TABLE of CONTENT

foam core Steffen and foam core Courtney in the B'way windows!

Fishs Eddy creative merchandisers Won and Anitra just did
the MOST amazing windows (featuring Alex's photographs)!
Here are some rare never-before-heard interviews
with the artists and the participants.

Enjoy!

Julie Gaines

Questions for Won and Anitra

Anitra declined to be photographed for this photograph.

JG: So Won, these latest windows are totally amazing we all love them so! Where ever did you and *Anitra get the idea to do them?

Won: uh, you told us to do them?

JG: Interesting. And when did you decide to do t-shirt windows?

Won: When you said that t-shirts are the only thing we have a lot of stock in right now?

JG: How did our creative meetings inspire you with the pop art reference?
Won: They didn’t. Roy Lichtenstein did. We like the energy behind his work so we thought the pop art reference would be fun and new.

JG: What are some of your favorite hobbies?

Won: I like to play soccer and I love movies. I loved Frozen.

JG: Wow, can you sing Let it Go?

Won: No.

JG: Please!

Won: Let it go.

JG: What do you think of Kelly?

Won: I like her a lot. What’s that? Oh, I think I just heard the intercom,

your mother is on line two.

*Anitra declined to be interviewed for this blog

Questions for Courtney

Everyday is a good hair day for Courtney

JG: Courtney where are you from?

Courtney: I’m from South Korea.

JG: Wow you must love eggrolls!

Courtney: That’s Chinese.

JG: What’s your favorite hobby?

Courtney: I love drawing and sketching buildings.

I’m an architecture student at Parsons.

JG: What do you think about Won and Anita’s windows?

Courtney: I love the pop art motif it adds so much happiness to this terrible winter.

Also the t-shirts are like the softest t-shirts ever so I’m happy they’re in the window.

JG: Who do you like better Won or Anitra?

Courtney: I like them both! They’re Wonitra!

Questions for Steffen

try to cooperate Steffen!

JG: Steffen where were you born?

Steffen: Maryland in a small town called Havrespacedgrace.

JG: What's your favorite hobby?

Steffen: I love fashion and photography.

JG: Fashion? What do you think about my fashions?

Steffen: Currently?

JG: What sort of things do you photograph?

Steffen: Mostly portraits. I like to capture a sort of chaotic place

in time when I take pictures.

JG: Who do you like better, Won or Anitra?

Steffen: Wuh? I like them both.

JG: I’m available for a portrait photograph anytime.

Steffen: Uh….OK.

Questions for Alex the photographer

JG: So Alex where are you from?
Alex: The Bronx but I was born in Queens.
JG: What do you think about the new windows?
Alex: They're fun and festive, perfect for us!
JG: What kind of photography are you doing these days?
Alex: Right now I'm doing some experimental photography, but I want to do more, sort of, morphing fashion and experimental.
JG: Who do you like better Won or Anitra? I swear I won't tell anyone.
Alex: Alejandra!

Questions for Jabari & Candice

DC baby!

JG: So Jabari and Candice where are you guys from?

Jabari: DC baby!!!!

Candice: The Bay area.

JG: What hobbies do you do?

Jabari: I sew. I made this scarf! I even made a pair of shoes!

JG: Seriously? Can you hem my pants?

Jabari: uh, I can try?

Candice: And I knit! I’m making a sweater.

JG: If Jabari can’t hem my pants can you?

Candice: Let Jabari do it.
JG: Who do you guys like better Won or Anitra?
Jabair: Anitra. Wait, can I change that?

JG: No I already wrote it.

Candice: I like Won he tells me the good restaurants to go to.

Antira is really cool too.

JG: What do you think about the new windows they did?

Jabari and Candice: They’re PoP-in! Awesome! They’re great!

JG: What do you think about the t-shirts?

Jabari: They’re really soft when I pat them down on my skin.

Questions for Alejandra, Brian and Alex

come on guys this is a serious interview!

drawing by Alex

JG: Hey Brian, Alejandra and Alex what kind of hobbies do you guys do?

Brian: I love traveling, music and experiencing different places.

Alejandra: I love reading and drawing.
Alex: I love to draw.
JG: What do you think about Anitra and Won’s new t-shirt windows?

Brian, Alejandra and Alex: They’re really fun! We love them!

Yeah, we’re really proud of them! We totally love them!

