KY recently raffled off a very nice hand-made entertainment center. Our very own Terry Stone crafted this fine piece of furniture out of solid ash with black walnut accents. The chances were $2 each or 6 for $10. All the proceeds went to our Zinney Jar Fund for charity. We raised $250!!! These funds are distributed to a local charity voted on by our team members here at the Fulfillment Center. In a strange, yet almost predictable, twist of fate Mike B was the lucky one that had his name drawn from the box. Thanks to all of those that bought chances and a big shout out to Terry for making and donating this wonderful item!



If you have a talent such as Terry’s and would like to donate an item to raffle for charity, please contact Stefanie Walls at swalls@zappos.com.

Blog Written by Stefanie W.

Hey My Go-Greeners! Today I must say I was very sad, and maybe a little furious when going into the lunchroom to rinse my mug out this morning.

Did you know that we as Zapponians are not taking being wasteful seriously? Sometimes I see employees take as many as Five styrofoam bowls in a sitting for their lunch break. There are so many ways that we as Zapponians can do our part to help Zappos as a company and the environment just by paying a little more attention to the waste we produce.

For example, if we brought in our own utensils such as bowls, forks, plates, mugs, etc., we would cut down dramatically on the wastes we produce as a company.

If one employee used 3 bowls a day (one for breakfast, maybe soup for lunch, and salad bowl for a snack) that would add up to 1095 bowls a year. If one employee used 2 styrofoam cups a day for coffee, that adds up to 730 cups a year.

Lets say 20 employees followed this trend of using 3 styrofoam bowls a day and 2 Styrofoam cups a day that would add up to 36,500 styrofoam utensils for the year. (and Zappos has over 300 employees)

So the Green Tip today is for employees, both a part and not a part of Zappos, to bring in their own reusable utensils, bowls and plates. Now if that's not going to happen, than at least try to use the same utensils and plates, etc. throughout your day, that way you're cutting back from 5 to 1 a day.

STAY GREEN, YO!!!

The Imaging team in KY is always trying to come up with ways to make the day even more fun than it already is! So with all of our Photoshop skills, I decided to start having Photoshop Challenges. The first one was in October and had a Halloween theme. We had such a great response that I decided to do another one this month for Christmas. I give the Imaging team and a few fellow Photo folks 2-3 days to make an 11” x 17’’ poster using 10 out of 20 images that I provide them, only using Photoshop and having at least one word of text. Then I have 10-12 random Photo team members pick their favorite design and the winner gets 100 Zollars and their poster printed for all to see. These challenges help us keep up on our skills and give us a creative way to showcase our talents and believe me we have a lot of them. Check out our December Photoshop Challenge winner below!



Photoshop Challenge Winner is Lisa M.

Written By Erin R.

Those crazy kids! See what Alesha G., from the kids team keeps on her desk.

On December 19, the nice people at Books are Fun brought in a book fair for the Zappos employees to enjoy! The prices were first rate, and they had every kind of book genre imaginable!

Fiction and Non-fiction, cooking, history, comedy, kids....it was all there! Thoughout the afternoon Zapponians came and went, purchasing what probably ended being Christmas presents for friends or family, and at great prices.

Thanks again, Book are Fun! And we love your name! :)

Lets just say that Lindsay R. is much better at buying outdoor apparel than she is at keeping herself in one piece. And for that my friends, is one of the many reasons as to why she is today's honorary Zapponian of the Day.

It was many a moon ago when this creature first entered our lives. Spongebob was won by a young man named Andy K., for a fine gentleman that goes by the name of Brian K. It was shortly after the company moved to Las Vegas, and a few of us went on one of the first of hundreds of outings in the Vegas area.

We decided that our first time out together should be spent at the rotating bar in the Circus Circus casino, where there are many rides and carnival games that go along with the theme of the establishment. Brian, whose throwing arm is...let's say...less than spectacular*, commissioned Andy to win this enormous Spongebob stuffed animal that he had taken a liking to. He didn't really expect to get the prize, as he had no faith in the might of Andy's Tommy John-like throwing arm.

After Andy landed the yellow beast, Brian was so excited, that it didn't occur to him that he drove a small Jeep Wrangler. His ride home was a long adventure full of strange glares and nervous feelings over the fear of Spongebob flying out onto the desert night. We hope Mr. K did not scare anyone into an accident, but this deed was a necessary one indeed.

Over the years, Spongebob has hiberated in the depths of the former office of Lisa V., but, as I ventured through the legal department this week, a large yellow mass caught my eye. Spongebob is back in our lives, and I shall not let him out of my sight again.


*editorial note

Here at zappos, we have a tradition, when someone replies to all, we take their picture, make some noise and write a blog about it! It's one of the ways that we create a positive team & family spirit, as well as create fun & weirdness. In the holiday shuffle today, Mahvash accidentally hit a button that would seal her fate, she replied to all, and not just to a few people, she replied to the whole Las Vegas team!! So in true Zappos fashion, we made some noise and took her picture. Thanks for being a good sport, Mahvash!

This week we are putting the spotlight on our very own Anne Fedel, or Annie as she's known among the Help Desk crew.

Annie comes to Las Vegas via San Diego, but she's called our fair city home for about 15 years now. Annie is an avid clarinet player and also plays poker, one of her dreams is to someday compete in The World Series Of Poker. I think that bracelet would look awesome on her! She is an only child and like this blogger, can claim that they are total daddy's girls.: )

She's been happily married to her husband Derek for almost three years. Anne is one of the few locals who loves going to the strip :) She has her bachelors degree in psychology so don't get offended if she tries to psycho-analyze you! And like yours truly, she is obsessed with Twilight! You can find Annie delivering the mail on Fridays and when you do, give her a big hello!

