Aspiring Kennedy

You're Not As Big {Or Small} As You Think

I recently went to a party for bloggers
here in London.

It was a fancy party

in a gorgeous venue
full of pretty people
hugging each other
and catching up over pretty drinks...

and I knew, like, no one.

I had a small handful of friendly faces,

but as people began to talk shop

and discuss other blogs & other events,

I kept laughing to myself.

I had no idea who anyone was

or what any of the events were

that people were talking about so naturally.

I mean, I started to question if I was actually a legitimate blogger.

{Even though calling myself a "blogger" has always made me cringe.}

As I sat at the bus stop

on the way home,

I clicked through twitter

and saw that a guest post I had written had gone live
and had been linked from a blogging friend
who has a really cute new blog.

As I read her introduction to my blog,

she referred to me as a "major blogger."

And it got me thinking.

{Oh no. Here I go again.}

Benjamin Franklin Quote & Enamel Sign: $28

Here I was in the middle of feeling like a nobody

and, also, feeling pretty good about myself.

Could I actually be both?

I think the answer is... yeah, we can.

I think that most of the time it is easy

to lean one way or the other:

we feel pretty important at some moments

and totally insignificant in others.

We get over-inflated by people who like us,

and then deflated by others who don't notice us.

Especially in blogging

when the number of followers

and posted comments is consistently present.

You get more "likes" than others on a picture. Plus one.

Someone else has a big time blogger comment on their post. Minus one.

Back and forth it goes.

But I have to tell you,

and I can say this with a lot of certainty after 3 years of blogging....

None of it really matters.

Blogging is so fun.

I've made some of my best friends
through this crazy hobby.

The relationships are amazing...

but if you aren't finding yourself here

or making those relationships,

it's really okay.

Instead of going out and searching for new relationships

why not foster the ones that you already have?

Give attention to the people that already like you

and start forming deeper relationships with them.

Because you'll never be the biggest fish in the pond in blogging,

sorry- it's true.

The Pioneer Woman, Naomi & Cup of Jo have already won that title.

But you can be a really big deal to someone else.

_____________________

The Hills Are Alive!

The hills are alive.

with the sound

of an airplane landing at Heathrow...

Tyler lands this morning

after being apart for 16 days.

That's a long time, guys.

She's so beary excited.

That's, like, 17% of Viola's life.

I'm already doing a happy dance

about him being back...

Special thanks for my mother-in-law

for being the wind beneath my wings for the past two weeks

helping with le bebe while I worked,

doing endless loads of laundry,

and never judging me for sleeping in

until 11:20 yesterday & today.

{Or at least, not letting on if you did!}

Today's going to be great for me.

I hope it's awesome for you, too!

How do you function on when you're on your own?

Better Off

or Better Not?

*All images original to Aspiring Kennedy. Taken in Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye.

Travel Advice? I can help... some of you!

Did you know that when you start blogging

it means that you also starting connecting with a lot of people

off the regular streams of social media

and behind the scenes on email?

That's where people really get to know each other.

Blogs are like online dating profiles.

You shop people out.

See if you like what they're all about.

And if their daily blabbing entices you to want more...

well, you take it to the next level.

That's when the fun starts.

That's when you really get to know people.

Or so, I'm told
because lately, I don't really do it.

See, I used to have loads of free time.

{AKA I worked behind a desk in an office.}

I made some pretty awesome friends back in the day

over email and blogging.

But these days,

I am busy with my job directing study abroad programs

that fling me from place-to-place,

I work with a handful of clients on social media consulting & branding,

I'm scouring Portobello Road for pretty antique pieces, shooting them,

packing them up & dragging them down to the post office,

I try to keep blog posts up on here to give you guys something to read

in your free time while you are behind desks at your offices...

Oh...
and I have a newborn.

My 45 minutes of non-manic time each day

is most commonly spent staring blankly out the window,

eating girl scout cookies at my kitchen table,

or laying on top of my unmade bed clicking through instagram.

Sometimes, if I feel really crazy

I take a bath &/or wash my hair.

You get it,

I'm busy.

{Then again, who's not?}

ALL OF THAT TO SAY...

I'm sorry that I don't do a better job of replying the emails I get

asking questions about travel Europe.

But you have to understand, I get- no lie- around 10 every day day.

People need help on hotels in Paris and

where to take their 14 year-old daughter
for dessert & shopping while they are there....

or first-time tourists wanting to take on Europe
but aren't sure where to start

and how long to spend in each city...

or honeymooners looking for an affordable way to spend 2 weeks in Italy

and needing to know which city to fly into and where they need to fly out from...

