glassybaby tales

Buttery and 'glassy children' in Misawa Japan

   We did it again, another successful Seconds Sale. And with the genius of Jeanine Green (C.O.O. extraordinaire) each sale gets a little more buttery. A few mentionables from last Saturday:

• A bird's eye account tells us the first customers in line arrived at 7:15a.m..
• Our more than fabulous intern Sam (door line manager) had an imposing woman shopper square up to him and demand an answer to this question: "Do large groups of women shoppers intimidate you?" (Lucky for us his monosyllabic answer was: "No.")
• Only 6 glassybaby seconds met their demise on our concrete floor during the sale.
• And, lastly, as ever, our Seconds shoppers get primal. My favorite visual of the past sale?... a gorgeous woman shopper sitting on our concrete floor, legs indian style, lighting her bevy of color after creating an amphitheater of darkness with our 16 pack boxes. People were shopping all around her...the personal vortex of the Seconds Sale is truly something to behold.

So, again, we thank our good natured sale goers who put up with extreme density and know that the truth of a second is not forlorn but gifted beauty.

   Amazingly, we had a mini load of seconds left post sale. We have given them light every day in the store and a table of their own, and they have steadily marched out the door this week. One young, lovely customer here from Misawa, Japan, snatched up two little orphan seconds, an add on to her growing collection. She takes a little bit of Seattle with her while she is out posted with her military hubby in Japan. Her add on during check out banter: "My husband calls them my glassy children." So sweet.

   Happy Summer. It has arrived, we are featherless (no down coats) and jubilant. Until Next Time, Nicola

 

 

Palpitation, glassybaby graffitti, Our Mascot Sally

   My heart always palpitates a bit as the Second's Sale draws near. It will be held this Saturday and is a guaranteed romp. It feels appropriate to say: "Ladies, start your engines." We hope that you can make it.

   A signature of the sale is how the line takes form organically. Think of an Andy Goldsworthy installation with humans. It's serpentine form traveled down our alley in January. This Saturday if it does the same...enjoy the alley graffiti art. Take in the beauty of our word 'glassybaby' spray painted in a kool palette of magenta, teal, black, gold etc..

   How to outfox a fox glassybaby style? We have experienced deja vu twofold, finding graffiti on our alley facade. The white painted square footage is a beckoning canvas for local graffiti marauders. We appreciate the art form, but can not abide the unsavory words chosen. The fox part?... Lee employed the brilliance of her daughter's school pal. The street code of ethics says you do not graffiti over graffiti. So, we have our personalized swath of graffiti. It is gorgeous and framed by dipping-in tulip blossoms... so savory to the eye and hopefully permanent. Come and see.

   One of our treasured customers, Sally, was in a few days ago. Her love of glassybaby precedes her. Her ebullient presence fills the room and there is always helpful banter from her as she urges and inspires other customers to multiply their purchases. I swear I need to tip her or give her a commission or something. A sound bite to illustrate (Sally to mystery customer): "They get lonely, you have to buy two."

   I know Sally from her 'frequent flying' with us. This visit, it was a pleasure to learn a little bit more of her story. Like the fact that she is a yoga instructor for kids (yoga4kids@gmail.com.) As Sally gathered her auspicious 13 new glassybaby she quipped comically: "Hi, I am Sally the glassybaby mascot." Later in the day, Sally took the time, so sweetly, to send the yoga of all emails. Here is an excerpt:

"Thank you for the lovely morning. I loved being able to hang out and leisurely select new "acquisitions" for my burgeoning collection. I enjoyed being able to talk with you. I was taken with the "Birth of a Baby" story you gave to the two women who were there. I thought it was great fun hearing about the creation process. Where the glass comes from and, that the blowers really do work in teams. All I ever really worried about was "ooohhh, I don't think I have that shade of red?" I realize that they really are little pieces of art. Somehow that makes my growing collection a little more manageable and a little less 'send me to Betty Ford please, I have a problem.' I collect art thank you very much. (I do love a juicy justification!)"

   Thanks Sally.

