The Thankful Project | Happy Turkey

The Thankful Project | Happy Turkey

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Hey People! It is a beautiful, chilly Thursday morning/afternoon here in the sunshine state. I hope wherever you are spending Thanksgiving is equally as beautiful! Today is the last day of The Thankful Project, and really the close of November. For me anyway. Once it is officially the morning of turkey day, all of the days to follow just run together. I'll keep things short and sweet, for your sake and mine. I can smell a million different delicious things brewing in that kitchen.

Today, I am thankful for all of you. As cheesy as that sounds, it's true. The blogging community is a really fantastic thing. There are so many creative, inspiring young women out there, and I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to get to know some of you! I love finding a new blog and getting to know the woman behind it all through each post. You all share life differently, you share it with originality and with a great dose of your personality. It's fantastic! I find so much inspiration on your blogs. And I so genuinely appreciate the support and encouragement I have received from all of you as I share life here, on Boone+Owl. It is a wonderful, beautiful opportunity to share in this creative space with each and every one of you! 

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! I hope your day is filled with laughter, memory making, a few kodak moments, plenty of shenanigans, and really spectacular food! 

Happy turkey. Have a beautiful day!

Be sure to check out this month's featured sponsor :

Sponsor Love | Niescior's Notes

Sponsor Love | Niescior's Notes

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

I am so happy to share one of my beautiful sponsors with you all today! Amanda from Niescior's Notes. She is a spunky blogger from South Africa! How neat is that? Check out some of her fun answers about life there! If you're looking for the perfect concealer or mascara, Amanda's got you covered with fun reviews! She's a designer too, creating fun, eye catching designs for your blog or website. Her blog is a colorful and happy space, and Amanda herself is one of the sweetest ladies I have had the pleasure of getting to know. She shares life and beauty over in her corner of the blogging world and she does so with sass and spice! Get to know her better below!

Blog | Bloglovin | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Start reading here : How My Hand Writes | A Little Bit of Inspiration | My Piece of Paradise

Isn't Amanda just so playful and bubbly! Be sure to stop by her creative space!
Have a great Tuesday!

Want to be featured on Boone+Owl? Head over to my Sponsor page.

                                                Be sure to check out this month's featured sponsor:

The Thankful Project | Traditions

The Thankful Project | Traditions

Saturday, November 23, 2013

I know I'm late with this post, but, as I've stated in the past, better late than never. It's my motto. The only excuse that I have for failing to post this on Thursday is just.. life. I got caught up with a little of this and a little of that and some of the other. Thanksgiving is what, five days away? It's really very exciting! My family doesn't have many traditions, but one that we do have, and one that means the world to me is our Thanksgiving tradition.

Every year we all pack our bags and road trip to the sunshine state to feast with my mom's side of the family. We have all spent Thanksgiving together for as long as I can remember ( plus or a minus a married cousin or two.) When I was little this road trip made me nervous, which is common for me. I'll get nervous over just about anything. I would cry like a baby when it was all over and we had to come home. Nowadays it's just a big party. All of us cousins are grown now so the dynamics are different. It's a good change. It's fun to think back on all of the fun Thanksgiving memories!

This year my sister + her two little girls will be joining the shenanigans. The girls are a little older now, so they will remember all of the Thanksgiving fun! 

So, all of that to say, I am thankful for traditions. They play a beautiful hand in childhood memories and building sweet relationships with extended family. The food, laughter, games, football, night walks downtown, and of course a cheesy movie. It all has become very special, and I am thankful beyond words for such sweet memories. Bring on Thanksgiving!

What traditions do you have? I'd love to hear about them!

Be sure to check out this month's featured sponsor :

Follow Friday Link Up

Follow Friday Link Up

Friday, November 22, 2013

Welcome to this week's Follow Friday Link Up!

Every Friday, you'll have the opportunity to link up your Bloglovin', Twitter, or Facebook profiles! The point of the Follow Friday Link Up is to network with bloggers, meet new friends, and gain more followers! I'm so excited to finally introduce this link up to you, and can't wait to get to know you more!

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<a href="http://lyssandloveliness.com/category/follow-friday/" title="Follow Friday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i42.tinypic.com/wjwaqa.png" alt="Follow Friday" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

 

{Note: We're currently looking for co-hosts to feature. If you're interested in co-hosting Follow Friday with us, please contact Alyssa!}

So, what are the rules?

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1.) Follow your hosts

Lyss & Loveliness: Bloglovin' | Facebook | Twitter Inspiration Sparks: Bloglovin' | Facebook | Twitter Boone & Owl: Bloglovin' | Facebook | Twitter

2.) Link up using your Bloglovin', Facebook, or Twitter profiles

3.) Visit 3 other blogs and leave a comment on one of their posts!

