Shopper Blog: 2023 MLK commemoration continues with arts events, youth award

NORTH KNOXVILLE

2023 MLK commemoration continues with arts events, youth award

Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News

Last year the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission marked four decades of honoring and celebrating the slain civil rights leader’s life. Their theme – in reference to the historic March 7, 1965 “Bloody Sunday” march across Selma, Alabama’s Edmund Pettus Bridge – was “Forty Years of Not Turning Around: Continuing the Journey for Justice and Equality.”

This year, says longtime commission member and event chair Deborah Porter, “we’re continuing the theme: ‘Moving on Towards Freedom, Justice and Equality.’”

The celebration began with the “Gallery of Artists Tribute” on the First Friday of the new year at the Emporium, and it follows the same format as years past, including an Interfaith Prayer Service, Leadership Awards Luncheon, A Night with the Arts Tribute and more. Keynote speakers are the Rev. Dr. Alphonso R. Bernard Sr., spiritual leader of New York Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn; and Bishop Rudolph W. McKissick Jr., senior pastor of the Bethel Church, Jacksonville, Fla.

The MLK Awards, which recognize outstanding achievement in education, advocacy, business, arts and more, will for the first time include an award in the Youth category.

“We’re trying to uplift and spotlight our youth,” says Porter. “This is one of the ways of doing it. We’re gearing up for the Youth Symposium Jan. 14 at Austin-East – making that thing big this time. We’re hoping that we can get 100+ youth out.

“All the events are important but with all the violence we’ve had in our community, we really want to give them a platform and pump them up. The chair is Bishop Farris Long. He does an excellent job promoting youth and wanting to make youth a priority.”

The inaugural MLK Youth Award honoree is 17-year-old Tylan Baker, an Austin-East Magnet High School junior and Project GRAD scholar with a 4.1 GPA who has never missed a day of school nor been tardy the entirety of his high school career. The son of Darritt and Tanisha Baker, Tylan is a member of the Mayor’s Youth Council and is a member of Youth Leadership Knoxville, Young Life youth ministry, 100 Black Men of Greater Knoxville, the Urban League’s National Achievers Honors Society and the National Honor Society.

Tylan is also a three-year starting player for the Austin-East Magnet High School Roadrunners football team and was selected for the 2022 football season’s All-Region as well as All-Region in Academics. He is employed at both the Change Center and Stokely Athletic Center.

The 2023 MLK Celebration’s January events take place at different venues and dates, ending on Jan. 16. The annual parade will happen on June 19, the Juneteenth holiday. A full list can be found at mlkknoxville.com/2023-mlk-events.

The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Aram Demirjian will also present an MLK Celebration Concert at the Tennessee Theatre on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 3 p.m. Featured will be baritone soloist Michael Rodgers, Knoxville Poet Laureate Rhea Carmon and the Indigenous Vibes African Drumming Ensemble under the direction of Obayana Ajanaku. Ajanaku teaches West African drumming at Austin-East and Vine Middle School. The founder of Drums Up, Guns Down, he is well known in the community as a tireless advocate for youth.

The KSO concert is free. Info: knoxvillesymphony.com/concert/mlk-concert.

HALLS

New HighLight Studio is blank canvas for photographers and content creators

Ali James, Shopper News

Portrait and family photographer Suzy Collins was getting tired of working out of her home, so she set out to establish HighLight Studio, an independent space that she could rent out to other photographers as well.

Collins started her business a little over six years ago and has always dreamed of having her own studio.

“We have three kids and a dog and it was getting harder to flip my home back and forth between photo shoots and have space for my equipment,” she said. “It feels really nice to have them separate.”

While touring different spaces to rent, it became clear to Collins that she wanted something convenient to her Fountain City home, so that she wasn’t wasting time commuting back and forth. “I think there is a need for one (a photo studio) over on this side of town,” she added.

HighLight Studio is nestled between Fountain City’s Custom Shoe Rebuilders and Henson’s Automotive & Alignment at 5505 N. Broadway.

