I'm More Burnt Out Than a Used Match!

I just made that up...it makes sense to me, but I never was good at writing cute little witty sayings!

But I wanted to write about my school situation today! I need to remind myself DAILY why I need to finish up my Associate's.

I have a full ride scholarship to a local junior college. Before you go thinking I'm bragging, everyone at my high school was offered the same scholarship as long as they had a 2.5 GPA or higher (mine was a 3.8) and you had to keep up a 2.5 or higher in college. Ok, so you get the point: It wasn't exactly hard to get or keep the scholarship. I currently have a 3.333 y'all! I had a "D" in math and it went from a 3.7 to that...yikes!! Get a TUTOR! Haha. But I don't have to take any more math! Woo-hoo!

I am feeling really discouraged and burnt out about school right now. I am hating this semester because all of my fun history classes are online and the rest are really terrible. I have like 2 people I like in my classes lol. There's a couple of people who are straight up mean!

I keep trying to remind myself why I want to graduate.

More job opportunities. (Although, I'm a history major...hahaha)

Potential to make more money. (Did I mention I'm majoring in history??)

Umm....I'll feel better about myself?

I'll never forgive myself if I gave up free school?

I already have a lot of credits...like 40 something after this semester!

I just have to do this. My parents would be disappointed in me.

Which, as we all know, is waaayyyy worse than being yelled at!

I know this is a way weird post for a make up blog...but I just need to feel like this semester will evenutally end and I'll be able to move on and eventually graduate and it won't kill me!

I hope these burnt out feelings go away after this semester!

After all, I get to take World War II and Nazi Germany next semester!

I love all that stuff!

(Let me clarify: I hate Nazism, the Holocaust, etc. I love studying it! Haha)

Plus, typing this has helped me feel much better. I think I'll go study for my Bio test!

Good luck for all of you who feel like school stinks!

We can make it through all the papers, tests and lectures!

I've just got to remember why I used to love school so much.

With Bio books and French flash cards surrounding me, with all my love, Morgan

P.S. By the way: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!! I'll post Halloween pics tomorrow...here's a hint to the funny group costume we're doing: "Bring me my fat boys!! I love my fat boys."

Plus, this picture is awesome!! Lol

Is It Bad I'm Using My Chihuahua as a Laptop Desk??

...Because I am...But he likes it because the laptop isn't very heavy and it's really warm! Haha
I'm not feeling good AT ALL today. My nose takes turn between being runny and being clogged up. My throat hurts and I'm frikin' tired! Lol. So I'm trying to study from home and get some stuff done. However, I need to go to the fabric store which is 20 minutes away...so I'm trying to force myself to go lol.

How To Feel Better!!

Cuddle up with your dogs! Literal dogs...not whatever Randy Jackson calls people on Americal Idol!

Get some soup and crackers! I personally like salty bagel crisps.

Watch a movie.

Take a nap.

Take some Ibuprofen. (I'm no doctor, just as a reminder!!)

Take a hot bath.

Drink some Sprite if your stomach hurts.

Water to flush your body. Not sure if it works like that, but I like that image! Haha

YouTube!

Feeling cruddy and trying to type over my chihuahua, who has now moved and is making it impossible to type!

Remember, you control how your day goes. You can ignore all the rude and discouraging people in your life. It's hard but you can!

With all my love, Morgan

Does Eyeshadow Scare You? Mascara Send Chills Down Your Spine??

Well, I'm here to tell you that your personal Make Up Super Hero will save the day!!!

 Not really, it's just me! Haha

So my sister's best friend Alison asked me about eyeshadows and such. Like, when she should wear them, what colors, how to apply, etc.

I put off typing this up because there is a lot of info on this one!

Eyeshadow colors differs on eye and skin tone; how it's applied depends on eye shape; how you wear it depends on your confidence in your make up abilites.

So here are some basic things to remember:

Don't focus on being trendy. If you don't like smoky eyes or cat eyes, then don't wear them!

Trends don't fit everyone.

Ok for BLUE eyes: Taupes, golds, bronzes, browns, blacks, grays look great. I know because I have blue eyes lol. You can still wear funky colors (I encourage it! for Everyone! Lol) but maybe in less quantities as others. The colors I listed will make the eyes look the best.

