glassybaby tales

We Gathered Together, Celebration of, Merry Merry Christmas

   Almost a week ago we gathered together...the wonderful fusion of glassybaby everybody, at Cremant Restaurant, for our annual glassybaby Christmas party. Cremant is an amazing culinary hot spot, right in the heart of our Madrona neighborhood, serving in the French tradition.I swear I had no involvement in the Cremant 'front runner' choice, despite the fact that my husband is French and this happens to be our favorite Seattle restaurant.

   Everyone swirled around in their holiday finest, before being seated for a stunning meal. It was such a treat...hosted by our ever generous Lee.  The  evening was galvanized by Peter's toast. Lee's eloquent husband brought us all together to raise a glass in celebration of our  mix....all the efforts of all of us which leads to glasybaby propulsion:

• The glassblowers...their craft and myriad wonderful personalities.
• Our P.R. lovelies...Charlotte and Mary.
• Spoon Dickey, our resident genius...business troubleshooter.
• Kim, our shipping expert slash Office Manager (super heroine.)
• Our Sales Staff...forever sweet and hardworking.
• Jacqueline...dogged Outside Sales charmer.
• Speaking of "dogged"...the shop dogs... Juneau, Wally and Jackie.
• Our sweet neighbors, good karma presence,  The Alley Works Dames and Jeff Mitchell.
• Jeanine, our unstoppable, unflappable, top brass C.O.O..
• Lee, our everything...limitless visionary, giver.

We are a lucky amalgam. It was a great evening to celebrate this fact. An evening to relax, eat, chat, imbibe and take stock of it all.

   Which leads, not to an anecdote from the store, my usual blog path...but to a broader stroke...a heartfelt Thank You. We collectively celebrate you... our vast and wonderful customers. We are symbiotic with you and Thank You for loving glassybaby. Merry Christmas to you all. Have a fabulous, warm and safe holiday. We hope glassybaby provides you with its magical light. I will scribe more tales in 2008. Can't wait.

   Until Nest Time, Nicola

   

Break in...'Charles' the Butler...and Fred Means Peace

   We are officially quasi busy...fun busy, and so much of the emphasis is on gift giving...choosing the perfect glassybaby, then placing a check mark next to a name. It is really sweet and joyful. The  banter is great.

   One of our superb customers, Kim Clements of JAS  Design, came in for a bevy of glassybaby, client and  employee gifts , a stunning mixture of color revealed Kim's designer eye. As I boxed we chatted. Over the summer, unfortunately, Kim's house was  broken into. She had the  grace to perceive the incursion as : 'Just missing stuff.'  She explained that of her three children, all boys, her youngest was most  inquisitive and  rather stuck or even captivated by the transgression that had occurred. Kim, mom, engaged the dialog: 'They did not take anything from us really, nothing important that is.' And the sweet response of understanding from her son went something like this: 'Yeah, Mom...they didn't get my Power Rangers and they didn't get your glassybaby.' Great sweet anecdote.

   Again, the lens of a child. I received a phone order last week. A lovely, healthy, step mom was ordering three glassybaby for her step daughter, Kailey. The trio was specific, from a Christmas wishlist. Kailey, 11 years old, adores glassybaby to a wonderfully, imaginative, childlike extent. She anthropomorphizes intricately her step mom's glasybaby holdings:

• The color 'Charles' is the butler.
• The color 'TuTu' is a girly girl...great friends with Charles
• The color 'Citron' is a tom boy...who acts like she does not like Tutu...but really does.

Sweet step mom  said: 'I could go on and on.' However, we summarily settled up the order as I had a crush of customers in the store. I love imagining the life to become of the glassybaby trio going to Kailey. Merry Christmas Kailey.

   An endnote...this Saturday morning held a laundry list of 'to do's' for our family. At 10am...I was on a bead to University Village to deliver glassybaby stock...my babe was stowed in the back seat of the car. Although Seattle gray shrouded the sky...shoppers lined the alleys and byways of 'The Village.' Rae and I made 'the drop' easily. then we were off to ballet class. We passed Candy Cane Lane en route...and I had to double back. This real life lane is a Seattle classic...residents of the cul de sac faithfully adorn their homes in full holiday regalia. In the daylight Rae and I drove the lane...the ubiquitous holiday inflatables were deflated, the lights were not on, the nodding kinetic reindeer were at rest...but the thing that struck me in this holiday daylight?...each house presents a translation of the word 'peace' in a different language...on a small placard. There is 'peace' in Russian, Japanese, French, German etc, etc.. who knew that 'peace' in Norwegian is "Fred."A sweet moment  with my 3 year old.

   Fred to all. Until Next Time, Nicola

   

Brisk, Miniature Paintings, Glassblower's Art Sale and Meaningful Etc.

   December has definitely arrived full tilt. I am tempted to get a pedometer...we are stocking and restocking constantly...elf-like...putting the mileage in from stock to store. The days are temperature brisk and our wonderful holiday customers are plucking glassybaby from the shelves with a briskness unsurpassed. It is wonderful and seemingly epic.

