GiGi New York: Tote-ally Awesome.

Traveling a lot

offers you the ability to learn

how to travel smart.

You learn what things you can do without

and what things you absolutely can't live without.

Pretty much anything that weighs more than 

my makeup bag or a paperback book

isn't making the cut...

my shoulders are so worn down from years of schlepping

my laptop, notepad, camera, water bottles,

piles of books I wanted to read (but never did)

around as we traveled.

But I'm older & wiser now....

and I have a kid

that requires lots of other transported junk gear.

So how do you travel smart

when you need all the essentials,

need it to double as a diaper bag,

but want to look like a normal/non-mom person?

Well, I have no idea...

but I think this cute tote bag

by GiGi New York

gets me pretty close to it.

I like the idea of using a bag

that is cool enough to me to wear pre-baby 

... after you become post-baby.

Obviously, I realllly like that idea. Reason 1051 I'm not a fashion blogger. God bless those special people.

Plus, you can put your own initials

on the cute bag tag...

or have them stamped directly on the bag.

{Like my cross-body from last summer had, remember?}

Your choice.

Traveling is hectic enough...

so why complicate it with extra pieces

when you could just carry everything in one, pretty, chic bag?

Especially when you've already got your hands full.

 GiGi New York Teddy Tote in Taupe, $295.

Sounds like it's time for you to get packing, too.

Check out the entire line here.

***

PS. This bag comes in so many colors!!! One for everyone. ;)

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

**tote bag c/o GiGi New York.

Happy/Sad Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is this weekend. 

I can't believe how much has changed in a year.

This time last year, 

we were just two kids 

having fun living between Paris & London.

And then, I got pregnant.

{This was the video I took to record the moment- live from the bathroom of a Chinese massage parlor- ha!}

We began to dream of new our life with the three of us.

Until we found out it would actually be the four of us.

Our hearts swelled with anticipation

of the two sweet girls headed our way.

We felt like we had won the lottery.

For those nine months, we both glowed.

Dreams of walking the streets of London

each holding a little girl

amused our every thought.

We'd see little girls plodding along the sidewalk

and give each other side glances and smiles.

Life was never so sweet.

And then everything changed.

Tyler became a father.

I became a mother.

But life looked different than we thought it would.

Our world has changed from so much.

Even thought we feel so much joy,
we aren't those careless kids anymore.

In the course of a year,

we've gone from having zero kids 

to two girls 

to one.

Even though it hurt

-both emotionally & physically, I might add-

I'd do it all again.

In a heartbeat.

It was worth it all

to become a mother to both of my beautiful girls

even if it was for so much shorter than we wanted.

And while our dreams 
of holding both of our sweet daughters

throughout life's adventures are now gone,

I'm so thankful for those months I was lucky enough to carry them both.

Happy Mother's Day 

to all of us...

Those of us who raise babies.

Those of us who once raised babies.

Those of us who still wait for their turn to hold their baby.

And those of us who will always miss our babies.

xoxo-

Lots of love from my {aching/joyful} heart to yours.

*PS Me & Blogger are in a fight over this wonky formatting. 

I Pledge Allegiance...

My favorite things about coming back to the US

are, in no particular order:

 DONUTS

Unfortunately, these don't really exist in London.

I mean, there are donuts...

but they aren't the good kind.

They are the yucky, old, in a plastic box from the grocery store kind.

It's extremely upsetting.

Every Saturday morning,

I roll over to Tyler 

and tell him that the only thing missing in our life

is a donut shop that we could go to for breakfast.

By the way,

I had 3 donuts this morning....

and 5 donut holes.

Disgusting, right?

But also great.

GOOD HAMBURGERS

I know there are getting to be some good places in London

that now serve a decent burger

{Meatliquor and Patty&Bun, I hear ya),

but they don't do it without a huge line

and this cheap.

And none of them have

ranch, American cheese, bacon, avocado & grilled onions...

and for that, it is all the lesser.

Friends & Family

Well, I have some pretty awesome friends in London,

but I still miss these sweet faces while I'm gone.

Oh, and do you know what is really fun?

Getting to introduce your baby to her cousins...

and aunts...

and great-grandparents....

Viola Wallace and her namesake, Jeanne Wallace Knight.

and so many other people that you love dearly.

It's been such a treat.

We are having a great time in the States.

Texas & Oklahoma down,

Charlotte & Arkansas up next!

***

While I'm elbow deep in donut-holes & chimichangas
during our trip around the States,
I'll be doing a few good giveaways here on the blog.

Don't worry- they're all awesome.

You wont be mad about them. ;)

The Lovely Drawer: Chorizo & Butter Bean Stew

Sometimes it can be scary when people offer to cook for you.

You just don't know if what tastes good to someone else

will taste as good to you.

But with a newborn baby,

you kinda don't really care.

