INSPIREMS

Life on the Boswell Farm {Life}

2/28/2019

Hey y’all!
Happy Thursday! We hope that everyone has a fabulous weekend celebrating Mardi Gras or if you’re staying in, a relaxing one! Today we wanted to share a little bit about the Boswell Family. The Boswells have been raising dairy goats and other livestock on their farm in Star, just a little bit south of Jackson! We got the chance to chat with Laura Boswell about life on the Boswell Farm and Star Soap Company, the family’s very own soap business!

{Tell us a little bit about y'all!}

My husband grew up in Jackson and I was raised in Brandon, Mississippi. We moved to Star about 10 years ago and have raised our twin daughters here since they were in Kindergarten. Star is a little town south of Jackson down Highway 49 and the hometown of Faith Hill!!

The property we reside on has been in the family for a couple generations and we’ve spent years turning it into our home and hobby farm. Because of the long narrow shape of the property it was previously called “Dogpatch.” Since we’ve made it truly ours, it now goes by “Boswell Farm” and the dairy goat herd is called Hominy Grove. My husband and I knew from the very beginning that we wanted to live down here permanently one day. We figured it would be now or when our twin daughters, Maggie and Brinkley, went to college. We decided we wanted them to have childhood memories of the farm so we made the move just before they started kindergarten!

{Tell us a little bit about Boswell Farm.}
We are what I would describe as a hobby farm. We have some fenced pastures where our three horses, miniature Jersey heifer, and our dairy goat herd reside. We have lots of wooded acres as well for a few deer plots for hunting and some pines growing too. We enjoy using the property for sport and pleasure such as hunting and trail riding the horses.

{How did y'all get into raising and showing goats?}
When we moved here we knew we wanted the girls to be involved in 4-H with a livestock project of some sort. They were not keen on the idea of raising a market animal every year because they are sold each year, so we decided to look into a breeding stock species that you could use year after year and work on improving and building a herd. The dairy cows were so big for our young girls at the time so we started researching dairy goats. Rankin county has some very involved families that have raised dairy goats for years and they were very kind to help answer many questions and get us started on this journey eight years ago. The girls enjoyed showing and competing in the 4-H shows so much that we started attending open shows that are sanctioned by the American Dairy Goat Association just to give them more opportunities to show their animals.

{What was the inspiration behind Star Soap company?}
A close friend and fellow breeder taught us how to make goat milk soap many years ago. We started to make soap just for our own use and gifts for family members. We still mainly just sell to friends via word of mouth and attend a handful of craft shows every year. The name comes from our little small town that we love! I feel like our soap is truly a hometown product!! Our feed ration for the goats is mixed at a local mill and Mr. Ross has been mixing it for us for many years now. The labels for our soap bars are printed just down the road at Stephens Printing.

{What is y’all’s favorite thing about raising dairy goats?}
My daughters would say their favorite thing about raising dairy goats are the babies!!! Baby goats are some of the most adorable creatures ever. They also agree that it is fun meeting people at different events that share the same interest they have in raising dairy goats.

{What else does the Boswell Family do for fun?}
The girls enjoy playing volleyball for their school and club team. Maggie participates in archery at Jackson Prep and Brinkley enjoys riding her horse, 7-Up. My husband rides his horse weekly working cows on a friend’s ranch just outside Utica. I’ve recently renewed my hobby of painting and expanded to acrylic paints from years of only dabbling in watercolor painting. The goats and pets serve as the subjects for many of my paintings. I also enjoy making barn quilts.

{Where can people purchase Star Soap products?}
People can contact me at [email protected] for custom orders. You can find us at A Day In The Country craft fair in October at Chapel of the Cross! We’ve attended it for the past few years and always enjoy visiting with repeat customers.

{Do y'all have any big plans for 2019}
I think in the future I would like to expand the soap business in the next few years. Last year we attended the National Dairy Goat show in Ohio and would love to attend again sometime

Sunjay Chawla: Wendy's High School Heisman Winner {Life}

2/26/2019

Happiest of Tuesdays y'all!
Today we wanted to share the incredible story of Sunjay Chawla, Mississippi's first Wendy's High School Heisman recipient. Sunjay is the type of individual we can all find inspiration in. We are thrilled to be able to share his story with y'all. Keep reading for more!

Over a decade ago, Dave Thomas, the founder of the popular fast food restaurant Wendy’s, established the Wendy’s High School Heisman Scholarship in order to celebrate the young adults across America whose academic achievements, drive, and athletic success set them apart from their peers. Sunjay Chawla is undoubtedly deserving of this honor and was recognized as the 2018 Wendy’s High School Heisman Scholarship winner, the first national winner from the state of Mississippi. The Pillow Academy senior is the type of individual who knows no other life but one defined by selfless service, determination, and passion.

Sunjay’s parents, Suresh and Gauri Chawla, knew their child was destined for athletic success from the time he was a very young child. “When I first learned how to walk I was dribbling a soccer ball with both feet,” smiles Sunjay. Father and son bonded on the golf course and tennis court, effectively planting the seeds for a love for sport that would grow stronger as Sunjay aged. As a senior in high school, Sunjay is a talented athlete; his abilities allow him to excel at soccer, tennis, and golf. “My greatest accomplishment in sports is not even a big win. I finished third place in our state in golf. Golf is the hardest sport for me, and it was so rewarding to see all the hard work I put into the game pay off during that tournament,” says Sunjay.