For BROWN eyes or BLACK eyes: You can wear everything and look good. Now everyone hates you. The end. Haha but seriously, brown or "black" eyes as some call them, look good with so much. My favorite colors to see are like bronzes, purples, and even green! Green and purple make great smoky eyes surprisingly! Not together...but...oh you get the point! Hahaha. You wouldn't think brown would look good, but if it has some flecks of sparkles, it totally highlights them.

For GREEN eyes: Oh, gosh, again, I love bronzes, golds, browns, and PURPLE! Purple is your color. You don't need a lot. My sister Madison has beautiful green eyes and if I do her make up, I either do a simple cat eye to highlight their beautiful shape, or I'll do a purple smoky eye.

For HAZEL eyes: Some people have hazel eyes and they're usually more green. So follow the green colors. Maybe you want them just to stand out more. I think hazel eyes tend to look great with any color. I love that they change with the color shirt being worn. So wear what you like!

People with GLASSES: Ok, you can wear your make up the same as someone with no glasses. However, my glasses make my eyes look smaller, so I usually just do something simple. I always curl my eyelashes extra good and will probably use some gold (my eyes are blue, remember?) but not a lot. This is just what I do personally, but you can wear your eyeshadow however and still look good in glasses.

So about applying it: (This is wear you need to see someone apply it lol)

If you use primer, apply first.

 The basics are to put the lightest shade of eyeshadow up the highest-I put it all over the lid and onto some of the brow bone, but not up to the actual brow. Depending on the look trying to be achieved, you then put the medium shade into the crease and over the eyelid. The darkest shade is put into JUST the crease! You can put some on the lashline if you wish.

Don't worry about this looking perfect.

You will now take a fluffy, clean, eyeshadow brush and start to blend the colors a little.

(Kandee Johnson does this in her videos...I recommend watching a few!)

Highlight the brow bone underneath your eyebrow and put some of the pearly white or pale pale pink color you used in the tear duct region. This opens the eye.

These steps can be done with any eyeshadow palette.

You can do this for everyday with lighter colors, or add lots of mascara and eyeliner with darker shadows for a smoky eye!

Eyeshadow can be worn everyday, so don't be afraid to try it!

If you don't like the shape you're creating, just take it off and keep practicing. Make up is like any other art form...it has to be practiced!

I hope this helped, and thanks to Alison for suggesting this entry!

If you have any questions on make up application, or any suggestions, please leave a comment!!

With all my love, Morgan



Argh! I'm not a pirate...

...I'm just flippin' exhausted! Haha. And I can't talk right!

My mom always says this generation is lazy and doesn't want to work...and Boy, is she right! I wanted to sleep in and do nothin' today! I usually have Fridays off, but this week we had a schedule change...almost makes it worse! This time last week, I was probably sleeping...No, I subbed. Never mind lol.

So, I am trying very hard to be honest when I type these posts. I don't want to seem like I don't make mistakes, because I do. All the time. I screw up daily. Multiple times. Lol.

Basically, without saying names, there was a young woman who really put me down about my make up stuff. I don't want to get into specifics, because I don't think she meant to put me down. We're in similar businesses (she's hair, I'm make up lol) and I think she saw my make up site where I'm getting a little work and she got a little jealous that she hadn't thought of the same thing first! Haha.

And I understand her annoyance...here I am, in college, no cosmetology school, and I'm doing make up! While she had to go the cosmetology school, and had a rough time after high school!

It's taken almost a month for me to admit all this. I was really embarassed.

But the other day, I get this request through Facebook to go and "like" her hair site... That looks a lot like mine lol. So, I immediately think, "Well, heck no I'm not going to 'like' your site! After how mean you were to me?? Not gonna happen!!"

I was reading in Mark last night...I'm know it was a God thing. It was 12:30 when I got to bed and I was EXHAUSTED! But I opened up my Bible and read a verse (Pretty sure it was in Ch. 11 or 12...if you wanna check it out) and basically it said something like, You must forgive others before God can forgive you.