4.) Tweet about Follow Friday to help us spread the word

{Click here to tweet about Follow Friday!}

Be sure to check out this month's featured sponsor :

Anthropologie Understands Me | Christmas Countdown

Anthropologie Understands Me | Christmas Countdown

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

As an avid baker and wannabe chef, I get really excited about Pinterest worthy kitchen supplies. Like THIS and THAT. I mean, how stinking cute! What am I actually going to do when I can't have everything I've pinned? Anywho. I want to put it out there that I have found the most wonderful Christmas present for the kitchen aficionado in your life! That's right, Christmas! It's in 35 days; Just in case you were living in blissful ignorance. Let the Christmas countdown begin. Best be getting' your shop on!

Truthfully, I have never been a gift giver. I'm just not good at it. At all. There, I said it. Gift giving is not my forte. I actually get really nervous around Christmastime.. birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers, anniversaries, valentine's day..
Pretty much anytime a gift/card should be given. It's terribly unfortunate. If we're ever with each other at a gift worthy time, just give me grace, okay? I'll do anything else for you; Watch your children, cook you dinner, grocery shop for you. Really anything. Just don't make me buy a gift! I say all of that to contradict myself, because I really want to gift all of my girlfriends with an Anthropologie apron.

So, like I was saying, I'm a wanna be chef and lover of scratch baking + I really adore pretty clothes. All of this has led me to the epitome of kitchen cuteness, and the perfect present for the fashionable chef in your life. Anthropologie has some of the cutest aprons I have ever seen. They look more like dresses, and honestly I wish that some of them were. Anthropologie understands me. I picked some of their cutest options and thought, hey I'll share them. Each one runs about $32.00; Fairly reasonable for a Christmas gift. Just take a gander, soak up the sublime charm!

Christmas post? I know. I'm sure you're thinking "What about Thanksgiving?.." Me too. Let's face it though, Christmas is hurling toward us as we speak!

Are you a good gift giver? Let me know!
It's Wednesday - Happy Hump Day!

Be sure to check out this month's featured sponsor :

The Thankful Project | Foundations

The Thankful Project | Foundations

Thursday, November 14, 2013

As established last Thankful Thursday, I am all for a sappy outpouring of affections. So I'm here to proclaim my thankfulness, again! I have been giving this a lot of thought lately, and by this I obviously mean thankfulness. There is so much to be thankful for. Truly. As I was thinking through the things that I am thankful for, my parents kept coming to mind. That probably seems cliché, but, it is meaningful. I am thankful for my parents, and specifically their support.

I can always count on my parents to support me in my hopes and endeavors. If I want try something new, they are right there telling me to go for it. For instance - this blog. They have been such an encouragement from the start. I had many a conversation, with my mom, sharing my thoughts and hopes for starting a new blog. And thanks to her, I am able to share fashion posts! She's slowly but surely becoming a better photographer. And dear old dad, he bookmarked Boone+Owl. I catch him reading posts on his iPad. How precious is that? There's nothing for him to relate to here in girl world, but, he reads on. ( How's that for your honorable mention, dad? )

There are many things in life that I have been nervous about diving into. Every time, my parents have been there with words of encouragement and an ever confident attitude. Without that, there are just some things that I wouldn't have tried, opportunities that I wouldn't have taken without that extra kick of support. We all need that. We all need people in our lives that believe in our ability to accomplish something. We need people to believe in us. That gives us a strong foundation to launch from. 

Knowing that I can count on my parents to support and encourage me is huge. I am tremendously thankful for those two. They are not just my mom and dad, but they are also two of my best friends. We do a lot together, and I'm not ashamed of that. They are always there for me and I proudly hangout with them! So for this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for foundations, foundations of belief and bolstering; For this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for my parents.

What are you thankful for?

Check out this month's featured sponsor:

In Loving Memory

In Loving Memory

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Loss is a hard thing. Especially the loss of someone loved dearly. There is an emptiness that fills the air and lingers on your heart and the hearts of others for a while. The whirlwind of family coming into town, planning, and attending the service, puts a barrier between you and the weight of sadness for just a little while. Having family around is bolstering and brings in a wave of precious memories. 

Everything sinks in when all of the activity settles down.

John, well, Grandpa John, has a special place in my heart. Though he was not my biological grandfather, he held as much respect, and he treated all of us grandkids as his very own flesh and blood. We all have special memories with him. One of my favorites is from Christmastime. Grandpa John always wrapped the presents in brown paper and tied them with a bow of twine. We loved that and looked forward to it every year. John had a "secret" stash of candy by his lazyboy, that we all snagged some sweet goodness from on the sly. I'm pretty sure he knew all about this and never said a word. Maybe that was a sweet to him as our presents wrapped in brown paper. 

Grandpa John's death did not take us all by surprise. He had been ill for some time. When he truly was gone though, it hurt in a deep place. At the same time, we were and are able to take a measure of comfort and joy. My Grandpa John was a born again follower of Christ, and because of that truth, we all take heart in knowing that we will see him again. Though his body is resting, his spirit is not. 

