{Why I Blog} Guest Posting

Hey Lovelies!  Here's part two of my blogging series. . . remember the one I scribbled on paper in the Beijing airport?!  

Cheers to this awesomeness called blogging.

{would you believe that the giveaway goes up tomorrow?!  yeah.  totes understand if you don't.  but for serious.  it does.}

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In once heard someone say that if you help others achieve their goals in life, you will reach yours as well.

This is a principle I have chosen to apply to blogging.  Our Lookbook is primarily about our adventures in marriage, life and ministry, so I want to stay true to that.  I also have a hope that this will be a place of beauty, inspiration and growth for myself and all you lovelies who follow along.

Hosting guest posts on our little bloggity is one way I have chosen to reach this goal.  As I've met so many lovely bloggers the last several months, I've realized how much they have to offer.  Whether it is through stories of international travel, gems of marriage advice or a simple hair tutorial, there is always something to learn.  

Guest posting is also a way I can bless other bloggers with a chance to grow and expand their own circles of readers.  I look at it as my little gift to some amazing lovelies out there!

Maybe you've never hosted a guest blogger in your little corner.  I would encourage you to reach out and ask one of your favorite bloggy friends to share with you and your readers.  They may even be kind enough to link back to your site on the day of the post.

I promise you will find blessings to give and receive!

xoxo

My Chinese Babies

Whenever I come home to Kunming, I cannot leave without visiting my babies at the orphanage/school in the foothills at the north edge of the city.  They have my heart, I tell ya.  And I love like they were my own babies.

Today was that day.  A dear friend, Cookie, met us and took the long hour and a half bus trek across the city. Do you lovelies wanna come along?!  It might make you cry. . . I did.

This orphanage/school is unique, in that the director has adopted almost 30 children himself and hosts hundreds of other poor village kids for school each day.  They also have a booming Kung Fu school on the premises.

At face value, this seems like a great situation, but the rumored stories from the older girls about the director, curdle my stomach in anger.  While the school and buildings decent by many orphanage standards, the children still live very alone.  With only some teachers watch over them during the after school hours, my hearts aches for their loneliness.

It's been almost a year and a half since I've seen the kids.  My heart was beating excitedly as we climbed the small mountain road to the school.  

Would the kids be excited when they saw us walk through the gate?!  Would they be shocked and surprised by the unannounced visit? 

It was better than I hoped. . .

The one girl who especially holds my heart is Jamie.  I first met her at the summer camps in 2009.  Then those trips to visit the school while I lived in the city those six months.  Finally she was my buddy at the last summer camp Adam and I staffed in 2010.

When Jamie came running up to me when we walked into the school courtyard, we hugged and kissed and kissed and hugged.  I love this girl like she came from me.  The ache in my heart that I could bring her home was overwhelming.  I just wanted to squeeze her tiny body and kiss those cheeks and never stop.  I kept saying in Chinese I really really missed you.  And she would echo every time.

We spent the afternoon playing little dolls.  I was the mama.  The little girls were my children.  We traded pretty dresses and shoes and fed the little dog. 

Then we colored pictures.  Jamie drew the two of us standing next to a tree.  I had big blonde pig tails.  She had a purple skirt on.  Then she asked me to draw one for her.  We made a deal to take them to our rooms and keep them there.

Then it was time to pack everything up and go home.  The inevitable question came.  

When will you be back?  

I hate saying it won't be til next summer. 

It's such a long time.  

I will be back with Ya Dang Ge Ge! {big brother Adam}

Her little pinky finger came straight at me.  

The little pinky promise game.

July.  I will be back.

As Jamie walked with us to the gate, she held tight to my hand.  I fought the tears with every ounce of strength in my body.  

Don't cry, Nicole.  Be strong for the kids.  

I will miss you every day. 

I whispered in Chinese as I kissed her the last time.

 Sometimes I get tired of looking hurt in the eyes.  

The brokenness.  

The loneliness.  The abandonement.

