Not too pleased-

With myself that is!

I have been knitting along on my first scarf and still have yet to complete it. Poor little thing is just aching to be cast off! I have just been so busy with everything else that's been going on- it sits all alone on my couch waiting for me to come home and pick it up. I haven't really been home in awhile so my plan is to finish it this week, fingers crossed!

One Correction: finish the scarf and find a nice new job! The other one just didn't quite fit me right, kind of like a really old sweater almost. It was a comfortable job but it just wasn't a nice fit. I know my hopes are high but my goals seem attainable. I already had one interview and call back but turned the job down. I know, here I am looking for a job and turning them down BUT it wasn't a good fit either. Trust me.

For now I will take a mini-vacation and enjoy my upcoming birthday and the holidays! This is by far my favorite time of year and I am so glad that we are finally starting to feel the chill in the air. My christmas tree is up and looks beautiful along with all the other decorations I was able to throw together. I really should go and finish that scarf! Till next time, keep warm!

Give a little bit...

This year thanksgiving was much of the same. Lots of turkey, family, pies and relaxation. The journey out there was nice and I have to say I hated to leave! Mainly because I managed to make a new friend out at the farm:My family and I also managed to make a trip out to my Dad's ranch. We visited our horses and also had time to fit in a round of badmitten (we discovered we weren't very good at)!! But I must say, I am so very thankful to be able to spend the holidays close to all the ones I love!!!!

Christoval

A magnificent place:This was one of those days that I will never forget.A day spent with my two favorite people.

Completed.

Finally my first crocheted holiday scarf is all nice and complete:

I even added these adorable holiday buttons on each end:

Now I am off to finish knitting this:
I think I will keep this one :)

I've come a long way...

Look at how much crocheting I was able to accomplish this weekend: My Nanny invited my mom and I on a Catholic Daughters retreat out to Christoval, Texas. I was very excited to spend the weekend with my grandparents and was really happy that I would get a lot of crocheting done during the long car trips!!! I didn't get as much done as I thought I would but that was probably do to the amount of distractions. Christoval is a beautiful place! I will add pictures soon!!! We went out there to visit a beautiful church and by beatiful I mean BEAUTIFUL!!! It was the most lovely church I have ever seen in person. It was made out of sooo much rock!! Rock which was all found on the land they built it on, I thought that was pretty neat! The sisters out there had a lab who had just had 9 puppies! Oh what cute little hairballs they were. I wanted to take every single puppy home! This one (below) in particular I wanted to keep, but unfortunately they were asking more money for the pups than I had, booo!I was ok leaving that puppy behind as I knew he would find a nice home! I also remembered that my parents golden retrievers might be having pups soon, and I have first dibs!!! After a long ride out to Christoval and back we were exhausted! It was an all day affair and once we finally made it back to my Grandmothers house, my Grandfather surprised us and took us out to a nice Mexian food restaurant. It was a nice treat :) The fajitas and margaritas hit the spot! The entire weekend was so incredibly special! Being able to vist such a lovely church, and meet the sisters there, the priest, and all the catholic daughters who are all dear friends of my Nanny's was such a wonderful/spiritual experience! As I drove back to Dallas and thought about how much I enjoyed myself, I knew the weekend was one I would always hold near to my heart!

Change is needed.

You might want to change your diet, immediately!! Please read below:

World cancer experts have finally declared what NaturalNews.com readers learned nearly four years ago: That processed meats cause cancer, and anyone seeking to avoid cancer should avoid eating all processed meats for life.Hundreds of cancer researchers took part in a five-year project spanning more than 7,000 clinical studies and designed to document the links between diet and cancer.

Their conclusion, published in the World Cancer Research Fund's report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective (2007), has rocked the health world with a declaration that all people should immediately stop buying and eating processed meat products and that all processed meat should be avoided for life!Processed meats, the report explains, are simply too dangerous for human consumption. And why? Because they contain chemical additives that are known to greatly increase the risk of various cancers, including colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, brain tumors, pancreatic cancer and many more.

The report, published at this DietAndCancerReport.org website also recommends that consumers:

• Avoid all sugary soft drinks for life.

• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

• Get lean and fit, without becoming underweight.

• Limit consumption of ALL meats (even fresh meat).

• Breastfeed all infants for their first six months, avoiding infant formula.

What is "processed meat" exactly?

I've learned that many people really don't know the difference between processed meat and non-processed meat ("fresh" meat).

