from the editor

from Bella Magazine June 2023

Don’t judge a book by its cover her perspective

It’s officially summer and the good vibes are flowing! The traffic at the beach is picking up, the sun is getting hotter and the Gulf waves are happily breaking on the sugar white sand.

There’s just something about being at the beach that makes you feel good as you soak up the vitamin D and enjoy the salty air. All of your worries seem to blow away. There’s no better place to be during those moments when life seems overwhelming, which is all too often lately. It seems like so many of us have a lot going on in our lives.

I’ll be the first to tell you that it’s hard to juggle it all sometimes and stay positive that everything is going to turn out OK. I just have to remind myself that I’m doing the best I can – and so are you - and while I don’t know how some things are going to turn out, I’m OK with the “I don’t know.”

While I’m having those internal discussions, Pensacola Beach is one of my favorite places to dig my toes in the sand (get in contact with those good earth vibes) and take time for me. Just the sound of the waves lapping on the shore can soothe any troubled mind.

This issue looks at different ways to get more of those good vibes in our lives – from the beach to the home to meals out with the family. We all have our own “happy place” that makes everything around us better. Good thing for us, there are many options locally it’s just a matter of finding the time. Easier said than done, isn’t it? But it’s so worth it and so necessary to refuel our batteries so we can keep on keepin’ on.

Find your place and embrace it.

— Kelly MacLeod

Bella Staff

PUBLISHER / Kelly MacLeod

EDITOR / Kelly MacLeod

ART DIRECTOR / Elizabeth Meyer

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Liz Biggs, Sloan Stephens Cox, Bradley “Beej” Davis, Jr., Alice Crann Good, Kelly MacLeod, Allison McCrory, Leslie Peck, Leah Seacrest, Magi Thomley Williams

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lakesha Davis, Kate Treick