In the name of glass art, graffiti art and mastering the art of the Second's Sale...Until Next Time, Nicola

   

Desmond, Mae West, the Loyalty of Dogs, I am in a Sour Apple Mood

   Desmond, (3 weeks old) was in with Mama and Grandma (visiting from Minnesota.) Desmond dozed while the Moms shopped. I had to run a foul on a well intentioned canine misadventure. To explain, Jackie, glassybaby shop dog and lovey, has a bird's eye view of our store from the office where she sits on a fluffy dog disc. She has a penchant for sniffing and kissing cherub babies. Stealthily, she meandered her way through the halls and hot shop. As she entered our store she beelined to Desmond. I was able to gracefully lunge and run the foul. With Jackie's collar underhand, I delivered her back to the office. All was well. Desmond continued sleeping and at least Jackie got a little baby sniff, although no kisses.

   Then there was the Mae West rental. I thought to myself...truth is truly stranger than fiction. A solely pink, extremely flirty, rental mix was prepared to go out. The recipient? Mae West... The colors?...Tutu, First Kiss, and Taffy. Hilarious. Later, I chuckled to find out of the spelling error on the rental form...it was actually Moe West picking up the pinks.

   Two great internet anecdotes arrived this week. One sweet customer took the time to write this missive to our customer service inbox:

"I love the glassybaby! I bought one for neighbors who just lost their dog (loyalty)...and one for  a housewarming gift for another friend...it'll match her wall...Now I need to get some for me!! What a creative idea brought to fruition! Way to go!"

Total positivity. Thanks so much Debbi. Rest in peace to the sweet loyal pooch. Another written message just tickled our funny bone. Read this:

"I have to add this color to my summer collection. I Love glassybaby! I light a candle in one every night and change the color depending on my mood."

The ticklish part? She ordered Sour Apple. End note...when customers like these write us...so often their words are punctuated by exclamation points. It occurred to me that our customers are our exclamation points. We adore you and the wonderful feedback.

   Until Next Time, Nicola

glassybaby convert, Joy and the Joy of Gray

   Foreshadowing our June Seconds Sale, a customer recounted her January sale experience to Jeanine our C.O.O., who happened to answer her phone call...clearly a blog worthy tale. In the bitter cold of January, our customer brought her reluctant 14 year old son into the fray of the sale...not exactly kicking and screaming, but resistant. However, the sale magic permeated this adolescent reticence and the 2, mother and son, had a great time choosing a batch of seconds. The son even chose one for himself, which has faithfully provided him with a cell phone port ever since January.

   And furthermore...unsolicited product eloquence came from this same customer...we love her description of glassybaby as an "affordable luxury." She definitely gets it and so, apparently (no pun intended) does her son.

   We now have etched glassybaby available in the store and by phone order. They are little beauties that come with marvelous words such as: hope, loyalty, joy, peace, imagine, love etc.. A glowing customer came to our Madrona store expressly for a 'Joy' glassybaby... in the color Mountain Lake. Exuding joy, her glassybaby purchase was obviously celebratory...2 of her nephews (brothers) were engaged within the span of one week. Their mother, our customer's sister, had been a ring purchasing mole for both sons, unable, under strict confidence, to breath a word of the news to anyone. At last, the rings have landed on fingers with "yes" all around. And Mom gets more joy from her sister, in celebration. Perfect.

   Graduation is in the air, tassels and robes are standing at the ready. Sweetly, graduates receive glassybaby as gifts. A treasured customer, Tracy, spent time choosing glassybaby for her graduating from high school daughter, and her daughter's two best friends. She carefully chose 3 to suit their color types; and I love that her vegan daughter will receive the color Carrot.

   Another baccalaureate purchase was, I believe an Aunt, buying for her niece...by the Aunt's account, a wonderfully politically minded, peacenik kid. The graduate will receive a 'peace,' Mountain Lake glassybaby. As I boxed, the Aunt said: 'She gets some stock too.'

   Endnote, I do not want to belabor the cruel weather diatribe...so as a counterpoint to complaining...this made me smile. A small boy with Mom and Grandma came into our store on a recent grizzly day. From within gortex or maybe it was oilcloth...they seemed to bask in the rays of glassybaby color. The young lad, I am guessing 4 or 5 years old, said: "Mom, look at this beautiful gray one." A quintessential Northwest kid, who's cheery spirit I will try to invoke: "Look at this beautiful gray."

   Until Next Time, Nicola