Sue G's Visit Part 2

We had a schedule change with our Glendale Heights estate sale, our client needed more time so we ended up with no sale last week. Since there was no newsletter, this is a recap from the week before last. It mostly comprised of Sue G's visit - I'll touch on some of the highlights.

On Tuesday we went to the Desert Botanical Garden, it turned out to be pay what you wish day. I only shot about a dozen photos but this was my favorite of the bunch. I thought this was such an interesting and beautiful cactus. The botanical garden is so beautiful and only about six minutes from home, I wish Kuochun was interested in joining. The membership pays for itself in only two visits. After a few hours we decided to take a lunch break at home.

After lunch, we headed to the Hole In The Rock which is part of the Papago Buttes to watch the sunset. My knee is still bothering me and I'm afraid of heights but I made the climb up to the hole. The first photo was as far up as I went and the next two photos were a couple of views from up there. The hole was pretty well filled with people and the drop on the other side was too much for me. Sue has no fear and had no trouble getting into the hole. After a few moments, I decided to head back down because I did not want to trip over something in the dark. The last photo was from the ground, with Sue still up in the hole. I swear I could hear Sue talking to people from up there! These photos turned out better than the ones I tried to take from the car in Sedona. After that, we went back to the Desert Botanical Garden for a while so Sue could experience it at night. The weather was perfect all week so that made it enjoyable at any time of day.

On Wednesday we spent the day in Cave Creek and Carefree - sister towns about 45 minutes north of us. I had an appointment to sell vintage Native American jewelry to The Lazy Lizard which is a very cool store in Cave Creek. To anyone visiting the area and especially locals, I highly recommend this store! It is mostly home decor, furniture and art but they have a nice selection of jewelry as well. Mike, the owner is great to work with as well as his helpers. I picked up a couple of display items for the boutique. One is a rustic wood riser and the second was a mini Southwest Style wood ladder like the large ones that people prop up against a wall and hang blankets on. This one will be perfect to prop up on a furniture piece and hang jewelry on it. Sue packed a lunch for us and we did some thrift shopping. I did not find anything but I was especially glad to check out the Kiwanis store which I had never been to before. Every other time I have been to the area it has been too ungodly hot to shop!

On Thursday we took a day trip to Sedona. The first stop was the Chapel Of The Holy Cross and after that we went to Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. I highly recommend both locations to anyone visiting Sedona. The chapel is so spiritual (although I do have trouble with the heights there) and Tlaquepaque is so charming. I wanted Sue to see the gallery Kuochun and I just loved the last time we were there. They have tons of beautiful metal wind sculptures for the garden out in front of the gallery. Sue especially loved the marble fountains. We both agreed that we liked the fountains with the holes in them that looked like Swiss cheese. The water flowed beautifully in and out of the holes. I did learn something helpful at the gallery - they have a large display of Fope jewelry from Italy which Mother just loved. She bought me a white gold bracelet and a pair of earrings on one of their trips and I am purchasing a matching necklace and pair of hoop earrings from her personal collection. I learned that if the bracelet has a clasp it is at least 15 years old. Since then, the bracelets have been made without a clasp and stretch a little to fit. I think this will be the gold jewelry I keep, in addition to a "casual" ring with diamonds and I will sell the few remaining pieces I have.

We could have stayed in Sedona longer but decided to go to Prescott so Sue could see the house and I could also see it for the first time since the home inspection! I was glad to see everything in great shape and really coming along. The closets and laundry storage cabinets had just been installed and they look beautiful. Sue said I should take some of Kuochun's closet space but I'll have plenty of my own. We are going to be minimal there, but I at plan to have enough there so all I need to bring with me is my toothbrush. I shot a video for Kuochun so he could see the updates. The house is closer to the busy street to the north than I remember (only about 1/2 block) and there was some traffic noise out in front but nothing horrible. Luckily it cannot be heard from the backyard. It will be an awesome location for pop-up sales and I am excited to set up the permanent boutique location. No more taking tables up and down, everything can just stay in place! We are actually between two busy streets (the southerly street is a block and a half away) so all I will need to do is put one sign on each end of our street. I checked the city website and garage sales are not mentioned so I would think a spring and a fall sale would be just fine. It will be an amazing space for Whatnot as well. Interestingly, the house has two electric meters - one is for business use for the boutique space only. That will make things easy at tax time! We were not able to access the garage or boutique but were able to peek in the windows. I am looking forward to actually being able to walk inside the space so I can visualize how many of my display pieces will fit. It will definitely be a throwback to our very first store in Mount Prospect - long and narrow.

