glassybaby tales

4th Grade Math, Clean Bill of Health, Texas Candlelight

   My 4th Grade Math teachers daughter's were in to wish their Mom a happy glassybaby birthday. They each purchased a single glassybaby for Mom. When they mentioned their last name 'Millar' my mind invoked the six degrees of separation theory and I had to ask: "Is there any chance that your Dad taught at...?" Before I finished my sentence their heads were nodding 'yes.' I learned that their gorgeous names are Caitrin and Aylie. They chose Red Licorice and Cabo, and if my 4th Grade Math is still good: 2 glassybaby + 2 daughters + my years ago Math teacher = a sweet glassybaby vignette.

   A few weeks ago on one of those stunning early days of September that had all of us intoxicated by it's beauty...a customer walked in with a kind of joyful propulsion. I greeted her and she blurted out:'I just got a clean bill of health and I am here to buy a glassybaby for myself and one for my husband.' Her joy was infectious and when I responded: 'I am so happy for you,' I received the spontaneous embrace of someone who's life was just re-gifted to her, a deep fresh joy that I had the honor of catching a glimpse of. She chose, from the 'giving' pantheon, a color for herself. I believe that it was, poetically, Dream. She chose her husband Strawberry as he requested some sort of red, and away she went in all of her joy.

   Endnote...on the places we travel. A wonderful customer took the time to include this message with her web order:

"I own several of your glassybaby votives. They were lifesavers during our recent power outage from Hurricane Ike here in the Houston, TX area. They brought such happiness to me each night as I would light them for our evening lights."

   In warmth and wellness and light, Until Next Time, Nicola

Farming in New Mexico, MVP , and the Abundance of a Mother

   I had a wonderful store encounter this week. Lord knows I can spin a conversation yarn with our adored customers. A woman came in with a stroller side kick, her nephew, a darling toe head. Nephew remained belted and amused by color while auntie shopped. She deftly chose the perfect Seattle Sunset. I learned that she is steadily purchasing one glassybaby at a time, stockpiling, in anticipation of moving to New Mexico. She and her husband are taking over the family farm. How inspiring and rare...to take on the legacy of farming and go back to her husband's roots. The glassybaby will be her 'familiar' from Seattle, a beautiful reminder of family and place and experience. We are honored. Just to prove how wonderfully amusing life is, when I asked: "What kind of farm is it?" She smiled and said: "It is a cattle farm and I am a vegetarian."

   One of our most valuable customers of last week?...Safeco. An order of 180 gorgeous glassybaby in a rainbow of color was placed and went out. I had the pleasure of working with Claudia on this chunky order.  She explained that the Safeco Executive Vice President was hosting a party at his home to celebrate Safeco and the extraordinary service of many employees. glassybaby were given in two packs as gifts. So stylish. Thank you to Safeco for thinking of us.

   Thinking of us and conveying it in the most beautifully abundant eloquence, this email greeted us on Monday morning:

'Greetings,

The customer service at University Village on Saturday afternoon was outstanding. I purchased five glassybaby for a wedding gift. The  groom is a life long friend of my son who passed away two years ago after a 13 year on and off again battle with cancer, treatment and the consequences of treatment. The young man getting married has the heart of a giant. He once gave my son the gift of a motorized scooter.

So, hooked to his oxygen tank, Seth traveled on that scooter with the wind blowing in his face like all the other boys were doing skate boarding or skiing. I am passing the love on with your lights. Thank you for helping me give the perfect gift.

KK'

I can tell you...this message stopped us...the tenor of abundance...in her words of loss and love and thankfulness and celebration of true friendship. Thank you KK for having the notion to write us, Lee...you affirm what we do, and we are so thankful.

