Reflecting On Traditions: Holiday Treats

As we celebrate this wonderful time of year, let’s pay tribute to our memories, treasures, and traditions - old and new. From our family to yours we offer our warmest wishes for the best holiday season ever. It’s time to celebrate!

At Help You Dwell, we feel truly blessed to have been welcomed into your homes this year. This season is a celebration of togetherness, which has prompted me to reflect more on my own family’s Christmas traditions.

Upon reflection, of all the holiday traditions my family enjoys my favorite ones seem to revolve around food. I don’t really know what that says about me, but I do know that holiday meals satisfy more than our appetite. They feed our need for tradition. The delicious smell of fresh baked cookies, the savory taste of special sauces and meats - these are the foods we remember.

Despite the years, distance and hectic schedules my family tries to maintain some of the traditions started long ago. If you asked any one of my little sisters they would say our most beloved family tradition is making Christmas sugar cookies together. Although a simple tradition, the whole process is beloved by young and old in our home. Every year, my sisters and I gather in the kitchen one night and roll out the dough and cut batches of sugar cookie dough into festive and often over decorated treats. They never turn out perfectly and that’s what makes the whole process memorable. Each cookie is made with love and any imperfections are quickly covered with sprinkles and frosting. Using the same festive cookie cutters from when I was little, everyone joins in on cutting, baking, frosting, and drowning our confections in sprinkles. The only rule that we follow is that there is always more room for more frosting and more sprinkles!

If you're feeling ambitious, pull out your favorite cookie recipe and let the baking extravaganza begin. From classic sugar cookies to indulgent chocolate chip delights, there's a recipe for every taste bud. Gather your loved ones and make it a family affair, creating cherished memories that will linger long after the last cookie crumb is devoured.

Below I’ve included the classic sugar cookie recipe that I use with my little sisters — if you try it out tag us on instagram so I can see your masterpieces!

Sugar Cookies:

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 c. unsalted butter (softened)

1 large egg (room temperature)

1. Combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

2. Cream together the butter and sugar in a medium bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat until fully combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.

3. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled - at least 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 375° and roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and cut out your christmas shapes.

6. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes

Icing:

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

3 c. powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp. milk or cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

red and green food coloring

sprinkles

1. Beat the butter until creamy, slowly add in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt, beating until fully combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until lightened and creamy.

Written by Isabelle

Edenvale: A Holiday Home Tour

Every home tour is unique and wonderful in its own way, but this one is extra special. I was able to sit down with Bill and Chris Alley (Taryn’s lovely parents) to talk about their home and what it has meant to them over the last 46 years that they have lived in it.

The original structure of the home was built in 1857 and sold a year or so later to Samuel Shannon McCampbell and Sarah Smith McCampbell. In 1899 an addition to the back of the house took place and the original entrance to the home was shifted to the other side of the house. The accompanying 50 acre farm was registered in 1927 and was formally named Edenvale. In the 40’s or 50’s a recreation room, an apartment, and a garage were added to the side of the house. Bill and Chris purchased the home in 1976 and did some renovating in the 90’s to remodel the kitchen and open it up a bit more. Just being in the house, it’s clear that its owners over time have loved and cherished the home. While the house itself is full of history, the contents of it are equally rich in story and history.

Historic Edenvale

Samuel Shannon McCampbell and Sarah Smith McCampbell

The real estate listing from 1976 when the Alleys purchased the home.

Without further ado, we will give you a glimpse of what home means to the Alleys,

What does home mean to you? What do you hope people feel when they come into your home?

Home is a warm place, a place of comfort, a place to relax and enjoy family. We always hope that people feel comfortable and welcome when they come over. We are not very formal — in fact the sitting room gets used only a handful of times a year. We always invite people into the living room.

Bill on the back porch

Over the years we have loved hosting parties. Some of our favorites have been 4th of July parties by the pool and annual New Years Eve parties. One year we went all out and all of our friends wore tuxedos and formal gowns. We jump on any excuse to have people over. I (Chris) am also a part of several groups that have met at our house over the years— a stained glass group, sewing group, etc. Having our home full of people is one of our greatest joys.

Chris and Bill Alley

How would you describe your style of decorating? Has your decorating style changed over time? Eclectic. We love antiques — mostly primitive and informal pieces. Most everything here has a meaning or a story. Many pieces have been passed down from family members. We’ve been collecting since we were young — if something wasn’t an antique when we bought it, it probably is now. We actually met when we were both living abroad in Greece and several pieces of art and decor were purchased from our time there. We love to hunt and love finding unique pieces to add to our space.

Chris found this framed tapestry in Greece and fell in love with it.

Stairway Detail

Do you have a favorite room in your home?

Our favorite rooms are probably the family room and kitchen. It’s where we spend the most time and where we entertain.

How about a favorite piece or item?

“Each other.” (It’s fine, it’s fine- I’m just over here crying at how cute the Alley’s are!)

We could find something we love in every room. One of our first purchases was the large chopping block in the kitchen. It holds a lot of meaning to us. The green and red cupboard in the kitchen is also a big hit — it gets decorated differently depending on the season.

What is the most challenging thing about your home?

