Dragging my little silver "wagon" filled with jewels off the airplane, I couldn't help but think about some wise words I once heard from an elderly gentleman I knew. "Sell what's in your wagon," he would say. And, yes, I was trying to do just that.
After a very quick and most unglamorous lunch, my first stop was Frances Heffernan in Winnetka who has featured The Montage Collection since last year. Allyson, Jamie and the rest of the very professional staff there know their customers well. They are very good at finding something unique to introduce to their discerning ladies, and they zeroed in on our gorgeous leather bracelets wrapped in hand woven beads. Perfect for Mother's Day, they thought. If you stop by in a few weeks, you will see for yourself.
Dinner that night was with friends at L. Woods in Lincolnwood. I enjoyed Lake Superior white fish, a favorite of mine since my childhood. The next day I had an appointment at Vibrato in Glenview. Meeting with Janice, the owner, is always a pleasure. She has a great eye for detail and likes to offer unusual, artistic pieces to the ladies of The North Shore at her stores in Glenview and Wilmette. She selected some "immediates" from our spring/summer collection and carefully vetted our fall collection choosing some gorgeous new necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. So far I was batting a thousand! I then decided that I needed to find a new store in a different area that might be a perfect fit.
That brings me to the last day of my trip and to City Woods in downtown Highland Park, an upscale artisan shop specializing in works by American artisans. Diana carries gorgeous handcrafted wood, metal, fiber and jewelry all handmade in the USA. Bingo! She loved the line and you will get to see her selections which are set to arrive just in time for Mother's Day. Now it was time for a little R and R.
The plans for my final evening in The Windy City were to go to a theater in the round in Lincolnshire to see a group of "Beatles" known as The Cavern Beat. They were fantastic.
It was a hectic few days and a hard day's night, but I definitely followed sage advice and sold what was in my wagon!