“Steven Henson, who owns the auto repair shop, owns the building and had recently emptied and cleaned it out, so it caught my eye,” said Collins. “They are great neighbors.”

Collins knew that the large storefront windows and the orientation of the building would provide ample natural light.

The Fountain City photographer had plans to open in the new year, so she picked up the key on Dec. 1 and got down to renovating right away.

“Previously there were drop ceilings and drywall,” she said. “We took them down and noticed the wooden rafters and concrete floor fit our vision of an industrial modern look, and we didn’t want to fight what it is.”

After cleaning and painting, they swapped out the fluorescent lights for ceramic pendants.

“We didn’t do anything really glamorous, just a little dirty work and the final touches,” said Collins. “It feels like a completely different space.”

Curtains were hung up to allow light to flood the space while providing some privacy.

'The perfect space'

“I thought I would love to create the perfect space for other photographers to rent, too,” she said. “I wanted it to be a space that wasn’t cluttered; you can use what you want, and nothing is in your way.”

The studio space in the front is a blank canvas, with a big storage space in the back. That is where Collins stores several seamless backdrops and a backdrop stand for minimal or sleek looking photos, plus other equipment photographers can use, like a 7-foot softbox.

HighLight Studio also has a few pieces of furniture to use as props and will be building up a collection of styling pieces after they get a feel for what people need.

The studio can also be booked for a day to batch content creation for marketing and social media purposes. Collins said that makers, influencers and creators can photograph products, make reels, or film videos for online content, too.

“Photographers love working with natural light, but we have really great lighting equipment for darker days, so they can use the studio anytime,” said Collins. “My hope is to put on some workshops to teach artificial lighting for that light, airy look.”

As for the name, HighLight Studio was inspired by the photographic term that refers to the brightest part of an image, the bright points, said Collins.

“I love the symbolism of what that meant in regards to looking on the bright side and celebrating the positive things,” she said. “My hope is that the studio will be full of light and positivity for the photographers and the clients they bring in.”

Sip and See for photographers

Collins is throwing open the doors of HighLight Studio for a Sip & See event 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14. “This event is specifically for photographers to see the space, have a drink and treat and get an updated headshot,” said Collins. “They rarely get a new photo of themselves.”

Photographers are already booking the studio through highlightstudioknox.com. Collins is creating an email list through a link on the website to keep the community informed about upcoming events, workshops and specials.

FARRAGUT

Helping hands help mamas, one diaper at a time

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

Social service caseworkers all over Knoxville have a not-so-secret resource to find much needed items for new families in need. Helping Mamas Knoxville is one of their go-to sources for diapers, feminine products, car seats … the list goes on.

Executive Director Tess Frear said there is a gap in resources when it comes to diapers because families with newborns or grandparent families can’t use WIC or SNAP for diapers. They’re considered luxury items, leaving little to no resources for diapers.

Frear decided Knoxville needed a Helping Mamas when her cousin Jamie Lackey opened a resource for diapers in her garage in Atlanta.

“She became aware that people were using plastic bags and clothes for diapers,” said Frear. “I found the same to be true here, so Helping Mamas Knoxville was born in my garage in November 2018.”

Frear said she loves helping and giving back. It isn’t uncommon to get a last-minute phone call for a car seat (newborns can’t be released from the hospital without a car seat) or for a Pack ‘n Play for grandparents who are granted custody of their grandkids.

Thirty-two states currently charge sales tax on diapers, making the gap in resources wider. This tax is about 7% in Tennessee, according to Frear.

“Children require at least 50 diaper changes per week, or 200 diaper changes per month.” For every percentage point reduction in the sales tax, “families can buy 2 additional diapers for the same money they would have used to buy 200 diapers with tax.”

“We have given out over 193,000 diapers since 2019, also over 2,400 period supplies this year. Less tax would make them more affordable to families,” Frear said.

“There are a surprising number of families in this area in need of diapers. One in three families struggles to provide clean diapers for their baby at a cost of approximately $80 per month.”

