Saturday, October 26, 2013
Sponsor Love | Exploring My Style

Sponsor Love | Exploring My Style

Saturday, October 26, 2013
I am thrilled to share one of my lovely sponsors with you all! Lauren from Exploring My Style is a charming fashion blogger with an eye for putting together outfits. Check out this Summer Remix where she put together thirty different outfits using some core pieces and different accessories! I found some cute inspiration that I can't wait to try out. Have a cute belt but just can't quite figure out how to style it? Lauren has you covered with 7 Ways To Wear A Belt! Personally, I am terrible with belts. Just terrible. Somewhere along the way there is a disconnect for me. Thankfully I have a little inspiration now! Maybe there is hope for me. Also, It would be an understatement to say that I love cobalt blue, this makes me so happy. Lauren can rock my beloved cobalt blue like nobody's business!

Lauren describes herself as loving, quiet, and observant. What engaging traits to have! And they definitely show, there is a refreshing sweetness that jumps off of her blog. Lauren's sweetness and fashion sense keep me coming back for more inspiration and I'm sure they'll keep you coming back too!  Get to know Lauren a little more below, and be sure to stop by her space and see what inspiration you find! 





 Start Reading Here!  Fall Pastels | 30x30 Remix: Finito | Playing Dress Up
Aren't Lauren and her beau just the cutest? I'm off to good ole Alabama for the weekend, to make some lasting memories with friends. Have a beautiful Weekend!





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




Monday, October 21, 2013
Fall Shenanigans

Fall Shenanigans

Monday, October 21, 2013
I ran off into the sunset with the last days of my week long break. It was blissful, beautiful, and it all comes crashing down to a tragic end, Romeo and Juliet style, tomorrow. I made some attempt to scan over the syllabus for one of my classes. I got swallowed up somewhere in the first assignment. I think my these classes will be fantastic mindset started bleeding out. But no matter, the challenge fuels my hate fire for failure. I see accomplishment on the horizon and that drives me.

As a close out to fall break, I headed over to the barn for the much anticipated Nicker Treat Halloween party ( how clever is that since horses nicker. You know I love my puns ). The whole gang came. Food, fellowship, a creepy infested stall for the kiddos, and glow sticks. We can't forget about glow sticks. I have had a disproportionate love of glow sticks for many years now and I can't tell you of the happiness that seeing 30+ people donning glow sticks brought me. I made a glow stick crown and proudly flitted about wearing it hippie style. Not many things make me feel ten again, but, that certainly does. Last night also included the first bonfire of the season. This familiar amber friend never fails to bring everyone together and encourage conversation, laughter, and the burning of marshmallows. 


Growing up, we were not allowed to go trick or treating. It never bothered me. Especially with the general rowdiness that it brought with it. Plus, in lieu of trick or treating my parents always took us to our church Harvest Party. It had everything. Music, food, games, hayrides, bonfires, and bags of candy for everyone at the end of the night. It is open to the community so everybody and their mother shows up to this event every year. This results in a party for a few hundred people, and it is truly a great time. The Harvest Party still remains one of my favorite events of the season.

My cousins, from the sunshine state, have a huge Halloween shindig every year. Thousands of people trick or treat in their neighborhood. I'm talking full costumes and sets. The theme is different every year, but it is almost always a Disney theme. A few years ago the theme was Alice in Wonderland Johnny Depp style. We decided to make the trip and participate in the shenanigans. I was called upon to be Alice, and a family friend volunteered to be the White Rabbit. I don't remember why, but, I volunteered myself to make, from scratch, a White Rabbit costume. I have tendencies toward perfectionism and a creative mind. So, I set about cutting, sowing, and dyeing. I literally turned Stephen, the family friend, into the White Rabbit. Stephen and I took a walk around the neighborhood, as our characters, and the reactions were priceless. The classic Alice and White Ribbit wandering the streets. Children were either mesmerized or terrified. Dads just thought it was cool. The sweetest thing from that trip were the little kids that truly believed I was Alice and would ask me questions about the Mad Hatter, Red Queen, and if I missed Wonderland.

