From Kitchen Table to National Brand: Lillian Vernon’s Journey

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Posted on January 15, 2026 by Maria - FlowingWatersArt

Lillian Vernon was a pioneer of the mail-order catalog industry and a trailblazer for women in business. She founded her company in 1951 with just $2,000 and a simple idea: sell personalized products through the mail. At a time when few women ran national businesses—and even fewer did so from their kitchen tables—Vernon built a brand that became a household name, mailing millions of catalogs and redefining direct-to-consumer retail long before e-commerce existed.

What made Lillian Vernon remarkable wasn’t just her business success, but her visibility. She put her own name—and face—on the company, signaling confidence, accountability, and ambition. She proved that a woman could scale a business nationally, balance creativity with operations, and lead with both warmth and discipline.

As a child, I admired her deeply. I remember flipping through mail-order catalogs and imagining what it must be like to create something that could travel into people’s homes and spark a moment of delight. Lillian Vernon made that dream feel real and attainable. She planted the idea that I, too, could build my own mail-order business—an idea rooted in independence, creativity, and the belief that big things can start small. Today, that early inspiration has come full circle as I work toward creating my own online art business, carrying forward the same spirit of entrepreneurship and possibility that Lillian Vernon embodied.

Lillian Vernon’s legacy lives on not just in the business she built, but in the generations she inspired to imagine bigger futures. Her story reminds me that entrepreneurship begins with curiosity and courage—and that the dreams we form early can quietly shape the work we’re meant to do.

Thank you so much for stopping by—I hope your day is filled with creativity and inspiration.

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For more information about Lillian Vernon, or to take a peek at her iconic mail-order catalog, visit:

Thoughtful Thursday The Sweet Beginnings of Pepperidge Farm

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Maria - FlowingWatersArt

Margaret Rudkin

The story of Pepperidge Farm began in 1937, thanks to a determined woman named Margaret Rudkin. Margaret was a Connecticut homemaker who found herself on a mission to create healthy, wholesome bread for her young son, who had severe allergies and couldn’t eat most store-bought bread. With no formal training in baking, Margaret started experimenting in her kitchen, using simple, natural ingredients. After many trials (and errors), she finally created a loaf that was not only safe for her son but also delicious.

Word spread quickly about Margaret’s bread, and soon, local grocers began asking to sell it in their stores. With increasing demand, Margaret named her bakery after her family’s farm, Pepperidge Farm, and started baking on a larger scale.

As her business grew, Margaret continued to innovate. In 1955, she traveled to Europe and discovered delicious, crisp cookies that were unlike anything available in the U.S. She brought the idea back home, and that’s how the famous Pepperidge Farm cookies, like Milano and Chessmen, were born.

Pepperidge Farm grew from a small home kitchen operation to a beloved brand known for its high-quality baked goods, including bread, cookies, and crackers. Margaret Rudkin’s passion for wholesome food and her entrepreneurial spirit turned a simple loaf of bread into a household name, creating a legacy that still thrives today.

Hope you enjoyed this history post, thanks for stopping by!!

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Margaret Rudkin, Pepperidge Farm

Esther Howland: The Pioneer of Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 18, 2021 by Maria - FlowingWatersArt

Esther A Howland “The Mother of Valentine”

Follow Up to the History of Valentine’s Day

Last week I wrote a post about the history of Valentine’s Day and learned we had a “Mother of Valentine, “Esther A Howland. I found her very interesting considering she was born in a time before women basically had rights and as a result the odds were not in her favor. Despite that, Esther persevered and moved forward with her vision. Below are some of the highlights of Esther’s lifetime accomplishments below:

1828 Esther was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her parents were Southworth Allen Howland and Esther Howland.
Her Father, owned the largest stationary and bookbindery business in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Esther attended college at Mount Holyoke Academy the same time as Emily Dickinson did.
1847 Esther graduated college at the age of 19 and received a Valentine card from one of her father’s friends which was decorated with lace and cut out flowers. During this time, Valentine Day Cards were imported from Europe into the States.
Esther loved the card and thought she could do better. She talked to her father and he bought her supplies to make her own cards. She created a dozen designs.
Esther gave the samples to her brother for his next sales trip for their father’s business. She hoped for $200 in sales which would be worth around $6,380 today. But to her surprise he returned with over $5,000, worth $159,501 today.
Esther knew she couldn’t handle these orders by herself so she employed friends, primarily women who were said to have been paid liberally and had pleasant working conditions. She used a guest bedroom on the 3rd floor of her home for her new business. She set up an assembly line to create the cards and inspected each one.
1850 The Worcester Spy published the first advertisement for Esther’s Valentine Cards and she became officially known as a businesswomen.
1870 Esther incorporated her business, New England Valentine Company (N.E.V.Co).
In red ink, Esther began stamping the letter “H” and price on the back of her cards. She also included in red ink, the letters for her company “N.E.V.Co.”
Esther’s business grossed $100,000 annually the equivalent of $3,190,024 today.
Esther expanded her business and made cards for Birthdays, Christmas and New Years. She also created May Baskets and Booklets.
1866 Esther suffered a knee injury and became bound to a wheelchair.
1874 Esther moved her Valentine factory from her home to Harrington Corner.
Esther passed away in 1904 at the age of 76. Although she was considered “The Mother of Valentine” she never married.