Shopper Blog: Youngsters can romp − and read − on Ijams' Storybook Trail

SOUTH KNOXVILLE

Youngsters can romp − and read − on Ijams' Storybook Trail

Ali James, Shopper News

Ijams Nature Preschoolers are always up for an adventure, and a recent day was no exception. Bundled up in jackets and boots, they were ready to help cut the ribbon and explore the new Knox County Public Library Storybook Trail, Ijams' Universal Trail at the Visitor Center.

This marks the third permanent storybook trail installed by Knox County Public Library over the past few months. West View Park's trail opened on Sept. 16 at 2950 Keith Ave., and the Collier Preserve Storybook Trail next to the Powell Library opened on Oct. 20, 2022.

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon was present, along with Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs; Amber Parker, executive director of Ijams Nature Center; Myretta Black, director of the library, and other elected officials to celebrate the opening of the newest storybook trail on Nov. 30, 2022.

“I am looking forward to taking a walk and making leaf wands,” Kincannon said. “When my kids were little we spent a lot of time at Ijams, at the library and parks and this storybook trail combines all of these.”

The trail features “Run Wild” by David Covell, a story celebrating nature and a carefree spirit. “If you haven’t already read it, it is a beautiful book with beautiful illustrations,” said Kincannon.

Families can visit all three of the trails and enjoy a story anytime during park hours. The stories will rotate throughout the years.

According to Mary Pom Claiborne, assistant director of the Knox County Public Library, Children’s Services Manager Erin Nguyen was charged with choosing the books. “We worked with the early literacy group; you have got to get the copyright to use the book, so we have been at work in earnest for around a year on the storybook trails,” Claiborne said.

“I'm excited to see these storybook trails installed around our county. They send a strong message to our community that we value books and literacy," Jacobs said in a release. "What a great way to be outdoors and experience a book at the same time." At the event he was quick to thank the library for its imagination and vision.

To further celebrate the grand opening, Danielle Velez, the director of the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, set up a table and Ijams educators guided children in jelly leaf printing and nature journaling activities.

Kincannon led the excited children along the trail, an easily accessible path that goes from the visitors center, past the Navitat entrance and Jo’s Place, the nature playground, and then circles the visitor center lawn.

“It’s fantastic,” Kincannon said of the Ijams storybook trail. “It is another amenity to enjoy outdoors, and we are glad to partner with our city parks in this. Parks have never been more heavily used than they are now. The trails are healthy, free and open to everybody.”

NORTH KNOXVILLE

Science whiz kid Summer Hatmaker is making an impact

Carol Z. Shopper, Shopper News

When the Shopper News last caught up with Summer Hatmaker in 2017, she was one of only 60 high school students chosen nationwide to participate that summer in the Joint Science and Technology Institute (JSTI) in Aberdeen, Maryland. The science whiz-kid and avid outdoorswoman was looking at a career in health-care-related microbiology. “I want to change the world one day – the science world,” she says. “That is my goal for life.”

Hatmaker – now an East Knoxville resident – is indeed helping to change the world, but not exactly as she’d foreseen. Now a full-time student at LMU pursuing a Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in chemistry, she says, “I found out I’m not very good at microbiology and I’m really good at ecology.”

This past summer, Hatmaker had the opportunity, funded by the Appalachian College Association (ACA), to study bats in a Kentucky state park. Why bats?

Searching for a senior thesis topic, Hatmaker ran across some research on bats that had been abandoned by a previous student. She was interested.

“We went up to Kingdom Come State Park and worked with the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust to set up bat recorders to determine whether insect biomass influences bat activity. If there are more bugs will there be more bats? With that research I just focused on being able to study insects. We had five sites in the park, and did the study from May to August.” A few weekends ago, Hatmaker presented her findings at the Tennessee Academy of Science in Nashville.

