10 years ago, we were arriving at the O'Hare Chicago airport. Tamy, my oldest daughter, Pink, my beloved poodle and I...
This morning I have been going through my memories, I remember how different it was to us, Poor pink had just had her hair cut and she was so cold and shaky, when I finally let her go outside to pee, she peed for so long.. Poor thing.. Then, I remember our drive on our way to Springfield, it was so much different from the things I used to see on TV... I had another image in my mind of how things were like here in the USA.
When we finally got home, Brian's house was so little and I thought that all the houses here looked like doll houses LOL. Oh boy, something that I think it was the hardest to get used to, it was the fact that we had to keep all the doors closed because of the heater or air conditioning. Our doors is always open in Brazil, so that seemed insane to me to keep the doors closed all the time but, oh well, if we must, we must LOL
It was a small house but very cozy, Brian prepared everything to receive us. Tamy's room was so pretty and well painted and so it was our bedroom. I didn't like the mismatch couches and the old trunk that he used as coffee table in the TV room but, I knew that would change soon LOL.
It was a lot of things to get used to, Tamy had no problem adapting to this new Country, she fit right in.
All my first time doing everything was a disaster LOL, my first haircut in the USA, my husband took me to one of the fast and cheap hair cuter places and when he went to pick me up I was sitting on the sidewalk crying because the lady cut my bangs so short and made me look like a Native Indian girl in Brazil. My first time driving in the snow, oh gosh, I will never forget. I had no clue how it was like and we lived in a very busy street, I had to be very fast getting out of the driveway, that day boy, I learned what making donuts was like, my first Chevy tracker started spinning in the middle of the street like crazy and I thought, what the heck is going on???? It was fun thought... LOL
My First tornado, oh boy, that was the SCARIEST thing in my life. Isabella was 3 weeks old and I was all by myself since Brian and Tamy went to pick up his mother at the airport in Saint Louis... I will never forget that day...
But oh the first snow... The first snow was AMAZING :) Anita Phillips, my first friend in the USA, called me and told me to look outside and oh my.. Its was snowing... So beautiful. Thank God for Anita and my friend Beth Hall who helped me so much at the beginning of our journey in the new land... You guys made things so much easier for me... Beth is in heaven and resting in God's arms, Anita in a decade has moved to Brazil, came back to the USA, got divorced, re married and is happy, thank Lord... Love you Anita :)
The American culture is so different from the Brazilian one... Once I got used to it things got easier to me. I remember something that really got my attention when we first moved here was the patriotism of the American people. Every house had a flag, I remember emailing my friends about that, how beautiful it was to see how Americans love the country. Now, I am half Brazilian and half American. I love this country too and I want to see this wonderful country get better and better, no matter which party is in command, no matter, if it is Democrats, Republicans or Tea Party, I love America and I am thankful for being so welcome so well into this Nation.
Today I want to say, THANK YOU USA for allowing us to live here, have my beautiful little family, grow my business and don't be afraid to dream as Eleanor Roosevelt, said "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
Last Friday, my husband Brian and I, went to pick up Isabella, out daughter, who was playing at her friend's home, we noticed the next neighborhood was having a garage sale, so, we decided to drive around and check them out. I love garage sale :)) Don't you?
We went to one of the sales and found Isabella a nice little table for her playroom, then, I saw this bicycle, it looked brand new, it was complete with the helmet and everything else. I have been wanting a bike for quite a while but, haven't had the time to go buy one, it is always one thing or another and I always end up forgetting. My husband told me, you should buy this bike, it looks brand knew it's $125.00. I looked at him and told, this is a garage sale, how can I pay $125.00 for an used bike, no matter how nice it looks? As, it was the first day of the sale, I didn't have the heart to bargain. As we kept driving around, the more I thought about that bike, the more seemed like it would work perfect for me, then it got late and we came back home.
Next day, first thing in the morning I told my husband, I want to go there and get that bike, I really like it, so, we got dressed and left, I knew exactly where that house was but, when we got there it was too late. The lady had sold it and I got really disappointed. Why didn't I get it yesterday? I thought that as it was already almost 6:00 o'clock in the evening, they would be closing the sale soon and I would have the time to come next day in the morning and buy it. Yesterday it was too late.
