Premiere Consignment

Premiere Consignment The Easy Way to Buy and Sell Your Items

BY AARON HUNT, CO-OWNER OF PREMIERE CONSIGNMENT

FOR YEARS, individuals wishing to sell unused furniture items either placed an ad in a local newspaper or had a yard sale, but not anymore. In more recent times, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, OfferUp, and similar sites have been used. Concerns about personal safety have resulted in many Americans turning away from trying to sell household items by themselves. In fact, those selling items on Craigslist are being encouraged by law enforcement agencies across the nation to complete their sales transactions in the parking lots of their local police stations.

Selling furniture by yourself is akin to selling your home by yourself. Sure, it can be done, but is it really worth all the time and effort? Do you really want to invite strangers to your home? Are they there for legitimate reasons or other purposes? Do you take their personal check? What about scheduling appointments and then the annoying no-shows?

We launched Premiere Consignment nine years ago with the goal of helping our neighbors sell their gently used, name-brand furniture, art pieces, home décor items, and Oriental rugs without all of the hassle associated with attempting to sell their unused household items themselves. We offer our consigners a complete turnkey experience, which greatly enhances their potential to sell their items at the best possible prices for both the buyer and seller. Our retail showroom location and convenient hours, in addition to our print and online advertising, ensures that your items will be seen by even more qualified buyers.

Premiere Consignment handles the entire transaction from beginning to end! No sitting at home waiting for strangers to arrive or wondering if their check is good. We also offer you the opportunity to market many of your personal items online using our very own and very successful eBay store.

So forget the ad in the local paper or on Craigslist, put away the yard sale signs, and discover the safe, easy, and most convenient way to sell your gently used furniture, décor, art, and Oriental rugs – the no-hassle, Premiere Consignment way. Just call 865-458-9721!

Premiere Consignment

320 Lakeside Plaza Loudon, TN 37774 865.458.9721 www.premiereconsignment.com

Garages

A Valuable Part of Your House

GONE ARE THE days of a dirty, oil-stained, and cracked garage floor. Today’s garage floor coatings leave the garage looking like a showroom.

Garage floors have a hard life. They are subject to constant pressure from the car and hot tires as you drive over them, as well as temperature extremes and abuse from oil drips and substances brought in on your tires. As a result, the concrete often ends up cracking and crumbling.

There are a few flooring options to protect your concrete; however, not all floor coatings are created equal. The decision usually comes down to a choice between a standard epoxy or PremierOne’s polyurea coating, developed and installed by PremierGarage.

“There have been many improvements in coating technology during the past 20 years, and the preferred garage flooring is our polyurea coating,” explained Brain Falls, co-owner of PremierGarage of Knoxville. “Polyurea is a hard wearing coating that’s widely specified in commercial settings where failure is not an option and floors are designed to last the test of time.”

Polyurea flooring systems present the most-advanced, fast-curing, and hardening system in concrete flooring technology. It withstands more abuse and impact than any traditional epoxy coating. It also provides better protection against harmful agents like oils, chemicals, and gas, and it doesn’t stain, crack, or peel. PremierGarage’s polyurea floor coating will look new for years to come.

While do-it-yourself epoxy kits are widely available and easy to work with, the downside is that many things can go wrong when applying the coating. The epoxy may not set properly or have a weak bond to the concrete, and it takes a long time for the epoxy to dry and bond to the floor. And while the cost of epoxy is initially less expensive, epoxy also quickly delaminates when a vehicle’s hot tires bond to the surface and peel it away from the concrete.

For the longest lasting concrete floor coating in the market, PremierGarage technicians diamond-grind the floor to the ideal surface condition to achieve a permanent chemical bond. Other benefits of PremierGarage’s professionally installed flooring coating instead of epoxy is: • Superior finish that cures two times harder, eliminating unsightly marks, peeling, or blistering from hot tires and abrasions • Chemical, UV, stain, and slip-resistant • Commercial-grade product that is guaranteed for 10 years • Easy to clean

Available in a variety of colors, the flooring system is also perfect for concrete flooring in basements and retail stores.

Call PremierGarage and discover the affordability of transforming your garage floor. Home really does begin in the garage!

PremierGarage powered by Tailored Living 865.947.8686 www.TailoredLivingKnoxville.com

SHOP FARRAGUT and the Town of Farragut have teamed up with Smoky Mountain DockDogs and Ricki’s Pet Depot to bring a nationally sanctioned regional canine aquatics competition by DockDogs International. Dog Daze is a 3-day festival of fun, food, shopping, and competition held at the Village Green Shopping Center parking lot in Farragut August 13-15.

