We Conclude the Bella Grace Blog Hop
Photographs by Jillian Lukiwski, Deb Taylor, Susan Tuttle
Becky Stewart, Sylvia Stefanova
Silvia Mulazzani, Deb Taylor, Susan Tuttle
When I started working on the Bella Grace Blog Hop back in July, I had an inkling that it would turn into something very special. From the moment I held Bella Grace and flipped through the articles, I just knew it was something we had to share, the way each individual poured themselves out onto every page. You see, Bella Grace is much more than a magazine — it’s a textural experience with grainy pages – it’s a spiritual awakening loaded with authentic experiences, uplifting stories, workbook prompts, and photographs. Oh, how I love to get lost in the photographs.
That’s a funny way to describe it, I know, but it’s the most accurate description I can come up with.
There are also many things Bella Grace is not: It is not glossy. It is not a sales-pitch that requires the purchase of “stuff” to make your life more fulfilling. It does not present unattainable standards of beauty, creativity, or happiness.
So yes, when I began working on the Bella Grace Blog Hop back in July, I knew it was going to turn into something special.
Thanks to the brilliance, creativity, and hard work of each co-host, the Bella Grace Blog Hop was better than I ever imagined. Our hosts took us on another special journey, much like the book, from gorgeous, bloom-filled meadows to the dark and sincere places in their hearts. We read personal stories and visited places of inspiration. I wish I could sit here and relay every single post — to talk about the wonderful sound of a happy tail thumping against warm bedcovers; and the adventures you’re bound to experience when you go wherever the wind wills; and the smell of sunshine; and the beauty of the harvest moon; but if you missed any of the inspiration, comfort, and magic that was shared, I’m sure you’ll take a moment to go back, and look through all of the beautiful, original posts that are now a part of our Bella Grace adventure.
I would like to offer a sincere thank you on behalf of Stampington & Company to all of our official and unofficial co-hosts. Thank you for sharing your words, your images, and a little bit of your souls with us.
It’s not the end, but the beginning of a beautiful new journey …
Photographs by Alisha Fridland
Bella Grace Volume 1, Issue 2
We are far from done! The humbling, overwhelmingly positive reaction of our readers to this new publication has made us realize that the world needs a bit more magic in the ordinary, and we are happy to oblige. Bella Grace will be released four times a year, beginning in March 2015.
Click here to peek inside Volume 1, Issue 2 – available December 1st.
Bella Grace Giveaway: Now it’s our Turn
In order to show our appreciation for our wonderful blog readers and enthusiasm over this amazing new publication, we are giving away 5 copies of Bella Grace.
[This giveaway has ended.]
How to Win
Leave us a comment below. Tell us what you thought about the Blog Hop, which post you enjoyed the most, or why you’re looking forward to the next issue of Bella Grace.
Congratulations to our Winners:
Tracy Snyder, Peggy Lee, Connie Pedersen, Charlene James, and Nadine Jordan
Posted: Thursday, October 16th, 2014 @ 4:14 pm
Categories: Artful Living, Contests and Giveaways.
Tags: Bella Grace, blog hop, creative, Giveaway, Inspiration.
Subscribe to the comments feed if you like.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
I loved Kelly Letksy’s blog, “An Ordinary Artist”. I think she perfectly captured the beauty of everyday life–life moments that we all have, that look ordinary, but contain their own special magic. I’m really excited to see what the next Bella Grace has in store…
What a beautiful description of such a wonderful magazine. I treasure my copy! I’m reading it very slowly, making the good times last! So excited to hear that it will be coming out four times a year!! I’ve already preordered the next issue and can’t wait to hold it in my hands! I’m so looking forward to the lovely stories, encouraging words, and inspiration that I know it will contain!
I loved, loved this journey, devouring each and every blog post. I still have yet to get to all of them and it is my private get away when I have those quiet moments to myself. Although I loved every post I have read so far. Under the Harvest Moon was inspiring to me as was Simple Things by Deb Taylor. I love nature and the love of simple things is so engrained in me, the appreciation of those little everyday diamonds just waiting to be treasured and loved, yet so ignored by our daily busy lives. I loved that post. I also connected with Wild About Flowers by Jennifer Catalano. My grandmother had me pressing flowers for as long as I can remember. She made bookmarks with them. I still press them today and I can not resist to stop along the side of the road and to pick a little stem of something that says: “Remember me”.
All these wonderful blog posts are why without a doubt that Bella Grace will a cherished magazine for now and to come. I don’t own a copy yet and I would love the opportunity to have my own.
Thank you for all the fabulous inspiration!
XOXO
Kim
Thank you for the opportunity to win! What a wonderful description of such a gorgeous magazine. The photography is beautiful! So happy to hear that it will be coming out four times a year!