   A few glasybaby minutes...this Wednesday, December 12th, from 6-8:30 pm, we welcome Rachel Maxi to our store digs. She paints incredible miniature oil paintings...think something like 3x5 inches...tiny well honed brush strokes create dreamy snap shots of our world and landscape. Rachel's paintings will sell, glassybaby will light the evening and sell as well. Come in for merriment and after hours shopping.

   Speaking of artists...our unstoppable, gifted and creative glassblowers will deck the glassybaby 'halls' with their own works of glass art...a kind of trunk show. Various of their gorgeous pieces will sell... from intricate art marbles to baubles to jewelry to vessels. The glassblowers sale will take place on Wednesday December 19th from 5-7 pm. Mark your calendar...it is a way to celebrate them. I have the privilege of being mesmerized daily by their craft. I can not wait to see where their creative passions lie outside the making of our sweet glassybaby line.

   Just a few anecdotes. Two women marked a day in the store for me recently. One had come from the doctor. She has been ailing from a persistent cold...5 weeks and counting. Her doctor explained: 'You got the big Kahuna and a piggyback lesser spin off cold.' She received no medicine from her visit, no antibiotic and was just told to rest and drink liquids. She was really hoping for medicine...a placebo at the very least or some kind of cold pablum...to make her feel better even if psychologically. She was offered instead nothing but sage words of doctorly advice. She told me that as she left her appointment it was clear to her what she needed to do: 'come for glassybaby  medicine.' I love it.

   Only moments later, another woman came into our store. She had a winterly presence...scarf and woolens...warm coat...the blushed kiss of winter cold on her cheeks. As she purchased her trio...she told me that she was celebrating wellness...4 years into surviving breast cancer, on her way to  a routine yearly checkup...which included an MRI. She was buying herself 3 glassybaby to celebrate her health. Wonderful.

   Lastly, a touchstone of the season. Almost daily, for a shocking decade plus, I visit a sweet little coffee shop near my home. Every year a small synthetic tree finds its home in the corner of the store. With pipe cleaner and craft paper, little hearts adorn the tree like ornaments. Each one has a Christmas wish item written on it. It is an effort sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club in our neighborhood. Customers can volunteer to take one of the ornaments off of the tree and bring back the desired present. As I stood in line for coffee I noticed that one of the small hearts was requesting laundry soap. This just struck me as a touchstone to the season.

   Warmest Holiday Wishes...Enjoy...Until Next Time, Nicola

Super Model Soiree, U Village and Snowflakes

   Last week on the eve of Thanksgiving we rented out glassybaby for a bridal shower, the elements of which were so sweet. For one thing it was 'top secret.' The bride to be was duped into thinking that the party would take place at the ever swanky restaurant, Cremant, around the corner from glassybaby. However, some time ago she divulged a creative visualization to her maid of honor: 'I dream of having a party, where we drink out of glassybaby.' (Danielle is a bona fide glassybaby lover.) Alicia, the maid of honor, put her wheels in motion, and a party was born.

   Forty good friends gathered. A gaggle of them hosted the evening. They imported a lovely spread of  appetizers and libations. All of the young women there were dressed to 'the nines.' So many stiletto heels, many in patent leather, clicking around our concrete floor, lighting glassybaby , spreading table cloths etc..It was supermodel percussion. And, to boot, we loaded the dishwasher with 40 glassybaby...so they could imbibe from these colorful little vessel gems...a dream came true.

   They projected, power point style, an interview with the groom. It was a Hollywood Newlywed Game hybrid...very creative. Prince Charming, husband to be, was asked critical questions like: 'What is Danielle's favorite coffee drink?' The answer revealed true love...it went something like this: 'Well. in general she likes a nonfat white mocha, foamy, with no whip, but if we go to Zoka Coffee...she likes a...' Then Danielle would confirm or refute. So sweet and funny. From the wings of the party I could hear peels of laughter. Then presents were opened and a little game was played. At approximately 10:15 pm, the ladies began to shop for glassybaby. What more could a girl want from a party? Well...maybe a little karaoke mobilization...and they were off. We wish this young, gorgeous couple, the best of marriage blessings. They get married on New Years Eve...so stylish.

   We have gone from zero to sixty and it is wonderful. Our University Village kiosk is so sweet...dark brown and white, chock full of colorful glassybaby. Again our presence is coupled by sales and philanthropy. Every single glassybaby sold there will give $4.00 to what Lee has named: The White Light Fund...benefiting the University of Washington Cancer Center. This year we are next to Ravenna Gardens...a verdant presence that seems to send oxygen our way. And a rock fountain cascades just behind our makeshift store. We have found a little oasis in the middle of the "Village" ...come find us.

   I must include a store customer quip. These smallest moments, for me, weave the fabric of a day in our store. Two friends entered, thrilled to shop for color and walk down glassybaby lane. I heard one say to the other: 'My mom has so many glassybaby, she is such a maximalist." Wonderful.

   Welcome December. Storybook snowflakes fell on Seattle, Saturday, December 1st, just after our three year old sat on Santa's lap. She asked for a white dog. We already have a one year old Airedale...I need to talk to Santa.

   Until Next Time, Nicola