The Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

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2012-02-01T09:02:00.000-06:00

My view today...

I stepped outside this morning to check the weather. I waited for the fog to lift before hitting the road.

Happy Hump Day!

Beautifully Complex

Photo of the Day Challenge

2012-01-31T22:35:00.002-06:00

A couple of my favorite Bloggers, Babs & Tiffany in Houston, threw out the challenge so I am going to give it a shot and see if I can make it the entire month of February !

Beautifully Complex

I've Been Tagged !

2012-01-25T17:39:00.001-06:00

I was tagged by ichoosethesun over at her spot, so I am going to share a little bit about my self right here.
Rules for Tagged:

You must post 11 random things about yourself.
Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.
Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
Go to their blog and tell them that you’ve tagged them.

11 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I am 5'10 and love my height and love to wear high heels.

2. I miss being able to drop by my parents after church for Sunday dinner.

3. I could eat Cheesecake 3 times a week and never get tired of it.

4. It really makes me sad to hear of anyone getting a divorce.

5. I enjoy drinking creative cocktails with unusual ingredients.

6. I think it would be fun and interesting to be Bartender in a cool spot.

7. I don't care for chocolate ice cream, but I do eat chocolate in other things.

8. I love lemonade, lemon pie, lemon pound cake, and all things lemon.

9. I wish I'd been encouraged to be creative rather than practical growing up.

10. My love language is physical touch. I am addicted to physical affection.

ICHOOSETHESUN'S QUESTIONS FOR ME

1. What is your dream job ?

Songwriter & Music producer

2. Why do you blog ?

Because I love to write and read & I have encountered some really

cool people.

3. Are you most like Pooh, Tigger or Piglet ?

Tigger because my Mom has always called my "hyper" & I am very

emotional.

4. What would you tell your 18 year old self ?

Care less about the approval of others, be courageous, take more

chances.

5. What vacation destination are you most looking forward to ?

My upcoming Honeymoon. No location picked yet but it will be

tropical.

6. How often do you wear make-up ?

When working or going out socially. Otherwise, its Nivea cream only.

7. At what time of the day were you born ?

5:35PM Don't know why I remember that but after seeing by Birth

Certificate it stayed in my mind.

8. Do you commute to work ? Carpool, drive, walk or public transit ?

Drive

9. Would you rather be hot or cold ?

Definitely hot. I get angry when it's too cold ! LOL I will never forget

when I went to Chicago in January.

10. How do you feel about being tagged ?

I think it's a fun and interesting way to learn more about my fellow

bloggers !

FOLKS I'M TAGGIN...........

Inner Diva

Kurlylicious

The Weight of What is Real

Mamasez

Newy- I wanted to tag you, but you did a similar post a couple of weeks ago

HERE ARE MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU GUYS .......

1. If you cook, what is the best meal that you know how to prepare that you

always get the most compliments on ?

2. If money was not an issue, where would you want to live & make your home

and why ?

3. If you have children or plan to, what is the one lesson that you hope you

have taught them as they reach adulthood ?

4. If you are married, is there anything that you would want to have done any

different for your wedding ? If you want to be married what is the most

important aspect of a wedding to you ?

5. How would those who know you the best describe you in three words ?

6. What is a favorite memory from your childhood ?

7. Who in your life makes you laugh the most ?

8. Is there anything that you ate as a child that you don't eat now or anything

that you wouldn't eat as a child that you do eat now ?

9. If you won a huge lottery what is the first thing you would do ?

10. What could you eat all the time & never get sick of ?

11. Do you prefer blogs, fac.ebook or twitt.er ? Why ?

Hopefully these were some good questions for you. I tried to avoid tagging bloggers who may have done this recently. Anyway, consider yourself "tagged" if you are looking for a blog idea or just want to join in !

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Funny Friday Vol. 3

2012-01-20T06:00:00.003-06:00

This seriously brought a smile to my face........

I was waiting on him to really break it down ! LOL Stop teasing me President Obama!!! Man, our president is so sharp, so funny, a quick wit, so cool and such a gentleman all at the same time. In my opinion, he is such a charming and dignified leader (and has a pretty nice singing voice too). Sadly, they had to disable the comments for this video because there are so many hate filled people in the world. This is going to be a loooong ugly election year.

Oh well, no matter what, I think "Let's Stay Together in 2012" is a great slogan.

Happy Friday Everyone !

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Seriously Fun Weekend

2012-01-16T07:00:00.003-06:00

I hate that I am working today. After the way we ran the streets this weekend, it is a miracle that I could even make it in today. It was fun but I will most definitely be taking naps this week to catch up ! LOL

Saturday we went to Mr. Mixologist's Annual Aficionado Event at one of his favorite Cigar Lounges, Serious Cigars. They host a customer appreciation party every January and we can invite guests. My love is SERIOUS about his Cigars. We had another blast this year & several of our friends came through to enjoy the food, drinks, cigars and laughs. It was fun.

Cigar Buddies

Me & TiffanyinHouston

We should have heeded the warning above me !

#CoolCoupleAlert

He was so excited ! LOL

This event has gotten so big, they no longer have it in the Cigar Lounge, they rent a huge tent and set it up adjacent to the building. Funny, when I was uploading the pics I noticed they had signs posted that said " Enjoy yourself but please drink responsibly" LOL All I can say about that is "I wasn't driving". We shut the party down & then followed some friends to another spot. I did every line dance known to man till my legs were sore ! LOL But I know how to K-Wang wit it though !

I had somewhat recovered by Sunday when TiffanyinHouston and her husband hosted a Texans Watch Party. My Beau is SERIOUS about his football too. I am not into sports like most, but I enjoy the excitement & the social aspect of it all. We really appreciated the invitation, however, if they had known that Mr. Mixologist was going for Baltimore, we might not have made the guest list ! LMAO It was a lot of fun and laughs and clowning with some cool people. Even Tarsha came through rockin' the flyest hat ! (I see you) and I even met a new Soror. Happy Founder's Day to all the lovely ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. We left their party & met up with some other friends at another Sports Bar to catch another game before finally wrapping up a fun filled weekend.

Rockin' my new T from the Bridal Expo

Reppin' B'More Baby !

Me & TIH

Maybe next year Texans !

I said I was going to "sit down somewhere" in 2012 but so far we have been staying just as busy it seems. I guess I need to rethink that. Life is good. Man, when I finally settled down Sunday night, I was hating on all those who get to enjoy the Martin Luther King Holiday today by being off work. Enjoy yourself today & think of those who have to work today & always remember the Dream !

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy"

Martin Luther King Jr. Strength to Love, 1963

How was your weekend ? Any special plans to Celebrate the Holiday ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Missing

2012-01-11T07:00:00.020-06:00

It's weird how things stick with you. Have you ever heard the names Charlotte Kinsey and Cinda Pallet ? Maybe not. They stand out in my mind because those are the names of two 13 yr old girls that vanished back in 1981 from the State Fairgrounds. I was 12 at the time. It was a really big deal. I don't really remember anything about child abductions prior to that point. But it changed my life. It was all over the news for what seemed like forever. We were all concerned and scared. I still remember their names from all of the media coverage at the time. I actually still remember their faces too (I know weird).They never found those girls to this day.

Honestly growing up in the Midwest, in a relatively safe community, we got dropped off at the movies, dropped off at the Arcade, dropped off at the Mall & even dropped off at the State Fair with no concern what so ever. Nothing really bad ever happened in our community until this. It didn't matter to me at the time that those girls were white & I wasn't. This was also right around the time that the Atlanta Child Murders started making national news as well. Trust, we never got dropped off at the Fairgrounds or anywhere else again.

As an adult, in this day of 24 hour news coverage, media, blogs, etc. I like everyone else have begun to see how your "appearance" plays into the level of concern and serious effort to find you when you disappear. Laci Peterson, Natalee Holloway, Chandra Levy, Polly Klass come to mind to name a few. Currently there is a Fac.ebook effort to find a missing woman from Atlanta, Stacey Nicole English, who was last seen the day after Christmas. She is African-American, appears to come from a nice family, appears to be upper middle class and she is young and attractive. But it seems that her complexion may be keeping her case from getting the appropriate news coverage.

I was excited to hear about this new show on TV One, Find Our Missing, hosted by one of my favorite actresses S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order junkie right here ! ) I know the media cannot report EVERY missing person case, but the obvious double standard gets to me sometimes, especially as a black female. Here is the preview.

Will you be watching ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Weekend Wrap Up

2012-01-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

It was a pretty low key yet productive weekend. The main focus of the last two days were wedding planning & football. The weather was absolutely beautiful. Picture 75 degrees in January. Nice !

I actually talked Mr. Mixologist into attending the Bridal Extravaganza with me on Saturday. His only requirement.......that we get out of there in time for the Texans game LOL. I know he loves me because I know there were some Bowl games earlier in the day that he wanted to see, but he came along with no fuss. It was funny to watch all the grooms-to-be walking around checking scores on their phones & trying to pay attention at the same time. Funny.

We were there for almost 4 hours and we were BOTH beat when it was done. It was eye opening and a little overwhelming for him for sure.We have a lot of decisions to make as we still have not decided for sure just where the wedding will be. His family is in the South and the East Coast. My family is in the Midwest. Neither of us have family in Houston, but we both have great friends here. Our families will have to travel regardless so we are talking about the logistics. So no date or firm location yet, but we are trying to figure it all out.

He mailed the copies of the DVD of his Proposal to both his parents & my parents & they received them last week, so just when we thought the excitement was waning, they all got riled up again ! They were laughing about how it went from the typical chaotic, Christmas morning gift opening, video to all of a sudden serious & then back to laughter mixed with tears, LOL. It is such a blessing to see people genuinely so excited and happy for us & excited about the wedding.

My Beau was all into his football this weekend & there were some big games. So other than the Bridal Expo, I didn't get to spend that much time with him. The Texans are hanging in there & of course the Saints did their thing too. I really don't think that I will have his full attention until the Super Bowl is over, LOL & that is fine with me.

All in all it was a cool weekend.

How was your weekend ? How is the weather in your area ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Happy New Year !

2012-01-01T16:35:00.000-06:00

I spent NYE with my brand new Fiance' (insert big smile). We went to Watch Night Service at our church where gospel recording artist Kurt Carr performed. We really enjoyed ourselves and are still basking in the excitement of our engagement. Upon reflection last night, I remember being at the same service just 2 years ago. I blogged about it here. I met Mr. Mixologist just 16 days later. See how the Lord can order your steps ?

We left church answered all the NYE calls & text messages & then and headed to my girlfriends house where she, her guy and their children were having a good old fashioned NYE gathering at home. We got to toast with Champagne, my Beau got to light his first Cigar of 2012 and we were treated to a wonderful home cooked breakfast prepared by all of their daughters. It was yummy. We laughed, talked, listened to music and even slow danced to the new Anthony Hamilton CD and did not get to bed until 4:30AM !

A Feast prepared by the girls !

Lil' Kitchen Diva !

Happy New Year !

Needless to say, I was moving slow this morning, but I still managed to fix a nice Brunch for my love. I made Belgian Waffles, Omelette's, Turkey Bacon and Mimosas. After relaxing together for a while, he went to go watch some football with some friends. I got the "itis" so I took my Sunday paper and went back to the bed ! LOL I am so thankful to be able to rest today AND tomorrow.

It has been a wonderful start to the New Year !

I am so very excited about what 2012 will bring !

I really appreciate all of my blog friends, readers and lurkers who come here to my little space in the world where I share so many of my thoughts. Thank you so much for reading.

Happy New Year ! Wishing you much Peace and many Blessings in 2012 !

Beautifully Complex

".......Very Very Merry Merry Christmas......!"

2011-12-26T21:21:00.000-06:00

I got to spend Christmas with my family and my love this year. It was such a wonderful Christmas morning.

This is me just before we started opening our presents....

This is me getting the most wonderful Christmas Surprise in front of my family......

Listening to what he is saying :)

This is me trying to keep from breaking out into the "ugly cry" LOL.......

I couldn't stop the tears !

This is after I SAID YES !!!!!!!

Now he is doing the "ugly cry" :)

This is the most beautiful ring, that Mr. Mixologist selected all by himself ......

What a blessing to have such beautiful Christmas memory. I am so happy and we are so excited !!!!!!!!!

My sister was taking the photos, my BIL was doing the video. He knew what was happening, but she did not so I am surprised that she got these shots, because all you can hear on the video is her screaming over and over, "Oh my God ! Oh my God !" She managed to calm down and get some pretty great pics. LOL

It was a very emotional day for the both of us, my parents were in tears, when we called his parents, his Mom, she cried too and of course you can see us both blubbering, LOL. We slept so hard last night after all of the adrenaline !

I will post some other Christmas pics later this week, but I just wanted to get this up to share with my blog friends !

Be Blessed !

Beautifully Complex

Santa's Secret Revealed

2011-12-23T00:25:00.000-06:00

My package from my Secret Santa arrived this afternoon. I was super excited to open it to see what I got. I was very pleased because my Secret Santa did a great job selecting things that I can use and enjoy.........

First up is "The Wine Bible" a 900 page book on ALL.THINGS.WINE! This is a very thoughtful gift that really put a smile on my face. I can't wait to start reading it and expand my knowledge of my vino addiction.

The "Good Book" for the Wineaux

Next, I got a personalized Wine Stopper with my initial inside. This will be put to use pronto. I would start tonight but I gotta pack for a road trip tomorrow & I must rise early and functional ! LOL

I love personalized items.

Santa really knows my musical taste because I got a CD that I do not have in my collection, but it will definitely be a welcome edition. Will Downing's "Christmas, Love and You" is a wonderful gift. I love Christmas music. I have already placed this in the player tonight while doing things around the house & it will definitely get played out on the trip tomorrow. I am a huge Will fan & so is my Beau. I can't wait to make some wonderful Christmas memories with him to this music !

The makings of a very Merry Christmas !

Thanks for the thoughtful, useful gifts Secret Santa.

I could not find a card or a hint in the box. I found some Foodtown bags used as stuffing inside the package & googled it to find that its a store that operates in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. That's how I knew it was a Blogger from the Northeast which is how I narrowed it down to either Inner Diva or 1969. Since the zip code was from Brooklyn (I know that's cheating, LOL) my Secret Santa must be....Inner Diva !

Thanks so much for the gifts Inner Diva! They are very much appreciated. I actually started reading your blog a couple of weeks ago as a result of the Secret Santa gift exchange, and look forward to getting to know you better. So thanks again Pserendipity for allowing me to discover a new Blogger.

Merry Christmas Blogland ! Enjoy this season.

Peace & Blessings

Beautifully Complex

Thoughtful Tuesday

2011-12-20T07:56:00.000-06:00

After years of living so far away from my family, going through a divorce and living single for a long time, I used to wonder how long it would take for someone to discover that something tragic had happened to me. I speak to my Mother by phone once or twice a week, my sister once or twice a week. My friends.... some weekly.....some every month or so.....some not for several months at a time. However, my best friend and I do speak daily and have for some time now. She lives locally and is listed as my local emergency contact. I am so thankful for these relationships. I am sure that it would not be too long before my mother & sister would get on a flight to Texas. But what if I didn't have them ? What if I didn't have a "best" friend ? Nobody would ever want to believe that this could happen to them, but this story was very intriguing.

This article here is so very thought provoking. I would read the article before you watch the trailer below.

Dreams of a Life Trailer from Dogwoof Documentary on Vimeo.

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Just Me........Randomly........It's Christmas Time

2011-12-19T07:00:00.001-06:00

It has been a whirlwind since last Wednesday. I took off Thursday & Friday but today I am really feeling the results of running the streets non stop....................

Thursday was the Birthday of my best friend Kim. We took off work & spent and epic 12 hours together. We started off at the Breakfast Klub for some Chicken & Waffles and Katfish & Grits. We then headed over to the Urban Oasis Spa for massages & facials. We shopped in Rice Village, had lunch and went to the Galleria. I got to meet her boyfriend's daughters for the first time when I took her home. His daughters & her daughters bought a cake & gifts awaiting her.

Getting ready for some pampering !

Friday night I hosted a Happy Hour for her and we had a wonderful time at Peli Peli in Vintage Park.