Hatmaker has been awarded multiple scholarships in addition to the ACA. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship made it possible for her, right in the middle of her ongoing bat study in Kentucky, to pack up and head for the Estación Biológica la Suerte in Limón, Pococí, Costa Rica for a six-week species identification study.

“I got to see vastly different animals – poison dart frogs everywhere! There were fresh water crabs that come up into the rainforest. Howler monkeys, spider monkeys, capuchins, glass frogs, red-eyed tree frogs. When you hold them they close their eyes. It’s really cool.”

She also held poison dart frogs, which inflict only minimal harm on humans through skin contact. “Your finger might go numb. It’s temporary.”

Unfortunately, she was also bitten by a member of the world’s largest ant species – a bullet ant – and the pain was considerable, easing after 24 hours. “There wasn’t really much in the way of medical care. You put a Band-Aid on it and hope for the best.”

And, again, she studied bats.

“It astounded me how much they can do for the ecosystem. They’re really good pollinators, and good at keeping checks and balances on insect populations. I’m passionate about addressing climate change, and they’re big indicators for that because they’re so sensitive.”

Hatmaker also works as a lab technician for SkyNano. “We’re a company that creates carbon nano tubes – they reverse climate change on a small scale. It’s a Department of Energy-funded project.”

Summer Hatmaker hasn’t even graduated from college yet and she’s already helping to change the world. Hats off to this busy young woman; we’ll check in with her in another five years.

SOUTH KNOXVILLE

UT art students bring outdoor sculptures to South Knoxville trail

Ali James, Shopper News

University of Tennessee art students have collaborated on an outdoor sculpture project at Dogwood Elementary School that both enhances the outdoor classrooms and gives the larger community exposure to the arts.

“Yesterday, the artists got to share their work with some of our first-grade students,” said Kara Strouse, regional supervisor for KnoxEd’s Community Schools initiative. “It was absolute perfection. The kids were totally enthralled. They asked a ton of questions and got to touch and interact with some of the pieces. I mean kids hugging large scale plush carrots … what’s not to love?”

“We have been working to get art on the campus for over four years,” Strouse said. “Luckily Jason Brown, a UT associate professor of art - sculpture whose wife is an ELL teacher at Dogwood, decided to collaborate with the Dogwood Outdoor Coalition (DOC) on an outdoor sculpture project.”

Strouse was instrumental in establishing the Dogwood Community Trail in Stanley Lippencott Park, just behind the school. She is also a member of the DOC, a group of community partners who meet monthly to enhance and maintain outdoor classrooms at Dogwood, because as a Community School, their campus is open to the public when school is not in session.

According to Strouse, it was particularly special for students who live in apartments with little to no natural landscape. “The woods near Montgomery Village aren’t known for hiking,” she said.

The Dogwood Community Trail outdoor sculpture exhibition is temporary and on view until Dec. 9. The trail connects to Stanley Lippencott Ridge Park to the north and Cecil Webb Recreation Center to the east. Three of the nine sculptures were fabricated with steel and/or concrete, and since they are more durable and weather resistant, they will remain on display through the Fall 2023 semester.

Strouse approached Brown with her idea last spring. Because it was too late in the academic year, they agreed to try a pilot project this semester.

The UT students who participated are undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts/BA 3D studio art majors in the UT School of Art. For most of them it was their first experience installing artwork outside a studio or gallery.

“All of my classes have a community engagement component,” said Brown. “Sometimes it is a partnership with another organization, sometimes it is an off-site program, but it is always public art with an element of engagement.”

For a lot of the students, this was their first experience installing their artwork out in the natural elements. “It is a very different learning experience and there is a range of trial and error, setbacks and sometimes humbling failures,” said Brown. One student created a cloth sculpture knowing it would have a limited lifespan in the outdoors.

Ina Vos deliberately used twine that would disintegrate faster as part of her concept "To the Moon": a woven moon suspended from a tree was lightly tethered by twine to a sculpted hand reaching out from the forest floor.

