VIE Magazine February 2020

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OW E R E P O H

HEALTH & BEAUTY IN

SID

U E & O

HEALTH IS WEALTH

for the Mind, Body & Spirit

THE OPIOID CRISIS IS REAL

RECIPES, FITNESS & SELF-CARE

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY KILLER

SARTORIAL ROAR INTO

the New Twenties

2020 IS HERE

STYLE

THE LATEST TRENDS IN HEALTH & BEAUTY

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AT I V E F O R C

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Photographer Paul Morejรณn Captures THE STRIKINGLY BEAUTIFUL

GALAXIA LORENZO A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE & GREAT DAPPERAFRIKA

February 2020

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THE SMILE OF 30A HAS MOVED TO THE HEART OF 30A! With over 20 years of experience, as well as extensive knowledge of the local market, Linda Miller was the number one agent in sales from 2015 to 2019, with over $525 million in career sales along the 18 miles of Scenic 30A. She is thrilled to announce her new brokerage and office conveniently located in Seagrove Beach.

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60 SOUTH SHINGLE L ANE WATERSOUND, FLORIDA – $4,750,000 This fabulous corner lot is adjacent to the golf cart path and just steps from the beach, backing up to a protected natural conservation area that ensures unobstructed Gulf views! In addition to incredible windows allowing ample light, this home boasts one of Watersound’s largest private pools, including a hot tub and tanning shelf. Its five bedrooms and five bathrooms include the third-floor master suite which has a huge walk-in shower with Gulf views, three “master suites” on the second floor, and a first-floor guest suite. The two-car garage, elevator, and ample screened porches are the icing on the cake. Discover the ultimate privacy and luxury in this exclusive community along the Gulf Coast!

4 2 7 E A S T WAT E R S T R E E T ROSEMARY BEACH, FLORIDA – $8,300,000 This home has one of the best views in Rosemary Beach, just steps from white-sand beaches, the Gulf of Mexico, and charming Main Street with its eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and entertainment. It has been renovated with exquisite interiors, making this is an ideal legacy home for your family. Highlights include a lap pool, elevator, renovated carriage house, wraparound porches, a two-car garage, direct boardwalk access, private neighborhood beach access, and more. This gorgeous home has a well-established rental base, earning up to $25,000 per week! If you’re seeking a beautiful investment home that your family and friends can enjoy year after year, look no further.

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LOV E L AC E I N T E R I O R S .CO M

In this issue On the Cover

Galaxia Lorenzo embodies beauty and elegance in this stunning photo shoot curated and directed by the late DapperAfrika, who also did her makeup for the project. With creative clothing from Flying Solo NYC boutique and some vintage finds by photographer Paul Morejón, her look captures a bold, confident vibe that we hope will be inspiring for the new year!

Photo by Paul Morejón

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FOR ALL YOU FITNESS LOVERS, WHETHER YOU’RE INTO BARRE, CYCLING, STRENGTH TRAINING, HIKING, OR ALL OF THE ABOVE, BALA BANGLES HAS YOU COVERED WITH STYLISH ARM AND ANKLE WEIGHTS TO GIVE YOUR WORKOUT A BOOST. CHECK THEM OUT, ALONG WITH OTHER TRENDS FOR 2020 STYLE AND FITNESS!

Photo by Jordan Zobrist, ShopBala.com

FEATURE

LA VITALITÉ 79

26 Galaxia Strikes a Pose

80 ZUMA: A Place of Well-Being

SARTORIAL 25

PUBLISHED BY

TheIdeaBoutique.com info@theideaboutique.com

93 L’intermission: Just Peachy

34 Up Next: Health and Beauty Trends of 2020

94 Women in Weed: How Females Are

41 L’intermission: Tribe Vibes

Shaping the Cannabis Industry

42 Your Oasis

Vie is a French word meaning “life” or “way of living.” VIE magazine sets itself apart as a high-gloss publication that focuses on human-interest stories with heart and soul. From Seattle to NYC with a concentration in the Southeast, VIE is known for its unique editorial approach—a broad spectrum of deep content with rich photography. The award-winning magazine was founded in 2008 by husband-and-wife team Lisa and Gerald Burwell, owners of the specialty publishing and branding house known as The Idea Boutique®. From the finest artistically bound books to paperless digital publication and distribution, The Idea Boutique provides comprehensive publishing services to authors and organizations. Its team of creative professionals delivers a complete publishing experience—all that’s needed is your vision.

86 Recipes to Fuel Your Health

100 Quinn Cummings Gives Bad Advice

46 Haute Hair: Candy-Colored Hair Accessories

104 Equal Opportunity Killer

L’AMOUR 49

Mindful Boost

50 It’s a Wanderful Life: Mr. and Mrs. Wilson 58 Building Healthy Communities Globally and Locally

63 L’intermission: Natural Beauty 64 There Is Nothing More Beautiful Than Selflove

LA BEAUTÉ 69 70 Modern Wellness: The New Natural Beauty

108 Holistic Health: Give Your Body a 112 Keeping Faith 116 Investing Your Time Wisely 118 Be Well: Self-Care Is in the Zeitgeist

LA SCÈNE 120 THE LAST WORD: WINTER STYLE 125 AU REVOIR! 129

C’EST LA VIE CURATED COLLECTION: WINTER BEAUTY 76

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 11

CREATIVE TEAM FOUNDER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LISA MARIE BURWELL Lisa@VIEmagazine.com

FOUNDER / PUBLISHER GERALD BURWELL Gerald@VIEmagazine.com

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR JORDAN STAGGS Jordan@VIEmagazine.com

CHIEF COPY EDITOR MARGARET STEVENSON CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SALLIE W. BOYLES, K ALI DAVIS, PAMEL A DOWLING, ELISABETH FARRIS, FELICIA FERGUSON, CINDY GARRARD, ANTHEA GERRIE, MAURICE HUNTER, MYLES MELLOR, ZOLTAN NAGY, KELSEY OGLETREE, CAROLYN O’NEIL, TORI PHELPS, SUZANNE POLL AK, NICHOL AS S. RACHEOTES, L AURETTE RYAN, COLLEEN SACHS, JANET THOMAS, MEGAN WALDREP, KELLY WELK

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY ART DIRECTOR TRACEY THOMAS Tracey@VIEmagazine.com

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS OLIVIA PIERCE HANNAH VERMILLION

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS L AUREN ATHALIA, HUGO COELHO, FRAN COLLIN, KEELEY ERICKSON, BRENNA KNEISS, FANTASIA LYONS, JOANNA MCCRAY, PAUL MOREJÓN, EDINA NICOLOFF, FERNANDO PRIVITERA, ROMONA ROBBINS, TROY RUPRECHT, OKSANA SCHMIDT, ANTHONY SMOOTS, MICHAEL ST. GERMAIN, JORDAN ZOBRIST, @ALEX AUST_, FASHIONSTOCK.COM, GETT Y IMAGES, HELLO MISS LOVELY, SALEINA MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY, SHUTTERSTOCK

ADVERTISING, SALES, AND MARKETING DIGITAL MARKETING DIRECTOR MEGHN HILL ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ABIGAIL RYAN BRAND AMBASSADOR LISA MARIE BURWELL Lisa@VIEmagazine.com MARTA RATA Marta@VIEmagazine.com

AD MANAGER OLIVIA PIERCE Olivia@VIEmagazine.com

VIE is a registered trademark. All contents herein are Copyright © 2008–2020 Cornerstone Marketing and Advertising, Incorporated (Publisher). All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. VIE is a lifestyle magazine and is published twelve times annually on a monthly schedule. The opinions herein are not necessarily those of the Publisher. The Publisher and its advertisers will not be held responsible for any errors found in this publication. The Publisher is not liable for the accuracy of statements made by its advertisers. Ads that appear in this publication are not intended as offers where prohibited by state law. The Publisher is not responsible for photography or artwork submitted by freelance or outside contributors. The Publisher reserves the right to publish any letter addressed to the editor or the Publisher. VIE is a paid publication. Subscription rates: Printed magazine – One-year $29.95; Two-year $49.95. Subscriptions can be purchased online at www.VIEmagazine.com.

12 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

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MARCH 20 & 21

A A R O N B E S S A N T PA R K

P R E S E N T E D BY S O U T H E R N L I V I N G M AG A Z I N E

LIVE ON MARCH 21

Raise a glass with us and our partner, Southern Living magazine, at the Panama City Beach UNwineD event! Friday features a topnamed chef, custom cocktails and live music.

Saturday includes mixologists, elite chefs and

Death Cab for Cutie

Joywave

For more information, go to VisitPanamaCityBeach.com/UNwineD

tastemakers of the South. Plus, craft beers, spirits and wine from around the world.

2020

Editor’s Note

Roaring into the

NEW TWENTIES

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o me, it seems that the world around us is changing at the speed of light. I am unsure if technology—and the massive advances it has made in the last decade—is the sole culprit, but its DNA can be found all over this upheaval. I hail from the era when a facsimile transmission (better known as a “fax”) was the latest and greatest form of business communication, and mobile phones were strictly limited to, believe it or not, voice calls. Now, it’s easier to connect with the world through your fingertips than ever before. Personal communication devices like smartphones and watches, which are capable of much more than just voice calls, can also send instant messages like emails, texts, in-app chats and messaging, and video messaging. Move over fax machine!

Part of the transformation that we are witnessing comes from the many industries that are monetizing these modern-day, instant communications. Instant customer service, instant ride share, instant food delivery, instant delivery of products ordered online, and anything else that helps us to do things easier and faster are driving the momentum. For better or worse, Lyft and Uber have put a new face on the personal transportation industry. Within four to five years, the online food courier industry is expected to grow to over $220 billion and account for almost half of restaurant sales.

Services that package ready-to-cook meals, delivered to your door with perfectly portioned ingredients, exist by the dozens. E-commerce companies like Amazon and Walmart offer two-day, next-day, and even same-day delivery of online orders.

And the list goes on.

Like most, I love many of the obvious benefits that technological marvels afford us, so I am not complaining. But despite all of these “improvements” in our ability to connect, it seems that we are actually becoming more disconnected from the world and those around us on a personal level. People still need to interact with other people and with the tangible things around us. Even though many think it is archaic, I am one of the few who still use a phone the way Alexander Graham Bell intended it. I find that one of the most effective methods of communication in business is to actually speak to people—but try telling that to anyone under the age of thirty-five. One of my favorite Instagram posts this year read: “The best way to call me is to text me.” I believe that we could all use some help with nurturing a healthy balance to stay in tune with the ones we love and do business with and with both our man-made and natural environments. Put down your “device” and take a break from the virtual world. Instead, spend some time reconnecting with the real world—it can be amazingly therapeutic.

In this issue, you’ll find trend updates on hair and fashion, healthy recipes, and a fashion layout that radiates beauty in “Galaxia Strikes a Pose” by Sallie Boyles. This photo-editorial is a tribute to our friend and creative extraordinaire DapperAfrika,

Lisa Burwell, VIE’s editor-in-chief Photo by Anthony Smoots

who sadly passed away last year; he was the genius behind this magnificent fashion shoot. We had the great pleasure of working with DapperAfrika and the legendary fashion stylist Ty Hunter on the 2018 Fashion Issue (October), which remains one of our favorite and most exciting fashion shoots to date.

Of course, as the editor-in-chief of a print magazine, I do hope that you’re taking the opportunity to connect with VIE by reading a hard copy of this issue, but if not, we are happy to have you read it digitally as well. Here’s to a happy new year and a great decade ahead of us, and may God bless us with increased love and an understanding that we need to love our fellow man.

To Life!

—Lisa Marie Founder/Editor-In-Chief V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 15

PROJECT: VIE Magazine Headquarters, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida ARCHITECT: Gerald Burwell FURNISHINGS: Modern Interiors, Miramar Beach, Florida

A MODERN WORK SPACE

114 Logan Lane, Suite 4, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 BurwellAssociates.com | (850) 231-6377 Florida LIC AA0003613

The Creatives We collaborate with talented photographers, writers, and other creatives on a regular basis, and we’re continually inspired by how they pour their hearts and souls into their crafts. Follow these creatives on social media and don’t forget to check out our account, @viemagazine.

ZOLTAN “ZOLI” NAGY

JOSHUA MORGAN

Writer, “Holistic Health”

Owner, Little Barn Apothecary

@beyondzfit

IN THIS ISSUE, WE ASKED THE CREATIVES: WHAT IS YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION FOR 2020?

New Year’s start is a good time to take a look at our lives and make some positive, lasting changes.

I usually do a scan on my life and pick a few aspects of it where I would like to improve. My go-to strategy is to start small, gain momentum, and build on it.

If I eat chocolate five times a week, first I reduce that to two times, then once a week, then twice a month, and then to only special occasions. This seems like a winning strategy for me, and it can be applied to any aspect of your life. It is imperative that we understand the habits that we need to replace or introduce to make the resolution last!

@littlebarnapothecary

Reduce stress in 2020: I plan to make meditation a habit. I will set aside fifteen minutes each day to meditate to make progress toward my daily stress-reduction goals. I also plan to break my addiction with my smartphone by establishing set times throughout the day to check emails and social media, so I don’t mindlessly end up playing for hours; instead, I’ll opt for reading a book or a magazine.

SALLIE W. BOYLES FELICIA FERGUSON Writer, “Building Healthy Communities”

PAUL MOREJÓN

Writer, “Galaxia Strikes a Pose” WriteLady.com

@felicia_writes Photographer, “Galaxia Strikes a Pose”

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but I usually get a word for the year, which, when looking back, sums up much of what occurred. One year, it was “preparation,” another it was “repurposing.” In all cases, there is a scripture reference that supports it.

For 2020, I believe my word is “presence,” and the corresponding scripture is a sentiment that already started to settle in me during the latter part of 2019.

In Exodus 33:14–15 (NIV), The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” Moses’s request is also mine. If God is not moving, I want to stand still. And wherever he does move, I want to go.

I’m looking forward to seeing where we go in 2020.

@paulmorejon

My resolution has a theme—2020 Vision.

That means seeing, feeling, and creating with greater clarity. I’ve been practicing meditation, learning to detach from my ego, and seeking peace internally in order to connect with loved ones in and out of the music and theater communities.

The more I can practice this with a pure heart, it will allow me to create in spaces with talented folks who are like-minded. I also resolve to find joy in these spaces and remember to laugh and make my photo shoots fun experiences for everyone.

Lastly, I am making plans to live outside the US and create in other countries as much as I can.

A day-by-day resolution: “Don’t wish your life away!”

As a child, hearing that from “old” people, I determined I wasn’t wired to be a patient person. By a certain age, though, I’d experienced the mystery of time enough to appreciate its power to accelerate while I was having fun or rushing to accomplish something. Over time, I’ve learned to embrace the anticipation of good things to come. I’m perfectly happy to wait. I’ve also acquired great patience in my work as a writer. For common frustrations, as when a slow driver cuts in front of my car, causing me to sit through an impossibly long traffic light, it’s a different story. Every day, I have to renew my resolve to step back, gain perspective, and channel grace when it’s not coming to me naturally.

Patience lowers stress. Granted, the calm, happy days go by more quickly, but I can live with that!

