Best. Barter. Ever.

When we moved into our not-so-big house earlier this year, my then 13-year-old decided that she absolutely wanted a mural of Paris in her bedroom. In the past, we’d always been in houses and apartments that we knew were not going to be ours for a very long time. Hence, the thought of an unusual wall color, let alone a mural, had been out of the question.

So, because I love my daughter, and because I love art, I said yes.

Then the question became: Where do we find an artist, and how much is this going to cost?

My Brilliant Bartering Idea

Then I had a brilliant (yet somewhat crazy) idea. My sister, Priscilla, is an artist! The problem is, she lives in Stockholm, Sweden with her husband and 23-month-old daughter, Isa.

I pondered.

An artist would surely charge at least $1,000 for a mural. I could buy a plane ticket from Sweden for less than that during the off-peak season. Isa’s ticket would be (almost) free since she’s under two. I knew my sis would love a trip to the US, and I knew my daughter would love having her super-cool aunt paint the mural.

Bingo!

I planted the idea in Priscilla’s head when we visited Sweden this summer, and then we started dreaming. To my great delight, we made it work, and Priscilla and Isa came to visit over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Mural

Here is how it went…

All good things start with an outline…

Pretty, vibrant colors!

Here is Priscilla working on the portrait of my daughter.

I think this is what we call fantastic work in progress.

The cafe is named for…

…our dog, Sophie!

It’s not Paris without the Eiffel Tower (and purple trees).

And here’s the finished product!

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We’re so thankful to Priscilla for flying all the way from Sweden to paint this wonderful Paris mural. This was indeed the best barter ever.

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