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

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Hey loves! I’m so thrilled to be back with you here on mylesandshalae.com. You can expect lots of fitness, travel, and money saving tips this New Year right here on the site. Let’s just say it’s one of my biggest resolutions for 2015! I have missed all of you and I’m excited to reconnect.

2015 is going to be a fantastic year! So, make sure to check back in right here on mylesandshalae.com in a few weeks for a big announcement and many more posts
from yours truly.

Do you have any blog requests for me?

Leave them in the comments!

Xo,
Shalae

Girlnaturale

This post is so long overdue! A few weeks ago I was invited to attend Girlnaturale’s Free Teen Boutique at Sparkman High School. Girlnaturale mission is “Relax…it’s okay to be your natural self.” They empower, challenge, and support young ladies and women to love the skin they are in, take care of the bodies they have, and rock the hair God gave them!

The Free Teen Boutique allowed girls to pick their own wardrobe and accessories for the upcoming school year. Can you say AMAZING? The event was a huge success and I cannot wait for the “I am not my Hair” Gala in October. Check out the pictures below and purchase your ticket now by clicking the link….

Posing with the founder Toria

Some of the teens shopping

The accessories and jewelry table

Dresses and more

Of course I had to leave with a bag!!!

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

I’m back!!!

I have been so busy with returning from deployment, bonding with my hubby, buying a home and life that I have neglected my blog. So much has been going on with me and I just couldn’t find time to blog. I will still not be able to blog as much as I used to but I will be putting up posts at least once or twice a week. Hope you guys are happy to see me just as happy as I am to be back!

Can’t wait to interact with you guys again!

Southwest Offers Flights For As Low as $69

Head over to Southwest Airlines to checkout their $69 flight sale. Prices vary by location, and the sale travel window includes dates as late as October 30, 2014. I have searched airports near Huntsville and I think the best deal is Nashville to Pensacola for 136 roundtrip!! You might be able to snag a great deal on your upcoming vacation plans!

Mac: Playland Collection

                       Mac Playland Collection

Raise your hand if you’re guilty of stalking Mac’s website on April 10 for the new Playland/Brightside collection.  *sighs*  I know I have a problem I am addicted to Mac makeup.  Although, my list is pretty short for this collection I am loving the bright colors!!  I am really drawn to the yellow lipstick.  I mean how many people have that on their “must try” list?  So get ready it will be available online April 15 and in stores April 17.

Black Girls Travel Too……

Summer is just around the corner, which means that it’s time to start making plans for your summer vacation. And whether you’re backpacking through Europe, road-tripping to a family reunion or not quite sure where to go, MYLAE is here for you.

You can get started on that long to-do list by browsing airline flights such as Southwest, Delta, or if you are going solo you can look into a group tour. While browsing the internet I came across this amazing site called BlackGirlTravel, a site I wished I had discovered while in college!

BlackGirlTravel.com aims to create extraordinary travel for extraordinary women. Their goal is simple… exposing Black women to the beauty of the world and the world to the beauty of Black women. They create unique customized tours and meeting programs for groups and individuals (they even have mother/daughter tours). The tours are developed by “Black Women for Black Women”.

The tours are designed for “young at heart” well-heeled urbanites interested in exploring new lands while indulging in local culture, international cuisine, retail therapy, and exciting nightlife. Wow, I can recall on several occasions where I wanted to travel a lot more, but due to my friends monetary restraints unable to do so. So if you are looking for something different, a newbie seeking the security of a group, or a seasoned traveler, blackgirltravel has a tour for you!

*I was not paid to write this post about Black girl travel, nor have I ever participated in a tour with them*

Drake Morris Jr. Scholarship

The Drake Morris Jr. Scholarship Contest was created to honor the name of Drake Morris Jr., a former student of Central High School, and to encourage and support outstanding African American male students with some college expenses.

Who is eligible?

All African American male high school seniors at East Chicago Central High School with a 2.0 grade point average.

Format
An essay answering the following questions: If you had the authority to change your school in a positive way, what specific changes would you make? Why?
The essay should be 300-500 words. Essays must be typed and double-spaced.

Deadline

All entries should be received by May 15.

Amount

Two students will win a $250.00 scholarship awarded in June 2013.

Entering:

Send all entries to: themylaefoundation@gmail.com

My attempt to read the Bible: Life Change Knowledge Gain

In February, I set a goal to read the Bible again in three months. Even the parts about animal death, sacrificing, and proper cleansing rituals in the event that there was extra credit. So I felt pretty frustrated when I got to the beginning of Numbers (yea I know that is still pretty early in the game) but my heart wasn’t in it. My motivation for reading Scripture was wrong, so the whole process felt like a burden. And of course it did. It’s the living, breathing Word of God. And I was treating it like advanced calculus (which I failed 3 times).

I realized I don’t need to read a specific number of verses before I can safely say I have done my duty as a God-follower. So if you fall into this category, let me give you some breathing room. God does not have a word count goal or a number of days for you to read the bible. He want your heart to be fully engaged and your mind fixed on Him when you read. And if you haven’t heard Him or been impacted by the word, go back. Slow down. Listen.

I read slowly, and I don’t beat myself up for reading only three verses if that is what I feel the Lord leads me to read. It’s enough. Then I go back and reread them again. And again. And again. And listen. I hear Him. Because it’s not about me wanting to learn. It’s about me wanting to be taught. I know what it feels like to be the only one flipping to the table of contents for the page number for a certain Book of the Bible. You’re not the only one who doesn’t understand the big words, the long city names, and the begotten who then begot.

To some, they are words. Just words. But to me, they are everything. You might not realize it at first, but He will give you treasures in darkness (I do know some scriptures) when you spend your days looking. He will speak, mark my words. It might even show up (dare I say it) in Numbers.

Are you having trouble reading your Bible? Have you tried reading the Bible in so 90 days? I would love to read how that worked out for you below.