"The Web" by Faiza Narsignhani was made from fabricated steel, and at over 9 feet tall is the largest piece in the outdoor project. “Everything you make inside appears so much smaller when you install it outside,” said Brown.

Oralia (Rilie) Rose-Mariea Acosta forged steel using blacksmithing techniques to create the "Family Tree."

“It fits with my most recent piece that is a table with an Aztec motif and forged feet with scrollwork, which is prominent in a lot of the smithing work that I do,” she said. “The install was a lot easier than I imagined because I put metal tapers on the end and used a mallet and it went into the ground.”

While some Dogwood Elementary students said it looked like a hat rack, others knew instantly that it was a tree.

“They tried to put some leaves on it. It was everything I could have hoped for,” she said. “I would like to tell people not to be afraid of getting into metalworking. I am a very small woman, I am 4’9” and I do it.”

Artist Jo Sutton installed "Nature is a Trip", a collection of concrete formed mushrooms that children are encouraged to play with.

S.K. Yi adapted her usual fabric "plushie" creations for "Lil’ Buddiez."

“I was imagining a hybrid bunny/bear and created simple rounded figures,” said Yi. “I love the idea of people potentially moving them around and placing them in different areas.”

“I’m not used to using construction materials,” she continued. “I used concrete and mixed acrylic paint into it so that they are colorful and look plastic.”

Other artwork showcased was created by Courtney McGreevy, Catie Bringle, Amanda McDonald and Kenzie Sink.

“This is a way to learn about the professional opportunities connected to art,” added Brown. “One of our motivating factors in the UT sculpture program is to see more opportunities and partnerships with local organizations so they have more professional connections before they graduate.”

A year from now, Brown said, the project will be more of a community art class where the UT students will get to work side by side with Dogwood’s students to make artwork in a more collaborative manner.

POWELL

Storybook Trail added at Collier Preserve

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Combine outdoors with reading and Mary Pom Claiborne has just found her happy place.

That’s why the director of marketing, development and communications for the Knox County Public Library was so thrilled in mid-October.

The library, in conjunction with Legacy Parks Foundation, opened a Storybook Trail in Collier Preserve, adjacent to the library branch in Powell.

“Any time you can get children active outside – and reading at the same time – it’s a great thing,” Claiborne said.

“We were excited to have it finally come together.”

Claiborne said project manager Jennifer Harrell spent the better part of eight months making the idea a reality. It was the second Storybook Trail in Knox County. The first was done at West View Park. Another is targeted for South Knox.

“This reflects the value of reading and imagination,” Claiborne said. “It’s a true celebration of the written word.”

Accessibility is crucial

According to Claiborne, there are two ways to make a Storybook Trail happen: Buy two sets of the book, cut the pages and attach them to a post with weather-proofing, or get a copyright for the book and have a graphic designer create a unique design of the book.

The library chose to get the copyright and have Kayti Tilson put it together.

Children’s librarians chose “Old Rock (Is Not Boring)” by Deb Pilutti for the Collier Preserve.

“It has to do with nature,” said Claiborne.

There are 18 stations along the trail − a start, 16 double-page readers, and the end. Claiborne said the cost of the trail is between $10,000 and $11,000. Legacy Parks Foundation and several other sponsors were vital in covering the expenses.

“There were a lot of details that had to be worked out,” Claiborne said.

One of the primary objectives was to make sure the entire trail was handicap accessible.

“I learned a lot while we were doing our assessments,” Claiborne said. “You don’t realize you’re on a hill until you try going up that hill in a wheelchair.”

The Knox County Health Department came up with physical prompts for children (raise your hands, jump, etc.) at every station once reading is completed.

Imagination runs wild

Stories will change a couple of times a year. They will revolve from one park to another within the system.

“Children will be able to burn up energy and read a book at the same time,” Claiborne said. “What can be better than that?”

The grand opening of the trail attracted about 100 people, about a third of whom were children. Besides getting to be the first eyes on the Storybook Trail, they had craft projects. Children were able to paint old rocks.