I have all of these answers in my brain.

And I get it...

planning a trip to a place
that you never been to can be daunting.

You're spending a lot of money

and you want it to be just right.

I just don't have the time to spend an hour typing out

the unique logistical thought that each circumstance requires-

which is what it typically takes me if I'm putting my heart into it.

So from this day forward,

I'm making myself more available to less people.

{Gulp.}

I'd rather give ten people each month

really good information

than crappy generic replies (or nothing!) to everyone who writes.

If you're committed to planning your European vacation,

I'm offering 30 min, 1 hour, or 2 x 60 minute sessions over Skype

to talk logistics & general consulting matters

like transportation, time frames
& must-sees for your specific areas of interest

that will help you plan a trip that fits you best.

Obviously, I don't know everything there is to know,
but I can be especially helpful when planning your trip to Europe
and can offer detailed advice on these specific topics:

England | France | Scotland | Italy | Ireland | Iceland
Budget Airlines | European Rail | Accommodation

If you're just emailing to ask a simple question, send it my way....

but from now on, emails asking generic trip structuring will be referred to here.

In the mean time,

I'll keep posting travel finds

for the various places I go here on the blog

and filing them under my travel log.

Bon Voyage!

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Pack Your Bags: Edinburgh's Elephant House

If you go to Edinburgh,

you're bound to visit

the main historical sites of the town...

The Edinburgh Castle.

Holyrood Palace.

John Knox's House.

The Royal Mile.

But these days,

most people visiting the city

also stop by a place of more recent

historical importance...

You know, where JK Rowling famously penned

the first of the Harry Potter stories on napkins

while she would nurse a single cup of coffee all day

instead of sitting around in her flat

that she couldn't afford to heat.

It's a bit dorky to want to go there,

but hey-

if you do want to go,

just know that you're in good company.

{I've been loads of times.}

Plus, it's so close to the historical sites

that you won't be putting yourself too far off track

from the "respectable tourist site list."

The room is really pretty and has great lighting...

with a killer view of the castle.

It's the perfect place to come for a light lunch....

.... or to relax with a book

at tea time.

{Sidenote: they have such good desserts.}

So make sure you add a quick visit to

The Elephant House

to your trip to Edinburgh!

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Get Yourself a Hunskie to A-Thread Apparel.

My freshman year of college,

I mandated a silly rule for myself:

I wasn't allowed to wear pants to class.

So every day

for that first year of school,

I would wear a skirt or dress to class.

I'm not sure why I decided to do this

bit I have three plausible theories:

1. I wore a uniform skirt for my entire life before college

and had become accustomed to sitting in a classroom setting

with goosebumps all over my legs.

2. I wanted to rebel against all my friends

who wore pajama pants to class every day.

{Thank goodness that yoga pants replaced that as "slouch wear," right?}

3. I'm slightly prissy {read: ridiculous}.

It's probably a combination of all of three of those.

Anyway, all of that shallow psychoanalysis to say

that I really do like wearing dresses.

They make me feel like a lady...

and I think I look better in them than I do in pants.

{As I type that, I realize that was probably the ENTIRE reason I decided to not wear pants that year.}

But seriously,

what girl doesn't look great in a dress?

That's why I'm SO happy that one of you

is going to get the gift of looking great

{while showing off your sexy legs}

after you win $100 from A-Thread.

Because, people, they have some really cute stuff...
and more than just dresses,
if they arent' your thing.

Remember that dress I blogged about earlier

and then wore on Easter Sunday?

Yep. It was A-Thread...

it was also only $33,

so it was a flipping good deal.

And to make it an even better deal,
you can use ASPIRINGKENNEDY15 at checkout
to save 15% off any purchases.... holler.

Enter below for your chance to win $100 from A-Thread

Winner will be selected June 3, 2013.

Entering will get you on a-thread's email list for updates & deals!

Pack Your Bags: Edinburgh, Scotland

I know I've posted about Edinburgh

several times in the past.

At least, this time & this time

that I can remember.

But since I have get to go up there

so often for work,

I find new things each time

I'm there that I think you might want to know about.

I got to see the usual haunts

like the Royal Mile....

John Knox's House....

& the funny street performers

that may or may not have the same name as my daughter....

...but I wanted to jot down a few new places

that might make your trip to Edinburgh better.

The King James Thistle Hotel

This place is located really close the train station

{right across from the Balmoral, if that helps give you context?},

has affordable room rates,

and has a staff that is super friendly...

especially in the case that your reservation is accidently cancelled.

Not that I would know anything about that though.

Le Monde

This restaurant is located in the heart of New Town.

