Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Americans have adopted social distancing, mask wearing and self-quarantine protocols. This has become commonplace during this time to miti-gate the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19 and keep vulnerable populations, like seniors, protected from unnecessary exposure. For a quarter of seniors over 65, isolation and loneliness are common. Throughout COVID-19, the effects of loneliness have become increasingly exacerbated for those who live by themselves. Loneliness can lead to physical and mental health issues including anxiety, depression, agitation, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. To curb these effects, we’ve come up with five helpful suggestions to assist seniors during this time.

We have all heard of it, know others who have had it, but never really expected it would happen to you. That diagnosis is often a woman’s fear come to life. At first there may be questions like: why me? How bad? Will I survive?

Then a second wave of questions: Will I need chemo? Will I lose my hair? Will I have to lose my entire breast? What does reconstruction mean? Well, there is hope and multiple resources available to help answer these and many more questions.

And what does fall bring? Health insurance events:
You’ve got Open Enrollment (Nov 1-Dec 15) for those under 65 on a Marketplace plan; Annual Enrollment Medicare beneficiaries (Oct 15-Dec 7); and most employer sponsored health insurance renews in the upcoming months. All these events allow you to review and often change your insurance coverage. But how do you know if it is worth the time, effort, blood, sweat and tears to switch coverage?  

A couple months before your renewal or enrollment period you will receive information on the upcoming changes. I know you’d probably rather read a washing machine user manual than information on your insurance coverage, but it really is critical. So much can change, and it’s import to know ahead of time how you will be impacted.

Nancy Reynolds Haven and Bobby Haven are a couple of creative souls on a new adventure called Honna’s Haven—the place for throwaway old stuff brought back to life in a new form. They claim their two artistic minds have been given new life in repurposing salvage, antiques and exceptional wood pieces into useful and upcycled décor and works of art.  

Fans of boho vintage décor, the Havens have a collection of salvaged doorknobs, corbels, cornices, beautiful salvage pieces and relics. Wrought iron, railings, antiques and architectural finds. Salvaging is a top priority and favorite pastime.

Daily mask wearing is fast becoming a personal fashion expression experience, but underneath, could be causing facial dryness and irritation. Iris Hopgood and Amanda Kicklighter return to our pages to share their beauty wisdom to keep you feeling luscious, smooth and more confident in your daily routines:

Dear Readers: Even in the best of times, money concerns can cause a lot of stress.
But according to a recent survey by the National Foundation for Financial Education, nearly 9 in 10 Americans say that COVID-19 is making money a primary cause of anxiety. Add to that the need to juggle working from home, child care, home schooling and health concerns and people are being stretched to the limit.

Understandably, people are worried about their financial future. Equally understandably, they often don’t feel like they have the energy to deal with it. But as overwhelming as it can seem, there are strategies to help you cope and stay calm. As I wrote recently, you may have to think differently to get through these times, but there are ways to do it. And it starts with awareness.

"You're too young to be this out of shape," my friend Diana’s doctor told her.
Diana had a gym in her building, and a husband who would cover
for the kids, and she certainly had the clothes.

Diana set her alarm for 6 a.m. every morning for the first week. She crept out of bed and was on the treadmill by 6:10. Thirty minutes of walking (and checking her mail), followed by a few stretches and some weights, and by 7 a.m., she was back in her apartment, showering for work, fighting off the urge to drink a Diet Pepsi for breakfast.

By the middle of Week Two, Diana was shutting off the alarm and snuggling up with the children's father. No more early morning workouts, and her promises to hit the gym after work withered and died as well. Yesterday, she told me she's given up and feels like a failure.

With even more hacks for your unruly Covid-19 hair and ways to look summer sensational in your masked makeup, Paisley Magazine’s Iris Hopgood and Amanda Kicklighter are back! Each with more than 20 years experience in the cosmetology industry, Iris is a professional makeup artist, and Amanda, a master stylist. Here are four summertime beauty prep and presentation tips:

Your mind attaches to the negative.

Who cares? So what? Why is that even helpful?

