To our loyal readers,
By now, you may have received your May/June edition of Lehigh Valley Style, or perhaps it will be making its way to your mailbox within the next few days. We'd like to take a moment to talk about what you'll find inside, and how it came to be, as it looks much different than what we had anticipated before all of this began.
The content for our May 2020 edition had been dreamed up in January, and our team of freelance writers and photographers worked through February to submit their pieces. When it came time for our art director to dive into designing the edition, it was March, and by that point, we knew that so much needed to change.
Like many of you, our team began working remotely on Friday, March 13, and we continued doing so until (and well past) our May/June edition went to print. This was the first magazine ever that we would produce entirely from our homes, and as a very small group of individuals who thrive on working together, collaborating and brainstorming, it was no easy feat. Through daily Zoom calls, late-night text messages and truly non-stop emails, we worked tirelessly to produce an edition of the quality you've come to expect as a reader. At the same time, we strove to do something else that we had never done before—produce must-read, timely and important stories for lehighvalleystyle.com. We hope to have been a resource for you during these times of uncertainty, and we hope we can continue to be that moving forward.
So, what can you expect from our current edition? As I mentioned, it looks very different now than we thought it would back in January. For starters, it became a combined May/June edition. This decision was made for many reasons. As a small business ourselves, we knew it wouldn't be long before we began feeling the financial effects of COVID-19. We also knew that we needed some time to catch our breath and define our messaging, and we wanted to give that same opportunity to our valued advertisers. Of course, much of the editorial content would need to change. You won't find our anticipated “Ultimate Guide to Meeting People” in this month's pages. Instead, you'll see a feature all about perfecting your work-from-home space, with expert tips from a professional home stager. You'll read about the Valley's diverse international culinary offerings (many of which are available to-go!), and you'll be introduced to the people behind Café the Lodge in South Bethlehem (yes, the ones gracing our colorful cover!).
While we couldn't possibly change every piece of content in the edition, we did our best to update and adapt it, making it relevant and enjoyable, for you, our readers.
We ended up naming this edition our “Community” issue, with an emphasis on the unity. At Lehigh Valley Style, we remain the biggest cheerleaders of our community, and for 20 years, we've worked to connect all who are a part of it. Despite being socially distanced, and at times, feeling very isolated, in some ways we have never felt more connected to you, to each other and to the things that matter most.
We hope you feel the same as you turn through the pages of this month's magazine—whether you're at home with a printed copy or flipping through our digital edition. And we hope that you'll consider subscribing, so that we can stay connected not just in these times of uncertainty, but always.
Thank you for reading,
Kristen L. Rinaldi
