Day 14 Picture Last Year

A picture of you last year - how have you changed ?

This is a picture of me and my intended having fun at a party at a wine bar last year........

The biggest difference is that I am even happier now than I was in this picture.
I am engaged now and I wasn't in this picture.
I am definitely "juicier" now than I was in this picture. LOL
I am definitely more in love now than I was in this picture.


Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex  

Day 13 Goals

The goal that I am currently focused on is a financial goal. We intend to pay for our wedding without creating ANY debt. The caveat is that I also do not want to spend any savings that was accumulated prior to February of this year. I do not want to start off our marriage under any type of financial strain. I want the cost of the wedding to be behind us after we say our " I Do". I am a huge Dave Ramsey fan. (If you don't know who he is please Goog.le !) I have been a listener for several years and am getting Mr. Mixologist on board too as we merge our financial pasts and future together. He might not drink the Kool-Aid like I do, when it comes to Dave, but he does appreciate the basic principles that he teaches. In this economy, with so much uncertainty on the job front and the fact that I live in an older home that seems to always be in need of something, I want to remain on solid financial footing.  I will not spend any Emergency Fund money for this wedding. Despite that, we do want to have a nice wedding which will require an aggressive savings plan. So we have been saving specifically for this wedding since February of this year and though we have not set a date, we will be married sometime in 2013.  Our goal is to save as we go. We plan to stick to a strict budget and there will be no vacation this year. We will be heading to New Orleans at the end of this week to see some venues, meet with some vendors and get a better idea about when we will be able to plan and execute the wedding we both want. It is an exciting time. I am really ready for this trip. Mr. Mixologist has been very involved in reviewing websites, contacting vendors to schedule appointments, etc. and I couldn't be happier. This is a seriously daunting goal, but I know we can do it.


Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex 

Day 12 Don't Leave Home Without It

I have this with me at.all.times. I keep some at my desk, in the car, in my purse, in my bathroom.  Plus I can always trust that Mr. Mixologist has a tube in his pocket whenever we are together.

I have never found a lip balm that keeps my lips as moist as this product does ! It's a little pricier than most, but well worth it.

Have you ever tried it ?

What item do you never leave home without ?


Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex 

Day 11 "You Can Quote Me "

Some of my favorite sayings .......


" Show beats tell " - I believe that people can say anything. It's what they actually do that makes the difference.

" Slow to anger, quick to mercy "  - It takes a lot for me to get angry. I am more likely to be hurt. But I am quick to forgive, especially if you express regret.

" Live your life as if He is watching....because He is " - I am far from perfect. I do try to live my life in a way that I can be proud of. Many times, when I am thinking something wrong or doing something wrong, I am convicted by the Spirit. I am so blessed to have a conscience. It saves me a lot of trouble.

" She sure can burn a pot "   - The first time I heard this was when  Mr. Mixologist  was talking on the phone to his cousin from New York. It was funny to me because I had never heard it put that way before. Where I come from, we say "she throws down" or "she put her foot in it" to describe a good cook.

" Pain is just weakness leaving your body "  -  Truth right here. Every time I go through life's difficulties, though it might be painful, I come out wiser, stronger and better equipped  to handle the next challenge.


What are some of your favorite quotes ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex 

Spring Break Crew !

We have an annual tradition of taking a formal picture every Spring Break when my nieces and nephews come to visit. We pick a different color to wear each year. I let the little ones decide what color it will be and then we coordinate our outfits. I was looking at some of the previous years pictures last night. In fact, this was our 8th year and we are running out of different colors to wear ! LOL   The kids invited Mr. Mixologist to join us this year since he is our family now & they were pretty excited about that. These annual pictures are a wonderful way to capture their growth and maturity. We had a great time at the photo shoot & the photographer looks forward to shooting us each year.

The gangs all here !

Aunt & Uncle

Individual Poses

Me and the Girls ! 

My favorite guys ! 

Chillin' with the Fam ! 

Getting my Sugar :)

Looking at these pics has me missing the kids right now, but we are headed to my parents for Mother's Day this weekend and I will get to see them all at the family gathering.


Do you have any family traditions ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex 

Day 10 Afraid

Some of my deepest fears........


Being unfulfilled.

Having too many regrets.

Operating outside of His will for my life which is why I pray for discernment daily.

Getting trapped in depression, because it is a very dark place I would never want to re-enter.




What are you afraid of ?


Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex 

Day 9 Favorite Pictures of My Best Friends

I am blessed with some wonderful friends including my sorority sisters. In fact at this point I would honestly say Mr. Mixologist is my best friend. I share everything with him. He knows my deepest, darkest secrets that even some of my closest friends don't know. If something every happens between us, HE MUST DIE, LOL !  However today I am going to focus on my girlfriends. Lord knows I would be lost without them. I  have 3 of my closest friends that have been in my life for a very long time. They all mean the world to me....

Living life like it's Golden 

For the sake of semi-anonymity, I will call this one, "Golden". We have been friends for 14 years. We have seen each other through some unbelievable life transitions. It is a blessing to have someone who can truly understand the paths that you have traveled.

Sweethearts for life 

I have been friends with "Sweetness"  for 27 years. Typing that just made me feel waaaay older than I think I am. LOL. She is the friend that is most like me in heart. We feel the same way, hurt the same way and understand one another in ways we just don't even have to explain any longer. It has been that way forever.

Being me honestly ! 

My oldest friend, in fact my very "first" best friend we will call her, "Honest". We have been friends for 30 years !  She will tell you the truth, what she thinks good or bad and has no problem admitting her own faults, quite easily I might add. I love her for it. She has a take it or leave it attitude. She loves me tremendously and our friendship has stood the test of time for sure.

Who are your best friends ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?


Beautifully Complex