Well, this sent a big stab to the heart! God forgives me when I lie, or cheat, or whatever! I could like, kill someone and ask for forgiveness and he would give it to me. And I can't forgive this young lady for "being mean to me?"

I can't help but feel that this was a big "Time to grow up, Morgan!" from God. And what's funny is I've read that verse before and it didn't have the same effect on me.

So maybe it's time to swallow my pride, "like" her site, and wish her well with her business.

Pride sure tastes bad! Hahaha

With all my love, Morgan

You Got Beauty Advice From WHO???

Haha, ok, so it's probably not that exciting, but some of my best beauty advice came from my parents.  Anyway, my mom's advice has always been more literal, while my dad's takes more deciphering.

To get on with the the topic! Haha.

When I was young, my mom had to do my make up for photo shoots (we'll talk about my hilarious and less than successful stint in modeling classes some other day lol) and I remember thinking she had the best make up kit. Now, I probably have three times the amount! Haha. But that made me thing: You just need the basics! My mom has blush, some base, powder, some pretty eyeshadows, some nice brushes, mascara and an eyelash curler. She doesn't NEED anything else! She has some little extras, but she rarely uses them.

Also, I came to my mom when I was like, 12, trying to peel off the make up from a recent shoot. I had run out of make up remover. So, she handed me the baby oil. Baby Oil is (obviously) used to soften baby's skin, but it will take off your make up, too. Also, ma mere uses vaseline to remove mascara.

Just from living with my mama, I've seen that it's OK to go in public with no make up! She doesn't give a care about what others think. I can respect that! Hahaha.

Mon pere (or my dad haha, I'm into this French stuff!) has always been wise. He's not a big talker, but when he does say something, I try to listen!

Especially during the summer, my sisters and I usually hear some variation of this question:

"You have a sweater to wear over that?"

Haha! I'm sure most girls have heard that!

This has taught me that Modesty is BEAUTIFUL! While I've never been a "skanky" dresser or anything, it's always good to be reminded that covering up a little bit is good. It not only keeps you warmer in your freezing Bio class, but it gives off a better image. I know lots of sweet girls who attract the wrong guys because of the image they put out.

Also, my dad is a work-out fanatic! He is 47 years old and is in better shape than 90% of the population. I'm not even kidding. Now, I know my dad is an athlete anyway, but still, it's pretty impressive that he's training for a marathon!

He's taught me that being physically fit and keeping your body healthy is beautiful, too.

A lot of women are afraid to have muscles, but there's nothing wrong with them! I wish my arms had some muscles! Maybe I need to get back to doing P90X again!

Sometimes, if you just stop and watch, you'll learn so much about yourself and others.

I hope this has given you some good beauty ideas!

Have a great day!
With all my love, Morgan

Lovely Lipstick Lovers!

So, if you haven't guessed what today's topic is about then, you may need some help. Hahaha.

Jenna, an acquaintance of mine from high school, requested this post and I said I would do it Sunday.

However, I am a LOSER and got busy with home (or bedroom haha) improvements and then took a Benadryl for my allergies and promptly passed out at 9:30 pm lol.

But enough excuses! Jenna was wondering how to make her lipstick last longer. Well, Jenna, I'm going to be real honest. Sometimes you just have to find the brand that works really well for you! But I'll tell you my favorite tricks and tips and hope that some of them work for you!

