we did some awesome stuff this year

:: january ::

{a picnic on the beach, one diamond ring, a question that changed my life forever}

{first time skiing with my soon-to-be family.  left with 49 bruises all over my body}

- - - 

:: February ::

{after flying home from a speaking tour in Texas, I totaled my car.  alone, on the snowy roads, middle of the night}

{flew to California to surprise Adam for his birthday}

- - - 

:: March ::

{most awesome engagement photo shoot ever.  

california, Adam's airport where he flew, Malibu beaches where he proposed}

:: April ::

{Hung out with this pretty girl while on a speaking tour in Mississippi}

{mud fights with the kids after Adam moved to Iowa}

- - -

:: May ::

{Bring Me Hope night walk to raise money to send chinese orphans to a summer camp}

{our little kitten, Max, that never left mom and dad's house. . . }

{bridal showers}

{ a million and one projects the week before our wedding. including homemade aprons for the cooks}

{happy flower centerpieces}

- - - 

:: June ::

{girl time at the nail salon}

{marrying my best friend. best decision of my life.}

{honeymooning in the Ozarks.}

{honeymooning in the Bahamas}

- - - 

:: July ::

{celebrated Fourth of July}

{bought our first house}

- - -

:: August ::

{took Hubs to the famous Iowa State Fair.  ate our weight in fried food}

{ flew out to California to surprise Adam's family.  stayed for one entire month}

- - - 

:: September ::

{ took a bus across the border into Mexico to visit my amazing sister}

{experienced firsthand, her work in the poor communities through tutoring, discipleship and love}

{Took our brand new little tent camping}

- - - 

:: October ::

{THE photoshoot of the year. . . like you didn't know that already}

- - - 

:: November ::

{cooked twenty pounds of turkey for my first ever hosted Thanksgiving dinner}

- - - 

:: December ::

{cut down our first little tree. . . }

{decided on a bigger tree. which then needed to be nailed into place due to it's crooked nature}

{ski trip in Colorado with the awesome Neesbys. conquered my first black diamond}

- - - 

Hey Lovelies.

Just wanted to say thank you so much for all you have meant to me this year.

I never could have dreamed this leetle bloggy would have grown like it has.

Never dreamed I could have meet so many genuinely great people.

Thank you for reading, commenting, following.

You have become a huge part of my life.

Can't wait for more adventures together in the coming days.

And srsly

stay close by cuz I have some awesome new stuffs 

to reveal. . . 

It's gonna be bombdiggityawesome.

Have an awesome night ringing in the new year.

okloveyoubye.

Friday Files {edition twelve}

:: My recycling never seems to make it all the way to the bin until trash day. . . even though it's only three more steps.  Poor husband who has to sort it ever Wednesday.

:: I know I'm having a bad hair day when I go in for a bang trim and my stylist sees fit to tell me she has to pull my hair into a ponytail if I am going back out in public.

:: For dinner last night I decided to make homemade pizza.  At eight o'clock at night.  We then proceeded to make two separate trips to the grocery store because of my befuddled brain.  Thank God Hubs has uberloads of patience.

:: Monday morning I grabbed my favoritest cheesy potato dish out of the oven and rushed out the door to the cousins for our Christmas celebration.  Only to realize when we got home almost ten hours later that the oven was still blazing away.  To the gas company next month, you are welcome.

:: My best friend, sissy Tiffany headed back towards Mexico yesterday. . . I may or may not have cried like a baby.  Gosh, how I love and miss that girl.

::  Don't judge me for drinking heaps of Coke and a massive candy bar while driving home, alone, in the dark from taking her to the airport.  Better to have cavities and blooming hips than a dead brain from falling asleep at the wheel.

- - - - 

What have been your real life moments this week?!

Com'mon. . . you know they happen.

xoxo

Hello, This Is Me.

You know how hard it is to really truly be yourself?!

Maybe that's just me.

Sometimes I think I'm a chameleon in a human shell. . . 

I see her and I think

Gosh I love the artsy look

Then I see one of my best friends

On second thought I would rather dress in that 

classic, beautiful style.

Sometimes I think I want to run my own business

Then again, maybe I would like to stay home and do nothing 

except cook and clean.

This casual, organic hair style is so unique and real.

But sometimes I think I want to be like my adorable 

friend who always has every hair in place

perfectly stylish and adorable. 

Somedays I think I want my blog to look crisp and clean 

Then again maybe I could rock this

crazy assortment of photos and 

buttons.