The Birthday Girl

Me and my love

After the "Party" her guy wanted to have an "AFTER Party" so about ten of us ventured to Midtown to go to Bar 5015. We had a blast. My girlfriend's new man partied like it was his birthday & was paying for it the next day. LOL

Getting it in ! LOL

Saturday me and Mr. Mixologist had to do some more Christmas shopping. For some reason, he changed our initial plans to stay put, so now we are heading to my sister's home at the end of the week and will be joined by my parents. When I made the calls in the car, they were soooo happy. I missed last Christmas as we were with his family.

Saturday night we had two confirmed parties to attend. And though I was exhausted ......the party don't stop. First stop, Tarsha who blogs at THREE FOOD WORDS has been celebrating her Birthday this month. The DJ she had was out.of.control ! I didn't get to spank anybody in Taboo like I planned LOL. We had to leave early to get to our next event, but not before taking some shots with the Birthday Girl and Tiffany in Houston. As usual I was given some cupcakes for the road. Tarsha is the Hostess with the Mostest. I tasted them today... the Lemon flavored ones....pure goodness !

Bottoms Up !

The last stop was a Housewarming Christmas Party at the home of another girlfriend. She made a wonderful Gumbo and the decorations were lovely. We didn't stay too long because I wasn't feeling well. Just my body's response to DOING.TOO.DAMN.MUCH ! LOL

Celebrating Christmastime

Sunday, I slept in late. I still wasn't feeling well at all. But I had to pull myself together to do some Holiday Baking and help Mr. Mixologist wrap the gifts for his niece and nephew so that he can get them shipped first thing Monday. He is such a sweetheart. He nursed me back to health. He cooked breakfast, made me some hot tea, got my meds and even went to the grocery store to get all the ingredients for the Gooey Butter Coffee Cake that his family raved about last year. I was able to get them made & I can tell he was very appreciative since we won't be with his family this year.

I am still not feeling 100% but I gotta pull myself together this week to get all these last minute things done & get ready to travel at the end of the week.

Are you enjoying the Holiday Season ?

Have you attended or hosted and events ?

Have you finished your Christmas shopping ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Dear Santa......

2011-12-08T17:20:00.001-06:00

It is Christmas in Blogland once again. I so appreciate Pserendipity for hosting this gift exchange again this year and I love traditions. Santa, since you might be lurking around my blog here, I want you to know that I have been a very good young lady this year ! I am pretty much the good girl most of the time and last year I got this. You may be trying to figure out what I like and I think I am a pretty simple girl. But here, are some ideas of some things that I might like just in case you were wondering......

I am known by all those who really know me as a bona fide Wineaux. LOL Since you may not be able to legally transport liquor ~~through the mail~~ on your sled, any related accessories or paraphernalia is appreciated ! Something like this Monogrammed Wine Stopper, of course Santa you already know my government initial is " J"

I love putting up photos of loved ones all over my home & I can always find space for a new picture, so you can never go wrong with a lovely frame for something like this......

Me & my Nephew

I love great music and there are a couple of CD's that I have really been wanting but have not yet picked up. You know how love Foreign Exchange and especially group member Phonte who has a new CD out called Charity Starts at Home that I would love to be jammin' to on Christmas day.

I have a Nook Color, so Barnes & Noble gift cards are always welcome so that I can use my e-reader whenever I am not busy blogging !

I love candles, soft pajamas, and nice thick socks for lounging, anything that allows me to be comfortable while relaxing next to this....

Now Santa, if you are feeling EXTRA generous this year, my dream car the Lexus SC430 always puts a smile on my face. I already have my personalized plate BTFLYCMPLX !

OK........ well, maybe I technically haven't been THAT good this year ! LOL Anyway you can blame a girl for trying! LOL

Wishing all of Blogland a very happy holiday season, have fun shopping, spending time with loved ones, partying and just enjoying the blessings in your life !

Beautifully Complex

Give Love on Christmas Day.....

2011-12-07T07:00:00.004-06:00

Yesterday myself and several co-workers in our Unit hosted a little Christmas Party for some residents at an Adult Day Center. This is an annual event that we really enjoy & they really appreciate & look forward to it as well. I blogged about it last year but for some reason didn't post any pics. If you want the background on the event check it out here.

I will just post some pics from this year....

Setting up the Refreshments for the Party

Lots of smiles and excitement !

Trimming the Tree !

Coworker passing out the Ornaments

Resident tops off the Tree

The Big Finish !

The Teams all Here !

As usual, I left this place humbled by the blessing of my life and with more appreciation for those less fortunate than myself.

Do you do any Holiday Community Service Type events at work ?

Have you personally spread any Christmas Joy this year ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

I Believe the Children are Our Future.......

2011-12-06T07:00:00.001-06:00

Hey Blogland,

I just wanted to share something with you. My little cousin is currently living as an expat in Lagos, Nigeria due to his fathers work. He is a student at the American International School of Lagos. He has been living abroad since 2007. Prior to Nigeria, they lived for 2 years in The Netherlands. I was blessed to go & visit them there. You may recall I blogged about it here. Any way, he is a really sharp young man and we are extremely proud of him.

He is the Founder and President of this group called Citizens of the World that is trying to bring awareness to environmental issues. This is such admirable goal. I think it's great that he is socially conscious. He has always been the most respectful, polite, considerate person from a very young age. I really want to support him in his endeavors.

Please click the link to watch the video. My cousin is the guy holding up "Leadership" and has one of the main speaking parts. Feel free to share this video on your FB(Like their page) Twitter, or wherever, to help them spread awareness.

Thanks in advance !

Citizens of the World

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Family Fun

2011-12-02T16:19:00.002-06:00

I had a nice holiday with the family. Our grandparents are no longer with us, so our gathering consists of my parents, my sister and her family, all of our aunts, uncles, cousins and all of their children. There were about 35 of us gathered this year at my Aunt's house.

We had....Turkey...Ham...Fried Chicken...Chitlins....Greens...Dressing....Giblet Gravy....Mac & Cheese....Green Beans....Mashed Potatoes....Candied Yams....Broccoli, Cheese & Rice Casserole....Potato Salad....Cranberry Salad.....Cole Slaw...7 Layer Salad....Corn Bread....Rolls....Sweet Potato Pie....Banana Pudding.... and Caramel Cake... WHEW ! I only ate left overs once, but it was that damn Caramel Cake that really did me in. It was at my mama's house, so it was calling me from the kitchen table every morning for the next 4 days! LOL

We had a great time, the ladies & the kids did Karaoke in the living room, while the guys got into the Football in the den. Later on we played Taboo. Karaoke turned into a dance contest.......which turned into a Soul Train Line. At one point my dad, who uses a cane, came into the living room to see what all the laughing was about & ended up doing his thang for a minute ! LOL It was fun.

Getting ready to sing !

Little ones want to shine too !

The cousins

Ol School shows how its done

Dad in the Soul Train Line

Friday night my generation went out together. Me and my Beau headed down to Bricktown to hang out with them and have some cocktails & of course Cigars at Mickey Mantles #7 Lounge. It was a really cool vibe, appetizers were pretty good, drinks were on point. They had a pretty good band and the area is pretty much the entertainment hub of the city with lots of restaurants, bars & lounges. It was a good time !

Aficionados!

My sister & cousins

Sis & BIL

Saturday we took my nieces & nephew along with all the little cousins to see the Muppet Movie. One of my cousins wives got sick, so it ended up being 3 adults & 11 kids, which was more than a notion. I know we broke some seatbelt laws getting them all to the theatre ! LOL After that we took them to get hamburgers and ice cream at one of my favorite spots, Braums before dropping them off to all their parents. It was a little stressful keeping up with all those kids, but it's always worth it to get that family bonding time in.

Shortest to Tallest

Like a Daycare Fieldtrip LOL

I managed to catch the a slight cold from the weather change, or possibly a relative so I have been slow motion this week but I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving as much as I did.

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Trotting Like a Turkey

2011-12-01T02:32:00.002-06:00

We got up early Thanksgiving morning to head downtown for the annual Turkey Trot. This was our 9th year to participate. We have been doing this as a family since 2002. The number grows each year & this year we had 10 participating. Half did the 5K (3.1miles) and the other half did the 1 Mile Fun Run.

My nieces & nephew are ready to go !

We ate bananas for breakfast. I was trying to save my appetite for later in the day. This turned out not to be such a great idea. We found this out later in the morning after the race.

Addicted to the Smartphone

I was posting a status on Facebook, or Tweeting or Texting somebody, just before we hit the ground running.

The gangs all here !

Fire Academy recruits

The recruits from the Fire Dept Academy ran the 5K with us. They were bringing up the rear & since I ended up straggling in this race, I really appreciated that Cadence they were chanting. It helped me to make it through ! LOL

Sea of Turkey Trotters !

We had perfect running weather. I ended up coming out of some of my layers. If I had properly trained for this race, it could have been great, but I was struggling. I can't deny it.

Family Finish !

This was probably my worst 5K ever ! And I have run a lot of them. Ugh! My niece hurt her ankle and I had to walk with her for a large portion towards the end, but I can't lie, I was GLAD to be walking ! LOL

He left his parents in the dust !

We finished the 5K just in time to watch the rest of the family do the 1 Mile Fun Run. The hilarious part was watching my 4 year old nephew (he will be 5 in a week) suddenly appear sprinting to the finish line without his parents or Mr. Mixologist who all started out the race WITH him ! LOL

Just before running out of his shoe ! LOL

We were so excited to see him out front & by himself, we started cheering & calling his name, he heard us, got excited & really dug in & then lost one of his shoes just before he reached the finish line. He ran back & picked it up and ran across the finish line holding it in his hand. We were laid out laughing at this point! LOL

Me and my Beau :)

My sister, BIL, & Beau came trotting in WELL AFTER my 4 year old nephew. We all sat around & relaxed before heading to the cars. Not long after that my BIL became light headed & was short of breath. To the point that he had to lay on the sidewalk. I saw some panic in his face & my sisters. By this time they were breaking down everything from the race, but there was still an ambulance there about 200 yards away. You should have seen me sprint to those Paramedics !

They rushed right over and gave him some oxygen, asked him some questions, took his vitals & he was feeling better in no time ! (Praise God) This was his first year to actually participate instead of being a spectator. It turns out, if you are 6'4" , 250 lbs, haven't done any significant cardio in a while and only eat 2 bananas before coming downtown to run a mile, that is probably not a good idea. LOL We were all so scared for a moment & I remember thinking " Lord please don't let my BIL have a heart attack out here." I am the coordinator of this event & try to get as many family members to participate & I was feeling real stressed in those few moments.

Now I don't know how your family is, but once we got into the cars & headed to our respective homes, word was spreading through calls & text that my BIL had to have help from the Paramedics. By the time we got to my Aunt's house for Thanksgiving Dinner that afternoon, my cousins were.going.in.on.him ! LMAO. I mean they cut him no slack. They were laughing & clowning him big time ! I was just glad we were able to laugh about it. I already know it's going to be extra hard recruiting for next year !

Do you have any family traditions ?

Did you do anything different for the holiday ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Simply Thankful

2011-11-22T03:51:00.001-06:00

We leave tomorrow heading to see my family for Thanksgiving. Honestly today I am too exhausted to be excited yet, but my heart is full. It is so very important to reflect. At this moment I am simply thankful.......

to have the means to travel home without major sacrifice.
(Thank you for your provision Lord )

to have a wonderful neighbor who always looks after my home when I travel.
(Thank you for your guardian angels)

to have received a call from my cousin who had to miss the last two
Thanksgivings, asking if we can scoop him up on the way home !
(So glad to be a blessing to others)

to have nieces and nephews that love me as much as I love them and who anxiously await my arrival.
(Thank you for filling up my heart Lord)

to have lifelong friends that I am looking forward to hanging out with after spending time with our families.
(Thank you for meaningful relationships)

to have a wonderful Beau who looks forward to doing ALL the driving and letting me read, sleep, sing, talk, laugh, blog, twitter, and FB to my heart's content.
(Thank you for sending me love)

to have a mother who truly throws down in the kitchen who managed to teach me several of her tricks so that we can continue to make memories in the kitchen together, cooking, talking, laughing and reminiscing.
(I will be praying for my friends whose mothers are no longer here)

to have a daddy who will call us no less than every 2 hours to find out where we are at ? how is the traffic ? any bad weather ? how is the gas mileage ? LOL
(Thank you for protection Father)

to have standing family traditions that bring joy to my heart such as getting up early to run the Turkey Trot together no matter how many have to walk to finish, the annual Taboo Challenge where the competition is fierce ! We argue, laugh and the ladies usually win, unless the guys cheat. LOL
(Thank you for family Lord)

for being a child of God, covered in his blood, with His grace and mercy ever present in my life.
(Thank you for being everything I need and more than I could ever deserve)

Wishing all of my Blog land friends a safe, happy & blessed Thanksgiving !

Thank you for reading, commenting AND lurking LOL !

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Funny Friday Vol. 2

2011-11-18T15:51:00.001-06:00

Of course the web is buzzing about Shaq's new Memoir "Shaq Uncut: My Story" I love the Huffington Post and their commenters go hard in the paint. The obvious hilarity of him believing there is a "respectable way" to cheat is what every body is talking about. LOL However, as I was scanning the comments, I came across a guy who referenced a past interview from Shaq's that had me rolling! I mean I could.not.stop. laughing!

Evidently Shaq had just returned from an overseas trip to Greece.....

REPORTER: Did you get a chance to visit the Parthenon ?

SHAQ: I can't really remember the names of all the clubs that we went to.

****DEAD******

The HuffPo commenter was basically saying that Shaq's logic about cheating should come as no surprise since the thought the Parthenon was a club ! LOL

After laughing my A%$ off, I needed to find out of it was true, so I actually googled it & found several links to this quote from the interview. Now first let me clarify. I am a nerd. I was very bookish as a child and into adulthood. I was actually the Valedictorian of my class. So it may be presumptuous of me to think that everyone should know what the Parthenon is. But I promise you when I think of Greece it is the FIRST thing that comes to mind.

I actually like Shaq & don't really think negatively of him but, this really tickled me today.

Happy Friday ! Enjoy your weekend.

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Just Me........Randomly

2011-11-17T03:56:00.002-06:00

I have lost my blogging mojo over the last few weeks it seems. I have really had a lot on my mind lately. I read a post by the Grady Doctor that gave me some much needed perspective on things. When I say it was right on time....... I need to keep reminding myself of certain things.

The husband of one of my Sorors was diagnosed with colon cancer last week after a colonoscopy. He is only 42. The same age as me. His surgery is coming up next week. I am praying for his healing.

Work is robbing my spirit lately. I shake it off for a few days, but it just comes back. I won't bore you with the details but I just need to get my mind right. If I left this world tomorrow, somebody would come right in and do what I do, probably for less money. I need to do a better job of managing stress.

My step-daughter is pregnant. She has known for several months. She knew back when we talked in August when my former MIL passed away. I guess it just wasn't the right time to tell me. She admitted to me that she was excited AND scared. She is going to have a little girl. It is amazing to me. She is almost 24 now. When I started dating my ex-husband, she was 2 and I was 20. I am feeling my age at the moment.

On a lighter note...............

I am sooooo ready for Thanksgiving next week. We are going to have a Karaoke Contest after dinner this year. We did the same thing before at our Mother's Day gathering so based on that alone, it should be very entertaining ! LOL Me, my sister & my cousin have been practicing our SWV songs by watching the videos on You Tube. My mom told me last week, her and my daddy are gonna sing some "Peaches & Herb" ......man I forgot about them. LOL I am ready for some laughs.

We are continuing our family tradition of running the Turkey Trot. There are 12 of us that are committed this year. We get up early Thanksgiving Day & head downtown for the race. I have been on the treadmill in preparation, but not as much as I should have been. Man I keep losing and gaining the same 8-10 lbs ! I know I have the heart to finish the race but I know for a fact that, I will be "trotting like a turkey"....literally ! LOL

One of my closest friends has managed to fall into a serious love affair in record time. She is giving me the credit because she encountered this man at a Homecoming Event that I insisted that she attend. Low and behold she got reacquainted with a guy she dated briefly in college that she hasn't seen in over 20 years despite living in the same city. There was no bad breakup or bad blood between them, it was never exclusive or anything. He is a now a widower with children that he has raised alone for 8 years, marriage minded and in church. I am over the moon with excitement for her ! They both seem very happy about finding one another.