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 19

La conversation

LOVE NOTES WE LOVE TO COMMUNICATE AND INTERACT WITH OUR READERS! AND WE LOVE IT EVEN MORE WHEN THEY PROUDLY SHARE THEIR STORIES AND POSE WITH VIE FOR A CLOSE-UP! THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT: SHARING, LOVING, AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. WE THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE YOU! @The Corner Kitchen Thanks to VIE magazine for highlighting the great restaurants and shops in Historic Biltmore Village and including Corner Kitchen! Check it out.

@colorearthpro #maldivesmonday I can finally share some more of the rad images we got in the Maldives now that our story with @viemagazine about our trip is released! Here’s one of my favorites. Just a few locals harvesting palm fronds from a deserted island. Photo by @whereveruwannabe

@laliedoesmyhair @viemagazine @primpsalonsandestin @colethomasonphoto @studiosolo.tmassey @gotothebeachfl30a Happy Sunday! Treat yourself to brunch at one of these must-try spots along 30A. @viemagazine @blackbearbreadco

@aint_so_shabby_being_abby Had a purrfect evening Friday night with @viemagazine at the VIP grand opening of @jessiejamesdecker’s new store @kittenish located in @grandboulevard! #KittenishByTheSea #KittenishStyle

LET’S TALK! Send VIE your comments and photos on our social media channels or by emailing us at info@viemagazine.com. We’d love to hear your thoughts. They could end up in the next La conversation!

@alohaborah.media We had a wonderful time filming @lisamburwell and @burwell_associates! @viemagazine @theideaboutique

@Golfscape With hundreds of courses to choose from, the Emerald Isle spoils for choice when it comes to golf. To help you out, we’ve highlighted eight layouts to add to your Ireland bucket list. Check out our Ultimate Ireland Golf Guide, as beautifully shared by VIE magazine.

VIEmagazine.com

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 21

PHOTOGRAPHIC FINE ART Medium to large-scale artwork focused on the waterways of the Gulf Coast.

J o n a h A l l e n .c o m | @ J o n a h A l l e n St u d i o J o n a h @ J o n a h A l l e n .c o m | (850) 739- 0 929

Sartorial

Sartorial STRIKE A POSE

Bringing a pop of color to the dreary winter is this deliciously bright ensemble curated and photographed by Northwest Florida– and Nashvillebased creative Lauren Athalia. A vintage pink Lacoste cardigan with the perfect orange trousers and pumps, plus glossy makeup and a berry lip, make for a citrus-inspired look that will stand out from the crowd this season!

Photo by Lauren Athalia Model: Mary Tempesta Hair and makeup: Stacy Alderson Bag: BECASA See more at LaurenAthalia.com and on Instagram @laurenathalia.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 25

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26 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

Wardrobe sourced at Flying Solo NYC (@flyingsolonyc) Dress: Thuy Design House (@thuydesignhouse) Earrings: LC Studios (lcstudios63) Corset belt: vintage/thrift find by Paul Morejรณn V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 27

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hotographer Paul Morejón and model Galaxia Lorenzo, both based in New York, embraced the opportunity.

Having entered the industry at about the same time, albeit through different paths, they met on this project.

the pictures.” The woman was pleasantly surprised.

“She said she’d never looked good in photos,” relays Morejón. Impressed with his eye, she invited him to New York Fashion Week.

Referring to Fashion Week assignments as his “training ground,” Morejón says, “I learned to manage people and moments. I learned in the trenches to work quickly and get what I want in any circumstance. I don’t overshoot.” Always cognizant of the give-andtake, he adds, “You want to be respectful of the artist, the energy given to you.”

Morejón, who grew up in Harlem during the seventies and eighties, received his first camera, a Polaroid, at the age of seven. Besides enjoying the “instant gratification” of taking a picture and having it in hand, he instinctively knew how to capture moments on film. By “I’d notice the high school, he’d graduated to a photographers thirty-five-millimeter camera and would gravitate to later bought one of the first digital cameras. Morejón says, “I began the blonde, fairto get a lot of feedback from skinned models friends on my photos, like the first. Because I ones I took on vacations,” which were taken using basic point-andwas new and not shoot equipment.

as aggressive, I didn’t want to push past people to get to the blonde celebrity.

Growing up in Harlem, I saw the beauty in the other types.”

Later, as a favor to people close to him, he’d photograph weddings and take headshots. “I thought of it as a hobby,” Morejón recalls, “never as a career.” Meanwhile, he was miserably successful in the field of technology—until his partner finally told him, “You’re not happy in this job.

You’re not looking joyful when you come home.” Grateful for the push, Morejón began working professionally as a photographer in 2013.

Regarding the fashion niche, Morejón was in the right place at the right time. “I was shooting for a friend’s fashion party,” he says, “and one of the editors saw

28 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

When scoping out the scene backstage, Morejón says, “I’d notice the photographers would gravitate to the blonde, fairskinned models first. Because I was new and not as aggressive, I didn’t want to push past people to get to the blonde celebrity.” Also, he notes, “Growing up in Harlem, I saw the beauty in the other types.” No one was clamoring for them. Consequently, Morejón says, “I’d get to do mini photo shoots with them, taking as much as five minutes.”

Despite his ability to deliver exceptional images, Morejón says, “I was having to defend my choices, depending on the editor.” The pushback, in turn, prompted him to champion Black Models Matter, an effort to challenge the conventional notions of beauty.

Such movements serve the industry if it listens and publishes editorials that appeal to consumers who wouldn’t relate to the stereotypical norms, including size and gender.

GALAXIA’S

WINTER BEAUTY TIPS HYDRATE:

Drinking plenty of water, Galaxia doesn’t let cool temperatures fool her into thinking she isn’t thirsty.

MOISTURIZE:

Galaxia uses coconut oil to moisturize her skin, face, and hair.

She’s also a fan of using Weleda Skin Food for her face daily.

EAT WELL:

While attesting that she must watch what she eats to maintain her shape, Galaxia loves pizza and pasta. For her, nutrition is about balance, not denial.

EXERCISE:

Galaxia exercises four times a week. She enjoys yoga, Pilates, boxing, and running. “Energy makes you feel good!” she says.

Wardrobe sourced at Flying Solo NYC Tutu sleeves: Monzlapur (@monzlapur.ny) Shoes: C’est D by Doyeon Yoni Yu (@cestd_official) V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 29

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Selections shown here are from Flying Solo, an NYCbased source for curated garments and accessories from dozens of independent designers. Items are available for stylists to rent and for retail at affiliated Flying Solo boutiques. Notably, though, Galaxia’s red corset belt is an item Morejón had previously bought from a Goodwill store and had on hand. The silk robe is a vintage piece.

evealing that his views of beauty and fashion have evolved, Morejón says he’s acquired a deeper “appreciation for the creative people making magic happen.” From working and having mentors like DapperAfrika, who’d tell him to move around with the camera to gain an unexpected perspective, Morejón has learned to make that magic happen in virtually any setting. His latest work of photographing and making videos of musicians is taking him on the road—literally.

Even so, Morejón is fond of his in-home Harlem studio. “There’s a lot of good energy here,” he says, crediting its abundance of natural light. “The soul knows when the light’s real; it creates warmth.” Since Morejón knows just when the sunlight will enter the space in a certain way, he can plan the shoot in advance yet allow the process to unfold organically. “The model brings the magic,” he affirms.

With her regal frame, Galaxia Lorenzo, who is five feet nine, effortlessly fulfilled the fantasy that inspired this shoot: royalty from a futuristic world. “I go with the flow,” she says. “The more you shoot, the more you pose. It always starts slow because you’re figuring out the lighting and set. Then it’s about having fun, being in the moment, and doing a good job.”

Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Galaxia says modeling was “not really” her dream as a child.

“People used to tell me I should be a model, but I didn’t understand the business.” While taking an English class, she caught the eye of a local modeling school’s owner, who encouraged Galaxia to enroll in the course. Modeling jobs in the DR were scarce, so the school’s representative traveled to New York to secure agents for students. Subsequently, at seventeen, Galaxia landed in NYC with her father.

“Thank God,” she says, “I was not alone. Dad was with me to go on casting calls to see what I was doing. It was a lot to process, but I adapted slowly to a new life.”

That’s adapting, not relinquishing personal values.

“I have limitations on what I feel comfortable doing,”

30 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

“What’s great about this industry is the different people you meet from all over the world. You can always learn something new from a person from a different culture.”

Galaxia contends. Having relatives living nearby also helps her stay grounded. “My family is really supportive,” she attests.

All the same, Galaxia has undeniably expanded her horizons. In six years, she’s traveled to Central and South America, Europe, and Asia for projects. “What’s great about this industry,” she says, “is the different people you meet from all over the world. You can always learn something new from a person from a different culture.

I really liked India,” she expresses, “because it was the most unique.”

Galaxia has also learned from the creative minds in her industry. “Sometimes,” she confesses, “when they are styling me, I think it looks weird, and when they shoot it, it looks great. Modeling has definitely changed my idea of fashion.”

When she sees her images, Galaxia says, “I love what I do in the pictures I get. It’s always good to see the final product after all the teamwork—the makeup artist, the stylist, the photographer. I love it!”

Positivity also influences her philosophy about modeling. “Believe in yourself and take care of yourself,” she advises any who enter the field. “You need to be confident. There’s so much competition, but don’t compare yourself with other models. You have to focus on yourself and your goals. Every path, every journey is different. For life, always look at the positive and don’t be complaining. When you’re complaining, you don’t move forward.”

Galaxia, who is only twenty-three, is excited about her career path. Beyond modeling, she admits, “I’m still trying to figure that out!”

Now recognized as a creative director, photographer, and videographer, Morejón is expanding his services, particularly in the performing arts.

“Fashion Week, live music, Broadway,” he names.

Considering the many ways that collections, shows, groups, and individuals must be promoted, he says, “Performers need content!”

Readers can find Paul Morejón’s website at PaulMorejon.com and follow Galaxia Lorenzo on Instagram @galaxialorenzo.

This page and opposite: Wardrobe sourced at Flying Solo NYC Male model: Bruck Tekle (@brucktekle) V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 31

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Sartorial

B Y A B I G A I L R YA N

Bala Bangles offer a stylish alternative to typical arm and ankle weights for added resistance in your next workout!

Photo by Joanna McCray, ShopBala.com

With a new year—and especially a new decade— upon us, there is a tendency to reflect on past muses; seeing our favorite styles making comebacks seems inevitable.

As we peek into a new era (Hello, the ’20s!), ’20s! ), we’ve got the scoop on some of the predicted health and beauty trends you’ll be seeing everywhere this year.

Time for a blast from the past, as these might even remind you of your younger years.

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BEAUTY TRENDS M A K E I T S PA R K L E The new hit show Euphoria has set off a beauty tsunami of graphic under-eye makeup and all things glitter. One of the most popular trends you’ll see is to add a sheer wash of shimmer or a tiny accent along the bottom eyelid for a playful party look. If you’re up to experimenting with your eye makeup, neon shades, white liner, or full-on glitter eyeshadow will always make a statement.

SHINE ON Take your cues from Chanel’s Spring 2020 fashion show, where the makeup vibe was glossy, glossier, and glossiest. Models were glistening—lips, lids, and skin—as they traipsed the runway during Paris Fashion Week. Here’s a tip: use a clear face gloss (such as Aquaphor) and tap it onto your cheekbones, nose, and lips. If you want extra color on your lips, layer gloss over lipstick or tinted balm.

Above: Glossy makeup on the runway during a recent Chanel show Photo by FashionStock. com/Shutterstock Far left: To create the perfect canvas for your sparkle and shine, consider using a lightweight base that still offers great coverage, such as Airbrush Flawless Foundation by Charlotte Tilbury.

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Here’s a tip: use a clear face gloss (such as Aquaphor) and tap it onto your cheekbones, nose, and lips.

NO LOOSE ENDS Hair scarves are wrapping their way into all sorts of hairstyles, whether they’re accenting braids, buns, or updos. Transform your simple do into a more embellished look for any occasion with the help of hair scarves.

TWIST AND SHOUT Let’s be real; braids have never really gone out of style, and they’re making it known they are here to stay. Mix it up with a fishtail, or keep it simple with a classic French braid. You can’t go wrong either way!

HOT TIPS Remember being a teenager and using those glue-on French manicure nails and thinking you were the trendiest thing on the block? Well, they’re back— but don’t knock these new twists on the French manicure until you try them. Whether you like your nails short or long, clean or colored, have fun and make it pop!

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LET’S GET PHYSICAL EYE OF THE TIGER Exotic animal prints are everywhere you look these days, and if the trend hasn’t already impacted your gym bag, it’s about to. Make a statement with printed leggings and a matching sports bra or top to channel your inner beast mode.

MADE TO LAST When it comes to other activewear trends to look out for, going green is the new black! Many brands have shifted their production to upcycled artificial fabrics; not only are they more sustainable and environmentally friendly, but they’re also very durable.

ONE FOR ALL The future of athleisure is moving in a more inclusive direction. Brands are expanding their reach with products for consumers across all sizes, demonstrating openness and support of body positivity.

Don’t forget those isometric movements, and be sure to hold your body still while you contract specific muscles until you shake and feel the burn!

H A S H TAG FITNESS RAISE THE BARRE Barre fitness is a hybrid workout, combining balletinspired moves with elements of Pilates, dance, yoga, and strength training. Most classes incorporate a ballet barre and use classic dance moves such as pliés paired with static stretches, focusing on high reps of small-range movements. Don’t forget those isometric movements, and be sure to hold your body still while you contract specific muscles until you shake and feel the burn!

Fulfill your New Year’s resolutions at these popular barre studios: barre3, The Dailey Method, Pure Barre, or The Barre Code.

S TAY S T R O N G Strength training specializes in the use of resistance and high-intensity intervals to create muscular contractions, which build the strength and endurance of your bones and muscles.

Above: Bala Bangles come in an array of colors and patterns to match all your favorite workout gear.

Photo by @alexaust_, ShopBala.com Left: Pure Barre is a favorite among barre exercise classes and has locations all around the US. Photo by Brenna Kneiss Opposite left: Feel fierce during your workout or anytime with these Leopard Zipper Leggings by LNA Clothing.

Photo courtesy of LNAClothing.com

To try different strength training workouts, be sure to visit these trending spots, such as The Training Lab, The Fhitting Room, Tone House, Barry’s Bootcamp, LIT Method, or Orangetheory Fitness.

Opposite right: Many top activewear brands such as Nike now offer a fuller range of sizes so every woman can feel confident and comfortable.

Here’s to staying healthy and stylish in 2020!

Photo courtesy of Nike V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 39

L’intermission

Tribe Vibes Tribe Kelley wellness products are available at Tribe Kelley Surf Post in Grayton Beach, Florida, and Tribe Kelley Trading Post in Nashville.

Visit TribeKelley.com to learn more!

Embrace endless summer with lifestyle brand Tribe Kelley, created by Brittney Cole Kelley and her husband, Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line. Their wellness line includes sea salt texturizing hair spray, sunblock, tanning oil, moisturizers, lip balm, and more!