1. So, first of all, you need to exfoliate your lips. This can be done with a washcloth dipped in warm water, then rub it in little circles on your pucker. If you wanna get REAL fancy, add sugar.
2. Add a little swipe of chapstick. Some people say not to, but the way I see it is you just removed the top layer of skin from your lips practically...shouldn't you add some moisture?!
3. Now, here's what I would do. If you have eyeshadow or lip primer, go ahead and swipe that all over your lips. You don't need a special lip primer. Eyeshadow primer is much more practical because you'll probably need it more often than lip primer. 
4. This step is not hugely necessary, but if you are an older woman with wrinkles around the lips, you will definitely need lip liner. Even if you're young, I think you should wear it. It just adds a good base and keeps the lipstick from sliding off. Here's what you will do. Fill in your lips with the lip liner completely. If you put it just around the corners, you will possibly have that 90's lipstick look. You know the one: pink lips, brown lip liner....I just got the shivers...in a bad way! Obviously, use a color that is close to the lipstick.
5. If you are totally opposed to lip liner, or you want a more pure color, then put your base on your lips after you put on your primer. This is a really good option, too! After you have the base on your lips, apply your lipstick.
6. So the actual lipstick is scary to a lot of people...I can feel the sweat when I try to put on red lipstick! Haha. Basically, you need to be sure to get it all over the lips-even in the elusive corner parts. You can use a thin brush for this, too. No need to get an expensive make up brush: Go to a craft store when they have a sale on paint brushes and get a thin one for lipstick! Works exactly the same.
7. Some make up artists have developed a good "lip stain" way of application. Basically, you put on the lipstick, blot some off til it's on very thin, and reapply like that a couple times. This makes it "stain" the lips, creating more staying power.
8. When all else fails and you'd like to kill the person who made lipstick, buy lipstain. I like Covergirl's version! It looks like a marker and it's super easy to apply.



9. Also, my favorite lipstick is from Maybelline! But there are lots of good ones out there.

I hope this helped solve any lipstick questions! Have a suggestion? comment and let me know!
Also, go "like" my make up site! Face On/Face Off Make Up by Morgan

Leaving Lipstick Kisses, Morgan



Ahhhh!!! Halloween!!!

So, as a make up and costume obsessed young lady, I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!! So much!!! Lol.

I love to carve pumpkins, plan costumes, go to haunted houses, make big fake wounds, eat all the candy, pass out the leftover candy to kids....all of it! I wish it was more than once a year!

I knew this family that didn't let their kids celebrate Halloween because they considered it pagan worship.

I almost cried for their kids!!!

That is almost like saying you won't celebrate Christmas because you're not a Christian, or because Jesus was probably born in the spring!! It's just sick! Hahaha.

So, anywho, hopefully I didn't offend everyone there lol.

My sister is not as Halloween crazed as me. She always does smart-eleck costumes. Like, "Over-Worked Theatre Student" or "Madison." She wears her normal clothes for both lol.

One year though, at the peak of her sarcasm, she put on a white trash bag and said, "I'm going as white trash." And it was flippin' hilarious!

So here are some (slightly sarcastic and smart-elecky) ideas all using a trash bag.

1. Obviously, "white trash." You just create a hole in the bottom and wear it like a dress.
2. Wrap it around the top of your head, not in a suffocating way lol, but like a turban. Bam, you're a genie.
3. Get a bunch of them and cut the bottoms into strips. Put them around your waist. Now you're a ballerina. You use the draw strings as a belt to keep your beautimous skirt on. Black Swan make up is optional.
4. Cut out a face shaped hole. Slip over body. Now you're a ghost.
5. Copy the "strips" idea from the ballerina look. Just use like one or two though. Slip around neck. This creates a "jester clown" collar. You can make smaller versions of this for the wrists and ankles. Now you're a court jester.
6. 6. Tie one in a Big Bow and place it to the side of your head. You now just need an eighties looking outfit, and you my friend shall look like something out of a Paula Abdul video.
7. Tie it around your head with the "tails" going down your back. Now you're a fortune teller.
8. Keep the head scarf on your head. Tie more bags to your wrists. Now you're a weird interpretive dancer. Dance moves are up to you.
9. Tie it around your neck like a bow. Congrats, you're now obnoxious! Haha.
10. You can be a trash bag fashionista. Get creative with it! Make a skirt and a blouse, attach the bow to your head, etc!

Well, that's all I can think of! If you have suggestions or improvements or more costume ideas please comment and let me know!! 

Also, you can leave comments on  my site, Face On/Face Off Make Up by Morgan

Please "Like" it first though!

Ghouls, goblins, and things that go bump in the night, with all my love, Morgan





The Best Darn People You'll Ever Meet!

But I could be biased!

Here's some background on the Black family, yo.

Literally. Black is our last name lol.

