Aspiring Kennedy

The French Camel

There are tons of reason

I'm excited to get back to France,

but I can't deny that

the refresh to my style

won't be a big one.

I've been wearing the same clothes

for a realllly long time...

pretty much since we last were in Paris.

Not that I'm waiting to

dump beaucoups of cash

in the haute couturiers of France...

But simply because I'm so inspired

by the effortless chic style

of the women in Paris.

I need to absorb some of that...

because the look I have is

miles away from chic.

It's more....

wrinkled and snagged.

One item I do have ready

from our last life in Paris

is my camel coat.

photo by noah darnell

This piece is perfect for Paris

in so many ways.

It's dressy, but quiet.

It's warm, but allows layers.

It's casual, but cleaned-up.

It's one of my favorite souvenirs I've ever bought.

It makes me feel 40% less of an impostor
and almost like a local
wandering through places like the Luxembourg Gardens.

_________

In the post-Christmas sales,

there are some more great tan coats

currently up for grabs.

Check my picks below

to update your look

with items that are tres cheap.

(Well, at least, at great sale prices.)

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

FOURSALE: Chunky Knit Scarf (Mini)

Yesterday, Viola & I needed some fresh air

after two days in the house

per doctor's orders to stay home

and avoid risking another infection.

I was booooored.

So, I threw on her coat, bow and scarf

and headed out to get some sunshine.

We lasted about 4 minutes

until she started trying to eat leaves

and my neighbor came up to chat

telling me all about the terrible flu

her family is passing around to each other.

(Cue Lauren inching back up the steps towards the door.)

But before the leaves and the plague debacle,

I got to snap a few pics of Viola

showing off her new Christmas scarf

that Tyler's mom made her.

And promptly posted to Instagram.

(Naturally.)

. . . .

And then my inbox got flooded

with emails asking where it came from.

So, I called up my mother-in-law

and asked her to be the next foursale

for this little old blog.

And, since she loves us, she said yes.

So here you go:

The cutest baby scarves you ever saw.

They are no-fuss and super cute.

The wooden button is easy to fasten
anywhere you like on the scarf.

Go getcha one

and channel that
Baby-sitting-on-some-steps-in-Notting-Hill look.

And if you don't have a nino,

you can get one in adult size

to match the one she made me.

It has three wooden buttons and can button into tons of combos.

I'll be wearing the crap out of mine this spring

in the frigid Paris winter.

A few notes:

Since my mother-in-law will be making these by hand custom for Aspiring Kennedy, please allow 10-15 business days for your order to arrive!
US shipping only. If you live outside the US, just email me and we can get you sorted with one, too! lauren@aspiringkennedy.com
I love babies in scarves.

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Paris? Mais, Oui!

With the craziness of holidays, baby, work

combined with me being an air-head,

I almost forgot to say it here:

We are headed (back) to Paris for the spring!

This February, we are headed back

to the City of Lights

for another springtime of

crepes, chambray, picnics along the river, Degas,

pastries, Monoprix sales, steak-frites, freezing in the Paris weather,

and making memories that will stay with us forever.

It's not exactly uprooting your life

to go somewhere else for 3 months,

but what great things in life

come without a bit of hard work & trade-off?

Instead of feeling interrupted or burdened

I feel thankful for my boss + job

and grateful for a husband

who is supportive and

who can, for the most part, work anywhere.

... and, I'm excited to dress Viola in French baby clothes.

* * *

To take a peek at our previous life in Paris,

take a wander through here.

*image

*quote

2013: An (Aspiring) Year In Review

In keeping up with tradition

of the past years (2011, 2012)

let's take a look at the highlights of 2013.

JANUARY

Quick FAQ on Visas

Babymoon to Venice

Our Day Trip to Paris

A Royal Baby Shower

Notting Hill Maternity Pics

FEBRUARY

Apartment Therapy featured our flat

Pre-Eclampsia earned me a week in the hospital

Our daughters were born

MARCH

Our Families Rallied

Surviving When Our Daughter Didn't

Eating my feelings at London Tea Rooms

APRIL

Viola Got Her Passport

Baby Name Game

Obligatory Baby Poop Talk

Grief Guide

My Baby Daddy

MAY

Licking our wounds (& plates) in the US

Baby's First Scotland

Pinterest UK Featured AK

Mother's Day

JUNE

Travel Consults Began

Baby's First French Chateau

Ups & Downs of Expat Life

Getting To/From Heathrow

Baby's First Isle of Skye

JULY

Regent Tweet

July 4th At The Beckhams... Kinda

Stalking Prince George's Birth

AUGUST

Didn't Suck at Baby Shower Hosting

Back To Tejas

#dallasbloggersocial

SEPTEMBER

Baby's First Iceland

Viola's Style Evolved

OCTOBER

Day Trip to Paris (Again)

NOVEMBER

New Gig: Houzz London Contributor

DECEMBER

Baby's First Spain

Weekend in the Cotswolds

National Geographic Bragging

Babies + Planes

Wrapped up 2013 in the Hospital

* * *

In some ways,

2013 was really similar to the others.