The facility is not open to the public for browsing, but it serves caseworkers from more than 60 agencies in 27 counties.

Frear has a Program Coordinator, Melissa Barnett. For most everything else, she relies on volunteers. The warehouse is well organized so necessities are easy to find.

Donations and grants are the mainstay of the organization, with local corporations donating Pack ‘n Plays and car seats. Car seats must be new as do bottles and pacifiers.

“We just want to help out any way we can whether it be diapers, formula or feminine products. New moms need help, and we strive to ease some of the burden from their shoulders. Many worry where they’re going to get formula. If we can provide diapers and formula, we’ve come a long way to helping that family thrive,” said Frear.

Info: Tennesseehelpingmamas.org.

SOUTH KNOXVILLE

Covenant Kids Run at Zoo Knoxville kicks off exercise challenge ahead of marathon

Ali James, Shopper News

What could be more fun than a run (or walk) around Zoo Knoxville? The 2023 Covenant Kids Run kicks off at noon Saturday, Feb. 4, and gives the kiddos a chance to knock out the first mile of the children’s challenge. They will barely notice the distance as they see the animal exhibits along the route.

After completing that first mile at the zoo, they log the equivalent of a 26.2-mile marathon −including the final mile to the finish line at World’s Fair Park on Saturday, April 1. That is two months to complete the exercise challenge and all exercise counts including running, walking, playing and gym class.

“The Covenant Kids Run is an exciting tradition that incentivizes being active and a chance for young participants to be part of East Tennessee’s most popular road race,” said Jason Altman, Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon race director. “This is an excellent opportunity for families to set fitness goals. Register your child and yourself for races and start on the right foot together.”

The registration fee is just $20 and includes free zoo admission for the participating child and one accompanying adult. Additional family members may pay half-price admission.

The Covenant Kids Run is open to kids up through eighth grade. “We have seen babies in strollers, but typically that is with a parent with multiple kids running,” said Altman. “The main focus is kindergarten through fifth grade.”

Altman, a father of two, knows all too well how hard it can be to keep children motivated. “Race weekend is easy; they have the T-shirt, medal and goodies. And that first mile is easy, too; they get a free day at the zoo with the camaraderie of friends and other kids,” he said. “The middle miles can be harder, especially when it is cold out. For our kids doing it solo, I encourage them to get together with buddies and go out on the greenway. Then there is always a bit of bribery, like chocolate milk if you go out and run.”

A reward at the halfway mark, such as their favorite lunch, helps too, said Altman. The mileage logs are available at registration and can be printed off from the Covenant Marathon website.

“I think every kid is shy at first, mine included. I always get the question from 150 people if it is OK for me to run alongside my child?” said Altman. “They can, it is a fun run, we don’t time it, we don’t track who is the fastest, so if they are nervous about being last or out there by themselves it is a safe space from the start to the finish line. And there is the buddy system: Ask your best friend if they want to come and stop and enjoy the zoo animals?”

Along with the health and fitness benefits, running can lead to better concentration in academics, confidence, time management skills, teamwork and individual goal setting.

“I always try to loop back to what Kristy and I do with our kids,” said Altman. “Setting a goal and finishing it is the same thing that goes into their schoolwork. Wanting to make an A and working out how you can reach that goal.”

Running can help reduce the obesity rate. “We like to think if we can keep kids active for more than one day, then hopefully that brings the family along and the health benefits will trickle down,” he said. “I was 50 pounds heavier, lethargic and had trouble concentrating when I started and running helped me.”

2023 Fittest School Challenge

“COVID threw us for a loop, when it didn’t look good to meet in mass numbers,” said Altman. “Now I’m seeing from my P.E. contacts that they are excited that they have something to look forward to this year.”

Dollywood, a sponsor since 2021, will award $5,600 to area schools, based on participation. Each child who participates in the Covenant Kids Run on April 1 gains a point for his or her school.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley are incentivizing children to get active and earn titles for their club, too.

