So Beautiful

Sometimes I am overwhelmed with how beautiful life is. . .


relationships
family
our home
cousins
love
yummy food
summer days

And usually it's the smallest things that remind me of this.




painting rocks with the kids


ironing Husbands clothes on a blanket and table


lists of dreams for our home


late night movies


lunches outside in the downtown


sweet emails from new friends

Happy weekend, lovelies!

xo

inspiration for our fourth

 one : two : three : four : five

Monday is going to be awesome. . .  as I have an Australian friend coming to visit over the Fourth.

Tuesday is going to be awesome . . . as it is the first day of my three day holiday vacation.

Wednesday is going to be awesome. . . as I plan to make heaps of Independence-inspired foods for a family picnic in our backyard.

Thursday is going to be awesome. . . as I plan to show my friend all the amazingness of the midwest.

Friday is going to be awesome. . . because no duh, it's Friday.



Happy this Friday, lovelies!
xo

this little faith

Sometimes I feel that even after so many years
my faith is still so little.

It feels so tiny it barely fills a corner of my heart
yet the problems fills up every part of me.

One July 13, Husband and should be boarding a plane for China.

We get so excited when we talk about dear friends we love there.

I cry when I think of my little Jamie who lives in a big school without parents.  And remember when she asked me so intensely last fall, When will you be back?!


I also can't lie and say we aren't excited to fill our bellies with our favorite chinese foods like jiaozi and tudo nuro gaifan.



There are so many hopes and dreams for our future with the people of China.  Spending two weeks in Kunming this year is such a good step towards that.

We have been so blessed by many friends generously supporting this mission.
But with the tickets are still so high and a large amount of money still needed
I feel my heart falter.

It's a funny thing though.
Knowing and seeing how God has provided in the past.
Yet looking forward to the future and feeling my own human heart doubt.



Can He provide $3000 in two weeks?


Can He really make this dream a reality?


Can I allow Him to fill my heart with faith?


How do we know when God is closing a door?


So we continue to wait.
Trusting God that He truly does work all things for good.
And asking Him to cause my tiny mustard-seed faith to be enough.

*update: 
If you are interested in supporting our trip, you can donate online here or feel free to email me for more details 
nicole{dot}neesby{at}gmail{dot}com

Hello Nicoladee ! !

This little blog's first year slipped past yesterday while Husband and I were just doing life together. . . that's really the best I think.  We had lunch with friends.  Ate our most favorite chicken teriyaki.  Talk about a lot of life.  And my favorite part was our late night work on the wainscoting in our bedroom.  It's literally like the little bedroom that could.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

source via

Enough about weekend dets.  Let's talk about more exciting things.   Besides the awesomeness of confetti.  Because it rocks.

Have you noticed all the blog changes today?!  I'm kind of really excited because I have been thinking a lot about streamlining this blog the last several months. . . wanting to make it easier to navigate and focus on what I care most about.  

Keeping this love journal of our adventures alive.

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First off a name change!   I've spent weeks wracking my brain for a more whimsical, shorter name that can fit this story better.  When Nicoladee popped into my thoughts, I knew it was right.  When I say that name {pronounced nick-oh-la-dee} I have this vision of myself just being me.  

Making, 

creating,

and celebrating 

the precious life God has blessed me with.   

I have chosen to keep my same blogspot URL for the time being, but stay tuned for a new web address sometime in the near future.  Don't forget that The Neesby Lookbook is now Nicoladee!!

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Second off of all this blog is reformatted and redesigned!  More space for bigger photos.  Less sidebar junk to distract.  It's life.  Pure and simple.  

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Third and last.  I have come to the realization that I sadly can get caught up in the silly things of blogging.  Like page view numbers and comments and followers.  I feel like my soul need to be detoxed in a way.  I have decided to shut off comments for a while.  Thanks for the inspiration Davi!  

I need to be able to post about our life and not feel pressure wondering what people will have to say.  This doesn't mean it's forever.  Just for a season.  

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Remember that some things haven't changed.  I still desire a space where life can be celebrated in a real, honest way.  Where I can brag on Husband every now and then.  And where I can chase the dreams God has laid on my heart.  There will be photos of special trips and our ever-on-going house projects and probably a lot of food that I stuff my face with.  I hope you choose to stick around because I really kinda like you!

Be sure to check out the new links.  Also get your questions ready because I am about to open a faq's page and I want to know all your questions.  My beans are ready to be spilled.

Happy happy Monday, lovelies!

xo

Kinspiration. Or Kitchspiration. However You Like It

Is that the proper word for Kitchen Inspiration?!

Who really knows.

Either smeither way, this year is srsly gonna kick some boo-tay when it comes to revamping our downstairs {this should be said in your best vally-girl accent, mkay?} because my awesome momma is planning to hang out a lot and put her expert painting hands to use.  Gosh I love her.