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Photogr a ph y by Romona Robbins

When it comes to rest and rejuvenation, you don’t have to book a day at the spa or escape to a far-off resort; relaxation can start at home. The designers at Sugar Beach Interiors in Miramar Beach, Florida, are experts at helping their clients turn home into an everyday getaway from the hustle and bustle of work, travel, school, and errands. In your home, you should surround yourself with soft textures, simple beauty, and conveniences for living easy.

President and lead interior designer Karen Waterfield and her team at Sugar Beach Interiors have a mission: “As every note composed in a musical score creates a symphony, careful consideration is given to every detail when designing your home.” The epicenter of comfort and peaceful vibes in the home is usually the bedroom, and the licensed designers at Sugar Beach have some helpful tips for making your bedroom the ultimate oasis, where you’ll love to say “ahh” at the end of a long day, snuggle up with loved ones, or relax on the weekends.

1. It’s Bed Time

Nothing adds peace to your day like a wonderfully comfortable, good night’s sleep!

You get what you pay for in the bedding department. Start with a quality mattress and make sure your individual needs are being met when it comes to firmness or softness.

Foam toppers and pillows are equally important and add to the comfort factor.

2. Get Covered

Next, spring for the luxurious bedding of your literal dreams! To create the ultimate nest for relaxation, go for the high-thread-count sheets, such as 100 percent cotton sateen. High-quality blankets, comforters, and coverlets are also worth the money.

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3. Texturize It

A cozy throw in a soft knit or a textured material such as faux fur can add visual interest as well as make the perfect top layer for snuggling up with a good book or movie. And, all those throw pillows might seem like overkill, but they can actually create a fabulous nest of comfort for your next Netflix session while also keeping your bedroom looking sophisticated and luxurious.

4. Define the Space

The simple addition of an area rug will not only change the entire look of the bedroom but also create purposeful spaces within it. An area rug can designate the bed as a magical oasis for sleep and relaxation, keeping it visually separated from the dressing area or bedroom office space. It can also add color and personality to the room—plus, when you sink your feet into a soft, cozy rug, it offers an immediate sense of calm and comfort.

5. Set the Mood

Lighting is an important element of any space in the home, but it is often an afterthought in the bedroom.

Consider setting the mood for relaxation with wellplanned lighting, including table lamps or wall sconces around the bed and overhead lighting with a remote dimmer. The dimmer makes it oh-so convenient to take your bedroom mood from prepping for the day to relaxing with a book to time for sleep with just the touch of a button.

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A pretty yet functional tray, perfect for enjoying breakfast, tea, wine, or champagne in bed, is sure to become a favorite piece.

When not in use, it will look great on your dresser topped with a vase of fresh flowers.

6. Make Use o f Accessories

Consider bedroom accessories that are both decorative and functional when you’re designing this space. Yes, a candle in a decorative container can be beautiful, but it does no good if you never light it, so get a scent that you love, such as relaxing lavender.

A pretty yet functional tray, perfect for enjoying breakfast, tea, wine, or champagne in bed, is sure to become a favorite piece. When not in use, it will look great on your dresser topped with a vase of fresh flowers.

Contact the team at Sugar Beach Interiors for help implementing these and other great tips for making your bedroom a stunning private oasis—where you’ll relish hitting the snooze button and spending a little more quality time!

To learn more, plan a visit to the showroom, or schedule a consult, visit SugarBeachInteriors.com or call (850) 837-5157.

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L’ amour IT’S ALL YOU NEED.

Visit Sakara.com to learn more or purchase a copy of Eat Clean, Play Dirty.

Photo courtesy of Sakara Life

Being in love means loving yourself, too, and Danielle DuBoise and Whitney Tingle know that when you love something, you treat it well. They founded Sakara—a clean nutrition, meal planning, and lifestyle brand—to share the love of health with everyone! Their latest release, Eat Clean, Play Dirty, Dirty, is a cookbook full of Sakara’s plant-rich recipes, stories from Danielle and Whitney, educational health tips, and more. Grab your copy to learn how to achieve the “Sakara glow!”

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’ s t

I a ul f r e d n a W e f i L By

JORDAN STAGGS

Photography by

HUGO COELHO

MR. & MRS. WILSON

"The entire trip felt like a honeymoon, which was the idea."

When planning their wedding, Lindsay Walsh and Baxter Wilson were searching for a first-time European vacation destination, a ceremony venue, and a honeymoon all rolled into one. The couple also wanted their nuptials to reflect their personal, artistic styles. “We knew we wanted to elope and wanted something unique, that felt like us,” says Baxter. “In our research, asking around, and talking with friends, Portugal—specifically Lisbon—continued to come up. Shortly after looking into it, we knew we found our spot. It just felt right.”

Rewind five years to the summer of 2014 when the pair met; Baxter had just come on staff full-time at his parents’ landmark store and art gallery, The Zoo Gallery, with locations in Grayton Beach and Miramar Beach, Florida. Lindsay, a California native who grew up in nearby Niceville, Florida, had always loved the shop’s eclectic offerings and became an intern that summer to get college credit for her retail merchandising and product development classes at Florida State University.

“She was my first intern and I was her supervisor,” Baxter recalls. “We fell for each other, she got the A, and by the end of the summer, we knew we had found something special.” Lindsay adds, “After a few months, I knew he was who I wanted to share my life with.”

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wo years later, the couple planned a trip to San Diego. Little did Lindsay know, but Baxter had booked a romantic stay at a cozy Airbnb called Dome in the Desert, a two-bedroom private oasis just outside Joshua Tree National Park (check it out on Instagram @domeinthedesert). “It was our time visiting Joshua Tree, and we both fell in love with the landscape instantly,” says Baxter. “It felt like a different planet. We arrived at the dome and were blown away by how unique it was; the setting was stunning.” He popped the question shortly after they arrived.

“She said yes, and we sat out back and watched the sun go down over the desert.”

The pair had a similar experience with Lisbon. Their elopement was part of a two-week trip around the rolling hills, vineyards, beaches, towns, and cities of Portugal. They started the journey at an AirBnB overlooking Lisbon’s harbor and historic Alfama neighborhood. “We wanted to see as much of Portugal in two weeks without trying to push too hard,” Baxter says. “We started and finished the trip in Lisbon, which was great because it ended up being our favorite. We loved the relaxed culture, historical architecture, and artistic detail, and we ate amazing food and met nice people from all around the world.”

Half an hour west of the city lies Casas Caiadas, a rustic yet chic boutique vacation rental property with three small villas renovated from original water mills.

Each is outfitted with minimalist decor in relaxing neutral tones, and the retreat includes an outdoor pool, a common space, and stunning 360-degree views of centuries-old olive trees, an ancient waterway, and megalithic standing stones called menhirs. This was the site of Lindsay and Baxter’s wanderlust-inducing destination wedding.

“WE STARTED AND FINISHED THE TRIP IN LISBON, WHICH WAS GREAT BECAUSE IT ENDED UP BEING OUR FAVORITE. WE LOVED THE RELAXED CULTURE, HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURE, AND ARTISTIC DETAIL."

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indsay had researched wedding planners in Lisbon and found MUZA Weddings Concept, who directed the pair to Casas Caiadas – Water Mills of the Alentejo.

“We loved the idea of having a rural countryside ceremony,” says Lindsay. MUZA’s owners and principal planners, Bruna and Rita, worked with the couple from afar to make sure everything went smoothly for their beautiful hillside elopement ceremony.

The wedding day, September 1, 2019, saw perfect weather. A color palette of soft, creamy pastels blended with the earthy tones of the natural landscape. A sweet and peaceful late-afternoon ceremony was followed by a photo shoot among the olive trees and the whitewashed homes of Casas Caiadas, with photographer Hugo Coelho capturing the simplistic beauty of the day and the couple as they celebrated their union.

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THE WEDDING DAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2019, SAW PERFECT WEATHER. A COLOR PALETTE OF SOFT, CREAMY PASTELS BLENDED WITH THE EARTHY TONES OF THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE. “The day after the wedding, we drove south to Lagos, in the Algarve region on the southern coast of Portugal,” Baxter says. “We stayed at the beautiful Casa Mãe. The rocky coastline was as beautiful as we hoped it would be. We loved exploring the caves, private beaches, and dramatic rock formations that lined the area. Then we took the west coast back up to Lisbon to finish up the trip, driving through little surf town after little surf town. We stopped in Porto Covo for a quick paddle out and some killer grilled octopus—our favorite meal of the trip—it’s a classic Portuguese dish.”

Back in Lisbon, the newly minted husband and wife spent three more days exploring the city while staying at the Santa Clara 1728, a beautifully renovated building in the city’s old cultural quarter that offers six guest suites and some of the best views in town. “The Santa Clara 1728 was aesthetically the most well-curated place I had ever seen,” says Lindsay. “No detail was spared.” Baxter agrees, saying, “We were completely blown away. On the final night, we had a family-style thirteen-course gourmet dinner prepared by Santa Clara’s in-house chef, and it was out of this world.”

In addition to their marriage, Lindsay and Baxter took home a couple of other precious souvenirs that will ensure they remember their trip forever. They got tattoos from artists Daniel Almeida and Juliana Lue at a shop called Alla Prima Lisboa (find them on Instagram at @allaprimalisboa). “Our experience at Alla Prima was wonderful,” says Baxter. “We could not have been treated any better, and the artwork was excellent.”

“It was a trip I don’t think we will ever be able to top, and I’m okay with that,” says Lindsay.

Although Lindsay and Baxter shared their special day only with each other, their family and friends saw them off to Portugal with a “rehearsal dinner” at Camille’s at Crystal Beach in Destin, Florida. They were undoubtedly there in spirit as the couple declared their love among the hills and ancient waterways of Alentejo.

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Special Thanks WEDDING PLANNING AND FLOWERS: MUZA Weddings Concept (@muzaweddings)

PHOTOGRAPHER: Hugo Coelho (@hugocoelhofotografia)

CEREMONY LOCATION: Casas Caiadas – Water Mills of the Alentejo (@casascaiadas)

ACCOMMODATIONS: Casa Mãe Lagos (@casamae), Santa Clara 1728 (@silent_living)

TATTOO ARTISTS: Daniel Almeida (@danielfrdqalmeida) and Juliana Lue (@julianalue) The bride and groom (@ladywilsxn and @baxterwilsxn) would also like to thank their family and friends at The Zoo Gallery (@thezoogallery) and beyond.

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L’amour

B U I LD I N G H E ALTH Y COM M U N ITI ES GLOBALLY AND LOCALLY

By F E L I C I A F E R G U S O N Photography courtesy of T H E S O N D E R P R O J E C T

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WE B E L I EVE FO OD, WAT ER , H O U SI N G , AND ED U CATI O N AR E BASI C H U M AN R I GH TS AND ALL P EOP LE DESERVE AC C ESS .

—CHAD ZIBELMAN

According to the World Health Organization, at least two billion people across the globe are dependent upon contaminated sources for their drinking water. For over one billion people, accessing clean drinking water requires a thirty-minute round trip. Additionally, food insecurity—unreliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food—continues to be an issue for many impoverished areas, and it isn’t limited to developing nations.

The Economic Research Service has found that more than 10 percent of US households are food insecure in a given year. Low-income, high-poverty areas, often populated by quick marts that stock processed, high-sugar, and high-fat foods, lack access to groceries and farmers’ markets with fresh vegetables.

Residents living in these “food deserts” often suffer from more health issues, leading to decreased quality and length of life.

Chad Zibelman, CEO of The Sonder Project, along with his cofounders Jason Sprenkle, Ashley Horsley, and Jeremy Sprenkle, are up to the challenge of helping fix the lack of clean water and good food in communities around the world. They have targeted areas where even though the needs are great, the remedies are within reach. Their initial desire to improve education and literacy rates in African girls has taken a more holistic approach in the face of equally pressing needs. Villages in Burkina Faso, their country of focus, lacked access to clean drinking water. The Sonder Project believes clean water and healthy food are the building blocks of strong communities, and its goal now is to help communities establish a solid foundation. In addition to building wells and irrigation systems in Burkina Faso, The Sonder Project works to establish community gardens globally and locally.

In the Florida Panhandle, nestled among the lush greenery of longleaf pines, saw palmettos, and southern magnolias, there is a food desert: Panama City’s Cedar Grove community, an area ravaged by Hurricane Michael in October 2018. The Sonder Project set out to support better health and healing and to engender hope amid the challenges the community faces. “With our community

garden in Panama City,” Zibelman says, “we are still in the first year of development, but local gardeners have reported feeling more connected to their community and more confident in the garden.

Additionally, many of our gardeners have reported the garden has helped with the trauma of Hurricane Michael as a sort of therapy through stress relief and reconnecting with nature.”

According to a 2012 National Institutes of Health study, “A community gardening program can reduce food insecurity, improve dietary intake, and strengthen

Left and opposite: The Sonder Project is a Northwest Florida– based nonprofit whose mission is to aid impoverished communities around the world through improving health and education.

Its primary focus has been building wells and irrigation systems for communities in Burkina Faso.

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Above: In addition to its work abroad, The Sonder Project also builds community gardens and holds educational programs for schools in the Florida Panhandle. The goal is to increase food security in areas known as “food deserts” and encourage young people to build gardens of their own.

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family relationships.” In November 2019, The Sonder Project built twenty garden beds at Walton High School, a Florida public school where over 60 percent of its population receive free or reduced-price lunches. The nonprofit’s school garden program created an experimental learning environment to teach students to grow their own food and encourage them to become lifelong gardeners. Through the program, Zibelman and his team are promoting healthy eating and living, as well as increasing academic engagement. They also connect the school and its students to The Sonder Project’s global initiatives to raise awareness of others in need.

“ ED U CATI O N I S TH E LADDER OF OPPORTU N ITY, B UT WITH O UT FO OD SEC UR ITY AND C LE AN WAT ER , COM M U N ITI ES ARE TO O WE A K TO C L I M B. ”

“In our current partnership, The Sonder Project provides the materials and leadership to see the garden built, and the school provides a teacher advisor committed to utilizing the garden with his or her students,” Zibelman says. In addition to a teacher advisor, the group requires a school administrator to serve on the Garden Leadership Committee. One of the bonuses of partnering with Walton High is the opportunity to support the school’s culinary program. The Sonder Project’s school garden will offer students the opportunity to move beyond textbook learning to hands-on experiences. “This is a pilot project for us, and if it’s successful, we hope to expand to other schools and hire program coordinators who could help supplement the curriculum around the garden.”

pumps and wells were installed are very encouraging.

Eighty-seven percent of the respondents said they spend less time collecting water as a result of the new pumps, and 93 percent reported fewer sick days. Additionally, since the majority of the wells were placed near local schools, attendance is up. The students have clean drinking water throughout the day, resulting in less time away from school because of illness.

The Sonder Project’s labors are already seeing excellent returns. Nine wells have been completed in Burkina Faso, and community farms are on track to generate enough income to provide at least one meal every day at the local school. Surveys of sixty community members across two villages where The Sonder Project water

In 2020, The Sonder Project’s commitment to building healthy communities will expand into Malawi, another country with significant needs. “We will be establishing an office in Malawi in southeastern Africa where we will continue to dig wells, help build schools,

and support food security through community farms,” Zibelman says. The nonprofit has two schools slated for construction in 2020, and they will be sending groups of people from across the US to assist.

