glassybaby tales

Precious Jewels...Sooner than Later

   A wonderful couple visited our store this week. Hailing from Bellingham, their compass sped them to Spokane, an express visit to dear family...including grandchildren. Their journey home begged dipping off of I-90 to visit our store...marvelous for us. They were inspired toward our address after seeing glassybaby aglow at a Bellingham culinary hot spot called Hearthfire, one in a chain of Anthony's restaurants dotting the Northwest. While in our store, they lit various oceanic blue glassybaby. We shared a nice exchange of color talk etc.. Amidst our banter the woman of the couple said something like: 'This is like trying to pick out precious jewels.' Her husband quickly retorted: '...or trying to choose your favorite child.' (The impossible.) They landed a gorgeous blue pairing of glassybaby...'Ocean' and 'Cashmere,' and they jotted a wish list of color for future purchases. They departed to valiantly brave 5 O'clock Seattle traffic...a formidable task in patience. However, with their departure came the sweet sentiment, that seemed a signature of their visit: "We are in no hurry."

   Speaking of 'hurry,' although I covered Valentine's Day as we experienced it at glassybaby... I forgot to convey one anecdote that made me smile. A gallant move was made by one of our fine customers to send his wife a dozen glassybaby...'Fresh from the Oven' as we call it. He scheduled our courier service to deliver the dozen 'Red Rose' glassybaby on Valentine's Day. I took a call from him on the morning of the 14th that went something like this:

Gentleman: 'Hello, I purchased a dozen glassybaby to be delivered to my wife today.'

Me: 'Oh yes, I believe that I took your order. How can I help you?'

Gentleman: 'I am just calling to check on the status of this delivery.'

Me: 'Let me check with our courier and call you right back. Is there a good time that I can request they arrive?'

Gentleman: 'Uhhh...sooner is better than later.'

His endnote spoke volumes. I got on the horn. The glassybaby arrived within that hour. Obviously there is a statute of limitations on the timing of Valentine's surprises. I completely understand.

   Happy almost Spring. Channel your inner leprechaun...we have great green glassybaby to choose from as St. Patty approaches. Until Next Time, Nicola

Go CoCo...Glassybaby Commerce

   We are blessed to have the often presence and great energy of Tomoko...one of our esteemed glassblowers. I think I like that she calls me "Mama San" sometimes. When she visits me in the store...it is usually because she comes bearing a gift of some sort...a Valentine card, a Christmas candy, a glassybaby sticker or handmade button. She is eternally generous. I bring attention to "Coco"...for she is not only esteemed...but apparently (not hard to believe) she is steamy. She just landed, the ever coveted, Seattle Stranger award for, you guessed it, Sexiest Glassblower in Seattle. Congratulations Coco...sexy, sweet and a great glassblower. She's got it all.

   Although this week in the store was marked by Cupid's wallet...we of course had many sales of other sorts. One dashing gentleman explained that he was off with his family to the Methow Valley. The destination?...His Boss's cabin. I gather that he asked his boss what the cabin needed...what could he contribute as a thank you gift? The answer was decisive: "One glassybaby." I love it...with the generosity of loaning his cabin...this savvy cabin owner is growing a stunning glassybaby collection.

   And you won't believe it...on the heels of 'going to cabin man'...a gorgeous shopper swooshed in to buy her sister two glassybaby. According to her charming rendition of the conversation...she had reminded her sister in San Diego that she was still owing 100+ dollars for the Christmas present to Mom and Dad...her sister quickly replied: "Just bring me two glassybaby when you come to visit." We just chuckled together over the notion of commerce in glassybaby. It's catching in San Diego (the sister) and the Methow Valley (the cabin.) Who knows where else? We love it.

   Until Next Time, Nicola

Batter Up, Kailey and Hearts are Beating

   It is official. We are the proud sponsors of a girls (ages 9-12) softball team...part of the Seattle Pony Baseball League. The glassybaby logo will be emblazoned on the girl's practice jerseys (our supreme honor,) and we will have a glassybaby billboard in a ball field somewhere. I can not wait to go to a game...I will do anything for a roasted peanut.

