SMOKEY FOG

Last month I spent a weekend with Tim and some of his old coworker friends in the Great Smokey Mountains. We stayed in the most luxurious cabin I've ever seen with a stunning view of the mountains. I just wanted to share some of these photos I took while we were up there. The fog was incredible!

TO THE BAY

Well, the weekend was a few days ago already, but I still feel like I'm on a vacation - in the very least, it's still a mental vacation. My parent's 25th anniversary is actually tomorrow, but over the weekend Tim accompanied me to Tampa where we stayed with them and celebrated. It was a very short stay at just over a day, but it was nice to get away for a moment and see the beach. Even though I grew up in Tampa, it's become so exciting to see an open body of water. Atlanta has barely any water whatsoever, so even rain is exciting.

Early Sunday morning we got up at seven and drove to my favorite beach of all time, Anna Maria Island. The water was still cool, but as the sun came through the clouds, it was perfect.



My parents took us to this Indian restaurant called Tandoor, that was amazing. If you live in the Tampa/Brandon/Valrico area, definitely stop by this place. It reminds me of a good restaurant here in Atlanta, Panahar. It hurts my heart to know that I had to leave my leftovers with my parents. I don't think it would have lasted a 7 hour drive.

After the dinner, my good friend Ryan came by and we paddled a canoe out on the Tampa Bay. My parents live just off the bay, so it was a nice little surprise boat trip. The only downside was that the mosquitoes took that opportunity to eat the hell out of us. I still have 30+ itchy reminders of that fun night. ;)

I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day weekend too. I know a lot of people traveled.. so where did you go?


instagram photos by me! follow me @ciarasames

Weekend: ASHEVILLE

Happy Monday, friends! I had a lovely weekend, did you? Tim and I took a day trip to Asheville on Saturday. I had never been, and he wanted to take me there. And as our one year anniversary just passed, it was a good reason to take a road trip! We spent a lot of time walking around the city and looking at all the funny, cool, or just downright unusual things. There are so many hippies! I've never seen so many dreadlocks all in one place. It was so beautiful to be surrounded by mountains, I loved it. For our fancy dinner we went to an Indian restaurant called Mela, and it was incredible. I had Chicken Tikka Masala and Tim had the Saag Paneer. Yum! But sad news, we left the leftovers in Asheville. I kick myself every time I think about it. But, besides that, the trip was perfect. We stopped a lot of detours and shops on the way back, including the Smoky Mountain Parkway with a breathtaking ridge view of the mountains. The next few months will have similar mini trips to other places. May is a trip to Florida to see my parents for their 25th anniversary, and June is a trip to St. Louis to see Tim's family (and the Cardinals).

Does this summer have an promising destinations for you?

(p.s. check out all the red white and blue in those photos. funny, especially because all my travel tweet had #america in them)

INSTAWEEKEND

Sorry for the late weekend update. I know today is Tuesday, but it's more of a Monday to me. I took yesterday off from work to handle some school stuff and so I had a long weekend. Saturday Tim was sick after some bad food poisoning, and Sunday was also low key, but yesterday was way more active! After my school appointment I met up with my friend Jessie for some drives through town and thrifting. I came home with two vintage tennis rackets. Woo!

If you're wondering about that cute little foxy fellow, that's a knit doll from Blabla Kids. It was my first time to the store yesterday and I completely fell in love. If you have a kid, get them one now. Trust me.

photos by me on instagram. follow me!

NOT YOUR TYPICAL VALENTINE'S DAY MIX

Tim Lampe is a writer for I'm A Bear! Etc. who appreciates Valentine's Day but thinks it's better known as "National Reeses Appreciation Day".

I have a mix for you this week that I think you're going to really like. It's both a mix for Ciara herself as it is for all her readers. Since it's Valentine's Day, I wanted to make a mix but didn't want it to be full of cliched songs that you've heard over and over. It's a mix that includes a lot of old songs, but a collection of well-worn songs for me. You might wonder why it starts with Guess Who's "These Eyes" because it's not necessarily a love song. It's a simple answer; I find more joy in belting out that song in public than what the subject matter is. You might also remember a famous movie scene from Superbad involving Michael Cera singing it too, but I digress.

