The Lakeside Life magazine is very lucky to be recently selected and recognized by Amazon as not only an #amazonassociate (aka #amazonaffiliate) but also an #amazoninfluencer.  

Along with the new status, our team had to decide whether to roll out our Amazon picks on our store pages or our magazine page, and how best to do it.  We are first and foremost a lake living community magazine, dedicated to our lake community in every way, so our goal is to select products from reputable brands that we are already affiliated with by vendors through our store, OR that are sold by our local retailers who are also a part of the Amazon team and seek to extend their products to a wider audience, OR brands that we know and trust from our own lake experience or that of friends and neighbors we have "laked" with for decades.  

We boldly decided to roll out our status on all platforms so that we can show a more diverse amount of products and vendors that we support and believe in.  We set up our wide-reaching Amazon store using the Instagram account @amazonlakelife as the basis for that with a logo that fits our brand using "lake life" as the theme––a shortened version of our magazine name––and we matched the logo to our local store @lakesidegear using the same logo with "lake gear" as the theme.  From these pages, @thelakesidelife_smithlake and @lakesidegear, plus our professional marine audio company @masterpoaudio, we can offer recommendations in any way we see fit through those markets.  Again, our overall goal––show you more of what our brands, retailers and affiliates in the lake arena are offering.  It's fun having several ways to find the products we all need and want.  

Check our BLOG again soon, we'll have some select items to show you in the future.

AND...this isn't all, we still have some exciting changes going on in the background as we grow and change, and we'll keep you posted...stay tuned!  

We really enjoyed covering the Williamson cabin.  It truly is a beautiful little home, in a very magical setting deep on a wooded lot that borders Smith Lake from the highest point in Cullman County, Bob Calvert mountain.  Its history is still being unfolded as the owners, Andrew and Meg Williamson, are taking their time in the next few years to restore the cabin in a way that will preserve history but also provide proper living areas for their family of four.  

The tiny home speaks for itself in rustic appeal, and it served as a fantastic backdrop with all the natural elements and textures to showcase some special staple pieces from Seibels Cottage in Homewood, Alabama. Seibels is truly a one stop shop for all things lake decor. Their carefully curated products and designer services can raise the level of sophistication in your lake home overall one piece at a time. Seibels allowed Designer Emma Doss to pick the pieces, design the shots, and direct the overall photo shoot, and she did an incredible job working with us in such close quarters.  

Below we're highlighting individual items shown in the article beginning on page 39-50. Click the photos to go directly to complete descriptions & options of each product on Seibels' website.  

In this companion blog to the article, we've highlighted the feature products in each room seen in the article, but if you want to know more about any items that are not linked, just call Seibels Cottage at 205-879-3558 or visit the website www.seibelscottage.com. Don't hesitate to ask for Designer Emma Doss, who can help guide you on choices perfect for your home that will help make a statement of the spots in your home that you are seeking to spruce up. Enjoy shopping with Seibels Cottage!

We will soon post behind-the-scenes unseen photos here as well, in a slideshow. Check back soon!  

Big Daddy's Buffalo Burgers

So who's it gonna be for the 2018 SEC Championship - UA v UGA?! As for us, well we are definitely a house divided, and we enjoy the banter on game day. We are originally from South GA, born and raised, but we moved to Birmingham back in 1997 and once we discovered Lewis Smith Lake, we never looked back. We are definitely Alabamians now, almost 22 years on Smith Lake and at least one of us is a full blown Tide fan. But, we do have a heart for the Georgia Bulldogs too, so we are torn by birthright indeed.  Our son is a self-professed "Auburn Tiger" along with some other members of the family, so we've had 2 weekends in a row of game day division in the household.  So... are you cheering for the Crimson Tide or are you a Dawg fan? The SEC Championship is a fun game to watch no matter what.  Nothing we southerners love better than to good-spiritedly duke it out over football! And another thing we love to do on game day is EAT! It's always interesting to try a new recipe we can cook up quick, slap on the table, eat and get down to the more serious business of cheering on the team.  This one can be done on the grill, or in an iron skillet on a stove, making this a very versatile recipe regardless of whether you are comfortably at home, or lucky enough to be in the action tailgating. Try it out!  Recipe provided by our reader, Eric W. Bowman.  Thank you Eric!  

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Using a cast iron skillet, saute sliced onions, mushrooms, and jalapenos in grape seed oil & balsamic vinegar (season slightly with salt, pepper & a pinch of garlic powder).  When ready, remove from heat and place in a bowl on paper towels to remove excess oil.
• Pat out large hamburger patties to desired thickness
• Season hamburgers with Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, and Tabasco sauce (remember we added a little dose of Bully Sauce Sweet Slobba Rub here, and we also added some Buffalo Sauce at this stage for seasoning too). Fry in same skillet until desired doneness.  {You can definitely grill these, but it was a rainy day when we first tried the recipe, so the iron skillet was the easy go-to.}
  
• When burgers are done, place sliced cheese of your choice on top while in the skillet and allow to melt.
• Once you've taken the burgers out, place them on a paper towel and allow the grease to drain off.
• Now you will be ready to plate the burgers to serve.  Place burgers on the plate, cover each patty with a portion of the sauteed onions, mushrooms & jalapenos.  
• Drizzle buffalo sauce, ranch dressing and mustard (mustard is optional).  Add fresh ground black pepper (optional).
• They can be put on buns or eaten without.  We ate without since we had lots of chips around for game day, and we had a carb loaded side too (see below).