Our CEO, Tony Hsieh, appeared on Fox News to talk about Zappos.com's successful holiday season!

Fred M. and Tony H. spent the afternoon on Christmas Eve spreading some Christmas cheer throughout the office, as you can see below. They handed out candy canes to employees in both buildings. Thank you, T and F!

Zappos photo department made the FC a bit cleaner and safer last week with a little friendly competition. Both A and B shifts challenged each other to see who could collect the most bands lying around that have come off the shoe boxes. These bands are found floating around everywhere and are very easily tangled and slipped on, it only takes a second to pick one up as you travel through the warehouse. The photo team members collected enough bands to fill two large trash bags in one week!!

Congrats to the winning team members!!!

April Brian LeAnn Lynn Michelle I. Pam Sandy Stephanie Teralane Tonya & Tracy

Written by: Amy M.

Zappos would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday from everyone here in Nevada and all of our team members in Kentucky. Thanks for making 2008 a success for our company, and, from the Zappos family to yours, we want to wish you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Every Christmas, Zappos does something very great for the employees; it buys a customized product from one of our vendors for each employee!

Last year was a fleece, the year before, a LapTop bag. And this year, we think that our wonderful company might have outdone themselves. Take a look below!

Thank you so much, Zappos!

Our CFO/COO, Alfred L., was asked by UPS to spend a day doing the job of a UPS Delivery Worker, and he gladly obliged!

On the last Friday before Christmas, if you live in the Southern Highlands part of Las Vegas, and you had a package delivered by UPS, there is a good chance that Alfred was the one that dropped off your package.

And, since this was a long, hard day of work, Alfred decided to take a dip in a customer's pool at the end of the day to relax. But relaxing is hard when it's 40 degrees outside....don't try this at home, kids.

We captured it all on video...enjoy! Alfred, take it away..........

Hey Green Bloggers! Now I know I have been slacking on the green tips, but I'm back in effect and will loyally try to green blog Tues and Thurs! So, it's the holiday season and probably one of the months where Americans consume the most waste. I can't tell you how many goodies we have circling the office and moving straight to my thighs!!!

Aside from the Holiday cheer that surrounds us this season , we still need to be conscious about the environment.

Green Tip of the Day: Recycle your Trees (Yes, it can be done)

According to my handy dandy green book, if just ten percent of families purchased a natural tree over a artificial one, 44 million pounds of non recyclable materials could be conserved and diverted from landfills.

Real trees provide environmental benefits, as they grow and can be recycled after the new year.

Earth911 is a popular site if you need to find the best recycling centers near you! Please try to recycle this year, you'll find it's easy and a gift that keeps on giving!!

STAY GREEN YO!!

Our marketing department decided that they would like to try their hands at building the Gingerbread houses of their dreams, and the results were quite breathtaking, I must say.

The contest was very competitive, and they had some special rules that allowed for the creativity to flow free. Darrin S, marketing genius, volunteered his garage as a spare parts warehouse, and each gingerbread house had to have a piece of junk used in a creative way. In true Las Vegas fashion, the winning entry was a gingerbread slot-machine, created by Holly and Darrin, with the runner up being a Gingerbread Picasso, from Mig and Christa.

Good job, you marketing geniuses! I was going to get a quote from the winner, but Darrin is actually at home with he and his wife's brand new baby boy! Congrats, Darrin!

At Zappos.com, many traditions have stayed with us through the years, and the one big Christmas tradition has been the admiration that we all have for ugly Christmas sweaters. Or lack of admiration, not sure which is more accurate. It started many a year ago with a party in which everyone was expected to attend wearing the ugliest Christmas sweater that their local thrift shop had on the racks. And over the years, man, there have been some bad ones. This year is no exception.

Take a look below.

Continuing on with our December drive for the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, this past week and on Monday were were selling stuffed reindeer grams at the front desk of the 2280 and 2290 buildings.

The stuffed reindeer and grams were sold for $2 each or 3 for $5 and will be delivered on Tuesday 12/23 to very lucky Zapponians. Hurry…..while supplies last. All proceeds will go to the NCCF.

It's the simple things in life that Zapponians really go crazy over. Take the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese dinosaur bowl that the 2280 Help Desk so generously handed out to all who would like one, and a Toothbrush from 1-800-DENTIST, for example. They were a hit! In fact, you're not cool around here unless you have a Macaroni and Cheese bowl and a Toothbrush on hand.

What can I say, we love office swag around here!

Is his desk space larger than all the others, or does Cameron G., on the Casual Lifestyle team, just have a talent for piling random things on top of it?

Really Cameron, one week old food!?!

The Photo department decided that we wanted to share some Christmas cheer last week. We decorated Christmas cards and delivered them to our fellow team members in other departments. Not only did we deliver cards but we delivered the sound of our BEAUTIFUL singing voices. YES we sang Christmas carols and it was AWESOME.

So maybe some of us don't have the best voices (like myself) but we rocked it! Our song list included Jingle Bells, Rudolph, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and Frosty the Snowman. We started our journey with HR and finished with picking. We received smiles and laughter, and I think we may have scared a few people! Happy Holidays Everyone!

Written by Katie B.

Erin H., office assistant for the athletic performance team, sure is a good sport for putting up with us. If she can survive this interview, than by gollie, she can survive anything!

Dooney and Bourke, one of our premier handbag brands, sent us this lovely chocolate chip bunt cake to celebrate the holidays! How did they know bundts are the way to our "handbag girl" Brooke J's heart?