I love every track on this playlist, and a lot of them are slower than previous playlists, but I think you'll really enjoy it. Midway through is GAYNGS (a band compiled of Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and over 20 other collaborators) doing a cover of SADE's "By Your Side". I don't have scientific proof, but I'm pretty sure this track is the sexiest songs ever put down on record. Just listen for yourself. And any great Valentines playlist wouldn't be complete without ending it with Mew's "Comforting Sounds". That track means a lot to Ciara and myself.

-Tim



1. These Eyes // The Guess Who
2. Anthems For a Seventeen Year Old Girl // Broken Social Scene
3. VCR // The XX
4. Summer Holiday // Wild Nothing
5. Slow Show // The National
6. By Your Side // Gayngs
7. Strange Things Will Happen // The Radio Dept.
8. Bookshop Casanova // The Clientele
9. Vittorio E. // Spoon
10. Comforting Sounds // Mew


If you'd like to listen to the playlist in Spotify, put this link in your search bar: spotify:user:bearetc:playlist:2OPTWQwbTZnRrigtoo6kad

WEEKEND PIE

And by Misfits, I mean the most amazing British TV show. I'm all caught up now, as I clearly did hardly anything else all weekend.

A LAZY WEEKEND

I had a lovely weekend taking it easy. My job had a huge project I've been working on for months and we finally got the bulk of it done. So as a nice little reward, they gave me a paid half day for Friday and a trip to an Aveda Spa for a massage. Talk about starting the weekend off right!

I also went with Tim and our friend, Kim to see their favorite band, The Mountain Goats. I was probably the only one in the audience who didn't know all the words to the songs, but it was fun. I had a great time surrounded by such excited, passionate people.

On Saturday, we went to the park and read for a while. I buried myself in Kinfolk Magazine, which is more amazing that I ever thought it could be. If you don't know, Kinfolk Magazine is a guide to small gatherings - a tribute to intimate coming togethers of friends and loved ones over food and drink. The photos and excerpts are wonderful and romantic. It is certainly going to help me take more time to make small events more special.

Other highlights include blueberry pancakes, trying a new nail polish (OPI Warm & Fozzie), and skyping with my mom.

How was your weekend? ♥

VOLUME TWO

Here's a little mix that Tim made me and gave to me for Christmas. It is a wonderful mix of songs that he knows I love. The inside of the cd sleeve has a little comic about how we met, including flying lions and malfunctioning time traveling watches that would somehow guide us to our first date. So cute, right? Tim hand drew the entire thing, which is his super romantic style. Gotta love it.



1. Ignorant Boy, Beautiful Girl // Lonely, Dear
2. Heartbeats // José González
3. Fiery Crash // Andrew Bird
4. San Bernadino // The Mountain Goats
5. Foux Du Fafa // The Flight Of The Conchords
6. Sweet Disposition // The Temper Trap
7. You And I // Wilco & Feist
8. Young Adult Friction // Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
9. My Sweet Lord // Yim Yames
10. Dry Hump // Twin Sister
11. Whole Wide World // Wreckless Eric
12. This Tornado Loves You // Neko Case
13. Om Nashi Me // Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

TAKE A BREAK

As this year is coming to an end and this holiday season is approaching quickly, I am slowing down. This has been a long, wonderful, busy year and I am ready for my well deserved break. Everyone does.

For bloggers and non bloggers alike (those of you who have other hobbies) we fill so much of our time to the fullest capacity. I wake myself up in the morning by checking emails and twitter and go to sleep making sure I don't have any more notifications. We are on a constant drive to document life and now this is the time for rest and reflection.

This year at some points both dragged on and slipped by. I did so many more things this year than I did in the last three years combined. I'm sure that Tim took me to at least 40 shows and I enjoyed them all. I spent a lot of time with new friends, new restaurants, and new tunes. This was a wild success. Don't forget that I met Tim earlier this year, which has completely changed everything for me - in a good way. I am so grateful for him.