Cleaning and maintaining. When you are a collector, it becomes much more time consuming to clean. Living in a house for a long time, while wonderful, also gives you lots of time to notice all the little imperfections. Because we’ve been here for 46 years we haven’t had the natural purging process that occurs when you move.

Dining Room Mantel

What kinds of things have you all collected over the years?

I (Chris) make stained glass pieces so over time the pieces I’ve made have become a collection of sorts. We collect Santa Clause figurines, snowmen, pitchers, and we have a really neat little medicine cabinet in the bathroom with all kinds of vintage and antique medicine bottles and apothecary items. I (Bill) love playing golf and a friend of mine and I made a life goal to play the top 100 courses. We’ve played 50 of them and 9 of the top 10. I have collected hats and bag tags from each of the courses.

Bill’s golf tag collection

Vintage medicine cabinet filled with collected items

How is your home an extension of yourself or of your family?

It’s old and we’ve grown into it. Most people who know us can’t separate us from the house. It’s definitely become a part of us.

A huge thank you to Bill and Chris for sitting down with me to tell me about and show me their beautiful, memory filled home.

For more tips on how to make your house a home, subscribe to our blog and sign up for our newsletter. If you’d like us to help you in your own home, please call 865.245.9080 or email info@helpyoudwell.com.

We can’t wait to help you dwell!

Photography by Katie Norrell

Glad Tidings

We want to wish you all holiday season full of comfort & joy. For those of you celebrating Christmas, we hope it’s one full of peace & celebration. Enjoy this beautiful Christmas poem from Madeleine L’Engle…

He did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace
He came when the Heavens were unsteady
and prisoners cried out for release.

He did not wait for the perfect time.
He came when the need was deep and great.
He dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine. He did not wait

till hearts were pure. In joy he came
to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame
He came, and his Light would not go out. 

He came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.

We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

Old North Knoxville Home Tour

Image from Victorian Holiday Home Tour 505 East Scott Ave.

Each month we try to feature a home tour on our blog. We love being able to hear about what "home" means to different people and we treasure the relational aspect of being invited into someones house. This month we offer you something a little different. If you have never attended the Old North Knoxville Home Tour, we highly recommend it. We attended this past weekend and have pictures and ideas to share with you. Although each of these homes was built around the same time period, in the same Victorian style, it was neat to see how each homeowner's personal taste and style came out in the decor.

303 Oklahoma Ave

302 E. Scott Ave

We asked each home owner two questions,  "What do you love about your home?" and "What makes your home unique?". We got a wide variety of answers and loved hearing about the many renovation experiences and processes of restoring historic homes. Below are a few of our favorite responses. Enjoy!

"What we love most about our home is that we were able to take something neglected and dirty that most people would turn away from and rehab it into the gorgeous home it was intended to be. " (Leslie M.)

Photo by Alan Sims : Inside Knoxville 204 E. Oklahoma St.

"Our home is unique because it has a distinct juxtaposition of modern and traditional features. We kept the rooms in our house segmented (vs. an hgtv-esque open concept) because each room in our house serves a specific purpose. All of our doorways are very tall and wide, so our rooms still feel open without sacrificing purpose. We believe that old homes should be maintained to serve their original purpose, and at the time of construction, our home would have been very modern and featured the best of the best. We tried to echo this in our renovations and do a modern interpretation of a Victorian home- we put new light fixtures where original light fixtures were placed, moved walls and doorways to original locations, and designed the home so that the purpose of each room was consistent with the original design. Maintaining historical features was very important to us, and we kept this in mind as we gave modern interpretations and new life to our home." (Leslie M.)

"We rarely ever turn a light on during the day. The huge windows let natural light abound and breathe such life into these old walls and hardwoods. That's what I love most." (Jenna V.)

302 E. Scott Ave

302 E. Scott Ave

302 E. Scott Ave.

"The thing we love most about our home is the neighborhood! Old North, with its gracious front porches and proximity to Happy Holler businesses means that you are always meeting a friend or neighbor as you walk down the street. Everyone here is so friendly and we love having impromptu dinner and drinks on our front porch with friends.  (Cat S.)

221 E. Oklahoma

221 E Oklahoma

221 E. Oklahoma

"Our house is filled with art and antiques, made by and gifted by family and friends. We also have many souvenirs of our travels together as a family. We think that these personal touches bring warmth to the space, and remind us of our favorite people and places every day. Our house is unique in that it hasn't been "remuddled" like some Victorians--we enjoy the original fireplaces and woodwork of the home and all of its original bones. We are also lucky to have an unusually wide front porch, which means that it can function as an extra room in our home--we have a "living room" with a sectional and a dining area out there that we use all the time when the weather is nice!" (Cat S.)

225 E. Oklahoma St

225 E. Oklahoma St

225 E. Oklahoma St.

We loved seeing how creative people were able to get with their space. Some of our favorite ideas were using old mantels to create faux fireplaces, making great use out of porches and outdoor areas to extend living spaces, using a ladder as vertical (and pretty) storage to hang blankets, and utilizing architectural salvage as art and decor.

If you would like a home by home review of the tour, check out Inside of Knoxville's blog. Pt. 1 &  Pt.2