I loved the blog hop!I found pieces of myself in most every blog I read. To find connections of soulful inspiration is what keeps me coming back.I can hardly wait for the next one. Great job!
I loved Jennifer Catalano’s muse about the flowers. It reminded me so much of the sweet pea bush in our back yard; such lavender beauty. Each little flower seemed perfect. Many good memories; thank you.
What a blessing in these days of Go Go Go. Mary
love all the beautiful photography in bella grace.
For the Love of paper was one of my favorites. As a graphic designer and have had my name “in print” is thrilling every time it happens. I love working with photography and helping the words “mesh” with the visual to complete the story. I have designed magazines but none as lovely as Bella Grace…thank you for the inspiration
I love the photography and the writing in Bella Grace. It provides a unique experience, starting with the paper you have chosen. This magazine takes me to another place – calms my soul, urges me to reflect on life, and inspires me. I am glad to know it will be available four times a year.
A beautiful book with life adventures. Beauty in pictures. Life affirming. Although I am in my 60’s I feel young and get excited when reading your stories and seeing each page in its beauty.
The blog post I found most inspiring about Bella Grace magazine was from Silvia Mulazzani on her Shabby Soul blog. She defined the simple comfortable things of life with her soul-feeding photos, and using the word ‘Beautyfull’ which encompasses ‘full of beauty’…which is exactly what is between the pages of Bella Grace.
I love the wonderful artists and writers on the bloghop. Gorgeous photos and stories. It encourages me to start up my blog again. I love most of the contributors, but Kelly Rae Roberts, Noisy Plume and Junelle Jacobsen are among my top choices. Thank you for another lovely publication and for inspiring creativity.
I loved the blog hop. It was very inspiring and the photography was absolutely beautiful!
Just another amazing thing from Stampington!!!
Art is all about community. Bella Grace shares some gorgeous thoughts and techniques that unite its readers in common creativity and beauty!
Hi Sarah – I couldn’t have said it better myself! Art is about community, and we are so happy to be a part of yours. Thank you and good luck!
I loved each and every post on the blog hop. Every post held a piece of calm, beauty, inspiration, joy,peace and love. The journey was a thought provoking and creative one. I felt inspired by things I had never taken time to notice. I’m thankful for having the chance to win a copy of bella Grace.
My favorite post decision was surprisingly easy to make. It is the post that has stayed with me nearly daily since I read it. Maybe not all of it, but a different portion for different times, Becky Stewart’s post, “Best Beauty Secret”. Joy!
I love the photos. I love the way they capture spirit. i cannot wait to get my hands on a copy. One day.
I loved the blog hop! Such an amazing variety of beauty in writing, vision & picture! My favorite post was from Jennifer McGuiggan in “Verbal Snapshots”. I loved the way she described verbal snapshots as lanquage-grams! As a new photographer, I have found myself caught in moments when all I want to do is focus on the moment & not even snap a picture…she gave life, to what I have been experiencing, through her words! :)
it is the stories, the age old ones, that i love. the ones that no matter where we are as women, as creatives, as lightseekers – no matter what stage of life we may be experiencing, there is a thread in each story shared that feels familiar, that connects us, that reminds us, that touches us. that is the gift! a beautiful blog hop and gratitude for introducing me to a couple new faces and to those i adore and have followed for sometime, it is always like visiting with an old friend.
I really looked forward to reading a new blog post by these amazing people. I feel refreshed and inspired by each of them and learnt something new.
Beautiful new edition to the magazine world.
I truly loved this whole blog experience,so much inspirational beauty.I was especially moved by”Wild About Flowers”,by Jennifer Catalano, as I have hundreds of pressed flowers that still have their color.I will so something with the pinks in honor of Breast Awareness Month, as we all know someone, myself included am battling this disease now.So Thank You Sincerely for a chance to win a copy of my own,I LOVE Somerset, it is my refuge.
A friend on Facebook posted a link about this so I came over to check it out and ended up spending quite a bit of time reading through these posts. These posts and this content are so inspiring and uplifting. I particularly enjoyed Jenna McGuiggan’s post about Verbal Snapshots. Focusing on creating a verbal snapshot of the things I encounter provided me with a more focused and mindful awareness to see my day and everything that happens. I would be delighted to win a copy of this magazine and am thankful for the opportunity to do so. When time allows I will be back on the blog hop which is now in my bookmarks. Thank you.
I love many of your publications, but Bella Grace is a favorite. Truly a getaway treat — inspiring and lovely and nourishing. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
Being new to this publication, all I can say is “give me more”! It looks like a little piece of ahhhhh….. Winning a copy would be divine inspiration for my artistic journey.
I loved the artistry of photos and words! There is no way I could select one favorite but this makes me more impatient in waiting for the new issue!