There are so many fun fall memories to look back on from years past. And I'm sure many great memories yet to be made. What are some of your favorite fall memories?









Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Giveaway | A Beautiful Exchange

Giveaway | A Beautiful Exchange

Wednesday, October 16, 2013
I am so excited to share this giveaway with you guys! Hayley from A Beautiful Exchange hit 1,000 followers. To help her celebrate, myself and a lovely group of bloggers have pulled together to bring you this giveaway. One lucky reader will win $200 paypal cash! Who doesn't love a little extra money? Help Hayley celebrate, go meet some new friends and enter to win yourself some cold hard cash!


 Tiffany from The Dwelling Tree//Tina from Like Ordinary Life//Ashley from Leona Lovely//Kemi from Beauty Style Growth

Chloe from Rainbows and Honeysuckle//Angie from My So Called Chaos//Mackenzie from Bell Bliss//Jen from Boone+Owl

Dee from Deecoded//Rachel from Sunshine and Sinatra//Lauren from The Albrecht's Blog//Cat from Letters to Baby MC


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please note that ALL entries will be verified BEFORE a winner is chosen.
Open to those 18 or older.
Open WORLDWIDE to any Paypal account holder.
Prize to be distributed by A Beautiful Exchange Blog.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Shop For A Cause | Giveaway

Shop For A Cause | Giveaway

Monday, October 14, 2013
Hello Everyone, today I want to share with you not only a giveaway but also causes that are near and dear to my heart. We will be putting power behind our purchase this month by giving away $100 to Sevenly, $100 to FashionABLE and $100 to Noonday Collection. We hope that you will not only enter the giveaway, but that you will also visit these sites and consider making purchases to support the causes.



Sevenly
Sevenly was created in June of 2011 and has a very unique concept. Each week, they have a Cause Campaign where customers purchase products and $7 of each sale is given toward the cause. This is amazing to watch. At the top of their site, you can see their weekly goals - not just monetarily but socially as well. This means that you can use your social media influence to help raise awareness even if you aren't able to give monetarily each week.

FashionABLE
FashionABLE is also a company that supports women around the world. The fashionABLE mission is to create sustainable business for Africans so they aren't dependent upon charity, but instead earn the dignity of a job. They are focused on long term solutions to fight poverty and investing in women. Through your purchase of a scarf, you are ABLE to provide an opportunity and a women is ABLE to have a choice.

Noonday Collection
Noonday Collection has a wide variety of jewelry, accessories, home items and gifts that are hand crafted by Artisans all around the world. Each artisan is paid a fair and competitive wage for their skilled craft thus giving them life-altering opportunities. Because Noonday practices Fair Trade guidelines, your purchases enable them to earn more than they would in another job thus enabling them to put their children in school, buy chickens or expand their business in their local community. When you host a trunk show, 10% of profits can go towards raising funds for a friends adoption. Noonday also gives some of its profits to help place orphans in families.
Friday, October 11, 2013
A Little Sunshine

A Little Sunshine

Friday, October 11, 2013
I am touched. Genuinely touched. Three sweet bloggers nominated me for the Sunshine Award ( Thank you! ). I normally don't do tag posts, but, three's a charm. So, I thought I would answer some of the fun questions from the last tag. I have to give credit where credit is due; Noor and Amanda are two thirds responsible for this post, given their nominations. You should check out their lovely corners of the blogging world! And lucky number three, well, Kelsea is a ray of sunshine herself and a happy addition to my favorite reads! Go say hi and leave her some love!

I should be finishing a paper, but, I'm two thousand words in and my brain isn't feeling philosophical anymore!
All right, let's get to know each other a little better!


1. The last movie you watched? Give an expert review.
Girls movie night - We watched Little Women. Which was a bad idea because I've been in love with "Teddy" since I was ten. I really resent Amy for marrying him..

2. Do you have any silly joke you would never share in public?
I don't have any jokes that I wouldn't share in public. But, my friends call me J; When we're out roaming downtown, I like to jaywalk across the street and proclaim that I am literally 'J' walking. Isn't that just so punny!

