“It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?” ~Henry David Thoreau
Tag Archives: blogging
Your own motivation
You ever feel like you’re in a rut? Simply going through the motions?
Your job is draining you so much that you no longer care about the money?
You constantly daydream about a vacation?
You feel like you’ll never accomplish all of the goals you’ve set out?
You feel like you need a clone in order to complete everyday tasks?
You feel like the weekend is never long enough?
You want to do more but there’s never enough time?
You feel like there’s gotta be more to LIFE than THIS?
How to be worth the follow
A friend asked me how I got “so many” followers and I was kind of taken aback. It’s one of those questions that you don’t really know how to answer because it seems so simple that it’s complex. The same criteria that apply to following someone also applies to myself. But I do believe that there is a strategy to gaining quality followers.
Here’s my process:
1. Be yourself - I know it’s pretty trendy to have several personalities on social media but your cover will get blown eventually. All it takes is one tweet.
2. Watch your language - Too many swear words and eventually people won’t take you seriously. Use sparingly and only for emphasis.
3. Tweet strategically - You only get 140 characters to get your point across. Twitterlonger is a trap. Don’t do it. Most people won’t waste their time to click on it. Keep it short.
4. Engage - This is probably the most important and one that I’ve slipped on as of late. It’s all well and nice to tweet randomly or cryptically but twitter is a place to connect with others. Ask questions. Take a poll. Don’t just follow someone and never tweet them. Comment on their tweets. Hop in on conversations.
A great way to connect with others is by using hashtags. Ex: I love the show New Girl. When I tweet about it, I use the hashtag so that those watching the show can see it. Another ex: Have a question about beauty or hair products? Ask a question and use the hashtag #hair or #beauty. Search what’s trending and interact with strangers!
Don’t just lurk or only communicate with your friends. Diversify.
6. Create and/or post quality content - Are you an “expert” on a topic? Teach your followers something. They want to learn something from you.
7. Be interesting - Share personal stories about your life. Post about your third grade teacher who changed your life. Tweet about the boy who broke your heart and later got stuck with a overbearing loser. I wanna know who hurt you!
I want your timeline to be GREAT. Show your current and future followers that you’re worth the follow.
simplify.
Word for 2013: simplify.
-to make less complex or complicated; make plainer or easier
In 2012, I had all of these grandiose ideas that didn’t come to fruition partly because they were too complex for me to understand. One thing I’m sure of is if I’m confused, no progression will take place. My goal is to make everything less complicated this year. Take that idea, goal, vision, and/or desire, and explain what I want in ONE sentence. If it can’t be done or said simply, you’re doing entirely too much.
Wise advise that I received last year: just write. Critical for me as I have a lot of plans and projects to undertake. Less talking, more writing.
Do you have a word of theme for 2013???
Happy black woman happy hour
11.11.12
Finally got to meet the wonderful Rosetta Thurman of Happy Black Woman blog.
She was very surprised that with all of the Black women in Atlanta, we didn’t have more meet-ups like this on a regular basis. Nevertheless, a good group of women came in support and we had a blast.
And guess who won the biggest prize??? THIS GIRL! Earrings, necklace and bracelet gifted by Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry.
To read more about the event, click here. And definitely subscribe to Rosetta’s blog, Happy Black Woman. Inspiring!
Writing, again
Despite me not posting in over a month, you guys STILL visit my blog?! You all are the best.
Writing is a scary thing for me. I graduated with a Communications degree yet I dislike structured writing. APA format is such a drag! But here I am, day two into a month-long writing challenge. If you’ve been following my blog, you already know that I have a thing for challenges. A friend of mine tweeted about it and after two posts, I’m surprised at how easily I am writing. Maybe because the focus isn’t on perfection. No Twitter grammer police patrolling your every typo. Just write. One full-page or thirty minutes of writing will suffice.
If you’re thinking “oh my goodness, write everyday for thirty daysssss???”, it’s okay. Honestly, it’s not that bad (so far). The point is to write. Write what you’re feeling. Express how you’re feeling. I’m a strong believer in that your words can be a blessing to someone else. You never know who needed to read what you wrote. So write. Blog it, share it with your friends, however you want to do it. I’m sure I will share some of my writing here on this blog. But fair warning, these writings will be highly emotional and vulnerable. Read at your own risk!