JG: Where are you guys from?
Brian: I’m from Africa, I was raised in South Africa.

Alejandra: Born and raised in New York!

Alex: I’m from the Dominican Republic.

JG: wait, how am I gonna remember who's from where?

Questions for Marianne

Marianne looks just as great in foam core!

JG: Marianne where are you from?

Marianne: I’m from Pittsburgh.

JG: What do you think of Won and Anitra’s windows?

Marianne: I think they’re super fun and a great concept!

JG: oh, thank you. And what hobbies do you like best?

Marianne: I like reading and watching bad reality TV while I clean my apartment.

JG: Will you be reading this blog post?

Marianne: If it’s a job requirement.

But seriously, our t-shirts ARE the softest, bestest t-shirts ever!

It's the t-shirt you never want to leave on vacation. It's the t-shirt you'll

never lend to your daughter (give mine back Susie!).

Won and Anitra put the cool in them,

and Alex put the fashonista in them!

Thank god it's almost t-shirt season!

Alejandra feeling at home on the paper runway

Alex and Won contemplating next shot

Photographing Marianne, but he wants to shoot me.

That's our magic Won!

Teamwork

It's Christmas time which means we're a little crazier than normal.
Here's a glimpse into holiday 2013 at Fishs Eddy!

A COMPETITIVE EDGE!
Right before Thanksgiving Kelly held a competition with the staff to get rid of the slow-moving
Gobble Gobble Gravy Boats.

Hey guys, whoever sells the most gravy boats gets a gift certificate and its not from Fishs Eddy! said Kelly

Mary never got the memo about the Gobble Gobble Gravy Boat Competition so Competitive Courtney was able to talk Mary into buying a gravy boat for herself, hence winning the gift-certificate. Congratulations Courtney!

Team work!

Competitive Candice wins Kelly's retail bingo competition

Personally, I think Jen over-ordered the gravy boats. Jen claims that the gravy boat was a
dog…with a turkey on it.

Jen not amused.

HAPPY SHINY PEOPLE!
This year we're selling some fun holiday ornaments. Jen and I were excited to find one with a cupcake on a little red thistle cake stand because we actually sell that red thistle cake stand... although Ian had a panic attack cleaning up all the glitter that came off the fake icing.

This is NOT in my job description said Ian.
Fear of glitter was NOT on your application said Kelly.


Ian is happily merried AND happily married!

NEW MUG SHOTS!
With new faces up in the office Jen seems to be the go-to person for help on Fishs Eddy systems.

Welcome Marianne & Linda!

Jen how do I access available inventory of the dog glasses said Marianne.
Jen how do I create a new SKU for the gift boxes said Linda.
Jen how do I zoom in on an item to check inventory status said Mary.
Jen how do I process damages in inventory said Manny.
Jen I'm grabbing lunch should I get the quinoa and tuna salad or roasted tomato soup said I.

Still not amused.

WE DO WINDOWS!
Holiday windows were a challenge this year. We had great difficulty getting Ted Cruz and Rand Paul to cooperate for a tea party photograph so we had to resort to cutting and pasting their heads. The Queen of England and DeBlasio weren't taking our calls either. Despite no call backs Won and Anitra managed to pull off the BEST holiday windows ever!

Won and Anitra took the cutting and pasting of heads personally

ROOM CHANGER!
The other night at Justine's insistence she and I re-merchandised the entire CHEAP CHINA room in the back of the store. There we were, just me and Justine, summing up the laborious job ahead of us.

Me: Hey Justine, you and I can make magic happen back here in this CHEAP CHINA room. Wuh-do-ya say we move all the dishes around to make space for the vintage crates? Customers love them so.

Justine: When did I say I wanted to make magic happen?

HATS OFF!
At Christmas time everyone is wearing a million hats… well, almost everyone.

Me: Hey Steffan, are you cool with power tools cuz I reeeaally need help drilling into this cabinet
puh-leeese???

Steffan: That’s a power tool. You do know I'm a homosexual don't you?

So, Thanksgiving 2013 has come and gone...wish we could say that about the gravy boats. As the days get crazier we’re admittedly a little crankier, a little sillier and a little more insane. We’re gift-wrapping more, we’re restocking more, we’re hauling more and we’re on each other’s nerves more.

We? said Jen after proof reading this blog post.

But most importantly… we’re there for each other more.

Way more.