The more things change...

EAGLE RIVER — Picture This gift shop in Eagle River is changing ownership, but you’d never know it. Its manager of seventeen years, Michelle Haynes, is taking full reins come this January from longtime friend and owner, Dennis Johnson, who also owns Jitters coffee shop next door.

The first question people ask after hearing that Picture This will be under new ownership is “Will the indoor walk-way between them remain open?” Yes, it will, because it’s beneficial to both said Dennis. Besides Michelle and Dennis are good friends since their days at Homestead Elementary, where he was the teacher and she the student.

Michelle began her retail experience, before graduating from Chugiak High in 1983, at North Country Jeans, then at Neighborhood Video. After graduating UAF with a degree in business management, she worked as a retail manager for Jay Jacobs for eight years, then for Eddie Bauer for five.

When Dennis needed a new manager – as he put it – his hobby “went astray,” he recruited Michelle by telling her that she could cut out her commute back and forth to Anchorage.

Dennis and partner, Jim Starry, started Picture This in a sixteen-foot wide space, when he took to framing up his wildlife photography as a sideline to teaching. Over the years, when most galleries failed to survive, his morphed and expanded into a thriving gift shop, a lot in part to Michelle’s managerial expertise.

Dennis recalled the day Picture This opened in 1984. As he characterized it, that was when Eagle River felt like “a morgue” during the day, as everyone went shopping in Anchorage and the parking lot for Eagle River plaza remained empty.

He described that first day, “A huge group of friends came marching down the parking lot, blowing kazoos, carrying a big sheet cake and a box of wine. That was our surprise grand opening event.”

Ten years passed before he opened Jitters next door and created a popular adjoining walkway between the two establishments. Since then, Jitters is now a veritable town center where every social gossip, family story, school assignment, club project, political viewpoint, and lover’s conversation has at one time or another been discussed over a latte.

Dennis will keep Jitters, now run in partnership by his daughters Briana and Shanda.

He likes the idea of being able to focus on just one business and, of course, to have more time to expand his already lofty fly-fishing goals.

Michelle will assume the ownership of Picture This in January, with no major changes to make but for some cosmetic ones. She likes the idea of ownership, and her magical selection of gifts and items will continue to fascinate shoppers.

Walking into her – soon-to-be all her’s – store at this time of year, you enter a Christmas wonderland, with hanging tree boughs and shining elf glitter.

One of her customers remarked that she wanted to spend Christmas Day at the shop because it was so beautiful and inspiring.

If you remember anything about Picture This: they love holidays, especially during Christmas, when they put “a decorative exclamation mark” on their entire store, from their stocking-stuffed window displays to their joy-packed shelves.

On December 15th, they will be having their annual Christmas event called “Loyal Shopper Day” with deep discounts for their best customers.

Dennis Johnson said the ownership transition is smooth but doesn’t come without mixed feelings. Building this “little baby into a monstrosity of sorts with the two businesses” over these past 33 years comes with gratitude to the community for their support. He’s made friends, attended weddings and funerals, and became like family to so many.

The connection zone between Jitters and Picture This, however, will not be changing. Customers will still be able to walk between them carrying their hot latte.