Here's the difference:Fresh meat usually has only one ingredient: The meat! Fresh meat is refrigerated and has a very short shelf life (just a few days, usually). It's usually packaged in simple wrappers, with no fancy logos or color printing.Processed meat has many ingredients and is usually packaged for long-term shelf life. These products almost always contain sodium nitrite, the cancer-causing chemical additive that meat companies use as a color fixer to turn their meat products a bright red "fresh-looking" color.

Processed meat products include:

• Bacon

• Sausage

• Pepperoni

• Beef jerky

• Deli slices

• Hot dogs

• Sandwich meat (including those served at restaurants)

• Ham

• Meat "gift" products like Christmas sausages

• Meat used in canned soups

• Meat used in frozen pizza

• Meat used in kid's lunch products

• Meat used in ravioli, spaghetti or Italian pasta products... and many more meat products.

Unless it says "NITRITE FREE" on the front label, you can bet it's made with cancer-causing sodium nitrite!(Hint: You will only find nitrite-free meat products in two places in the grocery store: 1) In the fresh meat section where you can buy freshly-ground hamburger, for example, and 2) In the freezer, where you can find "natural" meat products that are nitrite-free.)

What are the dangerous chemicals in processed meats?

-Sodium nitrite is one of the most dangerous chemicals added to processed meats.

Please be aware:

• You MUST read the ingredients list to find the sodium nitrite! Meat product companies do not list this ingredient on the front of the package.

• Even ORGANIC meat products and NATURAL meat products can still contain sodium nitrite. So read the labels to be sure, and avoid buying any meat product made with sodium nitrite.

• Be especially careful of food for kids!

Virtually all packaged food products containing meat and marketed to children contain sodium nitrite! (Read the ingredients to protect yourself and your children.)Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a second dangerous chemical found in virtually all processed meat products. MSG is a dangerous excitotoxin linked to neurological disorders such as migraine headaches, Alzheimer's disease, loss of appetite control, obesity and many other serious health conditions. Manufacturers use MSG to add flavor to dead-tasting processed meat products!!

Essentially, dead meat products look and taste dead (because they are), so meat companies use the following three ingredients to make them look fresh and taste interesting:

-Sodium nitrite makes the meat look red and fresh. (But it promotes cancer.)

-MSG makes the meat taste savory. (But it causes neurological disorders.)

-Processed salt makes the meat taste more interesting. (But it causes nutritional problems and high blood pressure.)

On top of these three chemical additives, processed meats also contain saturated animal fat that is often contaminated with PCBs, heavy metals, pesticide residues and other dangerous substances.

Protect yourself and your family

To protect yourself from these dangerous processed food products, here are the action steps to take:

1) Check the ingredients of all processed meat products in your refrigerator and pantry. Throw out any products containing sodium nitrite or MSG (monosodium glutamate).

2) Inform your spouse, roomates or children of what you're doing and why you're doing it. Show them the sodium nitrite right on the label of the products as you throw them out. Let them know that the World Cancer Research Fund now recommends that ALL consumers avoiding eating processed meats for life!

3) Boycott all processed meat products for life! Never buy processed meats again. That includes shopping at the grocery store, eating at a restaurant or consuming foods at a social event.

4) Spread the word. Tell others about the dangers of sodium nitrite. Print out the Honest Food Guide (www.HonestFoodGuide.com) and share it, if you want.

Please let people know that processed meats are dangerous for their health!!

Inbox

This was waiting for me in my inbox this morning:

To: Stephanie C. Perkins

Subject: yay!

I’m so anxious to see the pictures!!!

Holly Hernandez
2ND Grade, Avalon Elementary

Unfortunately, editing is a long process and I am trying to hurry and get the photographs all nice and pretty-but at the same time I don't want to return anything less than perfection to her! Luckily enough for me, Holly is extremely photogenic so most of the pictures look wonderful. I took all the photographs in color and I would like to return the shots to her in black and white and color so she can decided which ones she prefers. Some how the dreaded red eyes found their way into the lovely photographs. Dangit!! I have a very basic photo editing software and it is extremely hard to take out the red eye so tonight I really need to work on figuring out how to edit those!

Today I get off of work early to take part in my right as an American, what a privilege! I just pray I am voting for the right guy!!!

