Happy birthday Eve’s Leaves: 44 years in business

By Janelle Campasino
Reader Contributor

It has been 44 years since lifelong Sandpoint resident Marilyn Sabella opened the doors at Eve’s Leaves in the spring of 1980. After going out on a limb and borrowing some money, today the store has become one of the longest operating, locally owned businesses in Sandpoint.

And there have been challenges over the years. During the economic downturn of the 1980s, Sabella remembered witnessing nine small businesses closing in downtown Sandpoint at the same time. Even decades later, through the COVID-19 pandemic, Eve’s Leaves persisted.

“I am so grateful to still be here,” Sabella said.  

To celebrate the anniversary, the store will host a day of events Saturday, May 11, with a pop-a-balloon sale, drawings, live music, snacks and sips, and gifts with purchases from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Going back those many years in downtown Sandpoint, the store originally occupied the space in the back of the Hunt Building for about a year and a half. When Avco Finance Company was moving out of its office right across the street, Sabella purchased their lease and Eve’s Leaves was on the move — including its signature mural.

While Sabella wanted to carry the unique shopping experience she had created into her new space, she also wanted to take the large apple tree mural. Local artist Doug Jones knew how to do it. They devised a plan using graphite and tracing paper to transfer the intricate pattern to the walls of the new location. 

Sabella remembered the day well when people just came out to help. With pizza and beer and Jones as the ringmaster, the task was completed. 

“He’d hand you a can of paint and say, ‘This is dark green, you do the stems; this is light green, you’ll do the leaves; here’s a can of yellow, you’ll do the little dots at the center of the flower,’” Sabella said.

Within two weeks, Eve’s Leaves moved to 326 N. First Ave. — where it’s been ever since.

With a theme of “casual elegance,” the inventory is composed of unique, easy-to-wear pieces. Buying fashion made of natural fibers, designed by artists, and manufactured in the U.S. and Canada are a priority. 

“Fashion is finding the right things to wear that make us feel better,” Sabella said.

Over the decades, Sabella said her greatest reward has been the people with whom she’s worked and interacted. Many customers have turned into close friends, and she now has grandmothers who bring their granddaughters into the store.

Many of the employees at Eve’s Leaves have also been with the store for decades.

“My employees are the best,” Sabella said, adding, “I can’t imagine retiring. Every day I am doing something related to the store.”