I don’t really talk about my faith all that much on my site because NBN is an accepting community and I don’t want anyone to come to this site and leave feeling attacked. So this is fair warning that if the idea of God, spirituality, etc. bothers you then you are more than welcome to click off now as I do not wish to leave anyone feeling “belittled”, “demeaned” or otherwise upset after leaving NBN EVER. Just come back October 5th for the next installment of Mori and have fun with us again! 🙂

I’ve been having some rough days lately. That’s fine. Everyone has rough, down-on-your-luck days. Sometimes we even have a lot of those days in a row.
I’ve been feeling like quitting a lot of things. Quitting on my friends. Maybe even cutting down my hours at work. I just could not figure out how to keep doing everything I was doing! I’m living coffee cup to coffee cup and I got scared that I was missing out on life or going to start messing up my grades (which are all GREAT by the way!). It’s just all gotten a bit too much. That’s okay too. Sometimes it gets a bit too much. That’s not the important part! The important part is that you keep moving. Even if your steps feel small and useless moving forward is still the answer.

So God did this cool thing in my life today. He always has a way of knowing when I’m way too down and out. He knows when I’m running low on hope. He knows when I’m pretty close to giving up. However, He just reminded me that instead of quitting I should be a “God if you’re there come and rescue me” type of person.
If you are having a hard time right now remember that His time is always perfect and you are never on your own.

Someone needed a sign today and here it is!
“Just a little faith, it’ll all get better.”

“Something In The Water”

He said, “I’ve been where you’ve been before.
Down every hallway’s a slamming door.”
No way out, no one to come and save me
Wasting a life that the Good Lord gave me

Then somebody said what I’m saying to you
Opened my eyes and told me the truth.”
They said, “Just a little faith, it’ll all get better.”
So I followed that preacher man down to the river and now I’m changed
And now I’m stronger

There must’ve been something in the water
Oh, there must’ve been something in the water

Well, I heard what he said and I went on my way
Didn’t think about it for a couple of days
Then it hit me like a lightning late one night
I was all out of hope and all out of fight

Couldn’t fight back the tears so I fell on my knees
Saying, “God, if you’re there come and rescue me.”
Felt love pouring down from above
Got washed in the water, washed in the blood and now I’m changed

And now I’m stronger

There must be something in the water
Oh, there must be something in the water

And now I’m singing along to amazing grace
Can’t nobody wipe this smile off my face
Got joy in my heart, angels on my side
Thank God almighty, I saw the light
Gonna look ahead, no turning back
Live every day, give it all that I have
Trust in someone bigger than me
Ever since the day that I believed I am changed
And now I’m stronger

There must be something in the water
Oh, there must be something in the water
Oh, there must be something in the water
Oh, there must be something in the water
Oh, yeah

I am changed
Stronger

I’m free

XOXO,
NBNealie

Hello hello hello all!
I HAVE EXCITING NEWS! Everybody please take a seat for this one. You’re going to be excited.

Drum roll please…

WE ARE ONE MORE DAY AWAY from the launch of our NBN Halloween series MORI.

Through the month of October please feel free to follow the series of artistic and creepy videos I’m making with the help of my best friend, Tiffany!

XOXO
NBNealie (Mori)

Every day there is a risk of getting fire up whether it be by your boss, your best friend, your lover, or your professor. Here are 25 ways to not argue with the people you care about (or really shouldn’t argue with).

1.) Bang your head into the nearest wall, desk, table, etc.
The idea here is to erase any memory of the situation that made you angry or annoyed.
2.) Bite your tongue.
Warning: Higher anger levels put you at risk of drawing blood.
3.) Bite your lip.
See warning above.
4.) Eat lots of food.
5.) Run away. Forever. Disappear.
6.) Count to 10.
7.) Count to 10,000.
8.) Keep counting because let’s face it… You’re still mad.
9.) Breathe.
10.) Punch things that aren’t breakable.
11.) Throw things that are breakable.
12.)

