glassybaby tales

Light glassybaby, My Dear... Warm Welcome to Our New COO... Courage to Overcome

Wow! Have you noticed how quickly it gets dark in the evening now that school has started? And in a few weeks, daylight savings time will halt and twilight will descend (eek!) before dinnertime! But to paraphrase the wolf to Goldilocks, "That's all the better to light glassybaby, my dear."  This wonderful photo above from our files was sent by a thoughtful reader and beautifully portrays just the feel I am talking about.

There's always a silver lining.

All of us at glassybaby are delighted to welcome our new COO/President, Greg Huey. He comes to us with a long list of superlatives from his former associates including such depictions as "phenominal asset" and that "he made a remarkable difference," especially given the financial crisis.

Greg with a lead glassblower in the studio

I asked Greg what drew him to glassybaby and how his first weeks have been going. I just love his reply:

"I joined the glassybaby team because they have a amazing product, brand and culture. Lee's story is inspiring and the focus on giving makes glassybaby a special place. I've spent much of my first couple of weeks in our retail stores listening to customers and our retail employees, as well as cleaning up wax and re-stocking shelves! It's been great so far, although my feet are killing me - I guess I'll be ready for our holiday season." 

As Lee, our owner and founder, put it: "He gets glassybaby is about quality,authenticity and giving back. He will help maintain our very high quality, and standards as we expand. We are thrilled to have Greg and his expertise."

Welcome aboard, Greg!

 

This month, glassybaby takes great pride in introducing the luscious, deeply saturated, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, and Cowardly Lion touting color 'courage'! If you can, get to a store to check it out! The picture doesn't do it justice. It's a keeper! And Lord knows we could all use some courage to overcome "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" that life sometimes hands us.

Maya Angelou wisely put into words: "Courage is the most important of the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage."

 

     

Two darling little girls we know, Henrietta and Frances, had lots of courage as they boldly painted during a visit to Arts Aloft. Not only was there plenty of daring there but also I do believe they drew artistic motivation from the inspiring glassybaby shirts they donned for the session! How cute are they!! Picasso beware!

I hope you have a wonderful week aided and abetted by all good things.

That's all for now,

Alice

 

Good Friends in the North Woods... Pairing Frogs & glassybaby... No Cooking!

The north woods of Wisconsin called to us once again this year and we (over) packed our duffels and headed up. The serenity and beauty of the lake we visit has no parallel, but the real draw is our coterie of close friends who come from near and far to be together. Our gracious hosts Patsy and Lauren's cottage has bedrooms for seven couples and we fill them every year without fail (unless something important, like say, a new baby girl! decides to coincide!)

Some years it's like summertime and the trees have hardly turned at all. Those are the times we squeeze in lots of golf, boating, hiking, fishing and of course, swimming.

As you can see, we are clearly fashion forward for the latter:

But other years have been cool and damp, with a cozy fire in the big stone fireplace and with tables of Stave wooden puzzles in various degrees of completion.  There's football to be watched, knitting to purled, and of course books to be read.

 

We look forward to our own "lounge act" on the cabin porch each year: 

Who could forget "Sven and Olie"?

But the number one activity rain or shine is the repartee (aside from a glass or three of wine...  oh yes, our glasses all have our names on them!)

Yes, the number one activity is the scintillating conversation... but don't get me started on that! There is practically no subject we (especially the girls) won't lay a hand on! But that's another story! (Remind me to tell you my lively Burl Ives yarn!)

Patsy (above in orange) redid the long screened-in porch this spring and chose a delightful stripe and an animated print of enthusiastic frogs.  She accented with scads of glassybaby in verdant colors like frog hunting, grass, new fern, jade and candy. 

It looks fabulous! We adore glassybaby and those excitable frogs!

Oh! Did I tell you about all meals being taken up at the lodge? That's right, sisters, there is no cooking! We are offered three delicious B, L, & Ds every day. (The cottages have kitchens not much bigger than a broom closet I'm happy to report!)

And we bring glassybaby up to the lodge at dinnertime to enjoy their heavenly glow... and, to make everyone else pea-green with envy. (Of course we shared with them the story of these magical little vessels.)

Above is Jane on the left, of glassybaby 'jane's caramel' fame, with Nancy on the right as we finish dinner on the eve of 9/11.

Thank you for listening to how we spent our vacation in the love's light of glassybaby. Just wanted you to know that gb is just as at home in the north woods of Wisconsin as in a penthouse in the big city!