I am going to try to let the holidays pull me out of this little funk I am in. When we come back from visiting my family for Thanksgiving, it will be time for Mr. Mixologist to help me pick out a Christmas tree again. I had my first real tree last year & I am looking forward to it again this year. Come on Spirit of Christmas.......I need you !

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

The Great Pumpkin

2011-10-25T07:00:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, I spent some quality time with my best girlfriend's two daughters. On Friday night the girls came over while their Mom went out. We ordered Pizza & played Monopoly which I haven't played in forever. Why oh why did Mr. Mixologist beat us mercilessly ? LOL I mean it was really bad. He had property on every side of the board with Hotels on half of them. It was a whipping to remember. He talked a lot of noise while he had us all on skid row which made it worse. I was the first one to go bankrupt. The girls got a lesson on how to lose gracefully, even when its hard. LOL He has promised to give us another opportunity to redeem ourselves.

Sunday afternoon, I went over to the their house along with another girlfriend to have our annual Halloween Craft and Baking Day. My best friend is sooo not into crafts OR cooking so she recruited us years ago to fill in with these types of activities with the girls. Our other girlfriend always handles the pumpkin carving & I handle the pumpkin inspired baking.

Concentrating to get it just right !

This year I decided to let the 9 yr old make some Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting. I found the recipe on one of my favorite sites, A Taste of Home Cooking. I also located a recipe & video for a Pumpkin Cheesecake for the 13 yr old to make.

Finished Project

I packed up the equipment from my kitchen, grabbed my laptop & hit the store & headed on over. When I arrived they were already focused on getting their pumpkins just right.

Mixing it up !

The 9 yr old got started on her cookies which were very simple & extremely tasty. The brown butter frosting was sooooo good that we were all licking our fingers ! If you decide to make them I promise you won't be disappointed.

Ta Da ! Ready for the Frosting

Both girls enjoy cooking and baking and I always have a good time planning cooking with them & they always appreciate it and have fun doing things in the kitchen.

Getting it just right

The 13 yr old is a pretty good baker so I picked a cheesecake since it was a bit more challenging. She made her own crust from scratch using graham crackers & ginger snaps. I just delegated, reviewed the recipe with her & pretty much just supervised.

Final touch before bedtime

Cheesecakes take a long time to bake & many hours to set, usually overnight, so I didn't get to see the finished product on Monday morning, but I heard today that it was yummy.

Pumpkin Carvers Extraordinaries !

Beauty & Baking Skills

The Girls & their Mom

Have you had any Fall Holiday Fun ?

Got any good recipes to share ? If so drop the links in the comments.

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Musical Monday - Twist of Marley

2011-10-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

Mr. Mixologist is a jazz fanatic & turned me on to this little gem & I have been jamming to it for the last month. If you like Bob Marley AND Jazz , then you will really enjoy this. It is like a Reggae Jazz Fusion Project. You can get it from Amazon right here.

It features a lot of talented artists, Will Downing, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright, Phil Perry, Maxi Priest, to name a few.

I'm gonna drop some links I found on You Tube for some of my favorite tracks.

Will Downing makes anything sound great !

You can't miss with Gerald Albright .

" Stir It Up.......Little Darlin' Stir It up".... Phil Perry is hitting them notes !

Of course, " I Shot the Sheriff " w/Maxi Priest

"Get Up, Stand Up ......Stand Up for your Rights ......Get Up, Stand Up.....Don't Give Up the Fight !"

This is a really nice CD to drop in for a low key gathering with friends. It's a great conversation starter. I love almost every single cut ! With 13 tracks it was hard for me to narrow down the links for the blog. You can pretty much find most of the other tracks from the CD on You Tube. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I think good music makes the world go around !

What artists or music are you currently listening to ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Funny Friday Vol. 1

2011-10-14T09:53:00.002-05:00

You may have seen this video already. Things tend to go viral pretty quickly in the FB, Twitter, social networking world. Either way I thought I would share this video here on the blog. It truly brought a smile to my face & tears to my eyes. They might be a little "cheesy" at times, but I still I love precocious little children.

I could totally see my oldest niece Savannah reacting this.exact.same.way. LOL

Enjoy !

LMAO !

She kills me when she stops to deadpan ----"It's my birthday today ?"

I am working from home today & my weekend is going to be low key so I am coasting right on in. I want to try to get outside somewhere & enjoy these fall like temperatures while they last.

Have a wonderful weekend !

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Trials & Tribulations

2011-10-10T07:00:00.004-05:00

In the span of 10 days I have had two friends drop the bomb on me that they are more than likely getting divorced. Honestly, this is something that will always bother me. I am one of those people that despite the divorce stats, and all that we see around us, wants the people around me to make their marriages work. I shed tears after both of these discussions and then I prayed.

You don't get to pick your cross. I am divorced. I am infertile. Neither was by my choice. These are two of the most challenging, life altering things that I have ever had to go through and today I am happy and fulfilled. But the important thing is that I made it through. I believe that I handled the infertility (which came first) pretty well for the most part. Last week on one of my favorite blogs, Monica said to someone, " I told her that with time, she would make it to the other side of what she was dealing with, but that it would never go away...it will just hurt less over time, and in that way, time was the healer, and she needed to allow time the process." This statement totally resonated with me. It is honest and it is real. On a rare occasion, I still feel a flutter in my womb when I am in a store and hear a little baby cry. From time to time when I have to check that box that says DIVORCED on a form, I wince at the failure of it all & that is just being totally honest.

Back to the other story. When I was going through my divorce, my Pastor connected me with a woman who ultimately became a wonderful friend and prayer partner. She helped me beyond what I can express here because she had already been through what I was in the midst of at the time and that is why he connected us. She ultimately with God's help, was able to save her marriage. I can specifically remember her telling me one day, " One day in the future, you are going to get on your knees & thank God for this situation because he is preparing you to be a blessing to someone else". At the time, I was so hurt and angry at her for making that statement. I could not imagine thanking Him for the gut-wrenching pain I was feeling. All I wanted was for God to give me what I wanted, which was to repair my marriage & I would thank him for that ! LOL It took me a long time to see and understand just how right she was.

If there is one thing that I have learned its that you must learn to find peace where ever you are. After speaking with one of my friends last week, I posted this on my FB status:

PEACE: It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be CALM IN YOUR HEART.

In the same moment that your life can be falling apart, someone else is being brought out of a dark place in their life. This is the cycle of life. So much of it is not in our hands, but in His. Change is inevitable and that is the blessing. This is something that I had to learn. As far as coping, I can't really say that I handled my divorce well.at.all. LOL ! In fact, it pretty much "handled me". I feel like I went through it very "ugly". Sometimes my pride hates that fact. But it is my story, my trial, my testimony and it was a great teacher.

People tend to seek out those who they feel can really understand, who may have some experience, those they can be honest and transparent with. Those who they can trust. One of my friends who is divorcing, knew my situation intimately. This friend was there for me in ways I could never count. I most likely didn't get fired when I wasn't functioning because of the support of this friend. I bared my soul down to the bones and this friend knew the depths of my hurt, my desperation to save my marriage, my lack of shame to be honest with all that I was dealing with. This friend saw me vulnerable in a way not many have. Now it seems, its time for me to return the favor.

It's easy to focus on the problems in a marriage. I cannot repair a marriage. Only God can change the hearts of men. But if you have decided this is what you want to do AND you ask me what I think about it all, I will be honest about the good, the bad, and the ugly. When the dust settled on both my infertility and divorce the lessons learned served me well:

Sometimes rejection is just redirection.

Taking you places that you know you would have never gotten to following your own path. There is more than one road to happiness and having the desires of your heart.

Sometimes hurting can be humbling.

Giving you a deeper compassion and understanding to help those that will come after you. Understanding that any one of us can be dealt a heavy blow.
Asking,"Why me ?" becomes "Why NOT me ?"

Sometimes fear builds fortitude.

Facing what seems unbearable can build you up to be able to handle many more unforeseen challenges that life can bring to your door.

When talking to both of my friends, I do not sugarcoat the " single life." Yes it can be a welcome reprieve from a bad marriage, but it is no cake walk. I enjoyed many aspects of it. I traveled a lot, plenty of socializing, carefree living, with minimal responsibilities. Dating was fun and interesting for a while, but it was also disappointing, and a constant reminder of my divorce. I was manipulated and lied to by the game players attempting to bank on my vulnerability. I am very comfortable being alone for long periods of time. I don't have any family members close & enjoy many solo activities that require little interaction from others, but that doesn't minimize the natural desire for companionship & all the benefits that come with a healthy partnership. There is nothing wrong with desiring a healthy marriage and many divorced people are surprised at how many "intangibles" of married life they miss.

I also do not sugarcoat divorce and the divorce process either. Fighting over "stuff" which is just another way to fight with the person causing you pain. Divorces can be amicable but that is only when BOTH parties have accepted the loss of the marriage and that is rarely the case. I jokingly say, "it's the gift that keeps on giving" because one of the things that cut me deep was the slow erosion and loss of things that came with being married that I lost AFTER the divorce was final. Things like, my married friends pulling away, changing relationships with my ex-husbands family that I had known since I was 20 yrs old. The challenge to your self esteem, feeling like a failure, losing everything, your financial peace, moving to an apartment when you've been a homeowner for years. We all make choices & sometimes they seem easy to make, but it's the consequences of those choices that will challenge you.

I want both of my friends to find peace with their decisions. Their marriages. Their choices. I can tell you what the Bible says. I am glad that they value my opinion enough for me to be among the first that they chose to confide in, cry with, and share their pain with. I feel blessed that they trust me. Both friends expressed that watching my grace in the midst of my trial is what made them know they could come to me with such a situation. I guess it wasn't so ugly after all. You never know who is watching you or how God is using you. Both conversations were very emotional and afterwards when I got on my knees to pray for the both of them, I knew that my friend Vena, that I met through my Pastor years ago was right, "One day, in the future, you are going to get on your knees & thank God for this situation because he is preparing you to be a blessing to someone else."

Thank your Lord for allowing me to go through something, to get me where you needed me to be, so that I can stand in the gap and be a witness to others of your power, your mercy and your grace. Amen.

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Just Me........Randomly

2011-10-07T13:45:00.001-05:00

Last night me and my Beau went to hear my former Pastor preach. We were invited to a church he was visiting for a special occasion by one of my girlfriends. Under his teaching, I grew so much spiritually & I was really good to see him & for Mr. Mixologist to get to finally meet him.

If you following me on FB or Twitter, then you know my cousin won the "Showhouse Showdown" competition on HGTV a couple of weeks ago ! We are so proud of her. I didn't get to travel home for the premiere party that my family had with a limo, red carpet, and fun times. The downside of moving away.

After looking at my vacation pics, it has become obvious that both me and the Beau have been doing way too much lounging and eating all sorts of wrong ! LOL I am not surprised, the pics confirmed what the scale already knew. I need to get focused immediately.

It seems like it's been pretty quiet in blogland lately huh ? I think its all the competition from Twitter, FB, Pinterest, Tumblr, and any other social networking site. I can't keep up with it all & my life too. I still like blogs the best, but everything must change I guess.

I had a short but stressful week at work. I am so glad to be off today, my mental health needs it. I hate feeling trapped by this economy. This "corporate limbo" is getting the best of me.I know must be grateful because many others have it really bad in this economy, but honestly I am just feeling really challenged at the moment.

Part of me really wants to go to this Jazz Festival tomorrow, but another part of me just wants to lay around this weekend and not have to do anything. I guess I will make a call on that later.

I love the Fall season & will be glad when we get some fall like temperatures in Houston. So far, that has not been the case. I am sick of this long, extended, excruciating summer !

My nieces and nephew are all playing soccer and loving it. I wish I was closer to get to see some games in person, but the videos my sister and BIL keep sending me are good enough & listening to their excited voices on the phone, replaying what they did on the field just makes my heart smile.

What's going on random with you ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Florida Trip - The Finale * Photo Heavy Post *

2011-09-26T15:13:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it you can read about the first half of the trip here.

Our final day trip was down to Tampa to Ybor City which is a historical neighborhood that was once the Cigar capital of the world. Mr. Mixologist had been super excited once we decided to come to Florida, because he of course knew all about the history of this place. My Beau is a Cigar Aficionado and we took this opportunity for him to break down to me the seriousness of his affections ! LOL

See those huge Cigars above the desk ?

We started out at the Visitors Center to find out where all of the Factories and Lounges were. With map in hand and comfortable shoes, we headed out to tour the area. If you notice the sign in area looks like a huge Cigar Box.

He was mesmerized !

We went to the Historical Museum & toured the Exhibits. Mr. Mixologist walked right in an instantly recognized the guy who "rolled the worlds longest Cigar". He was like a kid in a candy store. LOL

193.3 feet is the record

They actually have a portion of the "world's longest cigar" enshrined in a glass case ! LOL

First stick of the day !

We left the museum and headed to Breakfast at La Creperia Cafe where we had some amazing crepes and some Cafe Con Leche. I enjoyed the food, my Beau just wanted to get something on his stomach so he could get started on the Cigars ! LOL

She got skills !

We started touring the area, comparing the prices, touring several companies that hand roll Cigars on site. There are too many to link on here, but rest assured we found a few that we really liked.

That truck in the back is distracting LOL !

We trekked around that area the whole day & I never once complained. I have to admit it was interesting & the customer service was very good in all the places we went. They seemed to really appreciate tourists.

Enjoying a smoke

One of our favorites was King Corona. They had free wifi, plenty of seating, both indoor and outdoor and of course a pretty large humidor.

Thats a stick of sugar cane in my drink !

Throughout the day, I was definitely trying to get my drink on & I must say the Mojitos did not disappoint !

Enjoying "Happy Hour"

We took lots of cocktail breaks, in fact the whole day felt like Happy Hour ! We did a little shopping & my Beau let me pick the restaurants. I was so glad to have my laptop, because Cigars take a long time to smoke. LOL

I decided on a restaurant called Columbia. A guy at one the the Cigar Factories mentioned it to us, but I had to do my research and Yelp did not disappoint. We had Tapas & shared an Entree. The Crab Cakes were incredible. The "1905 Salad" was great and the Shredded Beef, yellow rice, everything was just really good.

Looking like a kid at Christmas ! LOL

We came back to the Resort that night with a bag full of leftovers and a bag full of Cigars ! It was a cool day of hanging out with my handsome Beau in his element.

Excited to see more sand and surf !

On the day we headed home I talked him into taking a slight detour so that we could spend some time in Destin before we got out of Florida. He was still on his "Cigar High" so it was an easy sell. We just stopped for a few hours, spent some time on the Beach and grabbed something to eat.

Just beautiful !

I had heard that the Beach was beautiful there but, it was better than I expected. The water was so clear and blue ! It was the perfect day.

Did not want to leave

I ended up wishing that we had planned the trip so that we could have spent the night there, it really was THAT enticing!

The waitress sneaked me a "to go cup" !

Now of course I had to find a place to quench my thirst, LOL. This Pineapple Martini was right on time. I was having the "I don't wanna go home blues" and this cocktail right here set me straight for a minute.

Of course I used my Yelp application to find a nice seafood spot and Dewey Destin's Harborside was just what I needed. It was right on the water and I must say I had the best Crab Claws I have ever had in my life !

Can't you see why I wasn't ready to go home ?

I cannot express how much I was not ready to go. I felt like throwing a tantrum. After we ate Mr. Mixologist took one more drive by the water for me before telling me to take my tipsy ass to sleep so he could get us home safely ! LOL

This trip was awesome, we made some wonderful memories in Florida. I feel really blessed to have had such a nice experience. Don't you just love vacations ? I am so looking forward to the next trip.

