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Essays
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Shopping with My Teenage Daughter…Lessons Learned
As a precocious seven-year-old, whenever my daughter was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, her answer was always the same. “I want to be a teenager.” A cute, funny, and charming response from a pigtailed little…
Sometimes I Talk to Myself
I have a longtime Southern friend, a superb fashionista, who thinks that people who wear tee shirts with sayings on them look… tacky. So, when I’m around her, I wear flowery prints and don’t follow my natural instincts. Most of…
Finding Your Fashion Muse
What fuels your fashion finds? What inspires and guides your fashion journey? Some have an actress they emulate or an influencer on Tik Tok, while others still peruse fashion magazines. Navigating a world of playthings as a child, my mother’s closet…
Cover Artist: Chantal Tomiello
Chantal Tomiello is a French-Canadian artist who currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. Even as a young child, she always had a talent for drawing. Although her path did not lead her to be a full-time artist at first, she…
Living Well at Any Age
When I rounded an aisle at Walmart, nearly colliding with a man’s overflowing cart, I heard, “Dad, you almost ran over that little old lady.” “I’m not old,” I objected, laughing good-naturedly. But later, I thought about the girl’s comment. I’m…
Sasee Gets Personal with Cissy Murdaugh: Member of The Lakes at Litchfield
Q: When did you move to the Grand Strand?My husband, John Murphy, and I lived in Fayetteville, but we spent a lot of time traveling to the beach for vacation. We loved to shag dance and enjoyed the atmosphere here.…
A New Kind of Balance
Once upon a time, I ate chocolate and cake, and ice cream by the pint or a partial dive into a gallon. Purchasing two bags of chocolate chips, one for baking and the other for snacking, was normal. Frito chips…
Georgia Beaver: Self-love is Self-care
Growing up in a very traditional household, Georgia was told she had two options for her future as a woman; to become a teacher or a nurse. Fortunately, nursing led her in the right direction to living her best life.…
Ross It!
It’s no secret; life is overwhelming, especially in this post-pandemic climate where a simple trip to the grocery store swallows almost an entire paycheck, a hearty gulp of the gas tank, and a major chunk of your precious time. Whether…
Tripping the Light Fantastic
My husband asked me recently, “Do you like yourself these days?” “Not my crooked teeth, droopy eyelids, and flabby belly. Do you like yourself?” I probed. Aware that Bill’s milestone decade birthday was hitting him hard, I said, “We sure…
Cover Artist: Aliaksandra Tsesarskaya
Aliaksandra Tsesarskaya’s work is an exploration of feelings evoked by the search for inner meaning. She finds inspiration in everything that surrounds her, people, places, and animals. While looking at her paintings, you can immerse yourself in a bright riot of…
Talents Differ
Everyone needs a hobby. If people find what you do creative and beneficial to them, that’s a bonus. Yet, as long as you enjoy what you’re doing, it benefits you no matter what accolades you receive or don’t. You still…
How Art Creates Connections: Seacoast Artists Guild & Gallery
A local non-profit organization, the Seacoast Artists Guild was established to be a home for artists and a place to connect with others who appreciate art as a creative outlet. Memberships are open to all artists and art lovers within…
The Art of Becoming an Artist
When I was just an infant, sitting in my highchair, I somehow got ahold of my bowl of plum baby food and proceeded to smear its contents all over the wall. My father walked in on me, laughed, and yelled…
How I Became a Calendar Girl!
On October 7, 1954, I received a ‘Brownie’ box camera for my 11th birthday. I became hooked on taking pictures right then and there, long before digital cameras, I-phones, and I-photos were even dreamed of. It has been an obsession ever…
Color of the Year 2023 – Viva Magenta
Turn “Can’t” Into “Can”: Horry County Literacy Council
By offering free, confidential, individualized, private, successful tutoring and literacy support for students and adults in Horry County, this non-profit has been a vital resource for the community since 1976. The mission of the Horry County Literacy Council (HCLC) is…
Sasee Gets Personal with Wendy Meletes & Olivia Meletes-Morris: Litchfield Books
Q: When did y’all take over ownership of Litchfield Books?Olivia: We have owned Litchfield Books for almost two years now. I managed the bookstore for the previous owner for five years and just before the pandemic, the owner asked if…
Creative Outlets Take Center Stage
Dating back to the 6th Century B.C., Ancient Greeks were the first to present dramatic presentations that we know today as theater. For centuries since, people have enjoyed art forms such as drama, comedy, music, dance, and other forms of…
The Writing Seed
The botanical name of the “writing seed” eludes me, but it was sown deep into the soil of my soul. Mrs. Phenow, my third-grade teacher at Johnson Elementary School, planted the seed in September 1955. It began with the dreaded…