The Color of Hibiscus, Secretaries +1, U Village Revisited

   I love this... two glassybaby gift sets sent by our 'Fresh from the Oven,' same day courier service...speak a thousand words. This unfolded in the store last Monday... a lovely customer entered and spent careful glassybaby time perusing the multitude of color. For lovely set #1 she chose Coral Red, inspired by the Hibiscus color woven into the fabric decorating a Hawaiian get away home. Our customer and her husband had recently stolen away to these great digs for an island retreat generously provided by their dear friends. She was choosing the right color by holding up a cell phone photo. She nailed it...Coral Red will be smashing. Next came lovely gift set #2... a handsome combination of French Vanilla going to, and here is the thousand words part, the other generous family friends who took care of the kids while mom and dad lanai-ed at the Hawaiian oasis. So perfect and stylish to use glassybaby and our same day delivery service to thank the generosity of these collective friends.

   Other notes from the store. On the eve of Secretary Day, a dear and familiar customer swooshed through our door. She chose four gorgeous glassybaby in the pinky purple palette (Prom Dress, First Kiss, Sister and Taffy.) Four secretaries would each receive this recognition vessel...add ons to their growing collections. Our customer stealthily tossed in a fifth glassybaby at the last minute and half whispered something like this:

'My husband will kill me if I buy anymore glassybaby for myself...but of course...I can't resist.'

Then their was a rousing exchange between all the shoppers in the store about the virtues and pitfalls of shopping 'smoke and mirrors.' Your secrets are safe with us.

   End note. We have once again arrived at University Village. We love and appreciate this partnership revisited. Our Village housing trajectory? We have gone from tent to shed to storefront. Lee and Jeanine, our C.O.O., steered the design ship and the store looks absolutely fab. Just imagine, verdant plantings in long boxes, 'floating' shelves with glassybaby in the windows, a projection of glassybaby being made, custom Russian Birch tables for lighting the glassybaby, and a macho shelving unit with every color in our Spring palette and more. It is a great little outpost for us...during May and June. You can find us just adjacent the kids play area. The Village annually commits a weekend in May to raising shopping dollars for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Many vendors take part in 'Shop to make a Difference.' We will multiply that weekend into 8 weeks plus of raising funds. Four dollars from every Village sold glassybaby will go to Fred Hutch. We extend our gratitude to the University Village for this opportunity so parallel to our abiding commitment of giving to cancer causes often and forever, Come find us. And...don't forget Mom.

   Until Next Time, when hopefully my down coat will be in the closet. Nicola