I learned a very important lesson losing that bike. I've learned that if we see something that we really want it right in front of us, we have the money to buy it, so why not? why to wait until tomorrow? Tomorrow may never come...
I know it was just a bike and I can find many others out there but, I have learned that from now on, whenever I see something that there is only one and I have the chance to get it right at that moment, I will do it and period!
It reminded me from last year when a lady saw one of my first birthday dresses on my website, she loved it but, she didn't buy it. As I always say, my little dresses are not the kind of dresses you will find any place else, I don't keep stock of dresses, I buy a few at a time, unless you print a picture and have somebody else embroider it exactly like mine. That is the only way you could get it, but, it wouldn't be unique no more, it would be a copy.
That lady, some days later emailed me telling that she saw a dress on my website and she wanted one exactly like that one. I wish I could have helped her with any other dress but, she had her heart set on that one dress and it was gone. I felt so bad for her when I read her last email, 'I REALLY WANTED THAT DRESS" she said. I know now, exactly how she felt.
My advice to you is, if you are looking for something, you can afford it, it is right there in front of you, BUY IT, somebody else might grab it first and then, you will be wondering for a while "what the heck was I thinking?" I have learned that the price of something is not the price that it has on its tag, it is how much you really want it... I have seen and have done that already, seen something that I don't really want it, or need it, but the price is so cheap that "I just couldn't pass it" Isn't that ridiculous? We bring a product home because it is to cheap to pass on it, and we end up selling it at our garage sale for a quarter. What a big profit we make when we do that huh? LOL
We human being are very complicated... Its so hard to understand why we act like that sometimes.
I have learned that one already, when I see something that I think I should buy because it is to cheap, I put that money aside for when I see something that is expensive but I really want or need.
Just wanted to share my thoughts. Sometimes It's so much better when we learn with other people's mistakes than our own :)))
Have a great week ahead kids...
God bless
Zee
Good morning kids :)))
What a beautiful sunny day! The sun shinning really helps us feel better...
This week has been such a challenging week for Zee, oh well, who told you that anything had to be easy to me? That is how I learn things, that is how I appreciate what I have.
Tuesday, I was having one of those days, problems with the machines and everything else. I got a call from a lady who needed this little receiving blanket for her granddaughter who lives in Washington DC for Thursday, today. She was so excited when she called me, she said she had finally found what she had been looking for, a little receiving blanket with a little lamb. She said she had looked for one all over town and internet and couldn't find it. I told her to come over and I would see what I could do for her.
I was stressed out, could have told her I couldn't do it, I didn't know her, it was her first time calling Zee. But that is the difference between Embroidea Custom Embroidery and the other embroidery places. Zee doesn't work for the money only. Zee likes to do whatever she can to bring a smile on people's face :))
The customer came over, we went through my blankets and there wasn't one that would work for her. I told her if she would go to the store and try to find a blank receiving blanket I could have it made just like she wanted it to be.
I stopped everything and started working on her design. Was the amount I charged her worth of my time ? Nope, it wasn't. But the blanket is ready for pick up and I cant wait to see her smile when she sees it.
This is what I call Customer Service, do whatever we can do make our Customers happy. When I go to any other retail store, I always pay attention how they treat their Customers and I have learned a lot.
Customer is always right. I don't like saying that to much LOL but, it is true. I have customers who came to my place and asked to have their embroidery done in an old gold color thread. I get an old gold color to show them and NO, it isn't that, then, we figured out that it was actually more like a copper color and the customer kept calling it old gold. At the end she would ask me, do you think this color will work good with my apparel? and Zee goes " SURE it will, you have picked the most beautiful "old gold" color that I have. LOL
Sometimes, light yellow they call it green, have called silver a dark gray... Oh well, whatever name they give to the colors, they are always right! I am here to serve and do my work the best I can.
Today, is Thursday and the week is almost over, I am not in a hurry for it to be over yet because I still have LOTS of work to get done for this week and I expect things to get better and better, and IT WILL!
Just wanted to take a break, say "Hi" and let you know that no matter how your day is going, as long as you are breathing, Life is Good. A sore throat? Nah, just have a cough drop LOL
You all have a wonderful Thursday and God bless and be with us all.. AMEN!