So in no particular order, I present my 2012 list of Kinspiration

Houseperation. . . 

Hospriation. . . 

Rospiration. . .

never mind, you get the idea.

- - - 

Handmade wooden countertops by husband

via

Pendent lighting to brighten the dang place up

via

Open cupboards to display pretty things

via

A red kitchen door

via

Cooling palate of colors in all the rooms

via

Dark cupboards in the kitchen to offset light walls

via

Lots of white curtains all around

via

Some happy wallpaper for the entry way.

And maybe a cute kitten as well.

via

A photo/memories wall in the hall

via

Some DIY lights in our bedroom

 via

Some happy stripes in the bathroom.  I repeat.  In the bathroom.  

Not baby room for anyone who was confused.

via


Handy shoe storage in our tiny entry room

via

Now pretty please link up your favorite household-inspiration piece you have seen online this week.

My Kinspiration-list thanks you.

Happy Thursday, lovelies!

xo

I'm Not The Greatest

At keeping away from all things cheese, bread and chocolate

But I visit the local farmer's market to inspire myself with healthy dinners.

At keeping an empty inbox like some kinda email ninja

But I try to keep up on a little something everyday.

At exercising as often as my hips require

But I do sometimes walk down the road to the circle and back.  Yay one mile!

At communicating with Husband in non-emotional, respectful ways

But I always do try and make things right before bed.  Can't have the cuddling hindered

At keeping my blog on topic or on schedule

But I sure have learned a lot and love you all a heap and bunch!

Happy Hump Day, Lovelies!

xo

Especially Grateful

Today I am especially grateful for

: A better-than-awesome family of my husband's

: Breakfast in the sunny omelet parlor

: Yummy things like warm biscuits and butter

: A mountain-side zoo.   Coolest thing ever

: Hugging giraffes

: Watching baby experience her first raindrops

: Sunday lunches at a heavenly crepe place in a cute downtown

: Savory crepes.  Sweet crepes.

: Did I mention crepes?!

: Cute baby girl

: Baby giggles.

: Sunshine on the shoulders

: Music from the splash-pad in the park

: Garden of the gods.  One word.  Awesome.

: Tall cold water bottles

: Tiny cactuses not in my feet.

: Massive puffy clouds.

: This family.  I love them.

: Did I mention cute baby?!

: Return flights to my home-boy.

I am so grateful for the beauty and surprise of love, family and our big gorgeous world.
I am a pretty lucky girl.




Happy Monday, lovelies!
xo

Good Morning Colorado. Good morning Baby Girl.

Living long distance from your only adorable baby girl niece in the entire world is pretty sad thing.

It's like peanut butter living in the garage, while the jelly is locked up in the fridge.

Doesn't that just break your heart?!

So when my awesome mother-in-law invited me on a long weekend trip to spoil the little babes

I was already packing my bags. . . 

not literally because I never do that til 2 hours before leaving our house.  

I can't wait to get my hands on the little little puff of cuteness later today.

And I sure wish I was taking the entire baby girl section in Target with me spoiling tactics.

Husband should also prepare for me to come home begging for a baby tomorrow.

Happy Friday, lovelies!

xo

Here's The Skinny

I recently devoured the book 'Bloom' by Kelle Hampton.  Have you?!

My heart was so touched by the beautiful story of their family embracing their adorable little girl, Nella.

The one part that really hit me was when Kelle talks about the adjustment and growth after Nella's birth and discovery of her down syndrome.  Kelle said she had to get to the place of completely embracing their new life and making it the best she could.  

Even more so, her sister said "Imagine the way you would like to see yourself handle this situation and then become that person."

As I look at my own life, I realize there are things I wish I could change.

I wish we didn't have any debt so I could stay home all the time.

I wish I wasn't in a position to have to work 40 hours a week.

I wish our finances weren't so tight.

I wish our bedroom project was complete.

I wish, I wish, I wish. . . 

The reality is this.

I do need to work at this time in our lives.

We do have a plan to get out of debt, but it will take some time and a lot of hard work.

I do have the hope of being home someday.

So how can I make my life the best that it can possibly be for where I am right now?!

To today at work {actually my summer nanny job for my cousin's two little adorable kiddos} I created a list of all the things that are going to make our summer pure awesome.

It was actually really exciting thinking about awesome things like visit a fire station, paint rocks and visit every ice cream shop in the city.

Then we spent the rest of the day with stuff like making mini chocolate chip cookies.  We also made a blooming mess with finger paints.  Lunch was a stuffed animal picnic on the porch.  I also realized that this summer I will probably do more arts and crafts than the last five years combined.

So I may have an inbox full of pressing emails and piles of dirty clothes at home,

but my heart is really so full right now.

As I was laying on the couch with the playing around and I thought to myself,

Today is the only June 13 in 2012 that I will ever have, so how can I make it the best it could possibly be?!

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Happy Hump Day, lovelies!

xo