Thanks to a core of volunteers and communities who are committed to sustaining the projects over the long term, wells are springing up in Africa and gardens are blooming in the Florida Panhandle. But more people are needed to help combat the formation of food deserts and dig wells for clean drinking water. “Education is the ladder of opportunity, but without food security and clean water, communities are too weak to climb,” Zibelman says. Whether the donation is money, skill, or time, The Sonder Project welcomes all assistance in its endeavors.

VISIT THESONDERPROJECT.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN HELP. Felicia Ferguson holds master’s degrees in healthcare administration and speechlanguage pathology but is currently an award-winning freelance writer and author.

She finds inspiration in lakes and gardens and is blessed to have both at her home in Destin, Florida. More details can be found at FeliciaFergusonAuthor.com.

FABULOUS KIDS’ FASHIONS & TOYS 62 main street ROSEMARY BEACH,FL gigisfabkids.com 850.231.0110

L’intermission

Natural Beauty

Noni fruit, abundant in southern Pacific regions, is known as a superfood and antioxidant. Noni extract is one of Kora’s key ingredients; it gives a boost to the brand’s Noni Bright Vitamin C Serum.

Learn more or shop at US.KoraOrganics.com.

A former Victoria’s Secret Angel, Miranda Kerr is known as a model, author, mother, and philanthropist. She’s also a certified health coach and added CEO to her résumé with the launch of Kora Organics skin care, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2019.

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THERE IS NOTHING MORE BE AUTIFUL THAN SELFLOVE

BY MAURICE HUNTER

The quality of every human individual’s life experience is a direct result of the quality and depth of their understanding of a single word: Selflove. hese days, Selflove as a practice is rapidly increasing in popularity within the culture of personal development. Many people realize its importance. But even for the growing number of people awakening to the benefits of Selflove, its real significance and tremendous value appear to be greatly underestimated. There is literally a gap in the traditional view of Selflove, and a major part of my life’s purpose is to close that gap. I want to introduce you to a new perspective—one that brings your experience of self so close to your experience of love that you no longer see a difference.

By now, I’m guessing you’ve noticed that I spell Selflove as one word. You might be used to seeing it as two words or with a hyphen. At first sight, this version of Selflove looks different or strange, but when you look closely, you’ll notice that it’s the same word you’ve always seen, with a small yet significant adjustment. There is no separation 64 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

between self and love, which appears to be a minor thing when seeing Selflove with eyesight, but when seeing it with insight, it becomes hugely significant.

Within that tiny space of separation is the experience of a vast distance between you and your total well-being.

When you experience the source of love as being within yourself, you will never go without it again.

What is Selflove?

Words can never tell you exactly what Selflove is.

You must experience it, and that experience will be as expansive or as limited as your knowledge and understanding of the two words that create it.

ow well do you know and understand self? How well do you know and understand love? Isn’t it interesting how these are two of the most important parts of the human life experience—and simultaneously two of the most misunderstood? It’s no wonder so many people struggle with loving themselves. Self can be described as the energy or consciousness that uses the mind to think and uses the body to act. I know it’s common for people to believe they are their mind and body, even though they routinely refer to them as my mind and my body. If you have a mind and a body, then you, the self, are not the mind and body.

Love can be described as the energy or consciousness that is present within all things and is expressed through the mind and body. Notice any similarities between self and love? They are essentially the same experience.

Recall a time you had the experience of fully being yourself. How did you feel? Did it feel like time stopped, like you could do anything, and like you were fully alive and completely free of fear? Now recall a time you had an experience of being in love with someone or were doing something you love. How did you feel? Did it feel like time stopped, like you could do anything, and like you were fully alive and completely free of fear? Did you feel like you were fully yourself?

My Selflove Sto ry While writing a letter about self-value and self-empowerment to my two-year-old daughter several years ago, I discovered a new perspective of Selflove. Through expressing my love for her, the experience of love within me was revealed.

After many years of developing, practicing, and sharing this new perspective of Selflove, I realized that it is more than a practice: it’s my way of life. I believe every human “problem” has a Selflove solution. That is one reason why sharing Selflove became my life’s purpose. I intend to officially launch an organization this year that operates within a culture of Selflove. From the inside out, we’ll represent an “inner lifestyle” brand that operates on four core principles: inner experience, self-value, self-empowerment, and oneness. My vision is to create the ultimate working experience where working on yourself and working at the organization are synonymous.

Our soul purpose is not to change the world we live in but to inspire change in the world inside each of us.

L i f e i s a m i n d g a m e yo u a r e p l ay i n g w i t h t h e m i r r o r .

I’d like to share a few ideas from my upcoming book, 52 Weeks: A Self-Practice Book. It features a full year of daily exercises to help improve your self-relationship and expand your understanding and experience of Selflove.

Good practices for improving the quality of your self-relationship experience: • Never say anything that goes against yourself, ever.

• Take, 100 percent, full, complete, and total responsibility for every single emotional experience you have.

• Just because a thought appears in your mind, it doesn’t make it yours. Make sure the thoughts you choose to believe are your conscious thoughts and not the conditioned thoughts you’ve adopted from other people or society.

Principles of Selflove to remember: • There is only one love: Selflove. Every expression of love is an expression of Selflove.

• Selflove is not what you do to your body; it’s what you do to your mind.

• Selflove is the highest quality self-relationship. All relationships are a reflection of self-relationship. Every problem with any relationship is resolved within you.

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 65

Above and previous page: evolfleS (Selflove) founder Maurice Hunter and artist Maxine Orange collaborated on Love Thyself, an inspirational sculpture.

It was installed at the Underwater Museum of Art in the Gulf of Mexico just off Grayton Beach, Florida, in 2019.

Visit UMAFL.org to learn more.

Photos by Troy Ruprecht, courtesy of Underwater Museum of Art Opposite: Hunter’s first book, Another Day in Selflove, is available on Amazon.

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W h e n yo u s t o p seeking them in yo u r m i n d a n d t h e appearance of yo u r b o dy, t h e d e e p S e l f l ov e t h at yo u a lways h av e w i l l b e u n v e i l e d . T h e o n ly t h i n g b e t w e e n yo u a n d yo u r e x p e r i e n c e o f S e l f l ov e i s a t h o u g h t.

evo l f l eS | S el f love Can you now begin to envision a new Selflove? One that’s not merely a mental, physical, or emotional practice, but the ultimate spiritual practice that leads to a transcendence of all three and to the experience of wholly being yourself ?

veryone you see is a mirror reflecting various aspects of you. It’s a psychological reflection, not seen in the person you’re looking at or interacting with (their behavior, actions, words, attitude, appearance); it’s seen within you. It’s invisible, found within your mental and emotional response to each person. You are never reacting or responding to a person, place, or thing you encounter—you react to the thoughts that you believe about them. Because of this, no person, place, or thing can ever “make you” feel any emotion. You are 100 percent responsible for your emotional experiences. Adding this truth to your belief system will align you with your inner power and bring you closer to realizing that the love you seek from others is the love that is already within you and always has been.

How do yo u find Selflove?

I’m going to share something with you that everyone knows, but many are not aware that they know: you don’t have to find Selflove. You also don’t ever have to learn to love yourself—no one does. The reason for this is straightforward; you already and always love yourself. Self and love are inherent in your life experience.

They are inescapable, present in every moment, and the present moment is all

L’amour there is. Too often, you end up looking for self and love in all the wrong places. When you stop seeking them in your mind and the appearance of your body, the deep Selflove that you always have will be unveiled. The only thing between you and your experience of Selflove is a thought.

A S e l f lov e S u p r em e Love is all there is. Love is abundant. Love already has love. I’ll repeat that—love already has love. Therefore, it doesn’t need love. The energy of love only flows in one direction, from the inside out. Love only gives, and because there is only love, it is always giving to itself. So, the act of giving love is simultaneously the act of receiving it. There is no greater experience of receiving love than when you give it.

When you experience Selflove, you never need love from another because its source is within you. From

How do you love yourself ? Through the simplest and most complicated answer—love everyone. There’s nothing more beautiful than that!

Peace and Selflove.

Vi s it e vo lfle S .co m to le ar n m o r e .

irl

on G t y a r lG

a

Origin

this perspective, you can understand how every expression of love is an expression of Selflove. You can only give what you have, so when you love someone, you’re expressing and demonstrating the love you already have inside. If you are seeking love, look within. Take the time to feel the love within yourself when you give it to someone else. The more you love others, the more you love yourself. The supreme demonstration of Selflove is the expression of three simple yet powerful words: I love you.

Kitty Taylor, Broker, GRI, CRS, CIPS Catherine Ryland, Broker Associate “Grayton Girl Team” Selling Grayton and Beach Properties along 30-A Realtor of the Year 2017 for the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors

4 © 195

850.231.2886 | 850.585.5334 133 Defuniak Street, Grayton Beach, FL GraytonCoastProperties.com

La beauté

La beauté IT’S ALL AROUND US

Learn more or shop now at CharlotteTilbury.com.

Oh, snap! Think the perfect compact makeup case doesn’t exist? Well, this Charlotte Tilbury collection might change your mind. Ms. Tilbury herself claims the Magic Vanish under-eye and face color corrector is the answer to flawless-looking skin on the go. “My secret formula can cheat the appearance of a full night’s rest!” says the beauty expert.

The product ranges from fair to deep skin tones and comes in this gorgeously shiny case so you can take it anywhere!

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La beauté

modern

Wellness THE NEW NATURAL BEAUTY

By JORDAN STAGGS Photography courtesy of LITTLE BARN APOTHECARY

Upon hearing the term apothecary, one might conjure up visions of a dark and dusty medieval medicine shop, its shelves lined with vials of varying size and questionable remedies. It’s probably run by a grizzled old shopkeeper who may or may not have a cauldron brewing nearby.

Forget all of that, because Joshua Morgan and Brad Scoggins are here to bring the apothecary into the twenty-first century.

Right: Little Barn Apothecary, an all-natural wellness brand launched in 2015, has since grown from a thriving online shop to having brick-andmortar locations in Atlanta (seen here) and Watersound, Florida.

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Little Barn Apothecary (LBA) seeks to disrupt the modern wellness industry by creating an alternative to the big-name products most people use—products that are often chock-full of chemicals. Morgan and Scoggins launched the brand in Atlanta on January 1, 2015, following months of testing their curiosity and creating a line of all-natural health and wellness products. “We didn’t set out to reinvent self-care,” says Morgan. “We set out to make it more accessible for everyone and easy to understand; we were honestly doing whatever we wanted.

We didn’t have any intention of creating a national brand. We had a desire to create something enjoyable, to provide a chic alternative to the typical handmade natural products, and to create a conversation—and also prove that natural is effective and can replace chemical-laden mass-market products.”

By Kelsey Ogletree

Transforming their kitchen and den into a production facility, Morgan and Scoggins began to experiment with essential oils, herbs, botanicals, and other natural ingredients to create a boutique line of wellness products for the face, body, and home. Their venture into the market was the online shop at LittleBarnApothecary. com. “I will never forget when Brad hit the button to make our website live,” Morgan says. “The excitement was incredible. All our friends and family were anxious to see what we had been creating—two guys in their kitchen and some crazy idea to impact the beauty industry.”

Seeing the website take off was thrilling, but they knew it would take more to grow LBA’s brand footprint.

Morgan and Scoggins also participated in local markets in Atlanta, pop-up shopping events, and even a few festivals. “We realized we had something special when we began selling out of products at the events we would attend,” Morgan recalls. Stocking up for their loyal local shoppers became harder as the fan base grew.

“Production was the biggest challenge, especially in the beginning,” Scoggins says. “We began by producing our products right in our home kitchen, and, as you can imagine, we ran out of space quickly. We didn’t have the sales volume at the time to make much of a change, so we decided to utilize our third bedroom as a production lab.” He later moved the den and dining room furniture to make way for more production space as well as packaging and shipping materials. “The transformation allowed us to continue for a few more V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 71

months until we needed to receive palletized glassware for packaging. After a few semitrucks parked in the neighborhood and our neighbors became inquisitive, we decided we needed a warehouse and production facility. Fast-forward a bit and two relocations later, we are now in a much larger facility that houses our offices, manufacturing, shipping, and development under one roof. Our first production assistant is now our operations director, and we have a small team of production assistants.”

What began as a niche brand created at home with hand mixers and mixing bowls expanded to commercialsized vats and equipment, allowing LBA to grow and thrive. The line offers a wide range of products, including 100 percent vegan and cruelty-free face and eye serums, lotions, face and hair masks, exfoliants, body oils, cleansing mists, balms, shampoos, fragrances, candles, and more. Two fan-favorite products are the Charcoal + Aloe Face Cleanser and the Honeysuckle + Grapefruit Body Oil. Thanks to their following from the web, events, and festivals, Morgan and Scoggins kept selling out of inventory and expanding production, and then began meeting with beauty editors and retailers around the US. Wholesale wasn’t in their original business plan— which, Morgan jokes, they still don’t have—but it’s now a robust part of LBA, with products available at over 1,350 retailers and spas nationwide, including Dillard’s and Ulta Beauty stores.

LBA’s first brick-and-mortar store opened in a fourhundred-square-foot boutique space in Atlanta in August 2016. “To be honest, it was a significant risk, and everyone told us retail was dying,” Morgan shares.

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Above and right: Little Barn Apothecary has a full line of body and skin-care products including lotions, body wash, shampoos, balms, cleansers, fragrances, and more made from natural and organic ingredients.

Left: LBA in Watersound, Florida, offers a light and airy shopping space tucked within the exciting shops at The Hub.

La beauté

“

T o be honest, it was a signif icant risk, and ever yone told us retail was dying.

We didn’t listen.

“We didn’t listen. We love to shop in small boutiques, especially niche specialties, and we saw a surge in this type of business across the country.” In 2018, they opened a second location at the Shops at The Hub in Watersound, Florida, nestled among the beautiful beach communities along Scenic Highway 30-A. It was a natural fit (pun intended). “30-A is just a breath of fresh air, and we love the area. After visiting for a few vacations, we knew we had to find a way to introduce LBA. We searched for concepts similar to ours locally and kept coming up blank. We knew the community embraced wellness as a lifestyle and also appreciated unique finds—we even knew we would be a bit pioneering with some of our favorite products. But we could feel the energy of 30-A and how it embraced us as people and also seemed to embrace the brand. We

are so happy to be here and look forward to a long and exciting experience.”

A visit to one of LBA’s stores is, of course, nothing like that dark apothecary concept of old. Shoppers can expect lots of natural light, simple decor, greenery, and, of course, delicious aromas from the many products available. “We didn’t design a shop with four walls; we developed an experience,” says Morgan. “We dreamed up a concept to personify the brand and create a lifestyle. Our expectation for each customer is that when they enter one of our shops, they have a sense of calm and a connection to their well-being.”

This ethos goes along with the brand’s entire mission to find a balance between the over-the-top high-end

brands and the lackluster farmers’ market offerings; LBA combines all-natural ingredients that work with a chic yet straightforward brand and packaging. They aim to educate as well as help customers revolutionize their wellness routines by taking it back to basics. “We believe in conversation and find it essential to meet our customers, share our story, and open the doors to V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 73

La beauté

“

T he industr y of wellness has shif ted dramatically in the past decade, and we are looking for ward to its continued evolution.

