Hey NBN it’s me once again. (Self proclaimed internet queen and professional dance dance revolutioner.)

I have been AWOL mostly due to the fact that I had to delete my mobile app to make room for my mothers wedding memories. (Also self proclaimed photo taking queen.)

I’m writing at this terrible indecent hour just to let you all know I’m taking a tiny tiny tiny leave of absence from NBN for the month of April.

I have some major things coming up like my birthday and a family trip to Cali and lots of tutoring to do for classes and blah blah blah…

Thank you all for being my support always. I love each of you endlessly and will of course be taking emails at my business  email nothingbutnealie@yahoo.com should any of you need me for any reason at all.

April and May are difficult for my college loves and I know it. Please don’t stress while balancing work, school, and friendships. It’s all an uphill battle and my favorite man in the entire universe once said, “There are times in your life that you will get knocked flat on your ass and the only way to move on is to get back up as fast as you were knocked down.” So while you are all tackling the last bit of this semster don’t panic. Just get back up. (By the way that’s my dad. Here’s looking at you Patrick. I love you.)

I will be back faster than you know it.

XOXO,

NBNealie

Today the weather is beautiful so I stopped by my favorite little coffee shop near campus. Naturally because it’s the best place in the world EVERY table was taken. So I asked this girl sitting on the old beat up couch (I adore that couch) if anyone was sitting at the table next to her. Her stuff was in one of the chairs and she said no and she went to move it for me. 

“Don’t worry about it,” I said, “I’ll only be here for about 15 minutes.”

Then I sat down and started doodling in my little notebook. The girl looked up at me and said, “Is it sunny and beautiful outside?”

“It is so fantastic out that I put on shorts just to come up here and walk to this coffee shop.”

She ran her fingers through her hair looking a little anxious. “I’ve been here all day,” she said and smiled a little.

“Don’t worry. That’s me as well most days.”

I went back to doodling in my book and I looked up and this girl just looked really DONE with studying. You know. The kind of done where you just look at someone and you’re like this person is 2 pages away from a break down.

So I said, “You look a little burnt out.”

“I am.”

“Well do you want to go outside with me and take a little walk for five minutes? It really is beautiful.”

And she said yeah and we left all our stuff and went for a walk down the street and I learned a lot about her. She’s kind of in the same boat I am with wanting a minor based on passion (here’s looking at you Philo Minor) and being a first generation college student. 

We talked a lot about being passionate about your major and even the small parts of life. That really resonated with me because I have been really really down on myself lately. We got down to the end of the street and I said, “Listen, I drove all the way up here today for a walk and a five dollar cup of coffee. I was probably supposed to meet you today so you wouldn’t be so stressed about your test.” 

She said, “Yes the universe probably knew.”

It felt like I was talking to myself when she said that. She had no idea what that meant. The universe knew I needed it too.

When we got back I grabbed my stuff and told her good luck and I hope she felt better.

She said I was a wonderful human being.

I’ve needed a little validation in that for so many weeks and she just plain said it, unprompted.

I won’t use her name because I don’t have her permission to, but it’s people like her that I’m talking about when I preach to all of you to be gentle with the world.

If I hadn’t made myself the type of person that wants to nurture the minds around me then I wouldn’t have met such a sweet human being. Other people probably would’ve left her there to pull her hair out before her exam. Don’t be that type of person. Love on other people simply because they exist.

Love others and celebrate often.

XOXO

NBNealie



I will preach and preach and preach again on being gentle with people. 

IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO BE GENTLE WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

People think really hard about doing sweet things for one another but they don’t think twice about flipping the bird in traffic, being aggressive with other people, or even just tearing other people down.

THAT SHOULD BOTHER PEOPLE. It should bother you, me, your neighbor, your brother, your cousin, your uncle, everyone. Whether you’re black or blue or purple or white or green or something in between THAT SHOULD BOTHER YOU. 

At this point in time people will effortlessly berate others and are shy to smile at a stranger. I get that. This is a post 9/11 world and we are all afraid of what our neighbors are capable of. Fine. Be afraid… But don’t ever think, “Yeah, I’m fully living.” I’m sure I’m stepping on some toes here. FINE. Fact of the matter is this: If you have a crippling fear of kindness to strangers YOU AREN’T LIVING. If you don’t feel like you can smile or tell someone to have a nice day (and REALLY mean it) and all you have is a cold shoulder for the outside world then you are just kidding yourself.

This is a hard world in which I am telling each and every one of you to remain soft. 

Listen. A lot of this I write to remind myself, but I feel really strongly about taking care of your friends and neighbors and yes even strangers.

To err on the side of caution is not to be hard with the world. I’m sick of seeing that.

(Sorry not sorry for being sassy.)

XOXO,

NBNealie

Dear darling readers.

Today I, Queen of the Internet, come to you posing the ultimate question.

This question if unanswered could lead to the end of humanity. The world will be lost in a black void. We will all be doomed. So my loves… I beg of you to answer…

To short hair or not to short hair? To extension or not to extension?

(Drama* Queen of the Internet more like it…)

Anyway. I preach a lot to all of you killer guys and gals on self confidence, and just the other day I gave my good friend Mary the advice to go for the chop on her hair for that very reason. For most of my time as an adolescent I was known as the girl with long pretty hair so I used this cool new title to be just that… The Girl With Long Pretty Hair. Now I kind of just want to be Nealie. After The Great Hair Chop (and bleach… Which is out of the picture you guys. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am a brunette. *sigh*) of 2012 I became NEALIE. I talked to a lot more strangers. Cracked a lot more crummy jokes. Interviewed a bunch of artists for Themattix Art Gallery. Dubbed myself Internet Queen (I hope you all know that I’m kidding…).

So in the name of good old fashioned 21st century fun I decided a poll was in order.

Vote on my hair.

I may or may not listen to you.

Please view reference photos and vote responsibly.

RULES:

• No voting while intoxicated.
• If your name is Gabrielle you are not allowed to cast a vote.
• After casting vote please spin in three complete circles to lock in your vote.
• If you are under the age of 5 your vote is not valid (but good job using the computer).
• If you own more than three Burberry items you may not vote.
• If your birthday falls on the third Saturday of the month this year you may vote more than once.
• If you have more than five letters in your first name but less than 8 you must blink twice before voting.

Happy voting!

Current Hair:

(This is that selfie from a weekish ago.)

Short Hair:

Long Hair:

XOXO,

NBNealie