glassybaby tales

Arctic Blast...Air Force Visit...Thanksgiving Table and Thanks For

   If you live in Seattle, you know that the city DNA holds no survival mechanism for snow. To make it a white Thanksgiving, we were hit by an arctic blast, which rendered urban paralysis here. If there were theme glassybaby for my epic journey home on snowy Monday they were:

• fearless (my driving)
• hope (deep in my heart)
• trusty (my car)
• happiness (to be home)

We all survived. And right before the snow fell the Madrona garlands were hung...a gorgeous winter touch for this magical little corridor where we reside.

 

Remember to visit Madrona for holiday shopping and nourishment at any of the local restaurants...it is so civilized and local and charming...treat yourself.

   A store anecdote was shared with me to share with you. Two Air Force Captains were in to shop for glassybaby. We were in the esteemed company of Captain Shannon Van Splunder of the Air Force Reserve and Captain Ben Wood, a C-17 pilot...think cargo missions to  Haiti, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was such a pleasure to greet them and share the mission of our glassybaby drinkers...that each donate to the Veteran's Hospital of Seattle. They both stole away with a cache of glassybaby for gifts...including drinkers.

 

   Endnote...as I whisked through the store today...Annjette had this lovely glassybaby mix glowing...our Madrona Store Thanksgiving table. Happy, Warm, Thanksgiving to all...we give Thanks for:

• candle light
• color
• rain
• brussel sprouts
• hi spot lattes
• garland
• our dear, sweet customers

   More Soon, Nicola

  

Jeffry's Forest...I Am...Hot Tip...Snapshot of Gorgeous

 

   Think of the magnetic, glowing energy of a lit glassybaby metamorphosed into a person and Jeffry Mitchell is standing before you. Jeffry, longtime friend of Lee's and glassybaby, is a local, brilliant, ceramicist/fine artist, and his hand imagined our new gift cards that are placed upon silver wrapping paper when you order glassybaby holiday gift wrapping (only $5.00.) Fall in love with the photo example above. Jeffry's glassybaby forest is an Arcadian place where rosy cheeked bears and bunnies warm their paws with glowing glassybaby...we love it. Treat the glassybaby you choose to holiday gift wrapping...art on art. Thanks Jeff.

   Other cards to mention...in our stores right now are 'I Am' cards, that give various glassybaby a voice. For example, hudson, in first person says:

"I begin in the mountains winding 315 miles to the shores of New York City. My journey is easy next to those I give back to. Part of who I am goes to AmFar to help people living with AIDS. All of who I am believes in helping others, no matter how long or short their journey. I am hudson. I am glassybaby."

After just a few days in the store...the customer response was a resounding affinity for these charming glassybaby voices...so, the printer is printing small versions of the 'I Am' cards right now... to be included in our product boxes when the 'I Am' glassybaby colors are sold. Another brilliant Lee, Marie, Debra collaboration.

 

   Hot Tip...literally...today we received our first shipment of signature glassybaby lighters...They will be put to work in our stores, ceremoniously, lighting glassybaby for our customer's use in choosing color. They will be for sale as well...who can resist glassybaby ephemera.

 

   Endnote...beauty catches the eye. As Paul, our Production Manager, reorganized his very organized post...I walked by this cache of color rod...irresistable.

   More Soon, Nicola

 

With A Quickness...Little Darlings Sing Happy Birthday...Spring Cleaning

 

   We have officially arrived. It is high season at glassybaby and we are all working with a quickness. As I jotted today's date: 11-11-10...I almost fell off of my chair. And I am having that yearly feeling of awe over how people can be so incredibly organized to purchase holiday gifts at this time...it is inspiring and will be forever.

   A humorous glance to the quickness within glassybaby...we have a box of treats ...if you leave a written tweet on a small shred of paper provided...you are eligible to take a treat. It is very Pavlovian...I am constantly racking my brain for treat tweets. Two recent tweets made us all chuckle (see photo evidence above):

Paul, our Production Manager, tweeted this: "It's official! Madrona is at full capacity for baby production."

Kim, our Shipping Manager, and close ally of Paul's in terms of inventory, counter tweeted this: "You wish buddy. We need more!"

One exclamation point deserves another. Friendly fire. We love it. We are busy...2 shifts a day, 7 days a week...plus a Southern production outpost in Tacoma. It is exciting. We love Paul.

 

   Amidst the bustle...we always have time for kids. Twelve kindergartners arrived at our doorstep on Tuesday morning...neighbors from St. Therese School, kitty corner from us. What a delight...they got a V.I.P. tour, and talking to those dazzling little faces was the highlight of my week. The kids even agreed to sing Happy Birthday to one of our glass blowers, Carrie, who was out on the hot shop floor...it was darling.

 

   Maybe because it is a little darker now and a little colder and certainly wetter, we divined, the goddess within, of Spring Cleaning. To be more specific, Valerie and Marissa... renewed our hall of fame. They took down all of the framed articles on glassybaby...re-framed them...and with their keen eyes, created a new and improved hall of fame. See the hall singing in the photo above. Thanks V and M...goddesses as usual.

   More soon...as December rapidly approaches, Nicola

 

Veteran's Hospital Journey...It is all in the Details...Keen Eye, Clean Window

   On Tuesday, we ventured out of 'Command Central,' glassybaby Madrona, for a marvelous field trip to one of our partners...the Seattle Veteran's Hospital. (A quick history...since 2007, glassybaby has pledged 10% from the gross sales of all glassybaby drinkers to uncompensated care at the Veteran's Hospital.) We were met in the bustling parking lot by our docent and new best friend, Fred (our group photographed above...Marie off camera.) Fred provided us with a tour marked by his signature compassion and his commitment to those who have served. It is important to note that Fred himself served and finds a calling in his work at the Veteran's Hospital. Tuesday was absolutely glorious...with expansive views from the hospital to the vast amphitheatre of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. We meandered through the hospital campus, meeting many of Fred's enthusiastic colleagues like Lorraine from the Fisher House, and Paul, a resident Social Worker, who works predominantly on housing solutions for homeless Vets. And we met various volunteers including one gentleman who exclaimed that he and his wife love glassybaby. It was a soulful journey for us, connecting us in mind and spirit to our Veteran's Hospital partners. And it is in the spirit of Veteran's Day that arrives next Thursday, November 11th, that we pledge to continue contributing to the uncompensated care of Veterans. Think socks, bus fare, a hot meal, a motel room....dollars with worthy wings.

Thank you so much to our Veterans...including Fred.

 

   It is all in the details...Hello glassine. For years, as glassybaby are ordered to ship...we have employed the bag technology of tiny zip lock bags for our tea lights to travel in...It is true that the tiny zip locks are inherently cute...but, Marissa has sourced a higher bag power in our new little glassine bags. They are super sweet and even hold a little love message printed on the glassybaby sticker...a tiny grey heart (as shown above.) Enjoy this new detail.

   End note...store anecdote to share. We learned that one of our customers was having her windows professionally cleaned. The gentleman performing this extremely worthy service...leaned in to an open window to exclaim to the home owner: "Nice glassybaby collection." This strikes us as somehow Darwinian and wonderful.

   More Soon from the hot bed of Madrona glassybaby where 7 days a week, day and night, glassybaby are being made, in a dash for the holidays. Happy November, Nicola