LBA founders Brad Scoggins and Joshua Morgan

showcase LBA visually. We are more than bottles on a shelf and more than a brick-and-mortar shop.

Having both physical and online shopping is the only way to provide everything we want to convey with our brand.”

Within LBA’s two shop locations, visitors will also find a small curated selection of other wellness brands, apparel and accessories, and home goods handpicked by Morgan and Scoggins to create a well-rounded collection.

They hope to continue to expand and adapt as the beauty and wellness industry continues to change.

Opening a new shop in Chicago is also in the plan for early 2020, along with relocating the Atlanta store to a larger location. “We are excited to see the adaptation of past techniques into the modern age,” 74 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

says Morgan. “The industry of wellness has shifted dramatically in the past decade, and we are looking forward to its continued evolution. Wellness should be an essential part of life, and LBA will continue to impact that by providing accessibility and education.”

Whether their impact comes in the form of new products, interactive events, and educational sessions, or a further expansion of LBA as a complete lifestyle brand, fans will have to wait and see. But Little Barn Apothecary is committed to keeping its vision alive by helping consumers live well and feel incredible.

As Morgan says, “You never know what we will dream up.”

Visit LittleBarnApothecary.com to shop online, find retail locations, and learn more about the brand.

C’est la vie

WINTER BEAUTY 2020

We know what a toll the dropping temperatures and icy winds can take on your skin— and sometimes your mood. That’s why this C’est la VIE collection couldn’t have come at a better time! With the featured skin-soothing products and light-and-bright makeup, you’ll be feeling more like yourself in no time. And don’t forget those incredible Fred shades, which we first spotted on Tribe Kelley’s fashion CEO, Brittney Kelley, in Florida Georgia Line’s music video for “Blessings.” Put them on, and you’re guaranteed to see the world in a different light this new year!

1

2020 Vision

Fred Gold / Pink Lens Mirror Sunglasses Available at The Artful Eye $1,100 – TheEyeGallery.com 76 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

Photo by Romona Robbins

2

Hot Take

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2 Lipstick in Glowing Jen $37 – charlottetilbury.com

Yes, Darling

3

Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte Darling Easy Eye Palette $57 – charlottetilbury.com

Flower Girl

4

Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum, 30ml $185 – NET-A-PORTER.com

Plump It Up

5

Lapcos Daily Skin Mask Collagen $3 – lapcosusa.com

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7

A New Flame

It’s Go Time

Hermès Heure H Watch, 26 x 26 mm $2,850 – neimanmarcus.com

Fornasetti Rossetti Scented Candle $215 – NET-A-PORTER.com

Four Sure!

8

BeautyBio The Quench Quadralipid Rapid Recovery Cream $125 – beautybio.com

Desert Spirit

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Byredo Mojave Ghost Eau de Parfum, 100ml $260 – NET-A-PORTER.COM V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 77

D e b u t s

2 0 2 0

SPONSORS American Leather Artistic Tile Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights Brown Jordan Charleston Academy Of Domestic Pursuits Cindy McCarley Designs Coastal Elements Construction E. F. San Juan Farrow & Ball Frank’s Cash And Carry Gregory D. Jazayeri Design Grimes Cabinets Isidro Dunbar Modern Interiors Jonah Allen Studio Lovelace Interiors Maison30a Home + Garden New Ravenna Porcelanosa Tile Q Tile Sabine Hill SICIS Tile Summer House Lifestyle The Beach Group Properties

FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES PLEASE VISIT

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La vitalité

La vitalité A ZEST FOR LIFE

Cravings: Hungry for More is available from Amazon and other major booksellers.

Photo courtesy of Penguin Random House

Did you know that one of the Internet’s favorite people, Chrissy Teigen, has also written two best-selling cookbooks with coauthor Adeena Sussman? On the heels of her hugely successful first volume, Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat, Eat, the author, model, and comedic darling released Cravings: Hungry for More two years later. According to Amazon, “This book is like Chrissy’s new edible diary: recipes for quick-as-a-snap meals; recipes for lighter, brighter, healthier-ish living; and recipes that, well, are gonna put you to bed, holding your belly. And it will have you hungry for more.”

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A PLACE OF WELL-BEING

La vitalité

Photography courtesy of

A LY S B E A C H

T

he health and fitness industries are continually evolving—with new programs and technologies released so often, it can be intimidating for beginners. Certified personal trainer Patrick Hoffner is here to help! Hoffner is the head fitness professional at ZUMA, a state-of-the-art private health club for the homeowners and guests of the idyllic Alys Beach community on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. He offers advice on tried-and-true methods of staying well and relates how he and his ZUMA team are embracing new programs to help their members be the best they can be.

VIE:

What was your path to becoming a certified trainer and then the head fitness professional at ZUMA?

PATRICK HOFFNER: I’ve been a multisport athlete my entire life, and fitness and staying active have been part of my life since I can remember. My love for being active and my passion for teaching and serving others led me to follow my heart and enter into the fitness industry. I was certified back in 2009 by ISSA and continue to be so to this day.

I have completed and passed every level of the TRX Suspension Training education platform, making me one of two certified TRX coaches on the Emerald Coast. I am also Precision Nutrition certified, which greatly helps me enhance and improve people’s wellness and overall health.

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VIE:

What kinds of preparation went into the programs for ZUMA, and how do they stand out from other facilities?

PH: I pride myself on staying ahead of the curve, so to speak, on what is popular and trending in the marketplace for fitness. Also, when looking at programs for ZUMA, I really wanted to focus on programs backed by high-quality education and high-quality equipment. I cannot stress enough that these programs wouldn’t be the stars that they have become without the talented instructors and trainers teaching them.

VIE: What has been your favorite part of the job since ZUMA opened?

PH: Building relationships with all my fellow employees, as well as the homeowners

Right and below: ZUMA is the state-of-the-art private fitness and wellness center in Alys Beach, Florida, created by Nequette Architecture & Design.

In addition to workout facilities, it includes yoga, a steam room, massage therapy, peaceful outdoor spaces, and more.

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of Alys Beach and the outside members of ZUMA. Call me old fashioned, but even in today’s world of technology and innovation, there is still no substitute for genuine in-person interaction. We want you to feel welcome and desired when you step inside ZUMA, and I feel that is what makes Alys Beach and ZUMA an experience and not just a vacation destination.

VIE: As a trainer, what advice would you give a beginner who is becoming more serious about physical health?

PH: I would say get your house in order first. Meaning: you should get your home life in order first—better lifestyle choices, better food choices. If the food you eat is bad for the planet, then it’s bad for you! Then, focus on getting a good

night’s sleep. Only after you have gotten those first two in order should you begin to implement a workout routine. You cannot and will not outwork your bad lifestyle and bad sleep! It’s like having a leak in your roof and, instead of patching the roof to solve the problem, you just buy buckets day after day to catch the raindrops.

WE WANT YOU TO FEEL WELCOME AND DESIRED WHEN YOU STEP INSIDE ZUMA, AND I FEEL THAT IS WHAT MAKES ALYS BEACH AND ZUMA AN EXPERIENCE AND NOT JUST A VACATION DESTINATION.

VIE:

What room at ZUMA is your favorite?

Do you think there are health benefits to exercising in such an architecturally stunning space?

PH: My favorite room is our Movement Room.

Clearly, my opinion is biased because not only is this one of the most incredible TRX Functional Training rooms, but I also had the privilege of designing this room from the ground up. The room is flexible in its modality offerings as well. With the custom TRX Bridge, we have the ability to execute TRX, boxing, kickboxing, and cycle classes all within this one room. “The dungeon” has been a popular nickname for it because it’s the one space that doesn’t have that “wellness, beauty, peace, and serenity” feel to it—this is the “get after it” room!

VIE: Are there recovery and wellness programs available to ZUMA members?

PH: We offer massage—classic, deep tissue, hot stone, facials, and chair massage— along with meditation, and even made-to-order smoothies created from the highest quality ingredients and supplements.

VIE:

Can you tell us a little more about TRX Suspension Training and what makes it a great workout?

PH: The TRX system, also known as total resistance exercises, refers to a specialized form of suspension training that utilizes equipment developed by former US Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick. TRX is a form of suspension training that uses body weight exercises to develop strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability simultaneously.

It requires the use of the TRX Suspension Trainer, a performance training tool that leverages gravity and the user’s body weight to complete the exercises.

TRX’s designers claim that it draws on research from the military, pro sports, and academic institutions, along with experience gathered from the TRX team, who work “with thousands of athletes, coaches, trainers, first responders, subject matter experts, professors, and service members in all branches.”

VIE: What are some other ways people can take advantage of the wellness offerings in the area around Alys Beach?

PH: There are other experiences to add to your wellness program, from walks or running on the beach and the bike path along Scenic Highway 30-A to participating in area events, such as the Alys Beach 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run on Labor Day or the 30A 10K at neighboring Rosemary Beach on Thanksgiving morning.

VIE:

Tell us a little about tennis programs and other sports offered at Alys Beach.

Above: Who wouldn’t want to exercise in the light-filled Cardio Room at ZUMA? Top: The Movement Room is director Patrick Hoffner’s favorite: a perfect TRX Functional Training facility.

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La vitalité

EMMA RODE:

PH:

We have two world-class professionals leading our tennis offerings: Wimbledon Doubles Champion TJ Middleton and Ole Miss Hall of Famer Courtenay Chapman Middleton. They offer weekly drills as well as personal instruction. Our boutique approach allows our guests to receive personal attention in an intimate atmosphere from the very best of instructors.

Additionally, we offer a full-court basketball facility, stand-up paddleboarding and surfing lessons, soccer activities, and beach volleyball.

Above: ZUMA also offers an incredible tennis program led by champions TJ and Courtenay Middleton.

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VIE: The Alys Beach homeowners and guests who have become members at ZUMA have nothing but great things to say about the facility and its staff.

Member Emma Rode shares her thoughts:

I love ZUMA! The energy I receive when I walk in the door motivates me. My trainer, Patrick Hoffner, is very knowledgeable and committed to his work. When I began working with him, I was coming back from a year of medical issues. It was like I was starting all over. He worked with me, always paying close attention to my form and encouraging me along the way. He saw potential in me that I didn’t know I had. I enjoy the variety of workouts at ZUMA. With Patrick, we do just about everything: pool training, resistance and strength training, training with TRX straps, weightlifting.

He continues to push me and remind me that I’m capable of more than my mind realizes. I know when I work out with Patrick, it will be difficult, but it will be rewarding—and a fun time!

VISIT ALYSBEACH.COM TO LEARN MORE.

Architecture designed around You and the things You love... www.aboheme.com

A BOHEME DESIGN AA 26001879

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED A BOHEME DESIGN, LLC / LUKER PHOTOGRAPHY 2020

La vitalitĂŠ

Photo by Hello Miss Lovely, courtesy of Plate to Plate

FUEL YOUR HEALTH

It seems we are all continually looking for new foods to try that are both delicious and nutritious. For this Health & Beauty Issue, VIE has gathered a few of our favorite chefs and food bloggers to share fabulous dishes that will surely taste as good as they make you feel!

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C H E F K A L I D AV I S

Plate to Plate

Offering private in-home dinners, event catering, cooking lessons, grocery stocking, and more, Chef Kali Davis of Plate to Plate takes the private chef concept to a new level. She also teams up with other amazing chefs to provide in-home private dinners to clients throughout Florida and beyond. Visit PlateToPlate.us to learn more.

Honey-Roasted Almonds Nuts are a great way to add variety and texture to your meal.

You can use them as a substitute for breading, soak them in water and puree for a milk substitute, coat them in a little sugar and bake them for a healthy snack, or use them to top your favorite salad! Kids go bananas for these honey-roasted almonds, and they make great gifts. Just throw them in a mason jar, put a bow on top, and call it a day!

Ingredients 2 cups whole almonds 1/4 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup Honey Hutch honey (a local Northwest Florida favorite) 1/4 cup water

Instructions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat (an oven-safe silicone that won’t melt or let anything stick to it). Bake the almonds, occasionally stirring, until they are light tan and fragrant—about eight to ten minutes. You can usually go by the rule that when you smell them, they are almost done! While the almonds bake, mix your sugar and salt in a small bowl, then sprinkle about one tablespoon of the mixture into a large bowl.

On the stove, stir the honey and water together in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the baked almonds and stir until they have absorbed all the liquid—about 5 minutes.

Be careful not to let the almonds burn! This glaze will be hot and will start to bubble when it’s almost ready.

Honey-roasted almonds Photo by Oksana Schmidt Above: Photo by Fantasia Lyons

Transfer the coated almonds to your large bowl sprinkled with the sugar mixture. Sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the almonds and toss to coat evenly. Spread the almonds onto waxed paper to cool completely. Store at room temperature in a tightly covered container or plastic bag until you’re ready to enjoy!

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La vitalité

Instructions FOR THE BEETS Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the tops and the roots of the beets. Leave the skin on and leave them whole. Place one beet (or two, depending on the size) on a piece of foil with some olive oil, thyme leaves, and salt. Wrap tightly and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining beets. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour. (You can check the beets by opening one of the foil packets and piercing the beet with a butter knife. It should have a slight resistance.)

Once finished, remove foil packets from the oven and let them cool slightly, then unwrap the beets. Now for the messy part! With a paper towel, “clean” the beet.

The exterior skin should slide off with assistance from the paper towel. The red beets will turn your hands red, so you might want to wear gloves!

FOR THE HONEY WHITE BALSAMIC VINAIGRET TE Using one part vinegar and three parts extra-virgin olive oil, pour the vinegar in a bowl and use a whisk to incorporate the olive oil. The vinaigrette should have a very delicate balance of oil to acidity. Season with a little salt and a tablespoon of honey to give it a slightly sweet taste. Remember to adjust the amount of honey, depending on the amount of vinaigrette made!

Roasted Beet Salad Serves 4 This is a great winter dish. Beets come in some of the most beautiful sunset colors: red, golden, purple, and even candy-striped. They are low in calories and a great source of nutrients, including fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamin C. Beets also contain nitrates and pigments that can help lower blood pressure.

Ingredients 12 beets 3 tablespoons good olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced 2 teaspoons kosher salt Mixed greens Goat cheese White balsamic vinegar Extra-virgin olive oil Honey Hutch honey Walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional) 88 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

FOR THE SAL AD The rest is pretty straightforward. Make sure you have fresh, crisp mixed greens. (One way to ensure quality when buying is looking at the packaging to make sure the greens have a lot of air space and haven’t sunk to the bottom of the package. Turn the package over to make sure there is no green liquid residue, which would be from decaying greens.) Spread your mixed greens evenly in a large serving bowl and spoon your roasted beets evenly over the greens.

Top with a good crumbled goat cheese. One of Chef Kali’s favorite brands is Humboldt Fog from California. It has a small line of vegetable ash running through the center and a brie-like texture on the outer layers of the cheese.

Drizzle your honey white balsamic vinaigrette over the top of your salad and serve!

