glassybaby tales

June Parties... glassybaby Van Travels... Successful Seconds Sale... Glassblowers on Mt. Rainier

"And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days"

James Russell Lowell got that right. How was your summer solstice-first day of summer? Ours was, well, perfect, I must say!  Just in time for festive outdoor parties. 

I attended a birthday party for Mimi, one of my oldest friends. (And by that I mean she has been dear to me for a long, long time! Not that she is, gasp, getting up there too far in years!) The waterfront setting was magical, resplendent in white with the touch of glassybaby drinkers in shades of aquas and greens. Such elegant simplicity. And the birthday girl had a ball!

Our Marissa was recently at a splendidly lit (by glasybaby of course) bridal shower for her dear friend Kristen who will be wed July 30 on Whidbey Island.

A bevy of beauteous glassybaby - in grass, new fern, candy, and pearl -  will illuminate their reception as well, surrounded by fresh green hydrangeas. I'm sure it will be lovely.

 

 

Refrains of "Yankee Doodle" have been running through my head as we gear up for celebrating the Fourth of July next week. Our neighborhood has a great parade for the kids who have decorated their bikes, donned Uncle Sam hats, and wave flags as they march and wheel through the streets. Then everyone joins in for a barbecue, and of course fireworks later. Such wonderful traditions.

Whitney and our glassybaby van will head to Seabrook, "A New Beach Town" on the Washington coast for a three-day event over the holiday weekend to celebrate our nation's independence! glassybaby will help light up the fourth during the spectacular annual Porch Illumination Ceremony there... a sight to behold. Imagine beautiful rafts of glassybaby aiding in lighting the night seascape. All are welcome... and just so you know... 10% of sales will be donated to the Seabrook Foundation to support The Breast Cancer Alliance of Gray's Harbor. Stay tuned for pictures of this glowing event! 

And, said glassybaby van is this weekend in Los Angeles at the Convention Center, for all of our southern California friends (Ellen are you listening?) We are participating in the dwell on Design Conference. More info is available on our NEWS page (under "roadshows") on our website.

The Seconds Sale was a great success! glassbaby will donate $6,000 to The White Light Fund at The University of Washington Medical Center to help cancer patients with their day to day needs during treatment.

We are so grateful to our friends who waited in the cold and rain.

One loyal glassybaby devotee arrived at midnight and slept in his car, but joined the line when the first two ladies arrived at 4:10 am.

Debra was working as our door attendant/bouncer and letting people in as there was room. She was giving some tips to some ladies who were about to enter. One of the lovely ladies told her, "This is not our first rodeo, girl!"  And I bet it won't be their last.

I just received news that three of our most respected glassblowers will be soon attempting to summit Mt. Rainier. On Monday, Ryan Mellinger, Andy Martin and Nick Ashman will head out after work (Ryan and Andy are both glass artists in their own right, and Nick is a sub here while maintaining his glassblowing studio in Ballard.) They plan to hike to Paradise and spend the night and summit in the wee hours of the morning. I'm hoping they will return with some pictures we can share. We wish you all the best, guys, on your great adventure. God speed!

 

Until next time,

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby,com

 

 

 

 

 

Resourceful Little Vessels... Swashbuckling "man set"... Happy Havoc

Ever notice that things aren't always what they seem?

I remember the apocryphal-or-not story which made the rounds in my family, of my younger brother wearing a rock-band T-shirt with "KISS" emblazoned on the front. Upon seeing it my aunt gave him a quick hug and a mm-waah on the cheek and declared, "My, what a sweet little t-shirt! Kiss!"    One T-shirt... two very different, yet agreeable applications.

My gist here being that one size does not always fit all. And  the versatility of glassybaby fits that model.  These are multitalented, resourceful little vessels... believe it or not even without a candle! Ice cream in a glassybaby is divine on a hot summer's day!  Just look at this tempting dessert-baby essence that Valerie captured at the beach! And someone I know dyed Easter eggs in hers last year trying to emulate the glassybaby hue (a futile effort, I warned her.) And a friend has a glassybaby he keeps on a window sill filled with colorful antique marbles... glass aggies and the like. And when the sun peeps in they shine like the top of the Chrysler building en pointe, no less! 