The summer prior to beginning his final year at Pillow Academy, Sunjay attended the Summer Leadership Institute at the Trent Lott Institute of the University of Mississippi. While participating in the program, Sunjay made the decision to take advantage of the resources available to him and get a head start on a long research paper required by his senior year english class. He decided to research the biases embedded into the standardized test he had just done very well on. “I was surprised by how much information I was able to find. There is a significant amount of evidence that suggests standardized college admittance tests are biased towards women, minorities, and the underprivileged. That research changed how I looked at those tests. I am blessed to be fortunate enough to be able to afford all the resources I needed to do well on the ACT, but many in my community are not so lucky. I wanted to unearth those biases and make them known,” says Sunjay.

Not content with simply acknowledging the issue, the high school senior was determined to do what he could to help combat the problem in his own community. Sunjay, with the support of his family, began hosting ACT prep courses every Tuesday and Thursday for students at Greenwood High School, a program he referred to as the Shawla ACT Institute. “My goal was to provide my peers with the resources I was fortunate enough to have when preparing for the test. The key to standardized testing is often repetition, but test prep books that contain practice tests can be really expensive for some people, making taking multiple practice tests cost prohibitive. I figured that I could help these students prepare themselves by administering practice exams and grading them, and reviewing them with the students,” says Sunjay. This level of selflessness is not limited to this project, the teenager also hosts tennis camps, open to children of the entire community. “I have a passion for tennis and I am blessed to be good at it. There is no reason not to spread the joy the game I love brings to those who play it,” smiles Sunjay. During the summers, Sunjay will run drills in Whittington Park with anyone who wants to learn how to play the game.

It is these acts of service, his academic performance, and his athletic success that made him the perfect candidate to win the Wendy’s National High School Heisman scholarship. His victory might have surprised Sunjay, but made perfect sense to those in his community who know him well. “Winning the Heisman award meant everything to me. I have made a lot of sacrifices to get to where I am. I have missed out on a lot of things because I’m studying or practicing. Winning this award meant so much to me because it reminded me that hard work and sacrifice does pay off. It has motivated me to approach my future with the same amount of determination,” says Sunjay. Looking forward, Sunjay is sure that community service will remain an integral part of his life. “I am committed to the idea that with great success comes great responsibility to give back to the community. I am so thankful for the community I was lucky enough to be raised in. To know that everyone around me wants me to succeed means so much to me and I am so grateful for the support my community has offered.”

All photographs courtesy of Wendy's High School Heisman.
To find out more about this honor, please visit the Wendy's High School Heisman website.

Floral Trends with Fresh Cut Catering and Floral {Insider Inspiration}

2/19/2019

Happy Tuesday y’all!
We are patiently waiting for Spring to come around the corner and bet y’all are as well. In the meantime, we got the chance to chat with Julia Putt about upcoming floral trends you’re sure to see this year. Julia is a floral designer at Fresh Cut Catering and Floral. The team at Fresh Cut have the incredible ability to translate the vision in their clients’ heads into reality. Everything they do captures the personality of their clients and results in stunning events. Keep reading to hear more from Julia about what the latest and greatest is in the world of florals!

{What do you think are going to be the biggest floral trends in 2019?}
I think pave of flowers are coming back in style in a major way this year! Instead of spreading your flowers through the arrangements, we are seeing brides choose collections of flowers within the arrangement. These tight clusters add a point of focus to arrangements.

{Can you speak specifically about upcoming trends in bridal florals?}
Bouquets have been far larger recently. We’re seeing more clients request bouquets that are horizontal in form and wild in textures. Brides aren’t scared to pop colors in theirs and have them untamed. I so love that the recent trends are stepping away from the traditional mound. I am all about some horizontal and cascading bouquets!

{Are there certain flowers that are going to be more popular than others?}
Most brides tend to love hydrangea and roses. No matter what arrangements we are doing, most get hydrangea. Deciding what flowers will be used in an arrangement begins first with picking an overall style for your florals. Your style will determine what your prominent flower is going to be. For example, if you are going for a more organic style you would have mostly greenery with a few flowers, but if you are aiming for something more traditional you will see more roses and hydrangea.

{What are you personally looking forward to experimenting with this year?}
My favorite things to make are bouquets. I feel they are the most personal part of the wedding. They are with the bride every step of the way and in most of the pictures. Because of that I enjoy experimenting with those most. Keeping the personality of the bride while making them unique is my favorite part of floral design.

{What old trends do you think are going out of style?}
I think old trends are sticking to a traditional large arrangement on your food table. What we have found is more popular is a large collection of vases. As far as guest tables, instead of featuring one arrangement we like to hang the centerpiece. This may include a board of flowers, floral chandeliers, crystal chandeliers, moss balls, etc.

{Which things are coming back into play?}
Lighting has become HUGE. Whether its hanging bubbles over your dance floor or choosing to put up-lights or pin-spots around the room. It plays a major role in setting the ambiance of your reception. I like to refer to lighting as giving your room a face lift. After all, without proper lighting it can be extremely difficult for guests to see the wonderful detail of your decor.

{What advice would you give to someone who has no idea what kind of flowers they want to see at their wedding?}
I like to start by showing them pictures. First step is choosing your style. Once we do that we move on to what colors and go from there! We love brides who have no idea what they like. It makes the process interesting for both parties.

To find out what the team at Fresh Cut Catering and Floral can do for you please give them call to set up an appointment! Make sure to visit their website and follow them on Instagram (@freshcutofjxn) to keep up with all their fabulous events. 601.939.4518

Life on the Boswell Farm {Life}

Sunjay Chawla: Wendy's High School Heisman Winner {Life}

Floral Trends with Fresh Cut Catering and Floral {Insider Inspiration}

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