My dad: He is my male personality twin. We're a lot alike. He won't talk about it, because he doesn't want to be seen as a brag, but he was scouted in high school to play basketball! A junior college picked him up and after his freshman year, the Air Force Academy scouted him. My dad, whose name is Jim, btw, was and still is really good. I'm so proud to think he worked so hard to achieve a nearly impossible goal for a 5'10" white boy! Lol. I'm so proud that he served our country and got out after Desert Storm so that Maddie and I (we were the only kids at the time) would always have him around. He is so stinkin' funny, but you won't know if you don't listen. He's like 47 and is in better shape than most guys my age. Who all can say that about their dad??

My mom: We call her mama or Balba. I am really close to my mom, Lori. She is a registered nurse and loves her job! She's like my polar opposite and we only have a few things in common: our eye color, blonde hair and our noses. But my dad has blue eyes too, so I'm thinking that could be from him! Haha. My mom is really cool; all my friends say that if they could have a second mom it would be her! My mom and dad are so crazy for each other, and they have always shown me what a married couple should be like! They met in Italy when they were 14, but broke up when my mom's dad had his first heart attack and he was sent back to the States. (Air Force runs in our veins, I guess lol) They got back together when they were in their 20's and got married! Talk about a love story, huh?

Maddie: Or Madison. Or Maddie Rhea. She's my little sister, my best friend, the one person I can always talk to! It sucks when she has rehearsal because I don't see her very often! Haha. Maddie is neat, smart, driven, funny, organized, the only green eyed child in my immediate family, and basically, she'll do great things. She'll be that broke lawyer because she'll only do pro bono cases! Hahaha. She's also tall...like almost 5'8"! I am very proud of how smart she is. She's taking all these hard classes and is kicking butt!

MacKenzie: Kenny was like the little golden child when mom had her. She was SOOOO cute! And Maddie and I so spoiled her. She had these curly little pigtails and a big baby belly! Lol Oh gosh, I loved her so much. And I still do! She is the most unique person I know. She calls herself "The Rainbow Sheep." Because being the black sheep is too boring for her! She is a great dancer- and she looks like one, too. She has the super long legs and is slender, but not skinny if that makes sense. Everybody says she should model. And she's good at math and science! Which means I'm jealous!

Trey: Now, my little brother...he's a mess lol. He's so darn cute! And he's just about good at everything! He's so flippin athletic and just a good kid. Most of the time lol. When my mom had Trey we were so excited. Well except Kenzie. She's only 18 months older and was jealous! Now they are BFF's haha. He looks just like and acts just like my mom! Everybody wants to be around both of them. I know Trey will do great at whatever he decides to do. But that goes for all my siblings, really.

Cole: He's not my real brother. He's Trey's best friend. But he's over so much, he might as well be! November is an expensive time of year for me...their birthdays are only a couple weeks apart! I love this kid like he's my own brother and I know he will do great things too! He'll probably play football for Texas! Hahaha.

I have more siblings, though. Between Maddie and I were two miscarriages. My mom was very early into her pregnancies when it happened. The hardest loss would have to be when the little twin boy babies died. My mom was pregnant with them inbetween Maddie and Kenzie; that's why there is a 4 year age difference. My brothers were healthy and all seemed well until their little hearts just gave out. My mom still had to deliver them, and she said they were tiny- about the size of her hand- but they were perfect. I know I'll see them someday and I can't wait to meet them! They would be about 14 today...my mom could tell you exactly. I never saw my brothers, and it makes me sad that my mom had to lose them, but God has his reasons for everything. My parents were stopping after 4 kids and if we had had the twins, I would've never had MacKenzie and Trey to love.

Some people think it's silly to get emotional about the brothers I never knew, but they had a big impact on all of us I think. Even Trey asks about them every once in a while, and he wouldn't remember the night my mom and dad went to the hospital, but came home without my brothers.

So that's my family y'all! They are not perfect, but I wouldn't trade them for all the riches and glory this world can offer! With all my love, Morgan

My Favorite People

...In History! Hahaha

I'm such a history nerd, but I just have to talk about some people we could all learn from.

Marie Antoinette

What can we learn from a disgraced, beheaded queen? Surprisingly, a lot.