For prompts on what to write about, follow the hashtag #30writenow on Twitter.
Best of luck!
fear.
My heart has been racing all day. I really hope I’m not having some sort of panic attack or something. You know when someone startles you? Or when you abruptly wake up from a nightmare? That’s how my heart has been feeling all day. I think it’s The Fear.
There’s something good and bad we could all learn from fear. I’ve been experiencing it a lot recently. A crippling fear. And as much as I try so that it doesn’t, it ultimately wins. It wins in my career decisions, my relationships and in my life decisions. Fear always wins. As a result, I feel like I’m trapped in a never-ending cycle of ordinariness. It’s like watching paint dry or your intimates in the spin cycle. How utterly mundane. And this isn’t something you discuss with your friends. No. Your friends should be there to support you. Yes. But sometimes, you really don’t want to hear a “snap out of it” or “just do it” lecture. It’s redundant because you already have that information.
And how can you trust when you have so much fear? Fear of the unknown, fear of the possibilities. “Trust the process”…is that how the saying goes? It’s so weird but…I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life. And that says a lot since I’ve been a scardy cat my entire existence.
I don’t even know what I’m mumbling about. I just know I literally feel sick with fear. I don’t know, maybe this is just a regular Tuesday. Maybe I’m just over exaggerating. Or, maybe this means something good is coming next. I hope.
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Weekend at a glance: #SBOC12 #44
What do you call a weekend with fabulously dressed women speaking about blogging? A damn good time is what I call it! This past weekend, I attended the first annual Style Bloggers of Color conference, also known as #Mattiepalooza.
So there’s this wonderful woman named Mattie, who figured, hey, Atlanta doesn’t have a style bloggers conference. Gasp! So she created one and we thank her for it.
Friday night, we kicked it off with a fashion show, then an all day conference on Saturday with amazing speakers and finally a brunch on Sunday with the lovely Claire Sulmers of The Fashion Bomb Daily. Google her.
Since this is just a re-cap, I will not post every picture I took. Plus, you should’ve been there! 
There’s always next year.
Tavia, my lacefront, had to make a special appearance.
A wealth of information from our awesome panelists.
Fly girls. Jessica, Fly Won and Jillian.
My shirt was a hit.
These chics rock! Danica, Kristen, Kim and Mae.
The gorgeous ladies at my table for brunch. Jarette, Parker, Stephanie, Jillian and Dominique.
*squeal* Claire Sulmers, ladies and gentleman.
Thank you SO MUCH, Mattie! I had a blast.
To see more photos, check out Mattie’s post, the Style Bloggers of Color website and fan page.
Writings on the wall
That’s the title of one of my favorite boards on Pinterest. These days, I don’t have much to say. I can’t quite pinpoint why. There’s plenty to discuss. Wait…maybe that’s the problem. I’m inundated with information. From news to social media, there’s just a copious amount of information out there waiting to be digested. I can’t. My Pinterest board says just what I’m thinking. No need to add any more words.
Do you have an inspirational board on Pinterest?
We sang for diapers
On 3.28, I participated in a karaoke fundraiser benefitting the Atlanta Diaper Relief Fund. I must say, I haven’t laughed SO hard all year up until this point. This event was hosted by Danica and the entire Everywhere team and Kia Smith Morgan, founder of the Atlanta Diaper Relief.
If I can stop and say a few kinds words about Danica. Truly, she is an AMAZING woman. This is someone you want to know if only to make your life a little happier by having her around. She is one of the most helpful women in social media. And she truly cares.
Haaaa! Not quite Janelle Monae but she was a good impersonator.
If you’d like more information about the Atlanta Diaper Relief, please visit their website and donate your time and your diapers! If you are on Twitter, be sure to follow everyone as well.
For more pictures from the event, click here.
Oh yea, I sang Whitney, while very sick -___- Thanks, Baby Shopaholic! Thanks Ciroc! Thanks Nancy’s Pizza!
