Aspiring Kennedy

Friday Night Lights: Paris Edition

One of our favorite things to do in Paris

is to have a sunset picnic on along the Seine

near the famous Ponte Neuf.

We couldn't wait to share a night on the river

with our friends, Anthony & Kellee...

so we didn't.

Our first night here, the four of us

{or "the group" as we can sometimes be called}

found ourselves together

perched alongside the river banks together.

Not that the cozy Parisian brasseries aren't delicious,

but how can they compete with riverside seating

and a meal for four under $30.00?

I mean,

it's kind of an obvious choice.

Fresh produce from the marche...

... recommended cheeses from an organic fromagerie...

... baguettes & pastries from the boulangerie...

... some sparkling sips to match Paris' twinkling lights...

...and even some post-dinner sunset pictures?

This is my version of living the high life!

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Packing for Paris

Today we are off to Paris with our dear friends,

Anthony & Kellee....

{Kellee is the one I surprised last year the week she was due in Dallas, remember?}

They have been here with us in London for several days,

and we have been having the BEST time.

{It's great to be reunited with good friends, isn't it?}

After taking London by storm,

this party is moving east.

We are headed out on the Eurostar

to introduce our friends to Paris.

While my bags are packed with my closet's finest....

here's one ensemble that I can only dream of packing.

malachite rolex | asos lychee flats | dorothy perkins blazer | h&m dress | ysl lipstick

This look is just right for Paris in October, n'est pas?

Something about it just screams:

parfume, peonies, & patisseries.

{ Sigh. }

Oh well.

If I can't take take the designer closet,

I suppose four days in Paris

with my love

and our best friends

will just have to suffice.

{ha!}

If you could be anywhere with anyone,
what scenario would you choose for this weekend?

Sweet & Sour

This week, I'm moving through some highs & lows.

First, I dropped my phone in the toilet,

{low point}

but had insurance that is sending me a new iPhone

{high point}.

Then I dropped my laptop and dented the frame near the hard drive

{low point}

luckily, my Apple Care is getting it replaced for me

{high point}

but it will take 10 days to get my laptop back

which makes important tasks (like blogging, facebook, & twitter) impossible

{low point}.

Continuing on,

some of our good friends came to stay with us this weekend.

It was wonderfully laid-back, hang out time

{high point}...

... until I walked in on our friend Rob in the shower,

tried to cover up the awkwardness by having an informal conversation (?!?!?).

What is wrong with me?

All of my mixed emotions culminated on Sunday.

Tyler & I stopped in TK Maxx

-which, yes, is the exact same store as TJ Maxx-

and I begin to peruse the racks with little interest.

Out of the corner of my eye,

I spotted the retail equivalent of winning the lottery

discreetly sitting on a random shelf near sportwear:

unscuffed, white-leather,

Christian Louboutin's in my size for £99.00!

{high point}

I didn't ask Tyler if I could or should buy them,

I just grabbed them and ran to check-out.

I got home, paraded around my bedroom in them

and realized that, sadly, they really aren't my size.

They almost fit, but are just a bit too big for me to ever actually wear.

{lowest point}

I debated keeping them around,

you know, just in case...

but I'm trying to be real with myself:

I will never wear them since I can't walk in them.

Which leads me to my next point:

Do you want them?

They are glorious, heavenly, and perfect...

and I wanted to share the retail love
with one of you lucky ladies

before I hand them over to the return counter
at old TK Maxx.

They are size 41.

They are Christian Louboutin's Lola in white

with a silver, spikey, metal heel.

And, goodness, they are gorgeous.

Email me at aspiringkennedy@gmail.com

I'll reply to the first person that wants them & we can work out how to do this...

because if I can't have them,

they should at least go to someone I like.

*I will be out today, but will reply later this evening to these emails.

Friday Faces: Megan from Across the Pond

What can I say about Megan other than
I want to be just like her.

Sure, she may be an American girl...
that moved to the UK last summer...
because of a masters program...
and all of those facts might sound eerily similar to my own life.

But just wait until you see her body & jawline.

You'll feel my pain.

And for the same reasons that I loved my friend Beth
for her ability to always catch me off guard with her confidence...
I feel endeared to Megan.

Once you read question ten,
I know you will, too.

***

1. Who are you?

I am Megan. I am going to be 26 in December, and that makes me feel old.

2. Where do you live?

I like to consider myself bi-coastal...bi-continents? I currenty just moved from England to Scotland, but I am from sunny Los Angeles, CA. Yes, it is freaking cold here. I know.


my street in Scotland


my favorite home-town diner in SO-CAL. doesnt get much more american then that there folks.

University of Nottingham, England. My home away from home for a year.

3. What do you do... outside of blogging?
Who are you in the real world?

I am a former fashion industry girl, who recently graduated with my Masters in Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. I don't even know how that evolution happened.