Zee
Monday … Monday…
Have I already told you that I
love Mondays? LOL
Yes, I always do, but, today it’s
been one of those days… My machine has a “color change seek error message” I
have searched all over the Internet how to fix it without calling the repair
guy but, I haven’t had any luck... Maybe tomorrow…
Do you know what? Although I feel
stressed out, I believe that everything happens for a reason. I guess I have
something to learn. Things like not accepting orders to be done next day like I
always do J well,
how can I do that? I don’t have the heart to say no to my customers. I like to
feel useful, help everybody out. It’s 7:42 pm and I am still working. Thank God
I love my embroidery work. When we do
what we love, we don’t feel like we are working
I won’t lie and say that I haven’t
cursed like a sailor today because I do have. That is ok too, I work only by
myself... I can do whatever I feel like doing, this is the beauty of being self-employed
LOL. Well, but I cursed text messaging with Fred, I wonder if I am going to
hell LOL
Nobody can go to hell for cursing
by themselves right? Ok kids, it doesn’t matter how troubled my day has been,
all that matters is, I had one more day of life to spend with the ones I love J Life is good. Isn’t
it?
I am so glad also for the great
friends we have J
Poor Fred tried hard to cheer me up today LOL Zee was not a happy camper! LOL
It’s all going to be all right
when that Mr. Technician comes and gives all my babies machine a tune upJ They are really
needing it J
Its 8:49 now and I am starving, I
think I am going to embroidery two more shirts and call it a day J there is a good smell of food coming from the
kitchen! I wonder what my wonderful husband is making for dinner J Whatever it is I bet
it is going to be delicious, as my mom always says “ when we are hungry we don’t
pick the color of plate that we are
going to eat off” LOL My mom and her sayings… She makes me laugh and smile only
by thinking of her…
Thank you Lord for one more day,
it’s all good. Tomorrow will be a better day.
God bless the entire world.
Peace and love
Zee
What a beautiful Sunday! Sun is shinning , life is good :)))
Yesterday we had our Brazilian get together party and had lots of fun. Each one cooked a Brazilian dish and we celebrated Springtime at Juliana and Greg's home. It makes us feel good and appreciate that even so far away from home, we have each other to speak our Language, laugh, eat, drink and have fun together. This is how Brazilians are, we always get together there in Brazil, we forget about work, problems and everything else, we enjoy life. When I lived In Brazil, on the weekends, we always did something fun like having barbecue, going fishing, dancing, having friends and family over, it was a lot of fun. We miss that type of lifestyle living in the USA, so, whenever it is possible our Brazilian community get together and we always find a reason to celebrate. Life goes to fast we have to enjoy it while it last, do the best we can, help others, laugh and be happy. Last year, we lost one of our members and dearest friend Beth Hall who battled against cancer. She found out she had it when her second child was born and she fought for 17 years straight. She was one of the people who helped me in so many ways when my daughter and I moved to the USA in 2003. She knew about everything, whatever I needed, all I had to do is call Beth.
Last night we missed her at our first get together after she passed away. Beth was always present at our parties, always cooking good food, always full of energy, always laughing, joyful, always looking for something to help with. She said she couldn't stop moving because if she stopped she knew that the cancer would kill her. Last year my friend finally gave up, the cancer got her liver and took her always from us. Although I was making people laugh last night, what I know how to do the best other than my embroidery work, I was feeling her presence with us. I told only to another one of our friends that I was missing Beth because I didn't want to cause sadness to everybody but, God knows I was thinking of Beth, her contagious presence will always be among us. I am so glad that in her last years of life we started this Brazilian group and we got to spend time with her. At the end Beth and I so close, I didn't want to let her go, I wanted her to stay longer but she told me she was ready, she was tired of that fight, her two boy were in college, all grown up so, she felt she was ready. A day before she left this world, she called me and invited me to her house to eat a Brazilian dish that her mommy had made, she knew I loved "coxinha" she called at 4:00 o'clock in the evening and asked me to come over. My husband, my daughter and I went to her home and when I was living to come back to my house, she held me very tight and I felt like that was going to be the last time I would see my friend alive. I was right...