Have a great week everybody!

Until next time,

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby.com

 

 

Dogs on Parade... Perspicacious Miss... Your glassybaby Color

Teddy and Beau with 'wet dog'

If there's one thing we love at glassybaby, it has to be dogs. Dogs of all sizes, colors and fur-style!

So, as we were putting together a poster of all glassybaby employees (now that we are growing we wanted everyone to know whose name goes with whose face), we thought why not give the same advantage to our many furry friends gracing our offices and hot-shop. They need a poster too, being the social animals they are!

Well, you would have thought Vogue magazine was doing a fashion photo shoot here last week with all the canine preening and hamming it up. Jack, our valiant photographer, captured the essence of the parade of pooches and every one of them seemed to be having a fine time.

Just look at this engaging, ingenue, Piper! She really has that cover girl aura, doesn't she?  (Piper is the owner of one of our favorite glassblowers, Taryn!)

 

And look at this young lady! Sydney was so thrilled to be a part of it all, she performed a merry, carefree gavotte for all assembled. Her closest human friend is another glassblowing luminary, Alyssa.

Stay tuned for more pet-tales.

Tracy, of our Bellevue store, told the cutest story about her friend, Paula's eleven year old daughter:  After Paula and family moved to Savannah last month, Maddie was helping her mother out by collecting pictures to put in her phone for contacts. She couldn't find a picture of Tracy so the perspicacious miss took a photo of a glassybaby ('new fern' as it turns out) and put it with Tracy's number.  Now when Tracy phones, a cheery glassybaby photo pops up.

What color glassybaby would you choose to represent you? To me that is an imponderable, but it would be fun to think about.

Enjoy your last stop of the summer at the ice cream shop! 

See you next time,

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby.com

 

 

 

 

Back To School... Celebration of Life... Best Girlfriends

Okay. Listen up, kids. It's everybody out of the 'pool' time.

pool

Sadly, everyone must come ashore and move away from the 'beach' now.

  
 beach

But don't despair that summer has come to an end... for it is time to embrace 'happiness' as everyone goes back to school!!

happiness

As I with a smile, sang to our boys and my mother, before me, sang to us, "It's the most wonderful time of the year!" 

Truly, I often welcome Labor Day as the air begins to turn crisp but the days are still sunny and horizontal.  Fall as well as spring, ironically, is a time of new beginnings. 

As school openings progress, we have noticed many moms back in the stores chatting and happily perusing the new sets of glassybaby colors that are coming on the shelves. We love to see you here.

 

The glassybaby team is honored to be hosting a celebration of life potluck for Jena, who is the sister of one for our most long-term and valued glassblowers, Tree.

                         

Jena, who has been battling leukemia, will join with her family and friends, as some of our glassblowers, who have happily donated their time, will be leading a hands-on demonstration in the hot shop. 

In honor of Jena, who is a life long friend to animals and is passionate about animal welfare, we are happy to announce that on Saturday, 10% of sales from all stores and online will go to PAWS.  We wish you well, Jena, and thank you Tree for helping us host this memorable celebration.

 

   

Wouldn't you just love to shop for glassybaby with your best friend from high school?  I certainly would!  Now picture that same scenario except for the fact that the pair of you are 88 year olds!  This is exactly what occurred last week in the Bellevue store. Cindy helped two lovely ladies choose three glassybaby for the great granddaughters of one of them. They chatted about the longevity of her 69 year marriage and she shared the secret to it.  

Are you leaning in close?  In the words of this charming, wise lady: "Be sure you kiss your husband good night each and every night." And that's it! I just love that.  I'll tell Ernie first thing when he gets home.

Before I sign off, I would like to give kudos to our winsome models who so kindly shared their visages for this week's blog.  First I would like to thank teeny, tiny teddy who comes to us straight from the toy-box where he last appeared.

But most of all I must thank the divine Miss Dolly Blossom who is the new baby at our house.  Isn't she the cutest widdle snookums ever? Have you ever seen eyes that blue? And I'm not saying that just because she's ours. 

On behalf of all of us at glassybaby, I hope you have a wonderful safe Labor Day weekend and rejoice in the coming of fall and all the good things it brings with it.

Until next time,

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby.com

 

 

 

 

 

Life at the Top... Traveling glassybaby... Summer Joy

If you're like me, you want to know what life is like at the top!