“Just seeing the energy and the engagement those children had was great,” Claiborne said. “Kids are creative. They were able to let their imaginations run wild. Heck, I painted a rock.”

Claiborne said it was a matter of persistence that made things fall into place.

“Jennifer Harrell kept her nose to the grindstone with this,” she said. “There were so many things that had to be worked out. But now, it’s paying off.”

NORTH KNOXVILLE

Northeast Knoxville is 'holiday central'

Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News

“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style. In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas.”

If you and your family are craving a good old-fashioned “Silver Bells”-type of holiday, check out Downtown Knoxville’s Peppermint Trail, which boasts more than 90 local shops, bars and eateries for the ultimate holiday shopping experience.

What child - of any age - could resist following the peppermints on the sidewalks? You’ll discover boutiques offering peppermint-themed T-shirts, scented soaps, candles and all kinds of holiday surprises.

Browse local creations at the Art Market Gallery; take a tour of Historic Blount Mansion, where you’ll receive a sweet deal on the Blount Mansion Christmas ornament and magnets if you mention the Peppermint Trail. Enjoy some New Orleans-style libations like a Peppermint Mudslide or Cajun Eggnog from Fat Tuesday, or try Christmas chocolates shaped like snowmen and Christmas trees at Coffee & Chocolate.

Restaurants such as Tomato Head, Chesapeake’s, Calhoun’s on the River, Bistro at the Bijou, J.C. Holdway and more are on the trail if you need rib-sticking sustenance.

In other big holiday news, Santa is sending Scout Elves to Downtown Knoxville for a magical scavenger hunt in more than two dozen downtown businesses. They’ll be around until Jan. 8, 2023. It’s up to your kids (or you) to find them. Find 20 or more Scout Elves and register to win prizes. Visit downtownknoxville.org/holiday/elf/ for details.

And don’t miss the Regal Celebration of Lights, featuring a 42-foot-tall tree with 5,000 multi-colored, energy-efficient, synchronized LED lights. Approximately 200,000 tiny bulbs light up the rest of downtown, and all will stay lit through the holiday season.

If you’re in a crafty mood, join others at Historic Ramsey House for wreath-making workshops at 1 and 4 p.m. Dec. 11. Head wreath-maker Julia Shiflett and her team will provide all the fixings, including gorgeous natural greens, as well as holiday treats. All you need to take along are a small pair of handheld garden shears and garden gloves.

Cost of the class is $40 ($35 for HRH members.) To register, visit ramseyhouse.org/system/events/view/32/christmas-wreath-workshop.

For the ultimate, absolutely dazzling holiday experience, check out Zoo Lights presented by Chick-fil-A at Zoo Knoxville, featuring an all-new display of beautiful glowing silk animal lanterns.

New activities for 2022 are a scavenger hunt to find the wildest lanterns, a flying sleigh zipline ride and the chance to book a photoshoot with Santa. Food and drink created exclusively for Zoo Lights include holiday fare and seasonal cocktails. You can even reserve a private heated igloo for an unforgettable evening under the stars.

Zoo Lights runs 5-8:30 p.m. each Wednesday through Sunday through Jan. 8, 2023. Visit zoolightsknoxville.com, call (865) 637-5331, or buy tickets at the zoo’s ticket office during regular zoo hours. To ensure entry, online ticket purchases are encouraged, as the number of tickets available will be limited each evening. Zoo Lights will be closed Dec. 24 and 25.

All in all, it looks like Northeast Knoxville is “holiday central” for 2022.

Salon Matias celebrates 15 years of cuts, curls and smiles

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

It was almost business as usual for Christina Matias-Arroyo, owner of Salon Matias, on the 15th anniversary of her shop Sunday, Nov. 27.

Juan’s Tacos parked in the driveway and provided delicious tacos to guests for most of the day. Visitors stopped in throughout the day to wish Matias-Arroyo well.