Sign up in advance at https://knoxvillemarathon.com/covenant-kids-run/ or onsite at the zoo from 10 a.m. on Feb. 4 for the Covenant Kids Run kickoff.

On April 1, the route starts on the Clinch Avenue Viaduct near the Sunsphere, continues through the Fort Sanders neighborhood and ends next to the festival lawn, where treats will be waiting for participants.

Too old for the Covenant Kids Run? Altman said middle schoolers tend to gravitate toward the 5K and suggests teens participate in the middle or high school track season, joining the Knoxville Youth Athletics indoor or outdoor programs or showing up for one of the 2023 CHKM Saturday group runs that he posts on Facebook @covenanthealthknoxvillemarathon.

NORTH KNOXVILLE

Which school will come out on top? Tune in to Scholars' Bowl

Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News

This past October and November, the data analytics for East Tennessee PBS were going a bit wild, and those whose job it is to monitor such things couldn’t believe their eyes.

Streaming numbers showed an unmistakable increase in viewership in an unlikely area. “I mean, it’s usually ‘Masterpiece Theater’ or ‘Downton Abbey,’” said Frank Murphy. “You don’t expect to see ‘Scholars’ Bowl’ spiking.”

The mystery was easily solved. Down the hall in a break room sat the young members of several Scholars’ Bowl teams. They were all on their phones, watching recordings of the Bowl from the last five years.

“Some of these kids have figured out that’s the secret to upping their game play,” said Murphy, host/moderator for the annual competition. “The team that won said they modeled their play after the teams that played last year.” Murphy said that the young scholars who do so play differently.

“One or two teams that don’t watch the old shows, including a team from an academically superior high school, have never seen the show at all. They’ve competed in Quiz Bowl, but this is different. You have three seconds to answer. They know the material, but they didn’t understand the game. Whereas the ones who know both – the material and the game – are the ones who move themselves into the more competitive level.”

Now in its 39th year, the Bowl features 59 teams from 45 schools, competing to answer questions in literature, language, science, art, math, geography, music, sports, history and religion and other subjects.

Winning teams advance to rounds of 32, 16, eight, and four before the final two teams compete for the Frank Miller Memorial Trophy and a $1,000 cash stipend in the championship game.

Participating Knox County high schools are Halls, Central, Gibbs, Carter, Karns, Farragut, Hardin Valley Academy, Career Magnet Academy, Temple Baptist Academy, Knoxville Catholic, Webb School, Christian Academy of Knoxville and Cedar Springs HomeSchool. The show is produced by Chris Smith with assistance from Ernie Roberts.

Murphy, with assistance from his wife, Jere Doherty, took on the task of choosing and formatting the thousands of questions this year when Roberts, former host of “Mathline” and past executive producer of the Bowl, stepped up to help out at the Love Kitchen after the unexpected death last December of the organization’s executive director, Patrick Riggins. Roberts is a Love Kitchen board member and is well known as a tireless volunteer for numerous causes.

Murphy’s enjoyment of the game and enthusiasm for the bright young minds hasn’t dimmed in seven seasons. He especially encourages viewers to tune in during the final weeks of play, when teams have been eliminated and the competition is truly fierce.

The 2023 ETPBS Scholars’ Bowl is televised every weekday at 5:30. It began this past Monday, Jan. 9, and will run through March 29.

Info: easttennesseepbs.org.

WORDS OF FAITH

From partridges in pear trees to peace

John Tirro, Shopper News

As I write, it’s the 12th day of Christmas, the day on which some poor, hapless songwriter documented having received, cumulatively at that point, 12 partridges in 12 pear trees, 22 turtledoves, 30 French hens, 36 calling birds, 40 gold rings (those at least would be portable), 43 swans a swimming (in what, you have to wonder), 40 maids a milking (presumably with 40 cows and 40 buckets), 36 ladies dancing, 30 lords a-leaping, 22 pipers piping, and 12 drummers drumming, which would fill to bursting a Victorian parlor.

