Vacation!

When you think of the word vacation, what comes to mind? For me, I can tell you that it doesn't mean the following:

peace.

beach.

serenity.

relaxation.

stress-free.

break.

This in no way a complaint or dissatisfaction. Alhamdulillah.. I had a great time away for two and a half weeks. :) I spent wonderful time in the company of my dad and family in Dallas. It's home away from home since I spend the rest of the year here studying... So it isn't about sightseeing or adventuring. It's just making the most of moments there. Which I'm very blessed and grateful to have done.

The next few days I will be having a series of posts.. some about vacation, recommendation and my favorite things.. and a few abut my not so favorite things. So be prepared for a few rants here and there. Hehe. :D

I feel now is the best time than ever to vent a little. Because well, I'm home. Tired. Sleepy.. Jetlagged and slightly upset about attitude and reaction.

Let's backtrack a little. Firefly is NOT a 'business'... it comes from my journal. From my life's experiences, therefore it deals with sentiments. Even while I was away, I left orders open. Not because it was a business opportunity... it felt more like a need to need Firefly. You know? Father's Day came.. special gifts were needed... and Firefly should be available to everybody.. whether I'm around or not around. And boy. Was that the most challenging thing ever!

In the midst of Father's Day orders, all of which were important and kinda 'urgent' if you will... we began having serious problems with electricity. While there was a standby generator... there were only 4 hours on which the 'processing' could take place due to the heavy machinery and equipment. It ran a panic through my system that was so so difficult to explain to anybody. My family stressed more than I did... and I'm so so lucky that my brother was there with me through it all. What added to the pressure was our driver being away on his yearly holiday. We have that kinda system at our place. D gets an off every alternate weekend, and while we're away in the summer, it's down time for him. And so mum had to do the 'drivin' and my brother had the privilege of customer service and dealings. Which I'm proud of him for. I was very very lucky to have such understanding Firefly friends, too. Who were very understanding of the light issues and were prepared that there might be a delay on gifts for dad. BUT Alhamdulillah, orders made it in time because my blessing in disguise, is my printer uncle. He worked night and day and got things to a resolve. And it's funny. He keeps telling me not to worry, because we all know MashaAllah, I have a strong support team. Out of town orders were dispatched and placed at IVS for collection, despite it being Graduation day for my brother. Congrats Nivy! You really worked on being an all rounder. :) He waited on clients to collect their stuff, and well, he had to wait on some who never showed, too.

I've tried to stay in touch with orders and the Firefly page because I might be a little overwhelmed the next few weeks. I didn't even talk to my mom or brother while I was away! hehe... so Alhamdulillah to the Firefly family.

While I've had a smooth sailing on most scenarios, I've had a bit of trouble on a few others. I'd like everyone to understand, I take my work very seriously... because a) it's not work, it's my hobby, it's something I love. b) I study c) I feel we have so much potential as a nation, working on something new and innovative is the lingo for Firefly d) while every customer, Firefly friend and member are important, respect goes both ways.

I find it very impolite, rather rude that there are those that ...

a) love leaving their links and pages all over my wall. Dang. If I were to visit your house and left my visiting cards plastered all over your bedroom, how'd you feel? Apart from the overdose of yellow and brown, you'd feel unnerved and upset that your space has been vandalized. Just send me an email or msg me, we can find out way to promote your business, or your mom's clothes, or your sister's gift wrapping venture... or whatever. Dude, it's called communicate.