“I think folks are still hung over from the turkey,” said Matias-Arroyo with a giggle. “But I’ve gotten some wonderful visitors today.”

The little salon at 2548 Byington Solway Road has grown exponentially over the past 15 years. Not only is Matias-Arroyo a popular hair stylist in Karns, but her shop is a full-on boutique of unique gifts from Vera Bradley purses, to Paparazzi jewelry, to Avon products, to Karns apparel. There’s something for everyone.

“I believe in shopping local and keeping the money local. You really can’t make a big box store any richer, but when you shop local, you may be paying for a little girl’s ballet shoes or something.”

Matias-Arroyo believes in giving back to the community. She never misses an opportunity to support sports in all the Karns schools, Adopt a Beaver, and the Fair Board, of which she’s a former member. She can be seen at nearly every Karns community event.

Matias-Arroyo knew she wanted to be a business owner from a very young age.

She is a successful example of high school vocational training. She began training in cosmetology her sophomore year at Halls High School and had earned enough hours to get her license by the time she graduated.

She built her business while being a single mother, but she was determined to succeed.

She came to Karns with a dream and new business loan.

“I took out a $25,000 loan, which seems like a whole lot – and don’t get me wrong, it was plenty scary in the early days. My son was still in diapers. Luckily, I had been in the industry long enough and had enough loyal clients to get me started. I never looked back, and I can’t think of a better place to be.”

Info: Find Salon Matias on Facebook.

HALLS

Make time for creative self-care with an inspirational journal

Ali James, Shopper News

When Jen MacIsaac could not find her dream planner, she created the Creative Self-Care Planner & Journal.

“I was looking for a planner and could not find one that could do what I wanted it to do, so I decided to make my own,” she said. “Originally it was a printable PDF form in my Etsy shop. I would print and keep mine in a three-ring binder, but then I discovered Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing.”

The Creative Self-Care Planner & Journal can be ordered, printed into an 8x11 soft-cover, bound journal and shipped directly from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NRG8JNX?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

“It is undated, so it can be started anytime,” said McIsaac. “I always get excited about starting a new journal and then skip a couple of months and feel like I ruined it. With this one I pick up at the last page and keep going. I don’t stress about missing pages and worry about that.”

The Creative Self-Care Planner & Journal is self-contained with 12 art journal prompts and 12 written prompts.Through her Instagram page @creative_self_care, MacIsaac offers art break ideas and journal prompts every month that can be used in the journal pages. “I offer lots of different tips, from bringing more creativity into your life or a video walk through the ways I work with the journal,” she said.

One prompt will be to draw up a list of things you want to say “yes” to and what you want to say “no” to. Or perhaps the user can be prompted to focus on bringing balance into their lives.

“The prompts are playful, open-ended, and anyone can do them,” said MacIsaac. “A lot of people have said they like that there is a space for your vision board for the year, and a 2-by-1-inch box to do a daily doodle as an activity to spark other creative thoughts.”

The Creative Self-Care Planner & Journal also encourages a weekly gratitude practice. There are some written instruction pages about what mindfulness, self-care and creative self-care are.

“One of the things I talk about frequently is using the time blocks to record how you are spending your time,” said MacIsaac. “At the end of the day I write down what I did that day and highlight the kids’ activities or work and see the patterns where I have time; perhaps when I am spending time scrolling through the phone I can see how I can use that time for myself and creative self-care.”

It is the latest creative endeavor for the artist. MacIsaac was the co-owner and director of the Basement Community Studio in the Old City up until 2018. After that she helped design and create the new maker space at The Muse and was an art teacher at a local Montessori school until the pandemic hit.

“I co-founded Creating Mindfulness where we hosted women’s retreats and workshops,” said MacIsaac. “We would get together and do women’s circles and have a topic for the month. One month it was imposter syndrome or it was the stage of life, anything really. The meditation was led by my business partner and we would have a discussion to prompt journaling or an art project.”

