New Logo
It has been a year and a half in the making but I finally buckled down and with Rachel's expert help updated our logo. I hired a graphic designer through Etsy a couple of years ago and she did a nice job with the estate sales logo, simplifying it and making it brighter and more modern. However when it came time to work on the other side of the business, she ghosted me mid-project. I was left with a logo I did not like but it was better than nothing so I have been using it until now. It was hard to decide on a new logo because Rachel came up with several cute ideas but we collaborated and this is the winner! This logo ties in with the estate sale logo but is more decorative which is what I wanted. I could not update the new website, Facebook and Instagram fast enough! Next up will be stickers which I will attach to my gift boxes, business cards and street signs. I will be happy to have the stickers and business cards for now, the signs can wait until a pop-up sale is scheduled.
Our supply pickup person Frank is out in Arizona visiting Melinda so Kuochun and I have been picking up supplies. It just so happens that we are wrapping up our three multi-sale events while he is gone. We filled the van twice so far with the third event to be picked up next Tuesday. Wow there were a lot of tables out in circulation!
I am in the midst of my annual two-week break from estate sale paperwork which has given me the chance to amp up the jewelry work in preparation for our Arizona trip. Saturday night I polished a bunch of new silver jewelry, I laid it out on towels overnight so it can completely dry and now it is ready for pricing. While I am in Arizona I am going to pursue some jewelry opportunities so I am planning to pack up and ship some of my collection which has been hanging around here for a while to give it some fresh eyes. I will price as many new pieces as I can before I have to go and will rely on Mike to keep the cases replenished while I am away. I straightened up 75% of the garage in an attempt to fit the van in there but it will be challenging. There is so much furniture in the garage right now waiting to go to Arizona and the mass of tables from our multi-sale events are coming back. Once the construction is complete I will be able to send the furniture out there and think about having pop-up sales again. It will be a happy day when everything is finally settled.
I posted above jewelry purge last Sunday evening and experienced good results! The butterfly pin / pendant, turquoise drop necklace, Navajo pearl earrings, fetish necklace, sterling bead necklace, cuff bracelet with inlay turquoise and the heart naja pendant all sold, the remaining items are available. Someone claimed the twist cuff bracelet but then did not pay. Unfortunately this happens every once in a while but overall the online customers are a dream to work with and are thrilled with their purchases. We all have something in common, a passion for jewelry. The unsold items are all in the online store.
At first I thought the brilliant turquoise color gemstones in the triple drop earrings might be simulated but with some online research I found out they were apatite. I am surprised that they did not sell because they are a great example of contemporary Native American design. I did not have the same luck researching the stones on the teardrop earrings. I purchased an app which is supposed to identify stones but so far it has only been about 50% successful. I tried Google Lens for the first time and while the results were closer, I could not find a match to these interesting olive green stones with lighter olive green flecks. Maybe I'll take them to Arizona and see if I can get some help there.
We were able to take some time out on Wednesday and meet up for breakfast with our dear friend Maureen, she has been with us at Brie's the longest and we go way back. She grew up in Park Ridge as well and when she was in college her family moved three doors down from us. Her mom always knew us as the Schnauzer people!
I made the suggestion to go to Golden Brunch in Arlington Heights, it is on Golf Road just east of Arlington Heights Road. It is a fairly new restaurant, Kuochun and I tried it not too long after they opened and I remembered that we both really liked it but had not been back since due to the pandemic. I thought it would be a safer choice because I remembered the room was large. It actually was perfect because all the people were seated at booths around the perimeter of the room and they were each separated by large clear partitions. Maureen ordered pesto Eggs Benedict, Mother got a classic 2x2x2 with French toast and I chose a meat lover's skillet. Everything was great! I have never seen Maureen or Mother finish a restaurant meal, neither are big meal people but they cleaned their plates this time! My skillet was doable for one meal but I took the pancakes home. I ate them the next day but I did not have any syrup or butter so I used peanut butter. I do not recommend that flavor combination but I definitely recommend Golden Brunch. It was great to get out and have a nice chat.
The big goal for next week is to get as organized as possible before leaving. As usual, much to do so stay tuned for the next update from Arizona!