Happy New Year !

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

Part II - Holiday Wrap Up

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  

Ready for 2011

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

2010 Here We Go !

"Twenty Ten", wow, that sounds really strange to say. A true reminder of just how much time has passed. With all the reflective blogging floating around, it's obvious that the last 10 years have been challenging for many, many people. Since I was born in 1969, each new decade marks a milestone birthday for me, 20, ...30,...40. I have thought about the trials and tribulations of the last 10 years of my life and realize just how unpredictable life can be. I remember back then being so excited to be 30 and finally feeling really grown ! I had just moved away from my family a couple of years prior & me and my ex-husband were getting settled into our independent life in Texas, making great friends, buying a beautiful new home, saving lots of money, being very active in ministry and building on the foundation on which we were raised. Careers were flourishing & I thought I had so much to look forward to, our future was so bright. I was blessed beyond measure. I had no idea that I would soon face infertility, separation due to career moves, emotional turmoil, adultery, divorce, financial ruin, and clinical depression. Many a day I would wake up in utter amazement that my life had unraveled so easily and completely. I remember being so hurt and angry at God, feeling sorry for myself, feeling like I did not deserve all that had happened to me and not sure how to resolve those feelings. Insecurity, shame, and fear ruled my life every day, for a very long time. I can honestly say there were too many days when I hurt so deeply and so completely that I really thought it would be better for me to leave this earth....just to make the pain stop ! I am blessed to have found the strength to make it through. So blessed that He never left me, even if I thought He had. He sent angels in the form of people to touch my life. Dear friends and family that stepped up in the defining moments of my life. It is very hard for me to give my testimony without tears falling, because reflection takes me back and I remember how I felt, it is a painful reminder, but I don't ever, ever want to forget. It keeps me grounded. It keeps me from harsh judgment. It keeps me humble. It is my story.

The transition has been far from easy, in fact it has been the most challenging period of my life, but with Him I have faith and unshakable belief. I tried it without Him because I was angry and felt cheated somehow. What a joke ! LOL Through all the false starts, and failures of my own judgment, He got me right where he needed me to be, submitting to His will, not mine. I can't say there are not days when I sometimes long for what I thought was my life in the past. Sometimes someone says something or asks a question that sets me back, but I know that I cannot move forward while looking backward. My Great-Grandmother used to always say " Get the lesson Baby". It's funny how you hear the things older, wiser people have said to you, over and over again, never really getting it, and then one day, it hits you like an epiphany. I am reluctant to make resolutions this year, I guess primarily because I am finally just resolute period, to spend EACH DAY being the best me that I can be. I want to be a better daughter, better sister, better aunt, better cousin, better friend, better co-worker and just a better Christian period. None of that requires that I lose weight, or save money, or any of the other many resolutions people make and then break every year. This last decade has been a huge learning curve for me and I pledge to use all that I have learned to move into this next decade stronger, wiser, and of course better than I have been.

I spent NYE by myself again this year. Another failed relationship, that barely even got started. I was only slightly disappointed though, which I know is a sign of growth. I trust His will be done. He continues to save me from danger and trouble unseen by me. At the end of the day, I was in church, where I promised myself I would be this year, after last years fiasco. It was a truly blessed experienced. Israel & New Breed performed and Pastor West had a word just for me ! I am counting my blessings this morning and don't have enough fingers and toes to do it. I have no idea what the next 10 years will bring but everywhere I look in my life, I see His hands and that is all the comfort that I need. I don't know if I will ever have children of my own, but I know I have children in my life that love me unconditionally. I am not sure if I will ever be a wife again, but God has protected me and covered me and provided for me better than any man ever could. I don't know if I will ever find the companion that I desire, but I do have friends that cut for me and support me through the struggles and the joys. We share life and enjoy one another and make the most of everything we are blessed with. I have good health and a sound mind. I can smile. I can sleep. I can work. I can pray. I can think and communicate and share myself with the world. I can worship. I have a home. I can travel. I can experience life and all that it offers. I recognize I don't deserve any of this. I can't earn it. I don't take it for granted.

I am excited about the new year, another chance to get it right !

Wishing you Peace & Blessings in 2010 ! Thanks for stopping by !

What are your reflections as we make the big transition ?

My Time to Shine in 2009

Whew ! 2008 was quite a year. I was all over the board. Alot of things can happen in year which is why I am ever hopeful for this next one. Let's see....this time last year I was preparing to run my 4th Half-Marathon with plans to run a full one this year. I did complete the race in January & planned to join a running club to train for the full this year. However, I struggled with a knee injury in October which along with Hurricane Ike in September & the loss of electricity for 3 weeks, staying here and there with different friends who had power threw my whole training program completely off. I am a bit disappointed as I continue to see the promotions for the big race & the never ending emails they keep sending as I am still on the distribution list even though I sold by bib. The good news is that I am going to DC for 6 days for the Inauguration & to visit friends which happens to coincide with the weekend of the race, so I will definitely trade the race for Obama & Michelle. I would not have been able to go the DC to witness this historic event if I had still planned to run so it is all working out. The down side is that my fitness goals got tanked without me having a set goal to work toward to keep me motivated so I am back on the wagon trying to pull it all together before I turn the big 4-0 this summer. I can't stop. I won't quit. Believe that ( as my friend Eric would say). The holidays were lovely despite a very herky jerky year in my personal/romantic life. I started out trying to recover from dealing with my ex-husband, only to realize that ditching me for the last time must have been his New Years Resolution for 2008 ! LOL ! Then first thing out of the gate in March I get hooked up with this fool I met online who turned out the be a real life Stalker (my first) ! I thought I had bounced back when in May I reconnected with a guy I knew in college( who will be referred to as Commitment Phobe). But in hindsight it was moving way too fast & I should not have been willing to get pulled in so quickly even though he was seemingly leading the way. He fooled me, my family & closest crew. He deserves the Oscar & the Emmy ! The silver lining is that I had a wonderful birthday in which I was happy (at the time) & surrounded by my closest friends & felt really special. Things ended very abruptly in October ( just before that nortorious 6 month window) but I am convinced now that I truly dodged a bullet. So I came into the holidays, doing my best to battle my depression about being back on the dating scene yet again & did a pretty good job of having a nice holiday season for the most part. Enjoyed hosting my family in my first new house since my divorce & it was lovely. Had a blast with the nieces & the nephew & just felt overwhelmingly blessed. I started dating Military at the beginning of December & ended up ending it on New Years Day. Another lesson learned. It is better to spend New Years at church in commune with God, or with your closests friends, or just by yourself rather than to spend it "out on the town" with someone that you just aren't feeling to avoid being alone. It was a nice dinner, a nice event, but since I had already began to notice some deal breakers & red flags I knew it was not going to last & just could not muster up the "required excitement" for New Year's Eve. I am sure that HE got caught up in the holidays himself & just didn't want to be alone. I myself know that I would have been OK. This is a milestone year for me & I really do want to put my best effort to the task of realizing my dreams great & small. I have some written resolutions but I won't detail them here as this post is long enough. But I do plan to hold myself accountable & use this blog as a way to measure & document my successes and any setbacks. One of my goals is to blog more frequently starting right here & now. So here I am with a new year, a new start, a chance to keep getting up & moving closer to what HE has for me. It has my name on it. I don't know what it is, but I trust its mine & will come in the appointed time.