Cydneyrai (2024)

22/04/2024

Reminder: You won’t find one-size-fits-all self-care advice, clothing, or lifestyles around here.

In fact, if you want cookie cutter tips and content that fits into a neat little box, I am not your girl.

Everything I do is intentional AND intuitive.
Everything I say is a reflection of my lived experience.
Everything AND everyone I love nurtures and welcomes my evolutions even when they don’t quite get them.

The reason I won’t do one-size-fits-all is because I want you to choose you and fight for you.

I want those who allow me in their environment, digitally or physically, to know I will create as safe a space as I can while still being my authentic, full, divine, unserious self for you to grow, change, and prioritize you while I prioritize me.

Daily Motivation:
Self-care is self-preservation.
& it’s not selfish, it’s necessary.

10/08/2023

“She can beat me but she cannot beat my outfit.” - 🪩

Wearing blue for my girl Blue Ivy Carter and showing up COZY for in the Queen City. 🩵

Joy unmatched.
No filter needed.
Body snatched af.
Status: THRIVING.

Outfit details:
• Glasses from
• Dress from
• Earrings and boots
• Bag and fan from Amazon
• Ring from

03/08/2023

It’s Black Business Month! 🖤

Now, if you know nothing else, know that I love Black women from infinity to infinity. I love when Black women *insert whatever we be doing here*.

So, when I was thinking of my offer suite through my business knowing I would choose the educational and consulting route, I mulled over how I could add a philanthropic element that would leave under-served business owners with a smile on their face.

Cause if there’s one thing Imma do, it’s add an element of giving to whatever it is I’m trying to build.

& I did just that by gifting professional photos to small business owners, usually without their knowledge when I’m shopping. I mean, just ask who is in the process of doing something new with .

I took this one step further and started doing content creation through my personal brand and companies like are loving it.

The idea is that I go to events as the usual hype, invested consumer that I am and then plan entire content creation mornings. The longest part is truly editing whatever I capture.

Why am I telling you this?

Because if you can’t support monetarily all of the time, there are other ways to uplift Black-owned business. You can use your time, energy, effort, and resources. Your own talents and ideas.

I promise you. I have gotten nothing but amazing feedback when I surprise any business owner with photo or video content to use at their discretion.

Now, who you buying from in this lineup? Who you following?

Trust me, more posts like these are coming! I haven’t even gotta into my favorite wellness brands that are Black owned yet. *plots*

29/07/2023

I’m in my single, sexy, free, lucky, lover girl energy. ✨

STORYTIME
I was supposed to be on an weekend date excursion in my city I took all of these. It fell through but instead of canceling our stay for the weekend, I stayed.

THOUGHTS
See, I remember when I couldn’t afford to do things like this.

I mean, just a few months ago staying 1 night at my dream hotel in the city by myself sent my anxiety into a frenzy and the money trauma spiraling.

A few months ago, I was in a long term relationship questioning who I was, where we were headed, and how I got here.

A few months ago, I wasn’t in therapy. I wasn’t in this state of flow. My platonic and familial relationships were not being nurtured because I was riddled with guilt, shame, among other things.

I wasn’t who I am now.

THIS NEW ENERGY
I mean, this lucky girl energy isn’t a new concept for me. I’ve felt blessed and highly favored and lucky my entire life. I believe the 3 can co-exist.

& no, not every moment of my life has felt lucky but there’s not a moment I would change or do differently because I wouldn’t be where I am now.

The sexy and free lover girl energy is new though.

This idea that my sensuality isn’t contingent on anything or anyone else but me treating myself like I am the love of my life. Like I deserve wine on a balconies in cities where the sun kisses your skin as it it sets.

I deserve do absolutely nothing, however I define that, and I do not have to earn it.

I deserve healthy relationships in all areas of my life, especially when it comes to my friends and family.

I deserve to wear the outfit no matter the occasion because my life, my existence, is the **** occasion.

BOOK THE STAYCATION, BABE
Some people hate this word but I love it. Staycations have become a new norm for me, much like my annual bo***ir shoots with one of my favorite photographers.

But, I define a staycation as staying elsewhere in your city.

So rent the Airbnb like I did, housesit for a friend, book the hotel room, do whatever feels aligned.

Dress how you want to dress.
Eat how you want to eat.
Do what you want to do.

Thank yourself, not me, later. ✨

25/07/2023

Ya girl has holy grail products??