It is taking time to execute but in the end I will be able to keep work out of the household space. I will have a desk and the larger computer in the Arizona room for estate sale work and a smaller computer in the boutique space. I have one extra mattress, a full size and it occurred the other day that I could possibly put it to use in the Arizona room. The original designer I had in Scottsdale had made the suggestion to use a full size mattress turned horizontally and made into a day bed / couch in order to save space in the guest bedroom. A full size may be too large for the Arizona room but I'm hoping to be able to make use of it. In the worst case I could sell it and get a twin size to make into a day bed. That way we could have a guest stay with us in a pinch. I think Margot and Vivi would love it too! The Airbnb I booked for Tucson next week has a really cute day bed with a rattan frame as part of a separate sitting area in the living room so I will be able to check out this idea in person.

Unfortunately since half the bathroom needed to be redone due to the crazy height of the bathtub we would be further along with this project. The shower tile has been removed but the bathtub is still in place. It will be retiled and turned into a walk-in shower. I think we are waiting for the materials to come in. We are also waiting for a light fixture and the fireplace area needs to be completed but I think that will take care of the main part of the house. If weather permits, construction of the Arizona room will start in two weeks, along with the carpet tiles for the boutique and the epoxy floor for the garage. Before the carpet can be installed, some work to level the floor in the boutique needs to be done. It does not look like we can empty the U-Boxes yet but hopefully it can happen sometime in February before I am charged again in early March. I am so glad to have found a designer to assist with this project who keeps things moving along but not so fast that a quality job is sacrificed.

I got off track but Sue and I rounded out our day in Prescott with some thrift store shopping. We had a bit of a run-in with one store owner. It was a very small secondhand store near the downtown which I had not been to before. The owner did not come out from the back to greet us and Sue tossed her empty water bottle over the counter and into her trash can. Well that got her attention! She came out saying "CAN I HELP YOU???" I was looking around but I think Sue just told her she tossed out her water bottle. It was a nice store but the prices were very high for second hand clothing. There was a $5 sale rack and Sue tried on a jacket but the lady did not seem to like that she focused on that rack. She went to reach for a pair of shoes on a shelf and the lady said "THOSE ARE SIZE 6!!!" Little did we know that the shoes were arranged by size up and over the clothes and over on another wall. But how she assumed Sue was not a size 6, or not shopping for someone who is a size 6 will always be a mystery. That was enough for us so we left. If the lady would have been out on the floor in the first place, Sue could have asked her if she could throw away her water bottle and none of this would have happened.

We were going to eat at the Costco food court because I needed to get gas but Sue did a quick 180 when she saw Golden Corral! She does not have it in her area so we ended up going there. Golden Corral is always a solid choice. I was seated at the table so I did not witness this but there was an empty pan with a sign which said onion rings and Sue asked if they were going to put out some more. The lady said they stop serving them at 4:00 but then said wait a minute! She ended up getting the cook to make a fresh batch of onion rings for Sue. What a difference in service between Golden Corral and the secondhand store!

On Friday, the girls had a grooming appointment so Kuochun and I dropped them off and then headed to The Local Donut to pick up a dozen so Sue could try a bunch of different flavors. They were a big hit! After that, Sue and I spent the day in Chandler. I booked an 11:30 mansion tour at The Lavender Farm at Chateau de Vie. We were already running late (my fault) but we witnessed a 3-car accident in the middle of an intersection which made us a bit too late for the tour. Sue was driving and I was looking down at my phone at a red light with one car in front of us when all of a sudden I heard BOOM! The three cars crumbled up like nothing and debris was flying all over the place. One woman's air bag deployed and she could not get out of the car on her own. Our instinct was to get out of there and it looked like the car in front of us felt the same way. They drove right over the plastic bumper from one of the cars! It gave Sue enough space to get around the area without running over major debris. Luckily the folks at the lavender farm were very understanding and we were able to join the 12:30 tour. This gave us time to enjoy the nice weather, tour the cute gift shop where they sell lavender products like soap, lotion and cookies and chat with the tour guide. The tour was very interesting and informative. The mansion was constructed between 1980-1984 and has had only three owners. The wall sconces (I figure there were about 25) were all dipped in real gold and there was not only a Juliet balcony, but a Romeo balcony across the way, over the front entry. Many of the furniture pieces were '80s reproductions but there were a few antiques. I was most impressed with the "barn room" which is completely paneled in 1800s reclaimed wood from a barn in Indiana. Nothing was pieced together, they were all continuous long pieces of wood. The only thing that was surprising was that the "farm" was very small. It consisted of mostly several different types of lavender growing in wooden boxes including an edible one for the cookies and other types for the soaps and lotions. There was also a bit of lettuce.

After the tour, we headed over to one of my favorite spots, American Way Smokehouse which is also in Chandler for lunch. This is the place with the best cookies in the universe and this endorsement is coming from a total cookie monster! I had raved to Sue about the smoky mac & cheese but the version we ordered, although good was not smoky. Sue chose a chocolate chip caramel cookie and gave me a bite. I had never tried that flavor and it it was incredible. It seemed like a double decker cookie with the caramel in the center. I picked up a half dozen cookies after we toured the antique mall. Sue was right to grab the cookie when she did - at the time there were only two left and sure enough, the second one was gone by then. Luckily though they had plenty of frosted sugar cookies which are my favorite. I learned that they have an amaretto flavor which is so unique!