“We are delighted to host another East Tennessee competition,” said Kaye Noble, President of local Smoky Mountain DockDogs Club. “We expect teams from as far away as Ohio and Florida to compete throughout the weekend. Our Farragut event has become a premier stop for many of the serious Dock Diving Dog Teams!”

Competitors love coming to the Dog Daze at Village Green event because of the atmosphere of the crowd, the local food trucks, and the level of competition this event brings. In fact, all event registrations sold out in less than an hour last year. Additional time had to be added to the schedule to accommodate the demand. There will be more than 400 jumps with 150 competitors.

Smoky Mountain DockDogs will also conduct a silent auction, which will benefit the B.A.A.R.K. foundation, an organization that helps the DockDogs community in their time of need.

DockDogs® was established in 2000; its first event was at the ESPN 2000 Great Outdoor Games competition. This competition will attract dog owners from across the Southeast. Last year there were more than 30 competitors and more than 5000 visitors during the sophomore effort of this soonto-be annual Farragut event. Registrants will be able to gain qualifying points towards attendance at the World Championships in October. If you have never witnessed this, expect the unexpected!

The festivities will start on Friday afternoon with local dogs taking a “Pooch Plunge!” Area dog owners will have the opportunity to have their puppy try an actual Dock-Dive! K9 Center of East Tennessee has underwritten The Plunge activity for the fifth year. The SMDD Club organized this activity to allow non-competitors to try the DockDog experience free of charge between 4 and 7 pm as an introduction to the sport. Actual competitions will commence on Saturday at 9 am - go to DockDogs.com, All Events, Dog Daze Village Green to register. The final rounds of competition and award presentations will take place late Sunday afternoon.

Between qualifying rounds, spectators can shop the Village Green Shopping Center, stop in at the many merchant booths on-site, mingle with pet food suppliers, plus get food and drinks at the Festival Tent while visiting many pet related vendor booths, local merchant showcases, and displays. For more information, visit www.DockDogs.com.

Friday, August 13

Onsite Registration/Practice – 4 pm Try DockDogs – 4-7 pm

Saturday, August 14

Onsite Registration/Practice – 9 am Big Air WAVE # 1 – 10 am Big Air WAVE # 2 – 11:30 am Big Air WAVE # 3 – 1:30 pm Big Air WAVE # 4 – 3:30 pm Extreme Vertical (All in one) – 5:30 pm

Sunday, August 15

Onsite Registration/Practice – 9 am Big Air WAVE # 5 – 10 am Big Air WAVE # 6 – 12 pm Speed Retrieve (All in one Finals) – 2 pm Big Air Finals start at 4 pm (Pro, Semi-Pro, Contender & Amateur Finals) Event Format: Outdoor Big Air® , Extreme Vertical®, Speed RetrieveTM , and Iron Dog Rankings

Local Makes the Difference

FLEENOR SECURITY SYSTEMS is owned and operated right here in East Tennessee. We take pride in keeping our community safe and secure, which is why we are also proud to operate our very own UL Listed Central Station. Unlike many other security companies, we do not outsource our monitoring to mega stations that handle thousands of accounts from numerous security providers. Instead, we believe it is essential to have our dispatchers trained, managed, and employed directly by Fleenor Security Systems.

What is a Central Station?

A Central Station is an alarm monitoring center that services burglar, fire, and panic alarms for residential and commercial alarm systems. All monitored alarms are connected to an alarm monitoring center where dispatchers are staffed around the clock. If a monitored alarm is triggered, a signal is sent to our monitoring center where the operator can dispatch help to the property, effectively keeping your home or business safe and secure.

Why does a local Central Station matter?

There are several reasons why we believe local makes a difference, but here are the top seven reasons why a local Central Station increases your security: • There is always a live operator to answer incoming calls, 24 hours a day, meaning no annoying voicemail when you call directly. • Fleenor Security is able to handpick top-quality team members who care about our customers. • Our customers are our own. We know you, and you know us. • Our dispatchers are aware of local events like severe weather and power outages, which will keep you better informed. • Our customers have direct contact with our service department, ensuring all needs or questions get handled. • There is no need to make a second call if an after-hours technician is needed. We handle it for you. • Strong local businesses are an integral part of a healthy community, and supporting local businesses plays a significant role in promoting the health of East Tennessee!

Why is a UL Listed Central Station important?

