How to Start + Love the Blog of Your Dreams

Welcome Back Biggies!
I have been getting so many questions about blogging, writing, and content creating. I decided to take this opportunity to come on and chat with you guys about what it takes to become a blogger!

A COMPUTER.
It's simple. I know that before I started, I thought you had to have high-tech software, editing skills, and of course, a bomb briefcase. But honestly loves, you can start exactly where you are with what you have. Now I'm not a world-renowned Lifestyle Blogger, but I know just how to make your blog become your safe space. And that's why we're here right?

1. Choose Your Platform
First things first, you have to decide which medium you will use to launch your site. When I started my blog, almost two years ago, I did about 15 minutes of research before deciding on Google Blogger. I was just SO excited and I had heard a lot of positive talk about Blogger. I knew that I could have my own domain name, write as much as I wanted, and personalize my site (sort of) to my liking. There are tons of websites out there: Squarespace, Wix, or even Tumblr are just a few. Believe me, there is a site and template out there that you WILL love, you just have to know what you want.

This leads me to my next tip...

2. Brainstorm- Use Some Ink
What do you want to blog about? Career Development, Beauty, Natural Hair, Technology, Travel, Spaceships.. The world is literally at your fingertips. Write down some goals or topics you have for your blog and begin developing those ideas. But always remember: your blog will change + grow just as you do. And honey, that's okay!

3. Don't Do What You Think Will Gain Readers
This is your time to be authentic and learn the absolute most about yourself. Create the type of content that YOU love. Don't go writing about natural hair and make-up tutorials if you know that's not your thing.

4. Be Consistent
Hey, I'm still learning this tip! Consistency has to go hand in hand with Reality. Don't promise to post twice a week, when you know your schedule is staring at you like, "Girl, When?!" Schedule time to blog. This is a freeing experience so try not to allow everyday mishaps to stop you from doing what you truly enjoy.

On the other hand, don't rush and post subpar content simply because it's been months and you haven't written a thing. Take your time and know that the internet will always be there for you. If you're having creativity block, embrace it. Explore new activities that will open your mind and soon become an amazing blog post for your readers.

And Finally,

5. Design, Design, Design
We live in a digital world. We are the millennials and unfortunately, we have a microwave attention span. Writing is beautiful, it's powerful, it is an art. But words alone, will not catch a reader's eye. Design your page to your liking. Add photos, gifs, and surveys to your blog. Be as interactive and fun as possible.

Somehow, in all of this, remember why you started. Alex Elle didn't become Alex Elle by comparing herself to similar bloggers. She remained true to herself, and truer to her words.

I hope you do, too.

NaturallyK's last minute tip: An online presence on other social media platforms may help attract readers that you already know!

Leave links to some of your favorite bloggers below. I'd love to see who you all are reading.

I love each of you.

Stay Happy. Stay Healthy.
~NaturallyKbiggie

Year of YES! (and NO)

Hi Everyone!
I know, I know. You don't want to hear the excuses. Lol, you have, indeed, heard them ALL before. All I can say is that, life got real "life-y" again. This summer was full of ups and downs. Writers block and overflow. Smiles, tears, pain, and peace. In all of that, I am finding it so necessary to take care OF MYSELF. This is something I find so hard to do and half the time, I'm not even sure why. It's strange. You can ask me to move an entire mountain for anyone I love. In seconds my boots will be strapped and my arms up and ready. But ask me to take a nap, or turn off my phone for an hour, or write a freeing blog post...and I'm like: "Hold on Girl. Where do you think I'm going to get the time to do alladat?!"

It is a problem that countless Black Women face, and it is killing us y'all. I have learned so much about self care, my own mental capacity, and depression this summer. I would be remised if I did not share my journey with those who have always been by my side. Now this is not to say, "Oh look how much I've healed. Look how free I am." Let's face it. I am in the thick of a Revelation. But God has made it apparent to me that a life not focused on Him and His plans for me, is a life tossed to the wayside. God built the whole wide world and found room to rest...Who do I think I am? A savior?