I don’t remember who first jokingly pointed out that if you take seriously what arrives in that song, it accumulates, but it relates to the way history and meaning accumulate over time, in scripture. A theme is recognized, repeats in variation, gets complicated, and returns, in a way that gathers all that energy to a fine point.

In the song, it starts with a partridge and keeps returning to it as the list gets longer, building to the final “paaaaaar-triii-iiiidge in a peeeeaaaar treeeeee!”

In scripture, we see Israel, as God’s chosen people, introduced in Jacob, whose name means “grasps by the heel” − he who takes what belongs to his brother, takes the place of his brother: you know, basically the “elbows out” twin (Genesis 25). Then there’s a wrestling in the night with a mysterious figure, who renames Jacob Israel, meaning, “struggles with God” (Genesis 32).

Israel has 12 sons, they have kids, the families become tribes, and voila, you’ve got a metonymy, a name with a meaning attached: Israel, the world’s shift from violence to peace. That’s the theme, God taking our struggles to God’s own self, taking away the sin of the world.

So here on the 12th day of Christmas, I’m thinking about the holy family, a bit after the holy birth. The shepherds have gone home, as have the angels. A star is hovering over the house where the holy family shelters, and wise men from the east have come to visit (Matthew 2). They’ve already been to see Herod the king, who is frightened to the point of planning murder, at the thought that a child is born, called by these wise men “the king of the Jews.”

After the wise men exit, having left gifts to bankroll what’s about to happen, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt… for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Joseph gets up, does as the angel says. They flee to Egypt, as Herod’s troops close in to kill all children in the region under 3 years old.

It’s a stark, terrible contrast, but it provides an opportunity to reflect. In light of our theme − the shift from violence to peace − when are we behaving like Herod? Might there be a struggle, to bring to God in prayer? How might we be like Joseph, caring for mother and child?

John Tirro is pastor of worship at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Info: sjlcknox.org.

POWELL

A new wrinkle in health care − home IV therapy − comes to Knoxville

Al Lesar, Shopper News

If medicine is going in a new direction, Canaan (Lindsay) Allen wasn’t about to get left behind.

The 2012 Powell High School graduate, who played volleyball and then got her nursing degree from Tennessee Wesleyan University, saw an advertisement on Facebook in the summer of 2021 that spoke to her.

“(The ad) was from a company called Hydreight that was promoting mobile IV therapy,” Allen said. “There was an app for booking, physician orders, package deals and other things.”

Allen is a work-at-home nurse from East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. She had previously worked on different floors for several years. It seemed a good fit for her to be able to do mobile IV therapy.

After consulting a lawyer, physician and pharmacist who were friends, Allen took the plunge. She bought into the franchise that has become popular all over the country. She said she studied Scottsdale, Arizona, and Palm Beach, Florida, two places where the concept has really taken off.

By October 2021, she formed Knox Drips.

Supplementing diets

According to Allen, Knox Drips offers drips for general hydration, immunity boost, migraines, beauty/skin, athlete recovery, hangovers, prenatal and Myers Cocktail.

“This winter, our immunity drips have been most popular,” Allen said. “But in the summer, it was the Myers Cocktail. It’s a combination of B vitamins, calcium and magnesium. There is an array of vitamins that are important.”

Allen said being involved with this business has forced her to take a long, hard look at the normal diets that people, especially in the South, have.

“I’ve learned a lot about the power of vitamins,” she said. “Our diets are terrible. For us to function properly, the role of vitamins is critical.”

The cheapest drips that are available cost $110. The most expensive is $215. The normal is about $150. Add-ons (extra vitamins) can be done for $25 each. No insurance is involved, but Health Savings Accounts can be used.

Repeat customers rave

In an average week, about five clients are serviced on a one-on-one basis at their home. Six nurses handle the staffing needs, with Allen as the point person.

“What makes this so nice is that you get to be with a client for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour,” Allen said.

