For a One-Month 'Blink,' Pop-Up Opens in Downtown La Grange

Four craftswomen, one storefront, one month only—“Blink” and you’ll miss it.

The creative minds of four west-suburban Chicago women—Dana Mitchell, Beth Fleming and Heather O’Donnell of Downers Grove, and Jill Benzaquen of Plainfield—have gone into opening Blink, a pop-up store on La Grange Road exclusively through Dec. 24 of this year.

Each woman has her own business, and brings a specialty to Blink. Mitchell’s “waldo, sluggo & ME” sells novelty voodoo dolls, Fleming’s “Adorn 512” creates accessories, O’Donnell’s “Neemies” makes children’s clothing and Benzaquen does photography.

Their talents combine with items from consigners to create a quirky gift boutique, “eclectic with a focus on handmade items,” the pop-up nature of which they say is unique in La Grange business history.

“We want to bring in the holiday spirit, give people a new shop to be at, and also [bring] this sort of exclusive feeling because you’re only going to get it while it’s hot, and then it’s going to be gone,” said Fleming. 

The store at 21 S. La Grange Road is open now, and will only remain so through Dec. 24. It offers handmade clothing, accessories, various holiday gifts, antiques and collectibles and photography by appointment. 

“There’s something for everyone in here,” Mitchell promised. “It’s perfect. It’s great through traffic, perfect location, and the demographics are such that are going to help.” 

Another highlight of the Blink shopping experience: a Kids’ Cave with movies, coloring and crackers, to entertain the little ones while shoppers browse.

The Blink group said their experience here in La Grange would give them a sense of the viability of more such endeavors down the road.”

“It makes financial sense to try something lie this on a short term scale rather than opening a shop,” Fleming said. “So this sort of gives us the practice to see if a shot is something in our future.”

Blink is open 10am-6pm Mon.-Wed. and Sat., 10am-7pm Thu, and 10am-2pm Sun through Christmas Eve.