It hurts too much.  Sometimes I feel if I could ignore it, it wouldn't ache so badly.  But Jesus asks us to face the pain head on.  To not ignore the fact that there are hurting babies all around the world who need us.  Need us to stand up on their behalf.  Need us to love them.  To give them hope.

Jesus doesn't ignore their suffering.  He weeps for them.  

And because I want to be where He is.  Feel what He feels.  Do what He does.

I will keep going back.  I will keep weeping over their pain.  Their suffering.  Their loneliness.  

Trusting that their Heavenly Father loves and cares for them more than I ever could.  And that is the greatest peace of all.

Dear Hubs

It's Sunday here in China.  I am painfully reminded how much I miss you.
I miss our normal Sunday morning routine.

I miss when alarm goes off and we completely ignore it for more cuddles.

I miss rushing around the house to get ready. 

I miss grabbing our breakfast to eat in the car.

I miss laughing over how we are always late for church.

I miss how cute you are when you say sorry for making us miss worship.

{you do know how much i love it. . . and how we try to be a few minutes earlier than last week.  thank you for that.}

I miss our church appropriate cuddles.  I miss scratching your back during the message. . . cuz I know how much you love that.

I miss the little neck kisses you sneak when no one is looking. . . or even if they are looking.  You don't really care.

Most of all I miss just being with you.
 

Jesus reminded me this morning while I was sitting in church, that my relationship with Him comes first.  Even more first first than you.
As much as I hatehatehate being away from you for two weeks, I know God is using it to remind me of this truth.  To remind me that serving Him and being available to be used however and wherever He would choose, is the most important thing in life.  That is where true happiness is found.  True joy.  True peace.

Thank you for believing the same thing.  Thank you for loving Jesus more than me.  Thank you for supporting me while I'm halfway around the world.  Thank you for staying home to work hard for us.  Most of all, thank you for choosing me and making me your wife.

I love you with my whole heart, soul and body and can't wait to be back in your arms again.

xoxo
your wife

A Day In China

 Our days are pretty laid back here. . . but we decided you would like a photo journal on one day, no?!  Smile and nod and here we go.

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Jet lag is dumb.  As is the fact that it's pitch dark outside and six in the morning and I'm wide awake.  Buuuut this is usually when I blog 

{if presh internets are working together with the VPN, ahem.}

or call home to Hubs or just lay in bed to try and convince myself to go back to sleep.

After the girls wake up . . . usually long after the sun has come up, we conjure up some lovely breakfast with out limited chinese ingredients.  This morning it was pumpkin spice french toast.  Sounds delish, no!?  It was.  And I was pretty proud of myself for dreaming up the recipe myself.

Melt the pumpkin spice marshmallows I brought from home in a cup of milk.  Pour into french toast mix.  Be awed by pure amazingness.

The rest of the morning was spent with school for the girls, reading for me and general lazy laying around in the sunny living room.

Even before arriving in Kunming, I've been aching for some delish ju rao jiao zi. {pork dumplings}

They seriously are one of my top fav foods.  Along with a bottle of the chinese Coke {better than American}.

And all for a whopping $1.50.

And oh yeah, we prayed over the dumplings as we walked up to the restaurant and again after I finished eating them, that no tummy ache would come.  

Still totally worth it. . .

 Then it was the short walk to the bus station to catch bus 56 to Wang Fu Jing.  My favorite downtown.

We crammed on the bus and took tons of self photos.  Like we were tourists or something, duh.  I mean, how else can you distract yourself from the thousand sweaty bodies all crammed around you?!  Yeah, I thought so.

The first store we went into was our very own Kunming H&M!  How super cools is that?!  Cool because I was actually finding clothes IN China that would fit me. {cute chinese girls and their teeny waists and stature}

Cool because there were actually cute things rather than funkytown styles.

And even more cool because I found this totes-adorbes dress on clearance for 150RMB {$about $24}

It's dreamy and soft and silkly and is totally a gift for Hubs.  Aren't I a nice wife to buy him things he'll like while I'm traveling abroad?!  Yeah, I thought so.