Well look no farther. Check out Lee and her family and guides atop Mt. Kilimanjaro! Deliriously happy yet unreservedly bushed in that oh so good way that you feel when you have really gotten after it and have done it!! Those faces say it all.  Congratulations intrepid mountaineers!!

 

Along on the climb was the heartening glassybaby 'hope' sharing its encouraging light on the seven day tented trek.

Not only did a glassybaby travel to the highest African peak last week but one also took in the sights and sounds of Paris and Amsterdam.

Here is 'joy' in the City of Light having scaled the pinnacle of the Eiffel Tower:

And here she is again blissfully illuminating the iconic Prinsengracht of Amsterdam:

            

These photos are courtesy of our new glassybaby staff photographer, the peripatic Jack Hunter.

Thank you and welcome aboard, Jack!

We are happy and proud to introduce our new van-baby. glassybaby-on-wheels is up and running. If you see us around town or on the road give us a little toot for good luck... and we'll know it's you!

 

With the return of fine summer days, I am embracing a compulsive obsession I have an attack of at about this time every year. And unabashedly I wait with longing all summer for it to appear. The diagnosis: I am a plum fool for peaches! Organic Frog Hollow peaches to be exact. I adore them; I worship at the altar of their velvety juiciness; I even forgive their peachy stains on my shirt, an obligatory by-product of my zealous down-wolfing. 

The best way to enjoy them by far is, in my book, fresh. But, to paraphrase Robert Frost, nothing there is that doesn't love a good peach cobbler or crisp... a la mode!

I hope you treasure these last few days of summer while the children are small; wade in the creek and catch tadpoles; lie down in the grass and find bunnies or alligators or castles in the sky; actually walk to the store to get a popsicle; play "Clue."

And don't forget: eat outside whenever you can.

Love, hope and joy.

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby.com

 

Sum-Sum-Summertime... August Pies and Babies... Love and Hope

 

Gorgeous summer colors a table make: give me a grass, a seattle sunset, a lollipop, a taxi, a joy, a lemon, and then follow up with a creamsicle. Garnish with a crisp, snowy tablecloth, some strewn greens and dazzling blooms and your August dinner party is off the mark and running.  

Oh... food you say?  Way-ell? Let me see...

OK, baby green beans, teeny summer patty-pan squash, rosemary lamb chops with lemon on the grill, some country fried potatoes with olive oil in the oven, and heirloom tomato basil salad.

All of that is easy as pie, actually easier than pie.  So why make pie with all the rolling out and fuss, (living is supposed to be "easy" in the summertime, remember?) when we can have a fine Blackberry Clafouti with all those fabulous plump blackberries that are growing wild in and about the environs?  Send the kids out with their pails. (For anybody interested in this one-pan-wonder, I will write the recipe at the end of the blog. Whipped cream and extra blackberries can be served up alongside in a twin-set of vivid, summer-sassy glassybaby.)

I just heard about a brand new baby boy whose mama's friend bought her a hudson glassybaby to celebrate his birth. Excellent choice it seems, as that bouncing bundle of joy is named, you guessed it: Hudson!  How perfect! Congratulations to all of you!

 

As I sit here on this exceptional summer's day gazing at Mt. Rainier and the beauty about me, I appreciate how truly lucky so many of us are: safe and sound in our insulated worlds. My heart goes out to Anna whose husband was recently killed in Afghanistan. His birthday is coming up at the end of August and her dear friends have banded together to send her anonymous gifts on special days, saying they are from "Anna's Angels."

For Anna's husband's birthday, Michelle (one of the Angels) is sending Anna a glassybaby in his memory and to remind her how much her husband loved her. Michelle spoke of their "one of a kind love... you see so rarely."

Michelle immediately thought about glassybaby, she said, "when I heard about her husband. In fact, we lit candles the night of his funeral since we're all spread throughout the country - and I lit my glassybaby.  He and I share a birthday too, so I wanted to send something for that day specifically... I just ache for her." 

Thank you so much Michelle for sharing this story of deepest friendship. We send your group of close friends all of our best wishes and send love and hope to the families of all of our service-people deployed to other lands.

Thank you dear glassybaby friends for being here.

Until next time,

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby.com

 

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BLACKBERRY CLAFOUTI

6 to 8 servings                    375 degrees

1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar, divided

Scant 2 cups fresh blackberries

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup whipping cream

4 eggs beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon kirsch, optional

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar

 

    1. Generously butter a 10-inch glass pie plate and sprinkle evenly with 1 Tablespoon sugar.

    2. Spread berries in the plate and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of sugar, set aside.

    3. Whisk the milk, cream, eggs, vanilla and kirsch, if desired, together until throughly blended. Combine the flour, 1/3 cup sugar and salt in a separate bowl. Whisk the milk mixture into the dry ingredients until blended and pour over the blackberries.

    4. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is puffed and golden. Remove to wire rack and sprinkle top generously with powdered sugar. Serve in wedges when slightly warm or at room temperature.

Hope you enjoy it!  Calories, Blalories!  Remember, this is a dessert for summer fun!  (PS If anyone finds out what "clafouti" means, let me know.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kilimanjaro Scaling... Precious Parents... Finding Dreams

 Climb every mountain, ford every stream... 

 

It is so fitting that our founder, Lee, a remarkable woman who survived three bouts with lung cancer, is scaling the heights of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with her family.

Another hurdle for someone whose imagination knows no bounds and whose vocabulary does not contain the words, "I can't." 

But, pssst, don't tell her I am writing about her this week, for she is possibly the most modest person I know. And, as I write this, she is totally oblivious to this blog. So don't say a word, not one word.

We cannot wait for the pictures and stories of the mountain assent to descend later on. We will tell all. And we won't leave out a thing! I promise.

glassybaby is pleased to be in contact with many friends throughout the world who have been touched by the light and love of gb after first reading about us in Martha Stewart's book, The Martha Rules. Many have become loyal customers even though they have never set toe in the Western Hemisphere. The grapevine works in mysterious, yet marvelous, ways. The glow just magically diffuses, it seems, under its own volition. 

 

Another heartwarming story emerges from the recent glassybaby roadshow to San Francisco. 

The parents of K. were to meet her at Lotus Bleu to select three glassybaby for her birthday. They came early to help choose the colors, which ended up being the bright and beautiful combo of curry, seattle sunset, and joy, as shown above in K.'s living-room. Watching their interaction was tenderly touching, in that although K. is a mom herself now, her parents were exceedingly engaged in making their daughter feel special on that singular day of the year that each child, no matter what age and circumstance, shares solely with her parents.  And a wonderful thing that is!

Bobbi, our glassybaby friend, writes that one of her great delights was stumbling onto our shop in Bellevue two years ago on a "drippy cool November evening."  (Brrrr!  Bobbi, November seems like a distant memory!!)

She goes on to say, "Your window was a soft, enticing, warm beckoning glow at the end of a hard-driving and intense day." (Now I'm with you, Bobbi!)

She finishes up by saying, "You, Lee, are a soul/spirit warmer. I wish for you that the warmth you have gifted to the world return to you and yours many times over."  Amen, Bobbi. That could not have been better said!

To our dear Lee (and Hector, Sale, Ceddie, and Peter)as you scale "the rooftop of Africa": We wish you Godspeed!

And to finish the song:

... Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream!

 

Dream on!

Until next time,

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entrepreneur Finalist... Loyal Customer...Perspicacious Pussycat

We're so excited!!

(And we just can't hide it!!)

Along with summer blooms and Blue Angels, the first weekend of August brings exhilarating news to our ever expanding glassybaby family. Our own Lee Rhodes, whom I've watched grow from a tiny sprout of nine, has been named one of five finalists for Entrepreneur Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year 2011!! We are thrilled and deeply honored.  AND, she is the only female in the lineup!

 

We would be so grateful for your vote. To watch her new interview and cast your vote, please go to http://www.entrepreneur.com/e2011/vote/established. 

As Lee put it so graciously, "These little votives were not just about me. The whole community grew from my kitchen. By lighting glassybaby, for me and then for themselves, and so on and so on, my story follows the magic of glassybaby. But no longer is mine the only story."

A very loyal and valued customer at the Bellevue store just sent us a very sweet message: "As I sit here enjoying the three glassybaby that I have lit ('wingman,' 'beach,' and 'red rose') I watched the wonderful video and voted for Lee. I will pass it on to friends and family, all of whom have received a glassybaby or two from me. She deserves this honor."    Thank you, Linda, for your kind note.

 

Marissa, our esteemed Art Director and wearer of many caps, has, well, a Copy-Cat.

Apollo has watched his mistress many times light her cadre of glassybaby before stepping into the tub. He thought that was a good plan and followed suit. Marissa came home to find him curled up in the sink nestled next to 'seafoam' and 'pollen.' He's a pretty sharp, well turned-out pussycat, don't you think? 

Have fun in the sun and stay cool!

glassybaby forever!

Until next time,

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby.com

Our Hearts Go Out... San Francisco Friends... Talk About Good!

Our hearts go out to the people of Norway in light of the senseless and tragic violence that recently occurred there. An enormous crowd gathered at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard paying their respects and hoping to find a semblance of relief and strength together.  The light of seventy-six glassybaby glowing in the colors of the Norwegian flag shone for the seventy-six victims, many of whom were only teenagers attending a youth camp. So achingly sad.

 

The glassybaby team made lots of new friends in San Francisco last weekend when the gb road show was in town. Lee, interviewed by a local TV station, spread the glassybaby message of healing and light.

You may see for yourself if you like: http://www.glassybaby.com/news.asp)

 
 One customer who watched the story on television was so touched by what she heard that she took two buses and a taxicab to get to Lotus Bleu where the event was being held. She was going through her own dark time and wanted to share in the comforting warmth of these magical little vessels. She bought 'gratitude,' she said, for herself.  

Ten percent of all the sales at the show will be donated to the East Meets West Foundation.

 

I must say that I made the most scrumptious and delectable raspberry butter you have ever put on a hot croissant, girlfriend!  And it was eee-zeee! All you do is mix into a 1/2 cup of softened butter: 1/3 cup fresh raspberries, 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, and a dash of lemon juice. Spoon it into a festive summer colored glassybaby, and then spread it onto a steaming hot from the oven popover.  Talk about good!! I tell you!

And if you can, eat it outside!  It tastes doubly good!

Next on the hit parade: local blueberries and peaches. Don't you just love summer?

A special thank you to all of our loyal glassybaby friends.

 

Until next time,

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby.com

Glassybaby on Orcas... San Francisco Foray... "Barbegeddon"

The 'love our oceans' set of glassybaby made quite a splash on Orcas Island this week... well, thank heavens, not literally! We caught a ferry up to this especially charming San Juan Island to visit our friends Mike and Sally, who have moved there from New England. Sally was delighted with the ethereal evening time glow of 'safe,' 'dolphin' and 'ocean' which perfectly complemented the seaside setting and the excellent crab cakes Miss Sally served up with an exceptional summer berry pie. The ice cream on the cake, er pie, was that ten percent of the sales of this set goes to Conservation International. That is sweet no matter how you slice it.

This weekend (July 22-23) glassybaby makes a brief but exciting foray down to San Francisco.  Whitney and the team will be at Lotus Bleu at 325 Hayes Street and invite you to a cocktail party to be held on Friday between 3 and 7PM... or stop by anytime all day Saturday.

Many of our wonderful Facebook friends, along the south-bound gb van route, wish we could pay them a visit, too. We loved Cathy's query: "If you drive south on the 101, could you toss out a few boxes (gently) as you go through Santa Rosa?"  It would be so nice if we could make lots of stops to see our glassybaby friends.

Our observant Facebook friend, Stephanie, pointed out to us that the day we blithely added the lovely visage of Jackie O surrounded by the glow of glassybaby to our homepage, July 16th, was the anniversary of JFK Jr.'s death.  Could that have been only coincidence? I'm not sure.

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Well, my great LA friend, glassybaby aficionado extraordinaire, Ellen is at it again, throwing another shindig resplendent with the light! 

This one she cleverly named "Barbegeddon!"  

All of LA was advised to stay home last weekend to avoid "Carmageddon" the closing of the behemoth 405 freeway.  So what does Ellen do?  She invites relatives and neighbors, complete with lots of kids to a barbeque or "Barbegeddon!" She even made her own freeway of glassybaby and flowers trailing down the middle of the table.

As Ellen put it,"No dinner party would be complete without glassybaby. You can dress them up or dress them down.  The older kids loved having the responsibility of lighting them. glassybaby are not only elegant, but kid friendly too."  Thanks dear Ellen.  We love your take on things!

And thank you to all our glassybaby friends and readers.  You inspire me.

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." 
— Maya Angelou

Share the light.

Until next time,

Alice

aliceblog@glassybaby.com