Make Your Life Better, Volume 2

I loved the first version of this post....

It was fun being so bossy.

So I'm doing it again...

and you're gonna like it!

Here are my recommendations 

(some might say, "commands")

to a better life... at least for today.

Kidding aside-

these are things that are making my days a bit brighter

as the weather is getting cooler.

The slow food movement is a rebellion against fast food...

NPR can tell you all about it.

Go Slow France 

(also written for Italy & England)

offers places you can go and stay in France

that offer food that is locally sourced

and prepared well...

{I think of it as an "agroturismo" on steroids.}

I'm dreaming of an entire trip traveling from different places

in France and England 

staying and tasting these places...

maybe you should come with me.

I was sent a bottle of Chanel's Black Pearl Nail Polish

by the lovely Anna Pettus...

and I am totally digging it.

It makes me feel like a rebellious debutante.

It's 14 days into September and you haven't made Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls?

What is wrong with you?

Go. 

Now. 

Don't convert how much butter is in the recipe. 

Just do a trust fall into the yumminess.

If you like Sophie Kinsella,

(the mastermind of the Shopaholic Series)

her old books are slowly getting republished

under her real name, Madeleine Wickham.

Swimming Pool Sunday & The Tennis Party

  came out (again) recently here in the UK

and I've added them to my suitcase.

(I'm headed to Dublin in one hour. Yikes!)

missoni pillow | tyler candle, high maintenance | j crew cardigan | bottega veneta flats

These things?

Well, they are all the things
 I wish I could have

to make my own life better.

If you get any of them,

I'll be insanely proud... and jealous.

There you have them...

simple steps, people.

Now go on.

And if not for me, 

do it for the children.

Monday Moods: I feel... dismissed.

Our last week in Oxford is over...

we came back with all our friends

for one final week of classes and celebrations.

After the late night gala on Saturday night,

I woke up Sunday to the bright sunshine in the window...

and I felt a little like Lewis Carroll's Alice.

I felt like I was waking from a dream 

after spending time in a curious place...

in a wondrous place

growing endeared to interesting people 

that sometimes do things on the odder side.

As much as I want to freeze our year here,

I know it's time to keep moving...

because just like Lewis Carroll said:

"I can't go back to yesterday,

because I was a different person then."

While our life has brought us to so many different moments,

at this junction,

the only option we have it so go forward 

and take these experiences with us.

I've enjoyed too many quiet moments in grand places...

entering a party at the Rhodes House

my favorite spot in Oxford by the Radcliffe Camera

A street fair in front of CS Lewis & Tolkien's favorite spot, The Eagle & Child

too many meals over candlelight & good conversation...

Jamie Oliver's Roast Chicken is practically perfect.

too many pure friendships develop...

Just hanging out at the Rhodes House... so Clinton of us!

too many afternoons spent sitting in pubs...

The Kings Arms, where Shakespeare stayed on his travels from Stratford-Upon-Avon to London.

Birthday Parties at The Perch in the garden that inspired the Madhatter's Tea Party

too many moments enjoying it just being "us..."

and way too many Coffee-Oreo milkshakes

from Moo Moo's in Oxford's Covered Market.

While we are sad to leave,

we are thankful for the lifetime we've lived

over the past year in Oxford!

Farewell, Oxford...

It's been enchanting!

London, you'll have some big shoes to fill!

Friday Faces: Debby of Inspired Design

This week I'm thrilled to be starting a new series, Friday Faces, here at Aspiring Kennedy.

The series allows us to get up close and personal with some of my (and your!) favorite bloggers

by asking them about their non-blogging world and getting to know who they really are.

There are so many great bloggers that I know you already love and read in the weeks to follow,

but this week, I'm proud to introduce you to Debby, of Inspired Design. Debby is the sweetest! 

She is one of those blogger friends that always makes you feel encouraged and appreciated. 

Now we get to return the favor by telling her how awesome and cool her life is!

Read on and see for yourself... 

Hi Everyone! It's Debby from Inspired Design. 

I am so thrilled to be here participating in Lauren's Friday Faces series. 

I love Lauren for so many reasons. Her witty posts, her endearing smile,

 and the fact that I get to live vicariously through all of her many travels and adventures! 

Thanks for having me, Lauren!

Where I Live

I live in a quaint suburb about 35 minutes Northwest of Boston, MA. 

I love it here for so many reasons. 

Being in a small community is such a wonderful place to raise a family.

I like being able to go the market and feel like the clerks are my friends. 

I have seen the community pull together as a family when tragedy strikes one of our own. 

I feel blessed to be surrounded with biking trails, working farms, apple orchards and great schools. 

The best part is the city of Boston is only a short car ride away 

when a night at the theatre or dining at Boston's North End is in order!

Who am I in the real world?

I consider myself fortunate that I was able to stay home to raise my family. 