Maria Antonia was born into the powerful Hapsburg Dynasty. She was considered very beautiful and was smart, but lazy. She was not being educated in the way a future queen should be, and when she was merely 14 she was married to Louis Auguste, the Dauphin (or heir to the throne) of France. Her first mistake was not even hers; her mother, Empress Marie Therese, should have married her off when she was older. But Marie Therese was constantly looking to align herself with powerful countries since she was being pressured by her arch rival, Frederick of Prussia.

In the beginning, people loved her, but she came to be hated by the French people for her spending and seemingly uncaring demeanor to her people's well-being. Plus, she was an "Austrian Dog."

Lesson learned: Besides the obvious "hold on to your head" approach, education is important, along with wisdom! While Louis did help the U.S. gain our freedom from England, it also bankrupt his country causing the commoners to riot and rebel. Neither one had been educated or prepared to take the throne. Also, be careful with your spending and treatment of those less fortunate than you.

Octavia Minor

You probably don't know of Octavia Minor unless you watched Rome or have read about Caesar Augustus. She was the older sister of Octavian, later known as Augustus Caesar. Yep, you guessed it, Julius was their uncle! She is probably my most favorite woman in history because she appears to have been quite the lady.

She was originally married to a man named Marcellus and had two daughters and a son (who shared his father's name). It appears to have been a love match and she was happy until Marcellus Sr. passed away. In Rome, you basically had to remarry and her brother Octavian, who was serving as the leader of Rome having been adopted by Caesar in his will, decided to marry her to Marc Antony. This was a problem because Antony had already met and had children with Cleopatra. Antony agreed and they had two daughters together. Octavia was a good wife; she even helped raise troops for him! But as I'm sure you've heard, he ditches Octavia for Cleo. Fast forward a few years later and Antony and Cleopatra have committed suicide leaving 3 children: Cleopatra Selene, Alexander Helios and Ptolemy. Well, Octavia took the children in as her own and raised them in her home even though she must have been angry with Antony.

Lesson learned: To be gracious and forgiving of people. She obviously didn't hold grudges either!

I'm sorry, this is probably the most boring blog entry EVER but I had a lot of fun sharing some of my knowledge with you!

I promise for a more exciting post tomorrow!

With all my love, Morgan



Hey You WhipperSchnappers!!!

Stay Off My Lawn!!!

I have old people on my mind because today is "Senior Citizen Day" at my sister's high school! So we got up early this morning and I put old age make up on her, my mom put sponge rollers in her hair, and she slipped on some slippers and a robe!

 

That's her, with the "Jo Bros" shirt. We went for a Cougar Granny look. Those are her friends Shelby and Rachel! That's a spicy group o' grannies if I say so myself!

But anyway, to stick on topic, it got me thinking about older people when I was checking out her outfit of hiked up sweats, plain shirt and a robe. Now, for someone trying to portray a 90 year old, this is perfectly acceptable. But anything younger than that? We need to have a fashion intervention.

I have a lot of different ages shop at my little store. We carry lots of sizes and different clothes for varying age groups. My boss, who is the buyer, goes to great lengths to make sure that any girl or woman would want to shop here. However, I am noticing a terrible and disturbing trend.

Women are simply giving up around the age of 40. Now, some are more like 50, but that is still WAY to young, people! If I hear one more lady say, "Oh, I love this shirt, but it's just too young for me...I'll bring my grandaughter here though!"

Ok, first of all, there are so many things WRONG with that statement.

1. If you love it, chances are your 16 year old granddaughter won't. She'll say it's cute...for someone your age.

2. We buy certain things that someone under the age of 30 wouldn't be caught dead in! Believe me, I'm 20. While some of our stuff is nice, I wouldn't wear it! It's for a grown, mature woman!

3. Are you being serious right now??? You're really not going to buy something that you love and makes you feel great about yourself because you're worried about an age thing?? I mean, my goodness, as long as you're not wearing a mini skirt, you're probably fine!