See? You’re doing it already. You’re thinking negative thoughts about thinking itself instead of relaxing into the fact that your brain is hard-wired to be fearful and anxious. The trick is to consciously shift to the positive, taking full advantage of your brain’s neuroplasticity.

This “negativity bias” isn’t your fault as much as it’s your autonomic nervous system kicking into survival mode, managing your body and your mind through the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. (Just seeing the words “sympathetic and parasympathetic” may make you want to cut and run. Resist. Relax. If you hang in there and learn a few things, it’ll be easier for you to start rewiring your brain for a much calmer and healthier future. Really. It’s possible.)

August 26, 1920 marks one of the most important, life-changing moments for women in the United States: it’s the day the 19th Amendment was adopted into the Constitution. With this amendment, females acquired the right to vote—the ability to have a say in how the country runs and evolves in the years to come. And since that day in 1920, women have been tirelessly unlocking and leaning into their potential to be more than just nurturing, subdued figures in society. That day, one hundred years ago, gave women the much-needed momentum for dissolving the socially conditioned view that they could never be equal to their male counterparts, nor have a place in politics.

Oh, how things have changed since then!

In celebration of this 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we had the pleasure and honor of learning about the gratitude, thoughts, wishes and actions of 10 outstanding female voters.

We gathered women from our area to answer five all-time empowering questions on the 19th Amendment, which declared on August 26, 1920 America’s women the right to vote. We honor those who led the way in one of the mightiest of endeavors in US History and look to the next 100 years of women continuing in leadership roles in the pursuit of equality.

People, it’s hot out there…so, once again we turn to our favorite beauty experts, each with more than 20 years-experience—Iris Hopgood and Amanda Kicklighter. Iris, a professional makeup artist and Amanda, a master stylist are here to share four important tips for your summertime beauty prep.

It would be so easy to crumble under the strain that Tara Heaton has been through. Human hearts crack or grow embittered, and a broken spirit does not mend at the hospital. But to live joyfully despite all these outside circumstances, to turn pain into power and purpose—that is a feat we all have the potential to achieve.

“It sounds fluffy, but every day I try to choose joy,” says Tara, founder of En Pointe Communication in Atlanta. “I’ve cried like you wouldn’t believe and had days where all I wanted to do was throw glass at bricks. But I believe that each one of us is extraordinary, not in spite of our challenges, but because of them.”

Tara’s remarkable journey began in 2005, when life seemed to be cruising along. She was happily married with three beautiful, healthy children and her business was taking off. Then one day her 12-year-old daughter, Caroline, missed school with what seemed to be a little virus accompanied by a rash. Tara had stayed home to care for her, when suddenly a mother’s intuition compelled her to go check on her daughter—next thing she knew she was not walking but running up the stairs. She found Caroline unresponsive, and a moment later Tara was witnessing a full-blown epileptic seizure for the first time in her life. Sadly, she was to see thousands more over the coming years.

Little things mean a lot. Even one single summer day of play­­—with family and friends, no cellphones allowed­­—has value. Think of it as clicking the Refresh button on your computer, except you’re the one who gets to kick back, refocus, feel gratitude and begin again.

WHY BOTHER? Playing outdoors awakens our weary bodies, renews our energy and floods our brains with pleasure chemicals that are legal and self-made. If you’ve never had your consciousness altered by an encounter with a deep forest, a quiet river, a spider’s web, you’ve missed out. But don’t worry. The path to a healthier, happier lifestyle is open 24/7, if only you know the way.

One way begins with Carpe Diem. Seize the day, any summer day—weekends are usually best—and plan a Friends & Family Fitness & Fun Day. (But think of a better name.)

Since I have been in the fashion business for over 40 years, I have finally decided to close the closet door with my last column of “In Fashion.” However, before I go, I thought I would share a few of my “aha moments” gleaned from decades of writing about fashion.

My basic mantra is: If you look good, you’ll feel good. Unless you live in a nudist colony, you get dressed every day. And although I learned long ago not to judge a person by the clothes he or she wears, if you love what you’re wearing, then you’ll have more self-confidence and radiate positive “vibrations,” as we used to say in the ‘70s. And don’t we all need more good vibrations in the world we are living in today?