You just relish the idea that you won't have to think through what to make,

bother with running to the store 

or have to spend any time in the kitchen...

other than the few seconds it takes to slide something into the oven 

& pour yourself a drink.

Luckily for us,

our friends all have really good taste

and we had zero disastrous meals.

{I attribute this to the fact that most people here don't cook dishes

that are structured around cans of "Cream of Mushroom/Chicken Soup,"

which as a southerner, I can admit comprises approximately 85% of most home-cooked meals.}

Everything our friends made for us was really delicious.

Especially, this stew that our friend Teri cooked for us.

It was so good that I asked her to share the recipe with me...

and with you, too!

You'll love it.

It's simple, it's filling, it's packed with flavor,

and, well, it's just an all-together good recipe 

that you need to add to your collection.

PS. You've got to check out Teri's gorgeous blog, The Lovely Drawer. 

It's crazy-cakes cute, 

just like you'll see she is in the pictures below.

* * * * *

CHORIZO & BUTTER BEAN STEW

{with lemon couscous}

Here's what you do:

1) Chop the red onion, chorizo, orange peppers and sun dried tomatoes.

2) Heat a little olive oil in a pan on a medium heat. Then fry the onions with the garlic salt & paprika.

3) Add the chorizo and orange pepper. Season and stir.

4) When the pepper is cooked, add the sun dried tomatoes, beans, mixed herbs & half the thyme- after you've pulled the leaves from the stalks.

5) Turn the heat down. Slowly add your stock, in turn with the chopped tomatoes. Stir as you go.

6) After everything is added, let it simmer for 10-15 mins, until the flavours have infused and the sauce has thickened a bit.

7) Meanwhile pour your couscous into a bowl and add boiling water. Let sit for about 5 minutes and then use a fork to separate the grains. Add the lemon juice & zest and combine with the fork.

8) Sprinkle the remaining thyme over the stew and serve with the couscous.

* * * * *

Did you make sure to bookmark this recipe?

Pin it?

Print it out and tape it your fridge?

Okay. Thanks.

Because it really is that good

and I really want you to love it, too.

*photos by The Lovely Drawer.

FOUR SALE: Taking Home The Silver

I've been wandering through the market for the past weekend mornings

with the motivation to master my walking-while-consuming-coffee-and-pastry skills,

get some "me" time while Tyler & Viola snooze,

and to find special pieces that can find a place in your home.

{So, I guess it's not exactly a selfless task.}

After my last FOUR SALE

full of pretty finds from Notting Hill's Portobello Road,

I learned two important lessons:

1. People really like English antiques.

2. They get pretty sad when they chance to get any

because the sale is already over.

So, as a perpetual people-pleaser,

I set out to reinvent the wheel

and give the people what they want.

This resulted in a couple of days 

of thinking through different formats & options....

and then one night, the answer was really obvious.

Here's what's going to happen:

It's all going to be sold via a Facebook page

 especially for FOURSALE.

Huh?

Why move it from my blog you ask?

Well, for the silly sake of matching the section above, 

I'm going to give you two reasons:

1. It allows people to snag a piece 

if they are away from their computers

through commenting via the Facebook app...

which, as we all know, is 2408 times easier 

than commenting on blogger with your phone.

2. It will offer better notice when the sales start,

since people check Facebook about 2408 times

more in a day than this blog.

{I know, I know... people's priorities are way off.}

So go on to the new FOURSALE page

and check out the little goody I have waiting for you there.

And in the meantime,

let's take a quick trip through Notting Hill.

sorry ladies. this one's off the market. ;)

*all images original to aspiring kennedy.

When a Friend Grieves: Your Guide to Being a Super Hero

So the last two months have been great.

They've also been tough.

{Perhaps an understatement?}

Fortunately, we have some amazing friends

who have made our lives a bit brighter

and have keep us incredibly taken care of.

I hope that no one ever goes through what we did,

but if/when you find a friend going through a tough time-

here are some ways we have been (& continue to be) loved

that have rocked our world.

So skim this post today,

but bookmark it for later

when you need to put on your knight armor

& trot off to rescue someone in need.

Who ever knows what to say in such circumstances?

Probably not you,

but the good news is that 

your friend that is hurting doesn't have 

the right words to say either.

No one really knows what to say on either end.

Are you doing okay?

Well, no not really.

I understand what you're going through.

Great, but it still hurts.

Is there anything I can do?

Yes, but I have no clue where to start.

When you're in these moments,

here are some ways to say that you care

without actually saying it.

Groceries!

Once a week, bring by essentials: 

bread, milk, coffee, jam, toilet paper, kleenex, magazines,

cereal, fresh fruit, or whatever else they might often use.

It's an easy, quick way to help

keep life going on

when it feels anything other than normal.