Hi Jayne – just a few more months! The winter issue of Bella Grace will be here in December!
I resonated well with the post by Sylvia Mulazzani.. Loved how she talked about simplicity being beautiful and how our artistic self is all a part of that. It’s so true for me! Oh my goodness, I love many of the Stampington publications.. One of my favorites is Artful Blogging. I must say though that after looking here at Bella Grace, that it is also going to be one of my very favorite publications. It talks so to the heart of your spirit. I would also love winning a copy.
I truly loved this whole blog hop experience,so much inspirational. I don’t own a copy yet so I love the opportunity to have my own.
I loved the blog hop. I found it to be very inspiring and motivating. I look forward to the next one.
I loved many of the articles on the blog hop, & I think Life at Cobble Hill Farm was my favourite – the gorgeous photos & the gratitude for ordinary things really spoke to me.
Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of Bella Grace. In case I am not successful, can you let me know if it is being sold anywhere in the UK, please.
You nailed it! The world needs more grace, beautiful, lovely grace. Thx.
The new issue of Bella Grace was simply beautiful! I could get lost in those pages! Just amazing! I loved Simple Things, just easy ways to share beauty! Thanks!
I always love Blog Hops but this one was particularly inspiring! The dreamy images shared and thoughtful words really moved me. Each artist is so unique and expresses themselves individually!
Thank you so much Kim. We all worked very hard on the Blog Hop, it’s great to hear that you enjoyed it. =)
I loved the new Bella Grace issue and the blog hop which was sensational! Silvia Mulazzani’s article was my favorite because she liked to see beauty as a gift, which it is. This is going to be one of my favorite magazines I’m sure.
I love the magazine and was delighted to have 2 features in the premiere issue! Thank you for the opportunity.
Thank you SO MUCH Bella for sharing your wonderful work with us! Bella Grace wouldn’t be what it is without you.
I totally fell in love with the Yes and Amen blog! If not for this blog hop the introduction would never have taken place. Art is my passion and words are my heart. I Love workshops where we can be comfortable in our own creative place and yet join hands with artists all over the world to learn new techniques and share life through our unique creativity and view. I am already deciding which of her courses to take first! Art publications provide the path of introduction and a precious part of our art world to pick up, dogear our favorites and tuck in our bags carrying with us. I am so excited about Bella Grace, what a great addition!
Thanks Julie! We are so happy that you enjoyed Bella Grace. Good luck!
It’s not the end, but the beginning of a beautiful new journey.
Perfect description.
Reading the blogs of the ladies in the Bella Grace blog hop helped me a great deal to think about how I need to change some things so that I will be HAPPY with the way I will be living my life in retirement.
I’m feeling the need to pare down and live a more simple life. Where the house is more ‘open space’, less furniture, less clutter. More room to move around, more space to let the eye rest and more room to create things with out having to move this thing/project to get to that thing/project.
It will be nice to be able to go into the studio and start creating or working on something without having to clear a space in the mess to do so.
I’m embracing the life that I am looking forward to.
Simpler, less complicated, time and space to be more creative.
I’m very much looking forward to this next phase of my life.
The Bella Grace blog hop was my inspiration.
Thank you all so much.
With a grateful heart,
Connie
Hi Connie,
Thank you so much for sharing with us. It’s so wonderful that Bella Grace was able to inspire you to simplify your life. Sometimes its just so nice to de-clutter and to sit in some wide open space and simply feel free.
Love the idea, the photography & the calming inspiration!
What beautiful sharings! So unique and nothing i have ever experienced before! They channel me into another era, another venue and another way of thinking, imagining and dreaming!! The favorite thing i hold ?….memories….cherished images, artistry, loved ones and feelings….. Memories are my favorite things to hold!!!!
Thank you for sharing Suzanne. Memories are indeed precious. Good luck!
The blog put together beautiful photography with beautiful words in ways that bring peace and kindness to my day. Looking forward to seeing the issues in print. Thank you!
I relax by going to Barnes and Noble and flipping through all kinds of magazines. I picked up the Bella Grace magazine and I couldn’t put it down. I spent almost 2 hours poring over the images and words. I couldn’t bear to leave it behind but I didn’t have the money that day to buy it. I went back later that week and it was gone. I am excited to know that a second edition is coming soon. I will definitely be buying this issue. I do have to say that one of my favorite photo’s was of the girl by the lake with her back turned to the camera. When I looked it up it took me to Sylvia’s Simple Life page and I am now a follower. Thank you for putting out a magazine that allows me to find a little peace and respite in my otherwise crazy life.
Hi Christa – that’s such a sad story! You had Bella Grace and then you lost it. But that’s alright! You may just win a copy. Good luck, and thank you so much for sharing.
I bought a copy of Bella Grace for my daughter and another copy for me. Then I subscribed. We both loved it!