We also visited the chinese version of Toys R Us to spotlight our awesome hula girl skills.  We went to my favorite market and picked out the awesome giveaway surprise!!  I hope you are exciiiiited. . . cuz it's totally lovely and it's coming the first part of next week!  Whootwhoot!

Then finally we took our tired legs and fed them dinner at KFC.  I know, how very chinese of you, you say.  But if you could try the amazing, China-exclusive Mexican Twister Wraps, you would abandon the noodle shops too.

Then it was back to bus 56.  Then walking around to kill time before Miri went to youth group.  Then Lulu and I walked home, dodging cars and bikes and walkers and dogs and scooters and zooming buses.  

And the moon was perfect in the dusky, Chinese sky.  

Thanks, Lovelies, for being so sweet and supportive of my previous post on why I blog.  You have no idea how my heart was touched by your support and love.  I am blessed to know you.

Two little orders of business.  

First, silly me on neglecting the contact button.  Guess it was one of those things I forgot to add when I redesigned a couple weeks ago.  Until I can rectify the situation, here's how you can get a hold of me:

nicole.neesby{at}gmail{dot}com

Second.  I am planning to start a button swap next month with any of you lovelies who would be interested.  I think it would be a great way to mutually help grow our little bloggity spaces.  Your button would be displayed on our 'Swap Some Love' page and you would have the opportunity to contribute to a group giveaway here once a month.  

{This would be anything from your personal shop, blog or whatever you choose, if you'd like of course!} 

Plus I'll have little blurbs about each of you on a monthly basis.

If you'd like more info, shoot me an email, lovelies!

nicole.neesby{at}gmail{dot}com

Happy weekend to you.  And please go cuddle your special someone, in honor of us who can't.

xoxo

superdoublePS.
linking up here today!!

{Why I Blog}

I am discovering that in order to be successful at anything in life, you must establish you why for doing it.  Your reason to press forward and upward. 
Today I want to share mine with you.

I've been thinking a lot lately about my why for blogging.  Why I sit at my computer everyday and type out each post.  Why I take photos.  Why I have built friendships with you lovely bloggers.  Why. Why. Why.

My blogging adventures started almost five years ago when I took my first trip to China.  I wanted a place to post photos and stories from my inaugural trip around the world.  Over the years, I continued to blog.  There was my first summer I spent in China staffing for the summer camps, our family adventures at the Midwest Old Thresher's Reunion, then the early days of dating Adam, all the way to that perfect proposal of the beach in Malibu.

After our wedding in June, I decided we needed a new bloggity face.  

The Neesby Lookbook was born.

I've thought and prayed a lot since then, how God would want me to use this avenue of writing for Him.  These are the things He has laid on my heart. 

The first reason sounds rather trite, but one of my why's for blogging is to reflect glory back to God.  I believe that our lives are like pottery.  The hardships, difficulties and brokenness we experience, creates cracks in the walls.  If the Holt Spirit lives in us, those cracks are a way for His light to spill out to those around us.  My prayer is that this blog can be one way for that light to spill forth.

Secondly, I blog for the creative outlet it provides.  I remember being eight years old and huddling in my sister's and my closet, scribbling out stories on a little pad of paper.  This blog is my very own, grown-up scribble pad.  I've dreamed of writing for so many years and this is my small way of living that dream out at this time in my life.  I also love the outlet blogging provides for creativity through fashion, food and home.

Thirdly, I blog for me.  I've found that I am better able to reflect on my life and that has made me a more grateful person when I blog.  Whether it's for the thousand tiny ways that Hubs loves me so unconditionally or for all the simple blessings I'm aware of.  Like curtains.  Or a couch.  I am truly a better person because of it.

 

Very, very lastly 

{I hear you saying Gosh is she done already?!  We get it, you like blogging.  Wrap it up, whydontchya!}

I have a dream for this blog that I want to share.  I hope you feel extra special, because up to this point, I've never really told this to anyone.  I share it now as my effort to be honestly transparent. 

