Every Day is a New Adventure!

Hey there, readers of Ma Nouvelle Mode! My name is Alyx, and I blog over here. I'm just tickled pink to get to know all of you and tell you a little bit about myself and my little corner of the internet. Let me start of by showing you who I am, okay? Okay. This is me: 

Some things you need to know: I'm married to a totally awesome guy. We're both abnormally tall. We live in Europe (beautiful Germany, to be exact). We don't have any little rugrats [yet]. I love to blog. 
This might have gotten you to wondering what it is that I blog about. 
Well.... life. I'm not amazingly crafty [I somehow manage to botch the simplest of crafts]. I'm not the best cook in the world, or the most creative [I turn to Pinterest or Hamburger Helper for most dinners]. I don't have super cute kids that I post pictures of [again, yet]. I'm not a super newlywed [anymore]. I'm not a:               race car driver               skydiver               fashionista               supermodel               photographer               or anything else exciting. 
I am simply a 23-year-old girl wandering around Europe with her husband.

I teach English to Germans [which results in some funny anecdotes]. I share my feelings on Europe [like what's up with them not having Wal-Mart?]. I like to think I'm funny [ha ha]. I try to come up with a new way to greet my readers each and every day [this has resulted in some rather... interesting greetings].Sometimes I can attempt to drag a cute outfit out of my closet [generally this happens on Wednesdays]. 

Basically, I'm a big believer in keeping it real. I don't sugar coat my life. I share who I am with my readers, and this has resulted in some amazing friendships. I like to think that I have the best readers in all of Blogland, so here's where I say to you: 

Thanks for sharing Alyx!  Seriously, one of our favorites to read!  You can read her blog here, 'like' her on Facebook here, and follow her on Twitter here!  Have fun!

4 Reasons to Sponsor MNM

Now I know that there are a million blogs out there that you could sponsor.  Some might even be free or ad swaps.  The options are endless.  I want to take a second and let you know why exactly you should choose to sponsor Ma Nouvelle Mode.

1.) The people that come here to read this little blog in this little corner of the internet are entirely awesome.  They comment, they show the love, they check out other blogs and share the love their too.  I think for the most part the people that 'follow' or subscribe here want to be here.  They aren't here because we begged them or followed them first.

2.) The last giveaway we held got our sponsor (Avery's Loft) from 212 Facebook 'likes' to 320 in the one week of sponsorship with one giveaway.  I'd say those are pretty good numbers!

3.) We're cheap inexpensive.  We are actually not cheap because that implies not the greatest quality.  The prices are low but we are entirely certain that we have a ton to offer you all.

4.) We are moms.  We have kids.  We loves fashion, beauty, hair, makeup, girly things, making our homes cute, cooking yummy dinners.  We can relate to you, and between the two of us, you can find a lot of great stuff here.  Which is maybe we there are so many great people reading!

So if these four reasons aren't enough to get you to at least contact me if you have a blog or shop, then here are a couple reviews:


Elise Ostermann from Hey, Sweet Pea had this to say:


"I loved guest posting on Natalia's blog! She is one of the nicest ladies you will ever meet, but also very creative, driven, and inspiring. She really cares about her readers, the guest posts she has, and the content she posts. I think it's a great blog to buy ad space from,  guest blog on, or sponsor in any way! A couple months ago Natalia allowed me to guest blog and concurrently hold ad space. When checking my FB page stats, a lot of the new likes and referrals I received during that time were from her blog. I would definitely recommend partnering with her blog, because it's the whole package!!"

Amy from Avery's Loft had this to say:


 It was a great experience working with Ma Nouvelle Mode and after looking at sources of likes I got at least 50 new Facebook likes from you in one week.  I love working with you and your followers are great. I also appreciate the support through Facebook status updates, tweets, etc.  

And by-the-by I wanted to also say that you are gonna want to get in while the prices are low, because in April we have some monster things planned and a guarantee there will be lots of traffic flowing 'round here.

Hit me up at Natalia{at}manouvellemode{dot}com for more deets!!

Let's Celebrate more Birthdays!

I know this might be personal.  I know this could be touchy.  I know many of you have experienced the pain and heartache that comes with losing someone to cancer.  I know I have.  My husband has.  I have also seen people attacked but survive.  My 87 year old Grandma is a survivor.

But today, this post is dedicated to those who have lost someone to cancer.  Let's work towards a world where we celebrate more birthdays and less cancer.




This post is sponsored by American Cancer Society.