Serve with your favorite roasted veggies.  We like to roast broccoli or fresh brussell sprouts with this kind of gourmet burger.  Another favorite side is our special Smith Lake Smashed Potatoes.  Finally, be sure to have either spicy pickled okra or our favorite Wickle's Pickles Dirty Dill Spears - just the right amount of heat to keep this dish as amped up as the game.  

Beverage recommendations

• Southern iced tea with lemon, of course, and we have a tasty recipe for that as well - just message us!
• Or try out a nice cold beer in a tall frosty mug from a favorite local lakeside shop like Cabin Fever Beverages or Cornerstone Beverages.  They always have some great cold beers on hand for you to choose from.   

ENJOY & get back to the game - there's a championship on the line!  GO DAWGS & ROLL TIDE!!!  And Super Bowl is coming up soon too.  A lot of good football left.  GO TEAM!

​During a recent political campaign, Carol became even more aware of local organizations and public service-minded individuals. This experience ignited her idea to share those type of encounters and interactions in more ways. She is interested in educating the community regarding current charitable and community endeavors, by personally introducing us to those organizations and individuals to discuss their missions, their services, their needs, and providing us with all the contact information necessary to get involved.  ​By showcasing nonprofits, she will help facilitate change by inviting contributions and/or volunteers, and generally motivating citizens to "get up, get out, and get involved."

​As The Cullman Times 2017 “Unsung Hero” award recipient, we have discovered that Carol lives her life as a definition of that title. Her demeanor is often described as soft-hearted, sweet-spirited, and never self-seeking. These attributes make her a sincere and motivating public speaker. On a myriad of topics, her delivery is candid, kind, funny, and determined. She will attack a topic with precision and conviction, displaying gumption, humor and soul, then closing with an upbeat and constructive message. She definitely enjoys encouraging others through God’s word.

Carol's comfort in public speaking makes her a perfect host for live and recorded interviews, so you will enjoy her companion videos on topics from her articles and blogs. She demonstrates a noticeable ease, gracefully guiding an interview allowing the subjects to tell their story passionately within a concise timeframe. Through this medium, she helps deliver a message in a relatable and respectful manner, often discussing uncomfortable topics with thoughtfulness and integrity, sharing the goals and passions of people and groups who want to bring about change, and doing it all while inspiring others to join in. 

​​To keep up with everything “community” - catch up with Carol on her weekly column in The Cullman Tribune and on her social media sites:  Facebook @carolberrypublicspeaker and Instagram @carolberry_speaker. Do not hesitate to reach out to Carol if you need her to help promote positive community or charitable causes in your area, or if you need a motivational speaker for an event in your community, school, church, or business. She’s a true servant of the community, and ready for any challenge.  

Below are video links to some of Carol's first interviews through "Community with Carol" for The Cullman Tribune. (Click the video hyperlinks to access the Facebook videos).  You may also view these videos through The Cullman Tribune sites or Carol's Facebook page - click links above.  

• Video featuring Jerry Jacob with Grace Place
• Video featuring Dusty Baker with Cullman County Commission on Aging
• Video featuring Rachel Bryant with Karma in Cullman
• Video featuring Katie Murphree Loyd with Cullman's "St. Vincent de Paul"
• Video featuring Julie Hall with Cullman's "The Link of Cullman County"
• Video featuring Melissa Dew and Sharon Kane with Cullman's "Flourish of Cullman, Inc."
• Video featuring Kelsey Rice with Cullman's "Hope Horses, Inc."
• Video featuring Jeremy Hogan with Cullman's "Saving Forgotten Warriors"

The Answer - Smith Lake's Famous Romance, Kurt & Cathy Bowden
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If you read our article titled "The Answer - Smith Lake's Famous Romance, Kurt & Cathy Bowden" in the Spring 2018 Issue of our magazine (see links below), then you know a little about our good friends for whom this project came about.  We have had the pleasure of getting to know the Bowdens much better since doing the article, and have had the joy of spending lake time with them as well.  And, by the way, they are no strangers to watersports.  We've already had Kurt Bowden riding a Slingshot Wake Foil for quite some time now, and honestly, we can't find a watersport that he can't master, including our Sky Ski Hydrofoil.  Kurt and Cathy are such a fine example of the best in lake people - fun, outgoing, welcoming, kind, open and sharing - they remind us how we all feel as though we meet no stranger on the lake.  Where our boat docks are like backdoors in this neighborhood that shares one common backyard we love and cherish, and it binds us together - Lewis Smith Lake.  We feel lucky to have met these new friends & neighbors who we now share a very special bond with, as we identify with so many of their life experiences in a profound way with incredibly deep empathy and caring. 