{more on that later}

Do you remember this post when I talked about dreams and how easily we can stop pursuing them as adults?  I was pretty vague about my personal dreams, until now.  So here goes nothing. . .

When I started this new blog, a tiny dream began growing in my heart.  A dream to write and grow a blog that could someday generate an income for our family.  An income that could help  make it possible for Hubs and I to pursue our dreams of living in China.  Now I know how silly that sounds.  How even more silly it looks written down.  Yet I believe that God gave me this dream for a reason and I will do everything in my power to pursue it, trusting Him for the growth.  He only asks for faithfulness to do our part.  He is the one to bring life to the dream.  Maybe nothing will come from it.  Maybe this will only ever be a journal of our life.  Maybe we will never grow past 100 followers.  But I will be ok with that, knowing that I did my part to follow that seed of a dream.  Knowing that God will continue to take care of us like He always has.

If your heart resonates with anything I shared, won't you join in the adventures with us?  Click the follow button at the top of the page.  Grab a Lookbook button on the sidebar.  It's gonna be some crazy good times and we would love to share them with you.  And of course becoming dear friends along the way.

Then, if you'd like, I'd love to hear your own why's for blogging!  Then we can all celebrate together . . .

ATinyPs.

This is the first in a mini series on blogging that I scribbled on a pad of paper in the Beijing airport.  Be sure to check back for more on the subject and to share your own thoughts.

.okloveyoubye.

27 Hours and 3 Flights Later

Hey Lovelies!  Thank you so much for all your encouraging words and prayers since Monday.  After what felt like a million days, I finally made it to the lovely Kunming and my adorable friends who I get to spend two weeks with!

I could really feel your prayers as I traveled.  Most especially as I boarded that eternally long, 13 hour flight from Chicago to Beijing.  Wouldja believe that God allowed no one to be sitting next to me, which to this China-travelin-girl means whole-seat-to-myself-for-sprawled-out-sleeping!!  You have no idea what a gift this is.

I mean, can you imagine how bitter I always feel when they make you walk through the luxurious first class cabin while boarding the plane.  It's almost like they want to tauntingly say I hope you enjoy your deathly long flight all cramped next to a million sweaty people.  Enjoy that tiny seat, no leg room and slow service.  We'll just be sitting here, sprawled out in seats-converted-to-a-bed while sipping on champagne.  But seriously, enjoy your flight. . .

Well, you better believe I felt like I was in first class, with those whole three seats to myself. . . except for those times when the armrests dug into my back because they wouldn't go flush with the seats or the time the stewardess forgot to bring me a cup of water for like 6 hours, but really.  It was a great flight!

While on my six hour layover in the beautiful Beijing airport, I had lots of time for thinking.  And writing.  You see, I had to leave my computer at home for Hubs - which is a huge sacrifice for me, more on that later - so I was left to my books, Bible and a pad of paper for writing.

You see, I've had these potential blog posts dancing around in my head for weeks and haven't had the time to write them down.  If you could have seen me waiting for my eventually delayed, flight to Kunming, you would have seen me curled up on the hard chairs, scribbling away.  So Anne of Green Gable-esque!  

But more on that later too. . .

Then there were plenty of opportunities for missing my darling Hubs.  Like when I walked past that Starbucks in the airport and all the memories flooded back.  Memories of sitting there with Christy {my future bridesmaid} and Adam while waiting for our friends' delayed flight.  We drank coffee and talked about singleness and dating and life and then and right there was the first time I got those fluttery feelings for that Hunky Blonde. Mmhhmmm.

Then there was the realization that while traveling alone, there is no one to eat the food I can't finish. Or to laugh and tell me it's cute that I chew on my straw.  He really is a hero, ya know?!

{Don't you love Burger King meets Chinese characters?!}

Oh yeah, and ps, I ordered in Chinese and my mouth was so happy.