~ Sponsor LOVE ~

Today I would love to introduce some of my favorite bloggers/shops.  You can see them and their beautiful buttons over an the sidebar.  Here ya go!!!

Ilene (aka Illy) at Much Love, Illy

We both share a love for the Twilight series, and more specifically, Edward.  Go team Edward! 

blog // shop // twitter // facebook

Hello! I'm Ilene (also known as illy) of Much Love, illy, a fashion and lifestyle blog! You can also find me busy behind the scenes of my etsy shop or hanging out with my awesome family and fiance! I am addicted coffee, fashion, books and snail mail. I also have a big heart for mission work in the Philippines - and my fiance and I hope to serve there together full-time one day. Wanna be friends? Please stop by my blog or send me a tweet hello. I love making new friends! 

Use the code NATALIAROCKS for free shipping in her store!!  (and I do rock, if you were wondering)

Natalie from NS Pottery

blog // shop // twitter // facebook

NS Pottery specializes in wheel-thrown stoneware pottery and jewelry that is as functional as it is pretty! My line consists of dinnerware, home decor items, garden accessories, and pretty pottery jewelry. I also stocked my shop with Christmas ornaments just in time for the holidays! I use only durable stoneware clay for my pieces which ensures them a long and happy life. :) Each piece is fired to over 2100° F, making them safe for oven, microwave, and dishwasher use. When I don't have my hands dirty making pretty things, I love to share my life, art, and faith through my blog. I adore new friends, so come say hi! :)

Use coupon code FRANCE10 for 10% off in her store!!

Ashley from La Luce

blog // shop // twitter // facebook

At La Luce you can find art & beautiful statement pieces for fashion lovers, babies, and brides. All hair accessories can be custom scaled to fit newborn to adult sizes.

You can use the code MODE15 for 15% off your order!

Avery's Loft

Amy is a very dear friend of mine who has recently opened up a beautiful shop.  I am wearing a pair of her earrings here.

Shop // Facebook

Avery's Loft is a collection of items including jewelry, fashion, and ornaments.  Handmade creations for you and your home!

Sunshine Stitch

blog // shop // twitter // facebook

Handmade goodness for you & your little ones!

Now go check 'em out and show some love!!

** If you are interested in Sponsoring Ma Nouvelle Mode in December, you can see here for details and/or e-mail me at natalia{at}manouvellemode{dot}com.  Thanks!! **

Have a great day!

Sponsor Ma Nouvelle Mode in December!!

I have some pretty exciting things going on this next month and I would love for you to be a part of them.  I have three guest posts going up on one of the biggest blogs out there, which means more traffic for you!!

And in the new year I have some really, super-duper exciting things going on.  Like, really cool.  I am very excited about it.  Here are some of my stats as of now for your review.

28,000 Page Views last month

averaging  1,200 page views a day

Visitors spend an average of 2:10 on my blog, browsin' around

456 followers & 22 subscribers as of 11/28/11

469 twitter followers

143 Facebook Likes

25 followers in Bloglovin

Readership and views are growing daily and I would love to have you along for the ride!  Here are my three size options:

Large ad ~ $25/month

Feature post & or giveaway

Each post and giveaway goes through all avenues mentioned above

Multiple tweets & Facebook posts a month

220x220 sidebar button

Medium ad ~ $17/month

Group post &/or group giveaway

Each post goes through avenues mentioned above

Tweets & Facebook mentions promoting your feature/ post

220x150 sidebar button

Small ad ~ $10/month

Group post mention of your blog/shop

One Tweet & Facebook mention for the month

220x100 sidebar button

I am always open to unique advertising opportunities and new ideas to promote your shop or business.

If you have something you would like me or my boys to review, feel free to contact me about it.  If I feel like it is a good fit for my blog, I will let you know!

I will also be reserving a few spots for an ad swap, but they will be on a first come, first serve basis.

Please feel free to e-mail me at natalia{at}manouvellemode{dot}com with any questions, comments or thoughts!  I always love to hear from you!

Acute Designs Giveaway!!!

Happy Black Friday!!

If you have taken a breather from shopping all day, online or otherwise, you could have a chance to win something!!!

Acute Designs is one of my favorite Etsy stores.  Not to mention Gina, who is the owner and creator, is super nice.  I have loved getting to know her more and am so pleased to have her as a sponsor on my site!

 {Acute Designs} consists of handmade accessories - hair, jewelry, and bridal.

