Seen @
GlassyBaby
It began with
a light of hope
When
the first glassybaby was created in 1998, Lee Rhodes, glassybaby creator and
founder, was raising her three small children and fighting what would become a
7-year battle with a rare form of lung cancer. She had endured surgery,
countless rounds of chemotherapy, and was searching for a few moments of
serenity to escape the fear that encompassed her life. Inspired by the beauty
of these elegant vessels, Lee filled them with tea lights and scattered them
throughout her home. She found great hope and healing in their color, light and
love.
Our
favorite description of glassybaby was written by Lee's 12-year-old son,
Mericos, and given to her in the early morning one Christmas.
A
glassybaby is physically a small, colored glass cup, candleholder, or vase. But
the light of a candle coming through a glassybaby generates more: it gives
warmth to a cold day, a calm token of peace in the busy world.
Since
1998, Lee Rhodes has been designing, publicizing, and selling these small,
extremely tough and strong cups. In 2001, she began to learn to blow these
glasses, and has produced many glasses since.
glassybaby
are made through a multi-layered glassblowing process and their color comes
from different shaded color rods to produce a mix of opaque, translucent, and
deeply colored glasses. This method creates a thick, strong piece of glass that
has many functions and uses.
glassybaby
come in a multitude of different colors that you can mix to create a stunning,
flickering picture for a quiet vigil or a bustling party. Shining out of a
window, a glassybaby creates an aura of love and good that fills the heart of
anyone on the sidewalk or street.
There
is almost no limit to the moods and feelings that a glassybaby or group of
glassybaby can produce in someone, be it the calm and tranquil mint green or
the inspiring dark orange.
As
glasses, glassybaby are beautiful and useful: they act as cups and goblets, and
the transparent colors are ideal for this job. glassybaby are dishwasher safe
and are practically indestructible when you drop them.
glassybaby
are useful in many ways. But their real use is lifting bad moods and
loneliness. Their warm and colored light flickers like we do in everyday life.
glassybaby serve as a metaphor to symbolize hope and are humble in spirit but
not in beauty. Whatever your mood, a glassybaby can keep your home inviting and
full of spirit - MERICOS
HECTOR RHODES
Over
the next few years, Lee learned to blow glass and create glassybaby. And as she
began giving them to others, glassybaby was born. Eventually she searched out
local glass blowers to assist her with the production so that she could spread
the light of glassybaby. To Lee, they represented "that deep breath that
we often forget to take."
In
2003, glassybaby opened its first retail store. Today, the Madrona neighborhood
of Seattle is home to the company's main store and studio, where a team of
dedicated glassblowers produces an average of 200 glassybaby daily. The company
also has stores in Seattle's University Village; in Bellevue, Washington; and in
New York's West Village at 555 Hudson.
To
honor those who have walked down her same path, Lee established glassybaby
goodwill, which remains the company's foundation and mission. During her cancer
treatment, Lee met many other patients who could not afford even daily needs
such as bus fare, childcare, or groceries. Today, much of the money donated by
glassybaby goes directly toward meeting those basic needs. Each year, the
company spreads hope by supporting charities dedicated to health, healing, and
quality of life.
"It
is at the core of this company to give back," says Lee. "When I
founded glassybaby, I never knew these little glass votives would have such an
impact on people touched by cancer."
As
each glassybaby leaves the door, Lee, reflecting on her own journey, knows that
it will play a part of light, beauty and healing in a new story.
Today I am going to daydream some.
The perfect cure to a desk filled with work and
colleagues who just sometimes make you want to scream.
Yes. Today I will take some time to dream.
And you know what, I just love the different colours of the glassybaby.
A colour for every occasion!
I wonder if they have a store that sells these little beauties here...
{must goggle and checks it out}
and beautiful colours and be inspired to decorate and create!
Have a great day all.
Remember: "Hoarding & Collecting is not a crime. It is an art!"