Now when it comes to next year, I am looking forward to planning out more specifically the direction I want to go. There are a bunch of things I want to accomplish and set out to do. More design, original concepts, develop more of my personal style, and start collaborating with other designers. Also, I want to write down some new traditions or goals for me and my loved ones in the new year.

I will still be posting here through the end of the year, but maybe not on the every day basis as before. There is now family in town and I want to indulge in the memory making that is about to go on. And you should too! So here's a toast to everyone taking a sweet rest, getting in the spirit of Christmas, and living life to its fullest.

(and this is where I give you a hug... if I could)

Oh yeah! While you are settling down, why don't you check out Kate Miss' Best Of playlist. It's a good one!



photo here

K I T T I E S

Meet Fran and Zooey. The new members of the family! Remember that little P.S. I told you to make sure and see? It was about these two cuties. Fran is the white one, and Zooey is the one in the back. I know it's not a good picture of her, but I promise I'll have plenty more of them. Fran looks crazy crosseyed, but I promise, he was just sleepy. haha They are both ragdoll cats, which is a very sweet, calm breed. These two just hang out, want to be pet, and are so loving. They are both a year and a half and came from a friend. Tim and I are in love with them already. ♥

ROAD TRIP!

Ciao, friends! Heading down to the homeland for a weekend family visit and celebration of my brother's 40th birthday. Tim is coming with me and this will be the longest family time to be had for him with my family. *nervous* It'll be good! I'm sure that it will still surprise me how much warmer it is down there. One state south and the weather is so different. We're even going to my favorite beach. Wow. I hope you have a great weekend too! :)


photo here

LETS GET STUFFED!

I hope you have a great time with your families during this long weekend. I wish I could be with my folks, eating my dad's AWESOME turkey and stuffing, but I'll have that soon. As a tradition, every time I visit my parents in Tampa, our first meal together is a Thanksgiving meal. I can't wait! But for this weekend, I'll be with Tim's family, and it will be wonderful. His sister and her boyfriend are coming down from New Jersey and I look forward to seeing them again.

Next time you hear from me, I'll be 20 pounds heavier. haha. (I HOPE NOT)


photo by jcrew, design by me!

WEEKEND PART TWO

photos by Tim Lampe

My friends and I had a Friendsgiving on Saturday. I loved it. Everyone brought a home cooked dish and we were able to put a real Thanksgiving dinner together. At one quiet point while everyone was eating, my friend Kim said, "I think we're adults now, I can't believe we all did this." (or something like that.) And I think everything was thinking the same thing. I can't believe I'm growing up and hosting Thanksgiving dinners. It was a perfect day. :)

WEEKEND PART ONE

So Blogshop was on Thursday, so it wasn't really the weekend, but it sure did feel like it. Here are some of the Smilebooth photos from my fun time with Blogshop. The last few pictures were from the mini Smilebooth set up at HD1, a hot dog restaurant where everyone met up after class. Tim stopped by for a minute and we got a few pictures together. I hope you enjoy these really silly photos. haha


I'll have more of a weekend update later on today. Stay tuned!

disposables

Happy Friday, folks!

For the last few months Tim and I have been using some disposable cameras to enjoy and counteract our big SLRs. They're always so goofy and random. :D That's what makes them great.

ampersand

I am so sorry that I have been a missing person! It's true, I've really slacked off. I acknowledge it! I take the blame for it! So what was I doing? Honestly, it's kind of pathetic. I was upgrading my jailbroken iPhone to the new ios 5. I ran into a couple of errors and kept having to do the jailbreak over and over and over. Blah. But I'm back! (and for good!)

The photo above was taken by Tim, but it's of the new ampersand I bought! It was made by Edie's Lab, found on Etsy. They make a ton of these beautiful wooden letters. Gosh I love them all! Needless to say, I'm very please with the newest addition.