NO!

My name is Kiersten Brydie.
(Everyone join in and say "Hi Kiersten")
I am a 22-year old student, content creator and dreamer.
I struggle and suppress my emotions.
I am often times happy.
I am often times sad.
Monday, is my LAST, first day of undergrad.
No, I do not know what will follow.
No, I do not HAVE my whole life plan at 22.
(I would also be happy if you didn't ask)
This, indeed, is my Year of YES!
IT IS ALSO MY YEAR OF NO.

I say YES!
To the dreams
To the leaps on faith
To happiness
To time spent laughing
To days full of friends
To the fear
To the pain
To depression...
I see it.
I recognize it.
I am
I do
I can
I make
I love

I say NO
To all the shit I've been doing for everyone else
To the guilt because of that
To the judgment
To the fear that stops me
To the pain that engulfs me
To depression that does not allow me to share...
I see it.
I recognize it.
I still am
I still  do
I still  can
I still  make
I still love

This is me. This is not all of me. This is who I chose to show. I am a flawed. I am, at times, broken. I am sad. I am carrying weight. I am free. I am healed in this moment. I am healing. I am all the things.
The overcome. The victory. The war.
I am Love.
I am of God.
And by His strips, we are healed.

Stay Happy....Scratch That.
Smile, and if you can't. Cry.
You are worthy.

With so much of my true love,
~Naturallykbiggie

Sandra Bland

"Believe it or not, I am still not over Sandra Bland

Go figure, right?

I mean a black girl, with a loud mouth, and take not shit from nobody serving it blood running through her veins

You know, they type to own her own body or swear she did anyways

And parade around all proud and what not of this churn or woman and darkness she has bled

It's almost as if she had a voice or tried to use it somehow before the noose and/or trash bag snatched it out of her throat

And I know it's hard to believe that months later your ears are hearing the same damn poem

And, trust me, it's hard to believe that my fingers are writing it

But how eerie it is to see a woman so much like you die and have it called a mystery

You know we crowded around Twitter that day, and so many after, trying to solve a riddle

Like, how long can a black girl lives if she speaks when not spoken to?

And how closely can America watch and still not see the blood spilling from the brown?

Must you drown in it to realize?

Must we all go missing?

When I stand in the center of campus and say that, "I AM SANDRA BLAND" 

And a sea of white faces look on in confusion

Or look away in disgust

I realize how suicide =CAN be murder

And we are still trying to solve the riddle

The answer is clear:

It is easy to be killed by oppression

To have it fester beneath your skin and have it suck all the light and/or blood out of you

I do not know what type of pain one must cower under to hope for death instead

I do not know who wrote this riddle, who thought it funny

But I do know that I AM Black

That I AM Woman

That sadness accompanies my loud mouth and slides beneath my toes daring to swim its way into my throat

That, itself, is reason to believe they tied the noose

So. Believe it or not, I am still not over Sandra Bland.

Go figure, right?"

Dance Will ALWAYS Be Life

And this is truer than true. No matter how far I have strayed, Dance will always be at the core of who I am.

Dance has taught me more about myself and this world than I can put into one single blog post. 

I'm grateful for the late nights and early mornings. 

For the bruised toes.

For sprained ankles. 

Tendinitis.

Rotation.

Concussions.

(Yes, concussions.)

Blood. Sweat. And literal tears.

For it all.

One thing for sure, dance is not easy. That's not why we do it. There are no easy claims to fame. No fast money. And often times it can be a world full of rejection.

But we are FREE here. 

I say "here" and it can be kind of confusing, being that I don't really study dance any more. I'm not actively taking classes or performing, and to be honest I don't even remember the last time I thoroughly stretched. But every single time a song comes on, I'm moving inside. 

Every time, I want to give up on a simple task I hear the words of all of my former teacher-loves cheering me on; reminding me that complacency never gets cast. 

People who give up don't see the bouquet of roses. 

And that no matter what, you dance through it all.

