Be Bella

Ladonna Armstrong

October 6, 2020

Publisher’s Letter From Your Fearless Leader

“If ever there is a tomorrow when we’re not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you.”

A. A. Milne

It is Fall Y’all! The air is crisp and the leaves are beginning to change. The colorful pallet across the earth sparks vibes of creativity and stirs my soul. Inspiration appears in the pumpkins adorning doorways and leaves gently falling from the trees. This month’s issue is all about creativity.

We have been joyfully getting creative with ideas as we mold and grow our Bella. After all “The Change” in last month’s issue, we are deepening our roots to prepare for our future growth. These are exciting times!

Bella Magazine has been a tradition in the Aiken community for decades as it sought to bring the community together through local history, arts, culture, humor, stories, projects, events, engagements, and valuable information useful to those who live near us. With the world continually growing and changing, and with all of the negative messages that seem to press on all of us daily, the Bella Magazine team has resolved to focus increasingly on helping people find the positive lining in even the hardest of times.

Our goal is to be your resource for health, fitness, friendships, relationships, events, and more, as we struggle and celebrate together. We are focusing on how we can all collectively be better — Be Bella.

We are excited to add many new creative voices to Bella this month. Heading up our online content is our new Digital Director Julie Keating. She is the Cruise Director on the Love Boat of relationship advice. Find her article “An Impossible Mission: Getting a Narcissist to Chase You” online, along with many others chock full of creative ways to evaluate your relationships.

For a creative way of getting outside for some health and wellness, walk through the labyrinth at Hopelands Gardens here in Aiken. We welcome new writer Julie A. Starr to the Bella family. Find out more about labyrinths in her article “Finding Peace and Harmony on the Labyrinth.” I happened upon a labyrinth on an out of town excursion and found myself feeling like a little girl again as I journeyed in and back out again. I have learned to celebrate my youthful moments and cherish the memories.

You must take a peek at another new writer, Zach McCabe of All.Equal.Parts, as he gets creative with mixology in our new Lux Libations column. The Apple Bondage is a delicious sipping concoction that warms your insides and feels like drinking autumn. Look for weekly articles online from Zach as he stretches the boundaries of mixology.

More creative changes will be implemented in the coming months! Online content, new writers, YouTube channel, and podcasting — OH MY! We, collectively, promise to remain eternally positive, to believe in you when you might not believe in yourself, and to let you know that we are always and forever in this together. Bella Magazine wants to be your inspiration to transform and transcend difficult life circumstances to be the healthiest you possible. If you are ready to Be Bella, please join our attempt to be the best we can possibly be. #bebetterbebella

Ladonna Armstrong

Publisher of Aiken Bella Magazine.

Ladonna Armstrong

Publisher of Aiken Bella Magazine.

In the know

A Case for Self-Love

Loving yourself unapologetically is the greatest thing you can do for another. Reread that sentence slowly. If everyone acted in soul-aligned, self-loving ways, what beauty could we create together? What happiness and harmony would ring throughout the world? Life would be magical for all. Instead, many of us seek acknowledgment or external love by bending into a pretzel of pain and misery. Let’s debunk the myth that self-love is selfish. If supplemental oxygen is deemed necessary on a plane, step one is putting on your own oxygen mask. It’s important to make sure you’re receiving oxygen before you help others — if you’re breathing, you can help provide breath for

Be in Love with Life

The “Amore” Issue! I love Love. I drive my daughters crazy with this notion. But it is true. “The Rose” was the very first song I can recall memorizing. I learned it at a church camp in Colorado Springs the summer after completing 7th grade. At the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains we spent hours singing this song, rehearsing for the performance we would give our families at the end of the camp. Ever since, I have been singing this song to myself when I cannot go to sleep — it has always proven more effective than counting sheep or singing “99 bottles of beer on the wall.” Over

Five Ways to Live the Paris Lifestyle Anywhere

Ma Vie En Rose by Buck Jones She doesn’t come into our little café but once a week, but when she does, oh my. It’s her smile that grabs your heart, and as she walks over to give you the obligatory bisous greeting of a kiss on each cheek, the conversation is quick and easy. Long retired from being a professor at one of the local universities on the Left Bank of Paris, she and her boyfriend (a retired diplomat) sit at their favorite table and they order a coupe of champagne each. That’s what they always order, and for the next hour or so, they canoodle. She leans into

Happy ‘Taughts’ for New Beginnings

Excerpt from Rhinestones on My Flip-Flops My daughter, Caroline, loved watching Peter Pan when she was a little girl. She was glued to the television and loved every minute of the animated movie. After watching the movie, she pretended to fly around the house just like Peter Pan. On one occasion, I was upset over something, and my sweet Caroline, always a tender child, was very sensitive to my feelings. Her sweet face turned toward mine and her big brown eyes looked at me. She said, “Momma, tink happy taughts. Momma! Tink happy taughts!” she repeated. Then she said something I will never forget: “Momma if you tink happy taughts,