Where did you vacation this summer ? Where would you like to visit ?
Have you ever been to Florida ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Florida Trip-Part 1

2011-09-23T23:09:00.000-05:00

It has taken me forever to upload our vacation pics, but finally it is done. I am going to recap the trip in two posts. Going back through the pics reminded me of what a relaxing time we had ! We stayed in a very nice Resort Condo with Mr. Mixologist's cousins from New York. I took lots of pics of the place inside and out but if you are interested we stayed at Sheraton Vistana Resort. The place looks exactly like the photos on their website. It was just like staying in a very nice Condo, we were poolside, with a nice patio & easy access to all the amenities. Inside we had plenty of space and everything was updated with granite and tile. We used the kitchen to cook, grilled outdoors and just had a lot of time to relax in between going to the parks & seeing the sights. Mr. Mixologist had to make Shrimp & Grits for his cousin because she doesn't get it that often living in NY & she made him promise to make it before we ever hit the state of Florida. LOL

Of course within 6 hours of arriving we were parked at Corona Cigar Cigar Company. It was very laid back & we met a nice guy while hanging out there. It was a nice welcome to the city. LOL We also took a few day trips during the week we were in Orlando. One day we drove down to Cocoa Beach for a day. After spending some time on the beach, we stopped to have lunch at Squid Lips on the way back, of course we stopped at a Duque Cigar Lounge before heading back. It was a very relaxing day !

Me in heaven - surrounded by water !

My Beau in heaven - surrounded by Cigars ! LOL

We spent one very long day taking my Beau's little cousin to Walt Disney World and Disney's Hollywood Studios. We let her parents have a day to themselves to do couple stuff. I had not been to Disney since I graduated from college, so I was really impressed with the parks & how much they have changed. We were doing "research" for when we take our nieces and nephews. We actually had a lot of fun. We crammed so much into this 15 hour day & we were exhausted the next day but it was worth it.

Mr & his lil' cousin at Walt Disney World

At Hollywood Studios with Mickey

Orlando has to be the capital for Outlet Malls and we made our way to several, way too many to list here. I managed to get a couple of new hats a few clothing items and some souvenirs without busting the budget, but it wasn't easy.

Mr. Mixologist surprised me with a little date night. He took me to downtown Orlando to this wine bar that he saw on a TV show called The Wine Room on Park Avenue. It was so cool. They have these machines that dispense the wine by pours. Either 2 oz., 4 oz. or 6 oz. You buy a card and put whatever amount you want to spend on the card & then you go around and help yourself to whatever type of wine you want to try by swiping the card in the machines. This is a great concept for people who may not know what they like or what type of wine you are in the mood for. I loved it. If you are a wine lover and anywhere close to this city, you must go ! Naturally after enjoying our vino and a very nice cheese plate, we had to mosey our way to the closest cigar bar, Cigarz on the Ave. We were sporting our Fedora's and we shared a cigar & some laughs. It was a fun night.

Giving my sugar away ! LOL

Heading down to the wine cellar

My Beau has some family and friends that live in Florida too, so we hit the road and made some visits. We went to see his friend from New York & her husband at their home and it was my first time having authentic Puerto Rican food. I wish I could remember what they called what we ate, but no worries it was yummy ! I also got a chance to meet his Uncle I have heard so much about. We spent several hours at their house and we played with his new little cousins that he had never even met. His uncle made sure to let me know he had heard ALL ABOUT ME which made me smile. LOL.

Baby Sarai - love that name !

Mr. teasing one of the twins ! LOL

We came home after a long day of visiting, fixed some "adult beverages" and we all headed out to the jacuzzi and the pool for a little bit. It was coming to the end of the week, and I was already dreading having to leave paradise :(

Relaxing under the waterfall

My next post will be about our day trip to "Aficionado Paradise" & the trip home.

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Weekend Wrap Up

2011-09-12T11:36:00.001-05:00

I was a little under the weather on Friday afternoon, so by the evening I was laid out. I spent the next 24 hours trying my best to feel better. I did not want to miss my appointment, so I went to the Salon on Saturday morning where I managed to get hustled by my Stylists 9 year old daughter. LOL It is school fundraising time & I am a sucker for cute kids who know how to sell. I bought candles & cookie dough. LOL What a combination.

By Saturday evening I was feeling good enough to attend a Bachelorette/Bridal Shower/Slumber Party for one of my friends who is getting married in 3 weeks. We didn't actually spend the night. "Slumber Party" is the name of one of those companies that sells adult novelty stuff. I attended a similar event a couple of years ago, I think it was called a "Passion Party". Anyway, after we arrived got settled in, had some drinks & food, a lady set up a table & did a little presentation/demonstration of sorts.LOL It was pretty funny to watch the ladies listen to the stories & the reactions of some of the women to the questions & information being shared. This was a mixed group from ages 25-45, some married, single, engaged, or dating, so it was pretty interesting. The more the drinks flowed the rowdier some of the women became.

After the lady presented all of the products, which runs the gamut from the mild to the kinky LOL. She retreated to a bedroom & each lady went in one by one to buy what they wanted in private. Of course the rep wanted to find someone who would host another party. I enjoyed the event because the lady was not overly aggressive. She didn't press anyone to purchase anything, but from the brown bags that women were carrying out of there, she obviously didn't need to !

Sunday was football day. My Beau is a fanatic it seems. I spent the first half of the day watching games with. Mr. Mixologist. I cooked dinner for him & then he went to meet some of his friends for the later games. We had a nice time together. I spent the remainder of the day relaxing, clearing out my DVR & chatting with my sister whose birthday happens to be on 9/11.

She had a great day. Her husband and 3 children gave her a personalized Spa day. It was cute. My niece Savannah created a handwritten menu of the services she was going to receive. They all dressed in black pants & white shirts. Each of them participated. They drew her a bath & let her soak with some bath salts & candles. She said they even had a CD player in the bathroom with Jazz playing & everything ! LOL After that she received a foot rub and a massage. While they brought her some fancy finger food they had made (Cheese, Crackers, Shrimp & Olives) & she had a couple of glasses of Champagne, they gave her her birthday gifts. She loved it & they were so proud.

The only downside to the weekend was that I got word on Saturday morning from my mother that my former Pastor, when I lived home had passed away. He was only 63 years old ! I was saddened and surprised. He was a wonderful teacher. This news came on the heels of my former Mother-in-law passing away less than 3 weeks ago. I am still reeling from that loss because I maintained a very good relationship with her even after my divorce. She was the epitome of Christian faith. Both of these two played a very important part in my Spiritual growth as a woman & I know they are both at peace.

Overall a nice low key weekend.

How was your weekend ? Did you do anything special ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

My September 11 Memory

2011-09-11T13:09:00.000-05:00

It really doesn't seem like 10 years has passed. I am sure the families of those directly affected would say different though. We are all shaped by loss that we experience in some form or fashion. People lose loved ones or their lives change in an instant everyday. It all matters. This national tragedy was different because it affected so many people at once. Ten years is a long time. So much in my life has changed since then & in those around me.

I was married at the time. My ex-husband who is a Federal Agent had just returned from 2 weeks in NYC working. I had picked him up from the Airport the night before. We both took vacation days that day and were sleeping in. I remember that both of our cell phones were vibrating in tandem. We ignored the first few times. Finally, he picked up his phone & said "your Mom called me". I looked at my phone to see that 3 family members had called me including my Mom. He went into the bathroom as I dialed my mom. When she answered she said, " Where is ex-husband? Is he still in NYC ?" I said, "No he's right here, I picked him up from the Airport last night." She told me to turn on the TV immediately. I was sitting in the middle of the bed, looking at the TV, with my mom on the phone, when he came out of the bathroom. He was looking at his cell phone & said, " I need to call the office something is up". He then saw that I had the TV on already & we were sitting there watching when we saw the 2nd plane hit the other Tower. We just looked at each other stunned. I told my Mom that I had to get off the phone so I could get dressed.

We spent the next few hours at his office, they were trying to get in touch with his Team that was working in NYC but the phones were not going through & it was just chaotic. He was on the phone with other Agents all over the country. By lunchtime, they had confirmed that his Team was safe & we went home to spend the afternoon watching the news coverage on TV. I remember the fear when we determined that it was indeed a terrorist attack & just the anxiety and uncertainty that was everywhere. I guess that is why it's called terrorism huh ? I hate that nervous feeling in your stomach & I can still remember how it feels when I think too hard about it.

I like to focus on the positive when I can find it. All the news coverage in preparation for commemorating the 10 th Anniversary of the Terror Attacks have have reminded me of how we came together as a country in the face of such tragedy and fear. In light of the political climate as of late, it is a lesson we need to learn again it seems. Below is a State Farm commercial directed by Spike Lee that I thought was very touching. Hope you enjoy it.

Do you have any 9/11 Reflections to share ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Just Me.......A to Z

2011-09-05T07:00:00.004-05:00

I saw this over at The Weight of What is Real & thought I would give it a shot.

Age:42
Bed Size: King
Chore You Hate: Mopping
Dogs: Pretty much scared of them due to a childhood trauma.
Essential start of your day: Prayer & then Music
Favorite color: Green
Gold or silver: Silver
Height: 5’10″
Instruments I play (or have played): Started to learn the piano. Still own my Keyboard
Job title: Fraud Investigator
Kids: None biologically. Numerous in my heart.
Lives: Houston, Texas
Mom’s name: Linda
Nickname: Jaye
Overnight hospital stays: Surgery for Infertility with some Complications
Pet peeve: People who drive slow in the left lane and don't move over so you can pass them.
Quote from a movie: "Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get !" Forrest Gump.
Right or left handed: Right
Siblings: One sister, 4 half-siblings from my biological father.
Time you wake up: 7:00am
Underwear: Yes. Everywhere except when I am sleeping.
Vegetables you dislike: Beets. Yuck!
What makes you run late: Hitting snooze.
X-rays you’ve had done: Ankle, Back, Neck & Teeth
Yummy food you make: Peach Cobbler, Chicken & Cream Cheese stuffed Croissants, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Zoo animal: Giraffes

Tag Your'e It ! Take this over to your spot, or just Blog in the Comments ! LOL

Beautifully Complex

Surprise !

2011-09-02T06:00:00.013-05:00

My sister and I put our heads together months ago, to try and come up with a gift that we could give our parents for their Anniversary that they could BOTH enjoy. I have to give my lil' sis credit because it was ultimately her idea that we decided to go with. The party was a success. You can read about it here.

We decided at one point that the party would NOT be a surprise since because 30 years is a significant Anniversary, it was not likely that our parents wouldn't assume that we would do SOMETHING for them. With this in mind we let them know we had something planned but kept the details about what and where under wraps. What our parents didn't know was that the party was not our only gift to them. We decided to spruce up their backyard patio, to encourage them to get out of the house and enjoy themselves together. We decided to reveal the gift after the Anniversary event by having a Dessert & Champagne After-party at their home.

Take a look at what the Patio looked life before :

The smoker, grill & swing have seen better days!

The challenging part was getting our parents out of the house for several hours prior to the Party so that we could clean up the back yard, bring the furniture in and get it set up. We put my cousin, Mr. Mixologist and my BIL to work that day in the heat, which was well over 100 Degrees. Uh.....yes we owe them big time ! LOL

Conversation Seating Set

We got them a Conversation Seating Set, a Patio Table with 6 chairs an Umbrella and a new Gas Grille ! We had all of the furniture shipped to our Uncle's Carpet Store about a month before. On the day of the surprise, me and my sister went shopping for the plants, plant holders, pillows, grill utensils and candles while the guys put the furniture together.

Patio Table and Umbrella

My favorite cousin put the grill together in advance, used his truck to bring the furniture from his dad's store and was an all around lifesaver on this day. We had to get all this done & set up & get ourselves ready for the Party later that evening & it was no simple feat but we made it happen.

New Grille & my Beau taking a break from the heat!

By the time the party was over, and everyone arrived at my parent's home for dessert, champagne, wine and beer it was beginning to get dark so we had to hustle to get my parents outside so we could surprise them with their gift. Honestly, they were already overwhelmed and excited about the party since they had no idea who would be there and where it was. They were excited about seeing a lot of folks they had not seen in forever. Also, they had no idea that most of the guests were leaving the venue & coming to their home afterward. After giving toasts in the living room & some laughs, we let them know we had one last thing to give them and led them to the backyard......

Dad coming out for the surprise.

They were so surprised ! BOTH my mom & dad shed tears ! LOL It was funny, and touching, and such a wonderful feeling to surprise them and please them. We pulled it off and we were so happy !

My dad broke down too :)

Mom overwhelmed with tears

Our guests stayed for a couple of hours enjoying the new digs. Me and my sister kept this a secret from virtually all of our family. It was on need to know basis only, so no one would spoil the surprise, so my extended family was also pretty excited for my parents and and surprised at the big reveal.

Dad & Savannah enjoying Breakfast

The next morning, we promptly broke the furniture in even further, by having breakfast on the Patio. We did the cooking & let my Mom take a break. My parents enjoyed this a lot.

My nieces & my Beau polish off some grits !

In fact, we stayed out there for most of the morning until it started getting too warm & we had to retreat into the AC ! My parents are really looking forward to the fall (cooler temperatures) and are already planning additional things they can add outside to make their space more enjoyable. They have been calling us both several times a week to let us know how much they are enjoying themselves and in fact my mom is planning a Labor Day Cookout ! LOL Mission accomplished.

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Happy Anniversary

2011-09-01T01:01:00.001-05:00

Greetings Blogland ! As I explained in my last post August was a whirlwind of a month for me which is why I have been MIA. I'm back from several road trips, well rested and ready to catch up on the blog. It will probably take me several posts, which is cool, so I can dust off the blog just in time for the fall.

First Up my Parents 30th Anniversary Party in Pictures..............

We picked a Creole inspired restaurant downtown in the warehouse district, sitting on the water way. My parents had never been there, so that was a major plus for us. It was a nice intimate gathering of about 45 people

The photo invitation was created by my sister. She is super talented I swear. My parents didn't actually see it until the party & they loved it. The restaurant created a special menu listing the entrée choices and it was personalized too but I didn't get a photo of it.

The centerpieces we created that day for the tables at the restaurant. We took them home & enjoyed them for the rest of the weekend !

My parents arriving at the Party !

My dad is actually wearing the EXACT same suit that he married my mother in 30 years ago. We arrived two days before the party & when discussing what he planned to wear, he told us that he could still fit it. We didn't believe it, so we may him try it on ! I promptly took it to the Dry Cleaners and my Beau and my BIL took my dad shopping for a new white shirt. My daddy was looking so fresh and so clean ! LOL

I created a memento by putting their photo on a mat. My nieces made sure that all the guests at the party signed it. We presented the framed finished product to my parents the day after the party.

Me my mom and my niece Savannah at the Dinner Party.

Me and my Dad posing for a picture.

Daddy's Little Girls all grown up.

What is an Anniversary Party without a slide show ? Mr. Mixologist was the technical support for the party presenting the slideshow flawlessly.

My parents truly enjoyed the food, the venue, the ambiance, the family, friends and fun.

My high school Band Director's Jazz Trio performed that evening and gave a shout out to my parents for their Anniversary between sets. We really enjoyed the entertainment & my parents now want to come back downtown for a date night ! LOL

Of course we had to have the photo cake with the Old School Wedding Photo along with a current day photo. My parents thought it was lovely.

We got our money's worth out of the centerpieces that we made with the fresh flowers by setting them up all over the house and using them to decorate the table with the wine & champagne glasses. That is what you call double duty ! LOL

My niece Savannah giving a Toast to her Grandparent's. She was hilarious.

My other niece Olivia, reading a poem that she wrote especially for her Grandparents on their special day. She was pretty funny too.

My parents actually met, through my Mom's cousin Danny who was in the military with my Dad. My mom dropped my cousin off at the National Guard Armory one day, my dad saw her and was instantly smitten. He insisted that Danny make the introduction and as they say.....the rest is history !

Dad thanking Danny for the introduction!

The Party was a complete success and worth all of the stress of the last few months. My next blog will detail how we surprised our parents with their actual Anniversary gift. I will post that on Friday.

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Just Me........Randomly

2011-08-04T07:00:00.003-05:00

I swear I need just one weekend to just tackle all the things I need to do around this house. I have several closets that are in dire need of organization and it is starting to drive me crazy. It is starting to hamper my productivity. Then there is the garage, the bane of my existence. I am saving that for last ! It is just so much more fun to put socializing ahead of household tasks LOL

The next few weeks are going to be a blur. Mr.Miologist's brother is coming to town this weekend. Next weekend we hit the road for the party for my parents Anniversary, and then we leave on the 19th to head to Florida for a week. The month of August is pretty much done.