From house lights to curtains, you leave your entire soul on the stage and for one moment you are both completely empty and drastically full.

For that moment, it is all worth it and you are breathing with your favorite song.

Dance has taught me that perseverance is the only way to make the curtsy worthwhile.

So even when times are tough, when the work is piling, the interviews are plenty, but callbacks are few...when it seems the easiest thing to do is fall and stay there,

Remember that, we have danced our entire life here.

The beauty is coming.

The beauty is here.

It's in the dance. 

DIY Avocado + Banana Deep Conditioner

Welcome back loves!

Alright, so I've taken out my Marley twists, trimmed my hair....and abruptly realized it is MORE DRY THAN DUST. As you all know, I've been on an all-natural journey to cleansing my mind, body, and spirit, but my hair should not be exempt.

We are taking it back to the basics with this easy, all natural deep conditioner that you can make from ingredients STRAIGHT from your kitchen! This particular recipe is inspired by the beautiful Naptural85.

The first thing I do is wash my hair with a sulfate-free shampoo. Then I apply the conditioner.

Here is what you will need: 

1. One Whole Ripe Avocado 

2. One Whole Ripe Banana

3. 1/2 Cup of Aloe Vera Juice

4. Two Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender. This helps smooth the chunks of avocado and banana so that you don't spend hours in the shower trying to rinse it out later. Next, I pour the mask through a small rice strainer and into a large bowl to completely eliminate the chunks!

*The Blender and rice strainer are OPTIONAL. You can always whisk the ingredients together and it will work the exact same!*

Apply the conditioner, generously throughout your hair. Be sure to coat EACH strand!

Wrap your hair in  a plastic cap, or Kroger bag :), and allow it to penetrate your strands for at least an hour. During this time, you can go for a walk, watch some episodes of Grey's Anatomy, or cry about finals LOL.

Once an hour has passed, rinse the deep conditioner thoroughly. I also like to follow up with a rinse our conditioner to ensure that all of the avocado and banana smell is out of my hair.

AND there you have it folks! Soft, Moisturized, and Defined Curls! Comment down below some of your favorite DIY hair product staples. I'd love to chat with all of you.

Until next time!

Stay happy, Stay healthy!

~Naturallykbiggie

Did Someone Say Hair Goals?

Welcome Back Loves!

 I think it's time we sit and reflect on all the good things that can happen in a year. I made the Dean's List. I fell in deeper love with ever single thing around me. 365 more days of my parent's love.

......OH, AND MY HAIR GREW!

 

I am here to show you guys my healthy hair journey since I did my second big chop last May. I also want to share an updated hair care regimen and talk about some goals for 2016! Let's get started!

 

Here Is My Hair Growth Since My Second Big Chop:

Updated Hair Care Regimen Tips:

Oddly enough, I haven't truly been caring for my hair the way I should. With such a busy schedule there were times I didn't sleep with a satin bonnet and  let days and days go by without moisturizing my hair. On top of that, I know I haven't been taking care of my overall health the way I usually do, but luckily I'm trying to get back on track. Hey, we're all human right?!

Here are a few things that I've recently added to my hair care routine:

 

 

1. Aloe Vera Juice

WHY: This has given my curls LIFE, okay!? I keep my Aloe Vera Juice in a spray bottle in the refrigerator up until my time of use. Aloe Vera contains proteolytic enzymes that help repair dead skin cells on the scalp. It also leaves the hair smooth and shinny, prevents an itchy scalp, and promotes hair growth. HOW TO: After cleansing and conditioning my hair, I spray the Aloe Vera Juice thoroughly

throughout my hair and seal with my homemade hair oil.

2. My Homemade Hair Oil

WHY: In the warmer months, I don't like to use heavy products. In fact, most times I spray my hair with Aloe Vera Juice, seal with an oil, and twist/braid on up. I combine Olive Oil (because its the cheapest), Coconut Oil, Flax Seed Oil, and Castor Oil in a bottle. The coconut oil and olive oil are the perfect mix of heavy and light oils that I know will penetrate my hair shaft. Flax seed oil is packed with omega-3 fatty acids and castor oil can help improve hair thickness and rebalance the scalp's ph. HOW TO: I will slap this oil all over my hair as a 15 minute hot oil treatment before cleansing. I also use this after cleansing to seal in my hair's moisture.