UL is an independent safety testing lab that certifies that our Central Station meets the most stringent requirements. These requirements cover building structure, receiving, monitoring equipment, and staffing issues, in addition to installation and ongoing service. A UL Central Station means the equipment is always working, signals are received accurately, and the facility is properly staffed for fast response times.

Local means we’re different. Keeping our community safe and secure is our top priority at Fleenor Security Systems. Therefore, we take pride in owning and operating our very own local Central Station. It ensures we are always ready when it counts, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Fleenor Security Systems

6700 Baum Drive, Ste. 22 Knoxville, TN 37919 865.544.9964 www.FleenorSecurity.com TN C-0239 VA 11-1901 NC 1721-CSA

Fun, On-the-Go Health Hacks

Make Every Bite Count with Whole-grain Popcorn Snacks

COURTESY OF FFE

AS MANY people start getting back into normal routines, they’re returning to familiar on-the-go lifestyles by heading back to work, traveling to new destinations, and enjoying time with loved ones.

While you get out to explore and gather with family and friends again, remember you’ll need fuel for your adventures. According to a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, most Americans fail to get enough whole grains each day, opting instead for mostly refined grains.

Foods like tasty whole-grain popcorn offer an easy health hack so you can make every bite count. Try getting in the habit of popping 9 cups of popcorn in the morning and dividing it into two containers. Season one container with salt and herbs and the other with a pinch of sugar and cinnamon so you can alternate between sweet and salty throughout the day. Bringing delicious options like these while on the go can help satisfy hunger pangs while adding the fiber your body needs.

Because mouthwatering whole-grain popcorn is versatile and 3 cups is equal to one serving of whole grains, it’s a simple yet flavorful option for meeting dietary recommendations. It can be a breeze to add it to snacks like Blueberry and Pomegranate Power Bars, Crunchy Popcorn Trail Mix, or Sweet and Savory Curried Popcorn. You can even satisfy kids’ cravings with Grab and Go Pizza Popcorn, a six-ingredient recipe made in a matter of minutes.

So whether you are looking for a quick breakfast, packing up for a hike, or having a family movie night, don’t for get the popcorn snacks!

Visit popcorn.org to find more nutritious snack ideas.

Sweet and Savory Curried Popcorn

Yield: 8 cups

Ingredients:

• 8 cups unsalted, unbuttered popped popcorn • 1/3 cup ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil • 2 tablespoons brown sugar • 1 tablespoon honey • 1 teaspoon curry powder • 1/2 teaspoon cumin • 2 teaspoons flaked sea salt

Directions:

Place popcorn in large mixing bowl. In saucepan over medium heat, melt ghee, brown sugar, honey, curry powder, and cumin; stir until dissolved. Bring to light boil; remove from heat. Toss ghee mixture and salt with popcorn; transfer to serving bowl.

Crunchy Popcorn Trail Mix

Yield: 9 cups

Ingredients:

• 5 cups popped popcorn • 3 cups wholegrain oat cereal • 1/3 cup raisins • 1/3 cup peanuts or other nuts • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine • 6 tablespoons brown sugar • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Directions:

In large, microwavable bowl, stir popcorn, cereal, raisins, nuts, and seeds; set aside.

In small saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup until boiling; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat evenly.

Microwave 3-4 minutes, stirring and scraping bowl after each minute.

Spread mixture onto greased cookie sheet; cool. Break into pieces and store in airtight container.

Blueberry and Pomegranate Power Bars

Yield: 12 bars

Ingredients:

• 8 cups popped popcorn • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats • 1 cup dried blueberries • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds • 1/2 cup whole natural almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped • 2/3 cup honey • 2/3 cup light brown sugar • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

Directions:

Line 13-by-9-inch pan with foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine popcorn, oats, blueberries, pomegranate seeds, and almonds.

In small saucepan over low heat, boil honey, brown sugar, and butter 2 minutes. Pour over popcorn mixture and mix thoroughly.

Using damp hands, press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Cut into 12 bars.

Dip bottoms of bars into melted chocolate. Place on wax paper-lined pan; refrigerate until ready to serve. Store in tight covered container in refrigerator.

Grab and Go Pizza Popcorn

Yield: 6 quarts

Ingredients:

• 6 quarts popped popcorn • Olive oil cooking spray • 1 cup grated

Parmesan cheese • 2 teaspoons garlic salt • 2 teaspoons paprika • 1 tablespoon

Italian seasoning

Directions:

Place popcorn in large, sealable plastic container or 2 1/2 gallon plastic sealable bag.