Really though, im just a normal girl who cant seem to adjust to the idea of public transportation,
and loves to eat. everything.

4. Why do you blog?

I began blogging to keep family and friends up to date with my life overseas. That is still part of why I blog. However, I have also been fortunate enough to connect with some amazing people through blogging, and that is what keeps me here...

oh, and all the fame and fortune.

5. Where do you blog?

Either from this chair, or my bed.

6. When do you blog?

either in the evening or in the morning when I wake up.

7. What look suits you best?

I might have a slight obsession with blazers.

8. What’s been the most shocking moment
of your blogging career?

I think I have had two different types of shock, one good, one bad. The good shock was when I realized how many people made up this blogger world, and how many were so kind and amazing. I am still shocked on a daily basis by the friendships I've made and level of encouragement and support I receive daily. The bad was when I got my first negative anon comment..which I'm sorta convinced was from someone from my real life world in response to an unfortunate circumstance that occured in my life that I shared on my blog..nevertheless, it means I've arrived right?

totally.

9. Where do you want to be in five years?

Happy and Healthy. with puppies. and babies. and a house in both the UK and California.

10. What’s one thing that your readers would be surprised to learn about you?

I'm only 5'5. Rumor has it that people around the blogosphere thought I was like 6'.

and...

sometimes I pick my nose and wipe it on things other then a tissue. I don't like the way Kleenex feels on my hands..what??

A Travel-Sized Beauty Routine

Like many travelers,

I find myself constantly adjusting between worlds...

via

Whether it be a posh tea room in a bustling city in the first-world,

or a lush tropical setting in a remote third-world setting...

when we travel, our senses {& our standards} are always adjusting.

We dress up for dinner.

We dress down for the market.

We have our hair blown out for a brunch.

We throw our hair up for a jeep ride in the sun.

From hiking boots to spikey heels...

the most satisfied travelers are, most definitely,

those who can adapt to our these environments.

Via

And most of the time,

these environments offer us unappealing showers in a dim-lit bathroom...

and a personal longing for a footed tub.

Any traveler would agree,

that most of the world has lower hygiene standards

than our Western Culture demands.

I've learned to be lower maintenance because of it:

I wash my hair about once a week,

I keep my make up to a small bag that fits in my purse,

& I re-wear my clothes like it's nobody's business...

& I don't always shower every day.

{Go on & judge me... but I'm highly confident in my lack of body odor.}

So when you find yourself on the road

{or simply on an overnight flight}

try a few of my favorite fixes

to have you feeling first-world clean

when your beauty regime is on the third-world scene.

What's the first thing you ditch on the fly?

Any great advice or products you can recommend?

100 Years of East London Fashion

...in under two minutes.

Scientists have {not} proven
that every cool person in the world
will enjoy this movie.

Monday Moods: I feel... hot.

This week, we've been experiencing

a heat wave here in London.

It's hot.

It's summery.

It's bright.

And, honestly,

it's really confusing.

I mean,

it is also October.

What the heck?

It's mid-80's here, people.

I don't have clothes for this,

and it's turning the city a little crazy.

Everyone is acting like it's spring break.

On Saturday we walked the city

(twice)

with (two different sets of) friends.

While we were on these happy treks,

we witnessed a lot of atypical London activity.

People were swimming in the Thames

in their jeans and shoes...

(sick)

People jamming out on the river bank

in their swim suits...

(hilarious)

People were performing random acts of art...

(enjoyable)

People were strewn about the embankment

wearing nothing but their pasty skin...

(relatable)

Beyond our time along the Thames,

we found the city streets as affected, too.

The parks were jammed with people...

(two of which were us)

Or they were crowding patios to enjoy the al fresco dining opportunity...

(13 of those diners were our Oxford gang at Laduree...

to send off the Smiths before their flight to NYC)

and, generally, Londoners were just enjoying

the city's sites void of cloud cover

& glowing with sunshine.

The temperatures are dropping mid-week.

In fact, we'll be heading into low-60's

by Wednesday...

but while it was here,

our "summer" was pretty grand.

Welcome to October!

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Friday Faces: Jillian of Cornflake Dreams

I love this new series...

partly because I'm excited to introduce you to new blogs

that you are definitely going to love,

but mainly I love this series for the selfish reason

that I get to snoop in the lives of people

that I wish I could know in real life.

These questions help me feel more connected to the blog

that I read on a daily basis...

(or try to when I'm not flitting around like a fool)

and make me more endeared to the bloggers behind them...

like Jillian of Cornflake Dreams

who might just be one of the nicest girls I've {never} met.

hello there- it's jillian from cornflake dreams and i am thrilled to be on aspiring kennedy!

i adore lauren's travel posts and i'll admit that i am a little jealous

i have no immediate plans to move across the pond! :)

via, via, via

insert image 2 here

via, via, via, via, via, via

xo,

jillian