 

3. Scalp Massages

WHY: Mainly because college is hard and sometimes you just need a good rub down lol. BUT ALSO scalp massages are a great way to stimulate you hair follicles, encouraging more blood flow circulation. This helps with the continuous growth of new, healthy hair strands. HOW: Using my Homemade Hair Oil, I massage my scalp for about 5 minutes, at least twice a week. P.S. It's GREAT right before bed time.

 

4. Protective Styles

WHY: Like I said...college is hard lol. I know I used to LOVE wearing my hair out, frolicking around campus, but it is easier and way more efficient to rock a protective style. Protective styles allow for either your ends, or majority of your hair to be tucked away from the harsh air and stranger's wandering hands lol. HOW: I LOVE TURBANS, so sometimes I'll moisturize and twist my hair into some jumbo flat twists, slap on a bonnet, and tie up a scarf. I also love Marley twists and Box braids as a form of protective style. Some more easy mid-week protective styles could be a pin up-do, a puff or bun, or some good ole Queen Latifah Set It Off braids. Whatever suits you style!

FAV PROTECTIVE STYLES:

     

So What's Next?
As the semesters ends and I'm able to get a grasp on this life of mine, I plan on getting back into weekly exercise, meal prepping, and of course tons of water. Aside from that, I'm taking this summer for the ultimate self care as I re-center in meditation and prayer.

I plan to:
1. Continue Protective Styling while giving my hair a break in between.
2. Go to a salon and get a really good Trim within the next two months.
3. Invest in a hair Steamer to increase the moisture levels in my hair and skin.
4. Cleanse my scalp at least once a week.
5. Practice Patience and Enjoy My Naps every step of the way!

Share your Hair Goals for 2016 with me in the comments below. As always, thank you so much for reading!

Stay happy. Stay healthy!
~Naturallykbiggie :)

  



 

You Do What You Want When You Poppin'

 

 

Good Morning Everyone!

Everyone knows my motto for 2016:
YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT WHEN YOU POPPIN'

But what does that really mean?

I am here to share with you the three step formula.
*WARNING* Following these steps can lead to extreme self determination, joy, and spiritual enlightenment. Use at ANY point in your life process and repeat as often as necessary.
Let the poppin' begin.

Step One: Know, without a doubt, that you are poppin'
Whatever that means to you, internalize it.
Something that has helped me realize the magnitude of my POP is writing and reciting morning mantras. Although it can be helpful to recite a prewritten mantra, nothing truly resonates like speaking your OWN words into the universe.

Here is a simple mantra to begin with:
"I am alive today.
Whether the sun shines or the skies cry,
My happiness is solely dependent on me.
Today I choose to be free."

Step Two: I like to call this the "Who Gone Check Me Boo?"
Ok, you're poppin' so now what? Now is the time to do all the things you've dreamed of. I know that I always find myself waiting to live my dreams, promising that there is a better suited day to start truly living.

THERE IS NOT BETTER TIME THAN NOW.

The past year has abruptly taught me how short life is. How often people wish towards tomorrow for a bigger smile or a better life. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Ask your self this: If today is my last day, did I live a joyful life? Did I use my voice as a testimony? Or did I shrink the talents God blessed me with in order to accommodate someone else's happiness?

The choice of freedom is yours.

Step Three: What fun is poppin' alone?
You all know that we don't hold our blessings to ourselves. Not in this fam, we don't.

Once you have completed steps one and two, take it upon yourself to help others reach their POP potential as well. We shine from within and radiate outwards. If you see a sis struggling to believe in herself, teach her to POP. If a brother is doubting his dream, teach him to POP too.

Be intentional with your words and actions. Pray, meditate, seek understanding.

"Make yourself a priority."