In the past I was not impressed with the attached antique mall but Sue wanted to take a look. I was so glad I did because I think they have a new owner - the booths were like night and day compared to before! We happened to hit upon a storewide sale - everything was 10%-30% off. I found a really cute cactus Welcome sign for Prescott in black with gold lettering which will go with my display cabinets, a turquoise painted wood display shelf, a cool lizard tray, framed art and an amazing set of vintage glasses with leather holders in a Western theme. I always like to have a few vintage home decor items mixed in with the jewelry to give the display some interest. I hope the locals and folks who are visiting Prescott for the weekend will enjoy the boutique. Combined with the items I have from last year like the Vintage Cowgirl Cases items, the Mexican pottery and other pieces I purchased from our Whatnot estate sales I think there will be nothing like it in town.

I have more ideas too! I came across a clothing line called Mountain Girl Clothing (they are in New Hampshire but the name is perfect for Prescott) who call themselves a slow-fashion brand. Each piece is one of a kind and hand made one at a time. They are also a free size (one size fits most) and I was able to find out that they wholesale some of their products. The pieces that caught my eye were their flower patchwork tops but they sell at retail as fast as they post them. I can get similar tops from Easel. They have a wholesale program called Send In Your Own T-Shirt where I could send them graphic tees and then they will repurpose them into poncho tops. Some of the styles are very hippie but I think with the right tees I could point them into the boho direction. They do a lot of tops with band tees but as a proud member of Gen X, it would have to be '80s bands! I also have some Western style graphic tees which I purchased last year but have not had time to sell which would be good candidates as well.

I also found the cutest home accessories line from Tucson. The product which attracted me at first were terracotta brown sugar keepers. The themes are just too perfect for Arizona - there are cacti, roadrunners, javelinas and cowboy boots to name a few. Unfortunately most of them are out of stock at the moment but I will be keeping an eye on them! There are other products as well including colorful glazed cowboy boot Christmas ornaments and trinket dishes. The garage is full so I will wait to buy anything else until after move-in.

Since the price of silver has skyrocketed so much and I know this going to affect what I can buy at the Gem Show, I am considering offering select costume jewelry as well. The Tucson artist has adorable clay earrings, and I am actively searching for Tibetan jewelry - specifically in Southwestern themes. I do need to rein in my ideas and wait to see how much space I will have!

We also went to our local antique mall, Antique Trove. I had not been in a long time because every time I go, I find something! This trip was no exception, I found some household goodies for the boutique and a pretty ring for the jewelry caravan. Sue really enjoyed it, especially the huge $3 ring display! We got a lot of thrift shopping in during the week in addition to the antique malls.

On Saturday, we took Sue to the airport at Mesa-Gateway. When we picked her up and went to a nearby restaurant that night, I learned that Queen Creek was really close by. There are a couple of places in Queen Creek that have been on my to-do list but we just had not made it over that way. A 45-minute highway drive each way in the Phoenix area is considered far! We decided to check out Schnepf Farms and grab a bite to eat. The cafe was so homey with outdoor seating and the perfect weather was ideal. We ordered and paid in advance outside as is the procedure but when we saw everyone else receiving their food and even finishing it before we got ours we knew something was wrong. Kuochun asked the server to check and it turned out they never submitted our order. The owner of the farm came to our table and apologized, asked what we ordered and said some complimentary donuts were on the way but the donuts never arrived. It was alright though since we had donuts at home. Kuochun had a BLT which he enjoyed and my blueberry pancakes were a home run! At first I thought they looked very small but the portion size was perfect. So delicious, I would definitely go there again sometime and hope for better service. We walked around a bit but there was not a lot to see so we headed out.

We hit so many spots while Sue was in town but there was not time for everything. Surprisingly, we did not make it to any of the local shopping malls, including Fashion Square Mall which is the largest mall in Arizona and only five minutes away from home. All three of us did get to Babbo Italian Eatery, which is a go-to favorite of ours. I think we went Monday evening. I did take Sue to Sugar Bowl, which has been in Old Town Scottsdale since 1958. I love the nostalgic feel and the tasty food. I got a grilled ham and cheese sandwich (no fries, chips!) and a peanut butter milkshake. After the week out of town for the Gem Show, it is definitely time to get back on the wagon! I will be ordering my healthy dinners to arrive the day after we return from Tucson. Sue will be taking another trip in January next year but she is working on how to squeeze in a week with us. She is probably coming early in the month so it will be a bit colder. Some comfort food from Cornish Pasty will be in order, I love it and it is so unique to the area.

I did not post anything new while Sue was here but started posting again last week. I did sell nine items during the week - five on Poshmark, three on Etsy and one on Whatnot buy it now surprisingly!

Well this is plenty to talk about so I think I will save next week's recap for next time. See you then!