C H E F K E L LY W E L K

Ciderpress Lane

Mother, writer, chef, expert hostess, and freedom fighter Kelly Welk founded the lifestyle blog Ciderpress Lane and is now using private dinners as a way to start conversations and raise funds to fight sex trafficking. Since their inception, these Freedom Dinners have raised over $35,000 for Rescue:Freedom International, an organization that supports women and children who are sex trafficking survivors. Learn more at CiderpressLane.com and in Welk’s book Dinner Changes Everything.

Blackened Salmon with Blueberry Salsa Serves 8 A delicious entrée that can also be prepped the day before (leave the salsa off until ready to serve)! Give your blackened salmon a twist with a fresh, sweet seasonal salsa. This recipe also works well with white fish, such as tilapia.

Ingredients 8 four-ounce salmon fillets olive oil Cajun seasoning salt

For the Salsa 1 cup blueberries 1 cup strawberries (or mango if it’s in season), chopped 1/4 cup red onion, minced 1/4 cup red pepper, diced 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 1–2 teaspoons minced jalapeño (start with a teaspoon and add more if you prefer) 1 lime, squeezed 2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions Combine the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir, cover, and set aside.

To create the salmon steaks, cut the fillet into two-inch strips. Butterfly the strips by cutting them down the middle just to the skin. Leave the skin intact! Now open the two sides like a book. The skin will fold back on itself. (If this is hard to visualize, look up a video on how to butterfly a salmon fillet). Brush both sides of the salmon steak with olive oil and season generously with the Cajun seasoning salt.

Blackened salmon with blueberry salsa Photo by Saleina Marie Photography Above: Photo by Keeley Erickson

Turn your grill to high heat and place a cast-iron skillet on the rack, allowing it to heat up. Once heated, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil onto the skillet and put on the salmon steaks. As the salmon cooks, you will be able to see the flesh change color from a bright translucent pink to a solid matte pink, starting from the bottom and rising. Cook the salmon for two to three minutes per side.

Serve the salmon on a large platter with the salsa on the side, allowing each guest to add the amount they would like.

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La vitalité

Thai Coconut Soup A light yet filling chicken soup with a little kick! It’s the perfect party dish but also great for dinner any night of the week. Chef Kelly often serves this dish with a side of spring rolls. (Although you can create spring rolls from scratch, she prefers to make it a little easier for everyone by buying her favorite ones from Costco.)

Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 small onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cups uncooked chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red curry paste 3 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons fish sauce 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1 can coconut cream 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 2 cups jasmine rice, steamed according to the package directions Garnish: 2 limes, cut into wedges; chopped cilantro; 1 jalapeño, diced

Instructions Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot, then add the chopped vegetables and curry paste. Sauté for a few minutes to incorporate the paste and soften the vegetables. Add in the chopped chicken, chicken stock, brown sugar, and fish sauce.

Gently simmer for 20 minutes to combine flavors and cook the chicken. While the soup is simmering, steam the rice. After the soup has simmered, turn the heat down to low and add the coconut cream and cilantro; keep the heat low so the cream does not separate.

Serve the soup over a large scoop of rice with a garnish of fresh lime, chopped cilantro, and diced jalapeño for heat. If you would like a more vibrant, spicier flavor, add more red curry paste. If the soup is too spicy, reduce the heat by adding more brown sugar or a teaspoon of white vinegar.

Tip: Prep the Day Before

Photo by Saleina Marie Photography

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The longer this soup sits, the better it tastes, so go for it! Make the entire pot of soup, down to the last step of adding the coconut cream and cilantro. Slice the limes and place in small serving dishes; cover and refrigerate. Chop cilantro for the soup; cover and refrigerate. Add it to the soup shortly before serving. Chop cilantro for the garnish, place in small serving dishes, cover, and refrigerate.

Prepare the rice and refrigerate.

ELISABETH FARRIS

Elisabeth and Butter

Time for dessert! When it comes to sweet treats, baker and lifestyle blogger Elisabeth Farris has us covered. Visit her website at ElisabethandButter.com to learn more and get recipes galore, party hosting and decor tips, gift guides, and more.

Fudgy Paleo Brownies Yields 9–12 brownies Using simple ingredients like coconut oil, coconut sugar, dark chocolate, and almond flour, these are the best brownies you’ll ever make! Although Farris loves butter and sugar (hence the name of her blog), she says she can’t eat them every single day, so she loves creating healthy alternatives.

Ingredients 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate 5 tablespoons coconut oil 2/3 cup coconut sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2/3 cup finely ground blanched almond flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill) 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks, saving a few for the top

Instructions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an eight-by-eight-inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. Set it aside.

In a small saucepan, gently melt the chocolate and coconut oil over low heat. Remove from heat and set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar for 1–2 minutes or until smooth.

Whisk in vanilla. Slowly whisk the melted chocolate and oil into the egg mixture until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined, and then fold in the chocolate chips/chunks. Do not overmix. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle some extra chocolate on top and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are set but the middle is still slightly underdone. The brownies will continue to cook outside of the oven. Let the brownies cool completely and then place in the refrigerator for an hour or two before slicing. Enjoy!

Photos courtesy of Elisabeth and Butter

Tip: You can substitute butter for the coconut oil and brown sugar for the coconut sugar if you don’t want a paleo-friendly recipe.

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HOW FEMALES ARE SHAPING THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY B Y M E G A N W A L D R E P | P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y F R A N C O L L I NÂ

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La vitalité

Autumn Shelton smiles from the entrance of a cannabis farm; she sports a perfectly round pregnant belly. She’s two months shy from giving birth, but she’s four years into a partnership with Autumn Brands, a Santa Barbara County–licensed cannabis cultivator in the foothills of Carpinteria, California. A pregnant woman actively working in the industry might seem out of place, but it’s completely safe to be around the fragrant herb. She explains that the principal psychoactive component of cannabis, known as tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, isn’t activated unless heated or processed, thus debunking the first of many myths surrounding the newly legalized plant. She and Hanna Brand founded the 50 percent women-owned business, while Hanna’s father and mother, Hans and Esther, own 25 percent, as does her brother, Johnny. annabis wasn’t their first intention. The Brands have a long history of flower cultivation, dating back over a century of growing high-quality tulips in Holland. When the Brands moved to the United States in 1986, the family established B&H Flowers, hired Autumn as CFO, and grew gerberas, dianthus, and hydrangeas, among other varieties.

Years later, when a free trade agreement

weakened the domestic flower industry, Hans urged Autumn to research cannabis with hopes to include his children in a new business model. After reviewing excessive regulations—much stricter than those regulating farming or flower cultivation—Autumn discovered they had the resources to legally grow marijuana for medicinal use. Once Hans gave the green light, the new company, Autumn Brands, transformed the flower farm into a pristine cannabis-growing facility.

This was a trend for many local farmers when recreational use became legal in 2018. Though many growers had never tried cannabis, including Hans, high demand for the controversial plant meant cannabis was the new cash crop. With greenhouse infrastructures already in place and agricultural experience well in hand, the Carpinteria Valley, once known as the Flower Basket of the nation, quickly turned into one of the topproducing cannabis regions in the state. The switch benefited not only producers, but also workers with health benefits, safer working environments, and higher wages to the point where employees can now afford to live in the California beach town. Autumn Brands has set a high-quality standard for their cannabis-growing neighbors, even showing appreciation to employees through monthly barbecues to honor birthdays. “You know, you spend most of your day at work,” Hanna Brand says. “And to see people making good money and enjoying being here feels really good.”

Left and opposite: Autumn Brands co-owners Hanna Brand and her father, Hans. Hanna founded the highquality pesticide-free cannabis farm with Autumn Shelton in Santa Barbara County, California, building off their history and knowledge in the flower industry.

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he company is also a member of CARP Growers (Cannabis Association for Responsible Producers), a group whose mission is to promote responsible cannabis practices in the area. Member farm requirements include maintaining current licensing and compliance with all state and county regulations, practicing water conservation, adhering to fair labor standards, using chemical-free pest control, and being current with association dues, which are contributed to local charities. (As a whole, CARP Growers has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the community thus far.) Even still, not everyone is a fan of the industry. Many locals complain of the smell, which can be quite potent at times. But members of CARP Growers have negated this issue through odor-abatement systems, which launch vapors infused with essential oils into the air when odor-producing terpenes are being released from the cannabis during the flowering stage, thus changing the chemistry enough that the human brain can no longer detect their smell. How’s that for science? The aromas that locals currently smell come from farms that are noncompliant.

Opportunities for women in cannabis are limitless; the new profession means an even playing field and no glass ceiling. “There are so many different products and affiliated companies where women, whether in creative or executive roles, can provide innate key abilities to grow successful companies,” Autumn says. “Women want the best quality products. So choosing a cannabis product that is pesticide-free and crafted by women is very important.” At Autumn Brands, around 50 percent of the employees are female, and ladybugs keep small-scale insects at bay.

Banned for almost one hundred years, cannabis is shrouded in mystery, especially when it comes to health benefits and proper dosage. Enter KopSun, a local Carpinteria business founded by Tina Fanucchi-Frontado in partnership with Leigh-Anne Anderson and Amy Marie Orozco. Realizing that many are overwhelmed while searching for information on cannabis, KopSun focuses on connecting with people who are otherwise too timid to ask questions openly. KopSun accomplishes this 96 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

AUTUMN DISCOVERED THE Y HAD THE RESOURCES TO LEGALLY GROW MARIJUANA FOR MEDICINAL USE . ONCE HANS GAVE THE GREEN LIGHT, THE NE W COMPANY, AUTUMN BR ANDS , TR ANSFORMED THE FLOWER FARM INTO A PRISTINE C ANNABISGROWING FACILIT Y.

through monthly Leaf Learning events, in-home visits, and online learning; Leaf Learning attracts hefty crowds of people aged fifty-five and over. Santa Barbara City College’s School of Extended Learning and established cannabis growers in Humboldt County in Northern California—historically, the largest cannabis-producing area in the state—have reached out for their guidance as well.

So how did a leader in the philanthropic community (Tina), a top PR agent (Leigh-Anne), and an esteemed writer and editor (Amy) get into cannabis? It started with Tina’s passion for giving loved ones the best quality of life at the end of their lives.

“Following a healthy, active lifestyle, my eighty-threeyear-old father suffered a major heart attack and was diagnosed with inoperable heart failure,” Tina says. Her father never drank or took prescription medications, and he prided himself on never consuming over-thecounter medications. Following the heart attack, he began suffering from anxiety, sleep deprivation, and pain, which led to ingesting handfuls of prescription medications morning and night. “It absolutely broke my heart that this man was going to die, not just from heart disease, but from the medications’ side effects,” Tina shares. Her mother and brother had died years before, which changed her and her father’s perspective on primary care. “I pledged I wouldn’t let my father suffer, and I would do everything in my power to make his transition as peaceful as I could.” It was then she turned to cannabis. “I purchased edibles and began dosing him for sleep, pain, and anxiety. It obviously didn’t save his life, but it absolutely made the life he had left better.”

The Cannabis Association for Responsible Producers (CARP) was founded in Santa Barbara County as an organization dedicated to fostering a positive relationship between its member farms and the local community by promoting best practices among cannabis growers. CARP member farms include Autumn Brands (above left), Cresco (left and opposite), and about twenty more.

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La vitalité hen Leigh-Anne and Amy discovered Tina’s vision for education and wellness, they immediately jumped on board. KopSun actively recruits a team of creative women to provide cannabis education to the community. “We collaborate with Margaret Peterson, MD, cannabis expert Liz Rogan, Green Flower Media, and many more to stay on the cutting edge of research,” Tina says. “We also formed Yes She Cannabis, an all-women group of cannabis professionals, sharing the twists and turns of this new industry.” Amy recently graduated from the aforementioned Green Flower Media, a cannabis educational platform, where she learned from top cannabis experts in the industry.

“The main job we have here is to break the mold,” Amy says. “And once we’ve broken that mold, then we can learn what we want to teach.” In addition, KopSun educates on the adverse effects of cannabis. “I actually referred a friend of mine whose teenager is kind of dabbling with things right now,” Leigh-Anne reveals. “I told her to book with Dr. Peterson. She will tell him exactly what he needs to hear about what this is going to do negatively and get to the root of why he is doing it.”

THESE WOMEN, ALONG WITH AUTUMN BR ANDS , C ARP GROWERS , AND SIMIL AR GROWERS IN THE COUNT Y, ARE NOT ONLY BRE AKING A MOLD, THE Y ’RE ALSO BUILDING A NE W ONE .

The founders of KopSun—Amy Marie Orozco, Tina FanucchiFrontado, and Leigh-Anne Anderson—created the company to educate the public about responsible cannabis production and use and to connect farmers with their communities through events and information.

Photo courtesy of KopSun 98 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

WITH A PASSION FOR QUALIT Y PRODUC TS , NOT TO MENTION QUALIT Y OF LIFE FOR CONSUMERS AND EMPLOYEES , C ARPINTERIA FARMERS ARE SHINING A LIGHT ON THE FUTURE OF C ANNABIS BY TURNING OVER A NE W LE AF.

These women, along with Autumn Brands, CARP Growers, and similar growers in the county, are not only breaking a mold, they’re also building a new one. With a passion for quality products, not to mention quality of life for consumers and employees, Carpinteria farmers are shining a light on the future of cannabis by turning over a new leaf.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N , V I S I T A U T U M N B R A N D S . C O M , C ARPGROWERS .ORG, AND KOPSUN .COM .

Megan Waldrep is a freelance writer who recently traded life on a thirty-four-foot sailboat in Mexico for a vintage twenty-foot Airstream in Carpinteria, California. She also writes a relationship column under the pen name Elizabeth Rose. What does all this mean? Find out at MeganWaldrep.com.

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Sculpture by Denise Greenwood

since 1979

Quinn Cummings

Gives Bad Advice B y L a u r e t t e R ya n 100 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

La vitalité

Quinn Cummings Gives Bad Advice is a guilty pleasure that has recently made my commute a bit more delightful. Podcasts are a media staple these days; they cover pretty much any topic. Do you want to know about the paleo lifestyle, politics, religion, or math? There’s a podcast. How about sports, finance, comedy, or history? There’s a podcast. They are created by celebrities, experts, and everyday people.

Q

uinn Cummings Gives Bad Advice piqued my interest for a couple of reasons. First, the title—I was intrigued. How bad could this advice be? It is like someone shouting, “Don’t look!” How can you not? I asked her how she came up with the title.

“I’m a fan of underpromising and overdelivering,” she reveals. “Also, I’m completely unqualified to give anyone any advice ever. I have trimmed my own bangs at home with nail clippers within the last five years. If you listen to me, don’t say you weren’t warned.”

The title of this podcast is highly inaccurate, in my opinion.

Cummings is an actress who was nominated for an Oscar for her work in The Goodbye Girl in 1977. She also had a recurring role as Annie Cooper in the 1970s television drama Family. That’s just the beginning of this versatile woman’s résumé. She’s worn many hats in the entertainment industry. She is also an inventor and entrepreneur who created the HipHugger—a sling-type device for carrying a baby, which was inspired by the birth of her daughter. Recently, she attended a course to learn to bartend, which seems to be a natural fit for giving advice. Cummings seems always to be trying her hand at new projects.

