Summer Festivals: What? Wear?

Here in England, 

they don't just do "concerts" in the summer...

No, they do full out multi-day festivals.

Similar to Coachella & Bonnaroo,

but these things are everywhere from May-July.

Now, I've long since abandoned my tent-sleeping days...

and, if I'm honest, I generally feel too old for concerts.


There's so much standing...
the music is so loud...
everything has a sticky feeling floors...
and everyone around you seems to be drunk or incompetent. 


But as much as I might protest,
a couple times a year an artist/group will roll into town
and get me out of my grouchy pants and in the mood to party.


This summer Coldplay & FUN. did the trick.


So while you wouldn't have seen me dancing in wellies & denim shorts 
in some muddy pasture lined in port-a-potties anytime this summer,
you might have found me rocking out here...

or here.

And if I wasn't dressing like a 19 year-old college student,
what did I wear?


Well, something along the lines of this...

dress | polish | earrings | cuff | sandals

Festivals are a huge part of summer here in Britain...


but until Billy Joel and Elton John do a three-day gig
with Paul Simon & Ladysmith Black Mombazo... 
you won't find me camping out anytime soon. 


Is there a group {or artist} that you are dying to see live?




PS. I'm guest posting for Jillian today on Cornflake Dreams
while she is away getting married or something like that. :)
I've jotted down some Hepburn-style advice for the new bride- check out my guest post & her blog!

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