Honestly when I made a story yesterday talking about my holy grail products that have to come with me, especially if I’m traveling, I was a little like “who is she???”

Before you say an influencer, don’t. I’m a creative who happens to create aesthetic content and enjoys the artistry in daily self-care.

You can say it’s not that deep but baby, I’m the deepest parts of the ocean that you haven’t explored yet. Shallow waters is not my vibe.

Now, about these products!!!

1-2: ’s Amore Oudh is officially my scent but..

3: ’s Milk & Honey body butter has to be layered in between me spraying the first because the combination is UNDEFEATED. Plus I get told I’m soft when I wear this body butter so…

4: ’s Thigh Rescue has been in my arsenal for YEARS as a girlie who was not a fan of summer because these thick thighs were angry anytime we wore shorts or a dress.

5: ’s Unscented Deodorant because stress sweat is a real thing and I’m trying to smell heavenly as often as possible. This doesn’t compete with my signature perfume or body butter so I’m happy.

6: ’ for the skincare because I am a sensitive skin kinda girl who wants to glow and looks like she was moisturized by the morning dew drops. I said what I said!

Now if you counted the numbers, I was numbering the slides, not the products. My bad.

I did tag all the products on this app in case you wanted to shop to make up for it. I’m just saying…

Also, this is not sponsored and no, I’m not editing these with my presets or wiping off that table covered in pollen because I was at an Airbnb when I took these, thank you very much.

Y’all will live. *giggles*

21/07/2023

Before I log off for the weekend…

I have a podcast! *screams internally*

Back on June 25th, I had the idea (much like ) to start a podcast before the sun made its way to my room and I’m so glad I did!

July-August episodes have all been recorded minus any special episodes I decide to do because it’s *my* podcast, *my* platform, and I do what I want!

Swipe right to see the first few episodes that are live. New episodes every Tuesday and understand this: we’re just in phase 1.

Close friends know phase 2 and 3. *cackles quietly*

Link in bio to take a listen! Okay byyyyyeeee. 👋🏽

19/07/2023

Note to self and anyone else who needs it…

You can be well and wealthy.
You can be a boss at work and live a live where self-care is a daily habit, not a luxury.

Wealth is not just monetary.

I want to be wealthy in love.
I want to be wealthy in joy.
I want to be wealthy in peace.

So this one goes out to all the wealth builders out there. We’ve got this.

Chain: .world

15/07/2023

Things that bring me joy lately:
• Wearing thrifted clothes again
• Container garden thriving
• Murals in unexpected places
• Floral arrangements made by yours truly
• New beginnings in the form of a first date, community collaboration, and more experiences
• Bilingual books, especially if they’re full of poetry

What brings you joy lately?

05/07/2023

Don’t @ me because I’m just now watching this movie. 😅

I’m making it up by seeing it twice in one week (once solo, once not) and dissecting it with one of my best friends. Like, you should see my notes about this movie from my solo watch movie tonight.

Also, if you didn’t know if I was a MAJOR nerd and love deep diving into movies, music, & books, now you know. 🤓

For those that have seen Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse, who else is ready for Beyond the Spiderverse already?!?

29/06/2023

Back in my “always up to something” bag and loving it. ✨

The only person who knows the current thing I’m up to I told as of yesterday.

Y’all ain’t ready. 😏

(Side note: Moving in silence on your own stuff is underrated. I said what I said.)

12/06/2023

I’m going to be a menace this summer.

Respectfully, you’ve been warned. ✨

09/06/2023

Vibes before vacation. ✨

Things currently bringing me joy:
• Working outside every morning
• A cup of coffee or tea
• Homemade strawberry cheesecake nice cream
• Evenings spent watching sitcoms
• Singing and dancing around the apartment
• My sassy but sweet cat, Peanut
• My friends, near and far
• The family group chat and our Instagram DMs

What are your vibes this weekend?

23/05/2023

Divine has entered the chat. ✨

I feel like most of y’all have seen my feminine energy. She’s warm and sweet and nurturing.

& if you’ve ever worked with me or you’re in my circle or someone has messed with you, you’ve seen my masculine energy too.

She’s the type that’ll scour the earth for you if you go missing and go to war on your behalf if you are harmed with ALL the receipts, respectfully.

Her love is more straight to the point while my feminine side likes to invite you gently into the type of love she knows you need & deserve, my masculine side is “super aggro” when she tells you that you are seen, understood, and heard.

Both are valid and I’m done hiding one just to make others comfortable.

