18 years after my wedding reception at Great Southern and the soul rolls are still the best version of an egg roll I’ve ever eaten—the crispy skin hiding a blend of collards and chicken, pickled peach chutney mounded on the side and zesty mustard ribbons offer a juxtaposition of crunch and melt-in-your-mouth all at once. Some things have changed. The side porch where we celebrated now houses b.f.f., the once parking area outside transformed into an elevated covered dining platform during Covid and never went back. However, the one constant, besides those soul rolls, remains Jim Shirley’s reputation as a community maker and excellent chef. Shirley has cooked at the James Beard House, served the King and Queen of Spain his Southern fare,  and opened many restaurants from Pensacola to 30A.  His commitment to sourcing locally (you can see his chefs out at the docks getting the freshest catch) and giving back to his community is legendary from serving on boards of the Autism Society and Children’s Home Society to keeping the pulse on the industry through involvement with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. His daughter and Vice President of Operations, Madison Shirley added, “It’s deeply rooted in our ethos that you learn about your community and the people you’re surrounded by, the people you break bread with. What you’re eating and sharing with them is your story, your family story, and your community story told through what you put on the plate in front of them.” At Great... Read More

The beauty and style blogger behind Lipstick, Heels, and a Baby and mother of three talks about life as an influencer and her home decor style. Jessica Fay didn’t set out to be an influencer––it sort of just happened. In 2012, Fay started her blog (plus a YouTube channel and a Pinterest account) as an online journal of sorts to stay connected with her husband Ryan, who was deployed to Afghanistan when their firstborn son Braydon was just eight weeks old. On the blog, Lipstick, Heels, and a Baby, Fay documented her adventures with Braydon (such as weekend trips to the mountains with her parents) so that Ryan could check in on them when he could. “I noticed my outfits getting pinned on Pinterest, and it kind of took off naturally from there,” Fay said. On her Instagram account, which has over 300K followers, you’ll find her favorite recipes, hair and skincare products, outfit inspo, and so much more. We had the chance to chat with Fay about home decor, the influencer life, and must-haves for a day at the beach with the kids. Beach Happy: What is the best part about being an influencer? And what’s the most challenging part? Jessica Fay: The best thing about what I do is being able to connect with so many amazing women all over the world. The most challenging part for me is being able to turn it “off.” I can technically work from anywhere––on vacation, from my bed, while watching TV,... Read More