There’s something special about the bond a man has with his chair. There is no set time for a man to acquire his chair, and his chair may vary throughout his life. Nonetheless, a man’s chair is a place where many important decisions are pondered and made, both personally and professionally. In history, we can look back to powerful moments put into action from a chair: Winston Churchill saved the free world from his bunker chair and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats eased an entire nation all from a chair. More iconically is the power kings convey from their thrones and the barking of orders from the director’s’ chair to create great movies. Sometimes the chair itself takes on a best supporting role and becomes a character of its own like Archie Bunker’s famous chair in “All in the Family,” or Martin Crane’s chair in “Frasier.”

We wanted to see some of the chairs our local Glynn County guys are attached to, so we went looking for a few good men. We did a good job finding them, and not only did they have a favorite chair, but a lot of heart, as well!

To help make your world a bit easier as you put on your best face forward in navigating more and more on-line presentation videos and Zoom meetings, meet our favorite beauty experts, each with over 20 years-experience: Iris Hopgood and Amanda Kicklighter. Often called upon to perform their skills on our lucky makeover candidates, these two are wonderful resources. Here are four important considerations for summertime beauty preparations from Amanda and Iris:

“Two years ago I found myself safely tucked into a nine-to-five, with a house and a yard as I started sharing my life with my beautiful new bride...all was not well. We settled down to accumulate more things we did not need, while promising to see the world someday—the norm in our culture. We decided to free ourselves and take life into our own hands…to become borderless.”

This is just the beginning of Adam Clayton’s story as he found his destiny (in more ways than one). Originally from Hillsborough, NC, Adam honed his skills as a photographer and videographer after attending college. Meanwhile, his wife-to-be, Destiny Bengston of Jacksonville, NC, studied environmental studies and brushed up on her business skills. Little did either know that these skills would help launch them into a brand-new adventure.

Over the past two months, our world has shifted; we are adapting to a new way of life, which can be difficult for many. During this pandemic, however, there are numerous women in this bold, beautiful community of ours who have stepped forward to selflessly and creatively serve others. They are women who give with their whole hearts, expecting nothing in return, and are among the many who have made the difference we all need right now.

Here’s to everyone out there who has helped in their own way.
And here are just a few of the many, many women who have been
Coastal Georgia’s Crowns of Corona:

It can happen in the best of homes. You think you've done everything right as a parent—good schools, restricted screen time, all-cotton underwear—and then one day at dinner, your world explodes.

Your kid goes veggie. She stops eating meat. "I've decided on a plant-based diet," little Lindsey explains, turning her nose, knife and fork up at the beautiful burger on her plate. "How can you eat somebody's mother?"

Some version of this drama plays out every day in homes across America as more young people become aware of the face on the plate and how it relates to the planet they live on.
I hope we can blame schools, but however it happens, kids eating green is trending up, and meatloaf-loving parents need help, strategies, patience and sometimes pharmaceuticals.

You’ve checked out the straw handbags, the floral midiskirts, the cropped culottes and the flatform shoes—just a few of the latest fashion trends that you can’t wait to wear. But where do you start? And how do you pull it all together? Here are some tips for styling your wardrobe the sunny days ahead.

Start with a trendy pattern. Polka dots are running circles around the fashion crowd. Buy a polka-dot bow blouse, a polka-dot dress or a polka-dot blazer. Dress them up or down with what you already have in your closet. Instant update!

And, what if…
If we subscribe to the philosophy that life is always working out for us, and that there is an intelligence far greater than humans at work…
That all is interconnected.
What if…
the virus is here to help us?
To reset.
To remember.
What is truly important.
Reconnecting with community.
Reconnecting with family, as there is more time at home.

Butterfly and herb gardens are on the rise in popularity and Mother Nature is thankful. We are helping our delicate butterfly populations continue to thrive. It’s been reported that the monarch habitat has dwindled to less than 10 percent of what it was 50 years ago, so planting butterfly gardens is a win-win situation.