Stay Happy. Stay Healthy!
~Naturallykbiggie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Summer of Life Lived

Welcome back loves!

I have been gone for such a long time and I have missed you all dearly. I am starting (and this time finishing) a new series on my blog entitled, "The Summer of Life Lived." I'll be taking you all with me on all of my summer adventures as I travel, try new veggie restaurants, and attend cool events. You all can expect a new blog post EACH WEEK.
I promise :)

The first segments of Life Lived is a recap of my amazing pescatarian lunch from Poor Calvin's this afternoon. 

I met my mom and two of my amazing god mother sistergirlfriends for a lunch date at 11:30. During this time, the lunch crowd had not yet arrived, the FREE parking was relatively empty, and the ambiance was beautiful.

The menu, which was moderately affordable, was packed with Asian-inspired dishes. I decided on the Lobster Fried Rice. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. I also ordered the "home made" Raspberry Tea with a hint of the home made Lemonade.

My meal was absolutely delicious. Although the service grew a little slow, Poor Calvin's is definitely Naturallykbiggie certified!

I encourage you all to try this amazing restaurant located at
510 Piedmont Ave NE Atlanta, Ga. 30308

American Pie

How to raise a black boy

Or how to raise dying things

Or how to grow oak trees from concrete

Or how to turn 50 cents into three meals

Or how the streets make meals out of brown skin

Or how brown skin settles into pavement by morning

Or how we all felt his dreams spill beneath or footsteps

Or how the system blames us for the mess they made

Or how the street corners feel like an auction block

Or how they sold us this American Dream

Or how they cut us this American Pie

Or how no one left a slice for boys with mahogany skin

Or how no one taught they mommas to love life back into breathless things

Or how no one told they mommas they was birthing tombstones

Or how they carve tombstones from our baby’s test scores

Or how to pass a test you never knew was coming

Or how to fail a test you never knew was there

Or how to walk out of handcuffs made for your wrists

Or how to not love your hood

Or how to not dap your kin

Or how to not do what it takes to make ends meet

Or how to solve a 400 word puzzle with five pieces

Or how to color inside the lines when you ain’t got no crayons

Or how to play free at recess

Or how to walk home from third grade 50 years old

Or how to be born a thug, a killer, a shaken bottle of angry man

Or how to not be angry, man

Or how to see black mommas weeping over walking dead babies

Or how to not see no momma at all

Or how they call the closest thing to Home a project

Or how they tear the project down and build a Starbucks can’t nobody afford to drink at

Or how to make it out the hood they keep such a tight lid on

Or how to sleep and make gun shots your alarm clock

Or how they sell us guns, but don’t sell us books

Or how to beautiful and brilliant in Black bodies

Or how to be more than Black bodies

Or how to be living and growing and thriving things

Or how to avoid unfortunate things

Or how to die as quietly as you have lived

Or how to not live at all

Or how they sold us this American Dream

Or how they cut us this American Pie

Or how no one left a slice for boys with mahogany skin

MLK Day of Observance with Dr. Marc Lamont Hill

I wish, I truly wish, I could journal this experience up into a single blog post for you guys, but that is not at all possible. The fact that I am able and courageous enough to continue to struggle for freedom. The fact that I am able to use my voice as power in this movement. The fact that so many lives were changed, doubts were affirmed, and spirits were renewed. I have no words for that type of love.

Me, being the nerd that I am, had a journal and pen ready to scribble down all of the tokens Dr. Hill left us with. Read and be renewed.

On the media:
"They want us there, not to fix it, but to talk about it."

"You control how people think about the news just by writing a headline. You set the table for how the world consumes a story."

"I don't think about the debate as a space to change minds. I think about the dialogue as a space to change minds."

"We don't trust our own institutions to tell us the news."

On the Black Freedom Struggle:
"This commencement is birthed out of struggle. Every year that we do it, there are people that believe that this work is less necessary."

"The Black National Anthem is a song that emerges out of struggle. And in the midst of that struggle we never said lift black voices, lift marginalized voices. We said Lift EVERY Voice and Sing."

