THE STORY BEHIND "BONNIE" THE BUTTERFLY

Bonnie was beautiful and she was adventurous too.

Bonnie was a loving mother of 5; 4 girls and 1 boy.

She was also a sister, an aunt, a lover of children, a crafter and loved photography.

She had adventurous spirit, was very positive and would brighten any room as well as anyone's day.

She loved holidays and would never miss a birthday. You would for sure find a little box of goodies in the mail from her.

Well... Bonnie left this world tragically and of course too early.

Bonnie was... my mom.

After her passing, in the craziest places, I would see a yellow butterfly or a group of them. When I went to have my wedding dress altered, a yellow butterfly was right there when I opened my car door. When our best friends threw us a wedding shower at a night club here in Houston, we looked up and there were painted yellow butterflies on the ceiling right above where we were having our celebration. Everyone was in awe because they knew the significance. And just last week, I had a yellow butterfly land on my office window! I'm 14 stories up - this never happens! I'm not saying the butterfly is my mom, but I do feel like it is God's way of letting me know everything is going to be alright and to keep pushing, to keep growing and to keep transforming. ♥

Just like my mom, I like to paint, craft, and I see beauty in skyscrapers, landscapes, clock towers, light poles (especially in New Orleans), and I see beauty in people in this not so pretty world. When I created Infinity Paper in 2013, I made sure to incorporate a butterfly within the company logo. Even with something so tragic and scary that my mom went through, I'm still a very positive person. On our Instagram/Facebook account (Instagram: @infinitypaperBTQ), we always give positive advice or positive outlooks on life. If anything, her loss reminds me how precious life is. Also her loss reminds me to not be afraid and to always go for it as we may not have a tomorrow! My mom was very talented but never took the risk of putting herself out there for the world to see. She was so afraid of "what people may think". Or that they would critique her imperfections. (which I could never find!) What a loss of talent and beauty this world didn't get to see! So everyday that I am designing, creating and/or shipping an order, I don't hold back. So if you are an entrepreneur, don't be afraid; go for it! Yes, without a doubt, you are going to make mistakes. Yes, they might laugh or not get it; even your family and friends. Who cares; put yourself out there because this world needs you. This world needs your talents! As for me and my team, we want to share our talents with you and what we are capable of doing. We all may be still timid of posting pics or posting on social media in general, even writing and sharing this story - we are not perfect, but we are sure trying!

So every time you see a butterfly, remind yourself to not hold back or be afraid and that you too can become something beautiful! You can transform! Remind yourself you are loved and that your time on this planet is short. If you are wanting a change, the time is now; do it NOW. Share your talents! Share your skills! Don't let your talents be wasted.

One more thing, not everyone knows this but since 2013 we have donated 10% of all our proceeds to charity. (including any shipping costs.) For the month of September, (the month that she was taken from this world) we will donate 10% to our local (Houston, Texas) domestic shelter. This will help with better security (which my mom needed), Emergency Alarms, housing, food, transportation, etc.

P.S. Be kind to all, as you never know what someone HAS been through or IS going through!

Creator and Owner,

Michelle

(Oldest daughter out of the 5)