Lee sometimes keeps pencils in hers:

And no fancy sugar bowl? No problem:

 

We dote on glassybaby day or night. 

 

Speaking of doting, Father's Day is drawing nigh. Contemplate giving the swashbuckling, robust "man set" of glassybaby to dear Dad. 

 

                

Great colors: whiskey, wet dog, chocolate, ripe olive, bark, arthur, ankle deep, and midnight.  Let him know how much you care that he has always been there for you. And besides, when he's not using them, perhaps he will let you occasionally abscond with them! What could be more fatherly than that?

We are mighty pleased  that the Seconds Sale will be taking place on Saturday June 18th at the Madrona store. Doors open at 10:00AM. I plan to be there to gather cheery stories as the happy havoc progresses. Hope to see you there.

 

Until next time,

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby.com 

 

 

Glowing Girls...Silver Sparrows...Tumbling

                    

My sweet friend Ellen, who lives in LA, is a glassybaby enthusiast of the highest magnitude and breadth. In fact, some (including Ellen herself) might call her "glassybaby-obsessed"....She has undeniably fallen prey to the alluring siren call of these rapturous, habit-forming vessels! What could be better? (Ellen has pleaded that we do not send a glassybaby intervention group to her house!) Her tables (as above) are consistently resplendent with radiant babies, and she even had a gorgeous French antique cabinet altered to display her host of back-lit glassybaby ("I don't even have to put candles in them! I glow, Girl!"), thus freeing them from years of sequestration in the backwoods of her kitchen drawers. She calls it her glassybaby shrine. (It looks more like a store annex to me!!) 

Ellen was a "glassybaby virgin," as she puts it, until our friend, Jane (of "jane's caramel" fame) introduced her, and the rest is history. "In my world," she exclaims, "the glassybaby have become art and party enzymes, not mere votives." Thanks Ellen, for your enthusiasm and especially, for helping to support the good works of glassybaby. 

 

Speaking of good works and good words, Tayari Jones was in town recently and some of us were very pleased to attend a book reading and signing of her new novel, Silver Sparrow, at Seattle's iconic Elliot Bay bookstore. Upon publication, the Village Voice wrote that "Tayari Jones is fast defining black middle class Atlanta the way that Cheever did for Westchester."

 

 

Besides being a professor and author, Tayari is also special to glassybaby for her work as a writer-mentor with Girls Write Now. This invaluable organization, one of glassybaby's giving partners, is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of young women writers: such a beneficial resource for aspiring pens-women. 

The reading event was splendidly lit by "angel," "chocolate," "bff," and the downy-soft new color (and perfect complement to the book title), "wings." Congratulations, Tayari!

 

 

Well it had to happen! Nobody can call us "so Y2K"!!  The glassybaby tumblr is up and running! Thanks Alex!  http://glassybaby.tumblr.com/   We love it! And you, our dear glassybaby friends.

 

Until next time,

Alice

 

 

The Seconds Sale!... Bright New Drinkers

Hot dog! Whoopee! Hip hooray! Yippee! The irresistible, long-awaited glassybaby Seconds Sale at the Madrona store is drawing nigh for the second time this year! Doors open at 10 o'clock Saturday morning the 18th of June. Along with your friends, don't forget to bring your own bags and packing material. (Some enterprising customers last time brought sectioned wine carriers and boxes that worked great.) Oh yes, there will be a faster-moving cash line in addition to check and credit card lines. What better way to kick off summer fun... than a colorful new trove of illustrious glassybaby at a great price?

 

You simply must stop in and see our brilliant new array of glassybaby drinkers. The exciting colors are resplendent with the aura of tropical fruits, plump strawberries, turquoise waters, dazzling brown taffeta, sea greens, spicy curry and even a wasabi if the others aren't hot enough for you! Do come see for yourself. And the icing on the cake is that 10% from the sale of each drinker will be donated to the Seattle Division of V.A. Puget Sound to support the care they provide for our veterans. 

Picture yourself on the patio or beach-side with a sparkling concoction being offered in a lively, piquant "marie":

Or a devilish preparation being tendered in a slinky, sassy "debra":

Or tempting your guests with a sumptuous potion in a electrifying, verdurous "valerie".

See what I mean? These drinkers are cool, calm and collected yet they stunningly rock!

Have a great week.

 

Until next time,

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby.com