One moment I was settling in to my Monday swivel chair, logging on to gmail, diving in to the accumulation of 4 days of emails, the next moment I was on Expedia booking a flight to New York City. To explain, Steve, our beyond wonderful CEO, greeted me with a phone call revelry, and with classic Steve understatement, asked: 'How do you feel about going to New York tomorrow?' I easily glanced at my calendar under my forearm and did the 'Mom' algorithm to determine: 'Yes...I can go.' And now I am here in my Lexington Avenue hotel, watching the Yankees loom largely in the World Series, after a very good NYC glassybaby work day. My presence is another layer of training our already dream team, which lends me to extend a rousing welcome, in alphabetical order, to:
- Allie
- Glendys
- Olivia
- Patricia
- Randy
- Terrell
We are well represented here. Melanie who helps build stores for us, unfalteringly has done it again, building this team and store. Our Hudson work force refers to her as Super Woman...I concur.
glassybaby at 555 Hudson is a stunner (see photo above.) Within, there are wood plank floors, slightly rough hewn but sealed, nice to walk on with enough of a faint creaking to give you a sense that this place has history. The walls are white as is the dreamy embossed tin ceiling (my favorite element.) Then imagine glassybaby shelves creating a kind of color amphitheater for shoppers to choose from. There is a lovely white fireplace, no longer working, but a great architectural element. Above the mantle hang wooden glassybaby hand molds. As you enter the store, two white crucibles, retired from our Seattle hot shop, have been fashioned into haute couture glassybaby tables. They are absolutely gorgeous and one of a kind...signature Lee Rhodes.
Outside the front door of 555 is the marvelous West Village life on Hudson. Dogs of every shape and size stride by with people exquisitely bundled in their fashionable New York November layers. Hudson is dotted with little business treasures...cafes, restaurants, boutiques. glassybaby has definitely found a New York home and we feel welcome here.
One of my favorite New York moments from my time here...as we closed yesterday, Allie expertly hailed me a cab, my timid walk to the curb was of an inferior technique. A cab swooshed in to my aid. I quickly turned to hug Randy, a key member of our dream team, who I would not see again on my trip. The momentary embrace was too long, the cab sped away. Allie hailed me another cab, swoosh, I was hotel bound.
End note, a couple from Chicago was in today with the New York Times Home article featuring glassybaby in hand. After a glassybaby session (they were a quick study at lighting and choosing) they purchased a lovely, indeed edible, duo of french vanilla and creme brulee. They asked for a few extra candles...the plan was to light their new glassybaby in their Algonquin Hotel room... model customers with style.
Greetings from New York. Until Next Time from Seattle, Nicola