“That’s the kind of medicine we enjoy. In my job, I’m going through 30 charts a day. In the hospital, you’re dealing with four or five patients. This way, we get to do more of a personal service.”

A lot of Knox Drips’ business comes from repeat customers. Allen said it is difficult to educate people on the benefits of such a service.

“After working with kids for so long, I’m over the top with safety,” she said. “The feedback we get from the clients we’ve had is that they love it.

“A lot of people question the legality and the safety. I had the same questions. I did the research and talked to professionals. It’s working all over the country. I know this could be a great service for Powell and all over East Tennessee.”

For more information, go to www.knoxdrips.com, call 865-236-0086, or contact Allen through the Hydreight app.

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HALLS

Shutter Bird Photo Booth brings audio guestbooks to the party

Ali James, Shopper News

Amanda Irizarry already offered photo guest books to her customers, but she was looking to add a new service to her pop-up event business when she discovered audio guestbooks.

“My grandmother had passed away and I thought if I could just hear her voice wishing me well, you can’t put a price on that, so I went searching for an audio guestbook phone,” said Irizarry, who owns The Shutter Bird Photo Booth. “I found some on Etsy where people redo the inside of vintage-style phones (with a digital recorder) and they offer them in different colors and styles.”

Irizarry said her new audio guestbook phone can be rented as part of her photo booth packages or on its own. If it is not part of a package, she simply delivers the phone within a 40-mile radius of her North Knoxville home for an event and collects it a day or two later.

“Your guest picks up the handset and listens to a quick introductory greeting,” she explained. “After the beep they can start recording their message, telling a story, singing a song or giving their best well-wishes. Once they have finished, they simply hang up the phone and the recording is safely stored.”

After the event, Irizarry retrieves the messages and delivers the high-quality WAV files on a USB flash drive or emails it. The logoed wooden flash drive is a fun, optional add-on or included in most of The Shutter Bird Photo Booth packages.

If the audio guestbook service proves popular, Irizarry may purchase additional phones in different colors or team up with videographers so they can overlay the messages in a video.

“When I’m not using it for an event, I have the phone plugged in at home and we often pick it up and say a random message or record a funny memory,” said Irizarry. “Or if we have company over, they can record something random.”

Irizarry launched The Shutter Bird Photo Booth out of a vintage 1970s Lark camper called Luna back in 2018. During the pandemic, events and parties were scrapped and the traveling photo booth was parked while Irizarry kept busy sewing face masks in her spare time.

Since starting her pop-up business, Irizarry noticed that her open-air style photo booth had become increasingly in demand, so she decided to sell Luna.

“I thought I would be sad, but it was vintage and we would just cross our fingers every time we had to drive it somewhere,” she said. “I just need an 8x8 space to set up my backdrop, camera equipment and photo props. There is a touch screen so they can see themselves in front of the backdrop while they take the photo. Then the photos print out right then and there or they can text it to themselves.”

The most popular backdrops are a white barnwood, gold sparkle and a 3D boxwood (hedge) that Irizarry has hung neon signs and Christmas ornaments on for themed parties. “There are hundreds of backdrops to choose from outside of what I have in stock,” she said. “I can custom order a backdrop for brand awareness and have a bride and groom’s last name on it.”

Irizarry works remotely in her corporate job and enjoys taking The Shutter Bird Photo Booth out and socializing at weddings, holiday parties, expos (to jazz up any industry booth), holiday parties, graduations, baby showers and nonprofit fundraisers.

POWELL

Family's craft business finally has a home in Powell

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Three years after coming to East Tennessee, the Marshall family has finally arrived.

It was 2019 when Will and Kristin Marshall brought their two children from Massachusetts to East Tennessee for a vacation. They loved it so much that two months later they uprooted their lives and moved to Powell.

“The people were so great and the cost of living was so much better,” Will said. “It wasn’t a difficult decision.”As part of the moving sale, Will unloaded the equipment he used to operate a vinyl business in New England, making decals, stickers, mugs and anything else on which logos – business or otherwise – could be placed.