Dooney and Bourke was founded in 1975. After 33 years it is still going strong. Check out some of the rich leathers and whimsical coated cotton bags on Zappos.com!

Yesterday, Las Vegas was hit with a whole lotta snow! As a company, all Zapponians were in a state of complete snow-shock. For many, this might have been their first time to see snowfall of this magnitude, especially for the West-Coasters. There were many a snowball fight and a whole lot of snowmen being built. Our very own Matt W. (resident cinematographer) documented the madness that was the Great Las Vegas Blizzard of 2008 at Zappos Headquarters.

Enjoy!

In the spirit of giving that this season brings to life, Zappos sold raffle tickets to employees, which dropped their name into the running for winning prizes donated by vendors and our Merchandising Department all through this December. All proceeds were donated to the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. But, some prizes were so special, that they needed to be given away in a silent auction.

There were many fine items up for auction, and here are some highlights of the items sold:

• Performance Gamer Chair-donated by the electronics department
• Two Umbrellas, Autographed and Donated by Rhianna herself
• 1 Night Stay At The Wyndham
• 1 Autographed Wilson Football Signed By Eric Wright Of The San Francisco 49ers

Oh yes, nothing is more awkward than being stuck under the mistletoe accidentally with a not-so-familiar coworker. True, we're a very open and friendly bunch here at Zappos, but there are a select few that I may actually feel comfortable being stuck under the mistletoe with.

However, the beauty behind the mistletoe is that everybody doesn't know that it's there. So, if you're sly enough, you could use this to your advantage. Go on and trap someone you've always admired under the mistletoe. And before you say "nah, she'll never fall for that," remember, it's all in good Holiday fun, they'll always kiss back (just maybe not in the way you would have it in your own personal movie).

Now when most people think of Las Vegas they thing of unbearably hot days, by a pool with a big frozen cocktail in your hand. Rarely do people associate Vegas with snow. Well, you will now, because it is seriously snowing here in good ol' Las Vegas / Henderson, Nevada.

True story. I know it may sound hard to believe, but we have pictures to prove it. We can't make a snow man just yet, but if the snow keeps coming down the way it is, then we'll be throwing snow balls at each other by morning.

This holiday season Zappos teamed up with the Bullitt County Family Resource Centers to help some families holiday wishes come true! We put up a Christmas tree in the break room area and the first day with 60 ornaments on the tree. Each ornament contained the child's clothing size and two desired toys. Less than 24 hours later the tree was practically empty! Stefanie W.(Our awesome Super Solutions Supervisor) had to call the resource center for more wish lists!!

The Family Resource Centers are grant funded agencies within the school system that assists families with a variety of needs, as well as bring great programming opportunities to our students and families. The families served by the resource centers fall at or below the state's defined poverty level. Last year, over 600 children participated in the wish list programs in Bullitt County.

I'm very proud to say that Zappos employees helped 86 children have a great Christmas this year! Approximately 70 kids were helped by Zappos employees Directly! The remaining kids were taken care of by the money we raised from the sale of our left over fleece jackets!

The resource centers have expressed sincere gratitude towards Zappos employees for their assistance this year! With rough times, and just being the holiday season in general, it makes me so proud that so many employees participated in this program. Way to go Kentucky FC Employees!!



Thanks to Stefanie W. for helping with information for this blog.

The casual lifestyle merch and content team had a gingerbread house showdown in the spirit of Zappos core value #3 (create fun and a little weirdness) and #7 (build a positive team and family spirit) last Friday. Four teams participated: size and width, comfort/euro, casual content, and apparel/housewares. Each team had a gingerbread house and could add any item to the creation as long as it was edible. We had until 3 pm to complete our gingerbread houses. I work on the casual content team and our house (a.k.a. the masterpiece) was a three hour labor of love that involved a lot of eating and messy fingers. I have concluded that gingerbread houses are not ideal for consumption as there is a fair amount of spit and elbow grease from the assemblers included in the house. Pics above of the four completed houses (casual content masterpiece included):

Size and width presented their interpretation of a gingerbread house post- earthquake, comfort and euro created A Wizard of Oz house, casual content delivered an original work of art entitled, "The Night the Worms Ate Christmas", and apparel/housewares produced an homage to the trailer park complete with a SunChips "tin roof" and tire pile.
Our comfort business unit judged the houses and delivered their verdict at our category holiday party that evening. And the winners are:

4th place - size and width
3rd place - comfort/euro
2nd place - casual content (ROBBED!)
1st place - apparel/housewares

Obviously I feel my team had the best gingerbread house and I'm sure you do too; however, the shock value of the gingerbread double wide was impossible to defeat. Can't wait until next year!

Happy Holidays,
Danielle T.

On Friday December 12th, B shift photo department had a secret Santa/Holiday bash!! It was my first Christmas party with the Zappos team. It was also our last night of a full B shift team before our schedule change the following Monday.

We put our own names in a bag and drew someone else's name out to get them up to a $10.00 gift. Most everyone brought in yummy food and / or gifts. It was a lot of fun and tummy filling! There were lots of laughs, hugs and smiles. It was very special to me to have the great opportunity to party with the TM's that are going to a different shift and the TM's that I still work with on the new B shift. I feel that I've gotten close to many Zappos employees and I feel very grateful to have these people in my everyday work day and life. One thing that separates Zappos from other companies is the family atmosphere and culture. We all smile, hug, cry, walk, eat, talk and work together. I can truly say that I love coming into work and I love Zappos.

Since I've been employed here ( since August ) I've been blown away by all the fun interactive games, parties, team building and much more. I love the culture of this company compared to most, actually, there is no company that compares to this wonderful place! Zappos Rocks! In a given work day here at Zappos we work hard, play hard and laugh hard.