b) send me email after email or have a million queries and want to place an order... and after I reply, don't have the courtesy to reply with an even 'okay' or 'done' to confirm they've received my response and have acknowledged it. What adds to the spice pot is, a week or two later I get emails asking hey man! you never wrote back, is my order ready. Uh, sunshine.. you never confirmed. That's not on. Despite being called Lady Varah thanks to my astrology knowledge, I do not have ESP which mystically informs that client X has read and agreed to the conditions and is eating a bag of pretzels while reading your mail and cannot reply because he or she is on his way to 7 Eleven for the next round of Taquitos. Really.. just hit back and say yeah that's cool with me or sounds good, go ahead. How would I know if you agree or disagree or are confirming the order? :/

c) place an order. and there go the cricket sounds... why? Because it's time to collect it. If you're going out of town, message me. Inform me. Courtesy. That's all. I  mean, if I can try and stay in touch or make alternate arrangements with someone else so you can collect your stuff or aren't inconvenienced, I expect a bit of commitment on your part to collect your stuff on the time YOU say you will collect it on. If it's not possible, no stress. I can courier or put it in a list of pending collections. Just communicate. I have had situations where I haven't left the house or my brother's waited for hours on end on the day he needed to be out because so and so said they'd come by at 1 and it is not 7:37. Not fair. You have my email address, if the phone digits are lost, you can always email me. Unless you're in Antarctica without internet, which I doubt, because Firefly is an online business to start with anyhow. :D

d) whether you're still in middle school, whether you're as old as my granddad... whether you live in some place I have never heard of or belong to a corporate family, I'm sorry. Firefly friends get the same respect and  courtesy as anybody. I will not take disrespect to me or my family even if you're interested in my work and are planning big things for a Firefly future. Sorry. No order is too big or small. An order is an order, and a committment is a committment. :) It's just as important to me... so please collect it on time, and please do not make it a favor to me... Firefly would love to create for you, but if you think my service sucks or is crap... please by all means. Do not place your order. I will definitely try to improve, you can return your stuff, and get a refund. But do not, make it sound like a favor. That's just petty. Really.

e) chhaapofying. Dude! I'm honored... but DUDE... NO. Firefly designs are copyrighted. They're my artwork. And you trying to create Maddy and Sue in your style does NOT make the doodle your 'own' crafted with love and heart.

f) AND I am NOT going to print that thingy with shutterstock vector art, or the design of that skins-site. Why? Because I'm reproducing someone else's work, AND there's money involved. :/ So please stop sending me photos of Transformers and Batman, I did it for my brother... and will not be doing more of it. Your photographs and logos, feel free to send em in for keychains. BUT please specify what you'd like on the other side.

g) By default my logo and doodle and design info goes on there! In case you want to get on to me for 'stealing' your work and me 'plagiarizing' YOUR design and giving it to YOU. How lame am I? I am copying the logo you gave ME to print on a keychain, reproducing, claiming and then GIVING it to the person I stole from. Sigh. Tsk tsk. Didn't know that's what processing an order is called. (sarcasm)

h) My printer. I can introduce you to him... yes, to do what I do, NO.

f) INFORMATION is ALL available in the 'notes' tab... processing time, payment and collection, pricing, size. You name it. Firefly's notes tab freakin' has it! :D I request everyone to please read it... or skim it. It's not a scavenger hunt finding out who does this or where to contact me. Really. No brainer at all! :) It just takes a moment...

Information is made available for the convenience of all Firefly visitors. You realize how much time is wasted in asking questions that are already answered? I'm not being mean, I'm serious.. people miss the window in ordering their stuff for the Monday and Thursday batches all the time because all the email time is spent asking and answering information that's already there... hehe. And by the time they get their answer and decide they want a certain keychain customized for Tuesday, the Thursday lot has already left. I was being considerate by having it all out there, but sigh. No one takes what I say seriously. *sad face*

Anyhooooo....

I know some of you had laughs reading my alphabet rants. :) I love all my Firefly friends and family. Alhamdulillah... they add to the strength I have in getting out of bed on my down days... and well.. inspiration runs when you've got love from those around you.

Oh yes! The Scrapper Session kits are here. WOOOOOOOT! :D And they're awesome. Don't feel like givin em away. XD haha.

Okay, next post includes shopping and travel favorites... my little sister decided she's Aysha and I'm Mahwish at night. So Aysha and I are going to go play now. Hehe. The joys of being back. :D