If you haven't checked out her shop, you should.  She has so many things to choose from.  That is my favorite part, there is something for everyone!  Here are some examples of her work:

 Simple yet beautiful bow headband

 Beautiful satin bow headbands

 Cascading petals headbands

Beautiful ruffled headband

Guess what?  Gina is giving one reader their choice of one of the above!  In their choice of color as well!!

I totally wish I could enter this one...

But you can!  And here's how...

Must be a follower here - mandatory - and tell me which one you would choose if you won

Follow Gina's blog over at {Acute Designs}

Tweet, Facebook, or blog about this giveaway  Feel free to use this tweet:

"Just entered to win a beautiful headband by @AcuteDesigns over at @natalialsimmons blog! Hope I win! http://bit.ly/tdI8Iu"

If you just can't wait to see who the winner is, Gina is having a great Black Friday sale going on all day today!  Just head to her shop {Acute Designs} and make sure you use the code FRIDAY25 at checkout to get, you guessed it, 25% off anything in her shop!

Aaaaannnd to top it off, all sale items are free shipping anywhere in the US!

Have fun with this one, ladies! 

{or husbands doing some Christmas shopping... :)}

The winner to the Avery's Loft giveaway can be found here. :)

Glasses.

Do you remember when glasses were nerdy?  You might have been embarrassed to wear them.  I do.  Because I had them and mine were nerdy and I was embarrassed to wear them.  I wish I had known that you could make it cute.  I wish I knew about your options.

Now, however thanks to the wonderful world of fashion, glasses are in!  Anyone can wear them and they are actually considered a cute accessory!  Now I only wish I had glasses!  Case in point - how cute is this girl?

Source: marysuekiso.tumblr.com via Annie on Pinterest

I used to wear eyeglasses.  Back in my college days.  I actually had lasik surgery and now I see pretty darn good.  It's funny though, how things work out because now that I don't need glasses, I want them.  I find myself searching for a pair I could wear just for fun.  I guess the grass is always greener, right? 

Source: s3.amazonaws.com via angela on Pinterest

Do you get to wear prescription eyeglasses?  (did you catch that, get to wear, haha)  If so, do you go for a fashion statement or just functionality?  Or maybe you do both!  Or are you one of those, like I was who can't find the perfect pair and just wears contacts.  Actually, I bought some really cute frames right before my surgery.  And after I had it, I secretly wanted to still wear them.  hehe

Source: crowleyparty.blogspot.com via Khrista on Pinterest

If you fall into any of these categories above, guess what!!  This post is brought to you by GlassesUSA.com!!!  They have loads, I mean loads of glasses for men and women for really reasonable prices.  Did you know that you don't have to break the bank just for one pair?

They have rx sunglasses, men's and women's styles, multifocal glasses, you name it.  And for a limited time you can take 50% off any pair of prescription eyeglass frames (standard lenses included) with the code Fall50 (additional charges may apply if optical lens upgrades are used) and/or take 10% off any order. Just use the code Blog10.

For more information you can also check out their Facebook Page or follow them on Twitter!  Make sure you say hi and tell them I sent ya!

So off you go!  Go check out their awesome selection and make sure that your lenses are cute and fashionable!  It is possible people!  And now's the time!

I was compensated to write this post, but the opinions are 100% mine!

Jewelry, Ornaments & a Giveaway!

Are you one of those people that has started decorating for Christmas?  Like you just can't stand it, some things go up before Thanksgiving.  The stores are starting to do it, that makes it okay, right?

At the very least I know most of you are planning for it.  Unless you fall into the category my husband and I do which is wait until the week of to get the presents.  Yep, we're awesome like that.

Well, I have something that is going to brighten up your Christmas planning.  I don't know about you all, but I love personalized items.  I'm not talking every.little.thing personalized, I don't need my initials on my underpants, but you know, the items that mean something.  For example, I recently got my Lisa Leonard necklace and I adore it.  It has be boys names engraved on it and somehow it feels like they are closer to my heart that way.  I absolutely love it.
 If you don't know about Lisa Leonard Designs, you must go check her out.  She creates beautiful hand-crafted pieces such as my necklace here.

This holiday season she has also created quite a few ornament designs that can be personalized as well!  These are particularly special to me because growing up my parents would buy us our own ornament each year.  It was such a special tradition because the ornament would kinda represent what we were into each year.  What a great idea to have a personal or family ornament to remember each year!

Find it here

Find it here

Find it here

Lisa has so kindly offered to give one lovely reader {that's you guys!!} $50 credit to her store.  JUST IN TIME for the holidays!  Could this be any more perfect?  Here is how you need to enter.

