Summer Pop-Up Sale Aug 5-8

by Brigid McAlpin July 18, 2021

I am back after missing last week. Last Sunday morning I planned to take Mother to the Mount Prospect farmer's market but in the end she felt it would be too much walking for her. We ended up going to B's Sweet Bites in Des Plaines for breakfast. To me they are one of the highlights of the Arlington Heights farmer's market. The one time I had the chance to go this year, they were not there. I am not a big fan of fruit in dessert but their homemade pop tarts are amazing! I also love their homemade English muffins. It was our first time to go to their bakery/cafe and Sunday morning is prime time. The restaurant was bustling with activity, a full house and very loud with lots of families in attendance. It was kind of rainy so everyone was dining in. While we waited for a table I decided to purchase my bakery items. I got six of the English muffins, the last two cherry pop tarts and a couple of "donuts" which were a smores flavor. The pop tarts were way overdone which is not my taste but I got them anyway. I should have gotten the strawberry instead which looked to be baked perfectly. The "donuts" actually had a scone-like texture. They were pretty good but they were not what I expected as they were described as donuts. I probably would not order them again. The English muffins were great as usual.

We were seated and presented with an English muffin to share with what tasted like fresh cinnamon butter. What a treat! We both ordered breakfast burritos with sausage and cheddar cheese. They were wonderful. I would definitely go again but on a weekday when it is not so crowded and loud. The restaurant is south of Oakton on Oakton Place so it is easy to miss but definitely a hidden gem. Below is a photo of how their farmer's market booth looks. I would not know about them if it were not for their presence at the Arlington Heights farmer's market.

We finally got Mother's oxygen situation squared away to the best of our ability for now. We never received instructions as to when she is supposed to be using the oxygen or what the settings should be on the machines. The doctor's office is very difficult to get through to, they take an hour for lunch with no phone coverage, leave at 4:00 and do not answer the phone the rest of the time. The answering service does not even know which doctor you are calling about so they are no help. Mother got frustrated with not being able to get through and on the next call pressed "1" for new patients. Lo and behold, someone answered the phone! But the person was not happy and yelled at her, saying they were busy and did not have time for this. She was told not to call again and to wait for the next appointment. We are not bothersome people, if they would have given us the instructions in the first place we would not have had to call.

We gave up and called the oxygen provider and they actually had some instructions on file. It seems that Mother does not need to use the oxygen when she is at rest, just when she is in motion. This is very good news, however I do not see her moving around the house on a 50-foot tube for she and Vivi to trip over. The portable unit does not last long but I think it will be helpful in the future when she tries to go out. She will not wear it in public but could use it when she gets back to the car. Mother's primary care physician said to stick it out with this doctor as he is really smart but his staff leaves something to be desired. I think they should cut down on the "new patients" because they cannot handle the patients they do have. We have a bit of a lull as far as doctor's appointments go right now but Round 2 will be coming soon!

We have an upcoming estate sale in my neighborhood which is now set for August 5-8. I am going to have a pop-up sale at home base to complement it. I have not had the chance to properly launch the Tucson Gem Show finds since the show was delayed to April this year and we have been so busy with estate sales this summer. This time I am going to prepare the space in advance. I have Mike and Kelly coming over to set things up this coming week and this will allow us to get photos ahead of time. I spent a day polishing and pricing new sterling silver arrivals, there are so many beautiful pieces. The plan will be to work on the pop-up sale during the day as much as possible and estate sale paperwork at night. I have lots of cute clothing, shoes and purses to sell as well. I only wear clothing from Macoma Boutique now so I will be selling the others. Mother has lots to sell too so we will see what we can move over to the pop-up for her. I would also like to put together a final clearance section with 75% off original prices. I will update our progress here and on Facebook leading up to the event. I have never tried a summer pop-up before but the garage is air conditioned so we will give it a shot!

I did not post a jewelry lot on Sunday July 4 due to the holiday but I resumed with this vintage lot last week. The cross pendant, beaded necklace, inlay earrings, scrimshaw bracelet, variscite cross, large pendant on the left, the heart ring and snake ring all sold, the rest are available. Although I like pieces with other stones, turquoise is overwhelmingly the most popular. Some of the remaining pieces will be listed in the online store, eBay and Etsy and the rest will go into the jewelry caravan. This week I have some more turquoise pieces to post. Pretty soon I will be through my current stash of vintage Native American jewelry and will then turn to Southwest Style and Mexican jewelry.

It will be a big job but I am looking forward to getting the jewelry organized and ready for the pop-up. See you with an update next week!