After I place my vote, I am headed to find itty-bitty initials (LRK) to add on to the baby scarf I am crocheting. I am making the joy scarf for my friend Tina who is due any day now! The pictures are also below in the previous post. I haven't gotten that far along on it but I am trying to make sure I don't screw it up- especially considering this is my first project!!! Yay!!! It's so fun and relaxing to crochet and even more exciting to think about what the end product will look like. I am sure Tina and baby Luke will love it during his first "chilly" holiday season.!!!!!

Ready...Set....Go!

I decided upon impulse to pick up crocheting among the thousands of other things that took place this weekend! I was busy to say the least and I really wish I had photos to post with this but I will add them on at a later time :)

Friday: Halloween/Homecoming Game Night!

I kept it low-key and drove to Fort Worth to spend this holiday among the people I love most. Not only was it Halloween, BUT it was Addison's "BIG HOMECOMING FOOTBALL NIGHT"!!! I helped over the last week getting his date's mum all decorated and sparkly and witnessed the nervousness build as he looked forward to Spirit Day and the Homecoming Dance! SO CUTE!!!! I feel lucky to be at an age where I am able to appreciate how darling this all is! Anyhow, our plan was to drop Addison off at the Nolan Highschool foot-ball game. Then my parents and I would go home and watch a spooky movie and enjoy caramel apples all in the Halloween state of mind! But soon as Addison heard what we planned on he decided he would rather miss out on the football game and stay home nice and safe with us! My parents had a few trick-or-treaters come to the door in the midst of our spooky Halloween movie, thank Jebus for DVR's! All in all, I have to admit I haven't had such a fun Halloween yet!!!! Sure, I wasn't out with kids my own age or in the middle of the drunken debauchery that takes place at the Halloween parties- but as the years go by I am learning that scene is not my cup of tea. I suppose it is all a matter of opinion.

Friday night I promised Addison that I would return the next day to take him out for lunch and shopping before his BIG Homecoming Dance!! As promised he and I went out to grab some food and that is when I thought it would be nice to drop by Michael's and pick up all that my crocheting heart desired! Luckily- I have a very sweet brother who was excited to lend me a hand while I went through all the supplies!! I left with a basket full of lovely yarn, beautiful crocheting needles and a couple of books to help get me started. Not only did I have Addison's help but I met a sweet little old woman. She worked there and was happy to help me gather the necessities. She put a smile on my face as she helped me and spoke of her love for crocheting. She told me she also knitted but prefered crocheting. I have to agree with her!!! She made me promise to return soon to show her my pieces. After that, Addison and I were off to Best Buy because I have decided to purchase an Imac soon! Yay! We were not able to spend as much time as we wanted there. Addison had to get home and get all done up for the Homecoming Dance. He looked so handsome as we all headed to drop him off at his friends house where he met his date and had dinner before going to the dance! He had a wonderful time and said it was the best time he has ever had in his life!Again, HOW CUTE is that?! Later that night I started crocheting and picked it up quick! My Grandmother Kramer and both of my Great Grandmother's crocheted! I remember learning as a kid. I suppose our family just has a knack for it. My mom would even like for me to teach her how :)In other news-I was asked about a week ago to take Holly, Tony and baby Kendall's first family photographs on Sunday in downtown Waxahachie. So- early Sunday morning we met up and I took thousands of photos in the Towns Square. The photographs turned out wonderfully and tonight I will start the editing process so I can get it all back to them soon! I only wish I had purchased the Imac so that I could use that photo software to edit with- but I am still saving up for it so I will just have to wait till December! Darn :(

I couldn't agree more...

My horoscope today (Go boldly forth and fall in love again!) couldn't be more true!!!

Sore loser...

I learned this weekend that I am no good at checkers. I remember playing as a kid and winning most of the time, and now I realize that my parents just let me win all the time. Hahaha..... thanks!

I suppose I should just stick to Darts and Uno since it's only thing I am able to win without cheating! Pretty pathetic!

I also learned this weekend that I'm building up my bike riding skills! I could barely make it up any hills a couple of weeks ago, but this weekend I made it up them like a champ.

My mom and I had a lot of fun riding around her neighborhood and taking pics along the way. Which is extremely hard to do while riding! I wouldn't suggest it especially if you are prone to dropping things, as I am.

Riding around such a pretty neighborhood was a nice break from the hustle and bustle I have become quite use to.The weather was so nice I literally could of spent the entire weekend outside!

Addison and I had fun goofing around watching spooky halloween movies and entertaining ourselves:

He of course is better at checkers and playing than I. But at least I provide the good vocals! I'm very thankful for another marvelous weekend, a wonderful family and here's to another good week!!!