Creating Mindfulness was dissolved and MacIsaac said that she is now focused on designing her planner, working one-on-one as a life coach and creating art inspired by nature and mindfulness @j.macisaac_studios.

MacIsaac is available for group sessions to discuss the journal in person and is putting together a video class on how to incorporate creative mindfulness that can be standalone or used with the planner. She also is writing a book based on Creative Self-Care.

Only 13 Tennessee football teams have won the SEC. See who they are | Mike Strange

BEARDEN

Bearden football team proved it can win, looks to build on successes

John Shearer, Shopper News

High school won-loss football records are generally relative. And for the Bearden Bulldogs under first-year coach Josh Jones, a 7-5 season resulted in more overall celebration than disappointment.

That is in part because the team reached some new heights not seen by the West Knoxville high school in several years, including reaching the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

“For the senior class, this is their first winning season in high school,” he said. “These guys worked so hard and put so much into the program.”

Although he is admittedly a competitive coach and does not like to lose a single game, and he still referred to the season as bittersweet, Jones seemed overall pleased when he recently recounted the Bulldogs’ 2022 slate.

“There were definitely some things we did well,” he said. “We made the playoffs and beat some good teams. There was also a game or two we could have won, but it was more sweet than bitter.”

After starting off with a 27-7 loss to Class 5A state finalist and rival West, the 6A Bulldogs beat Oak Ridge, Hardin Valley and South-Doyle before losing to Maryville on Sept. 16. Bearden then beat Fulton, Bradley Central and Cleveland before finishing the regular season with single-touchdown losses to both Anderson County and archrival Farragut.

In the playoffs, the Bulldogs beat Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett, 14-6, on the road, before being eliminated by Maryville, 28-10, in the rematch to end the season.

Helping the team do well were three key senior defensive players, Jones said. They were linebackers Sam Nicaud and Eric Lyttle and defensive lineman Tyson Pirtle. Junior safety Sam Tummins led the team with eight interceptions.

On offense, the team was led by the one-two punch of running backs Presean Brown, a senior, and sophomore Kai Ironside. The two combined for over 1,100 yards rushing. With sophomore Drew Parrott – the son of Bearden basketball coach Jeremy Parrott – throwing to such players as freshman Tory Beaufort and senior Ethan Ford, the season also had plenty of passing punch. Beaufort led the team with 49 catches, while Ford had seven touchdown catches and over 600 yards receiving.

Jones is known for his offensive mind and had come to Bearden after serving as the offensive coordinator on some recently successful Powell teams. He had also coached at Fulton and Christian Academy of Knoxville.

With several younger players returning, he hopes the future is as bright as his offense and other play were at times this season.

“We’ve just got the foundation laid,” he said. “We are excited about year 2.”

He hopes the improvement and success can continue beyond that as well. Although Bearden has not been among the elite teams in the Knoxville area in recent years, he said he is even more sure now that the Bulldogs can be successful and that nothing is holding the program back. He said the school and community support is great, and that includes what he calls the best student cheering section in town.

“I took the job because I thought we could win, and now that I’ve been here a year, I know we can,” he said. “The sky’s the limit.”

POWELL

Having a salon day? Now your dog can, too

Al Lesar, Shopper News

When the inspiration to get into the dog salon business finally hit Callie Dawson, all she had to do was look out her window to make it a reality.

The owner of Roots Salon and Boutique (1715 Depot St.) in Powell for the past two years, Dawson found the ideal location for her spinoff directly across the railroad tracks at 1730 W. Emory Road.

“My mother and I went looking for the right location,” Dawson said. “It was important to be in the downtown area of Powell. When we saw this available, it was perfect.”

On Nov. 1, Dawson launched Roots Paws Salon & Boutique.

Catering primarily to dogs, Dawson set out to achieve a service that is different from what dogs would experience at a large groomer.

