Great month...

January is gone...and I wonder how come the month has passed so fast!!

Last weekend I saw a friend that I met about three years ago...He's from Denmark and was visiting Brazil for the first time...got lost and a friend's mom decided to take him and a friend of him to her house...We actually thought she shouldn't had done that in first place, but they were amazing kids ( they were about 21 years old...can I call them kids still?)...

They spent only two days at my friend's house, but that was enough to keep in touch with them until nowadays.

Well, he's back in Brazil for his winter break and came to visit us...he's still a very sweet kid...and brought with him another friend...

Too bad I didn't have much time to go out with them like the first time...at least I could practice my English a bit (which doesn't mean he understood everything I said...hahahaah). And, he is doing pretty fine with his Spanish/Portuguese ( he learned Spanish last year in Argentina...and tried to understand everything we would say in Portuguese...if he couldn't, we still had the English language to understand each other!!).

I just hope to keep the promisse of visiting him in Denmark next year...


Carnival is coming...and I must say I'm not that excited for it...I feel I need to rest during this 5-days break!!!!

First week of the year...oops....second already!

Wowww...I've just realized that two weeks of the new year just passed in a blink of an eye!

Last Tuesday(Jan. 8th) was Marconi's birthday (my boyfriend)...he's not the kind of guy who enjoys his birthday -- and he's not the only one I know -- and I gave myself the mission of changing his mind about it... specially coz I'm a huge fan of birthdays ( and birthdays parties as well)...So, we had two surprise parties for him!!! He actually loved each one...but couldn't miss the oportunity to say that he hated me for making fool of him!!! hahahahaha...Two parties at the same weekend was a bit exageration, but I couldn't get all his friends together at the same place -- at the same time!

Of course...I wouldn't miss the change of making, or at least trying to, his day a bit funnier...and on his exactly birth day, I bought him a ballon and a chocolate rose ( he will never complain about me never giving him flowers...hahahaha)...He even asked me who birthday was: mine or his!!!

I can't forget mentioning Jared and Mike's birthday this past week... I swear I didn't forget...I just didn't have much time for posting anything...Sorryyyyy guys!!!! But I truly wish you had a W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L birthday! God keep blessing you and you marvelous family!!!!!

Well, I could spend all the time I have today posting here...but I gotta pack my stuff to meet my parents in Guarapari ( where we keep an apartment for the summer...)!!! Here are the pictures from last summer:

What a happy new year!!!!

This year I had a very relaxing new year's eve...

Dinner at my boyfriend's...no fireworks (which I kinda miss)...visiting some friends...and going to bed at 3 a.m...

I don't get too excited about New Year as I do about Xmas...I'd rather Xmas eve than anything else -- except for my birthday, of course!!

I had an amazing Xmas eve...many Xmas gifts....Santa was quite generous this year I must say! And New Year's eve was just another day to get people together...I actually do that pretty often at my place during the year...I love getting people together....dinners...meetings...movies....evething is a good reason to have a few friends over...

Well, people use to dress in white for peace...I was a bit selfish and dressed myself in purple...which I found out it means criativity and finding spirituality...I guess I choose a good color, didn't I?!

Hope 2008 is a year of love, peace, honesty, friendship, health and full of blessings to everyone!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Almost there....

Christmas is coming...and I can't say if I'm ready for it!

Mom didn't want to decorate the tree this year...what makes me feel a bit frustrated...it seems that Xmas is not really coming after all!

In opposite to the American was of celabrating Xmas, we actually open our Xmas gifts on the night of Dec. 24th...at midnight...and not on the Dec. 25th morning...sometimes I'd like to have an "American Xmas" around here...snowing would be included for sure!

When I was younger -- a lot younger I must say-- we used to get together at my uncle's. It used to be great...my whole family together dining and exchanging gifts...There was always an older cousin who dressed as Santa to the kids ( I used to be a smart kid...I usually knew who were our Santa!!! -- which didn't make my Xmas any worse!) and distributed the gifts to everyone...even the grown ups...My grandparents were still alive at this time...I guess that why Xmas became a bit sad to my mom after their death...

This year my mom is even more emotional...she can't stop thinking Bruno won't be here next year for Xmas...I think she should be even more excited to have a great Xmas...but...that's not me, right?!