Lots of travel, London & mushy talk...

Yet, also different.

Babies were added.
A baby was lost.

Our hearts shattered.
Our heart grew bigger than we ever imagined.

But mainly,

our lives were made so much better.

(Thanks, Viola.)

* * *

Thanks for being a part of this year.

Welcome to the next chapter

of our crazy adventure.

*photo by Noah Darnell

Home (Sweet Home) For the Holidays.

Well guys, thanks.

Your love & support

via emails, instagram comments & facebook messages

was so encouraging over the past four days.

I'm writing this from a chair in my living room

with my cozy pajamas on (these)

after the first shower I've had in days.

My baby is sitting in an adorable shirt (this)

and playing with jingle bells

underneath our Christmas tree

that will probably stay in our home

for the next couple of weeks to come.

Just for the sake of not sounding completely random

to anyone who hasn't been on various social media...

Saturday, I decided to take Viola to the A&E (read: ER)

since she had a nasty cough that had settled into her chest

and our doctor's wouldn't be open until Monday.

What I thought would be a couple of hours

ended up being a four day stay at St. Mary's Hospital (this one).

moms who nebulize: i salute you. nothing worse than holding down your baby against their will.

The first day, we were pretty traumatized

to be back, in residence, at the hospital where the girls were born.

The quick downshift from happy/normal

to sudden change of plans felt a little too familiar,

and a wheezing, crying baby doesn't help you feel better.

Luckily- our nurses & doctors made us feel really okay with being there.

Four days, three nights and endless poking & prodding later,

Viola is back to normal

and we are thankful that God took care of that nasty infection.

We are closing up shop for 2013

on a high note,

and optimistic that this is the start

of a great year ahead.

Thanks again for, yet again, being there for our family

over the past year.

You've celebrated with us,

you've mourned with us,

you told us our baby was cute

even through her weird-alien newborn days,

and you've just been... so, so nice.

Lots of love for the year to come.

We look forward to sharing life with you again!

xo-

T, L & v.

In The Houzz: Babyccino & Co.

This month,

I hit the jackpot

when getting to do

a Houzz hometour

of the Adamo Family.

If you aren't family with the Babyccino Kids site,

well, you should be.

Even if you don't have kids,

Courtney's instagram will win you over.

Her life/family/style is just... gorgeous.

So it was no surprise to find

that her home in North London

near Hampstead Heath

was anything other than charming.

I got to go with my friend, Noah,

for the home shoot

and we had such a nice morning

working around the house

while the Adamos ate breakfast

and got ready for a weekend in the country.

Go on and check out the home tour...

and, in the meantime,

enjoy a few outtakes

from our fun morning

with the Adamo family.

Check out my other home tours

as Houzz' London contributor here.

*photography by Noah Darnell for Houzz

Christmas Card | 2013

To each one of my readers,

who I humbly consider my friends...

Thank you for all you have done

to make this year more than bearable...

but making it wonderful for us

in so many ways.

I hope that 2014 brings joy and light-heartedness

to your family... and ours, too.

And if it doesn't...

well,

He is still good.

Our love,

Tyler, Lauren & Viola

2013

Christmas In London (via National Geographic)

Being in Britain

has taught me many things.

The art of milk with my tea.

(English breakfast? yes. Earl Grey? no, just lemon. Herbal or green? no.)

The appropriate weather to wear

my wellies in... and not to wear them...

(walks in the country? yes. site seeing in the city? no.)

What's so magical about sticky toffee pudding...

(and where to eat a really delicious one.)

I've also learned to play it cool.

The Brits are great at that...

they famously coined "the stiff upper lip,"

and man- they know how to compose themselves.

...

But today,

I'm going to be a total American.

A really obnoxious American, at that.

Because I can't play this cool at all....

I'm on National Geographic

with a big fancy quote

about Christmastime in London.

National Geographic, people!

image via danskinner, flickr

Go on, and check it out.

And if you have a suggestion for London at Christmastime,

feel free to drop it in on the article.

(Who knows, you might be the next source for a London piece!)