UP to no good?!

FrenchKissed Update: These downloads are no longer available, but you can buy this cutie in my Zibbet shop or in my Etsy store:

The original -- warts, wrinkles, torn off sticker and all....

The "FrenchKissed" version ....

FrenchKissed meets Pixlr for a more vintage, aged look ..... 

His hair is more golden, the blue deeper.

When choosing this week's free download, I was thinking about school wrapping up for the summer and graduation days. This image seemed to illustrate climbing the "ladder of success" and I thought it would be a sweet image to turn into a greeting card for the youth headed to college ......until I got to thinking more and examining the details in the postcard.
The little boy is carrying a cigar box ("La Cubana")and I think he's sneaking off to smoke! There could be crayons in that cigar box and I could be a monkey's uncle....hehehe.
The other dilemma I got to contemplating is that ... somewhere in the whirlwind that passed itself off as Memorial Day weekend, I saw a news headline that claims the United States has more unemployed collage graduates than ever before in history. That could rather dampens one's dreams of  climbing the ladder of "success."
Despite the above, I still love my little boy in his sailor suit and I hope you do, too! You know what else he's carrying? A very touching message from Rene to "mon cher petit papa."

Notice that Rene is writing to his dear daddy from Constantine, the 18th of December in 1916! World War I, the "Great War" is raging. I'm guessing that Rene is in the army? French troops stationed in Turkey??

"On the occasion of this Christmas, your little Rene sends you this with these wishes for a good holiday, a million kisses. Your dear Rene who loves you with all his heart."

Separated from family, in the middle of a war --- going to college and job hunting seem pretty doable, don't they?!

Thanks for all your comments last week. The winner of two free digital scans is The Painting Queen! Removing one comment that posted twice (Lili, I don't know why this happens to you, but don't worry about it:) The Painting Queen was Lucky No. 5! Just email me (frenchkissedpostcards [at] gmail dot com] the titles/links to two scans you'd like from either my Etsy shop or my Zibbet store, your choice, $3.99 or under. Congratulations and merci beaucoup for dropping in!