"This tradition ain't about being in front. That's not about freedom. That's not about justice. That's about you."

On the structure of whiteness and power"
"You need the entire infrastructure of over policing for Ferguson to exist."

"White misery is a lot less tolerable in the U.S. We literally had to whiten the face of poverty to make it real."

"The construct of whiteness, itself, is power."

On the American Contradiction: 
"There's a bunch of people who are good at weddings and bad at marriage. America is terrible at marriage."

"At the same time that the state is shrinking, the war is expanding."

"We build first class jails and second class schools."

"I don't have time to worry about poverty because I'm worried about the environment. I can't worry about education because I'm worried about prison. As if there's not a school to prison pipeline."

"They say Negros can't read and write but make it illegal to teach Negros to read and write. They say we're lazy, but make us slaves. They say we're incompetent, but we raise your children."

"It wasn't a speech about dreams, It was a speech about broken promises."

On poverty:
"The suburbanization of poverty."

"People say, 'They died in a zip code that doesn't matter.'"

"People work every day and the months just last longer than the money."

"Living in a poor neighborhood shouldn't mean you get a poor school."

Final Tokens:
"Dr. King wouldn't be endorsing candidates. He'd be prophesying to them."

"To listen to others is to see the inherent humanity of all voices. Begin the work of listening."

"The nation is stronger when our coalition is connected."

"We come out of a tradition of people who put their very bodies on the line."

"If we are going to do this work, we have to choose to be brave."

"Marches, protests, sit-ins are the light of accountability."

"Is there anybody who believes in humanity in its entirety?"

2016 IS MY YEAR!

Happy New Year Folks!

I don't know if you can tell through this text, but I am SO excited to be back with you!
WE ARE ONE YEAR OLD!!!! Turn up for us guys. I want to take this space and tell you all how grateful I am for your unyielding love and support over the past year. I never would have imagined my blog to grow into what it has become. To know that my personal story + journey has impacted and inspired so many of you all, makes my world smile. You all keep me going, even when I doubt my magic!

So it's 2016 and I am declaring this, MY YEAR. I feel an infinite amount of love and light going into this year. I sat back the other day and wrote + reflected on 2015. The past year was a difficult one for me. I didn't feel grounded in my life,  my passion, or the people on this journey with me. I was kind of doing things that I didn't necessarily love or agree with, just because "the norm" was more stable than walking out on a branch and hoping not to fall. I was lost y'all, for real.

Towards the end of the year I realized that the most important decision I will ever make in life is the strength to choose myself. LIFE IS SHORT, and I know we hear that all the time. But truly, life is short and precious. I found myself always waiting on the weekend, or summer, or the right people, or the funds, or a little less fear or whatever. There was always some excuse as to why I didn't do what I WANTED TO DO. I was trying to save myself from myself.

Not anymore.

2016 is my year.
I will fill it with love,
and journal entries,
and random events,
and travel tickets,
and the laughs of friends,
and the warmth of family,
and lovely cities,
and my studies,
and my dreams,
and my poems,
and all of my magic,
each and every day.

I am intentional about my growth, this year. I am intentional about my happiness.
It is up for you to decide on joy, you know?
Life gets hard. We loose ourselves. We loose our jobs. Pain comes. Loss hurts. Complacency is easy.
But what is life if you don't wake up every single day, deciding that if you die tomorrow, you will know that you lived a beautiful and full life...that you gave this world all you've got, that you left it more beautiful than you found it.

That's the kind of life I want to live. I don't really know how it will happen, but I am deciding that it will. I am choosing me today. I am choosing me in 2016.

Get out there y'all.
Travel alone.
Write a book.
Tell someone you love them.
Tell yourself.
Buy the car, the shoes, the chocolate.
Sleep in,
Or wake early to see the sun rise.
Find yourself.
GET FREE, EVERY DAY YOU CAN.


"We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Stay Happy, Stay Healthy
~Naturallykbiggie