The Secret Santa party this past Friday was very special to all that attended. At one point in the night I took a step back to observe everyone having a good time. I looked around and everyone was giving compliments on the great food and thanks for the gifts received. It truly made me smile and I thought to myself I hope that I will have this job for along time to come.



Thank you all for the great time Friday and I look forward to the next party and great quality time with all of you.

Written by: Michele K.

Zappos wouldn't be Zappos without our exceptional Customer Loyalty Department. What can we say, they make us look good! So in the spirit of the Holidays, our Casual Lifestyle department made 400 gift bags full of toys for our hard working members in CLT.

Happy Holidays CLT!

The Zappos Culture Class really is hitting our culture by storm!

The newest campaign in the Zappos culture is brought to you by The Committee for Cell-Free Hallways, asking us all to put down our cell phones in the hallways and "just say hi" to our fellow coworkers.

With a little bit of hard work, promo posters, throwing hard objects at those who are using their cell phones in the hallway, and cell phone policing the hallways 24/7, and with the use of loud sirens I think they just might be able to pull this culture movement off.

As I'm sure most of you have noticed by now, we love parades here at Zappos. In fact, we make up reasons just to parade around the office during our normal working hours. And even though we may not be as fancy as Macy's is with their Holiday parades, we still give them our best shot, and like always - do more with less.

In Honor of the Christmas Holiday that is so nearly approaching, the Performance team decided to create their own festive parade complete with passing out candy canes to co=workers and Santa.

One of the joys about working at Zappos is the freedom to be ourselves through our own personal style. Style shouts! Individuals identify themselves through their personal style. Taking the chaos out of the closet and using clothing as a celebration to create personal mythology or legend is something I have been fascinated by.

What is someone trying to say through their style?

Join me in the discovery. Each week I will take an employee from Zappos and find out their personal psychology through their favorite outfits.

Today we study the mythology of Casey L. : Assistant Buyer 3 for Cosmetics at Zappos.com.



How would you define your look?
Classic and not too complicated .

What inspires your style?
Whatever is clean and hanging in my closet.

Who is your favorite designer?
Hmmm… I’m a cosmetic chic so MAC, Stila, Lancome… but if I have to choose for apparel I’d say Marc Jacobs or BCBG.

What fashion item would you never leave the house without?
I wouldn’t really have a great answer to that… Always have the classic diamond stud earrings, lip gloss and mascara.

Who are your fashion/style icons?
Claire and Terra, they always looks great!

What are your favorite labels?
Whatever fits the best!

Matte or gloss?
Gloss, the little extra shimmer can never hurt anyone!

How would you define your mythology that you portray through your style?
If it take more than 30-45 minutes to get ready I don’t want to deal with it, but it’s alright if it looks like you take longer!

What is your favorite decade for style?
This one, it combines them all!

What is your favorite fabric?
Denim, it always works.

Which watch?
Isn’t telling time that what my blackberry is for?

What brand of denim do you prefer?
7 for all mankind and Marc Jacobs, Chip and Pepper sometimes too!

What is your favorite color?
Green year-round and red in the fall.

What item do you allow yourself to splurge on?
Good wine, jeans that fit.

What is your favorite perfume ?
Marc Jacobs and Euphoria by Calvin Klein… it’s a toss up.

What scent do you prefer for a man?
Easy choice… Bulgari Aqua and John Varvatos.

Liquid or bar soap?
Liquid, it’s more moisturizing.

If you were in a time crunch and could only apply lipstick, mascara, blush, or eye shadow which would it be?
Mascara.

Which bag?
I know I need to update soon, but Coach for now.

Sunglasses?
Marc Jacobs or Gucci.

Smoky eyes or bright lips?
Smoky Eyes.

What are your fashion rules?
I don’t have any really.

Man bags or man jewelry?
Man bags.

What gift set is amazing for a Christmas present?
Anything fragrance, it’s usually the price of spray so the rest is all bonus!

Kevin Aucoin or Bobbi Brown?
Bobbi Brown.

Any tips on how to stay looking young?
Wash you face and use a moisturizer… Especially if it has an SPF.

Would set foot in a thrift store?
Yes, but not without backup.

What is the best thing you’ve ever found at a thrift store?
In college, we lived there for theme parties so there are too many outfits to choose from.

What is the most you’ve ever spent on fashion and for what item?
Honestly, not enough to mention.

The Ugg Semi-Annual Ugg sample sale is going on TODAY in the 2280 building! Working for Zappos has so many perks, and buying a new pair of Uggs for $30 or less is definitely one of them. Our wonderful Ugg rep., Miles O., sure knows how to take care of us! The only bummer is that they're all sample sizes (men's 9 and women's 7). But if the shoe fits for you or someone you know, buy it!

You'll never see Uggs priced like this again, that's for sure.

Here it is, the story behind the "reply to all hat" as told by Anne F.

"Last week, Donavon came to me and told me we needed to get a new “reply to all” hat, because when Tony randomly Twittered about taking someone’s picture with our previous hat, he received more replies than any other Tweet. So, since it became so popular, we thought we needed a better hat to go along with the motto. My manager told me that we wanted something along the lines of showgirl or Johnny Carson Carnak Turban; just really out there.

