Do the best you can with what you have…..

Just about every woman wants to feel that she’s beautiful.I have been around numerous women who are beautiful but don’t believe they are. I am personally very familiar with the struggle (we all go through on some level) to believe that we are beautiful just as we are. No ifs, no buts. Not in comparison, not in spite of.

When I say “feeling beautiful,” I mean inside and out. When I say “beautiful,” I mean knowing and accepting the instrinsic beauty of your soul, feeling worthy without “a reason.” Not needing someone to validate it by how many likes/comments you receive on Facebook, or racing out to buy the newest beauty item because everyone is raving about it. It’s not making your husband take 50 pictures until you find one with the right angle that makes you look slim enough (sorry Myles!) I say this because this week I needed to take professional pictures for an upcoming project. However, I am on a strict financial budget for 2015 (I’ll post about that one later.) Once I calculated the cost of all the things I would need (a new outfit, hiring a photographer, makeup, hair, and not being slim enough) I rationalized pictures were not for me this week! Ha!

I had a light bulb moment! Groupon is offering a photo package for 19.99 and I thought I should give it a try! I must say my expectations for these photos were not aimed high! Being I only used Lifeprint for those dreadful high school photos. Yep, you know the ones where you are put in put you in an uncomfortable and unnatural position so it always looks phony and painful. But, this fit my price point so it would have to work! I decided to wear my hair (eek), do my own makeup (drugstore products), wear my old clothes with pride, and voilà!

You see, we live in a very narcissistic and materialistic era. If we are not careful, we will find our eyes fixated society’s unrealistic standards of beauty/acquiring more things, and we’re suffocating to find our place in that picture. Stop complaining about what you don’t have and make the best of what you do have. Turn what you have into something great.

I know this post was a little lengthy, but if you would like to see more beauty posts comment below!! And remember, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. God has given you enough now use it and watch him turn something practical into something extraordinary.

xo,
Shalae

Wednesday Wisdom: Embracing Patience

If you wait until you have enough money to decorate and make your home your own, it will never happen. If you wait until you can afford to buy everything new, you are missing the point. It is the old, the new, the hand-me-down, the collected, the worn but loved things in your home that make it your own. -Stacy Risenmay

(My livingroom & dining room)

Ever since we moved into our first home, I have been running around like a madwoman! From getting cable installed, to unpacking a million boxes, while decorating a living room I realized I possess little patience. Maybe it has to do with being part of the “microwave generation” wanting everything in 59 seconds or less. On one hand I want a economical DIY space which requires finding or building the right thing, the exhilaration of when it comes together, and the challenge of finding creative ways to fill the space until it’s finished.

(Quick story: I received this furniture from someone moving very cheaply…only to list it on Craigslist. Then take down the posting only to keep it!)

But on the other hand, it’s driving me insane! I can’t envision the final product of the livingroom and that’s what worries me. I have no choice but to join the slow decorating parade, even if i fight occasionally along the way. I realized I only feel relaxed in completed balanced spaces so having my environment in continual chaos makes me very uneasy. Hence, deployment was rough for me. Last night, I googled this very subject and read how living in boxes and clutter makes one feel out of control and unprepared with all aspects of their life. Deep, huh? When I get overwhelmed with the process, I am trying to remind myself that it only has been a week and to stop and notice how far I’ve come in a short time and how happy I am with the results. I can’t say I am a complete convert, but I am getting there slowly.

(I bought the rug took it back…only to buy it again! The chaise lounge chair didn’t make the final cut. I absolutely despise it.) D

Mrs. Morgan Farewell Getaway: Biloxi, MS

The weekend has finally come to an end. We have done everything from shopping, thrifting, being late for church, eating at buffets for free, working on cars, trying our luck with the slots, sitting in a hair salon, swimming in the pool, rekindling with old classmates, and now finally saying goodbye! My wife was given a four day pass before she leaves for Afghanistan, and we thought it should be spent with the ones she values the most. This pass came at a great time for me because we haven’t seen each other in over two months due to her training. I have included some pictures below of the trip, and please keep our family in your prayers as she embarks on this journey. I will include a follow up post with her address, but you can follow us on Instagram @shalaejmorgan or @mrmorgan80. The rest of the pictures will be uploaded to our Facebook as well.

P.S. This was not a frugal/budget friendly trip!!

Ballin on a Budget……

Pretty often, a friend or acquaintance teases me for my thrifty/frugal ways. And, more often than you’d imagine, I have someone ask me “how do you live being so cheap?” Ummm I do…. I really have champagne taste on a beer budget (my grandma favorite quote!) Hence, I need to “ball on a budget.” I was amazed to see how many celebrities had adopted the balling on a budget mentality. One of the most notable celebrities that swears by this slogan is Ms. Kandi Burruss. I love that despite her wide range of success, and being worth 35 million she keeps it real! I was inspired to write this post when I seen she posted on Instagram the transformation of a table she bought on Craigslist for cheap!

Here’s the message that I’m preaching more to myself way more than to anyone out there who takes the time to read this. . . Don’t get fooled into believing that you need fancy shoes, name brand clothes, the latest car, or high dollar electronics to make you happy. You really can “live” on less than others around you, and (maybe!) you can achieve financial freedom because of it!

(While shopping at Belk’s I found these Steve Madden shoes for 79.99…I passed went to Target found the same shoe 29.99.)

I’d love to hear your tips on how you ball on a budget!!!