“We want to make this a more personal experience,” Dawson said. “We’re in a small facility, which is what we wanted. We don’t want to have a lot of dogs in cages barking. We want to make it luxurious for the dog and the owner.”

Accessories available

Dawson, who owns two Australian shepherds (2-year-old Bella and Coco, 1), said her salon will offer grooming, baths, photo shoots, paw scrub, nose scrub, nail trim and painting, birthday parties and “Mommy and me blowouts.”

“The ‘Mommy and me blowouts’ are when we drop the dog off at the salon for grooming and the owner goes across the street and gets her hair done,” Dawson said. “It’ll make for a great day for both of them.”

Depending on the services done and the size of the dog, costs can be anywhere between $45 and $100.

The dog salon is next to Creekside Sno. Dawson said the owners have worked out a deal to make free “pup cups” available, while also allowing dogs to run a bit in the fenced-in area.

The boutique part of the business features dog clothes and accessories – as well as treats – from five independent business owners.

“We’ve got bandanas, pet toys, luxury pet supplies and treats,” Dawson said. “Every client we have will get a stocking for Christmas. Our clients will feel very loved, something that’s hard to do at a bigger operation.”

Safe, fun environment

With the holidays approaching, Dawson has plans to enhance the spirit. Getting Santa Claus to stop by for photos is a distinct possibility. Gearing the accessories toward the season is also in the works.

“That’s the fun part,” said Dawson.

Down the road, Dawson has plans for a doggy daycare service, and even overnight boarding.

“Our main objective is to create a safe, fun environment for the dog,” Dawson said. “I want this to be a place where I would feel comfortable taking my dogs – and I’m very protective.

“We settled on the idea of the salon in August and a couple months later it became a reality. Everything happened so fast, but it just fell into place. We were excited to get it going.”

For more information or to make an appointment, go to: rootspawssalon on Facebook or Instagram, or text 865-333-8980.

HALLS

Accessorize your pup for the holidays with custom collars, bandanas

Ali James, Shopper News

“I had a golden retriever puppy, and he was constantly outgrowing his collars. And they are not cheap,” said Hannah Goldsby. “The ones I saw at the store didn’t suit his personality.

“I have always had a passion for sewing and I have a big entrepreneurial spirit. I have always had a side gig; in college I would sew letters onto sweatshirts in my sorority.”

So naturally, Goldsby was keen to “bust out” out her sewing machine and have a go at making her own collars for Midas.

Orders for family and friends started to flow in. In February 2019, Goldsby opened an Etsy shop and launched K and M Collars during her spare time.

“I decided I could make money making collars and bandanas, then the pandemic blew up my Etsy shop,” she said. “I sold and donated over 2,000 facemasks which boosted my Etsy shop. People were getting dogs during the pandemic and spending extra money – because of course you don’t ever feel bad about spending money on pets.”

In April 2021, Goldsby turned her side hustle into her full-time career, and since then business has only boomed.

At markets, pets can try on bandanas and collars to see what suits their coat best, but at home Midas and Kona – a husky mix rescue – are Goldsby’s models. “A lot of people ask if they have many collars, but they usually stay in the same collar as part of the testing process,” she said. “We have a creek in our yard, so they really try to wear and tear them out.”

A particularly cool point of difference with K and M Collars is that Goldsby hand picks fabrics designed by other small artists. “They get a commission when I buy their fabric,” she said. “I want to be different from everybody else, so if I see another dog shop that has that fabric, I won’t use it. I probably get the most compliments on them at markets.”

K and M Collars is so much more than a hobby. “I release 15-20 new collars each month and take customer requests,” said Goldsby. “All of the hardware (is) YKK buckles in silver, rose gold or black. The left side of the collar (is) easy to personalize. For adventure dogs I have a different buckle that sand and water can easily go through.”

Since bandanas are popular with a lot of dog accessory makers, Goldsby focuses more on the collars than the bandanas, releasing about 5-10 new designs a month.