Perhaps the most common route,

but not one to be overlooked!

This is a tangible way for you to send your thoughts.

We got flooded with cards

that at the time,

I couldn't really process...

but these days,

these letters and thoughts 

are so sweet to read over.

And over time, it will be a nice reminder

of who walked through this with us.

{Emails are also pretty sweet, too.}

***

Another amazing thing:

friends that have sent postcards & notes at random

now weeks later

sending sweet notes to uplift us,

silly notes written from "Kate Middleton,"

& encouraging us with sweet sentiments.

The first thing I think is important to say

is that the first response wave is crucial to helping someone through tragedy...

These are the people that come and visit you in the hospital.

They send flowers & baskets of muffins to warm up your home.

Their presence helps make the suddent impact of everything better.

Then comes the second round.

These are the meals that are brought to lighten the daily load.

These are the letters & cards that arrive to offer love and mark the occasion.

These are the gifts that try to ease the loss.

But after the initial shock is over

and people go about their daily routine,

the hurting are still reeling.

And then, comes the (often forgotten,) third round.

This is where small notes arrive in the mail after the others have stopped

just reminding you that you are being thought of & prayed over.

These are the flowers that arrive months later when the others have long been thrown out.

This is the massage appointment that has been booked for you.

My advice is this:

reach out initially with love

and immediately call a florist/spa/food delivery service

and do whatever it is that you can do to love them...

but arrange that the gift is given several weeks later.

It will remind them that someone is still thinking of them

and offer a huge impact in the quieter days ahead.

****

We were lucky to have friends use the amazing site,

Care Calendar

to coordinate meals & drop-offs

that were scheduled for 4 nights a week

for eight weeks after our babies were born.

It was so nice and gave us time to see everyone 

and visit with them individually.

We were spoiled with special gifts

from friends & family

that eased our grieving 

and commemorated our daughters.

Beautiful jewelry with the girls initials to wear as a reminder,

relaxing bath oil to use when I needed to hide out,

& sweet handmade blankets knitted with love and prayers.

When everything sucks in your life,

it may seem shallow- 

but it does feel great to be pampered.

You need to have some sort of win,

and while things won't ever replace your loss,

it does make you feel like you're ahead of the game 

in some small way.

________________

So there you have it.

I hope you don't have to use any of this anytime soon...

but if/when you do-

just know that no matter how you reach out in love for someone,

you probably can't go wrong.

Doing anything is better than doing something that isn't perfect.

Memories for a Lifetime: Childhood Travel

Next week,

we are getting our baby girl

her wings to fly.

That's right.

This traveling circus

has added another member,

and is setting off on our first

international flight 

& whirlwind trip.

With yesterday's arrival of her passport,

we are officially ready to spend three weeks 

in the U.S. of A.

Even though this kid of ours

is a complete champ

in most every sense of the word,

I'm a little nervous

about the (six!) flights. 

Viola, on the otherhand,

is ready to go.

This kid pleases me in every possible way.

If she loves to travel like her parents

it will just be icing on the cake.

If not,

well, 

we'll still keep her.

While this kid is making it across the ocean at the ripe age of 9 weeks,

I was 9 years old when we had our first "big" trip.

My dad cashed in his AA miles and took us all around Europe

in a fashion that could make

 W. Clark Griswald feel like an underachiever.

It was an epic time

full of metallic track suits....

fluffy scrunchies... 

colored jean shorts....

& the creation of family memories that have stuck around

for the twenty years since.

What are some memories of your first BIG trip?

***

Oh, and, as you all know, GFC is going to be extinct 

in the not-so-distant future.

{Bummer, I know.}

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Pulp Home Pillows are Pretty (&) Cheap.

I'm cheap.

I can't help it.

I love pretty things,

but I just can't justify shelling out top dollar for them.

I mean,

I think Gap at full price is kind of expensive.

And isn't Gap supposed to be, like, an affordable, low-end store?

If I'm going to pay $80 for something,

it won't be on the regular racks of a chain store at the mall.

It will be a hidden gem crammed in a back corner

of a designer sample sale

or outlet store,

thank you very much.

Or I'll shop on designer sale sites 

like Gilt Groupe 

or One Kings Lane.

So combine discount shopping

with one of my favorite companies, Peacock Alley

and a pillow line offering you two color different looks

that was designed by one of my best friends, Beth Dotolo,

and her partner in crime, Carolina Gentry-
the two brains behind Pulp Design Studios.

Whaddaya get?

Well, I get excited.

I bet you will, too.

These pillows have a reversible band

that gives you two options...

which, in my mind, says =

two pillows for the price of one at half off.

That's some solid math, people.

Go on, check out the sale, & snag one for your home

and support a fellow blogger!

{Do you read Beth's lifestyle blog Hello, Splendor? It's good stuff.}

Happy Weekend!!