3. What's your weirdest high school memory?
One of my friends, and his best friend, tried to convince me that they had seen some sasquatch creature, with glowing yellow eyes, in the woods in front of his house. It was just weird. And ridiculous!

4. If a Pinterest DIY could become reality without any fail, what would you make?
White and gold chevron pumpkins!

5. In your dream house, how does the bed room look?
 Like this

6. How did you get into blogging?
Way back in the day, I started blogging more as a way to keep a journal. I never tried to take my first blog beyond daily journaling. A few years ago, at the prompting of my then beau, I started another blog, a foodie blog. I honestly got really tired of it because it just wasn't me. I love food, but, solely food blogging went too far for me. Those experiences led me to where I am now; Knowing that I wanted to be able to connect and share with others, while remaining very true to myself and what interests me.

7. Any advice you want to give some new bloggers?
Just go for it! Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. You'll never know or find success if you don't try. Be bold.

8. If you could make a wish right now, what would it be?
I would wish to hop on a jet plane to Italy. I have always wanted to vacation there.

9. Complete the sentence : If dinosaurs were real , I'd __________
Put my equestrian skills to good use and saddle up one of those bad boys.

10. If you could write a book  what would it be about?
It would probably be a Jane Austen inspired novel, dripping with romance and love. Love is spectacular. I'm a romantic at heart.

11. Who's your celebrity crush? (fill it with spice, I love this topic)
Loki! I mean Tom Hiddleston..
 I quite like Tom Hiddleston. He carries himself with class and intelligence. Intelligence in a man is a big draw. And he's tall. And he has a happy smile. And his eyes are dreamy. And..
I'm just kidding. But the answer is still Hiddleston.

Now you know! Do you have a silly joke? What's the last movie you watched? How did you get into blogging? Who's your celebrity crush? Tell me about it! I'd love to know.








Monday, October 7, 2013
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Monday, October 7, 2013

Before October 1st of this year I had never tried the pumpkin and chocolate combination. It just seemed like an odd pairing. I finally decided to find out what all the hoopla was about. I jumped headfirst into whipping up pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and they were absolutely outstanding! Possibly my favorite combination out there. These cookies come out more like little cakes, which is a favorite of mine. I dubbed cake like cookies, pillow cookies, a few years ago. The name stuck, and pillow cookies have become a staple in our home. If you haven't tried the pumpkin + chocolate combo yet, this recipe is a great place to start! It's an incredibly easy recipe that you can whip up in a few minutes.

Have a great Monday and happy baking!
        
     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Cream the butter, sugar, and pumpkin. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients in three portions until well combined. Fold in desired amount of chocolate chips (I used the entire bag!) Spoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake on 375 for 10-12 minutes. 






 
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Zara Giveaway

Zara Giveaway

Thursday, October 3, 2013
 It's time for another giveaway! To kick off October, myself and some wonderful ladies have teamed up to bring you a Zara gift card giveaway. One lovely reader will win a Zara giftcard worth $125! It's a bit of a long one, so grab your pumpkin spice latte and settle in for a few minutes. Be sure to enter for your chance to win and check out all the ladies involved. Best of Luck!

A Southern Drawl                    Thirty Seven Four
Create That Outfit                      Boone + Owl
  A Devine Life                        Blushing Boulevard
 While Camden Sleeps                   Sister in the City
Selfless Ambition                     A Dash of Gold

    Live Chicly                          Adored By Alex
 Love Me, Dani Marie                  The Style Optimist 




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Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Giveaway | September Close Out

Giveaway | September Close Out

Wednesday, October 2, 2013
October is upon us! To close out the month of September, myself and five other lovely bloggers have pulled together to bring this giveaway to you. Paypal cash + gift card design credit + ad space on three blogs! The perfect way to end the month. So go ahead and enter! You could be welcoming in October with a little extra blogger cash and hanging out on our blogs for a while. Good luck, friends!

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