I pretty much got the same response from all of them: you can only buy, they have to custom-make it, and are really expensive. Then I came to yet another costume place called Independent Costume. So, I called, expecting the same reaction as the rest of the other shops. A lady by the name of Jan Jewett answered the phone and she instantly seemed to know the meaning of great customer service. I explained to her what we were looking for and she proceeded to tell me that they also only do custom-made for rental. Then she asked me how much were looking to spend and I told her under $100. She laughed, not sarcastically, but because she knew I didn’t know how much this stuff runs. She said she had a couple different hats that she would be willing to part with for about $150, because they were used in the original Rio Parade and can’t be used anymore. I told her to send me some pictures to show my manager before we make our decision.

Donavon and Jerry saw the picture of the hat and loved it, so we decided to take a trip down to the shop to pick up the hat and see it in person. When we ventured inside, we were blown away! There were costumes, fabric, beading, headdresses etc. everywhere. It was awesome! They do costumes for Cher, Bette Midler, Danny Gans, EFX, Dancing with the Stars and tons more. There was one guy who was putting rhinestones on a jacket, one by one, and they were tiny. Needless to say, this was a pretty rockin’ place. So we bought the hat, brought it back and had our first victim within 15 minutes."

The Dansko Santa's coming to town. That's right, he made his list, he checked it twice and he brought goodies to his team that is both naughty and nice.

Our Dansko Rep Steve P. wanted to show the Zappos Dansko team how much he appreciates them by bringing good tidings of their favorite alcohol via. the converted Dansko Flyer!

Thanks Steve, we love our vendors!

On 12/9/08, the Photo Dept. had their 1st Annual Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament. It was a long, tough journey through the brackets to determine the winner. Weird hand gestures were made, sore hands abounded. But in the end, the true Champion was decided. Shane R. took home the trophy as the Rock, Paper, Scissors Champ. This day will go down forever in history. Long live the Champ!



Written by Tracy P. / Photos by Katie B.

If you were to call our Customer Loyalty Team this Holiday season, and for whatever reason, be placed on hold, you would be graced with the amazing vocals of the Zappettes singing familiar and not-so familiar songs of the season.

Our harmonious trio put their heads together in order to make a holiday song specific to Zappos.com, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as we do.

Ready ladies, hit it!

Hello fellow Zapponians. It's Friday! And you know what that means, (and no I'm not talking about the copious amount of happy hours most of us will be attending tonight) Rosalind S. made her Zappos famous homemade cupcakes!!! Which is MUCH better than $2 off draft beer.

Come and get 'em while you still can!

Happy Friday! Today started out very Happy as we started off the morning with a very special Happy Birthday Jingle to our CEO presented by our very own in house Trio, the Zappettes! This may have been their biggest gig yet! The Zappettes have been delivering sing-o-grams non-stop for all occasions. Not only are they talented and beautiful, but very humble and generous...all proceeds gained go to the Zappos charity of the month. What a way to start your special day, Have the best birthday ever, Tony!

Maybe you've worked in a retail situation before where you had to hear Christmas music on a loop for two months. Maybe you are a Christmas nut and listen to it in the shower, at work, in the car, lunchtime, bed time, nap time.....either way, we all have an opinion about the tunes that hop on the radio waves and the department store speakers the day after Thanksgiving, and we explored the opinions that fill the halls of Zappos.

For better or worse, here you go: )

We love to have fun at Zappos, and sometimes it's at the expense of others :) We have a special new way of recognizing those that reply to all. We now honor that person with a parade and an awesome hat!

Yesterday, our very own Cathy T. made that error and with a quick click of her mouse, replied to all. So today we busted out the new hat, the noisemakers and the Zapponians and honored her with a parade! Cathy was a good sport about wearing the hat and participating in the parade, thanks Cathy for helping to create fun and a little weirdness!

In the age of email, getting a handwritten note is so exciting. Nothing beats knowing that someone took the time to hand write (and possibly color) a note to show that they care. Right now, for the price of two Zollars (so, pretty much free) you can send Candy Cane Grams to someone you appreciate inside the Zappos Headquarters.

Oh yes, 'tis the season to show a Zappos co-worker how much you care by making them a candy cane gram. The beauty behind these little notes of joy is that they don't get passed out by you, so they can remain completely anonymous if you so desire.

So spread the love this Holiday season and send your friends and office crushes a candy cane gram.

There really is a rhyme and reason as to why Terry I., Assistant Buyer 2 in Casual Lifestyles, has the things that he has on his desk, and that's the scary part.

Sooo.... Today I carpooled!! And honestly, it felt goooooood. Carpooling is something that I think we take for granted. Facts show that carpooling cuts down on carbon emissions, even by choosing to carpool once a week!

1 car = half the gas

OFFICE CARPOOL ANYONE??

GREEN TIP: SAVE GAS AND MONEY

Did you know that by keeping up with car maintenance can save you both gas and money? ...... YES WAY! According to Green Hacks, you can lose 1/2 mpg if your tires are not at their maximum pressure and keeping your oil changed when needed can give you 20 more mpg!

That's definitely going GREEN! STAY GREEN YO!!!!

The Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation Toy Drive is in high gear here at Zappos. The Holidays, more so than any other time of year, is a time of giving, and I really can't think of a better way to show Holiday spirit than by giving a gift to a child in need.

Last year, the toys Zappos employees brought in went far beyond the holiday season. While many of the toys were used to supplement Christmas for these children, many more toys were used in the treasure chests at local hospitals throughout the year. These treasure chests give children the opportunity to pick out a toy prior to an often scary procedure. The toys give the children comfort and help to take their minds off of the life threatening battle they are facing.

Make a child smile this season, buy a toy, big or small, and place it in the bin by the Help Desk in both our 2280 and 2290 building.