If you get the fullness of who I am, you’re welcome.

——— Final thoughts from the writer within…

I wasn’t made for a box.
I wasn’t made for a simple life.
I wasn’t made to do and give and exist for anyone else.

I was created to be beautiful and bold with a story that could fill the pages of hundreds of journals and still not fully encapsulate all that I am or all that I have been through.

If you know the depths of my soul, you know the most sacred parts of me. ✨
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Chain:
Legacy Cartouche:

17/05/2023

I used to dream of traveling for work.

Not frequently, but a few times a year.

& I’m doing it. I’ve been doing it.

I feel like I don’t always take the time to acknowledge that I’m really living dreams I spoke on YEARS ago.

I’m proud of me.

I’m proud of us (past, present, and future for what she will accomplish).

I hope you take some time to take a mirror pic because you can and reflect on how far you’ve come, friend. 🫶🏽

26/04/2023

My dad is my real life superhero.

I was able to attend for the first time to support him and his friends & y’all…I had like 693 photos from that day and I couldn’t even follow him through the whole track. 😅

We went to at and when I say I have never seen so many obstacles in my life. Like before you even start the race, you gotta army crawl through the mud and under barbed wire! My dad is an Army veteran so I feel like this may have given him flashbacks. 🫣

The funniest part was me freaking out when I realized they had to jump over burning logs at the very end of the race. 🙃

Proud of Superman and his friends for completing this race because it was a beast in my eyes!

Now, who wants more photos and videos from the race?

I have a lot of photos…a lot…

📸: Captured with Canon EOS Rebel T7
👩🏽‍💻: Edited with my own presets in Lightroom

01/02/2023

Black women who create 🤝 Businesses that celebrate us

Photo dump includes:

1. A self portrait I took on my phone and on my balcony during the pandemic

2. Butterfly Musings: issue 1 by & yes, I still have it.

3. Photo from before I needed prescription glasses viewing artwork with my family during the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement

4. by Glory Edim. Peep the affirmation.

5. At Duke Manor in Shft World’s WORK ETHIC: BEYONCÉ shirt in honor of her announcing the Renaissance Tour

6. Normalize Black Wealth mug from on top of a journal designed for Black History Month a while back by DesignWorks Ink.

7. I still love mirror photos. Fight me.

8. My favorite pair of earrings that reminds me to love my fro by .

9. One of my favorite purchases, this .store bag!

10. In the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville for my 30th birthday in and .

I think it’s time to take self portraits again…

06/12/2022

Forever an emo girl at heart. 🖤

You remember my video about ? Well, right before we walked in I spotted this poster in the window of .

I am not generally a spontaneous girl and known as the planner of the group, but let me tell you something: nothing gets me out of the house faster than an opportunity to listen to music that takes me back to when I was an angst teen and a chance to hang with good people.

I guess this is also a good time to mention that ya girl is going to see Paramore live in 2023 with her love and I’m still in shock. I have never dropped money on two tickets so fast in my life. 😅

04/12/2022

Jumped on the .ai train to get some magic AI avatars. 🤖

Full transparency: I did the free trial then purchased 100 generated avatars for $5.99 because I wanted to see what the AI would come up with. All I needed was to upload 10 selfies and let the app put in the work.

Needless to say that this just further confirms that we are all living art. Masterpieces and works in progress with many stories to tell. Gotta love the duality of being human.

(I know you may not think it’s that deep, but you’re talking to a poet and a photographer so Imma dive into these musings okay!)

Now for some questions:

1. Which one do you feel looks the most like me?

2. Which one do you feel like seems the most like me energetically?

3. Have you done the AI generator yet?
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15/11/2022

Everyone and I do mean EVERYONE should see . 🖤

But, what would this page be if I didn’t give a fair warning…

If you are dealing with grief in the form of loss of comfort, safety, or a loved one, it may not be time for you to see this.

Don’t get me wrong. This movie is immaculate in its storytelling, costuming, action scenes, the characters’ storylines, and cultural truth. It’s the conversations and the swell of the music that matched the core of them that made me cry not once, not twice, but three times.

It’s the gut punch of grief hitting you over and over again as you realize you’re not alone in your loss but coping looks different from person to person. That you may have to walk alone if you choose a more healed journey and some can’t choose that journey on their own.

I should likely watch the movie again to take notes and dissect it for the blog, but I’m still processing the first watch.

Have you see the movie already? Do you agree with the trigger warning?

Cydneyrai