Before having children I worked as both a hairstylist and a visual merchandiser 

within the fashion industry, so it suffices to say I am happiest when I'm creative. 

I think like many women, we all play many roles to many people. 

I am a girl who believes in the art form of being a lady, 

I truly believe that a great sense of humor can carry you through life's toughest challenges, 

I believe that dog is God spelled backwards because they both love unconditionally, 

and a girl can never have enough books or enough lip gloss!

Why I Blog

For me blogging happened quite by accident. 

I had never even read a blog.

 I was bored one night and just started playing around and much like everything I do, 

I just sort of jumped in head first. 

Little did I know at the time what a profound affect it would have on me.

After playing the role as mom for so many years it has helped me to find my voice 

and reconnect with myself as a creative individual once more. 

There are so many reasons why I continue to blog, 

the main one being the bonds that have been created 

with so many like-minded individuals has been mind blowing. 

I now feel like I have friends all over the world and I must say bloggers truly have the biggest hearts. 

When do I Blog?

This question made me come to the conclusion 

that I am usually blogging in sweats or cute lounge pants. 

After I get my daughter off to school in the morning I like to sit down with a cup of coffee 

and check to make sure my scheduled post is up as well as visit some of my daily reads. 

In the evening when I have time to relax I try to visit the bloggers 

who stopped by Inspired that day as well as schedule my post for the following morning. 

One thing I have learned is that when writer's block hits then it's time to take a break. 

When I am feeling really creative that is when I will crank out several posts at a time 

and line them up for a couple days to take some of the pressure off. 

My Favorite Look

I love Anthropolgie for cute but comfy clothing. 

If it's not comfortable, I'm not going to wear it. 

I live in jeans during the fall and winter months.

 I am waiting for the autumn chill to come so I can swap out my ballet flats for cute boots! 

My Most Shocking Moment in Blogging

There has been so many great things and opportunities, invitations and doors that open due to blogging. I would have to say the most shocking thing that has happened would be a negative experience.

 I was doing some custom templates as well as pre-made template designs for bloggers. 

I was on the cusp of trying to decide whether or not to shut it down temporarily 

due to not having the time it was requiring of me. 

I had received an email from a lady who praised my designs up and down 

and said she would like me to eventually create her a template. 

She continued to go on about how she was a librarian and 

she noticed in one of my posts there was a grammatical error. 

Apparently, she has noticed this quite often on several blogs and it really irks her. 

Needless to say, she irked me and she was key in my decision to take a break for a bit. 

Seriously?

I'm not Charles Dickens or Jane Austin. 

Just a girl with something to say... 

excuse me if I make an error here or there.

Where Would I Like to Be in Five Years?

In a dream world I would say in five years I would love to be blogging from a Paris cafe

 or living in a quaint shingled cottage on the island of Nantucket and own an adorable boutique. 

Since winning the lottery probably is not in the cards for me, 

I would have to say the most important thing I am hoping for is to be content with my life. 

In five years my oldest will be out of college and my daughter will be a sophomore in college.

 I will indeed be a dreaded empty-nester. 

I would be thrilled if my blog could transition into a career 

that would allow me to become self supportive.... one never knows! 

I hope to have gained much wisdom, learned from my mistakes, be surrounded by genuine people 

and enjoy each moment for what it is. 

One Thing About Me That Would Surprise My Readers? 

Let's just say a little mystery makes everyone a bit more interesting. 

Since I've revealed so much of myself throughout this guest post.... I'll keep you all guessing. 

Sure there are things that would surprise you but I'm too smart to put them in print! hee hee

Thanks so much for having me, Lauren! It's truly been a pleasure! xoxo

Under the Covers: iPhone Fashion

The bag you carry says a lot about who you are.

Maybe it doesn't reflect your worth

(since we can't all carry the Birkin we deserve),

but it does say something about our priorities.

While a bag can tell a story,

the main item we typically tote is our phone.

My phone could tell you everything about me.

What I've eaten for the past week in pictures.

A calendar of what I'm doing.

Received calls from loved ones-

missed calls from the people I want to avoid.

We kinda divulge a lot about who we are

with those little things, don't we?

When the cover on mine started to fall apart,

I tried to hold off on buying a new one

for the sake of being too cheap & too busy.

I didn't want to jump into anything...

but when the Scotch tape holding the fabric up was no longer sticking,

I decided it was time to look for it's replacement.

{After all, I have to take care of this thing. It's my money maker. ha!}

There are so many great covers available...

and they can allow your phone to say a lot about who you are.

Big Spender

Trendy

Bling-y

Artsy

Geeky

Southern

Girly

Traditional

If you can dream it up-

it most likely exists.

After an afternoon scouring the internet

and Pinterest, I brought you back some of my favorites.

jonathan adler iphone cases | jonathan adler plumes case

I love Jonathan Adler's iPhone cases- so cheeky & bright!