Shoot, when I get old, I'm going to rock my wrinkles and my water aerobics bod! Now, I know my opinion could very well change in 50 years, but when I'm 80 I'm still going to wear things I love! Yeah, I'm going to dress my age, but still be stylish. I don't care if I have to wear a bedazzled moomoo (or however you spell that word hahaha) I'm not going to resign myself to a life full of boring granny sweaters and orthopedic shoes. I will at least have cute shoe laces for them!

Can you imagine that? Me, in my Hello Kitty Orthopedic shoes?? Hahah! I love it.

With all my love and future wrinkles, Morgan

Green With Envy!

I struggle with keeping my jealousy under control. A lot. Lol.

I've gotten a lot better at it as I've gotten older and it's much easier to ignore. But when I was younger...wow, did I embarass myself A LOT.

I remember I had a best friend from 6th-8th grade and she was a great friend to me. People asked us all the time if we were twins or sisters because A) We looked a lot alike and B) We were always together. But I would always sneak in mean comments about her clothes and how rich she was and I was just a jerk. Period. She never did anything wrong, I was just a jealous mess because she was so stylish and everyone liked her. Well eventually, she didn't wanna be friends with me and I don't blame her. I fell in with a group of girls who were trouble and the rest is some bad middle school cliches haha.

Oh, Lord, once I had a bad crush on this guy, we'll call him Bill, and Bill went for my beautiful not-stuck-in-an-awkward-stage best friend. Well, it wasn't her fault she was so gorgeous and easy to talk to! I was really upset though and said some pretty hurtful things! Since then we've never been close because I was so overcome with my jealousy.

Point is, now I'm no londer envious of clothes or boys, well sometimes boys lol, because I'm much more secure in myself. Now it's more like, "Wow, she's such a good make up artist. I wish I was that good!" or "She seems really happy with her boyfriend. I wish I had someone, too!" I don't even really want a boyfriend; I want someone that is my best friend and I just happen to think he's hot and I'm comfortable around him! Hahahaha. I was starting to feel down about it, but it was like God sent me an epiphany:

"One day, I'll be that happy, too."

One day, I'll have a great boyfriend or marriage, or maybe I'll be happily single and I won't care! One day, people might be jealous of me because they want to be as good at make up artistry as I am. I just have to keep my head up, keep practicing and keep living my life the way God wants me to! Plus, I find that if I want something, he has something else (but something better!) in mind.

I don't mind waiting around, because I know one day it's gonna work itself out. I may not be in a physical awkward stage, but my life itself is! I just have to wait it out for a few years (Gosh, I hope it's not as long as puberty!!) and trust that everything will be ok.

I hope this made someone's day seem a little brighter! And if it doesn't, I suggest a nap, some chicken noodle soup and some reality TV! Oh, wait, that's for a cold. Well, whatever, it can cure bummed-out-ness too! Haha

With all my love, Morgan

When Life Hands You Lemons....

Make Your Own Homemade Beauty Products!!

Now, I can't really claim all of these as my own ideas, so I'll definitely give credit where it is due!

I HEART lemons!!!

They are so versatile and lovely. Plus, I love lemon scented stuff and lemon candy! My favorite Jolly Ranchers are the lemon ones! There is something so clean about a lemon.

Here are some of the best lemon tips I can muster and have tried and love all of them!

 (Well, except one...I'll point it out though!)

1. Now, I'm no doctor or scientist so I couldn't give you all the medical benefits to them, but I do know lemons are natural bleaching agents. Because they have a bleaching property, women have been using them for years for natural highlights. When the Egyptian and Roman women got a good look at the Gaulish slaves many many centuries ago, their first thought was, "Now, how do they have BLONDE hair???" Roman women, who are Italians and would've looked like Italians lol, went to far lengths to be blonde from trying to bleach it with the lemons, to paying for wigs made from the Gauls' long long hair. (Gaul would be in the France area today, just so you know). As a natural blonde, I understand...that we're the best...hahaha! Just kidding! What I used to do before I dyed my hair red is mix up Lemon Juice and a tiny bit of Conditioner and mix it through my hair when I sat outside for any period of time! It gave me great highlights and the conditioner made the lemon less harsh. Brunettes and redheads can definitely try this, but I'm not sure of the effectiveness! I came up with this mixture, but I'm sure I heard of it online or something when I was like, 11.

