The Stories: Reflecting The Community

From interesting neighbors to newsworthy events to timely traditions, Invitation reflects the people and places that make north Mississippi shine. 

Written by Emily Welly

The stories in our magazines reflect the community.

Double Decker. Home & Garden. Bridal. Football. Pets. Food. Holiday. These themes have been consistent almost since the start of the magazine. They give us a framework from which to build, and they guide our advertisers in making sales decisions and design choices.

Within that framework, we write about community organizations, artists, authors, musicians, students, athletes, families, travel destinations, fashion trends, recipes (so many recipes!), unique businesses, gorgeous homes, seasonal gardens, family pets, holiday traditions, bridal announcements and so much more. We have looked back in time to celebrate the past. We have imagined the future, especially as rapid development has occurred over the past 20 years. But most of all, the stories we tell are about what’s happening in the lives of our readers here and now — the people and places that make our community what it is today.

When we have the opportunity, we also cover the biggest stories to impact our community. In 2008, the Presidential Debate took place at Ole Miss. In 2013, the famous Budweiser Clydesdales visited Tupelo and graced our cover in an iconic photo. In 2016, HGTV’s Ben and Erin Napier (both Ole Miss grads) were on our cover. In August of 2022, Ole Miss baseball won the national championship, and we produced a commemorative issue. And following the 2025 football season, we covered the Ole Miss team’s historic playoff run.

We have dealt with challenges, too, that not only affected the content of the magazine but also the way it was produced and delivered. In spring of 2020, we had to quickly shift gears when COVID changed lives everywhere. With events curtailed and Double Decker canceled, our April 2020 magazine morphed into a collection of stories we hoped would offer entertainment and escape. We hand-delivered it to neighborhoods to get it in readers’ hands. The only issue we have ever skipped publishing was May 2020.

Then, this past winter, we covered the ice storm and its aftermath in our March 2026 magazine, focusing mainly on the many helpers who came together to support our community. That storm caused disruptions for everyone, including the magazine’s production schedule for months to come. But it also re-energized the community and brought organizations together in an unprecedented way that continues today.