December 2019 Issue

Monthly Articles

A Story of Hope | Aiken Christmas Miracles | Aiken Bella Magazine

A Story of Hope | Aiken Christmas Miracles

Christmas and miracles — those surprising, unexplainable events that take your breath away — are eternally attached. Aiken County is filled with Guardian Angels. Every year, this community supports us with enough funds and volunteers to take many children shopping for warm clothes in Aiken and North Augusta. Those Guardian Angel Program gifts have often sustained our program’s operations for another year — a 50-year-long miracle. Beyond that sustained miracle, I witness many other miracles, some small and some life-changing. We have received unexpected deliveries of food just when we are meeting grandparents who just added three grandchildren to their family and need everything, a gift of funds just before

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Christmas Parades | What A Ride | Aiken Bella Magazine

Christmas Parades | What A Ride

As Miss South Carolina, I had a blast riding in Christmas Parades! I became a skilled candy thrower and I had perfected my beauty queen wave. But I learned more than just how to wave in parades. I believe these “rhinestoned lessons” taught me how to laugh at myself and develop a healthy attitude while riding in a kazillion Christmas parades. Here are a few really funny, timeless lessons I learned. Don’t take yourself too seriously. I was asked to be the Grand Marshall in a small-town parade. Well, I thought I was the most important part of the parade until the Mayor told me that I was being replaced

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A Southern Story | More Than a Horse Store

Aiken’s Equine Divine Was Named One of the “South’s Best Shops” in Southern Living Magazine Dini Jones smiled as the customer strolled into her store in downtown Aiken. “Welcome to Equine Divine,” she said as the woman searched through the dresses, eyeing the one Dini was wearing. “Do you have any more dresses like the one you have on?” It was one of the dresses from Equine Divine, but there were no others just like it in the shop. Dini showed the customer other dresses similar in style and color, but she had her heart set on Dini’s. “Well, you are welcome to try this one on if you’d like

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Creating a Social Community | Aiken Bella Magazine

Creating a Social Community

There’s a common misperception that Twitter is nothing but a cesspool of hate, celebrity worship, and advertising. While all those things do exist to some extent, wonderful special interest communities also thrive on the platform. One example is the writing community. Made up of both aspiring and successful authors, this group uses the hashtag #writingcommunity to connect with one another. Writers ask for advice about their current projects and writing careers in general, promote their latest work, and sometimes just chat. Members frequently do something called a #writerslift, where new writers with not many followers describe their work, and other members of the community follow them. This lets people who

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