Emily’s Musings

We have been eating like royalty since we arrived. Everyone we see wants to go out to eat, or feed us, so I’m positive I will have “more belly than baby” before I go to Utah. This week, we met up with some old business partners, Dianna and Eric. She would alter all the wedding and formal gowns for our customers. She is amazing with fabric, and truly has an “eye” for altering wedding gowns. They are such an incredible couple with such an amazing story.

They emigrated from Russia about 15 years ago with their two toddler children, mother-in-law, and $1,000 in their pocket, and the dream of living in the land of the free where they could work for themselves. After paying off the Russian mafia during their travels, they landed in the Dallas area. Dianna used to work in a sweat shop in Russia, so they opened up an alteration store because that was the only way they thought they could make money. With no education and a thick Russian accent, this seemed like their only option. Really, they wanted to LIVE the American dream; Entrepreneurship

This is Dianna.

All of the walls in her alteration shop are filled with pictures of her clients.

This is her “beauty queen wall.” Anyone, who is anyone, will only allow Dianna to touch their gown. She is absolutely amazing. She alters the gowns of all celebrities in the Dallas area. One of the many celebrities she has worked with is LeAnn Rimes. She altered her Vera Wang wedding gown when she got married. There are more celebrities, but I am pregnant, and can’t think of them.

Notice how my picture is on the wall? Yeah, it is on the end of the middle row. I should get her another picture, so my head isn’t cut off. (BTW, Dianna didn’t recognize “island Emily” with no makeup, flip flops, hair in a ponytail and pregnant, when I popped in for a surprise visit a few days ago. Her store was FULL of customers and she exclaimed, “Emily, you don’t look same! You VERY different. I don’t recognize you. You see? Yes, Exactly.” She then pointed to my picture on the wall of what I should look like. Dianna doesn’t mince words.)

This is Eric. He opened up a Paciugo franchise last year. It is doing well, and we certainly enjoyed eating the gourmet Italian ice cream!

This is Eric’s franchise. When David asked him why he opened up a franchise, he said he couldn’t do anything else! With no education, a thick Russian accent, and a desire to retire his wife from the alteration business, he felt his only option was to open a franchise because the “company leads you by the hand.”

All we could say was “WOW.” How many Americans out there specifically don’t open their own business because they think they don’t have enough education, or experience? This is what I love about this couple, THEY HAVE DRIVE. I relate to that. They jump in head first, and MAKE IT WORK. Props to all the immigrants who are living the American dream.

Fifteen years later, their accents haven’t changed much. It still takes a fine tuned ear to understand them. We went to dinner at Texas Land and Cattle (because David REALLY wanted to eat some great steak, but the food paled in comparison to the Gatehouse steak. We are ruined for life.) and I had to clarify everything Eric and Dianna ordered to the waiter. The waiter CLEARLY didn’t understand. Hey, I relate. I used to nod my head at everything they said when I first met them.

David and I both ordered IBC root beer. IT IS THE KING OF ALL ROOT BEERS. We have been deprived of this little luxury for 28 months, and it was DELICIOUS. Poor Eric and Dianna, they have never tried root beer in all their years living in the States. We offered for them to try it, but in true Russian taste, they turned it down to drink their Vodka and Margarita. It’s too bad they don’t know what they’re missing!