Nectar plants, which produce droplets of sugar, and varieties of milkweed provide food to the butterflies allowing them to lay their eggs. Those eggs produce caterpillars and then, more butterflies! Herb gardens not only provide culinary delights for many human meals, they also play major roles in attracting bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. So they are important hosts, too.

Tired of hearing repetitive advice to stay healthy these days?  
Yes, we know to wash our hands and not touch our faces.
But here are some other helpful tips to keep you safe and healthy:

Know your health insurance policy: Do you know your deductible? Copays? Is preauthorization required for anything?  Who is in-network? The answer to most of these questions is in your insurer’s online member portal. Log in and look for things like Certificate of Coverage, FAQs, Policy Information, Provider Search, etc. You can also call the customer service number on the back of your insurance card, but with most everyone working virtually, you may have a longer wait.

Be the girl with the pearls. If there’s one fashion favorite that most of us buy new every year, it’s denim. This year, designers go way beyond the basics, reinventing denim in not-so-basic ways to give this tried-and-true wardrobe staple a new lease on the stylish life. Take a look at the new blues on the denim horizon for the season:

The straight and narrow: Skinny jean lovers are in luck. This year, the body-hugging jeans are back in force. For some of us, they never went out of style, but with knee-high boots stepping out in a major way this year—even in the heat—the skinny jean tucked in and worn with a longer top is the silhouette of the season. The major update? A higher waist. Yes, it’s the key fashion trend no matter what style jean you’re wearing. See below!

I’m taking Valentine’s Day to heart this year for one good reason: So many hearts are feeling the stress of all that’s going on. Anxiety is the cheesy chicken-fried steak of the healthy heart, the open heart, the heart that is so at ease, you barely flinch when someone cuts in line or steals your parking place.

Whether it comes from politics, the stock market, the office or the ongoing dramas and traumas in your own house, stress strains the heart and gets in the way of your personal well-being. Big-time.

What you need to know today is that even when things seem completely hopeless, there’s always a way out. That’s not to say that you should slip into denial when bad things happen. But good things also happen.

By learning how to control our thoughts and stepping back to see the bigger picture, we can climb out of that pit and into the sunshine of a new day. It’s all about learning how to get our perspective back on track.

St. Augustine is for lovers. Lovers of history, architecture, art, food, nature, beaches and shopping. It is also romantic, truly perfect for lovers in every way. However, my trip to St. Augustine was a girls’ trip, and boy, did I have a full cultural experience and a lot of fun!

St. Augustine, Florida, is only three and a half hours down the coast, an easy drive, but a world away. I had spent time at the lovely beaches there before, but this trip was all about the cozy, historic town, where I felt like I had stepped back into an old-world, European village, complete with cobblestone streets, fabulous architecture and rich history, dating back to the 1500s.

St. Augustine is the oldest city in America and will celebrate its 455th anniversary this year. This city has managed to maintain its old-world charm and modernize at the same time, offering a balance of plenty to do, with the pull to retreat and spend time writing, reading, resting and strolling.

Have a fling with a little bling this spring!
Kick off the season by updating your jewelry box with a new piece or two.
Here are a few updates that will add a warm up to anything you wear.

Be the girl with the pearls. Pearls have long been a jewelry favorite, but this year, baroque styles get a modern update with mixed metals and lots of stones, giving them a whole new look. Get the look by layering semiprecious gemstone necklaces with your grandmother’s pearl strands or a pair of pearl-sprinkled gold or silver hoops. Featured: Monique double gold earrings with Mother of Pearl. Find them at Modern Jewelers, Downtown Beaufort.

Every year after Christmas has passed and the New Year is dawning, most of us begin some sort of self-reflection. Maybe we want to shed some weight, or start making the people in our lives more of a priority. The key ingredient to any of these resolutions ultimately is motivation.

Finding motivation can be a challenge for both old and young alike, but keeping the motivation is wherein the challenge lies. The old adage “A body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion” is a scientific truth we can put to the test on a daily basis. It could be something like starting small and walking around the block in our neighborhood, or for someone with painful arthritis, a goal could be simply making it to the mailbox once a day to check it. There is no shame in starting small with these steps.