(beautiful wedding photos below - the wedding was right here on Lewis Smith Lake near Big Bridge)

Unique and Original Lake Products

We had the pleasure of getting to know Jamie Burnett, creator of Unsalted Waters through social media in the last several months.  All of us were female entrepreneurs, embarking on new ventures in the lake industry in Alabama - and all of us true creatives with original ideas and different ways to express them.  We were drawn to Jamie for her creativity, fun spirit, and authentic product designs. Unsalted Waters quickly became a favorite lake product page to watch.  We had to know more, so we reached out to her, and we just had to inquire about that fun name for her company.  We found out we have so much in common, and we've become very big fans of Jamie, and UnSalted Waters.  We know you will feel the same.  

She is branching out from Lake Martin into the larger lake scene, by bringing her fun and creative decals designed for outdoor living to Smith Lake and other lakes in Alabama.  We hope to collaborate with Jamie in other ways, but for now, we celebrate her originality and creativity, and the UnSalted Waters brand.  Read below for more about Jamie and her company.

UnSalted Waters is lake lifestyle brand that was created in 2017 by Lake Martin and Auburn resident, Jamie Burnett.  
 
She and her husband grew up on lakes their entire lives and wanted to raise their boys the same way.  They'd spend the day on the boat, pulling their boys on a tube or wakeboard and then explore, find a slough to anchor and have lunch. Watch the world go by, enjoying time together having a little adventure on the water.  ​

After years of gas station t-shirts and unsuccessful searches for lake merchandise to give as gifts, She kept thinking of the perfect name for a brand that encompassed everything they love about the lake.  She didn’t want to use the words lake or life or explore, even though that was what she wanted to convey.  She wanted something unique that spoke for itself without using words or phrases that seemed so common. After a couple years of thinking about it, it came to her. UnSalted Waters, a connotation on uncharted waters, exploring freshwater, an adventure, a lake lifestyle.  It said everything without explaining anything at all.  It’s a brand for those that love freshwater adventure, those that love to explore the lake and take their boat out in search of someplace new; a new restaurant, a hidden slough, a rope swing or a beautiful home to behold.  It’s for those that may not check a box describing themselves as watersport enthusiasts or a fisherman, even though they may occasionally fish or pull a tube.  It’s a brand for those that seek freshwater adventure in a pontoon boat, a canoe, a bass boat or personal watercraft, any boater out looking for adventure.  ​

This summer, UnSalted Waters offered a special t-shirt for Goat Island on Lake Martin giving 50% of the profits to help the goat owners pay for the care of the goats.  She was able to give them a nice sum to go towards medical expenses and food.  She felt led to give back in some way and knowing how many love to visit the goats on Goat Island, it seemed like the prefect opportunity to use the brand she had created to support something that everyone could enjoy.  
 
Her website, unsaltedwaters.com, has become not only an online store but since she started the blog in early 2018, a place to share local stories of other lake entrepreneurs, fresh and easy lake recipes for a day on the boat and fun cocktails.  A little something for everyone who loves an adventurous lake lifestyle.  

You can find UnSalted Waters online through Facebook as @unsaltedwaters or Instagram as @unsalted.waters - so go check out what she has to offer, and watch closely for beautiful lake posts, and classy lake products. 

We welcome Jamie to the Alabama lake scene and wish her the best in her unique and original endeavor - Unsalted Waters ™! 

S’mores Cookies
 
A combination of favorite flavors – s’mores + chocolate chip cookies = flavor explosion!  Great for lakeside grilling or tailgating season.  Whip up a batch and enjoy!  This recipe was graciously shared with us by reader Katie Keenan Lee, see bottom for link to where she obtained the original recipe.  

​
INGREDIENTS
 
Graham Cracker Crumble
​

• 1 pkg Nabisco Honey Maid graham crackers
• 6 T butter (melted)
• 1 T sugar
• dash of salt

The recipe takes about 25 minutes from preparation to full cook time, and serves from 60-80 depending on sizing (ours were big - so the batch made about 45+).  These are a so delicious - a new favorite in our home!  Dig in!  
 
​
Credit:  Recipe shared by reader Katie Keenan Lee on social media.  She obtained the recipe from blog site “Like Mother, Like Daughter” – link: https://lmld.org/smores-cookies/.  Thanks Katie for finding and sharing this yummy recipe, and thanks to "LMLD" https://lmld.org blog site for the recipe - what a fun blog discovery in the process, a great one to watch!  

Photo Credits:  S'mores Cookies - pottery provided by Sandra Heaven and Diane Sharron - local Arley artists who offer gorgeous clay creations - they design custom pieces and sets.  Please see our former blog on these incredible artisans.  ​