Victory Coffee

Hey. How’s it going? Mind if I take a sip of chicory? Thanks. Mm. Good stuff.

So. You’re prob’ly wondering why I haven’t posted much lately. Or you don’t care. In either event, I have a plan to change both. I have a plan, and I have a planner.

It’s no secret I can get a little, well, shall we say, frazzled? [Note to Self: Stop saying fun words five times fast. Just get on with it.]

The more I put on my plate, the more plates I need, and the more I put on them . . . You tracking this circle with me? Yup. That’s right. Plates = Projects = More Plates = More Projects. [Get the food reference? Awesome. Remember this for later in the post.]

I keep myself pretty busy. So busy, in fact . . . Well, I’m not sure I want to admit to this . . . Don’t tell anyone, okay? But I keep myself so busy I’ve actually been forgetful. Yup. I’ve dropped the ball on promoting the Firsts in Fiction podcast. The housecleaning? Fuggettaboutit. And writing takes second chair to editing which takes second chair to whatever daily project I have emergency flares sent up for.

My purse-size organizer that I’ve had for ten years just doesn’t cut it anymore. Sure, it’s great for a wallet and small notes. But keeping track? Notsomuch. What’s This Girl to do?

I’ll tell you what. After months of distant admiration, I finally snagged myself a Happy Planner. For realz. That’s what it’s called. And that’s how it makes me feel.

MoJo Happy Planner

I want to scream from the rooftops how this planner has saved me, and I’ve only had it for a week! Already I’m making lists and creating recipes and keeping track of posts I’m writing for other sites as well as who’s guest blogging on Frankly, My Dear . . .

It’s like responsible scrapbooking. And who doesn’t love a good scrapbook?

I have about twenty photos I could share, but you don’t want all that. Am I right? You want the highlights? Well, let me run it down for you:

• Sturdy construction, laminated covers
• 18-month calendar with month- and week-at-a-glance pages
• Monthly page to mark important dates and other noteworthy items
• Inspirational quotes
• Completely personalized

My Happy Planner: Recipe Teaser

Remember the food reference I asked y’all to remember? Here’s why: I recently contacted Winco Foods and asked, “How much do you miss me?” “So much,” they said. “Please blog for us again.” “Of course,” I said. And I knew I’d need a better way of tracking test kitchen concoctions. The Happy Planner’s Recipe Organizer Extension Pack was what sold me. It has everything I love. Room to write, margin notes, prep and cook time. It’s perfect.

My Happy Planner is so fun responsible necessary I went back the next day and picked up the Home Planner pack. Now this is a working woman’s dream. It’s got a chore list, people. A chore list! I wish Dot was still home so I could show her how much fun it is. A meal planner complete with organized grocery list page. A budget sheet? Won’t that come in handy with my credit recovery posts? Yeah, yeah. And the actual home budget, too. I know. But what really made me buzz is the large To Do lists.

MoJo Happy Planner: To Do

Seriously! A full-size lined page that gives me the freedom to mark it up how I want. It’s not numbered. It’s not dated. It’s just a list! I lalalove it, don’t you? And as you can tell, I have quite a few regular post ideas to share. [Not seeing a topic you’d like? Let me know in the comments.]

And the day after that, I realized I need to protect this piece of gold, so I went to the store a third time and to get a case for it. Of course the case is gold. No pun intended, but there it is anyway. Ya just can’t escape fate.

And y’all know how things just sort of come full circle, right? Well. As it turns out, the accent color of my Happy Planner case happens to be the same accent color of my newest nutcracker, whom I call King, which happens to be the nickname of the main character, Dwayne Pride, of NCIS: New Orleans. New Orleans, people! As in, NOLA, the setting for the novel I’m writing. Coincidence? I think not. And both of which are similar to Raven’s shell. Yes, Raven. You know. My new laptop. [Oh, like you’ve never named your inanimate objects. Sip your coffee and move on.]

Anyway. They very closely resemble Tiffany Blue. Yes, of Tiffany & Co. Also of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Which is with Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard, and filmed in New York, which is where Central Park is, which is where my second novel will be set, which will be written when I finish NOLA, which my Happy Planner tells me I need to work on this weekend!

MoJo Color of the Year 2017: Tiffany Blue

So. Not only do I have a Happy Planner, but I have a Happy Planner which has helped me realize my color for 2017 and it’s Tiffany Blue.

And on that happy note, here are a few more photos for your enjoyment, and a few more To-Do’s for me . . .

MoJo Happy Planner: Accent

MoJo Happy Planner: This Month

MoJo Happy Planner: The First Week

MoJo Happy Planner: Pockets Make Me Happy!

And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!