So it's currently seven in the morning.  It's just starting to get light outside our 8th story, apartment window. The girls are still sleeping in the huge king-sized  bed we are sharing.  And my poor little jet-lagged brain is wide awake.  

Oh yeah, and this is pretty  much the only time the lovely internet and VPN decides to work together.  Go fig.  Guess jet-lag is working in my favor this time.

I loooove being back in my favorite Chinese city.  I love hearing and speaking Chinese again.  I love going on walks around the compound.  I love making plans to visit all my favorite old haunts in the city.  I love visiting the brand new huge Carrefour {kinda like WalMart} and dancing around the isles to Chinese pop songs, getting massages in the floor model massage chairs and taking awesome self photos in the mirrors.  But most of all, I love laughing and joking and spending time with these lovelies.

AsuperawesomePS.

As you may {or may not} have noticed, we passed 100 lovely followers yesterday!

Whootwhoot!

This means two awesome things.  

One.  Hubs takes me out to celebrate with my most favorite Falbo Brothers Pizza. . . when I get home of course.  Though I did call him the minute I saw the 100 followers and asked him to please fly to China right away with the pizza. 

{Isn't he the sweetest?!  This was his idea to celebrate with whatever I wanted when we hit that number of followers!  He's such a eternal support to me.}

Second.  We celebrate with all you lovelies with this bloggity's very first giveaway!  In the next couple days, the girls and I are going shopping to my most favorite street shopping market to buy some Chinese loveliness!  So don't go far away . . . it's gonna be UH-maaazing!!

Number Three. Nothing really. Okloveyoubye.

Hotels and Campfires Are Awesome

{As is breakfast at Perkins at midnight} 

On Thursday afternoon, Hubs surprised me by saying we should take a little getaway on Friday night since I would be am currently en route to China for two weeks.  *soft little sobs*

We talked a lot before we got married how important date night and little getaways would be to our marriage.

We've done pretty good with our Saturday date nights.  

Weekend getaways?!  Not so hot.

Cuz srsly, lovelies, when money is tight and schedules are crazy, planning a night away is the last thing on our minds, ya know?!

But can I say that I am so thankful for a Hubs that makes these things a priority?!  Even when it pinches the budget and is slightly inconvenient to pack up after a long work week.

And to be honest, it was nothing fancy.  Just a Comfort Inn room, with it's ugly, plain walls and generic beige bedspread, in a small city just one hour away.  But we laughed and talked and ate breakfast at Perkins at midnight  and watched shows and even agreed on a boy's name for a future little baby.  Cuz we're just so organized and ahead of the game.  

{Note:  this is not a preggers announcement.  I repeat.  NOT an announcement.}

It was like fresh air to our love for each other.  Hmmm. . . 

Then to make the whole weekend even better, we went to the awesome fall party at the parents house.  

We ate more amazing food and sat by the fire and ate enough halloween candy to give you a toothache and then ended the night lying in the grass on a blanket watching for shooting stars.

Mmhmmm.  Perfect weekend love.

And now, I'm somewhere between a cornfield in Iowa and a rice shop in China.
Pray for safe travels.  And for Hubs' and my lonely hearts.  Such wimps we are, no?!

And don't go to far away cuz I'll be back soon with high tales of my adventures around China.
You seriously won't wanna miss it.

And superawesomePS.  


I'm kinda pumped because as soon as this bloggity blog reaches 100 followers, we're gonna celebrate how awesome all you lovelies are with a sweet giveaway.  
Yeah, ya read it right.  This bloggity's first giveaway!  Whootwhoot!  Kind of a thank you for being cool and following on all the adventures the last several months.


And ya wanna know what it will be?!
Can't tell you.  It's a secret.  But one little hint is that it's coming from my favorite little market in my favorite city of China.  
You won't wanna miss it!!!


.okloveyoubye.

{Guest Post} Ma Nouvelle Mode

Didja have a lovely weekend, dears?!  I did.  Truly, truly.  Come back tomorrow and I'll tell ya all about it as I am currently getting ready to head to the airport.  Waaahaahaa!!