13.) Cry a little bit in the shower.
14.) Don’t react and don’t think about it for 24 hours. If it’s important you can react later.
15.) Pet a small animal.
16.) Think about breaking the law. Then don’t. Because that’s illegal. No law breakers allowed in the NBN family.
17.) Do an interpretive dance to express your frustration.
18.) Eat a really hot pepper.
19.) Listen to some rad jams.
20.) Momento Mori. You knew it would show up on this list.
21.) Pretend it’s Opposite Day and then let Em have it. It will come out so happy.
22.) Remember that “Don’t get mad get even,” is for psychos and jerks. You my friend are neither a psycho or a jerk.
23.) Vent about it to someone you’re close with. NOTE THAT THIS DOES NOT SAY POST ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER FOR ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS TO SEE.
24.) Learn a new skill like cooking or dancing or singing or playing the guitar or MMA Cage Fighting or soccer.
25.) Use your effective communication skills to express yourself without being hateful. You have the ability to defuse a situation. You can’t control other people’s actions but you can control your reaction. Remember to be more loving and understanding this week NBN Family!

XOXO,
NBNealie.

So my friend Teddy and I take weird photos in a cool stairway at my school. Enjoy them while you wait on flash topics this month.

My art Prof said today, “I know some of you have looked at some things and said ‘it’s not art, I don’t get it.'” I was happy to think that I wasn’t one of the people that could say yes to that. I’ve been surrounded by art my whole life and I feel really lucky that my mom was an artist and raised me that way.

Helpful life tip for the day:
One day I woke up and decided life was great and it pretty much has been ever since! What will you decide today?

XOXO,
NBNealie artist, model, and Internet queen.

1.) Life is really weird okay? And you’re going to have to get over it. You’re going to have to fail. You’re going to have to fail a lot in fact. The thing is that you’re not always going to fail and you are NOT going to be labeled a failure. Also you’re going to have to do stuff you don’t want to do sometimes. GET OVER IT. Chin up and do it! It doesn’t have to be awful if you don’t make it awful.

2.) You are here to experience life and make choices and change your mind and make other choices again. Things are constantly changing. You will never be in a state of equilibrium, I promise. Don’t be scared because you’re ready for it.

3.) You are a soul. You were put here to give out positivity and get it back. You’re here to experience it. Memento mori. Remember death. You’ve got one chance to take all the chances you possibly can. Believe it or not we’re all on the clock. The weird part? You never know how much time is on your clock. You never will.

4.) Sometimes life is bad and you need some time to recover. Fine. Take as much we you need there’s no rush to jump back in. Just remember that you are in charge of you and you are in charge of how you feel. As soon as you feel like you can again you just have to hit the ground running.

5.) Say. What. You. Mean. But don’t speak hate. Be gentle with people. You’ve got to figure out how to communicate effectively! Why? BECAUSE YOU’VE GOT A LOT TO SAY BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT. You’ve got to just say it. Tell the boy what’s on your mind. Tell the girl how you feel. Grab the people you’re closest to and tell them you love them, tell them to be safe, tell them to love themselves, tell them to have a good day. Let. Them. Know. Leave NO ONE guessing at how you felt or what you meant.

6.) You’re spectacular and I mean it. From the way your hair falls to the way your eyes look when you smile. It’s your turn to love you. You can do it. Treat yourself to something you like whether it’s a pack of gum or a pair of shoes. Take a hot bath. Light your favorite candle. Take an hour for yourself. You mean the world to someone the exact same way someone means the world to you.

I know someone needed to hear some of these things today NBN Family. Go about your day and enjoy every moment. Bask in the good and the bad. Be excited about life. Tomorrow is Friday so to paraphrase my favorite high school AG teacher: “Remember the devil is lazy and he only likes to do work on the weekend. Be safe not sorry. Thank somebody for being a part of your life today and put your as around someone and tell ’em you love ’em.”

