry though.

Despite the low temps,

you are typically so excited by the endless rainbows and waterfalls

you can find yourself jumping and skipping 

your way into a nice sweat.

Here are some of the gorgeous sites we saw

after leaving Reykjavic 

and heading out into the unknown

under the care of our awesome outfitters, Nature Explorer Iceland.

Getting my baby bump on at Skaftafell National Park.

The glorious (and famous) waterfalls,  Skogafoss.

Heading to Iceland's fourth largest glacier, Myrdalsjokull.

As close to the glacier that we could safely get. You can fall hundreds of feet in the cracks. Beware!

See what I mean?

This place could have anyone

 finding themselves in a hot fuss

over how gorgeous it is.

Just pack some warm boots, a bit of Gore-Tex

and your acclimating emotions will take care of the rest.

If you're planning a trip to Iceland,

here are some of the things we did (and loved) on Iceland's South Shore:

We stayed at Hotel Laki (recommended!),

took a boat ride through a glacier lagoon called Jokulsarlon,

went horseback riding on funny little Icelandic ponies at Hestheimar,

visited the stunning waterfalls of Skogafoss & Seljalandsfoss

and hiked through Skaftafell National Park.

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

FOUR SALE: The Best Christmas Sweater Ever.

I did a double take when I saw this sweater the other day hanging in a store in London.

It was love at first site.

Without trying it on or feeling it,

I just knew that this £20 sweater

 was going to be my new best friend for the upcoming months.

As I paid for an armful of them,

the cashier asked me what they were for...

Ummm... gifts?

It seemed like an easier explanation.

If you've run into me at all this week

in person or on skype,

you may have noticed me wearing this...

it's because I love it

and want to wear it, well, pretty much every day.

It just feels perfect for anything this time of year.

I tried to take a picture of this in any way other than on me.

It wasn't working...

so here I am.

Standing on the street by our flat,

feeling like a pregnant fool 

to show you this sweater.

Yes, because I love you that much

and because it really is that important to me

that you have this sweater, too.

UPDATE: SOLD OUT.

PLEASE NOTE:

No refunds/exchanges- as I won't be able to return them, either.

All sales final.

Please allow 2-3 weeks for international shipping,

so that I can ship the cheapest way possible!

A Quick Trip to Camelot

After all the emotion from the election

seems to have died down,

let's enjoy a bit of Presidential style

that we can all, unanimously, agree upon.

{Plus, it is Monday and can only help.}

I was encouraged by the latest cover of The Economist...

it summed up so perfectly my feelings towards last week's results.

So with that, I leave you will their order:

 Democrats, it's time to go hug a republican.

Republicans, it's time to hug them back.

It's only by working together that 

we can make any sense of this mess we're in

and find ourselves back in prettier times.

*all images via

Just Your Average {Aspiring Kennedy's} Day

I think in blogging

its easy to make this space

a haven for venting.

We use the term "keeping it real"

to gripe and complain

about things...

and honestly, I try to not do that here.

You guys have enough going on in your own life...

you don't need to hear about my own drama

and honestly, it's a good mental exercise 

for me to find a nice element of life

and savour it a little here.

I really believe that almost every single day has those moments.

In the midst of what has been a really hectic and not-so-awesome week

mixed with getting sick, work junk and spending last night in the hospital with a student,

I was starting to get dragged down into Snarkyville.

But all it took was spending the afternoon with people who are happy 

and a surprise run-in with Tyler at the grocery store to get me back in stride.

Suddenly, life seems okay again.

Actually, it's better than okay.

It's really good.

Our Christmas Card after moving into our first home, 2008.

I'm sitting here with a giant belly

half-full of babies & half-full of chinese food

while I watch 30 Rock

 and nurse a bloody nose.

{Editor's note: Now that is keeping it real, folks.}

Life isn't always perfect...

but man, most days are pretty good, aren't they?

Here's to good normal days...

and the occasional glorious ones

captured in the moments below.

5th Anniversary- NY, NY (Photo by: Victoria Wall Harris)

2nd Anniversary- Victoria, B.C.

4th Anniversary- Cortona, Italy

Iceland, 2012

*all images original to aspiring kennedy

Guess what! We're having...

We had our "big" scan on Friday.

(Read: "ultrasound" if reading from  the US of A.)

You know, 

the big scan

where they spend a long time

checking out all the parts

and making sure there aren't any issues.

I'll be honest,

early on in my pregnancy

I was reading about all of what can go wrong

and was spending a lot of time "praying away"

any possible defects or problems.

One day as I was praying through my list

of deformities and syndromes,

 I felt God tell me to cut it out.

I was replacing the joy of this process 

with the distraction and heaviness of fear.

So ever since then, 

I've had to decide to just relax,

 trust that God knows the recipe for healthy babies

and just enjoy the process.