I just hope she changes her mind and makes a Xmas dinner --at least -- or I'll join my boyfriend's family...they will have a great dinner...and being amoung lots of people during Xmas is what I love the most about this holiday!!!!

I gotta go now...tomorrow will be a looooong day at work!!!!

To the ones who doesn't believe in Santa...

Here's the proof he exists...

Not satisfied? Here are more...

I wish each of them could bring me a different Xmas present...

PS.: How many Santas can visit your home before Xmas??

22 DAYS TIL XMAS!

Yuppppp!!!! December is finally there! Can't wait to have my house all decorated....nops...we still haven't done anything...not even the tree...

Mom and I are planning to decorate the tree this week...I just need to arrive home a bit less tired...

Next weekend we're going to have a "garage sale" here...it's not a real garage sale, to be true...it's more like: "invinting people over to buy my paintings"...Hope it works well!!!! I didn't take much of my time painting this year...

Just a small note: TODAY IS BRUNO'S BIRTHDAY!!!! And....guess what? He's flying to Cancun at this right moment!!!!! What a great way to celebrate a birthday, isn't it? At least I had time to call him this morning!!! :o)

Mom spent the last two weeks in São Paulo with Bruno...I even asked him if she had cooked anything special to him for his birthday...well, she didn't..but she paid a nice restaurant for both of them!!!!

I just looove birthdays... too bad I still have more than 4 months for my birthday!!!! :o)

Here I go again...

Last time I had a wedding party to go...should I say that I'd rather stay home? I don't like to go to wedding receptions that I feel the bride and the groom weren't really ready for such change in their lives...

Another week is ready to begin...

It isn't summer yet, but we can feel already how hot things are going to be this year. Does anyone would like to try our summer?

Few weeks ago I went bowling with some friends...that was the thirth time I actually go bowling (and really play!)... Everytime I go bowling ( it seems that I go bowling quite often, doesn't it?) I remember one of the days we went bowling with the Young Women & Boys Scout group in Twin Falls! I didn't play ( I guess I felt a bit embarassed to try!) but still then, it was really fun! Gotta go bowling again next time I visit my host family... :o)

Well, time to go back to my paintings...

Zara was born!!!

Today I post not to talk about myself...but to celebrate the birth of Zara.





After a great day with some friends over, I received today an email telling that Zara was born on November 13th at 1:40 am in France. I wish I cold be there to see the first to see Zara (after her dad, of course!)
Zara is the daugther of one of my best friend, Gisele, who is actually married to a French guy -- François-- and live in France.




Ok...it's time to introduce Zara to the world...

Welcome aboard, sweety! Aunt Cris wants you to know how much you are loved around here and how much your parents have waited for you to come! God bless you and all that comes for you in this life.

At least, I've already planned a trip to France next year...I hope to celebrate her first year birthday there!!!! :o)

Aren't holidays amazing???

I just love holidays...no work...no school...just relaxing...

To say the truth, I really need some more time to relax...I keep myself busy even when I can finally rest a little...

My second week at my new job was quite exciting...we had a lot to do...and finally they are giving me a bit more to do... ;o) And that helped a lot making the week pass really really fast!

Did you guys realize that Xmas is about to come? I can't tell how much people are excited about it around the world...but since our next biggest holiday is Xmas (at least commercially speaking), everybody is going crazy to leave everything ready for Xmas as soon as possible...

It's even quite easy to see some streets and stores all decorated for Xmas...I got a bit amazed today after taking a ride around the city. There are Xmas lights everywhere...too soon? I guess so...but still, I'm buying Xmas gifts already...just in case!

You know something about Xmas that I really love? Decorating the tree...of course, getting everything back to the box after January 8th isn't that cool, but decorating the tree is what I love about Xmas...

It's also a time that I have great memories (at least most of them are very special!)...and, the most special one is -- no doubt-- Xmas of 1998. Place: Twin Falss, Idaho. Moment: see the snow flakes falling at the right moment all the kids (including me) were opening their presents...Actually, just seeing snowing again after some weeks would be enough for me... I can't deny I got amazing gifts ( except for the candies, I keep all of them here with me!)...but snowing was certantly the best one! It gave me the feeling of "real xmas spirit"...movie thing, isn't it!?

Well, I wish I could write more...it late now...and it's time for kids (I mean myself) to go to bed...

Hope to have something interesting to post next week. :o)

Kisses everyone! :o**

Maybe I should change carrers...