I love a good read!

I went to visit my Nanny & Grandpa a couple of weeks ago and while I was there my Nanny asked me if I had ever read The Diary of St. Faustina. In the past she has given me many wonderful books to read, many of them strictly biographies of Saints, but this book in particular I had not laid my eyes on. I keep this in the back of my mind and hoped that by the time I made it home I wouldn't forget this suggestion. Fortunately enough I didn't forget and ordered the book online, which I received in the mail a week ago. Since I have opened this beautiful book I have found it difficult to put down. It currently rests on my nightstand so that every night I am tempted to read for a couple of hours. Reading about such a lovely soul is one of the most peaceful ways to fall asleep! So, might I suggest this book for anyone who would like to take the time. It is a very thick book, but if you are like me and up for a nice challenge it's worth it:Oh, while I am on the topic I have also been reading (very slowly) The Imitation of Christ. Another one of my Nanny's good suggestions and it's absolutely amazing! It's soooo good that I don't want to finish it. The copy I was given looks like it has been handed down through my family for decades. It's an old hard back that has been taped and re-taped together again. This is a book that you finish and can't wait to start all over again for fear you might forget a single detail.
This is all thanks to my loving Nanny Kramer!

A natural?

Well not so much when it comes to my hair color.

Sure I had bleach blonde hair as a kid, but now that I am grown its not as blonde.

Actually it is a terrible dish water blonde -so I must up keep it!!!

I have gone to the same salon, along with my mom, for as long as I can remember.

I figured it was time to branch out and try a nicer salon here in Uptown.

I called and nervously made an appointment at the Kevin Charles Salon, hoping that the visit wouldn't completely empty my wallet!

Unfortunately it really did cost a lot, BUT it was really worth it! I have never had such good results from a color! Two thumbs to the Kevin Charles Salon :)

Boy was it yummy!

Our office lunch-in today was a success and everything looked so delicious I just had to share some photographs: The "home-made" Carrot Cake was devoured quickly- but before it disappeared I got a picture of it iced and all pretty! The time spent making it, baking it, and icing it were well worth it. Everyone loved it sooooo much so, I thought I should share the recipe but unfortunately I don't have it with me :( Whenever I get it back from my mom's house I will definitely share the goodness! My cute little "RW" sugar cookies were also thoroughly enjoyed by those who don't really like cake. Me being one of them. It's sad to say, but I didn't even bite into the Carrot Cake! Now the cookies I thought were quite good-so good in fact I had about a hand full :)

I got a little carried away...

This weekend was so fun!

I traveled to Fort Worth to spend the weekend with my mom because I was in need of her help! This entire week at my firm we are celebrating Bosses Day.

I signed up to make dessert for Monday's lunch-in, so I desperately needed my mom's help making a homemade Carrot Cake and Sugar Cookies for an office FULL of people!!

Saturday we headed to the grocery store to get all the makings for home made cake and cookies.

We made it home with a Jeep packed with ingredients. But we decided not to get started making everything till after church Sunday. We had such a good time in the kitchen baking away on Sunday and Addison even felt the urge to help! The best part was icing and decorating the cookies :)

Ok-actually the best part of Sunday was purchasing a new bike! Between all the baking and making I found time to get out and purchase the bike! One that I have wanted for about a year! I was soooo excited I rode it through the store to purchase it and then out the door into the parking lot! So one could chalk it up to a GREAT weekend!!!!

It's true what they say..

"Everything IS better downtown"

I recently moved (in June) to Downtown Dallas into a loft. Nothing beats downtown "city" living! I must say- it has been hard getting used to paying a mortgage every month but I'm super glad I made the decision! The view and the amazing sunsets are worth paying an arm and leg for:

I am really excited to say that after a lot of help, I am finally living in a fully furnished loft. Just like a grown-up!! Whenever I moved in I had almost everything, but still was in need of some extra items. Thanks to my parents I have beautiful new cherry wood bar stools (which my sweet mother special ordered for me), a very cool chair for my living room, my great grandmother's beautiful antique sewing table (which has the original sewing machine left in tack and working):My mom got me all the kitchen goodies any girl could dream of, and thanks to my dad (and a lot of shopping trips to hunt down my favorites) all the art pieces/canvases I wanted!!! Oh, and my favorite item, which my dad found for me and hung, is a beautiful antique shell chandelier for my living room!What once was an empty-lonely loft:

Is now a charming, warm place to come home to!