I asked her what drives and inspires this in her. “My brain is like a border collie in that it requires constant small jobs or it acts out,” she says. “I keep adding things because nothing I do is a full-time endeavor, and I must keep my mind from metaphorically tearing up the couch.”

She is also a published author. “As the cliché goes, ‘Write what you know,’” she explains. “I have written three books. One is about being a well-meaning idiot, one is about being the world’s least-likely homeschoolers and the larger weird world of American homeschooling, and one is about the animals in my life. So, two are about how I’m a well-meaning idiot, and one is about how pets are awesome and do not care if I’m an idiot.”

I first rediscovered Cummings on Twitter. (I admit, I had been a fan since The Goodbye Girl.) I really enjoyed her storytelling on this platform, and the fact she had taken up Pilates recently had me hooked on her feed (I am a trainer). She called the threads “A Small Story,” and they were wonderful.

“I’ve been writing threaded stories about my life at least four times a week since October of 2018,” Cummings says. “How I come to what I write is never exactly the same, but what usually happens is that I will be in Pilates class in the morning, which means I am focusing very hard on not being catapulted off the Reformer (this happened once—it’s really astonishing how far a fullgrown woman can sail through the air). Somewhere in the middle of remembering my breathing, knee placement, dropping my shoulders, and no catapulting, please, my brain coughs up, ‘Remember that time a temp job for a company that might have been illegal gambling traded you to another office for copier paper?’

And then I smile in relief because the difficult part is done and also because I think the office that traded me was raided not long after that.”

As you can probably tell, Cummings is a gifted writer and a very engaging storyteller. She’s also incredibly glib about all of it.

“Whatever skills I have as a storyteller, I’ve worked damn hard to get them,” she says. “Telling stories gives me pleasure and, probably more importantly, allows me to figure things out. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of Joan Didion’s quote ‘We tell ourselves stories in order to live.’ Sometimes, I don’t even know how I feel about something until I’m

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telling it to someone later. Storytelling is a habit that rewards hard work; the better you write a story, the more you get out of it. Also, when something is going really badly, I comfort myself with what a fabulous story it’s going to make.”

Her style on the podcast is part Dear Abby, part Erma Bombeck, and part your best friend who is blunt but honest. (The one who tells you, for your own good, when your smoky eye is less sexy and more raccoon-like.)

I inquired, “You come across as very direct—do you think that’s why people ask your advice?”

Unfazed, Cummings says, “I think it’s a blend of things: one, being direct (which I would swear I’m not, because I know the parts I am restraining myself from saying, and it could be so much worse); two, being an autodidact, which leaves your brain filled with dusty piles of random facts; and three, functioning mostly as a cautionary tale (see: trimmed bangs with nail clippers). If someone is going to dislike me, it’s better they should dislike me for exactly who I am. I tell the truth and I live with the consequences.”

So, what inspired Cummings to delve into podcasting?

Her podcast is genuinely full of commonsensical, thoughtful, funny, and heartfelt advice.

You can listen to these twentyminute gems and be uplifted, amused, and educated by what I consider to be excellent advice!

“I felt as if the world was really lacking in podcast options (oh, I just slay me),” she laughs. “For the same reason anyone picks up a hobby: it sounded fun. My own problems are an annoying mystery to me, but other people’s problems and challenges are catnip. And then, when I get an email telling me that my blathering was useful, I swear, it’s like a shot of dopamine directly into my brain.”

Her podcast is genuinely full of commonsensical, thoughtful, funny, and heartfelt advice. You can listen to these twenty-minute gems and be uplifted, amused, and educated by what I consider to be excellent advice! Some of those seeking help are lighthearted, but others present complicated and challenging questions.

Cummings explained her perspective and approach to these difficult inquiries.

She shares, “My mother wasn’t a bad person, but she was a hurtful person, a person who had broken parts of her soul that were only really happy when they were drawing blood from those vulnerable around her. Me, I was her caretaker for the final seven years of her life, and I’m glad I did it, but I neither liked her nor trusted her, which meant, ultimately, that I couldn’t love her. I’ve written about this to exorcise it from my life. The unexpected side effect is that a lot of people who feel this way have reached out to me. I get at least one letter every week to the effect of, ‘My parent is old, and they weren’t the worst parent, but they certainly weren’t the best. What am I supposed to do with how I feel? What’s it going to be like after they are gone?’ I try to keep answering it if for no other reason than the number of private messages I get from people saying they feel like this but feel too guilty to admit it, even in an anonymous letter.”

Lastly, I asked Cummings if she were giving herself advice, what would she say?

“Oh, I have no idea,” she says. “That’s why I love everyone else’s problems; they seem so much simpler than mine. I need to find someone to hand my problems to, someone who will say, ‘You ninny, do these four things, in this order.’ Actually, I probably would tell myself to get a Waterpik. Those things are damn useful.”

Quinn Cummings Photo by Michael St. Germain

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Have a question, large or small, profound or eyeliner related? You can send it to QCBAD.com. It’s completely anonymous.

La vitalité

EQUAL

OPP RTU N ITY

KILLER

With the opioid epidemic crossing every socioeconomic line ever drawn, an expert breaks down what families need to know. here was a time when teaching kids about drugs was fairly straightforward. Nancy Reagan gave very succinct advice: “Just say no.” But today, when you’re as likely to get hooked on a legally dispensed substance as you are on something exchanged in a back-alley deal, the war on drugs has taken a complex turn. The only simple aspect is the number of bodies piling up because of it.

Pharmacy and teaches at the University of Florida and Wingate University. Her lesson plans are a far cry from what she learned in lecture halls, however.

“I was part of a generation of pharmacists and physicians that were told opioids weren’t addictive if you were truly in pain,” she recalls.

And if you think opioids aren’t in your neighborhood, then you probably don’t know your neighbors very well.

That false information wasn’t limited to one classroom or one university. It was the message of the day, spread far and wide in what she calls a perfect storm of genuine misunderstanding and incredible greed. The result was millions of medical professionals who didn’t think twice about prescribing and filling prescriptions for drugs like hydrocodone and oxycodone.

Dr. Laura Happe, a pharmacist and expert in opioid addiction, understands the pervasiveness of the epidemic because it’s literally her life’s work. During her tenure as Humana’s chief pharmacy officer, she led the national health plan’s opiate task force. Currently, she edits the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty

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appe sees her multifaceted professional life—which includes authoring If You Give an Ox an Oxy—as a chance to right some wrongs through education. Her focus on preventing substance use disorders (the preferred term for “addiction”) includes helping people understand that, while opiates do have appropriate uses, they’re mostly limited to short-term pain following major surgery, pain associated with diseases like cancer, and end-of-life care.

They’re not good for much else.

Probably the most significant misuse of opioids, she says, is for chronic back pain.

Interestingly, research shows that opiates aren’t effective for that kind of pain. But patients continue to receive prescriptions and then escalate the doses to seek more effective relief, only to end up as overmedicated shells of their former selves. To add insult to injury, it takes a long time to taper off opiates, and there aren’t good alternatives once you start.

New pain diagnoses provide an opportunity to make the biggest difference in opioid misuse, Happe says, especially when the attending physician is educated in pain relief that does work. Physical therapy, yoga, and other modalities can get people moving rather than popping a pill. A quick fix is the American way, though, and the health-insurance system feeds into that cultural bias by covering medications rather than, say, massage and acupuncture. “There’s no incentive for people to try those other things,” Happe says of the catch-22. “We have to start at a systems level by covering them and then get people to try them.”

Yet addiction prevention starts as much in the home as it does in the doctor’s office. Parents might think they can control their kids’ exposure by refusing unnecessary prescriptions for minor children, but Happe insists such notions are utterly, dangerously wrong. A kid’s introduction to opioids often goes something like this: a friend swipes a few pills from a parent’s medicine cabinet and shares that cache with pals. What’s the harm, they wonder? It’s prescribed by a doctor, after all.

One uninformed decision can trigger addiction and, potentially, overdose. And parents generally don’t recognize early signs of opioid misuse in their kids because they can mimic typical teen ennui. Opioids essentially hijack the brain’s pleasure pathway—delivering sudden, overwhelming bliss—so everyday moments of contentment, from cuddling the family’s new puppy to scoring the winning goal, don’t cut it anymore. “When someone is using opioids, they become accustomed to that rush,” Happe explains. “The things that used to bring them joy no longer do.”

Only 16 percent of parents talk to their kids about opioids and prescription drugs, possibly because they don’t understand the danger; it’s also possible that they don’t believe it happens in educated or influential families. But no one is immune. People who wouldn’t normally dream of using street drugs are chasing illegal sources when they’re cut off by the medical system. And drugs like heroin, which used to be associated with inner cities, are now a whitecollar problem.

A QUICK FIX IS THE AMERICAN WAY, THOUGH, AND THE HEALTH-INSURANCE SYSTEM FEEDS INTO THAT CULTURAL BIAS BY COVERING MEDICATIONS RATHER THAN, SAY, MASSAGE AND ACUPUNCTURE.

The staggering rate of opioid deaths is mostly a result of “street chemists” who knowingly and unknowingly sell deadly pills. Tainted drugs are one problem, but lethal doses are the bigger one. In pharmacological terms, morphine is the benchmark by which the potency of other opioids is compared, Happe explains. Morphine is powerful enough, but fentanyl, a common street drug, is one hundred times stronger. Carfentanil, another widely available street drug, was created for use in large animals—not people—because it’s too risky for human consumption. “The margin of error is very small for Carfentanil,” she says. “It’s ten thousand times more potent than morphine; it’s literally the size of one grain of sand when compared to a tablespoon of morphine.

When street chemists mess up, people die.”

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La vitalité The medical community is making strides with policies limiting the number of opioids in a single prescription and a system of checks and balances between pharmacies and insurance companies. New technology can even help predict which patients might be more prone to substance misuse before a prescription is even written. But what makes the opioid epidemic such a unique problem is that it’s not contained within the medical community. There’s no exact parallel, Happe says, though public health crises like drinking and driving might be the closest. Much progress has been made in impaired driving over the last few decades because institutions, from schools to the criminal justice system, targeted specific populations with individual messages, producing widespread change without necessarily collaborating.

A similar approach is required to stem the tide of opioid addictions and deaths, Happe believes. “It’s easy for companies, individuals, or even legislators to say, ‘How can I really make a difference just attacking this one little aspect?’ But if we all change the things we can, together we can put an end to this,” she says.

For more information, visit LauraHappe.com or connect with Dr. Happe on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Tori Phelps has been a writer and editor for nearly twenty years. A publishing industry veteran and longtime VIE collaborator, Phelps lives with three kids, two cats, and one husband in Charleston, South Carolina.

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IF YOU GI V E A N OX A N OX Y If the title sounds familiar, that’s by design. When tackling a subject as tough as opiate and prescription drug abuse as Dr. Laura Happe does in If You Give an Ox an Oxy, referencing something like the beloved children’s book series by Laura Numeroff can be sweet comfort to kids and parents.

The slim volume delivers a thorough explanation of opioid issues in kid-appropriate language, with engaging illustrations that help hold the attention of little eyes. A glossary of terms, plus questions that get children thinking and talking, create an ideal jumping-off point for parents, a boon for those who aren’t sure how to navigate the reality that opiates are both dangerous and medically appropriate.

As for the “right” age to begin talking, Happe doesn’t think there’s a onesize-fits-all answer. Her thirteen-year-old and eight-year-old have already been introduced to the topic, and she recommends letting your child’s emotional maturity and what’s going on in your community help you decide. But finding the perfect time is less important than just diving in, she urges, adding that uninformed kids are incredibly vulnerable. “If you don’t have the conversation, someone else is going to,” she promises.

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Holistic Health GIVE YOUR BODY A MINDFUL BOOST B Y Z O LT A N N A G Y

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROMONA ROBBINS

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A

s a personal trainer and a holistic health coach, I’m always seeking the newest cutting-edge strategies. I enjoy taking an unconventional approach to achieve the highest possible level of health and fitness success, both for my clients and myself. I’ve always known that having an ideal body weight and being fit would reduce the risk of developing chronic illnesses because that just makes sense. But figuring out the most effective and healthiest way to get results can be overwhelming, especially when there is so much contradictory information at our fingertips. My goal is to simplify the process so you can make sustainable life changes.

I grew up in a small city in Romania during the reign of Communism there. The area where I lived only had a few grocery stores and lacked diversity in food selections. Instead, the grocery shelves were stocked with seasonal, locally grown produce and fresh local meats, which were always free of hormones and antibiotics. The upside to being limited to eating mainly locally grown, quality food and being forced to stay active outdoors was that it taught us how to embrace a healthier lifestyle and enabled us to grow up healthy and strong.

In the United States, everything is readily available and convenient—but that doesn’t make it better.

There are endless aisles of processed foods to choose from, and people are much less active, which easily 110 | F EBRUA R Y 2020

explains why we have so many people here who are overweight or suffer from chronic health problems. When you look at Americans from the ages of twenty to thirty-nine, you’ll find that 36 percent of them are obese. That increases to 42.8 percent among middle-aged adults from forty to fifty-nine years, and 42 percent among adults age sixty and older. A leading cause of this issue is the lack of highquality, locally grown food and a significant portion of our society consuming processed foods daily with minimal to no physical activity in their lifestyle.

Furthermore, one out of ten individuals in the US takes antidepressants or other medications that dramatically affect their health both mentally and physically. It’s terrifying when you look at these figures in terms of obesity being associated with a myriad of negative health conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and more.

When I attended the IIN Holistic Health Coach Training Program, I learned a fascinating concept about primary food versus secondary food. “Primary food” represents our mental well-being rather than physical food, while “secondary

Above: Photo by Edina Nicoloff

WHEN YOU ARE IN A POSITIVE MENTAL STATE, EVERY THING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

food” represents the actual food that we eat. This can be a life-changing concept if you choose to follow it.

For instance, having healthy relationships with yourself and others, having a fulfilling career, and taking time out for physical activity are all examples of primary food (or, as I like to call it, soul food). It’s all about taking care of yourself and keeping a positive mind-set. When you are in a positive mental state, everything else falls into place much more quickly. When your primary food is balanced, what you eat becomes secondary.

Vegan, Paleo, Mediterranean, Zone—the options for healthy diets are pretty endless, and they all work if followed consistently. But as long as we have food on the table, other aspects of our lives are more important than what we actually put into our mouths. Diet-related disorders are a universal epidemic, and the leading causes involve overeating our secondary foods when, in actuality, we are starving for the primary foods. If we want to live a long and healthy life, it is imperative that we satiate the primary cravings first. As a result, this will help us to deal better with the stress and challenges that life throws our way.

Here’s the takeaway: Obtain food for your soul and fill your life with wholesome goodness and happiness.

When you take care of your mental well-being, it is much easier to take care of your physical body. I hope this will help you understand which of the primary foods you need to “eat” more.

Zoltan “Zoli” Nagy is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist as well as the proprietor of Destin Athletic Club in Destin, Florida. As a former professional athlete and now a full-time trainer and coach, his passion lies in helping others achieve their health and fitness goals.