2. Also, Kandee Johnson has a great video talking about a great cleansing wash using simply lemon juice, some sugar and a cotton ball or round. Click Here for the Video! She also talks about some of the technical reasons why lemons are so awesome!

3. Now, I got this from a natural beauty book when I was young, and I've never tried this one, but it makes sense. So your nails are super stained?? Soak them in warm water and lemon juice. Now, leave them for a bit and scrub them with your nail brush, or if you don't have one you could use an old toothbrush or wash cloth.

4. I heard the funniest weight loss remedy online one time that had to do with water! Basically, mix warm water with fresh squeeze lemon juice and drink up! I asked my mom about it, (she's been a Registered nurse for over 20 years!) and she laughed and said, "It's not the lemon that makes you lose weight, or cleans out your colon! It's the warm water!" Apparently, older people who have a hard time moving their bowels will just drink warm water because it gets your intestines moving!

Also, you don't need fresh squeezed! Just get some lemon juice from Wal-Mart or whatever.

I hope you liked my (mostly unoriginal hahaha) tips and have a great day!!!

Lemon ranchers and lemon facials, Morgan

Saturday-Working Blues

Normally, I love working. My jobs are the best! It would only be better if I was so successful with make up that I could do that full time!

But today, I'm a bit bummed. When you work as a make up artist, you work a lot of weddings. And let me tell you, there is nothing more depressing than a wedding for a single gal!

Everytime a friend or acquaintance gets engaged, they come to me and while I'm excited to have a make up job to add to the ol' portfolio, I am a bit saddened because I don't even date. Haha. Which is pretty pathetic for a 20 year old. So I'm trying to cheer myself up...again...this seems to be a common theme lol.

SUBJECTS TO ENCITE HAPPINESS!!!

1. Puppies. Especially this one. 

Could this be love??

2. Getting hired to work 2 weddings all in the same week!! Wait, they aren't in the same week, I was contacted by 2 brides...oh you get the picture! Haha. Bring on the Brides!!

3. My friend Stephanie said I'm very stylish...even on a day where I feel underwhelming pretty and stylish. I love friends who are so giving with their compliments.

4. My friend Matt is coming home for almost a month before he goes to Italy. I'm sad he's going away because he's my best friend, but I'm so happy he gets to be here for a really long time before he's gone for 3 years.

5. The realization that I don't always have to be so chipper! I can be sad some days and it's OK. I think I've tried so hard to be happy around people so that everyone will like me, but it's just not going to happen. I've especially tried to be happy for some of my newer friends because I never want them to know the sad side of myself, but this is an unrealistic goal to have. I've tried to be the cheerful one, and now I think they think I'm kind of dingy and to be honest, I'm pretty sensitive. And while I'm not very smart when it comes to certain subjects...ok a lot of subjects hahaha, I don't want to be treated like I couldn't possibly understand the deeper subjects. I've had a really great life, but I still struggle with things. For instance, even in my small group where I feel very comfortable, sometimes I get the feeling that I'm annoying people and I'll cut myself off from them so they won't have to be annoyed by me. My mom refers to it as "my wall." Hahaha. But she's right, and it's hard to take down the "wall" when it is so comfortable to never be close to people. You can't ever be hurt when you never have a close friend. And I've been hurt the most by people who called me their best friend.

Wow, this post took a really depressing turn!! That was not my intention lol. To leave on a higher note, these sad days are not as few and as far between as I'd like, but I'm working on it! I know that these feelings are not from God and I am constantly needing to seek him to shake off my self-doubt.

After all, I have so much to be grateful for. I have such an amazing family and the friends I do keep are the best you could ever ask for. I get to have leftover Chinese food and diet Dr. Pepper for lunch and when I get home I'm going to maybe do some make up, or maybe just relax with my fam. And tomorrow, and I get to see a dear friend.

To quote my mother: "Every little girl should be told she's beautiful and feel like a princess...even if she's not."

Hahahaa you gotta love her, she's usually right!

I'd say I'm pretty stinkin' blessed.

Hoping you are feeling beautiful and loved on this beautiful Saturday, Morgan.