When the family got to East Tennessee, Will came to a quick conclusion.

“I thought I could keep operating the business,” he said. “I bought better equipment.”

Along with the vinyl business, Will allowed his passion for woodworking to be a part of the business. He made items such as birdhouse lamps and coasters made from wood branches.

They would set up at craft shows and in the Powell Food Truck Park under the name of Top Speed Graphics.

Rebrand, then storefront

Will attended enough craft shows that he learned what customers wanted.

“There was a lot more competition, so you had to keep your prices reasonable,” he said. “We’re not out to make a million dollars. We’re here to serve the community and to be comfortable.”

For some reason, a 2-inch wood chip branch ornament with wooden hearts around it became a big seller.With the vinyl decal and woodcraft business coming together, Will thought it was time for a rebrand. Thus was born Marshall Family Creations.

Along with that change came the addition of a brick and mortar storefront – 604 Edgemoor Road in Powell.

“Having a storefront was something I’ve wanted to do for eight years,” said Will, who also drives a bus for Powell High School and Powell Elementary School students. “In a business like ours, it’s important for customers to be able to see the quality put into a product. Seeing it online isn’t going to be the best.”

Reasonable prices key

It truly is a family venture. Besides his wife, Will said his father, Bob, his mother, Shonda Ducharme, and his uncle Joe Marshall have all pitched in to make the opening, which happened Dec. 1, a reality.

“Everything we sell we make at home,” said Will, who took up woodworking on a whim and has become pretty good at it. “I’ll spend nights and weekends in the garage.

“Woodworking is so relaxing. I don’t know why. I’ll turn on my music and my saw and I’ll be in my own world.”Besides the local sourcing, Will said his reasonable prices allow his store to stand above other gift shops.

“This is a hobby for me,” he said. “I’m not trying to get rich.”

He talked about having made six wooden drink coasters – which can be personalized with names – and a holder for $15. He said he saw online where a similar holder – without the coasters – was going for $40.

“People like the idea of me being able to make something in a specific color, or put a name on it,” he said. “People like things customized, so that’s what we’ll do.”

SOUTH KNOXVILLE

East TN Soap Works adds unique scents to luxury, eco-friendly soaps

Ali James, Shopper News

In the summer of 2022, Sunny Tune and her husband, Phillip, had reached a turning point with East TN Soap Works.

“I left my job at the end of June to take our business full time,” said Sunny Tune. “Our online business really started growing last year, especially during COVID, so we reached the point where it was either we needed to stop or one of us needed to take it on full-time.”

The mother of two said that juggling family life and her full-time job in the arts was too hard with a side business that was growing.

“We started making soap in 2016. Our oldest son had eczema at that time and we were looking to make something without fragrances that was gentle for his skin,” she said. “Once we had all of the base ingredients, it was really fun to play with different designs and fragrances.”

East TN Soap Works had begun as a hobby, but over the next five years it took over. “We had so much soap that we started giving it away to friends and family,” Tune said.

Soaps led to shaving cream, beard waxes, soaps and oils and eventually their biggest current seller, their solid shampoos and conditioner bars. “We had all of the stuff, so we thought we would give it a try,” she said.

Initially the couple would visit their local soap and candle supplier and test several scents, before they started sourcing unique fragrances through other brands.

“Now, we have switched our focus to higher end luxury fragrance boutique scents, rather than the standard scents,” said Tune. “We have gone into some really natural clean scents: rosemary and sage, honeysuckle, elderflower, garden mint – which is really herbal.”

Tune wants to release a summer line with a garden theme including a tomato vine scent. “It smells really good, but it’s one of those things that is very distinct, and the perfumer I buy the oil from is dead on to what a tomato vine smells like.”

East TN Soap Works uses sustainable ingredients to create their luxury eco-friendly products. “We decided a few years ago to make the switch,” said Tune. “Our shampoo and conditioner bars and soap packaging are all compostable. The only thing we use plastic for is our scrubs and shave cream.”