It takes a lot of hard work, determination and creativity in order to keep the Zappos culture alive and well. We're seeing a lot of new culture trends going on at the office and I love it! Today's new trend is the "Totally Awesome Sandwich Board" in the lunch room.

Here's how it works:
Are you a Captain Crunch, Pixie Stick sandwich kind of person? Do you wish everyone at Zappos could see your fabulous creation and make it themselves?!? Well then you are in luck! Starting this week you can submit your funky, creative sandwiches in the lunchroom next to our totally awesome sandwich board!! Yours could be selected as the sandwich of the week and be displayed for all to see.... and make!! Just fill out a slip next to the board as you walk into the lunchroom and we will pick a new one each week. Create a little fun and weirdness, Zappos!

It is with a heavy heart that I sit and write this tribute today, because here at Zappos, we are not just co-workers, but we create such friendships with each other that we truly care for one another as family. Last friday we were devastated to hear that Max McLeod, someone who has been a part of our family, has passed away. He died Friday morning from injuries he received in a car accident.

Max was a great person, a great friend and a long time member of our family. Always playing fun pranks on friends, helping those in need and always going the extra mile for anyone of us that asked. He brought a lot of laughs and smiles to our workplace and our memories of him will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with his family today, and throughout what will be undoubtedly a hard holiday season.

Max's obituary has been posted here, ( which has the times and location of his services )

Please have a safe holiday season and be sure to always keep yourself, and all others traveling on the road safe, not just through this highly celebrated time of year, but at all times.



Max, we loved you dearly. You will always be in our hearts and memories.

Welcome to the latest edition of getting to know your help desk. This week we are focusing on Rosalind S., or Rozzie to us :)

Roz started working for Zappos as a temp in February of 05 and became a full time regular employee in June of the same year. Roz is the OG Help Desker!! She started it all! Originallly from the Phillipines, Roz grew up in San Diego and is a self proclaimed navy brat. She moved to Vegas in 1996 and in this fair city, she met her husband. Roz is very crafty and is responsible for all the lovely decorations that you see in our lobby. She loves to cook, and usually on Fridays she brings in delicious cupcakes for Zappos. Roz is a joy to have on the team and embodies everything that Zappos is.

Thanks for rocking out the Help Desk Roz!!

Have you caught someone in the act of demonstrating one, or maybe more, of our 10 core values? Well, hopefully the odds are pretty good that you have, and now you can recognize your fellow co-worker for doing so.

The Core Value Recognition Awards are here and ready to be given out. Here's how it works:
Once you witness a co-worker performing one of our 10 core values, simply go the recognition box on top of the bookshelf to the right of the 2280 Help Desk and fill out your award.

It's that easy and it makes the person who was caught in the act feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Those crazies from the Zappos Development team held their 2nd annual doughnut eating contest on the first Friday in December. The team went to our local Krispy Kreme and purchased 14 dozen frosted Krispy Kreme classic doughnuts in preparation for this monumental and much anticipated event. Brent C., the fearless leader of the Dev Alliance, took home the gold last year after consuming 16.5 of the little deep fried rings of happiness. But, as you'll see in th video, Brent finally met his match this year, my friends.

Calorie for Calorie, these crazy DEV-ers all took the gold home for their wild disregard for sugar and Carb intake. Right on, Men....Right on!

One of the joys about working at Zappos is the freedom to be ourselves through our own personal style. Style shouts! Individuals identify themselves through their personal style. Taking the chaos out of the closet and using clothing as a celebration to create personal mythology or legend is something I have been fascinated by.

What is someone trying to say through their style?

Join me in the discovery. Each week I will take an employee from Zappos and find out their personal psychology through their favorite outfits.

Today we study the mythology of Matt T. : Content Coordinator for Electronics at Zappos.com.





How would you define your look?
Proletariat-chic

Playstation, Wii, or Xbox?
I'm a huge online gamer, so Xbox 360 for sure. I have a PS3 as well, but the PlayStation Network isn’t as vibrant and established as Xbox LIVE.

Is Blu-ray the best way?
Downloadable HD movies are my preferred method of viewing. Blu-ray is super awesome since it is (almost) the only way to view 1080p content with pure surround sound.

Hard or floppy disk?
Hard of course.

External, flash, or internal hard drive?
Internal hard drive. The transfer speeds are much faster than external USB drives and flash drives are too expensive for the storage space.

Handheld, marine, or vehicle GPS device?
I bring it old school with the analog map. But I would go with the Mio C520 because of the clean, sleek design and all of the features it includes for an affordable price

Which camera?
The Canon PowerShot A590 IS. Great combination of performance and quality.

Are you a digital boy in an analog world?
Definitely digital for convenience, but I’ve got love for the quality of analog.

Favorite MP3 player?

SanDisk Sansa Fuze 4.

J. Lindebergor Bikkembergs?
J. Lindeberg because of golfers such as Camilo Villegas and Aaron Baddeley.

Birdy or bogey?
What golfer doesn't love birdies?

What inspires your style?
I get inspired by people who wear t-shirts or layer long sleeves under t-shirts and wear the same jeans and sneakers every day.

Who is your favorite designer?
Is Hanes a designer?

What fashion item would you never leave the house without?
Cigarettes.

Who are your fashion/style icons?
Kevin Federline.

What are your favorite labels?
Wrangler, Faded Glory, Hanes, Levi, Route 66

What is your favorite decade for style?
50's because plain white tees and jeans were cool.

What is your favorite fabric?
Cotton.

What is your favorite color?
Whatever color free Zappos t-shirts come in that day.

What item do you allow yourself to splurge on?
Sneakers.

Do you need to take out a second mortgage for your style?
Second mortgage? Hell, I don't even need to break a $20 on my style.

