Retail Art

CHEERS!

Fill them with M&Ms for guests, congratulatory flowers, the kids’ toothbrushes, or even a betta fish for the office desk; glassybabies, the colorful candleholders first created more than ten years ago by local glassblower Lee Rhodes, have always taken on a life of their own in the homes of their admirers.

Now Rhodes, who no longer does the glassblowing herself after having battled cancer for seven years, is offering up a new line of glassybaby “drinkers” this summer in response to the ever-evolving uses for the glasses. This version features a rounder contour with a wider opening that “fits in the palm of your hand and is the perfect shape for a drinking glass,” says communications manager Valerie Waltz.

This summer also marks the first birthday of the glassybaby store in Bellevue, the strongest performing of Rhodes’ four stores (the others are located in Madrona, University Village and New York City). The Bellevue store’s success could be attributed to a strong Medina customer base and the store’s open layout, perfect for seeing all four hundred colors, each with a name as clever as that of the brand itself. Bellevue’s three favorites are “seattle sunset,” “angel,” and “jane’s caramel."

The new glassybaby drinker line is currently available in thirty colors, each named for a glassy-baby employee – although a few decided to pass on the spotlight and name their color after their dogs. •

glassybaby
10230 Main Street, Bellevue
glassybaby.com