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." Philippians 3:20-21.

Jesus died. This is commonplace to most people, it's a familiar fact. And I think it can seem almost hollow to some. We grow accustomed to thinking that meaning comes from newness, but old truths are still true, and therefore are still incredibly meaningful. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ means the death of death itself. Jesus Christ conquered death and this means victory over death for those who trust in Christ as their Lord and Savior. John did that. What joy we have, as those who loved him dearly, to know that John is in the presence of his Savior. John is no longer in pain or discomfort, but he rejoices in the presence and holiness of God. This covers our grief with hope and encouragement. This is what we look forward to!

"..But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." 2 Timothy 1:8-10

John loved his family with all of his heart, and he was most tenderly loved right back. The whole family was together about this time last year. We laughed, we threw the pigskin around, we joked with one another. I remember well how happy John looked. He had a sweet content smile on his face watching his family. That is one of my last memories of Grandpa John when he was still doing well. I cherish that always. 

Check out this month's featured sponsor:

The Thankful Project | The Forevers

The Thankful Project | The Forevers

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Ah November, the month of turkey and pumpkin pie. I'm a huge fan of November. Not just because there's a free pass to gorge myself on turkey, and not just because of Black Friday. There's also football,  late night movie excursions, and time with the Florida family. November is all kinds of happiness! And of course, November is the month of thankfulness. Life can be so busy, it has it's ups and downs. I don't always feel so thankful. I'm not proud of that, but, I can admit that a lot of the time I take things and people for granted. So, in honor of the month of thankfulness, and not taking life for granted, I am declaring my thankfulness every Thursday this month!

Well that's cheesy, you say? Good! I'm all for sappy, sentimental, sugary, syrupy things like that. And I'm not ashamed to share such things. It's heartfelt, and that is never a bad thing. So here it is! A heartfelt share from yours truly.

I'm Thankful For..

The Forevers. You know, the people in life that, no matter what, they are always there, they are always on your side, they always have your back. As the years have gone by, people have come in and out of my life. Some that it really hurt my heart to see go, and some, well, some that when they were gone, I felt a weight lifted. They all, in one way or another, brought something to my life that I grew from. That's valuable. No matter the final circumstances. Those hard goodbyes have given me a sweet respect and appreciation for the friends that have been around for years. Those friends are treasured. Secrets, tears, shared joys, laughter, selfies, coffee dates, memories. Every single bit of it has built, over the years, more than friendship. Friends have became family. That is priceless.

I am thankful for the friends that have become sisters. I am thankful for the older friends that are more like a second mom. I am thankful for the friends that know exactly how to put a smile on my face. I am thankful for the friends that extended trust and let me know the innermost parts of their hearts. I treasure each and every one of you! They are my forevers, and I look forward to the years down the road. I don't know what life will throw our way, but, I know without a doubt that our friendship will be ever strong and I will always hold it dear to my heart. 

What are you thankful for this November?

Have a beautiful thankful Thursday!

                 
                                           Be sure to check out this month's featured sponsor:

Montgomery, Alabama

Montgomery, Alabama

Saturday, November 2, 2013

I have been MIA for far too long. What can I say though, I got completely caught up in the Alabama fun! We really did have a wonderful time with friends. They were fairly new friends at the start, but, I feel even closer to them now and that is awesome! I normally do well with the photo documentation on such trips, but, I seriously slacked off this time around. Five photos in total. Shameful. Nevertheless, I am putting those suckers in this post, poor exposure and all!

I have to say, the flights over were more enjoyable than usual considering my extreme aversion to flying, and the airport time provided some amusement. The Marine using his bag as a pillow ( way to problem solve, my friend ), Hulk blazing through the airport like his life depended on it, the ten minute layover ( cue speed walking), my bags cute little valet tag. It's the little things..

There are not a tremendous number of things to do in Montgomery, Alabama. We walked the pavements of downtown, which looked like it was utterly abandoned. Though, we did find a tunnel with club lights that left you feeling like your head was spinning. Slightly unsettling and quite entertaining. It led out to this waterfront green-space that looked like it was meant for gladiators. Very fitting for Halloween weekend fun. At some point Criminal Minds episodes started playing through my mind and we hightailed it out of there.

I really hate flying, I hate it with a passion. I would gladly hop on a plane to relive our Alabama experience though. Delicious food, good laughter, dressing up for dinning out, froyo, throwback music..

So much to look back on and smile about. Thanks Alabama, it was real!

Today is the momma's birthday. Happy birthday!! She's patiently waiting to skip off and begin birthday festivities, while I write this. So, I'm off! 

Tell me about your Halloween weekend fun! What did you do? What crazy costume did you don?

Have a great Saturday!

The short photo journey.