   Speaking of girls...we awarded a glassybaby contest prize to the literary genius of Kailey...12 years old. This bright bulb, glassybaby fan, submitted a contest entry that just simply put us over the moon. Kailey wove all 73 colors from our website into 9 small, imaginative tales. You can find one of them on the home page of our website. Another one goes like this (glassybaby color names are in caps):

   KELLY and JEFFERY are best friends and major travelers. Once, they stayed in a LUXURY igloo in the ARCTIC. Another time, they went to the GLACIER LAKE and collected RIPE OLIVES, PEBBLES and PINE NEEDLES. They also went to the jungle and found a TREE FROG.

I love that they collected ripe olives at glacier lake...so charming...Thanks Kailey and a warm congratulations too.

   There is love in the air. Our demographic takes a noted shift as hearts beat a little faster this time of year... nearing our beloved red holiday, Valentine's Day. And I just love the romance steeped in the color choices by the gentleman...so many reds, pinks and purples go out of our door. Viva Amore...thanks for thinking of us for your lovies. In that vein...I received our first 'Fresh From the Oven' order. A gentleman playing cupid to his wife of 30 years will have one dozen Red Rose glassybaby delivered to his wife's doorstep on Valentine's Day...gift wrapped and hand delivered. He definitely gets it...so wonderful. (He mentioned that his wife did make a stealthy pass off of our mailer describing this new service.) Wonderful.

   Love and Kisses. Pitter Patter. Until Next Time, Nicola

The Sale

   Indulge me. I am compelled, with a big smile on my face, to recount the great and visual tale of our biannual seconds sale, which occurred last Saturday January 26th (ostensibly from 10am to 5pm.) A teaser would be...we sold over two thousand seconds in one and a half hours flat...gone... vaporized.

   We had a work force 10 strong, working three pay stations. We had a designated line manager, a few rogue sales persons brave enough to work the floor and Lee at the door alternately welcoming and holding back the masses...we had to stagger the entries...think crowd control with sugar on top.

   I arrived promptly at 9 am. The line was swelling already. Two women, first in line, brought camp chairs, blankets, the unauthorized biography of Jerry Seinfeld, and lattes (obvious pros.) I learned later that this was a mother/daughter combo. They each landed 4 glassybaby seconds with an additional 5 for their daughter/sister in law in Texas. We always welcome personal shoppers. Mom came into our shop during the week after the sale and described that it was the best event...a great mother daughter time. They will definitely return in June. A scout told me that they were in line around 8am...two hours of Jerry, coffee and sale anticipation. They have heart. I love it.

   Other anecdotes...at the height of sale critical mass, I glanced onto the floor where we had 12 eight foot banquet tables lined up carrying, over their weight capacity, our 2 thousand seconds. I honestly saw one customer skitter under the table on all fours to the other side...a decidedly tactical and somewhat primal glassybaby move...so funny. Back to my station duties. The shoppers took the mayhem in such stride...it was truly humbling and makes the sale a lark. I bantered and exchanged general sweetness with so many that came my way. I would say:"Congratulations...you survived." or "How many did you get?" One couple asked for  a 16 pack traveling box.  They had flown in from Boise expressly for the sale...possessing a deep love and appreciation of glassybaby...so die hard, I love it. This was the obvious exception to our normal 'down and dirty' sale packaging of grocery bags and newspaper. They took flight later that day with their box of 10+ seconds. Well done. I learned also that someone had flown in from Florida for the sale. They checked out in a different line.

   My line clogged at one point. A wonderfully warm buyer could not unzip her well loved, over the shoulder, textile, satchel/purse. In a decisive moment, as she realized the delay she was causing, she entreated me to hand her the scissors. Then, she made a lethal incision in her bag...leading quickly to her debit card. Clog solved.

   One last tidbit on the sale...a customer in my line waived her plastic bag wrapping rights as her seconds were safely nestled in her Louis Vuitton bag...'green' and sheik. We send our warmest thanks to everyone who with such good nature and shopping karma braved the sale in the cold, cold January degrees.Thank you for making the sale a huge, fun, abbreviated success.

   End note. The  volunteer daffodil bulbs at my house have valiantly arrived again...a  harbinger, like  our glassybaby spring colors, of  good things to come.  We  embrace this mezzanine between winter and  spring. We embrace you  and  glassybaby seconds and  imminent  spring color.

   Until Next Time, Nicola