We've been all sorts of busy. We saw Wild Flag on Saturday night in Athens at the 40 Watt Club. If you don't know who Wild Flag is, you might know who Carrie Brownstein is - the lead lady of the comedy show Portlandia. She's one of the singers/guitarists for Wild Flag. They rocked out! It was a glorious show. Amazing girl rock at its finest. Totally check them out.

Btw, I'm gushing over all the love around here on Glass and Sable. You folks are so nice! ♥

weekend: flux and dinosaurs.

scenes of flux 2011 by artrelish.


This weekend was a lot of fun. It was just what I needed - a little bit of fun, a lot of rest and relaxation. The video above is a collection of scenes taken from Flux, the art event/public art happening that I mentioned in the last post. The majority of the stuff in the video I witnessed first hand, and it was all amazing.

The opening and closing scenes show the dance, "Livers" by gloATL. The smoke and music made the whole experience just bewildering. You felt as if you were in another realm seeing something you weren't supposed to.

One of my favorite art demonstrations of the night wasn't shown in the video. It was an iron pour - which I had never seen before. It was commenting on the similarities in the way that humans and bees work. They heated the iron, pour the molten metal into molds, and out came a still glowing, very hot, bee. The molds were quickly reset and more bees were made. Poles were inserted into the bees and they were paraded around in a bee dance. Beautiful and fascinating to see molten iron in a modern and very removed society.



In other highlights, Tim & I tried a new restaurant, HD1 (Haute Dog One) that just opened up. When in doubt, pinkies out for gourmet haute dogs. (and maple glazed waffles fries, OMG, I KNOW!) Delishhhhh. And for brunch on Sunday we went to the Flying Biscuit where I got a salmon and cream cheese egg scramble with creamy dreamy grits. My fav. There was also a in-store show at Criminal Records, where Young Rapscallions played. AKA the drummer is McLovin' from Super Bad. (But don't call him that!) I didn't want to pester him for a picture or anything, but I did stare at him for a while. haha. We also stopped by our favorite vintage shop, Highland Row antiques. They were having their monthly market sale, so we got to see a bunch of new stuff. yay!



We also watched another episode of Pan Am, which I might dedicate a whole post to. It's just that bad. SNL with Melissa McCarthy was better than I hoped. Goodness, she is just hilarious. Side splittingly hilarious. And I watched another Woody Allen film, Zelig, which I'll talk about later also. My mother told me that she had seen the first episode of Terra Nova and loved it, so we gave it a shot. Honestly, it wasn't so bad. The dinosaurs could look a whole lot more realistic, but hey, it was the pilot. Hopefully it will get better.

Here's some homework: Go watch the Melissa McCarthy SNL Hidden Valley Ranch clip and get back with me. You will never see ranch the same way again - and it's a good thing. :)


instagram photos by tim lampe @knowsurprises

birthday happies!

Things that make me happy on my birthday:


1. That video above.
2. My mom texting me multiple times saying "Happy Birthday to you!".
3. Tim's wall post on Facebook, "Happy Birthday to my lovely Ciara Sames! It's sad she's sharing her birthday with Google because obviously Ciara is much cooler."
4. Wearing a beautiful dress that my friend Alana gave me on Saturday.
5. Free tickets to tomorrow night's Wilco show from my friend, Fray, who is a DJ at WRAS 88.5.
6. Dinner plans at The Vortex tonight!
7. The Reese's peanut butter cup I'm about to eat.

cat lash.

Happy Friday, folks! Pretty stoked about this weekend. We're celebrating my birthday (and the birthday of my friends, Emily and Kimberly) tomorrow night at my favorite Bangladesh restaurant. I've been waiting all month for this!

In other news, I found a really awesome playlist by the wonderful Kate Miss of For Me, For You. Find it here and enjoy! It's a perfect way to get into fall.

my socks are off.

Oh, by the way, this was my Friday night. Cousin Dan at the Drunken Unicorn. UHmazing. You can see me and Tim in the front with all our friends on the left of us. So much fun. If you have the chance, go see Cousin Dan. He'll rock your socks off.


photos by kevin griggs.