Diamonds or pearls?
Oh god.....

Which bag?
Free Zappos man-bag

Sunglasses?
Oakleys my rich aunt bought for me.

What are your fashion rules?
Never spend more than 5 minutes picking out an outfit.

What is the most you've spent on a handbag?
20 zollars.

Would set foot in a thrift store?
Every weekend.

What is the best thing you've ever found at a thrift store?
Super great flannel when I used to wear grunge in middle school.

What is the most you've ever spent on fashion and for what item?
$90 on the Saucony Grid Stabil size 9.5 2EE before I worked at Zappos and got a discount.

See the things Nikki S. Keeps on her desk in the CLT department here at Zappos.

That 's the question on everyone's mind every Friday at Zappos! Ros, the Queen of the Help Desk, has been making cupcakes every Friday and giving them away to Zapponians, but at a small price. They must perform some sort of dance, song, trick....whatever they can do!

Check out the video below, I need say no more. :)

You can never have too much knowledge in that noggin of yours. In fact, one of our 10 core values here at Zappos is, pursue growth and learning, and that is one of the many reasons why we developed the Training Leadership Development department. The TLD department offers classes that teach skills specific to certain positions and departments that will help employees grow in the company.

One of these mandatory courses is the Zappos Culture Class, which teaches just that - ways to enhance the zany culture inside Zappos. It's a four week class and it isn't all fun and games. By the end of the four weeks, groups will have to plan and expedite a Zappos wide event (example: holiday dress up day) and do a book report on one of the books that we have in our library.

Here's a quick peek at one of our Culture Classes in brainstorming action.

Sometimes we need to let other Zapponians do the talking around here, which is why our beloved Kathleen J. is doing the honors of hosting Zapponian Of The Day for us today.

Today's Zapponian Of The Day is the darling Ashley M., Merchandise Planning Analyst 1 and renowned world traveler.

It's Raffle Time again for Zappos! Our wonderful HelpDesk has been announcing the winners of our annual December raffle to benefit the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. All prizes were donated by our vendors, with items including shoes, watches, sunglasses and a lot more!

Some of the more expensive products will actually be auctioned off later in the month, all going to our charity for 2008.

The Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation works with the medical community to
provide support services and programs to families of children who are diagnosed with a life threatening or critical illness such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, sickle cell, hemophilia, renal disorders and other immunologic diseases.

All tickets for the raffle were sold to Zappos employees for $1 and the winners are announced by email throughout the day. The prizes are all kept under the front lobby Christmas Tree, see below.

Like the Mayor of Zappos Says:

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!!!!!!!!

Turkey day is a day of celebration every year here at Zappos in the photo department! We always have a pot-luck style Thanksgiving dinner sometime around the end of November. That being said, we would like to thank everyone for making our Thanksgiving feast a great one! We were all WOWed with so much great food!!

It was especially nice to have all of the photo & imaging team together for a movie, good food , card games, board games, and of course, Rock Band 2. We spent about 4 hours being just like a family. Catching up with those we don't see as often on other shifts, laughing about the good times and laughing off the bad times. We had the special treat of one of our former supervisors, Steph, coming in to visit and spend time with us all as well. Having her here to celebrate meant a lot, since she was such an important part in creating this tradition for our team years ago. All we needed was a nap after all that eating, because the turkey wasn't the only thing stuffed that day!

Thanks to everyone, and we are looking forward to doing it all again next year!

written by : Alma H. & Angela T.

Ckeck out the fun things that Mara K. keeps on her desk.

Slowly, but surely, the Christmas decorations are going up here in the Las Vegas Zappos Headquarters. At Zappos, we take a lot of pride in our decorating abilities, and, most importantly, we take our holidays very seriously.

As the 25th of December approaches snowflakes, Christmas trees and tinsel will be taking over the decor, and before long, all will be Red and Green! Mark my words!

Below Renna and Ros from Helpdesk paint the front entrance to the 2290 office. Great Job on this, you two!

Every year in December, all Zapponians, regardless of their department, are asked to put their Customer Loyalty Training to good use and help out on the phones for the busy holiday season.

Every Zappos employee, regardless of what position they were hired for, goes through an intense, four-week program that trains them on the art of Customer Loyalty at Zappos, and in December of every year, those skills are put to use! This is the busiest month for those kings and queens of the phones in CLT, and they can always use a little help.

Employees in every department are asked to volunteer for two hour blocks to help out, and the schedule is filling up fast. Thanks for helping out Zapponians....Zapponians!

Hey Tony B., everyone knows that frowns are contagious, but smiles are too! So we have a fool proof trick that gets us and others around us smiling. See for yourself.

So next time you're feeling a little down, quote funny movies. And don't worry about the quotes being in context, in fact, the more out of context they are, the better.

Have you heard the craze going on about bringing your own bags (preferably canvas) to the grocery store to stop plastic bag waste? Well, let me break down the importance of B.Y.O.B (BRING YOUR OWN BAG!)

Green Tip: BAG THE BAGS

Plastic bags start as petrochemicals, which are transformed into polymers and are, in turn heated, shaped, cooled, flattened, sealed, punched, and printed on, all of which require energy (1001 Little Ways to Save the Planet)

Still, only 0.6% of plastic bags are recycled, with the USA alone throwing away 100 billion bags a year!

So before you consider "Paper or Plastic", try to bring your own canvas bag which now you can get anywhere for $1!

If you still cant pick up that trend, try recycling or reusing your plastic bags.

When it comes to the planet you have it in the BAG, STAY GREEN YO!