I hate that I have to work like a slave at work, just to prepare to be gone for a week. Morale at work is still pretty bad, since everyone is still in so much limbo about relocation. I still have no idea where I may be working or living in a year & it just feels like I am in a holding pattern. I am trying to keep my attitude in check, because it could be much worse I know. With that thought. Thank you Lord for provision.

What is it with my people and RSVP ? I just do not understand. With technology today you can reply yes or no in seconds. My sister and I are trying to do something very nice for our parents Anniversary and people just act like they are clueless. The RSVP deadline was August 1. We provided guests with the option to email, text or call with their response. Why do I have to start calling some people tonite so that I can have a final number for the venue by August 5 ? Every plate has to have a name. This is not a buffet style event. I called a couple of my cousin's today. There response, "Of course I am coming" WTH When were you going to let me know?

I am totally getting into this Pinterest thing. It definitely makes surfing the internet a lot more interesting. It's not like I needed another social networking site, and it is definitely addicting. I am glad one of my fellow bloggers sent me an invite. Let me know if you want one, but don't blame me when you spend hours on there, when you should be doing something else LOL.

I have two family members in particular an Aunt and a Cousin who always go out of their way to help me. I am so appreciative of them. Even though they are miles away, when I call them and need something, they make it happen. I can't wait to reciprocate.

Looking at photo albums & pulling photos in preparation for my parents party has brought back so many happy memories. I am a photo fanatic. The family historian if you will. I am the one who always has the camera at family functions. Many people like to duck & dodge the camera, but years later, everyone is happy that so many memories have been captured. I love my family.

Social media and media in general can really wear you out on certain issues. There are so many things, I could be totally happy never hearing about again in life, but at the same time, the access to information we have is sometimes amazing to me. Almost anything you want to know is at your fingertips.

What's going on in your world ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions /

Beautifully Complex

Sweet Blog Love

2011-07-22T11:35:00.000-05:00

I love Bloggers I really do. I have met some of the coolest people through the Internet and social media. I am so thankful for the love and friendship I have found.

I came home late last night from working a long and busy day, to find a package in my mailbox from one of my favorite Bloggers at THREE FOOD WORDS ! I had invited her to my Birthday Dinner last week but she had to decline due to a Catering Event.

When I saw the "perishable" sticker on the box, I knew I was in for something good. I quickly opened the package to find some wonderful homemade cookies. Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip and one of my favorites, Snicker doodles. I am not embarrassed to tell that you that as of this morning I have tasted all three LOL! I cannot decide which ones are the best, lets just say that they are all TheBomb.com !

Homemade Goodness & Personal Note

I have been really excited to see many of my favorite Bloggers, write their dreams down and make them happen all over the country ! It is very inspiring and I love to see good people succeed and find their own way in this thing we call life. It is a blessing.

Love the Concept of the Name !

Tarsha is doing her thing & I am super excited for her. She mentioned on twitt.er that she had ordered her business cards & already she has had some Catering Gigs and is getting referrals too. "Southern Girl City Swirl" A Boutique Catering Company. I think the name is perfect and befitting to her personal style and grace.

I have been a guest in her home and have indulged in her culinary talents, so I can tell you first hand, she throws down LOL ! I have also made several recipes from her blog that I have really enjoyed. I just wanted to thank her for her thoughtfulness for my birthday and spread some Blog love. Make sure to check out her blog THREE FOOD WORDS.

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Birthday Randoms

2011-07-20T14:57:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday on the 14th I had a Birthday and the celebrating continued throughout the weekend.I only worked half a day. My co-workers took me to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch and since I was off Friday I left feeling real good & ready for an extended weekend of partying.

I received some nice thoughtful gifts, flowers, wine, gift cards to my favorite places, and some cold hard cash ! LOL Mr. Mixologist took me to a nice quiet dinner at Ibiza Food & Wine Bar. The food & wine was wonderful. They bring out a huge silver Urn filled with Cotton Candy and a Sparkler for Birthdays. It was a nice surprise.

Happy Birthday to Me !

After dinner, he surprised me and took me to a lounge I had never been to before, Nouveau Antique Art Bar. This place is really unique. They literally have over 200 Antique Tiffany Lamps on the Ceiling and all of the Tables and Bars throughout the lounge with lots of Antique furniture. It sets a very nice romantic mood. The music and drinks were pretty good too.

This picture does not capture how pretty the lights are.

Friday I spent time pampering myself, shopping and then met my Beau for lunch at a new Cuban spot he found. He is always good for finding a great hole in the wall ethnic Restaurant with good food on the cheap. Later that afternoon My BFF unexpectedly called to say she had a babysitter for Friday night & wanted to move around, so me, her and Mr. Mixologist spent the entire evening #birthdaybarhopping ! We went to LaCarafe, Warrens Pub, Khon's and ended up at Cafe 4212 listening to Jazz Guitarist Joe Carmouche. My Beau was the designated driver & we had a blast. We hit a 24 Hour Mediterranean spot, Theo's at the end of the night for some Gyros before calling it a night. We did that ! LOL

Me & my BFF

My Beau is serious about his Cigars. LOL

I was tired, but I had to be a soldier Saturday morning because I had an early appointment at the Hair Salon and then had to make a Birthday Cake for the 13 yr old daughter of my BFF whose party was the following day. As soon as I finished baking, I took a loooong nap because we had to hit the streets to continue celebrating Saturday night ! We stopped by a Birthday Happy Hour for one of my FB/Twitter Friends at Benjy's before heading to meet several of our friends for my Birthday Dinner at Grappino di Nino.

Ann- Fellow Birthday Girl. Cancers are Cool !

Great Friends !

A friend smelling the wine Bouquet.

Our group sat on the Patio, under the Pagoda. They had live entertainment and the food, wine, company and conversation were all wonderful ! I didn't get to see any of my family for my birthday this year, but I am truly blessed to have some great friends and lots of love in my life. It was a wonderful Birthday !

Me and my friend Blogger TiffanyinHouston

T Mack & M2 had TWO other Birthday events the same day & still came thru to spend time with me ! I was so appreciative. See M2 in the background trying to mess up our picture ! LOL

Ken & Tammie

Mr. Mixologist picked this spot for the gathering and it was a winner as usual. He has really great taste & seems to really know what I like. The wines he picked for the table were wonderful and my guests all seemed to have enjoyed themselves.

My Beau & My BFF

Toxie & Sharlene

Chris & Dave

Me & Denise-The wine was kicking in at this point. LOL

Sunday we went to yet another Birthday Party for my friends daughter. I had to bring a cake, so there was no backing out ! LOL But I was worn out by then. It was a Barbecue & we had a good time, when I hit that bed Sunday night I was down for the count. I was tired but it was a good tired. I went to sleep smiling !

Thanks for the wonderful Birthday Weekend Babe !

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Tagged You're It !

2011-07-13T12:09:00.001-05:00

Remember when we used to play Tag as children ? This little Tag is going round and round the Bloggerverse so I thought I would chime in. The rules are: list 7 Random Things about Yourself and answer some questions. I think Tags are fun & might spark some conversations or at least a Blog Post, so enjoy !

7 Random Things about Me

I cannot sleep with the TV on, if I do, I incorporate dialogue from what is on TV into my dreams and the results are often very crazy ! This is usually the only time that I dream & I usually wake up feeling like I haven't slept at all. Somehow music does not have the same effect on me though.
I did not ride on a plane until was 23 years old. Up until that point, I had only travelled to the the 3 states that immediately bordered the state that I was born in.
Since then I have managed to travel to 40 US States, Canada, Jamaica, The Netherlands & Belgium. The 10 states I have not been to are: Vermont, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, West Virginia and New Hampshire.
I never wear colored polish on my nails or my toes. I do get French Pedicures on my feet regularly but I only use clear coat on my nails. This has been for the last 10 years for sure. I don't really know why because I used to wear colored nail polish all the time.
Do you remember Hair-Rep ? It used to be in a small black tin can with a red top that you used to have to remove with a butter knife. When I was about 7 yrs old, one of my older male cousins threw one at me because I was standing in front of my grandmother's console TV trying to get his attention. I didn't think he was going to throw the can AND he thought I was going to move. The result was 8 stitches in my forehead. I still have the scar if you look closely. My cousin wished he had hit the TV instead of me when my Grandmother got through with him !
I am a true Cancer. Meaning that I fit about 90% of the female personality traits you find when you look it up on the Zodiac charts. It is amazing how accurate some of that stuff can be.
I eat sugar on my Grits. Let me explain. I grew up in the Midwest. We ate Grits, like we ate Cream of Wheat & Oatmeal which meant lots of sugar & butter in it. My Beau whose roots are in South Carolina thinks this is blasphemy ! LOL In fact, I was instructed to not let any of his family see me do this when he took me home to visit ! LOL

Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Song: Being the music connoisseur that I am, this is impossible for me but I am currently feeling this new found song " Yes" by Euge Groove featuring Dax Reynosa !

Favorite Dessert : Key Lime Pie or Cheesecake

Biggest Pet Peeve: People who drive slow in the left lane & then speed up when you attempt to pass them......Control freaks !LOL

When you are upset, you: I shed tears. I cannot control it, if I am really agitated, angry, hurt, sad, afraid, frustrated no matter the reaction is tears.

Your favorite pet: I have none & I am actually very afraid of dogs due to a childhood trauma.

Black or White: Black. My first two new cars off the showroom floor were black & black makes me look thin !

Biggest Fear: Leaving this world feeling unfulfilled. Being forgotten.

Best Feature: My eyes & my lips

Everyday Attitude: Live your life as if He is watching.....because He is !

What is perfection: Having a peaceful home that you always want to come to.

Guilty Pleasures: Current Obsession Blue Bell Banana Pudding Ice Cream. It's like Crack! LOL

Consider yourself Tagged if If you have a blog & haven't done this yet ! Or if you are a commenter or just a lurker you have my permission to go for it in my comments.

Beautifully Complex

True Essence

2011-07-06T08:04:00.053-05:00

I am back and still recovering from yet another memorable Essence Festival. My body is still aching a bit but it was all worth it. This was my first Essence Fest with Mr. Mixologist, but he is sold on it & we are already planning next years trip. He has some of his cousins on board already & I have some people in my circle who have never been before but are planning to go with us next year. Like I explained to him, many people will talk about going, but not every body will actually make the trip when it's time to make it happen. I have a core group of friends that have been coming for the last 12 years & I cannot imagine doing anything else on the July 4th Weekend.

We got to NOLA, hit the streets to grab some food, adult beverages, and of course hit a Cigar Bar & get ready for the show. Me & my Beau mixed it up this year & decided to see a different side of New Orleans, so we picked only one Essence Concert which was Friday night so we could have time exploring the city. The show was wonderful indeed. Dwele and Mint Condition were in the Super Lounges along with Tank. I missed Fantasia on the Main stage because I was listening to Mint Condition but they never disappoint & put on an awesome show. We then saw Jennifer Hudson, Charlie Wilson and Usher on the Main Stage. Uncle Charlie SHUT IT DOWN. Seriously, I felt sorry for Usher having to come behind that, I mean there was just no way he was going to outdo him. This was my 3rd time seeing Charlie Wilson perform at Essence and his show just constantly gets better. You can tell he loves performing and did not want to leave the stage ! LOL

My Beau's fave spot

Dwele doing his thing !

Saturday morning Hennessy sponsored a brunch at our Hotel as they have for the past 4 years. I was sitting there tweeting, enjoying my food &some Hennessy concoction, when this guy with a camera accompanied by a guy with a boom mike walk up and say, "What are you doing?" I say, " Umm tweeting about this event ?" He then says, I need to get you to say that for me on camera & I proceed to repeat that into the mike & he filmed me and also the actual tweet! I tried to copy my tweet to the blog, but that's a little too technical for me LOL. Supposedly I am going to be up on their site this week but I haven't been able to find it yet. And that, ladies and gentleman was my Essence Film Debut ! LOL

Enjoying Brunch

Next up my Soror was hosting a Day Party, with some Belly Dancers, Saxophonist Chris "Soul" Mitchell and up and coming singer Andre Pitre, who just happens to be Essence Single Man of the Month (May 2011). All of the performers are people that we actually know personally, so we came out to support them & the party was a success despite my friend being so nervous in the previous weeks!

Me & My Soror

Belly Dancers making moves

Soul Mitchell playing his horn !

Andre Serenading the ladies !

Mr. Mixologist enjoyed himself tremendously. I knew that he had been before so I really didn't get it, but he explained that he came to Essence in the past he was a younger guy, hanging with the fellas, girl watchin' LOL & hanging out on Bourbon Street, doing the meat market thing. That was pretty much it. He had never attended any of the Concerts, any of the seminars or Convention Center activities, never shopped for Art, or attended any of the private parties. He told me that he saw a whole other side of things this year & is very excited to have some of his friends and family join us next year.

Me and my love :)

We spent the rest of the day Saturday at the Convention Center, shopping, and of course eating and drinking ! LOL I got some very nice jewelry, bought a couple of dresses and we both bought new hats. I was so excited to head to the Jazz Playhouse to get to meet one of my favorite writers/bloggers Demetria Lucas, also known as A Belle in Brooklyn. She read from the book, and I actually got a chance to sit and chat with her for a bit and of course get my book signed ! She was very beautiful and gracious. Also while at the event, I met some wonderful bloggers/twitter friends at the event from LA, Memphis & New Orleans !

Leaving our Hotel for Cocktails with Belle !

Me & Demetria Lucas/ Belle in Brooklyn

Saturday night Mr. Mixologist took me to a lovely Spanish Restaurant called Lola's with the most awesome food.! We never go anywhere without Yelping it and the reviews were on point. From the Service to the Crab Appetizer, to the Paella, to the Sangria, it was one for the books & we will definitely return. Paella is a rice dish with a bunch of seafood including shrimp, fish, mussels, calamari, We got the combination to share which also included sausage along with vegetables. It was heaven on a plate !

Spanish Paella

This crab dip was so fresh !

On our way to the restaurant, our Cab driver actually got lost, and took numerous wrong turns, which actually was a blessing in disguise and ultimately led us to the most valuable discovery of the trip. We discovered an area of New Orleans called the Frenchman District which neither of us had ever been to before. After dinner we had a different cab driver take us back to that area & boy did we have a good time ! Some of the most talented local bands and singers ever & so many genres of music. We listed to a Reggae Band, some wonderful Jazz Singers and Blues that first night. We had such a great time that we came back AGAIN on Sunday night & told some friends about it & they showed up too. The second night we listened to a Cuban Band that had everybody on the floor doing Salsa & Merengue !

Normally when you come to New Orleans you do the typical Bourbon Street for entertainment, but it was a nice change of pace to enjoy something very different and we just happened upon it. In my 12 years of coming to Essence, I never even knew this area existed, so it's nice to make a new discovery. So make sure when you visit, to make it on over there. It's located near the intersection of Decatur and Esplanade east of the French Quarter area. By mixing it up this year, I really got the true essence of New Orleans culture, not just the commercial aspect and we made some very nice memories !

Jazz Band on Frenchman Street

Reggae Band on Frenchman St.

On Monday afternoon when we checked out we met some friends for lunch, and did some more shopping. Of course Mr. Mixologist had to make one last stop at Don Leoncio Cigars. LOL I got some Pralines, and Beignets of course and had my last Hurricane and a Po Boy before we reluctantly headed home. It was a wonderful trip and I am already excited about next year !

Have you ever been to Essence Festival ?