Sunny had trouble finding a shampoo bar for herself that was not too dry or irritated her scalp, so her husband dove into researching the ingredients used to formulate shampoo bars. “We were able to use a really nice formulation, and we have had nothing but positive feedback from everybody,” she said.

The Tunes are catching their breath after a hectic and successful holiday season. “Right now, what we have in stock are our standard/main line products, including a winter solstice soap,” she said.

The Northern Lights, Goddess and Snow Princess shower sets also make great wintery fragrances.

East TN Soap Works has a range of room and linen sprays come in fun fragrances such as Five Star Hotel and Meet Me in the Library. New spring products will be released on March 1.

East TN Soap Works offers private and white labeling. “If they want to buy our soaps, shampoo or scrubs, we design and print all of our labels in house so we can do custom labels for parties, baby and bridal showers,” she said. “We can include the date of the party or whatever they want. I did the baby shower favors for my best friend when she had her twins; that was a lot of fun.”

Online is a great way to shop the entire collection of East TN Soap Works. The Tunes also sell through Gentry Mercantile in Foothills Mall, KnoxFill and Townsend Heritage Center locally and have accounts as far away as a boutique in Alaska.

OPINION

Familiarity breeds indifference

Leslie Snow, Shopper News

I used to joke that my nickname was “old hat.” Or “worn sneakers.” I was the comfortable old standby, nothing special or exciting, but reliable and easy.

That would explain why my kids, when they were younger, mostly greeted me with a nod of their head when I got home from running errands. On a good day, if they really missed me, they might look up from the television screen to say “hey” when I walked through the door.

I think we were just together too much. I always worked part-time, but most of my former life was built around keeping my children happy and entertained so I could keep my sanity. I planned picnics and trips to the park. I organized play dates and went to story time at the library.

For years I ate lunch only at restaurants with indoor playsets. And when I was really desperate, I took them to one of those pizza places with the singing rodents and the loud video games.

Things were different with my husband. His arrival at the end of the day launched parades and parties. When he came home from work, the kids rushed to the door shouting “Daddy’s home!” They would fling themselves into his arms, cover him with kisses, and tell him how much they missed him. No matter how many boo-boos I kissed during the day, I was never greeted like that. I was too familiar. But my husband was the highlight of every ordinary day.

I hadn’t given those greetings much thought until yesterday when Buttercup, my 3-year old Great Dane, got up from her bed to stand at attention by the garage door. For a minute, I wondered what she was doing, then I realized she was waiting for my husband.

And she stood there waiting, whimpering on occasion, for about 15 minutes, until finally, she heard the garage door open. That’s when she started howling and wagging her tail. But the real excitement didn’t begin until he walked through the door.

She ran in circles around him, rubbing her head against him while she turned. When she was done with the circles, she jumped up to kiss him, unable to keep her excitement in check. Then she ran to get Pink Monkey, her favorite toy, presenting it to him with her head bowed and her tail wagging furiously. And just when I thought her exuberant greeting was winding down, she zoomed through the kitchen crying and jumping.

I just stood there and watched, dumbfounded. Not once in three years has Buttercup greeted me like that.

I’m just the person who takes her for a walk every morning. I give her baths when she’s covered in mud and clean her wounds when she cuts her paws chasing squirrels. I keep up with vet visits and medication refills. I play fetch with her in the backyard and tug-of-war in the kitchen. I even plan play dates with her best friend Murphy, another Great Dane she’s loved since she was a puppy.

But at the end of the day, when she should be snuggling up to me to thank me for all I’ve done, she’s waiting by the garage door for my husband’s return.

They say that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I should have learned my lesson the first time around when my children had two legs instead of four. Familiarity may not breed contempt, but it sure does breed indifference. Along with unfortunate nicknames like “old hat” and “worn sneakers.”

Leslie Snow may be reached at snow column@aol.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Shopper News brings you the latest happenings in your community