Visit BeyondFit.org to learn more or book his services.

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La vitalité

KEEPING F WHAT DO YOU DO

WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO?

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Dear Friend, I hope you will be blessed and inspired by what I am sharing with you today.

These past months have brought many personal tests for me. There have been times when I simply did not know what to do. I prayed and I cried. I tried to be brave but fell short in that as well.

When I was considering what to name this column, I began to ask questions of others. I asked, “What do you do when you don’t know what to do?” Some said they asked other people what they should do.

Some said they prayed. I wondered at times if this was what I was to write about, when, suddenly, God confirmed it to me.

I have a daily devotional book written by Sarah Young. It was November 4 when I began to read as I usually would. When I got to the last paragraph, this is what she had written, in God’s words: “When you don’t know what to do, wait while I open the way before you. Trust that I know what I’m doing and be ready to follow my lead. I will give strength to you, and I will bless you with peace.”

As I read this, I knew God had something He wanted me to share.

The last few months of 2019 have been some of the hardest in my life. I was not doing what I was passionate about and was not certain how to get back to it. I love to communicate with people through public speaking or writing to let them know how much God loves them.

Because this is my passion, the enemy of my soul seems to work overtime to convince me that I have nothing to share that would be of any value to another person. In my head and my heart, I know that is a lie. The enemy of your soul has a purpose— to shut you up. I like to put it like this: There are people in this world that say unkind and defaming things to us to make us feel like less than we are and to convince us that we have no value. I believe the biggest bully resides right between our ears, and that what we tell ourselves about who we are can have the most significant impact.

If what you are telling yourself is opposed to what God says about you, you are listening to lies. The good news is that God gives us a choice each day! He tells us that we can choose life or death. It is actually up to you. Whatever you have allowed into your heart over the years determines what you see and experience.

May I suggest that, if you are waiting to be able to pursue whatever your passion may be, you spend time in preparation?

The good news is that God gives us a choice each day! He tells us that we can choose life or death.

It is actually up to you.

Think of a soon-to-be bride who has a mountain of decisions to make for her upcoming wedding. She might have put on an extra ten pounds and now needs to decide whether to leave the weight on or work extra hard to lose it because she desires to look her best in her wedding gown. She might be sending out hundreds of invitations but then begin to think that people won’t come. She has so much to do; she finds herself in a stressed mess and can’t even enjoy being in love and preparing for a big day with her loved ones. Taking a step back and being kind to herself, enjoying the process of planning, and getting help from her family and friends will ease her mind and make the process more fun.

Can you see from this example why it is so important to take time for rest and self-care during these times of not knowing what will come next?

Remember, the farmer plants the seeds. He waters and fertilizes them, and then goes to bed. It is during this time of complete rest that God does what only He can, bringing forth the harvest while the farmer is sleeping. I love to think about that.

Perhaps we should sing Bobby McFerrin’s song more often—“Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Remember, we get to choose daily!

Blessings,

Pamela g n i l w o D

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MaRCH 28, 2020

6:00 p.m.

Hilton sandestin

Join us as we honor

Roger Hall, President

Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast for his service and commitment to our community.

Dinner

Live Music

Dancing

All proceeds benefit the expansion of the Cardiac and Spine Programs at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast For tickets and more information: www.sacredheartemeraldball.com

La vitalité

he air was thick with humidity, and the smell of chlorine hung low and heavy at Auburn University’s Aquatics Center. It was 1998; I was twenty years old and teaching water aerobics to local senior citizens. My unhealthiest student, who was always off to the side by herself, asked to speak with me after class. She said to me, “Cindy, please always take care of yourself. I spent my whole life taking care of everyone else. That is why I ended up this way.” As I looked into her eyes, she was tearing up, and I knew she truly wanted my life to be different from hers. I thanked her. Even though I wanted to jump into the pool and hold her and let her cry on my shoulder, I didn’t (a college sophomore is young enough to feel uncomfortable about holding someone in a situation like this but old enough to know when someone is sharing a life lesson). How do we look back at our lives and see that we spent our time wisely? We must start by investing time in ourselves.

The word investment originated from the Latin word investio, meaning to cover or clothe. One dictionary defines investment as spending money, time, or energy on something, especially for some benefit or purpose.

We are going to focus on spending time on taking care of yourself for the benefit of a more fulfilling life. The components of investing time in your health fall into three categories: mental, spiritual, and physical.

Mental health is usually discussed as a matter concerning your overall quality of life. In our society, we follow the creed of “more is better”—we try to make more money, achieve more, and do more. We must first be mindful that more is not always better for our health. Mentally, we pay dearly for this attitude toward life. We are so focused on how to have more that we sacrifice the things we hold dear. We must take time to reflect on how to be more grateful for what we currently have. One method is to spend time journaling or at least thinking of all the things that you are thankful for in your life. If you change your mind-set, what you already have can become enough for you. Another way to slow down and reflect on good mental health is to spend time learning to meditate. Meditation is one way to relieve yourself from the demands of right now and start reflecting on the goodness within you. This goodness allows you to value yourself and learn that investing in yourself is crucial for strong mental health.

You’ll find spiritual health when you allow time for goodness to seep in throughout your day. Everyone’s road to spiritual health is long and winding. Some people rely on their faith to keep them centered. They practice activities such as attending church, finding fellowship among others of the same faith. This time spent with a focus on growth leads to purposeful living. But spiritual health is not all about religion. Some people like to listen to podcasts for self-improvement. Another tip is to surround yourself with positive people; attitudes can not only change your day but can also change your life. Investing time in activities and people that fill your soul with love will improve the person you become.

Physical health helps you live a longer and more meaningful life. You might need to do yoga seven days a week, or maybe you walk thirty minutes a day. Any activity is a positive thing when it comes to physical improvement.

When we exercise, our bodies grow stronger and our minds grow clearer. You will need to find which physical activity works best for you, what you enjoy most, and how much time you can devote to your fitness regime.

A large fitness group energizes some people, while some prefer to be alone or work out in their homes. Others might get their exercise from outdoor sports and activities. When you take care of your body, you feel better about yourself. Confidence is something that others can see, and it gives you the ability to share that positive energy with people around you.

HOW DO WE LOOK BACK AT OUR LIVES AND SEE THAT WE SPENT OUR TIME WISELY? WE MUST START BY INVESTING TIME IN OURSELVES. We can leave the world with a positive impact by just taking the moments we have and being mindful of how we use them. It’s best to live with little regret.

When you take time to invest in yourself, you give yourself permission to live life to the fullest. You also learn how to jump into the pool with arms wide open and embrace others with love and positivity.

Cindy Garrard works as a freelance journalist and is the vice president of residential lending at Hancock Whitney Bank in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations and enjoys sharing her life stories and successes with others.

Garrard lives in Sandestin, Florida, with her two daughters, her husband, and their dog, Bella Bear.

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La vitalité

Well BE

BY SUZ ANNE POLL AK

S E L F - C A R E I S I N T H E Z E I T G E I S T. More interesting than the numbers behind the $10 billion dollar, consumer-driven, often pricey self-care industry are the conversations taking place in the present about what caring for yourself really means and how we can practice it.

First, let’s look at what self-care is not. Although there are exciting products out there—some that I either use or covet—the actual foundation of self-care is not something we can buy. It’s much more profound than slipping our perfectly pedicured feet into Golden Goose sneakers and drinking an organic kale smoothie while wearing a hydrating face mask. One definition of self-care is “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.” But this requires us to develop a specific intelligence.

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It means listening to your body and letting it guide you, going granular on how you view your emotions, paying careful attention to how you are feeling, asking if you need to take care of yourself, and knowing what that means at that moment. As scientists learn more about the balance between the body and the brain, they have discovered that the mind often acts like an unruly toddler and does not listen. The brain responds to signals from the body, but who among us is trained to pay attention to those signals? Only professional athletes, and even they usually have a team of care specialists working behind the scenes. The brain can easily misinterpret or overrule what the body is saying.

hen you realize new patterns have come to life, listening means using this information. Do not ignore what your gut is telling you. When you follow your body’s signals, you develop fluid intelligence. Listen to your body, and then instruct your brain: “Hey, it’s OK. We’ve got this! You don’t need to worry; we are safe—so chill out.”

has? Use nature and your city’s parks for unknotting your gut. Find a horticultural environment in which to walk and notice new growth blossoming right in front of your eyes. The ways plants change and grow remind us that we change and grow too.

Remember the adage “This too shall pass.” My favorite self-care quote is from Henry V: “Presume not that I am the thing that I was.” Shakespeare was one smart guy.

Connection. Find companionship in another heartbeat, especially when you’re feeling isolated. Make a meal with friends or even acquaintances. Making food together feeds people on many levels. Plan a day off with a dear friend—part of self-care is anticipating when you will need a break. And tell yourself it’s OK to do so. Your mind does not know the difference between reality and imagination, so it needs reassurance.

Essential communication happens at deep levels within our minds. Sometimes we are required to go into self-protection mode, but when we use our fluid intelligence, we can figure out smarter ways to react, which will make us feel better in the end. Stressful feelings Smiling slightly. It might sound silly, but even forcing a tiny smile is a form of don’t have to stop us in our tracks. Maybe we need to self-care. Someone needs to share a smile, and it might as well be you smiling at yourself respond with fight or flight, but it’s better to each morning in the mirror. (Might I add that understand how to use such “gut reaction” inforself-care does not mean focusing on wrinkles?)

U N D E R S TA N D I N G mation and respond fluidly.

W H AT T R U E S E L F Filling your stomach. Cook delicious Fluid intelligence means you know when you foods to fill your freezer so you can pull someCARE IS ME ANS WE need a day off, or even just a few minutes of thing out whenever you need some easy TLC. C A N A L S O T E AC H “time out,” and then you do something about it.

Take care of your future self too!

THOSE AROUND US It means your neuro system and your body can AND THEREFORE communicate more deeply than just listening Do you feel overly involved with the “self,” as in to the voice in your head. self-absorbed? Smart self-care gets us out of the TA K E C A R E O F self-protection mode and helps us perceive the E AC H O T H E R .

Self-care means intentionally being there for world in a more significant way—a world you yourself. The critical principle is being aware of might not see when you’re anxious. That anxiety how you feel—in both your body and your brain— might cause you to focus on a seven-hundred-dollar pair of silk pajamas as a band-aid and then acting. Move away from fear, anxiety, and for your feelings. So, while we can enjoy spas and luxury products, let’s not mistake isolation. Opt for feelings of safety, kindness, and no these things for self-care. When you work with your mind and body in tandem and judgment toward yourself. move toward a balanced state, you can heal. Understanding what true self-care is means we can also teach those around us and therefore take care of each other.

In practical terms, this might mean:

Physical movement. When you feel angry or upset, know how to discharge it. First, notice and understand the body wants to unload emotion. If you swim or run, do it with anger, and healing will begin.

Stress immobilizes us, but movement helps release tension from the body. The conscious self-care decision is to get up and move.

Going into nature. Did you know you can surmise the health of a city by the number of parks it

Suzanne Pollak, a mentor and lecturer in the fields of home, hearth, and hospitality, is the founder and dean of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits. She is the coauthor of Entertaining for Dummies, The Pat Conroy Cookbook, and The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits: A Handbook of Etiquette with Recipes. Born into a diplomatic family, Pollak was raised in Africa, where her parents hosted multiple parties every week. Her South Carolina homes have been featured in the Wall Street Journal “Mansion” section and Town & Country magazine. Visit CharlestonAcademy.com or contact her at Suzanne@CharlestonAcademy.com to learn more.

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47TH ANNUAL AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS The Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles was buzzing with excitement as the music industry’s biggest stars gathered for a night of high-energy performances and celebration.

Ciara hosted the event on November 24, which honored winners Taylor Swift, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Queen, Billie Eilish, Khalid, BTS, Halsey, Cardi B, Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Post Malone, J Balvin, Marshmello, Kane Brown, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, Lauren Daigle, Lil Nas X, and Billy Ray Cyrus for 2019 releases.

Photography courtesy of Getty Images for Dick Clark Productions

Camila Cabello, Taylor Swift, and Halsey

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Christina Aguilera

Post Malone

Kesha and Lil Nas X

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello

Halsey

Shay Mooney, Carrie Underwood, and Dan Smyers

??

Billie Eilish

Ciara

Lizzo

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Maren Morris

Dustin Lynch and Kelli Seymour

Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson

Josh Bryant and Kristin Chenoweth

Hannah Brown and Alan Bersten

Clay Walker and Jessica Craig

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Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood

Reba McEntire

Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins with their daughters, Willa Gray and Ada James

La scène

Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, and Dolly Parton

Pink

53RD ANNUAL COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION AWARDS The CMAs were held on November 13, 2019, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The CMA Awards recognize some of the best country music released throughout each year. Carrie Underwood hosted the event with special guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, celebrating legendary women in country music. For the first time in history, women were nominated in every category (except Male Vocalist of the Year, awarded to Luke Combs). Kacey Musgraves was presented with the International Artist Achievement Award, Female Vocalist of the Year, and Music Video of the Year, while Maren Morris held six nominations and won Album of the Year for Girl Girl..

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban

Photography courtesy of the Country Music Association

Little Big Town

Brendan McLoughlin and Miranda Lambert

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The Last Word

Solution on next page

W I N T E R ST Y L E

BY MYLES MELLOR

ACROSS

DOWN

1 4 8 10 12 13 15 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 30 33 37 38 39

1 2 3 5 6 7 9 11 14 16 17 18 19 26 28 29 31 32 34 35 36

Warm winter jacket Seductive quality Long, loose robes Blanket _____ Encounter Soft sweater wool Cartier or Patek Philippe Home of the girl from Ipanema New England cape Instinctive perception Letter holder (abbr.)

Kauai’s state (abbr.)

New Year’s ___ Trendy Many decide to do this in the coming year With 39-Across, New Year’s Eve song Kind of poodle First name of the Ferrari founder See 33-Across

Cute little dog that can travel in a purse (abbr.)

Ladylike Mighty long time It’s a New Year’s resolution for many (2 words) Land of the brave and free One who makes presents for Santa Elegant Letters on Windy City trains Color in camouflage Denoting three Head of IT dept.

Dearest Chic material for a sweater Roman 7 Showing sulkiness Last name on a luxury car Centimeter, for short Aegean or Mediterranean Chaney of The Phantom of the Opera Salon application Classic British sports car V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 125

The Last Word

“

What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?

—John Steinbeck

”

Au revoir!

Au revoir!

BEFORE YOU GO . . .

Visit VerticalGardenPatrickBlanc.com to learn more.

Photo by Fernando Privitera / Shutterstock

Patrick Blanc, a French botanist and the innovator of the “green wall� vertical garden concept, uses hydroponics to cultivate lush plants within thin metal frameworks attached to walls or other load-bearing structures and fed by PVC pipes. His system has been hailed as a modern achievement in hydroponics as well as design and urban health, as these massive walls of greenery create drastic cooling effects in the surrounding area and filter tons of pollution from the atmosphere each year.

The vertical garden at CaixaForum in Madrid, seen here, is one of the largest in the world and includes over 250 species of plants.

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