This was a really busy week for me...it was one of the best, though.

My first week at my new job was really nice...I learned a lot...I realized how much I still have to learn! Great, isn't it?!?!

Even arriving home tired as I've never been...I believe that was one of the best weeks I've ever had!!!!

Today I woke up early to do something that gives me a lot of pleasure: cooking! That's right...cooking...spend hours at the kitchen just to bake a nice chocolate and strawberries cake! Sometimes I thing I should do this more often...and even open a coffee shop myself...just need a bussiness partner...anyone???

Actually, this cake was more a birthday gift than anything else...Two good friends of my boyfriend and I are getting older this week...and they decided to have a BBQ...since we couldn't celebrate a b-day without a cake...I offered myself to make it...i just hope it tastes good!!!

Gotta clean the kitchen now... :o(

I wish I had a dish machine!!!!

First day of work!

Hi guys!!
Here I am how my first day of work was!!!!
I must say that I was really anxious for that day! I was even a bit weird in the past two days...my boyfriend could describe that much better than me!!! hahahahaha
First, my boss gave me a ride...I bet he was much more afraid of me getting lost than myself!
Then, he introduced me to the whole company. Which I thought it was pretty nice of him... we usually start at a new company and they barely introduce you to the few people you are going to deal with for the next few years!
I had to find who would give me some help -- not that my boss didn't do so, but he always has a lot to be done...and today wasn't any different! I sat next to one of my co-workers -- a very patient guy, I must mention.
I also learned a bit more about Importation and its process. Quite interesting.
I was talking to my mom today about my new job and my boss. You know, when you feel that you are there because your boss has a great "mission" for you?? That's exactly how I felt. He really wanted me to fell part of the company. He even took me with him to visit one of his clients...cool, isn't it?!?!
Just hope he doens't get frustrated about me!!!

Missy, to see pictures of me, just check on my fotolog page: www.fotolog.com/cris_bravim

Well...Cris is pretty tired today!!!! Gotta go to bed reallllyyyyyy early! ;o)

Childen's Day

Children's Day was a huge success...

There were thousand pictures I'd love to post, but I decided to get just some of them to make this collage and post it instead of post one by one!

Yesterday I spend most of my day at the kitchen bakering a chocolate cake and filling it with coconut and chocolate. As you can see in one of the pictures above, the cake looked quite okay...ate least for these kids, it looked amazing!!!!

We also gave them some gifts -- they are not the kind of people who get presents all the time...actually, I could say if it wasn't for us, they would never receive toys and clothing...sad reality, isn't it?!

We prepared a small bag full of candies, snacks, chocolate bars, and so on, too. It seemed a lot like Halloween evenings...althought they didn't have to go door-to-door to get all those candies!!!!

I really felt today that I did a good job...not only me, but also my mom and dad...

Actually,my mom is the greatest responsible for all we had today...She has always helped our maid and her kids...Sometimes we even say that she needs grandkids to fullfill her life a bit more...at least to keep her busy!!!

It's hard to imagine how our maid raise these fours kids without their fathers around (that's true...on plural..."fathers"--each of them have a different father). We really try to help, whenever it's possible...

Still, that would be awsome if I had my American nieces and nephews around here today!

Getting Started

After so many years reading someone else's blog, I've decided to start writing one on my onw...

Actually, I realized that if I keep a blog, I'll be able to write in English once in awhile (or Portuguese depending on my mood)-- at least someone will correct my mistakes and still know a bit what's going on in my life!!!

The past few weeks was a bit frustating for me. All I wanted for my carrer was going quite bad...and I didn't really feel part of the company...so, I decided that I had to leave...I must do something about it...and so I did!

I went to a job interview about two Saturdays ago. Yesterday I got this call asking my to be at the same place I went for the interview! Next Monday I start working at this new company which imports groceries such as peaches, wine, nuts, and so on!

Last weekend we had Kid's Day here in Brazil...I couldn't celebrate as I wished, but my mom and I are organizing a small celebration this Saturday...not that I am a child anymore...We are actually doing this for my maid's children...very poor people who will never have the chance to celebrate anything if we don't do that for them! I've already bought the ingredients for the chocolate cake, "brigadeiro", jelly, hot dog, etc. I hope the enjoy it as much as I'm loving to prepare it!

I just wish my American nieces and nephews could be here...

I promisse to post photos as soon as I get them!!!