1.) Follow my little blog here & tell me what you would buy with you credit {mandatory}

2.) 'Like' Lisa Leaonard Designs on Facebook

3.) Tweet, Facebook, or blog about this giveaway{2 extra entries for each!}

You can use this tweet "I entered to win $50 to @LisaLeonard beautiful store @natalialsimmons place! Check it out: http://bit.ly/v8JuSV "

Bonne chance!!

Launch of With Love, Design!!

We would like to preface with a thank you to Natalia for giving us this great opportunity 

to do a little blog post about the launch of our interior design company!

We are three creative ladies who have come together to form one company.  

With Love, Design is the name. Interior Design is our game.  But, seriously. So to make a long story short, we met at the lovely Oklahoma State University where we studied interior design. We have always been a dynamic team - with our style, attention to detail and work ethic we might just attempt to take over the world! We believe interior design is a great way to showcase a client's individualism and style. We are constantly in search of inspiration to create the space to make you feel at your best.  

Individually, we have a unique passion for all facets of design and want to 

bring something new and fresh to the great world of interior design. All in all, we love what we do and we could not be more excited for the launch of our business!

Meet your With Love, Design team:

{We would love for you all to visit our splash page: Click here.  Additionally, we would be thrilled if you "liked"us on our Facebook Page.  Oh! and "follow" us on Twitter to see what we are up to & for current promos! }

The good news is... We are having a **Giveaway right now!

We are offering three lucky winners each one FREE consultation and 10% off any of

our design services listed on our website!  Be sure to get your entries on before Friday evening!!

Visit our tumblr for more information: http://withlove-design.tumblr.com/

Oh, and just in case you were wondering who created our logo...

Our logo and business cards were designed by the fabulous Hey, Sweet Pea team.  Seriously do not know what we would do without them!

It was such a pleasure to introduce our biz with you on Natalia's amazing blog!  We hope you all enjoyed it!  Be sure to contact us with any questions // inquiries:

info{at}withlove-design{dot}com

Thank you ladies!! I am turning comments off so you can go check them out!!

Sooo, something kinda cool is going on today!

Since I redid my design I have had a few people comment on the pictures in the about me section and my new blog button.  Well today I can reveal why I took those pictures in the first place!

Today a photo shoot I was a part of about a month ago was published on Style Me Pretty!!  If you don't know, this is a pretty big wedding blog.  It is so great for the vendors involved, they get a lot of exposure through posting their weddings on this site. 

The shots were done by Brienne Michelle Photography.  She is one.talented.lady. {and a proud sponsor - button in the sidebar!}  I was so impressed with her design and work, I felt so beautiful!!

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know about Nakate.  Shanley Knox has brought back jewelry to America to sell to support the African women who make it.  What a great thing, right?  Well they needed models for a photo shoot and I of course offered Lavar and myself for it!  Lavar was less than thrilled, but like the good husband he is, he bucked up and headed out.  I mean, he's so handsome, it wouldn't have been so great without him!

If you want to check out the extent of my modeling career, you can see the pictures from the Bohemian Styled shoot here.  You can also see the entire gallery of pictures here.  

Hope you like them!  I would love to hear what you think!

Inspiration~ YOU!

Starting a blog was probably one of the best ideas I have ever had.  I have met so many people and been inspired in so many ways.  I love it.  I am so thankful to have some awesome sponsors on the blog this month.  I love them all.  Let me introduce you:

I know you all know and love Casey.

Blog // Facebook // Twitter 

Gina is a favorite of mine, just love her!  We are pen-pals, you know, with real paper. ❤

Blog // Shop // Facebook // Twitter

I just met this lovely lady, but immediately loved her.  So blessed to know her.  And I obsess over her shop... daily.

Blog // shop // facebook // twitter

I am sure you all know Ashley too.  She was my very first follower! And turns out we know the same people in real life! So fun!

Blog // facebook // twitter

If you haven't met Elise, you must.  She is super talented, fun, inspirational, you name it. LOVE HER.  She has a super awesome design business. You should really check it out. :)

Facebook // Twitter

And then the organization that she started, Creative Connection USA. Such an awesome thing and there are chapters starting all over the US, you can either find one or help start one!

Facebook

And the lovely Meghan Christine photography.  Super talented girl and it turns out we know a lot of the same people too! Went to the same high school, but different years...

Website // Facebook // Twitter

I strongly suggest that you check them all out.  I can personally attest to the face that they are amazing ladies.  And it might give a head start on some giveaways we just might have going on in the month of September!!  #JustSayin!

Have a great weekend!!