Here to make your Monday simply lovely, is the darling Natalia from Ma Nouvelle Mode!! She is pretty much the cutest thing since, since. . . all things cute.  Over on her blog, she tells of her adventures of living in France with her adorables fam and she has amazing hair tutorials.  You srsly wanna go check it out. . . but not til you see this awesomeness below.
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Hello Neesby Lookbook Readers!
My name is Natalia and I blog over at Ma Nouvelle Mode.  Nicole asked me to do a guest post and I was so excited to oblige.  First, let me introduce myself.  I am married to my big, Bahamian husband, we have two beautiful handsome boys and live in France!  Yep, you read it right!  My husband plays professional basketball and so we live over here for 8 to 10 months out of the year.  It is really sooooo pretty and I love it here.  

Over at my place, I like to blog about the craziness that is my life and the cool things we get to see and do while we are here.  I also love to do hair and makeup tutorials and some fashion!  Being the only girl in our little family, this is my attempt at staying feminine.  My husband is thankful. 

Today I thought it would be fun to show you something simple but oh so very popular right now, the fishtail.  I am calling it the fishtail french braid because I start it at the top like a French braid, taking hair from the sides and then finish with just the fishtail!  I hope you like it

{I hope the quality isn't too bad!  Sorry for the lack of good lighting in my house and my really ugly bathroom. I don't get to choose this stuff, I swear!}

I hope you liked it!  You can get caught up on more of my hair tutorials here.  And of course I would just love it if you stopped in for a visit!  Make sure you introduce yourself, I love meeting new people!
 

Goodbye Peeping Neighbors. Hello Lovely Curtains.

Remember all my amazing plans for several weekends ago?!

Wouldja believe that I actually accomplished my entire pretty much most of my list?!  Be in A.W.E.  It was seriously pretty awesome.  Especially considering that this weekend, Hubs and I are taking a tiny little getaway.  How sweet is he to surprise me with that?!  

Anywayza, back to the accomplishments.  One of the best parts was FIII-nAlllyyyy getting the lovely roman shades hung in the kitchen.

Remember the three gapingly open windows in our lovely faux-rock-wall kitchen?!

As much as I adore having all that sunshine that used to poor through the unadulterated glass, I much more adore being able to run our little bums around the house at night without fear of creepy neighbor stares.  

{Do you know how difficult is it to stumble around your house in the dark?!  Com'mon over and check out my bruises, yo!}

Little side note on hanging curtains.  It is really a good thing no one can see what happened between the 'before' and 'progress' photos above.  My curtain-hanging-skills are something like this:

Hold curtain to window

Level to the neked eye

Maybe pull out the pink level if I'm feeling exceptionally thorough.

Place bracket on molding.

Try to screw in with Philips screw driver.

When that is too hard, take one finish nail and hammer it into the screw's spot

Pull out nail.

NOW screw the bracket in place by hand.

Maybe repeat this process if I feel it merits two screws.

Never screw in the 27 screws they include in the box.

Force curtains on bracket.

Step back and tilt head/squint/cross eyes until it looks perfect.

Apologize to Hubs for uneven holes in the molding.

Promise him I will never build a house.

Moving right along. . .

Since we are on the subject of curtains and I'm in a particularly grand mood today, take a gander at the changes to this room.

Remember these three gaping windows in our living room?!  And oh, don't forget to notice our lovely furniture selections or rather lack thereof.

Tadaaaaaa!!!!  We now have two leetle sheer panels on the middle window, along with big plans for the other two.  Well, that's kinda a lie.  I am still deciding on the perfect curtain arrangement.  These are big decisions to make, yo!  Nothing you can rush into by just dashing into the nearest Curtain Mart and purchasing the first one you see.  It begs much thought and planning and detailed thinking through colors and fabric and creativity.  Amen and amen.

Oh yeah.  We have a couch.  Which makes us officially feel like grown ups now.  And it's awesome.

- - - 

Happy weekending lovelies!