Say Hello to My First Guest!

Hello everyone! Today is a very special day because *Insert drum roll* I'm having my first ever guest!

 Say Hello to Katie! (If you came over from Katie's blog then Welcome! (: ) I met Katie through Living In Yellow about two weeks ago and instantly fell in love with her blog! This Lady here has been a big inspiration to me as I have become apart of the blogging world and I am so happy to have her as a blogging buddie! She has oh so kindly accepted my request invitation to be my guest here today and I am so excited to share her amazing post with all of you! I'm sure all of us bloggers, new and old, can learn something great from her today! She is even Introducing a blogger that inspires her! 

I am now giving her the reigns, so enjoy and make sure to say hello and give her some thank you's for anything you learn!

Hey hey hey to all of Kaitlin's readers! How goes it?! It's Katie from Keep Calm & Carry On! 

I hope you aren't too disappointed that I'm taking over Kaitlin's blog today with a guest post. Kaitlin sent me one of thee cutest/nicest/sweetest emails I've gotten about my blog to DATE...the girl is just super awesome. I'm SO flattered that she asked me to do a guest post about why I started blogging and any blogger advice & tips I have for newbie bloggers! I will try my best to give some tricks of the trade that I learned on the way! :)

Here is a little background about my bloggity blog...I started blogging in October of 2010 so I haven't even hit my year mark yet. However, I started reading other people's blogs a couple months before that. I was so interested in the blogging world and quickly found myself checking other girls' blogs everyday to see what they would write about next. I finally decided to bite the bullet and create KC & CO because of my mother. She passed away when I was 16 from Breast Cancer and left me a couple of journals and a box of "love notes" that were everyday reminders of why she loved me.  They have had such a big impact on my life that I knew I wanted to do something similar for my husband & kids, but most importantly for myself. My blog was a way to share my life experiences and see if I could connect with others who had gone through situations. At the time..I NEVER imagined it would turn into what it has now. I have now expanded my blog to talk about exercising & health which I'm very passionate about, traveling, and also just everyday fashion finds. I would have to say the BEST part of my blog and how it has developed are the friendships I've created on the way. There are multiple girls that I now speak to on the phone and text with daily that I now call my closest friends...... AMAZING, right?! 

There was a certain cutie-pa-tootie's blog that inspired me (and had me completely hooked) when I first started blogging....Pink Lou Lou of Confessions of a 20 Something

Allison is a gorgeous, down to earth, Kentucky belle who is so stinkin' cute she makes me very very jealous. She IS Carrie Underwood's twin and bestie, after all.  I would read her posts and get so inspired by how REAL of a woman she is and how many people enjoyed reading her blog (which was evident by her large list of followers). I started to leave her comments on her blog, and like the awesome gal that she is she would respond to me with such humble thank you's and comments.

I know what it's like to just start blogging and be super intimated... WILL people really want to read about MY life?! Well, the answer is YES. 

Here are some things I have learned along the way that I hope can help you if you are new to blogging...

#1. Be yourself when you write! 

-Don't just write about what you THINK others will want to read because people will see right through you. I've found that I can relate the most with people who write similar to how they would talk in real life...if that makes sense. It may take a while for you to learn to write like this, but that's OK. 

-Always remember your main purpose for making your blog in the first place....be true to yourself. 

#2. Just keep writing.

-When you first start out, readers want to get to know you more so it helps if you post regularly. It will not only help get your blog out there, but it will help you feel more comfortable with posting.

#3. Don't be afraid to comment on blogs that you love to read or that inspire you.

-Is there a blog out there that you just LOVE to read everyday? TELL THEM and follow it. That is how relationships and friendships are formed...don't be shy!! The more consistent you are with commenting, the more they will understand how much you enjoy their blog and will visit yours. :)

#4. Certain bloggers have what they call "link-up's" that you can participate in....PARTICIPATE if the topic intrigues you.

-This is a great way to expand your readers because other bloggers will link up and be able to read your post from the link-up. You should also visit other people's blogs that link-up and comment letting them know that you found them through the link-up! 

#5. THIS MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE I HAVE LEARNED: Make sure on your Blogger profile that you have your EMAIL ADDRESS added. If you only have your web page added, you will NOT be able to receive any emails back from people who you have commented on their blog. 

-When I first started blogging, I would comment on people's blogs and not understand why I would never get a response. Do they hate me?!?! is what I thought. No, THIS was the reason. It's so easy to change and will really help you connect with other bloggers! 

Well, if there are any new bloggers out there reading I hope this helped you a little bit and know that people DO enjoy reading your blog whether you believe it or not!! 

Keep onnnnn truckin' ;)

A special thank you to Kaitlin for having me on her cutsy blog today! I am truly flattered! 

Don't forget to come over to my blog and get to know me...now that you are a BLOGGING PRO and all ;)

xoxo. 

Katie