 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
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 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
83, she has an amazing amount of energy and delights everyone
with her wit.
At home, Mary enjoys knitting, cooking and collecting antique
handbags.
 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.
 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.
 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,
and
2 Ragdoll cats.
 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.
 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.
 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 the 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.
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