This big scan also is the appointment
where, depending on the cooperation of your baby,
you can find out their gender.

Tyler & I both felt cheesy doing a "reveal"

so we were just going to play it cool 

and find out together at the ultrasound.

But as I was riding the bus home from work last week,

 I had an idea and Tyler thought it was pretty fun.

After all the real work was done in the scan,

our sweet sonogram tech each told one of us

what one of the babies was (were?)

while the other one closed their eyes and covered their ears.

So we left each knowing what one was,

but not knowing what the other was...

giving us each a little bit of immediate gratification

and a little bit of suspense.

Then we left the hospital, grabbed some lunch, 

headed to the book store

and, separately, choose and bought a book

to give the other one that would tell the full story on our babies.

We had them wrapped in bags 

and headed to Kensington Palace

to unwrap the details of this fairy tale in style.

What came next was perfect.

We grabbed the books out of the bags,

glanced at them

and started to laugh...

we both bought each other the same book!

Alice in Wonderland,

written by Lewis Carroll during his time at Oxford,

as a story for his dean's daughter.

No explanation needed for either of us...

we both knew immediately that
we're having two girls!

For some reason, two girls was the combination

 was the farthest off my radar.

I was sure there would be at least one boy in there...

but apparently, I was wrong,

After about a minute of letting it sink it,

I've been obscenely giddy about what's in store for us.

For some reason,

I feel really capable of taking care of two girls

and feel less intimidated about the months to come...
and with the arrival of two babies on the horizon,
it's nice to have some confidence.

It may not make sense to say it, 

but I just feel good about raising girls.

If you're cozy and up for the full view of our day
(a.k.a. the video we sent to our families to tell the news),
watch the video below!

*all images & content original to Aspiring Kennedy

Pack Your Bags: The Isle of Skye

Remember in September when I was parading around Scotland

with my parents and Tyler?

I thought that it was chilly then.

Apparently, I forgot just how crisp autumn can be here in the UK.

Its even chillier now...

but the coziness that the Isle of Skye offers

with it's tiny cafes serving big steaming bowls full of homemade 'cullen skink'

and pots of tea served with Scottish cakes and shortbread

makes Skye the perfect place to find yourself hiding out.

STAY:

The Bosville Hotel

Located in the main part of Skye's largest city, Portree

('Port Ree' meaning in Gallic, "The King's Port),

the Bosville is one of the "fancier" hotels in town.

While it is nice and clean accommodation,

don't compare the luxury outfitting of these rooms

to the findings of a luxury hotel in Manhattan or Paris.

But there is free shortbread & tea in your room

which makes for a good replacement for me.

Both the hotel pub & restaurant serve really good food...

if you're the eating type. :)

Marmalade

This sister hotel to the Bosville is also situated in Portree,

though about a 5 minute walk up the hill out of town.

The position of the hotel gives it a stunning view of the port below.

Accommodation here is a grade down than at the Bosville,

but rooms are clean and the staff is above & beyond friendly.

The restaurant downstairs is also a popular location for locals.

The MacKinnon Country House

If you're looking for a quaint & affordable place 

out in the country,

the MacKinnon Country House is a sweet option.

Sat near Kyle of Lochalsh

on some quiet and pretty land,

this country hotel is a quiet escape 

from most normal life as you may know it.

The food is good (like, really good)

and the staff is friendly and welcoming.

You'll feel like part of the family when you leave.

{Bring books... no great internet or tv options here!}

DO:

It's hard to say what there is to do on Skye.

Having a good time is fairly intuitive

and a hard objective to miss.

It's kind of just a little place that you drive around,

hopping in and out of your car as you make your way

around the enchanted island.

You'll come across so many waterfalls

you'll start to feel like you

are in a laundry detergent commercial...

Dad be nimble, Dad be quick, Dad walk over the walking stick.

You'll find yourself walking along 

lonely streams & bridges...

and, if you're lucky, 

you may come across

some friendly highland coos!

The mysterious origins of my big hair is revealed: my mother.

{Yes, "coos." Go on now, say it like a Scotsman!}

 

We always spend some time wandering around the tiny harbour town of Portree

stopping in shops, eating ice cream, and kicking rocks into the water by the port.

Or we opt for the less social route:

 cuddled up under a mess of blankets,

 watching movies on our computers,

drinking lots of warm beverages,

and spending way too much time huddled over hot food 

and good conversation inside cozy pubs.

EAT:

Honestly, food isn't why you visit Skye...

but if you insist on something gourmet while you are here,

the legendary Three Chimneys should suit your fancy.

I've never been, 

but apparently- it's quite the place to eat on Skye,

if the hefty price tags don't scare you off.

***

There you have it...

a few little nuggets of advice

that can help plan (or inspire)

your trip to the gorgeous Scottish Isle of Skye.

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy