There is isn’t a lot to love about standing outside at 7am on a cold, wet January morning but I’ll set my alarm if it gets me a place in line at the semi-annual Glassybaby sale. The hours long wait is challenging under the best conditions and it pays to get up early.
For those of you not familiar with Glassybaby they are a Seattle company founded by Cancer survivor and artist Lee Rhodes. Their Tumblr page tells us it takes four Seattle artists, three layers of molten glass and two thousand degrees to make one Glassybaby. An artfully crafted, glass vessel, Glassybaby is available in hundreds of colors. To date, the company has donated more one million dollars to charities dedicated to health, healing, and quality of life.
My love for Glassybaby began with a gift of three for my 40th birthday. Something as simple as lighting one perfect color or a multi-hued row in the kitchen window transforms any night into a special one and our collection grows every year. We use them inside and outside to light the long Pacific Northwest nights, add color to a table setting or hold flowers from the garden.
They are available in three Seattle area stores and online through their website but twice a year they also open the Madrona shop for their famous seconds sale. This year we arrived to find a line stretching around several blocks with some truly dedicated customers camping since midnight. I’m not ready to break out the tent and sleeping bag but I confess we are making plans for the next big sale in June.
To fully appreciate the size and controlled chaos of this event see this short Glassybaby video from Saturday morning: Glassybaby seconds sale 2013
Do you have any Glassybaby stories to share? Favorite colors or shopping wish lists saved for a rainy day? I know I have both!
Northwest Frame of Mind 