Kate Spade's collection of iPhone cases are amazing. How great is that newspaper print?

Chilewich was luring me in, but I decided to not copy my friend Laura...

because no one likes to be ripped off, right?

cath kidston iphone cases

My inner-Brit kept bringing me back to Cath Kidston's classic designs.

Something about the faux-wood seemed cool and modern. Reminded me of something

my friend, Beth, of Hello Splendor would have.

But I finally settled on this lovely by Society 6.

Something about it reminds me of Degas...

I love that it's bright yet cool...

and girly but not flowery...

and, well, I just think it's purdy.

Breakfast Reading

Most of us like to consider ourselves "laid-back."

I'm a go-with-the-flow type myself.

Do you like to walk around in a kimono and a spare rabbit in your purse?

Cool. 

Are you training to be a professional hand-stander and want to practice in my front yard?

Have at it.

You want us to stay in a dirty hotel and go without bathing for 3 days in order to travel cheaper?

I can deal.

But the one thing 

that has always pushed me into a bizarre rage

  is hearing people eat.

... chomping, chewing, slurping, crunching ...

Ugh.

It makes me want to loose my mind.

via

My sister and I have been in countless squabbles (as adults)

that typically transpire similarly to this:

Lauren & Meredith are driving along in car

Lauren sits quietly.

Lauren covers ears and yells: STOP CHOMPING YOUR ICE!

Meredith: Get over it!

Lauren: I CAN'T HANDLE IT. I'M GOING CRAZY!

So this morning, when my friend Grace posted this article 

from the New York Times,

I felt some relief.

It describes a newly named condition,

Misophonia, that covers this reaction.

Now, I'm not as severe as some of the cases-

but man, I get what they are saying

Maybe when Tyler eats peanut M&M's ,

I'll still accuse him of having a secretly implanted amp

 in his jaw for the sole purpose of annoying me...

Maybe I'll still dodge the kitchen

when my dad eats a bowl of Grape Nuts...

And maybe raising children who don't smack

won't move down on my list of life goals...

but at least I know I'm not completely crazy.

What do you think?

Crazy or Completely Right?

Monday Moods: I feel... nailed.

In my final moments in the States,

I took the time to indulge in a luxury 

that I miss out on living in England.

I got a pedicure.

Sure, we have pedicures here in England...

but they just aren't the same.

The salons don't have the big massage chairs & a decade of gossip magazines,

the leg massages are a bit skimpy,

and I have yet to see any customer be offered

a plastic cup of {boxed} wine.

Almost all of these could be overlooked-

but the real trouble is

that pedicures cost about twice as much here in England

than they do in the States.

In the midst of hugging loved ones,

chowing on Mexican food,

and shopping at Saks & Nordstroms-

I spent an hour in pure US nail salon bliss...

complete with all the standard elements:

Hobby Lobby Decor...

Customers who couldn't say no

to the hard-sell for eye-brow waxing...

Scary mannequin hands decked out in air-brushed nail art.

A well-attended Buddhist shrine.

Boxed wine from a mini-fridge.

This was the 2nd of 3 glasses a woman next to me had... 

{Easy there, mama!}

The sweetest women who can do nails

like nobody's business....

While bar-be-que and 100 degree heat make me feel like a Texan,

something about getting a pedicure

sure did remind me that I was back in America.

It also reminded me of this stand-up sketch 
by Anjelah Johnson...

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Why I Love: Natalie Erwin

Beyond my duties as an Aspiring Kennedy,

I'm also an aspiring art collector.

I scheme of ways to get beautiful art into my home...

with little luck, to this point.

As a girl, 

a print of one of Monet's Water Lilies

 hung above my bathtub.

I would lay there and stare at it...

becoming involved with the scene 

and feeling at home the blurry dream..

While I still love Monet,

my tastes have slightly expanded...

Different styles...

different texture...

different techniques...

These days, I can be lured into a multitude of pieces.

I first met Natalie Erwin through work,

in fact- by hosting an art show for her

when I lived in Dallas.

And though we were busy selling her work

through the project,

it was me who ended up SOLD on her work.

Natalie burns her art into

trademark, birch panels.

Though it's hard to see in pictures,

each piece has amazing texture and depth 

from the wood-burned designs.

Natalie then uses stains and milk paints to color the pieces

and bring life to the image.

{Learn more about her technique here.}

the best wedding guest book ever!

The result is a glossy delight

that blends well into both modern & traditional settings.

While I have been smitten with her vintage scarf series

and her ranch series,

Natalie may be best known for her custom dog portraits.

Because honestly, 

how precious are those little faces?

I'm a sucker for them...

Someday, when our big check rolls in

and I finally get an allowance for art...

you better believe I'll be staring up from my tub

at one of Natalie's pieces.