Paris 2003

Dear Mama,

I know traveling isn’t your thing. But I’m so proud of you for setting aside your misgivings and making the effort to step out of your comfort (and time) zone. I hope you’ve enjoyed the places you’ve seen. I’m glad you got to visit the Eiffel Tower, to hear Big Ben chime and to see the Coliseum in Rome. I know, in some small way, I was a part of that.

Thank you for helping to mold and shape me into the person that I am today. That girl with such a thirst for experiences and such a strong desire to see new places. I wouldn’t have become that girl without you.

-Chubs

I’ve finally finished a gift to my Mama! Last year, I started a set of layouts to decorate her guest room wall. They’re black and white photos of her travels throughout Europe.

I love my mama, but we couldn’t be any less alike. She’s fun and friendly, always making new friends, and talking and giggling constantly. I’m much more quiet and reserved, less sociable and decidedly not as giggly. I love to visit new places, she’s happy just staying close to home. But as different as we are, I’m convinced it’s the reason why we’re so close. Where I lack, she excels and vice versa. She’s the ying to my yang, the cheese to my cracker and all that good jazz. I love her to pieces!

After all this time, I’ve finally finished this 3-piece set. They coordinate with a set of canvases she bought from Hobby Lobby. They’re black canvases with white line drawings of Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and the Coliseum, all 3 places that we’ve visited together. I thought it’d be cute to also have photos of her at these places, to include on the guest room walls. Those walls, btw, are this lovely pumpkin-y orange; hence the black and white and orange theme to the layouts.

The Paris layout was the last in the set because I couldn’t find this photo! It’s an old photo, one from 2003, before the days of the digital camera. I searched high and low for that photo, which back in the day I had for some reason decided to cut! Who knows? But at least I have the image still. I scanned it into my computer and printed off a new copy. The thing of it is, that scanned image wasn’t so great. It’s got all kind of scratches and lines and the colors are all off. But it doesn’t matter to me. The image of the two of us together, there in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower is all that matters to me.

I’m so blessed to have seen the things I’ve seen and visited the places I’ve visited and got to experience those things with someone I love so much. I truly am such a lucky girl.

xxbesos