Last fall, Goldsby received her biggest wholesale order to date: 391 collars and 38 bandanas for a Charlotte, North Carolina, retailer. “I started wholesale a little over a year ago and did it just for fun, but now I wholesale to 37 different states, in five different countries,” she said. “It has really picked up and I’ve sold to all 50 states with regular orders.”

Goldsby participated in the Retropolitan Craft Fair and Schulz Brau Brewing Co.’s Christkindlesmarkt. She will be headed to Porter Flea at Nashville Fairgrounds Dec. 9-10 and close out the holiday market schedule at the Old City Market on Dec. 11.

Once the holiday season is over, Goldsby will focus on online orders and her wholesale accounts, such as The Bark, a new Knoxville indoor dog park and beer garden. “They can order and customize a collar from my online store, and I do local pickup because I know I hate paying shipping,” she said. K and M Collars will likely return as a vendor in the spring for the massively popular Mardi Growl event.

Goldsby also makes all-natural organic paw balm. “My dogs have the crustiest paws, so I apply it two to three times a week before he goes to bed,” she said. “It’s totally lick safe, and it is good to prevent cracking in paws and noses and restores them back to the shiniest black. The paw balm is very popular in the cities where the dogs are always on concrete.”

OPINION

A pack of gum and a memory

Leslie Snow, Shopper News

A memory found me the other day and wouldn’t let go. It arrived one morning when I was hiking in the woods with my Great Dane, Buttercup.

The wind was blowing hard and the leaves, already turned from bright red to brown, were swirling around my head. I stopped to take in the beauty of the moment, to breathe in the crisp air and to watch the whitecaps churn on the lake. And maybe, without even knowing it, I sent out a silent prayer for serenity.

That’s when I remembered being a little girl, waiting at the top of the stairs for my grandfather Morris to arrive. I’d listen for the sound of the door opening or wait for him to shout “hello” to anyone who was listening. And I was always listening.

I’d run down the steps, jump into his arms, and immediately begin searching for the pack of gum I knew he’d brought for me. “Did you bring me any gum?” I’d ask, laughing while I searched his coat pockets for the familiar rectangular shape. But I already knew the answer. Because my grandfather always carried packs of Dentyne gum. Cinnamon for me, spearmint or wintergreen for my older sisters.

I can’t remember how the gum ritual began. I only know that it was great fun and that finding the gum was only a small part of the excitement I felt when my grandfather came for dinner.

I loved him fiercely and freely the way only a child can. I didn’t consider any flaws he might have or wonder about his shortcomings. I didn’t ponder his career success or think about the kind of father he might have been to my mother. I just liked the way he smelled and the way he lifted me into his arms. I liked the way he smiled at me, fully, with his whole face. And I knew, instinctively, that he loved me the same way I loved him, easily and without reservation.

And while I don’t think the memory was an answer to my accidental prayer, it was a reminder I needed. Of the role I play in the lives of my grandchildren. Of the importance of big hugs and unconditional love. And, of the importance of chewing gum.

Because over the past few weeks, Simon and Clara have discovered that I’m a secret gum chewer. And while I don’t chew Dentyne anymore, I always have a small container of sugar-free Juicy Fruit rattling around my purse. It’s a more adult version, I like to think, of an old childhood favorite.

Now, I’m the grandparent with the hidden surprise. And when Clara and Simon hear me call out “hello,” they jump into my arms. They squeeze my neck then wiggle their small hands into my oversized purse to pull out my favorite gum. It’s their favorite gum now, too, and it’s become our tradition.

Now I make sure I always have gum in my purse when I pop over to see them. It feels like my memory has folded over itself and come back full circle. I used to be the little girl, now I’m the grandparent. I used to jump into my grandfather’s arms; now I brace myself when Simon jumps up and wraps his arms around me.

I just hope my grandchildren feel the same unconditional love I felt from my grandfather, and that one day, when they need it, they’ll pull out the memory of me and my Juice Fruit and it will bring them comfort on some windy day.

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

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