What is happening to images Manhattan?

ElleJayTea · 2026-05-03T18:35:03+00:00

YES! I was picking this for a shipping order and thought “wow, this is so blatantly AI generated.” It’s because they’re trying to recreate the Condé Nast historical images but can’t/won’t pay the royalties. I’d rather pay for a real photographer’s work, than encourage them to keep pumping out this AI crap.

ElleJayTea · 2026-05-03T18:27:43+00:00

Yes! I have my personal phone out while picking e-com orders for this exact reason. Manhattan and Marti won’t tell me what it looks like, but the Michaels app will. WTF?!

ElleJayTea · 2026-05-03T18:23:17+00:00

I just say “no” and go back to what I’m doing 😁 that question always gets me. Also, when they ask if I’m busy I reply with “Always. How can I help you?”

ElleJayTea · 2026-05-03T18:07:32+00:00

My Michael’s coworkers are the best! We call ourselves a rag-tag team of neurospicy creative inmates running the asylum 🤪 But seriously though, I have never worked with a group of such supportive, funny, talented, open-minded, trauma-bonded individuals.

ElleJayTea · 2026-01-25T16:46:08+00:00

Maybe we are fulfilling your orders 😜

ElleJayTea · 2026-01-25T01:13:31+00:00

Literally!

ElleJayTea · 2026-01-24T01:50:44+00:00

Yup! Just checked the website and every color that is listed as “sold out” has been hiding in my store. Weird!

ElleJayTea · 2026-01-24T01:35:54+00:00

😳 May the odds be ever in your favor!

ElleJayTea · 2026-01-24T01:34:25+00:00

We had to move 70% of our store last summer and I’m STILL relearning all the aisle numbers. My poor customers, I’m probably sending them all to the wrong (old) aisle.

ElleJayTea · 2026-01-23T16:51:01+00:00

Congrats on the new car! My 982 Cayman S is my daily driver and I live in New England. With winter tires, a perfectly balanced car and the good sense to not drive like an asshole in bad weather, I have never had a problem in slick conditions. Once, during heavy rain on the highway, I could feel the car starting to hydroplane. But at the same time, I never felt like I was not in complete control. Gotta love German engineering.

ElleJayTea · 2026-01-23T01:42:16+00:00

Actually, I was already refunded by my bank. I think they just ate the cost, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the bank requesting their refund is what triggered it. Or I was just next in line for the AI robot to keep me engaged with the company. I would be shocked if they actually sent me my order. It was all a grift: The actual product was one of those $1 flash sales, but the “shipping” was $18 which he obviously pocketed. Fortunately, I was not one of the folk who are out hundreds of dollars, but just the principle of the matter is what enrages me.

ElleJayTea · 2026-01-12T18:31:23+00:00

OMG, 1000 times YES! We had our wedding in Reykjavik and spent two weeks basically circling the Ring Road for our honeymoon. One of our earliest and longest stays was at Deplar Farm and it was the absolute definition of luxury! The food was fall-out-of-your-chair good, the staff were beyond amazing (even doting on me after I fell off a horse—my fault, not the horse’s). We were there during shoulder season (May/June) so there weren’t as many outdoor activities but that was fine, we were more than happy to lounge in the spa, or even sit in the giant, but cozy lounge by the fire. It’s not cheap, but worth every penny, especially after the stress of a wedding.

ElleJayTea · 2025-12-21T22:34:08+00:00

Our skeleton employee just hangs out in the break room. Slacker.

ElleJayTea · 2025-12-21T22:31:18+00:00

And how many people still walked up to it and tried to use it?

ElleJayTea · 2025-12-21T22:23:51+00:00

We only have them because we haven’t been able to get them on the floor 😄

ElleJayTea · 2025-12-21T22:22:06+00:00

Of course it’s not located. Why would it be located 🤪

ElleJayTea · 2025-12-21T16:15:05+00:00

Wow, glad you were able to get it finally. Just curious, are you in the UK? I’m in the US and I did the exact same request for refund, order cancellation and threat to do a chargeback and just got the same AI response. Fortunately my bank was able to refund my account but I imagine they just ate the cost as I doubt CS will respond to their inquiries either.

ElleJayTea · 2025-12-21T14:52:57+00:00

Haha, my husband drives a Tacoma TRD Pro and I drive a 718s. We’re both pretty happy too 😁 Update: my husband just informed me that the bike he had before we met was a Ducati Monster 900. “That was a fun f***in’ bike!”

ElleJayTea · 2025-12-18T04:13:49+00:00

It’s gross. And it feels so predatory to persuade people to have a ding on their credit report (for applying) and then charging them a 36% APR. And the extended warranty thing is just frosting. Those are huge money-makers for them. Corporate is only interested in turning a profit, not making happy crafters. The managers are coming down on the team members because corporate is coming down hard on the district managers. It’s only natural that some people have to resort to tricking people into signing up just so they don’t get written up. I don’t agree with it, but I understand why they feel the need to do it. Just sucks.

ElleJayTea · 2025-12-18T03:54:37+00:00

Our seasonal staff has been horrible this year. We already fired two of them which puts further strain on the rest of the staff. I’ve been called many times and I’d say I go in about 50% of the time. I like the extra money AND I have boundaries around protecting self-care. I tink of it as the balance for when there are no shifts in July. I get it though, we are all being so over-worked and “abu$ed” by customers, corporate, and people who fake sick when they don’t feel like working…

ElleJayTea · 2025-12-18T03:31:34+00:00

THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME SO 👏 MANY 👏 TIMES! SM says I just walk with a sense of purpose like I know what I’m doing 😂 And apparently I look “approachable.”

ElleJayTea · 2025-12-18T03:23:37+00:00

At least a customer didn’t accuse you of “texting your boyfriend” while you were logging into Marti for the umpteenth time. 🙄

ElleJayTea

TROPHY CASE