It's got delicious food

{I'll go ahead and recommend the leek & parmesan risotto and the sticky toffee pudding},

great decor that will make you feel like you're fancy,

affordable prices that won't make you feel like you're broke,

and a staff that is super friendly...

especially in the case that your baby poops through her outfit

TWICE.

Not that I would know anything about that though.

Calton Hill

I've always seen the gorgeous stone monuments sitting on the far edge of new town

but have never really know what they were

and how you would get up to see them...

or if you even could?

Well, this time, after leaving an indulgent afternoon

at Clarinda's Tea Room,

we found the path up there

and it was so easy to do.

{About a 5 minute climb up while holding a baby. Easy peasy.}

not so sure about that bright sun....

The gorgeous view of the city makes this a must-do...

plus, it's proximity to New Town

makes it too easy not to do on a pretty day.

MIU MIU Glitter Slippers

I also got to break in the new shoes

that I found on clearance at Off 5th

while I was in the States.

I couldn't find them online for you,

but I did find some similar ones that are pretty darn cute & sparkly, too.

{You know, just in case you have an inner-Dorothy complex that needs to be satisfied, too.}

* * *

Any new places in Edinburgh that you love

that I should try on my next visit?

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

The British Are Coming! #pinitforwardUK

My friend, Beth, forced me into blogging

all those many years ago.

She also forced me to join this new website called Pinterest

that all the other bloggers were doing.

So I did it,

because when Beth tells you to do something,

you do it.

I thought it was the coolest thing.

And soon after, most of my American friends

started to join in the fun

and it seemed like the world of Pinterest exploded.

Dreamy pictures of Parisian cafes,

Paleo recipes & fashion week styles

began trending through our lives

and began offering us more visual stimulation

than a 12 year old gets watching

the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders at halftime.

My boards- I kind of love them.

And for the past few years,

there have been different waves of discovery

for this amazing site...

...except here in the UK.

It's not really as big of a deal.

But it will be.

{Kinda feels good to be sending trends the other way over the Atlantic, doesn't it?}

This month,

Pinterest is officially here in the UK.

Helena, Amber, Evan (Pinterest founder!) & Me

Kicking off with a FUN party in London

and now the PIN IT FORWARD UK blog campaign,

they are officially here to stay!

So what is Pinterest?

What does it mean to me?

It's a great way for bloggers

to pin ideas that inspire us for future posts...

it gives us a place to pin gadgets & travel gear

for our upcoming journeys...

it offers us working women a place to find

a delicious meal to make for dinner...

and, ultimately, it gives everyone stuck in a boring job

something fun to do every day from 2-4pm.

Are you already on Pinterest?

If not, it's time...

JOIN THE FUN.

And if you need to learn more about it-

maybe check out the ABOUT page,

where you'll see... you know, me.

{PS. I feel SO cool to be featured here.}

Jump on the fun of meeting some great UK bloggers

by following the Pin It Forward UK campaign.

Tomorrow, my dear friend, Amber,

will be carrying the baton...

don't miss it!

Do you remember when you first "met" Pinterest?

Pillow Giveaway? Happy Monday.

Unless you are in one of the royal residences,

living in London

forces you to become

selective on what items

enter your home.

I'd like to attribute my selective purchasing skills

to a cool, minimalist mentality...

but the truth is,

we just don't have the space!

With the absence of garages, attics, spare bedrooms, & closets,

comes the necessity to keep your life simplified.

Buying in bulk

is a concept I used to relish...

but now, we stock things

in small quantities

and on a need-to-have basis.

Otherwise, our tiny cabinets would pop open

and we would be swimming in random objects.

I've become relatively good at this.

except for one area:

pillows.

I love pillows,

I can't stop adding them to our home,

& I can't throw any old ones away.

It's getting slightly awkward.

So luckily,

when a blog reader, Brittany,

showed me her new pillow line, BELQUIST,

my heart fluttered a bit.

With names like "Cyprus, "Lucerne," & "Bombay,"

it's clear to see how Brittany's travels have influenced

her work designing the pillows.

She has done a fantastic job of creating

a well-edited collection that goes well together...

and, in my opinion,

would look great in most any room of my house.

Which is good

as I have two Belquist pillows

that now need to find a space there.

And now one of you can share in my dilemma, too.

Enter below for your chance to score one.

As its open to US readers only,

I have no doubt the winner

will have plenty of square footage

to give this prize ample room.

{Lucky you.}

{Editor's Note: I love when readers get to win prizes on here. Makes me happy.}

*I was given pillows as a product review for this giveaway.

Just so you know. I really do like them, too!