My first job as a young girl was at E.A. Davis in Wellesley, Massachusetts, an old-fashioned dry goods store, established in 1904 by Emma A Davis.  Miss Davis had a wonderful entrepreneurial spirit for a lady of her time; not many ladies worked outside the home, let alone owned a commercial establishment.  The ladies who worked at E. A. Davis stayed for years - we young girls thought they were so old... and their names:  Eunice, Doris, Ruth, Lucille, Elsie, Clara - from another century, but it was a great place to learn about the gentle home arts. My favorite place to work was the ribbon counter.  So the thread of ribbon began to wind its way through my life.  I still have some of the ribbons that I had as a young girl - Isabel uses them from time to time.  

My sisters and I started making all sorts of things from ribbon:  watchbands, belts, ribbon pillows (my father still has one of the ribbon pillows on his couch).  Here is one of the belts I made - I remember the fabric: Marblehead Handprints - a wonderful line of fabric, bags, clothing.  Can you believe that I still have these treasures from my young girlhood?  I am really not a pack rat! 

Ribbons, ribbons, ribbons... for as long as I can remember I have loved ribbon and making things.  My sisters and I always had big bows in our hair when we were dressed up, not as often when we were in our play clothes.  Look at those faces and those BOWS!

Guess which darling I am?

  

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  This is my little girl in her fancy outfit with a pretty bow.  Isabel wore a bow in her hair every day until 4th grade or so, when she deemed herself too big for a bow.  She still likes a long hair ribbon every once in a while in her 16 year old ponytail.

This portrait of Isabel was painted by Marianne Rothballer, a dear friend of my Aunt Marion. It is such a treasure and so beautiful.  She captured Isabel perfectly.    The color blue is actually a little stronger in person - but you can imagine.  Thanks Marion and Marianne.  Funny, those two names are just like mine - I was named Marion, after my grandmother and my aunt, but my mother spelled it "the french way" (that's what she always claimed), so it is spelled Marianne, to further confuse things I have always been known as Marnie.  And on top of all that my hubby's mother's name is Marianne!  

These are all Isabel's bows of childhood.  They still hang on the back of her door.