How was your 4th of July ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Just Me.............Randomly

2011-06-24T06:00:00.002-05:00

My sister, BIL, nieces and nephew came for a week long visit a few weeks back & we had so much fun ! We got to just hang out, cook out, sleep late, watch movies, relax at the pool and just enjoy one another. My Beau took my BIL to a couple of his Cigar spots and now he is hooked ! My sister was not amused. LOL. One day we all went to Kemah Boardwalk & took the kids to the Amusement Park. Of course we made day trip to Galveston Beach which the kids loved. Mr. Mixologist was cheffin' it up while they were here. He grilled some nice steaks and also managed to get every body hooked on his grits ! LOL

Last weekend we took a road trip home for Father's Day. We had a Fish Fry at my cousin's home for all the Father's in the family. The women (my generation) did all the cooking, the men thoroughly enjoyed it. My sister gave a nice little speech before the prayer about black fathers and acknowledged the positive examples in our family. What a blessing. It was fun, but a lot of work, I was on my feet for a long time that day, but it was worth it. I need to sit down this weekend for sure.

On the flip side, my close friend's daughter had a meltdown on Father's Day. We were not surprised, but it was still very upsetting. In response to that, she took her to see a counselor today. I think that was a great move. Daddy issues are so real. Sometimes kids are afraid to burden their parents with their troubles. I truly believe this will help her.

My sister and I are planning an event for our parents Anniversary in August. Planning events is a lot of work. One thing I am not looking forward to is the RSVP nightmare that is sure to ensue. I wish people understood how critical it is to know how many people you are going to feed, especially when you are trying to do something nice.

I am super excited that Mr. Mixologist & I are heading to NOLA next week for the Essence Festival ! This will actually be my 13th Festival, but the first time with my Beau. I try not to miss it. He has been before several years ago, but he is not the " Essence Veteran" that I am. LOL There are so many things, I am excited for us to experience together in one of my most favorite cities. I have got to get my rest this weekend, so I can go hard in the paint next weekend !

Last week, I finished reading a new book by one of my favorite Bloggers, A Belle In Brooklyn. I thought it was a pretty good read. She is a go getter & I respect her grind. I relate to her mindset a lot, she has some really good advice for young women. Much of it is common sense, but as we know, that isn't always common ! LOL I am looking forward to seeing her at Essence too, because I missed her panel discussion last year. I am waiting on my RSVP for " Cocktails with Belle" , so hopefully I can get my book signed and hopefully a photo.

I was so excited to wake up to the Thunderstorms yesterday. I was running around doing a rain dance LOL ! Right about now, my lawn looks a hot mess ! This drought has been crazy in Texas. I hope it is over. On Sunday we actually got stuck on I-45 trying to get back to Houston due to several wildfires that were burning in the area. We could smell the smoke & see the smoke clouds in the area very near to us. They actually SHUT DOWN THE INTERSTATE ! We made a detour that added 1 1/2 hours to our trip but we made it safely, gracefully.

What's going on random with you ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Pretty Girls Rock

2011-06-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

My best friend's daughter celebrated her 9th Birthday this past weekend in style. You just have to know Maya, to understand that she is a little princess in every way. A real girly girl, who knows how to have fun.
The theme was "Pretty Girls Rock". We had the "Pre-Party" at the house, with all the Justin Beiber you could stand believe me. There were 17 girls total and we had an hour to let them eat, sing, dance and use the restroom to be ready for the Limo that arrived at 2:00PM to take them downtown ! Her mom got a great deal on a 3 hour ride from the owner of a Limousine company she met not too long ago.

We rolled out the "red carpet" for them which consisted of some red tablecloths, we got at the dollar store ! LOL I was the Paparazzi, taking all of the pictures for the "Event". We rode downtown to Hermann Park so they could have a photo shoot near the water. We were supposed to ride the train, but we couldn't get 19 seats on one ride, and we were under time constraint. We let them get their feet we in the waterfront, got them some ice cream, took pictures and then headed to the Dessert Gallery for the "Finale" where we had some awesome cupcakes, sang Happy Birthday to Maya & let her open her gifts. Her Dad met us there, which was a pleasant surprise for her. We took more photos and then hopped in the limo back to her house.

These kids today sure know how to dream big, I must say LOL I am glad she was able to have the party that she wanted and her friends really liked it too. Moe, our Limo driver really enjoyed the girls, and was amazed at how well behaved they were ! Everything turned out nice and Maya was so excited. I made her a little slide show of her pictures and sent it to her Mom's Face book, so that she can share the memories of her "Pretty Girl Rock Party" with all her relatives and friends.

Take a look !

Maya's Pretty Girl Rock Party - slideshows

Beautifully Complex

Weekend in Pictures

2011-05-31T07:00:00.001-05:00

It has been a minute since I stepped in here to blog. I have been floating around the blogsphere, just not motivated enough to write much. I am so appreciative of all the kind words that were shared after my last post. I really appreciated it. Also, I am grateful for a few who emailed me to check on me. Your sincere concern is appreciated. We still don't have a lot of new information on the job situation, so I am just standing still and staying prayerful. I am standing in the middle of His will.

Enjoying good music and good times !

I had a lovely weekend starting on Friday night, me and my Beau and some friends went to Miller Outdoor Theatre in the Museum District to watch a performance called the Motown Review. This is an annual event for four nights usually during this same time each year. A lot of talented local artists and musicians perform a wide range of music from 60's, 70's and 80's. It is an awesome show and family friendly. You can bring your own picnic, coolers, blankets, chairs and relax on the hill & watch the show. The best part
is that it is Free.99 ! LOL

Mr.Mixologist mixing his famous libations !

We enjoyed ourselves that night, and were so thrilled by how inexpensive the whole evening was since the concert didn't cost us anything & we brought our own food and drinks. After all that bragging,we get to the car & discover a parking ticket that we got along with about 20 other cars ! We were parked along a curb that is evidently for bus loading/unloading. We were pissed ! My problem with this ticket is that the show does not start until 8:15 pm. I am SURE that no buses were coming into the area during that time, but sure enough there was a sign posted. We just parked behind a long row of vehicles in the same area thinking it was after hours, so they surely would not be writing tickets. I guess the good luck is that we weren't towed.

Charlene had to get on her feet for the Michael Jackson Medley !

Everybody enjoyed themselves

While fuming about the ticket & loading up the vehicles with all our things, my beloved Mr.Mixologist dropped the keys in the trunk of the car and closed it without realizing it !!!! So then we had to call AAA to get us back into the vehicle....oh what a night ! But it was fun all and all, we just had to laugh about it all once we made it home LOL

Saturday, we went to what is probably our last Crawfish boil of the season since it is almost June. They were pretty good too. We probably have about 3 more weeks before they start getting too small to fool with, but I managed to get my fill on Saturday night.

Luv those mudbugs !

Mr Mixologist does not each Crawfish, so luckily they had some other things to eat. But really as long as he has someplace to smoke his Cigars, talk about Cigars, share his knowledge of Cigars, he is a happy camper. He is easy to please, so very laid back.

Mr. Mixologist dropping some Cigar Knowledge LOL

The night would not have been complete without a dance contest and a Karaoke contest. My friend Kim's family never lacks entertainment and once the challenge is thrown out, my friend Charlene cannot back down! She truly believes she can out dance anybody LOL I promise you that on Sunday morning, I had no voice from laughing so hard at all that went on. You can see one of my other friends below in the doorway wiping tears from her eyes from laughing so hard. Fun times indeed !

Old School Dance Off !

On Sunday, I helped my best friend host her daughter's Birthday Party and I will blog about that tomorrow. Monday, I did absolutely nothing but get some much needed rest. I felt a little guilty for about 5 minutes LOL. All we did was watch movies and relax. We even bought barbecue from Harris County Smokehouse instead of firing up the grill and it was on point ! I enjoyed a wonderful weekend and hope you did too.

How was your holiday ?

Did you do anything special?

What did you eat this weekend ?

Beautifully Complex

Sun Shining..Rain Comes..Clouds Clear..Sun Returns

2011-05-02T19:49:00.001-05:00

It's been a minute since I have been here and I have had my hands full dealing with LIFE. Not that it's anything that many others aren't also dealing with. As they say, "there is nothing new under the sun". Sometimes though, when things happen, you just have to be still and listen. That's what I have been doing while I was away. My company dropped the bomb a couple of weeks ago. They have their "corporate speak" and are calling this a "Migration" but we all know that it means downsize/layoff/reorganization since so many people aren't mobile to the city they are migrating us to for various reasons. I am truly not interested in relocating there either, as I have gotten settled into Houston, really like the city, and have managed to finally find love here. There is a good chance I will not have to move, due to the specific nature of what I do, but there is no guarantee as ALL departments are being looked at & possibly redesigned. If push comes to shove, I may have to go for a short time, but it will be with an exit strategy for sure to get to a city I really want to be in.

Honestly, I haven't been nearly as upset as the majority of my co-workers & I think that's because I already had my life turned upside down just a few years back & although it took me quite some time to recover, transition and land on my feet, I gained some perspective I never would have had without those life changing situations. If you are a new reader/lurker, it is pretty much summarized in a nutshell here. Even still, that does not make me immune to the feelings of my peers. People are having a HARD time with this. There have been many tears (openly), depression has set in and morale is horrible. The energy is just bringing me down, even though I feel confident that it will be okay. I really dread going into the office on the rare occasions that I have to, because it can be so draining. On my own, I am cool, but seeing others so hurt is hard. Barrista posted something on her blog today, which summed up the way I feel, but having her say it, made me feel all the more better:

This will be my 3rd time going through a layoff (2 mergers and a downsizing) and all have taken me to bigger and better things. I also know that every single thing works out in the end the way it’s supposed to and there’s nothing to be gained in stressing something you can’t change. Aight?

I can be honest an express that one of the things that I have been contemplating is how this situation may impact my relationship with Mr. Mixologist. This is still somewhat new. Oh, he has definitely gone out of his way to really assure me of his commitment to this relationship and has been very supportive, encouraging and open to the whole situation, which has been a great feeling. Honestly, I was enjoying the ride we have been on, coasting along at our own leisurely pace and this situation has just added unwanted pressure ( in my mind). I mean, I just want this relationship to evolve organically into what it is supposed to be. I have prayed about it and am doing my best not to over think it, and just know that it is going to be what it is going to be. Trust God and let it go.

In the midst of all of this work stuff, on the family side of things, my mom has been recently expressing some worry about my Dad's health, specifically she is having serious concerns that he is having problems remembering things, repeating himself in short time spans, and she is alarmed........ no, correct that, she is scared that this could be really something serious, and one of the most unsettling feelings is hearing the fear in your parent's voice. I feel so helpless being so far away. Me & Mr. Mixologist traveled to where my parents live a couple of weeks ago for my Aunt's 60th Birthday Party. I don't know if it's the power of suggestion or what , but my Dad does seem a little different to me. Just a bit more fragile than the last time I saw him & just not himself at all times. He has a doctor's appointment scheduled for this week and I just hope we can get to the bottom of it.

I had a Manager at work that used to say, "Nothing too good, or too bad, lasts for too long". One of my most favorite Pastor's used to say, " Either you are going through a storm, coming out of a storm or heading towards a storm. " An that just about summarizes life to me. None of us know what crosses we will have to bear in this life or for how long. There is no magical place that you get to, where everything is fine and it seems that if you ever get close to that point, you worry when it will end. I don't say any of this to sound negative & I really hope that it doesn't come across that way, I am just reflecting on things and trying to position myself to respond positively to each situation as it comes. I know that everything is going to work out for my good. That is why I always try to stand in the sun when it's shining on me because I know the clouds will come, but the truth is, they too always part, and the sun comes right back out again !

I count on the Sun to come back out, each and every day. I go to sleep each night and never worry that it's not coming up tomorrow. I don't even give it a second thought. It never crosses my mind, what if the sun doesn't come up tomorrow ? I lay down with the full confidence that He will make the sun rise tomorrow. I don't know how he does and couldn't begin to figure that out for myself, but I trust that it will be. Just as it is with the smaller things in this life. I will put my faith in Him and stand on his word.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". Hebrews 11:1

How do you handle life's challenges ? Is religious faith part of your life ?

Thoughts ? Questions ? Comments ?

Beautifully Complex

Regroup, Relax, Release, and Recover !

2011-03-25T11:29:00.000-05:00

* *PHOTO HEAVY POST* *

The kids are back at home now. I have received three tear-filled bedtime phone calls this week because they are missing me :) That fills my heart all the way to the top. I miss them too. Shoot, even Mr. Mixologist is missing them even though we.are.worn.out ! LOL

My and one of my girlfriends, took my crew and her girls and nephews to the Houston Zoo on Wednesday. I really enjoyed it and the kids did too. They have a new African Safari Exhibit that was great. One of the best things about our Zoo is that they allow you to bring in your own coolers with food and drinks. This is great and very cost effective when you have so many kids to feed. We packed a lunch of their preferred food and snacks & had a picnic halfway through our visit. The only downside was there we so many people at the Zoo because it was Spring Break. We heard they set an attendance record of over 30,000 people on one day ! WOW

KJ & Jeff fixated on the Leopard

I love to watch children's fascination with animals and how they process learning new things. You can see the little wheels turning in their heads.

Savannah & Jeff jamming on the African Drums !

I love musically inclined, creative types and encourage it whenever possible. Trust me when I say, when our kids got on these six drums they had set up in the African Safari area, they drew a crowd. I thought I was going to start picking up money off the ground ! LOL

The Zoo Crew !

Next stop on Thursday was Schlitterbahn Water Park. The kids love it ! I have to admit, I do too. Even though they only have about 1/2 of the rides open during Spring Break, it is still a nice reprieve and my water babies get a chance to have some great fun. This park also allows you to bring in Coolers with your own food and drinks #winning. Which keeps us from the highway robbery that is the food prices at this joint. We always get there early, find a good camp spot and spend the whole day. Mr. Mixologist came with us on this day trip and was truly a great help. When you have so many kids around water, with varying swimming abilities, it is very necessary. One of my girlfriends neighbors came along with her two daughters, so we had 4 adults, supervising 11 children between the ages of 4 and 16. We always have a strategy. One adult always stayed with our stuff, we then broke the kids into 3 age groups & each adult went with their group to ride the various attractions and we would check back at the camp spot every hour. The kids slept like dead people after this outing ! #winning LOL

View of Galveston Bay

The kids were squealing with delight by the time we go to Galveston & they actually could see the water.

KJ is salivating thinking about the water

Kid's hate having to wait for their food to digest so they can swim to avoid cramps, but yet they want to eat snacks all day ! I know this is an old wives tale, but I still make them sit for 30 minutes after eating before getting back in. I have no idea if its true, but it's how I was raised. LOL

Bikini Ready

Cool Boys !

By Friday, I was truly spent but I still had to get ready for the annual Party that I throw every year during Spring Break, so that some of my friends & their kids can hang out with my nieces and nephews. Mr. Mixologist came up with the idea of a Fish Fry and agreed to do the cooking in the back yard. He made the Catfish, Shrimp and Hushpuppies. I hooked up some Dirty Rice, Macaroni & Cheese, Caesar Salad and my famous Sopapilla Cheesecake (got the recipe from my Mom who never fails ! ). Everything came together nicely & me and my beau are an awesome team. #winning. Saturday was a very long, late night, but definitely a great time and all worth it. I spent the early morning hours on Sunday, washing & packing suitcases & when we got back home on Sunday night, I was in.a.coma.for.3.days ! LOL Hence the late wrap-up post !

Below is the last groups of pics, I promise LOL !

Savannah with one of my friend's son

Party Girls

What a Spread !

It was my Goddaughter's Birthday too !

Are they trying to play spades ? LOL !

The drop off at Starbucks ! (Before the tears)

Our Annual Professional Spring Break Pic

Needless to say, me and the beau are cold chillin' this weekend. We plan to regroup, relax, release and recover. His brother from Chicago is coming in next weekend so we are planning some adult activities, and we should be fully rested by then, but until then, I will be chilling !

How was your Spring Break !

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

March Madness !

2011-03-16T09:05:00.001-05:00

It's Wednesday, so we are halfway through the Spring Break visit and I am beat. Since my mind has forgotten, my body is starting to remind me of my age ! LOL. The mini-van turned out to be the best idea. As far as comfort on a long road trip, you can't beat it. With two DVD screens, all the bells and whistles, including awesome storage and room the move around, the kids were definitely more than comfortable. One of my cousin's daughters couldn't come because she didn't want to miss her baby sisters birthday party this coming Saturday, but my other cousin's son, who is 5 quickly volunteered to come in her place so now my nephew who is 4 has somebody to play with.