At the end my friend Beth didn't look like herself no more, her skin had turned dark, I guess it had to do with her liver shutting down... Just want to say Beth, right there where you are in heaven, I know you were watching us with that big smile of yours, I knew you were there. I've promised you to run the Relay for life every year in your honor and I will do that. You will never be forgotten my friend...
There is no more chemo, radiation, surgeries, medicines, no more suffering, you are in God's arms. I was so glad I could tell "I love you" before you left. God bless you!
What a good place to have breakfast this morning :))) Among
heroes, people that have found really joy, pride and satisfaction helping
others and making a difference in this world. The Red Cross did a wonderful job
recognizing this heroes. The ones we don’t see on TV every day, the ones we don’t
even know that they exist.
It felt so good and rewarding to be among those people this
morning, I felt completely at home. I knew I wasn’t alone and there is a lot of
people out there who feel just like I do, feel like they have a mission to
accomplish in this world and they found out what it is. Since the young girl
who sends shoe boxes filled with items to the Soldiers fighting overseas to the
elderly lady who volunteers at the school, all of them, one thing stayed with
me, the lady that said. “I don’t want to just stay sitting on that chair at
home, if I do that I will die” That is so true! If we don’t get out and do
something to make this world a better place, we will die… We want a better
place for our kids. We all want them to live in a better world.
I feel proud of myself donating every month to the wonderful
Red Cross. It’s not too much but sometimes I get myself thinking how wonderful
if all of us donated that same amount every month, how many people we could
help in this world?
I feel so fortunate because in my business, I don’t spend
money with advertising, everything I would use for that, I instead donate to
organizations that I believe helps this world being a better place. My wonderful
Customers, God bless each and every one of them, do that for me, they advertise
my business for me. Word of mouth is my advertising. The reviews that my Customers
leaves for me http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Embroidea.Custom.Embroidery.Springfield.IL.217-698-6422?utm_medium=widget&utm_source=businesslisting
is my advertising and my work speaks for
itself. So, because of all of you all, I am able to help in my community
God
bless your heart!
God bless America,
God bless the entire world!!!
Zee
Good morning Mr. World...
Why don't you change for the better?
I don't think I can watch the news no more. It's one bad news after another... It makes me sick of my stomach watching all this bad stuff going on. Why this hunger to hurt each other?
My heart is pretty sad with all the bad news we see on TV and the ones we live ourselves. There is bad people everywhere...
The other day, I almost got scammed. Somebody with a thick oriental accent saying that he was from Windows called and told I was having issues with my windows 8. As it has been less than a month since I bought this PC. A bad timing coincidence because I HAVE been having some issues with my computer, so, I believed him. I did everything he asked me to do until he asked to have access to my computer to fix all the errors, THEN, I woke up and realize that was very weird. I called my husband who is a computer programmer and told him what was going on and he told me to NOT let anybody access my computer. The next day the same person called again but this time my husband was at home and I passed him the phone. They tried the same thing with him. What in the world do I have on my computer to interest these people? Why so many bad people in this world trying to take advantage on us?
Why this hunger to show which country has more missile, which one is stronger? richer? Wouldn't life be so wonderful if we all lived in harmony? We all have good and bad in us, why don't we feed the good part and let the bad one perish?
I know its not easy, we are living in a world where people are losing their minds. I just think I should blog today about this scamming that is going on, people calling you using internet phone that doesn't show their IDs to try to get into you personal world. Don't you think if Microsoft people called us our caller ID would show us that the call was from Microsoft? I doubt we would see "UNKNOW".
So please, you out there, don't let ANYBODY try to fool you. Don't give personal information over the phone or let people getting on to your PC with the intention of fixing it. Believe me, it would be cheaper for you to call a technician and have it checked, or buy anti virus software than it would be for you to fight identity theft. BE careful you all and God be with us.
Let's pray for the humanity and hope that someday this will change and as John Lennon said " .. and the world will live as one"
Now, it's time for me to disconnect from all the world out there and start my embroidery work, start working on my first birthday dress and look forward to the next baby wearing my little first birthday dresses.
Have a peaceful day and God bless