Spray popcorn lightly with olive oil cooking spray.

Sprinkle cheese, garlic salt, paprika, and Italian seasoning over popcorn and shake to distribute evenly.

To serve, scoop popcorn into reusable plastic cups.

Enjoy More Out-of-Door Family Fun

SET YOUR COURSE for year-round fun with the professionals at Undercover Systems, and get ready to celebrate unlimited out-of-door events that your family and friends can enjoy, rain or shine.

This is the perfect time to install the totally unique underdeck ceiling system from Undercover Systems under your home’s existing raised decks. This underdeck system will ensure that all of your events will be protected from unexpected and unwanted rain, the searing summertime sun, and the snow and sleet of winter.

“Now is a great time to weatherproof all of your out-of-door events,” said Jim Conn, owner of Undercover Systems. “Throughout the entire process, our skilled craftsmen work with you each step of the way, until your project is completed to your satisfaction.”

While Undercover Systems’ patented underdecking system allows you to extend your outdoor season of enjoyment by protecting your family from late summer’s relentless sun, autumn rains, and winter snow, sleet, and ice, you’ll also appreciate their years of experience and attention to detail. By designing a seamless transition from your home’s interior to exterior, your new out-of-door living spaces will perfectly complement your home’s existing architecture and landscaping. Undercover Systems uses only proprietary components - not those generic, one-size-fitsall, off-the-shelf components from the big box stores used by the competition - so your underdeck system will always have that “custom” finish you’re looking for.

A complaint-free member of the Better Business Bureau, Undercover Systems offers homeowners the peace of mind that they deserve in a building contractor.

Why not surprise your family today with a special out-of-doors gift that everyone can enjoy all year long and start creating a lifetime of memories? Call Jim Conn at 423-267-0091 today, and start celebrating the extended summertime fun with family and friends.

Undercover Systems

UT Gardens’ Plant of the Month Perfectly Named for Summer: Suncredible!

BY JAMES NEWBURN, INTERIM DIRECTOR, UT GARDENS, KNOXVILLE

Courtesy of ProvenWinners.com

SUNFLOWER: THE VERY name brings a smile to our faces as we picture the bright yellow blooms in our mind’s eye. We think of warm summer days, sweet tea, fireworks, and the gigantic flower, whose name was the first flower many of us learned. Helianthus annus, as its name implies, is an annual and is often grown from seed. In the garden though, they can exhibit two shortcomings. One: They can get a bit too large for the area planted. Two: They can have a relatively short blooming time - a oneand-done type scenario.

Enter Suncredible sunflowers, an introduction from the folks at Proven Winners. These beauties provide solutions to the issues mentioned above. The size of the Suncredible is ideal in a variety of gardening situations. Reaching a height of 24 inches to 36 inches with a spread measuring between 20 inches to 32 inches, they can be massed together along a fence or behind a low hedge to provide bursts of season-long color. They are also the perfect size for containers, either alone or in striking combinations.

Suncredibles are considered everblooming, meaning they keep sending out flowers on strong, multi-branched, bush-like plants throughout the growing season. The spent flower blooms do not need to be deadheaded as they wither away and are quickly covered by new branches and flowers. The blooms are about 4 inches across and make for a manageable cut flower that is not too big for a dining room table arrangement like other sunflowers. They are available in two colors: Traditional Suncredible® Yellow, with the brown eye, and Suncredible® Saturn, with a copper inner ring that is reminiscent of some rudbeckia cultivars like the Gloriosa Daisy.

This patented sterile plant is sold as a potted annual. It requires full sun (up to 6 and possibly more hours a day), is heat tolerant, and once established is drought tolerant. The Suncredible sunflower is pretty forgiving of soil conditions, too, though wet sites

Courtesy of UTIA Suncredible sunflowers form a border at the UT Gardens, Knoxille.

are best avoided. Bloom time should last until frost, so it is a good transition plant from the summer garden to the fall garden. Bring a little brightness into your life with this outstanding sunflower choice.

The UT Gardens includes plant collections located in Knoxville, Crossville, and Jackson. Designated as the official botanical garden for the State of Tennessee, the collections are part of the UT Institute of Agriculture. The Gardens’ mission is to foster appreciation, education, and stewardship of plants through garden displays, educational programs, and research trials. The Gardens are open during all seasons and free to the public. For more information, visit utia.tennessee.edu/state-botanical-garden.