If I am gifted a copy, I will pass it on to my daughter,who loved her first BG!
Loved the blog hop and checking out everyone’s blogs. I am addicted to photography and love checking out everyone’s photos on their blogs and of course in the beautiful Bella Grace magazine. Am thrilled that it will be coming out 4 times a year instead of 2. So glad to see that print magazines are coming out like this and not disappearing like the industry suggested.
Bella Grace looks,sounds,and feels like,not just a magazine,but a beautiful way of life.I would love to win a copy to experience it on my own.Thanks for the opportunity!
The stunning photography & creativity of both the Bella Grace publication and the Blog Hops are inspirational in themselves. I love photos that reveal unique perspectives while at the same time inspire new artistic directions……to call these two genres “eye candy” and “feasts for the mind and soul” somehow falls short……I’d have to say “indescribably beautiful” would come closer….Thank you for this opportunity. You’re the best :)
I looked at Bella Grace at Barnes and Noble, and found it a most beautiful, inspiring magazine. I couldn’t afford to buy it at the time, but hope to sometime. It really is lovely.
I am looking forward to the next issue and hope to win it! I hope there is slightly more color in the next issue, though. We need color here in New England once winter starts!
I think Bella Grace is all about the soul — and because I am all about the soul, of self and of life, I am therefore all about Bella Grace!! This is my kind of publication, through and through.
Every single post I read touched me to my core, but if forced to choose my favorite, it would D. Smith Kaich Jones’. My, my, does she have a way with words. She makes me feel like…. I am there. I am that. I get it. I am infused by it. It’s as if I’m looking through my soul’s window, and recognizing what speaks to it and calls to it — and oh, do I love the view, and am grateful to her for helping me wipe the everyday smudges off to see more clearly!
This magazine and its stories/essays and photographs are, quite simply, a blessed gift, and I am ever so grateful for its creation and existence, and am already dreaming about future issues and content!
Thank you very much Christa. That really means a lot to me.
New to me, but sure looks intriguing! Hope to win! In the meantime I am going to investigate Bella Grace and see what it is all about! Thank you for this giveaway opportunity!
AAAWWWW BELLA GRACE is such a nice reflection of soul searching in all the stories & photographs are outstanding really look forward to more great stories & pictures… TY
I saw the advertisement for the first issue and waited for it just like a little kid waits for Christmas morning. I even saved the date on my calendar! I run to the store to get it. I opened it in my favorite corner at home with a cup of coffee and holding my breath. I looked at every picture, I smelled every page, I smiled and cried. Ok, maybe I am too sensitive nowadays…. Or maybe it was just what I was hopping for.
Favorite part…. Know there is a new one coming!
No such thing as being too sensitive Marcia. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. :)
I love the stunning photos in Bella Grace and all the Stampington publications.
Somerset magazines are all such high quality – congratulations on a job well done! I’ve seen previews of Bella Grace and look forward to more. Every Somerset magazine I’ve ever picked up has been one I could read from cover to cover, again and again.
Thank you for the kind words Anne. Good luck!
The titles capture my imagination. Melting Sadness, My Favorite Pieces of Silence, Capture Magic That Hangs on a Gossamer thread. BEAUTIFUL!!
Thank you so much for sharing Jenny!
This looks like a wonderful publication. I would love to experience it first hand. Thank you for the opportunity to win!
The blog hop was a great introduction to the magazine. I’m eager to read more and would feel downright giddy to win a copy! Thank you, warmly.
I actually bought bella grace as soon as it came out. But we are moving and in packing our house it somehow got packed or went missing and I miss it everyday!! It’s one of the most beautiful magazines I’ve seen in many years!!! I hope to win here and if my first copy is ever found I will share it with a good friend.
Good luck Gina! Thank you for participating.
The blog hop in Bella Grace was simply amazing & I can’t begin to choose a favorite post! The entire concept of the magazine is great and gives creative souls an elegant platform to share their personal stories of joy, inspiration and everyday blessings. Thanks Stampington for the greatest publications (in my opinion) of creative interests on every subject! It is a wonderful indulgence to purchase any one of your magazines & like so many of the other comments – I Iove to get the newest version of any of my favs and savor every detail inside! I’m actually glad they are quarterly publications because it takes me that long to get through my growing list of “Titles of Interest!” Thanks for your generous give-a-ways too!
Love the photography and the blog is a great way to preview the magazine. Love all the publications from Stampington!
Thank you for the chance to win such a beautiful magazine. Everyone needs a little loving and graceful inspiration in their life!
Debdidit – reminded me to slow down with her post about the ocean. I bought the recent Bella Grace publication and read it on a cross country flight recently. (I actually read it twice) I allowed the words to wash over me and was captivated by the photography. Beautiful!!!