XOXO,
NBNealie

Daily dose of happiness coming to you on this fine Monday.
Of all the times I was ever low on cash I never once regretted giving a hardworking person a $20.00 tip. I always regret buying stupid little things first or spending money on myself. Don’t chalk that up to me being a good person okay? It makes me feel weird.
I see the same 2 ladies at my favorite coffee shop 3 days a week. Every. Single. Time. They handle the rush with smiles and happiness. Today I was compelled to treat them.

I challenge you to find someone hardworking in your life and make their day. Whether it be a smile, a kind word, a little spending money, an extra thank you. Find that person in your life (because we all have them) and do it! Why wait?

XOXO,
NBNealie

P.S. I saw Maggie this weekend!

Hey NBN,
I’m very tired.
I’m very hopped up on coffee.
I’m the poster child for college students everywhere.

Here’s a video about the types of people you see (and smell) in college.
ENJOY.

Cast:
Nealie as… Nealie
Nealie as… “Sorority Girl”
Nealie as… Annoying Kid in Class
Nealie as… Smelly kid
Nealie as… “Oh My God” Girl
Enchanted Woods as… Body Soap
Nealie as… Dancer 1
Nealie as… Dancer 2
Nealie as… Dancer 3
Nealie as… Extra 1

Crew:
Director… Window Sill
Camera man 1… Window Sill
Camera man 2… Black Book
Set coordinator… Myown Twohands

XOXO,
NBNealie!

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GRAY AREA IN MY LIFE!
I’m either running late for class or I don’t have class that day.

Anyway here are some things I’ve learned my first three weeks of college:

1.) Bikes will hit you.
They will hit you and not feel bad. Beware. All. Bikers. I repeat: beware all bikers.

2.) Greeks are EVERYWHERE.
The Greek alphabet? Yeah. Learn it. The Greeks are all over campus. They tend to wear their letters, but on the off chance you see a Greek that’s not you can play a rousing game of “Guess the Frat”. (Note that this takes special skills that you may not develop until your second year on campus. I’d say your sophomore year but this is my first year on campus and I’m a sophomore so…)

3.) GET TO CLASS EARLY.
Would I steer you wrong? Take it from a girl that likes to sleep in with the best of ’em. You’ve got to stop. That’s my piece on it.

4.) Coffee
It’s important. You need it. The world around you needs you to have it. Just find something that makes you pleasant okay? It might not be coffee for you. I for one however am I professional only-spend-money-on-coffee-er.

5.) Suck it up and do it.
Whatever “it” is. Do it. Homework due tomorrow and you’re up late? Too bad. Just do it anyway. You’re going to be tired. (See 4) My point? We all have things we don’t want to do. Just get it done and thank yourself later. For me it was getting my geology homework done at 3 a.m. and having to nap on the break room table at work for an hour. That’s okay. People get it.

Just remember to stay at happy as possible and that if ONE day goes horribly, terribly, awfully wrong you will ALWAYS have the power to just try again tomorrow. And of course you’ll always have me here. That’s right, you. You reading this. You have me.

XOXO,
NBNealie

P.S. Don’t forget that you can email me any time at nothingbutnealie@yahoo.com

Hey guys it’s been a long couple of weeks but today is great.

I’m currently wearing this killer dress. Get this, it has pockets. What more could a girl want? (Besides a fantastic career and a debonair husband?)

I found this awesome song called Say My Name.
You have to listen to it. It’s the iTunes single of the week so you might as well just download it, but you can also click the linked text to listen on YouTube.

My Step Dad texted me this morning! A lot of people ask if I’m feeling abandoned because they’re moving to West Texas. Of course not! I’m really proud of them for figuring out something that they are excited to do together! How great would it be to be able to just pick up and start a fun adventure with someone you love. Congrats momma and Casey, I’m so proud of you.

To top it all off I’ve had my morning coffee like a professional college student.

I hope you all have an amazing day NBN! Love you all so so much.

XOXO,
NBNealie