Skeptics might say that we have a glitch in our plumbing, but our very own Liz G. believes that there is definitely a monster that dwells in the sink in the women's bathroom. At first I didn't believe her, but we have had quite a few others claiming that they too have been scared by the sink monster. So I hid in the corner hoping to catch this "monster" on footage, and well, see for yourself. There's definitely something spooky going on with our plumbing.

I'm in the market for a new cell phone and cell phone provider, but when I'm ready to throw my current phone away (which is hanging on by a very small wire) I remember that cell phones are better recycled!

Green Tip of the Day : Phone New Home

Over 500 Million cellphones are in landfill site across the planet now, with this year estimating at 125 million!

So this season, if you want to reach out and touch the Earth, donate your phone to charity or recycle it with a phone recycling program.

If you visit http://www.eiae.org/ you can find any electronics recycling center in your area from cellphones to Televisions!

Happy Holidays, Stay Green Yo!

My Mythology - Creating our own living legacy at Zappos.

One of the joys about working at Zappos is the freedom to be ourselves
through our own personal style. Style shouts! Individuals identify
themselves through their personal style. Taking the chaos out of the
closet and using clothing as a celebration to create personal mythology
or legend is something I have been fascinated by.

What is someone trying to say through their style?

Join me in the discovery. Each week I will take an employee from Zappos
and find out their personal psychology through their favorite outfits.

Today we study the mythology of Cat S. : Merchandising Assistant 3 for Athletic Performance at Zappos.com.

How would you define your look?
I’m kind of all over the place. I like flashy/bright pieces that nobody else will wear, but I also like being comfortable in whatever I’m wearing. I usually have a little bit of So-Cal steeze or 80’s craze going on..

What inspires your style?
Bright colors and unique pieces you don’t see everyone wearing. Also, the weather and how I’m feeling that day.

Who is your favorite designer?
Betsey Johnson, Marc Jacobs and Charlotte Ronson

What fashion item would you never leave the house without?
Jewelry, usually gold and something big and funky

Who are your fashion/style icons?
Gwen Stefani always looks fabulous and so well put together. I love how her style has evolved over the past 10 years and how she incorporates new trends into her own signature style. Nicole Richie usually has a good knack for incorporating trend pieces into her personal style without causing too much of a mess as well.

What are your favorite labels?
L.A.M.B., Betsey Johnson, Luxirie

How would you define your mythology that you portray through your style?
So-Cal beach with a little edge maybe..

What is your favorite decade for style?
I think the ‘70s was a great decade for fashion and more than just a time for free love and long hair, peace signs, and leather fringe. A lot of the pieces that are hot right now borrow looks from the Woodstock days, and I love throwing on a fun vest or extra wide leg jeans to add a little sass to the day.

What is your favorite fabric?
I love lace. Black lace is hot, especially layered over other fabric

Which watch?
Vestal’s Gold Fairamay or a gold L.A.M.B.

What brand of denim do you prefer?
Luxirie always has something fun and crazy going on with their denim to “make” your outfit.

What is your favorite color?
Black and hot pink.

What item do you allow yourself to splurge on?
Jewelry! I have a weakness for jewelry, especially if it’s one of my favorite designers. I usually don’t even look at the price tag or contemplate.. impulse buying at its finest!

Gore-Tex or Omni-Dry ?
Omni dry.

Neons or neutrals?
Neons!

Cowboy hats or cowboy boots?
Cowboy boots. I have some awesome shark skin boots my grandma gave me that she bought 25 years ago

Which bag?
Marc Jacobs and Volcom have great oversized bags.

Sunglasses?
Always, especially out here. Oversized or aviators.

What is your favorite sport to participate in?
Running and any of the boardsports. I can’t wait for snow sessions this year!

What are your fashion rules?
If you like it, make it work. If it still doesn’t work, it’s not meant to.

Man bags or man jewelry?
So long as it’s not a fanny pack, man bags are alright. Jason L. knows how to rock his man bag!

Rave or emo?
Neither? Raving was big in Portland when I was growing up and I think the combination of candy necklaces and JNCO’s scared me a little bit.

Shorts or skorts?
Are skorts still around? I’m going to have to go with shorts.

Cowl neck sweaters or sweater sets?
Cowl necks..not a huge fan of that much matching. I love layering though, and cowl necks are perfect for that.

Glossy or matte?
Depends. Usually glossy, but not if it’s patent.

Would set foot in a thrift store?
Yes! Portland has some great spots that I like to check out when I’m up there.

What is the best thing you’ve ever found at a thrift store?
Awesome vintage leather jacket for like 15 bucks. I think there was an old ticket to the Los Angeles zoo in one of the pockets.

What is the most you’ve ever spent on fashion and for what item?
1,000 on a Robert Lee Morris cuff.

Mom always said no throwing beach balls in the house, but she never said that we can't play a game of don't let the beach ball hit the ground in the office. Even though the ball didn't get tossed my way, i was still able to spy on this timeless game that every kid likes to play.

Good thing mom wasn't here to ground us all.

It all started with the simple question, “What are you doing?”

That’s the question on every Zapponian’s mind these days! The popular micro-blogging site Twitter has been fully embraced by nearly 450 Zappos employees since the beginning of the year. As a gift to all Zappos Employees on Twitter, everyone who Twittered their size to HelpDesk got a wonderful Twitter.Zappos.Com T-shirt! Check out twitter.zappos.com to catch up on people talking about Zappos, employee tweets, and see all the employees signed up on Twitter.com!

Thanks for the shirt,Tony!

Check out the fun and crazy things that our Casual Lifestyle Merchandising Assistant, Latrira S., keeps on her desk.