Meet
the Cats!
Janeen
Cunningham has been the owner of the Calico Cat for almost 35 years.
She is avidly committed to historic preservation of downtown business
districts, and has been active on both a local and state level. She
and her husband, Glen, own Uptown Forum and operate it as Greenville's
informal small business incubator.
Janeen's
love of unique clothing and accessories, especially ethnic or
wearable art, has led to a fashion sense that is appreciated by
her customers,
who come from all over Northeast Texas to shop with her. As an
early retailer of Brighton belts, handbags, accessories and shoes,
she
has been in the forefront of innovative retailing of Brighton,
and is frequently called upon by the company to share her many
ideas
with others. "My favorite thing about the Calico Cat is
the atmosphere of 'give and receive' that we have with our regular
customers
and staff. I consider all of them dear friends. I love the fact
that the shop is full of laughter all the time. I am delighted
that both
customers and staff tell me they've never been anyplace that's
so much fun."
When
not at work, Janeen loves to volunteer at New Horizons, an alternative
high school that is part of the Greenville ISD. She also loves entertaining
the families of her daughter, Melissa and son, Scott, playing with
her two grandchildren and traveling. In the past year, she has been
to Morocco, Italy, Guatemala and places in the US.
Mary
Lauderdale loves to say that she "flunked retirement" when
she came to work at the Calico Cat. After 50 years as Mary of Puddin
Hill (the Greenville-based mail order and retail company she co-founded),
she retired and was soon bored. She joined the staff at the Calico
Cat in 2005, working in the back room checking in merchandise, handling
special orders and doing whatever is necessary. "I'm grateful
every day that Janeen puts up with me," says Mary. At 81,
she has an amazing amount of energy and delights everyone with
her wit.
At home, Mary enjoys knitting, cooking and collecting antique
handbags.
Glenda
Drake became a Calico Cat staff member in September, 2005, upon
moving to Greenville from Tulsa, OK, where she was a fashion sales
associate
for Saks Fifth Avenue. "I enjoy the freedom that I have to help
our customers look and feel pretty," she says. "The atmosphere
is always upbeat and fun. And the integrity in the management is
above and beyond anything I have witnessed in my years of sales." After
hours, she enjoys reading and spending time with her grandchildren.
Mary
Ramsey has been at the Calico Cat "on and off since the 1980's." She
is responsible for the wonderful displays and clever touches that
make the shop the special place that it is. "I love expressing
my creativity, working with fun people and creating a great look
for our customers." Mary's sense of fashion started early. She
says, "From the age of four, I wanted my clothes to be wrinkle-free
and I'd cry if my socks didn't match." Off-hours, she enjoys
scrap booking, bridge, cooking, shopping and spending time with
husband, Steve, and the families of their 3 children.
Judy
Shaver has been part of the Calico Cat staff since August, 2006.
Prior to that, she was Director of Volunteers in Social Services
at Presbyterian Hospital in Greenville. She says that be best parts
of the job are the wonderful people who come into the shop every
day and the great people she gets to work with. In her spare time,
Judy loves being a grandmother and mentoring others, especially folks
at Grace Community Church, where she is a member.
Dianna
Mays joined the Calico Cat in January of 2005, after retiring
from her job as a hairdresser. As the owner of Headlines Hair Co.,
in
Greenville, she was a regular customer at the Calico Cat for
many years. "My husband said that I shopped here 2 days a week, so
I might as well work here 3 to 4 days a week and stay out of his
hair." Dianna says that the best thing about working at the
Calico Cat is seeing all the beautiful new merchandise come in, "It's
like opening Christmas packages!" Dianna has a busy life
away from work with husband, Truett, 4 children, 8 grandchildren,
2 Ragdoll
cats and a Collie dog.
Betsy
Kingsbury is a newcomer to the Calico Cat, having started in
June, 2007. Before joining the Calico Cat bunch, she was groundskeeper
(or as she says it, "mowing the greens") at Buffalo Creek
Golf Course in Rockwall. "I find it very satisfying to be able
to help someone," she says. "I enjoy entertaining and ,
in a sense, that is what we do for our customers. We have everything
ready so they can just walk in and enjoy themselves." After
hours, Betsy and her husband are competitive team ropers. She
also enjoys golf, watching Thoroughbred racing and entertaining
friends.
Kara
Black is a student at New Horizons school in Greenville, working
at the Calico Cat after school and on weekends and holidays. "Within
the short time I have worked here, I have met some of the greatest
and smartest ladies I have ever known," says Kara. "I really
enjoy my work here." Upon graduation, she hopes to continue
her studies and become a juvenile probation officer. In her spare
time, Kara enjoys walking her dog, Alexis, and spending time
with friends, especially at the movies.
Lynda
Miller started working at the Calico Cat "sometime in 2000." She
and her husband retired from Plano, where they had owned a lumber
yard, and moved to Commerce. She works every Thursday and fills in
as necessary ("I AM retired, after all.") Her favorite
thing about working at the Calico Cat is "the friendships I
have developed." Away from work, Lynda enjoys reading and
spending time with her family, which consists of 4 daughters
and 8 grandchildren.
Located in Uptown Forum, a renovated building in Downtown Greenville, Texas, the Calico Cat has been around for more than 30 years. It started in the early 1970's when three friends went to work to teach macrame, machine embroidery and flower arranging. They soon outgrew the converted garage/playroom where they worked, and moved into a renovated building in Downtown Greenville that had once housed the town's department store. At that point, the three partners decided to open individual stores that reflected their interests and the needs of the community. Janeen Cunningham, one of the original "Cats" took the Calico Cat and it's craft store concept, adding her personal stamp to the merchandise and atmosphere.
Over the years, the Calico Cat evolved from a crafty gifts store into its present state of wildly eclectic fashions and gifts. Along the way, it has been recognized as one of the most innovative retail stores in the state of Texas. Twice it has been recognized as the Downtown Retailer of the year by the Texas Downtown Association.