Savannah picked out the flowers with me

Brunch turned out really great. The food was wonderful of course, but the quality time with my extended family was the best part. I might have decided to have a Mimosa ~~or should I say a few,~~ but whose counting ? LOL Here are some pics from the table I put together at my parents. My oldest niece picked out the flowers.

This 4 yr old is serious about his game !

I had planned to take the little ones to the Houston Rodeo Carnival on Monday, but the rain, nixed that idea so were were indoors the first day. They really enjoyed bowling & we will definitely do that again. Whoever came up with the idea of those bumpers on the aisles for the less skilled, is a genius, we even had a couple of strikes !

The chair massage was her favorite part.

Later I took the girls to the nail shop, while Mr. Mixologist hung out with the boys. Tuesday, we took our annual Spring Break Photo & let me tell getting 6 kids, picture ready and keeping them that way is no simple feat ! We were happy with how they turned out. I will post some later.

Reminder: You can shop twice as fast when you leave kids at home

For dinner last night, I let them get some ingredients to make their own pizzas and they had flour from their ears to their toes, LOL but they came out pretty decent.

Cheffin' it up !

We used Turkey Pepperoni and Turkey Italian Sausage, but it was still a little salty to my taste, but they of course thought it was delicious because they had made it.

I cannot tell a lie, my back is killing me right now ! LOL I think its the constant, bending & picking up stuff as well as lifting some of the younger ones, the constant movement that sadly, my body is just not used to anymore ![ Reminder: Increase treadmill time.] I have been washing more clothes and dishes in these few days than I probably washed last month. Seriously though, the hugs, smiles and the love of these kids is so worth it. This is my cousin's 5 years olds first trip this far from home alone, without his parents & he is doing great and having fun and that is what is important to me.

The hugs are totally worth it :)

What are you doing for Spring Break ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Gimme a Break !

2011-03-11T12:26:00.001-06:00

Whew ! I am so glad it's Friday and the truth is I am totally worn out. I am getting ready for Spring Bring with my nieces and nephew and it has been quite a chore to get prepared. First of all at work, it's like I have to work double time just be off. I have worked very late every.night.this.week. I have to make sure than anyone can pick up one of my cases and know exactly what's going on and try to put out any "potential" fires that could occur while I am out. Even though they can reach me via cell phone, I just don't want to think about work if I don't have to. I just sent my last work email about 10 minutes ago, so I am officially on a break until March 21 ! Woo Hoo !

We are getting ready to hit the road in less than 2 hours. After going back & forth with Mr. Mixologist, I finally agreed to rent a van instead of a utility vehicle. I had to just be honest and admit my vanity was the problem. I just think mini-vans look corny LOL ! I don't know why I think I am too fly to drive a minivan LOL ! But each year this annual Spring Break Trip just gets bigger and bigger (two of my cousins are sending their daughters too) and it's just not practical any more. I am just glad that I will be cold chillin' reading with my Nook Color in just a few hours headed up the road.

Speaking of "cold chillin'", this week of all weeks, my AC decided to start tripping. Now you know with six kids here next week, we would HAVE to have some cold air. My house is over 20 years old and I bought it 4 years ago. Home repairs are the bane of my existence, I swear ! Anyway, this is one of those times when I really appreciate blog land and how resourceful it can be. You know my blogging buddy and friend IRL Tiffany in Houston just had the same situation and blogged about it here. Well, I sent her a message on Twitter and got the contact info & her AC guy met with Mr. Mixologist yesterday to discuss the problem & he came over bright and early this morning & completed the work I needed done for a FRACTION of what 2 other's had quoted me earlier this week. So I really caught a major break today & am soooo grateful. Shout out to my girl Tiffany !

I am looking forward to visiting with my family this weekend before we head back with the kids. My visit at Thanksgiving got cut short due to a death in my beau's family, so I missed some of my cousins. My mom is having a Chicken & Waffle Brunch tomorrow morning at the house in my honor and has invited all my cousins, aunts & uncles, so I am excited about that. I am going to do my best to not drink any Mimosa's but that will be really hard for me ! LOL My BFF thinks I am spoiled & I always try to deny it, but my parents really are very considerate of me. I think it's just that my friend comes from a family of 8 children, whereas it was just me & my sister, so your parents can just do more & give you more attention. But I do really spoil my nieces and nephew, so its all love !

That's what's going on this Fabulous Friday in my world.

What are your plans for the weekend ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Just Me..........Randomly

2011-03-07T15:58:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe it is almost mid-March. I am really worn out from the weekend ! I have been trying to gear up for Spring Break. My nieces and nephew will be here next week & I have to get ready & get this house ready. In between trying to make sure everything at work is in order, for me to vacation in peace and the cleaning & shopping, etc. around here, I am already worn out & those kids aren't even here yet ! LOL I can forget about getting any rest next week.

I have been using my treadmill a lot more lately, and have been feeling much better and more energized because of it. My lower back is feeling better, as well as my knee that was bothering me so I don't have any more excuses. All of the weight loss going on in Blogland is a good thing, it has been very motivating. With Springtime approaching, I don't want to regret not doing anything about these love handles from lazying around all winter with my beau. LOL.

My Aunt is having some serious health challenges and it makes me hurt. It is hard to see how it affects her, my cousins and especially my Mom and my other Aunt. It is also a reminder of how much we can't control in our lives but at the same time it makes me reflect on how much power we DO have in certain areas and that I should always continue to try to work to improve the areas that I can change.

I have a close friend, whose ex-husband probably has an undiagnosed mental problem. That along with him being a substance abuser (cocaine & alcohol) makes dealing with the situation (they have 2 young children) very challenging. He sends her some very scary & cryptic text messages. It really makes me uneasy. I pray for their protection constantly.

I always take the little ones to this place to paint ceramics they can take home to commemorate their trip. I try to mix it up and keep their trip's fresh & exciting with new activites. This year I wanted to take them to a pottery place, so they could make their own, but you have to be at least 8 yrs old, so that means some of the little ones won't be able to participate so I am looking for something else crafty/creative for them all to do. If you know of anything in Houston, please send any ideas my way. I may just go to Hobby Lobby and Michael's to see if I can be inspired.

Me and Mr. Mixologist went to see The Adjustment Bureau this past weekend. I really enjoyed it. It was more love story, morality play, than espionage and thriller. I must say, Matt Damon is still such a hottie. I thought there was a lot of chemistry between him and the female lead. It really did make me think about fate and free will. For example, you get held up at a drive through, frustrated by a delay only to drive up on a serious accident minutes later in which you very well could have been involved in, if you had not been delayed. As I have gotten older, I have learned to just take unexpected delays as a blessing that I can't see.

I did not have one. drop. of. alcohol this past weekend. I know that sounds bad, as in, am I an alcoholic or something ? LOL But honestly, I can't think of the last weekend when I did not have some wine at a minimum. I have a serious desire to drink in social situations and at home, especially on weekends. I decided to try to cut back because of the calories. They really add up. This coming weekend, we will be road tripping to pick up the little ones and the following weekend after a very sober Spring Break, I will be doing the same thing, taking them back, so I think I will probably shoot for 30 days with no alcohol to see if that helps me drop some pounds.

Today, what is randomly you ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Musical Monday-Mary Mary

2011-02-21T12:29:00.001-06:00

I am a huge Mary Mary fan. Sadly, they are getting some flak from some fans because their "gospel" music is becoming too contemporary, or too worldly for some people. I think everyone is entitled to how they feel. I personally focus on how music makes me "feel" and I can say that a lot of their music is very inspirational and has brought me through some rough times, just by keeping me encouraged and uplifted. They have a new single "Walking" which is really catchy and I still think these ladies have some really strong vocals that complement each other well. I didn't necessarily like their last single "God in Me" that much. It was just a little cheesy to ME, but the Album that that song came from "The Sound" was their best selling to date, so I am going to guess they think they are on the right track. I am of the opinion that if the message is positive, then the beat or the use of Auto Tune, rapping or any of the latest musical technology tricks shouldn't matter if you are reaching more people. But I respect those that disagree. When I reflect on their past music, songs like "Shackles", "In the Morning", "Heaven", "Yesterday" and "Believer", I feel like these ladies are pretty consistent with their message and were always pretty contemporary to begin with. Sometimes the message isn't always obvious, but if you listen to the lyrics and can make simple analogies, it's not complicated.

Here is the latest video/song "Walking" from these lovely sisters. Let me know what you think. Are they too mainstream ? Should gospel fans be offended ? Do you think they are taking their gospel/inspirational license too far ?

Mary Mary - Walking (Official Music Video). Watch more top selected videos about: Mary Mary

Thoughts ? Comments? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

I LOVE....Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T07:00:00.024-06:00

Thought I would dust off the blog and peek back in. It's been a minute due to some major distractions. Over that last couple of weeks I have had my hands full with some homeowner emergencies----broken water pipes, electrical issues AND my Heating System ! Oh the joys of home ownership ! But trust, I am not complaining at all. It comes with the territory & I consider myself blessed to be in a position to take care of the issues. Mr. Mixologist really stepped up to the plate and saved me some serious $$$$$. In a matter of 6 hours I witnessed him use his Brick Masonry skills to access the problem area, his Welding skills to repair some steel pipes and his Plumbing skills to get running water back in the house ! I had no idea of all his talents ! LOL With two trips to Home Depot and help from one of his friends, I was back in business in no time.

I am really going to have to come correct for Valentine's Day ! LOL

Speaking of that, I know that Valentine's Day is a holiday that many people love and other's love to hate, but if you set aside all of the forced, romantic overkill, the commercialism, love really does have a major influence in our lives and in the world and it does beat war any day ! I am going to do my part to spread some love today, so in Celebration of Valentine's Day just wanted to reflect a little bit and acknowledge some of the things that fill up this little heart of mine :)

Somethings that I truly love.......

Hearing the voices of my nieces and nephew on the phone. They are always so excited and have so much to say and ask so many questions !

Peace that comes from wisdom. The understanding that life experiences give me power, knowledge and skills to deal with everything that comes my way.

The sound of my mother's laughter. I have heard it my whole life. It is one of the first sounds I can remember hearing. It brings me joy. She loves a good joke and her sense of humor is endearing.

When I feel him watching me at unexpected times and seeing the smile spread across his face. It feels good to be loved as I am.

Music and the emotions that it can evoke in me. Newly discovered talented artists that love what they do.

Quiet time alone with my thoughts and my dreams. The ability to be alone and not be lonely.

Replaying voice mail messages left by my dad. I can hear the concern for me in his voice. It warms my heart.

Finding and reading love letters regardless of who wrote them.

Having a sister that I can call my friend. Knowing she has my back like no other. The history of our childhood and the understanding that no one else but she could have.

The way he calls me "Gorgeous" & kisses my forehead. His hands.......his eyes.....his expressions....his heart.

Reading with a warm drink on a cold day, in my favorite robe, with my favorite socks, in my favorite spot for as long as I want.

Discovering new things and having someone to share them with. Having a great listener who challenges me.

Having true friends who care. Friends who know what really matters and what is really important in life.

The blessings He has placed in my life. The faith that His promises has given me. The knowledge and comfort that He sees my TRUE HEART as no one else can.

This verses about love :

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

Happy Valentine's Day ! Celebrate Love in your life in all it's forms !

What and who are you loving these days and why ? Go ahead, shout it out!

Thoughts ? Comments? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Just Me.....Randomly....The Love Edition

2011-01-21T07:00:00.003-06:00

* Excuse me while I gush

Wow, I can't believe we are already 21 days into the New Year. Time marches on........Speaking of a year, me and my beau, Mr. Mixologist spent last weekend celebrating the one year anniversary of the day we met, January 17, 2010. We have been together for a year, neither one of us went on any more dates after our first encounter. He actually canceled a date he had scheduled for the very day we met ! I admit that I had a couple of guys that I had recently met online that I ceased communication with very quickly after meeting him. We have pretty much been inseparable since then, we moved quickly into exclusivity and it's fun to look back when I first blogged about it here. His former blog name was Eastcoast because he is from Baltimore by way of Charleston. He was raised in Baltimore and has a strong Baltimore/East Coast accent. I am happy to report, I am still feeling butterflies when I see his name come up on my cell phone and when I hear his voice :)

I had plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day !

I didn't get MLK Day off work, but I was off the Friday before so I still got my 3 day weekend in. Thursday night, Mr. Mixologist grilled some huge steaks for dinner. They were delicious ! We enjoyed them with a nice Malbec, a Callejon del Crimen Grand Reserva which was actually a gift from a friend. It was really good & I was glad to look it up online and find that it was not expensive at all. I love wine and am learning how to pair it with different types of food. I prefer whites, he really enjoys reds because they help with digestion. I am learning to enjoy them more and more.

Friday night, we had an official "date night" to celebrate. I received a beautiful card from my beau that made my heart smile. Since we both love seafood , we went to dinner at Fish City Grille in Vintage Park. I had some Oysters as well as some stuffed Shrimp. He had some type of Shrimp Pasta. The food was pretty good and moderately priced too. We then headed to the movies to see "The Dilemma " with Vince Vaughn & Kevin James. Even though Vince plays virtually. the.same.exact.character. in every movie, I still think he is hilarious! LOL

Serious Aficionado's in the house !

Saturday night we had an Event to attend that Mr. Mixologist has been excited about for months. One of his favorite haunts, Serious Cigars hosts an annual Party each year for their preferred customers. Trust me when I say,we were in line to get into the party 30 minutes early ! LOL There were over 400 people there for sure. It was really nice. Since it was Founder's Day for my sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., I was rocking a pink sweater and my black boots. Like most Cigar Bars, it is not that big, so they actually set up a huge tent in the parking lot and had lots of tables set up. We got there in time to get a table so we could sit with our friends. They had catered food and it was deelish, unlimited open bar with my favorite Vodka, and some pretty nice giveaways even though we didn't win anything big. It was sponsored by a couple of Cigar makers and it was really laid out nice. All of his Cigar buddies were there and it was a lot of fun. I got to meet some of the guys that I hear about all the time and their wives and girlfriends. I invited my girlfriend who we both actually give the credit for me and Mr. Mixologist meeting last year, since she drug me out the house that night when I had every intention of chilling at home. Since we met at a Cigar Bar, it was apropos. She was teasing us all night, telling us that she threw the party on our behalf ! LOL. We had a great time ! We left there and headed over to the Oz Bar to meet another friend, they had a band that was off the hook, playing everything from Prince, to George Benson, the Commodores, to Maze. We were getting our groove on seriously to the point that we were both sore from dancing that next day & it took us a minute to realize why we were sore ! LOL Life after 40 I swear.

See the beauty beyond the Cigar Smoke !

Sunday was a big football day and it was pretty cold, so we just recuperated from the weekend. Spent time relaxing together and reflecting. Neither of us felt like cooking so we just ordered in. I finally left my house later that night to go meet a girlfriend in from out of town for drinks. Overall it was a really chilled day and a nice end to a lovely weekend. I gave him a card in which I listed out every.single.thing. that he has exposed me to in the last year that has improved my life in some form or fashion. It may sound cheesy, but I put everything from Shrimp and Grits, to Havarti Cheese, to Shiraz, to how to download movies/music, to his libations he mixes up, to pure castile soap ! LOL It was a really long list. I really just sat & thought about all of the little things he has shown me, shared with me and exposed me to, that have made my life better and more enjoyable. He is such a gentleman and makes me feel protected, supported and appreciated all the time. He is a wonderful listener & accepts me AS I AM. Now he is not as emotional or sentimental as I am of course, but let me tell you that he really appreciated that card, the look on his face as he read it said everything to me.

What happiness looks like :)

I warned you this was going to be a gushy post ! LOL If love is a drug, then I am definitely under the influence :)

What's going on random with you ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Musical Monday

2011-01-10T10:17:00.000-06:00

El DeBarge has been given a second chance despite battling drug addiction for so many years. What a blessing ! I am happy for his opportunity. I am really feeling his new CD. You can play it from beginning to end. I love the vibe. The first single "Second Chance" got every one's attention with it's introspective lyrics. I am really feeling his new single with Faith Evans, "Lay With You" so simple, but makes you feel good.