Do I write about life?

Post fashion photos?

Recipes?

Why is it so hard to embrace the beautiful, unique person

God created me to be?!

Why can't I be me in the 

deepest

fullest

most real way

possible?!

Why do I secretly live to please each and every 

other unique and special person I come across?!

Why, oh why, do I cheat myself out of the joys of

being the one and only, singular 

Nicole Marie Chmelar {Neesby}

God will ever, ever make?!

I am Nicole.

Somedays I love to mix and match my clothes

in the only way I can.

Somedays I just want to wear that classic jeans and tee.

I hate working for other people

in the normal forty hours.

I want to create

dream

be inspired.

I sometimes get confused about what to blog about.

Sometimes I want to quit.

{to which my sister says she will have to commit suicide if I quite blogging.  kinda strong, no?!  guess i'm not quitting. . .}

I love the change to write 

and create

and become friends with so many amazing people.

I feel everything deeply.

I care about relationships.

I fight for them.

I seek them out.

I can't wait to have babies.

To bring babies home from places around the world.

I adore my boy.

Together 

with heaps of grace from God

we will change the world.

So here's to the new year of embracing ME.

A new year of getting outside of my comfort zones.

To be.

To live.

To create.

To dream.

To love.

Just the way I was meant to.

Morning Eyes and Dreamings

These days we are currently living in between Christmas and New Years 

are always a bit funny to me.

Funny because I feel the old year has almost run it's course and I'm ready for the new season

yet funny because the last seventy-two hours still beg to be lived.

I get completely sucked into the resolutions and dreams and freshness
of the new year.
I love the feelings of change
feelings of a fresh slate
of a new beginning.

It's like a new chance for change.
A chance for dreams to come to life.
A chance for hope to soar.

In this new year I am bravely taking
steps towards those dreams.
So keep your cute little bums close by, kay?
It's gonna be some crazy fun times!

skinnies {target} sweater {american eagle} belt {sister's closet} headband {h&m} watch {gift from sis-in-love}

- - - 

HilariousPS

What better way to celebrate the new year

than with fresh, morning eyes showcased above?!

Please tell me you didn't notice that I looked like my head left the pillow 

not 17 minutes before, right?!

Thank ya darling. . . that is why I love ya.

xoxo

Family is Christmas

 

We had the most perfect of all perfect Christmas weekends.

It was full of family pictures

Drama over family pictures

Candy

Gifts

The mad dash to find the pickle in the tree for the first gift of Christmas

Morning cuddles

Christmas pancakes 

Teaching Hubs how to make egg whites make stiff peaks

One simple, beautiful Pandora bracelet I've been craving for years

Sleepover with my siblings

Huge blanket bed

Popcorn and Kung Fu 2

Christmas tree magic

Woke up this morning with a crink in the back and a slightly stuffy nose

from all those carpet dust bunnies that wanted to cuddle up last night too.

But overall . . . not too worse for the wear.

Today it's off to the cousins for more food and laughter and presents.

Cuz seriously, yo.

You gotta hang onto the Christmas magic for as long as you can. . . 

Pretty soon it will be Valentines day

Saint Patties

Easter

Summer . . .

Ok. Not really.  Our long winter is just setting in.

But srsly.

okloveyoubye

Christmas Candy Series {3}

Merry Almost Christmas to ya!

Are your presents all wrapped and your cookies all made?!

Hopefully you are doing better than me. . . 

Hubs and I fly home tonight from our wonderful

yet somewhat bruise-inducing, family vacation in Colorado.

Yay ski helmets that protect my little brainsies.

Anywayza.

So glad you came back for the last and best installment of the Christmas Candy series.

This is the easiest and favoritest of them all.

So turn on your Christmas tunes.

Don your red and green apron

Prepare to create Christmas magic in your mouth

:: Peppermint Bark ::

{original recipe found here}

2 pounds white chocolate, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

12 large candy canes

1 teaspoon peppermint oil

Line an 11x17 inch baking sheet with parchment and set aside

In the top of a double boiler 

{or in one pan nestled inside another}

melt white chocolate, stirring constantly

With a chef's knife or meat tenderizer

{or the backside of a metal measure cup}

cut or pound candy into 1/4 inch pieces.

Stir candy and peppermint oil into the melted chocolate.

Remove from heat and pour onto prepared baking sheet.  

Spread evenly.

Chill for 25-30 minutes or until completely firm.

Break into irregular pieces and store in an airtight container 

{unless you eat it all first}