   Until Next Time, Nicola

Found and Sweet Remembrances

   Tuesday, as I rounded the corner of East Union and 34th on a bead to our caffeine pipeline, there was Michelle (Hi Spot Barista, manager, glassybaby friend, etc.) waving good morning and simultaneously sort of summoning me toward her. At our intersection she, dog whisperer, showed me the lost dog she had found...one of a us...a wonderful mutt. Poochie was Dalmatian spotted in the figure of a Lab hybrid. Her eyes seemed worried and slightly beckoning...translation: 'If you feed me a scone I might wag.' Michelle's dilemma?...where to hold poochie until Madrona was fully mobilized to find it's owner. This is where dog friendly glassybaby was able to step in. Indulge me as I bullet point our time line with Maggie the lost dog:

• Michelle helps me bring her back to glassybaby central. A plastic bag is fashioned as a leash.
• Jeanine our C.O.O. goes to buy treats and dog food. Maggie's first enthusiastic wag is recorded.
• Meanwhile...our Production Manager Ryan sends out a company wide email with a digital photograph of dog...hoping for some lead.
• Similarly, someone from the Hi Spot catches wind of lost doggy and posts her description and photo on the Madrona Mom's website.
• Signs are posted throughout the Madrona neighborhood with xerox photos attached.
• Various Madrona activists pop into glassybaby to survey the dog find...recognition to no avail.
• Noon rolls around and Jeanine dispenses me to her Madison Park Veterinary to find out if poochie is 'chipped.'
• Eureka...we find Maggie's information through her scanned microchip.
• By 3 o'clock the nanny was here to pick up Maggie and life is not the same. We miss Maggie.

   Tuesday just had this St. Francis overtone. Poignantly, two other animal passages came our way. Independent of each other, I received phone orders from two of my favorite customers, Susan and Erin. Susan called to send  a gift card to her dear friend who had just experienced the loss of her cat Mattie. Susan's hope?...that her friend would choose a color to memorialize her beloved feline companion. And Erin called expressly for a black glassybaby. Her great friends recently lost their Black Lab Maggie. Again the glassybaby was to provide the glow and peacefulness of loving memory found in the loss of a dear pet. So sweet. We love and cherish the animals here...part of the glassybaby credo.

   Until Next Time, Nicola

La Rentree, Murmurings, Mayor's Award

   I just learned that in France there is a term for the welcoming of September and the school year and the Fall...it is called La Rentree. What I gather, it is a kind of national mood, a surge of awakening, realignment and the promise of renewal. It relates to returning from the dormancy of August as collectively France dials down for respite.

   We are feeling a bit of La Rentree here and it is exciting. We are in steady production of Fall colors, welcoming originals like:

• molten
• frog hunting
• ankle deep
• windowpane
• hide and seek
• happiness

My personal favorite?...'windowpane.' It is sublime. I would describe it as a faint champagne, and mixed with 'frog hunting' could render one speechless. A teaser for the colorist in you. And it is fun to look over Marissa's shoulder as she tinkers with holiday palette cards. Should 'rudolph' go next to 'pine needle' or 'kelly?'...hmmmm.

   Other murmurings from September glassybaby. Two national magazines feature us this month, Home and Travel and Leisure. Both are great mentions. Home sweetly punctuates the giving in our step and Travel and Leisure sleuths out the hot spots of Madrona, including us among the sweet sorority we find in Hitchcock and Jaywalk etc...

   Also, we will gather with Lee next week...a nicely polished glassybaby entourage of high heels and suits, to witness her acceptance of the Seattle Mayor's Small Business Award. I believe there are 8 recipients. To be chosen and stand shoulder to shoulder with, among others, Macrina Bakery (home of Budapest coffee cake) is altogether thrilling.

   Store moment,honorable mention, of the week...a particularly well buffed town car landed curbside just outside of glassybaby today. A gorgeous, pre-flight, customer whisked into our store. She decisively plucked a purple hued glassybaby from the shelf, noticed that it is called 'prom dress' and exclaimed: "Perfect." As we boxed her we learned that she was off to Arizona to help a friend plan for her wedding...the glassybaby was being stowed in carry on as an arrival gift for her bride friend. It all came together in a 'glassybaby second' as the town car stylishly hovered nearby...and they were off. Wonderful.

   Fall colors are imminent. Until Next Time, Nicola