I actually am a much bigger fan of his brother Chico, who sings tenor. He had a couple of CD's several years ago that were very good. He too has battled drugs in his life but has also remained remarkably talented, despite abusing his body. He released a CD back in 2009 titled "Addiction" that has been VERY slept on in my opinion. I have been playing it for a while now but it is not on the radar at all. I mean I have not seen much promotion at all & it seems they only released one single, "Oh No" when I can assure you, there are some slamming cuts on there. With all the focus on his brother's comeback, it brought him to mind. I had to hunt and hunt for the link below & was surprised I couldn't even find a video for the single. My fear is that he may be continuing to battle his addiction, and that may be why he just disappeared after releasing this gem of a CD & there has been no promotion. I really hope that is not the case.

I hate to see addiction rob people of their dreams and will continue to hope for their continued recovery.
I think good music makes the world go around. Hope you enjoy the videos.

What music/artists are you listening too ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Part II - Holiday Wrap Up

2011-01-09T07:00:00.005-06:00

We arrived in Atlanta on Monday afternoon just in time for brief introductions changing of the clothes and packing of the vehicle so we could get ready to tailgate. I had previously met his brother at a funeral around Thanksgiving but it was my first time meeting his wife and we hit it off real nice. Mr. Mixologist went with all the guys in the vehicle to get the tent and stuff set up and I stayed with his SIL to get their kids situated with their grandmother and we rode the train to the Georgia Dome and met them there to set up the food. They guy's were going to stay for the actual game, but she & I were just there for the food, fun and drinks ! And I had a blast. Falcons were playing the Saints that night & some people from Louisiana came through our area doing a Second Line Parade and it was hilarious with that and all of the antics, and line dancing & partying that went on. Although it was extremely cold that night, we had so much fun. I understand while tailgating is so addictive.

Brother,SIL, Me, Brother, Mr.Mixologist

Now I have been to Atlanta a few times before, but it has been many years ago & I was much younger. I hardly remembered any of the places that I went back then. Mr. Mixologist lived there for 8 years after he moved from Baltimore and he loves the city. He couldn't wait to show me some of his old stomping grounds. I got to hang out with the guys for a couple of days because SIL had to go out of town. So when I tell you I went to so many Cigar Shops I lost count, you best believe it. LOL But it was fun. Non-stop hilarity. His brothers are fools & it has been along time since they all were together, so the stories I was hearing had me dying with laughter ! They were trying to "break me in" and one of his brother's let me know that I was in fact, being "vetted" LMAO !

Tuesday we went to the Little Five Points area to a restaurant called The Vortex, and the burgers were pretty good. The place inside was kind of interesting, pretty small so there was a bit of a line, but we ended up sitting at the bar which is where we needed to be anyway cause we were being rowdy ! The drinks were pretty good & we were just amped up having a great time, great laughs. We hung around in that area for a bit afterwards. There was a vintage clothing store that we spent some time in and a little coffee shop.

One day for lunch we went to LaFonda Latina, which was sort of a hybrid of different types of Latin American Cuisine It's a fast casual type restaurant and the food was surprisingly pretty good. The guacamole was very fresh and the Maduros were really good too. I got some Fish Tacos with Talapia that were quite tasty, but it was the 2 Pitchers of Mojitos we killed that I enjoyed the most ! LOL I was on vacation :)Later we ended up having Happy Hour at Houston's one of my favorite restaurants. It's always pretty consistent with a nice atmosphere no matter what city or state I visit. Our group sat at the bar & ended up having a female bartender who was actually from Houston.

The whole time I was in ATL my friends kept texting me asking me if I had seen NeNe, Sheree, or any of the RHOA ! LOL. I didn't see ANY celebrities the whole time I was there, but Wednesday we met some friends in from Chicago & Charlotte at Prime Restaurant for Sushi . They told us that we just missed Kim Kardashian & some other girl. I am not a fan but I just knew I was going to see someone famous before I left and I still can't believe that didn't happen !

We spent quite a bit of time with my beau's brothers kids, which are adorable ! They have kids that are 15, 10, 4, 2 & they have a new baby boy who is 8 months old and boy did I get attached to him. He is super juicy, just like I like lil' babies to be and we got to spend a lot of time loving on him. They are blessed to have her mother as a live in to care for their children. The kids are bright, and well mannered. Thursday night, SIL prepared a very nice steak dinner for us at the house. By then, we had been ripping and running and it was nice to just have a quiet dinner at the house, with conversation, laughter and just bonding with them. We killed 3 bottles of Shiraz that night & when we got back to the Hotel, I slept like a baby.

Me and the handsome boys !

New Year's Eve

NYE was our last night in ATL. We went to the home of some of their friends for cocktails, and then stopped by a party that was being thrown by some New Orleans transplants, complete with a Second Line parade at the stroke of midnight. It was fun & kind of rowdy. It wasn't really conducive to conversation so we decided to do something different. We wanted to find somewhere a little more subdued to spend our last night & they guys wanted to smoke Cigars, so we left the party just after Midnight and went to Cafe Circa. It was the perfect spot to end the week. The music was great, the wine was pretty good, the food was OK, the service was not the best, but the atmosphere was perfect. Very cozy, a little romantic but not overly so. After spending some time on the first level of the Lounge, we all went up to the rooftop patio so the guys could enjoy their cigars. I think because it was our

NYE

final night together, we were all feeling a little melancholy, since it was the dawn of a New Year we were all feeling quite reflective. It was a wonderful evening. I look forward to coming back to Atlanta when it's warm because there is so much that we didn't get to do. I think it's a cool city with a lot to offer.

The "small world story" I mentioned in my last post actually occurred when we had been in Atlanta less than 24 hours. After hitting 2 Cigar Shops to buy sticks & compare prices, we decided to lounge and smoke at the Highland Cigar Bar. We had just gotten seated with some drinks. Mr. Mixologist & I were seated in chairs and both of his brothers were sitting on the sofa across from us. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to look up & see my ex-husband standing there. We shook hands and we were polite and cordial, and the encounter was very brief, but it was completely awkward and I was surprised to see him ! Although, I knew he moved to Atlanta a few years ago, after our divorce, honestly I thought ATL was a bigger city than that ! Mr. Mixologist was very cool & considerate about it, and kept making sure I was comfortable and asked if I wanted to leave, but I was fine. Later in the week, I was subjected to jokes from his brother's about it & we all had a good laugh about it. Life is unpredictable.

Anyway, we had a wonderful vacation and it was hard getting back on the grind after having so much time off. I truly enjoyed travelling with my beau and am already getting excited about the next trip !

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Home from the Holidays

2011-01-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

There is no place like home as Dorothy would say. Nothing like your own bed, your own sheets and your own space. I spent Sunday recuperating from the whirlwind. It was a great trip. We put 2300 miles on that rental car company's Toyota in 10 days & when we turned it in yesterday morning, I know it needed an oil change bad !

Mr. Mixologist drives like a champ and he does not believe in wasting time getting somewhere. I initially wasn't so enthused about driving when we initially planned the trip, but he explained that he wanted the flexibility that comes with driving, and since we would have so much luggage & gifts it would have been cost prohibitive to fly. He also wanted to split the trip between Charleston & Atlanta so that I could spend time getting to know his brother and his wife & kids as well. He doesn't mind driving, in fact, he prefers it & since I don't have to do much more than play DJ, read, and ride, who am I to complain ? After all those people got stuck at the airport for days and days, I was reminded of the uncertainty that comes with flying.

We had a wonderful time in Charleston. It is a very beautiful city, rich in history. We toured the homes along the Battery which is right on the water. There is a nice park with great views.

The weather was perfect for the first few days we were there I definitely can't wait to come back when it is warmer and at a less hectic time than on a major holiday.

We did some last minute Christmas shopping in the Marketplace District and we got the hookup on some Pecan Brittle from this place, because the lady behind the counter was feeling the Christmas Spirit.

Of course, we can't go anywhere without stopping at a Cigar spot. Mr. Mixologist took me to a place he always comes to whenever he comes home, where they actually hand roll them in the store. He was in pure heaven ! Those are tobacco leaves hanging from the ceiling.

One of the highlights for me was tasting the local fare of course. I had to get some fresh seafood and the Charleston Crab House did not disappoint. The drinks were on point ! I had a Pomegranate Margarita that had me leaning & then we shared the most delicious Crab Dip I have ever tasted. My entree was grilled Mahi Mahi, Shrimp and Scallops. The Red Rice is a Low Country favorite and I must say it is very tasty. Different from the Dirty Rice I am accustomed to, but I truly enjoyed it. Mr. Mixologist's mom told me how to make it, as it is one of his favorites, so I will be trying that out soon, so I can get it down.

Christmas with my beau's family was great. His mom actually had a stocking on the fireplace for me too (green-my favorite color) with some lotion, a scented candle, some candy, and a manicure set. We opened gifts at his parents house before going to his Grandparents for the big dinner. I got some clothes, a neck massager, a beautiful purse and........ .DRUMROLL ..... a Nook Color ! I was so happy. Mr. Mixologist looooved his engraved Humidor and of course I had to get him some sticks to go in it ! LOL I could tell he was surprised and appreciative.

After opening gifts we got dressed and headed over to Edisto Island, the place where he spent summers as a child with his Grandparents. It is located off the coast. We had to go over a bridge to get there, and surprisingly, there is no cell service at all on the Island ! When I called my nieces that morning, they were still sleeping so I didn't get to talk to them until very late Christmas day, after we got back to Charleston because Mr. Mixologist has a very large family and there were soooo many people he wanted me to meet that day.

It is always good to get to see the places, things you have only heard about and it gives you more perspective on a person when you see where they have come from. It was a wonderful day. Mr. Mixologist's family was very happy to have me there, they were very welcoming and they loved the goodies that I baked and brought for them ! The day after Christmas, I was sitting in the kitchen with him and his mom, when one of his Aunt's called. You know how you can hear someone who talks loud on the phone ? She was basically telling him, that the family verdict was in and she was calling to deliver the news to him that I am a Keeper and that he needs to make sure to not let me get away ! LOL The look on his face was priceless ! He was smiling, and blushing, and trying to play it cool and be respectful to her all at the same time.

I was a bit nervous about making a good impression with the family & really just hoping to connect with them, and it turned out lovely. His little 7 yr old niece did not want me to leave ! His dad even invited me to the family reunion in July, right in front of everyone ! LOL I really hope to be there. After five days in Charleston, we headed Northwest to Atlanta to meet Mr. Mixologist's brother & his family. I will blog about that in my next post. There is an unexpected "small world" story to tell as well.....so stay tuned.......until the next time.

Thoughts ? Comments? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Ready for 2011

2010-12-31T12:59:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to pop in today on this New Year's Eve to say Happy New Year to the Bloggerverse !
I am presently still on my 10 day vacation and won't be home until Saturday so I have not been able to blog as much cause I have been too busy having a blast. I had a wonderful holiday and am still in the midst of enjoying myself and hate to see it winding down. I will try to blog about it once I get home and have a chance to upload some photos and share some of my experiences meeting Mr. Mixologist's extended family and close friends.

This has been a wonderful year for me. I feel like I have really come into myself this year. Accepting some things about me both good and not so great, but I am me. I do have goals and plans and will continue trying to be the best me that I can be, but I am very content making the most of each and every day as it comes. Enjoying my life every day. I take pride in that I love me some me, and as I sit here today, I am smiling, my heart is full I am blessed and hopeful. I took a look back at where I was this time last year. All I can say is, what a difference a year makes. I think I had the right mindset then, and I will continue down the path that He has for me.

To my readers, lurkers, and commenter's thanks for continuing to stop by my little space in the world as often as you do.

I wish you Peace and Blessings in 2011. Be encouraged.

What are your reflections for the year ?

What are you plans for the New Year ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex

Christmas Cooking

2010-12-22T07:00:00.004-06:00

I have spent the last couple of evenings doing some Christmas baking before we hit the road on Wednesday to see Mr. Mixologist's family for Christmas. After discussing it with my mom, I decided to make one of her classic recipes to share with them. It's called Gooey Butter Coffee Cake and it's a really simple to make and boy is it scrumptious ! My mother has been making this for years. I can remember her sending it to me in care packages when I was in college. In fact, me and my sister still fight over the corner pieces cause they taste the best for some reason. I found some really nice inexpensive Christmas Tins at Big Lots. We intend to give them to the relatives that we didn't actually purchase gifts for. The recipe is so simple:

This first layer is just a yellow box cake mix (dry mix only), a stick of butter melted, and one beaten egg. Stir out the lumps and spread mixture into the bottom of a 9 X 13 greased baking dish. This will be the crust. The best cake mix powder to use is Duncan Hines Butter Golden flavor.

For the next layer, mix 8 ounces cream cheese, a box of powdered sugar (16 oz) and two beaten eggs, using a mixer, beat until smooth & then pour on top of the first layer.

Sprinkle the top of the second layer with chopped pecans. They were out of the pre-chopped ones at the store yesterday, so I had to use one of my favorite kitchen items......

My Zyliss Chopper can chop up any and everything in no time flat. It is such a breeze, very sturdy and dishwasher safe. I love using it !

I chopped these pecans up in like 10 seconds ! LOL No joke.

This is what it looks like before going into the oven at 350 Degrees for 50-60 minutes.

This is the final product. It is best to let it sit until it is completely cool. Honestly, its best to make a day ahead, because it's easier to cut into squares once it has settled & cooled really good. The middle will fall in a bit as it cools down so don't be alarmed when that happens, its supposed to. My opinion is it actually tastes better after a couple of days. It seems like they get more chewy and gooey ! LOL

I made 4 of these and after cutting them all up into squares. I actually ended up having enough to fill up six Christmas Tins to share with my beau's family ! My mom is the one who got Mr. Mixologist hooked on the Gooey Butter Coffee Cake a few months back, so I am hoping that his family enjoys it as much as he does, and yes I am hoping to make a good impression too :)

Hope you get a chance to try the recipe, so simple and so delicious.

Are you doing any holiday baking ? What are some of your favorites from childhood ?

Thoughts ? Questions ? Comments ?

Beautifully Complex

Santa Came to Town

2010-12-21T10:57:00.001-06:00

I came home today and found that Santa left a nice gift on the porch for me !

I got a satchel full of the most intoxicating Fragrance Beads. I love the combination of Vanilla and Orchid, it smells divine ! There was also some Lemon Drop flavored lip balm that I cannot wait to try. Lemon is actually one of my favorite flavors ! I love Lemon Drop Martinis and Lemon Meringue Pie. This lip balm is definitely going to come in handy during the holidays, because I do have to keep these lips kissable for those " Mistletoe Moments" with Mr. Mixologist ! LOL Thanks Santa :) Last but not least, Santa must be reading the blog, because I got some gourmet K-cups to use in my Keurig Premium Coffee System that I blogged about here.

I am looking forward to enjoying my gifts and appreciate the thoughtfulness in the selection.
Santa tried to leave me a little clue in the attached note, but I just couldn't narrow it down for sure, but my first guess is going to be....

MamaSez

and if not her then I must be.....

Gorgeous Pudding

I am excited to find out for sure tomorrow. Thanks again Santa for the gifts ! I hope you enjoy your Christmas Holiday and thanks to Pserendipity for hosting the gift exchange again this year & allowing me to discover some cool new bloggers to add to my reader !

Beautifully Complex

Is There a Doctor in the House ?

2010-12-17T14:40:00.001-06:00

The Dr. and her cousins !

Today I got the most wonderful and exciting news ! See the pretty lady above in the middle ? That is my little sister, my only sister, my partner in crime from back in the day, my blood by birth and friend by choice, the mother of the wonderful nieces and nephew that I treasure. Well, this morning she successfully defended her Dissertation in front of a Committee of Higher Edu-ma-cation Elites ! LOL After waiting almost 3 hours with baited breath, she just called to give me the good news. In recent weeks, we have poured through the voluminous 164 pages with her, critiquing and tweaking so she would have it just right. We prayed together last night, and in fact the whole family has been praying for her and with her as she has been preparing for this big event and today she was rewarded with many years of dedicated hard work, perseverance and preparation.

Congratulations Doctor Sister ! I love you and am immensely proud of your accomplishment !

Beautifully Complex