I have been so busy with my SeaweedArt greeting card business, which has really started to take off, especially over the holidays, that I have not been writing very much here lately. I’m so excited that I am planning to expand my line to include new products like prints for home decor, journals, note cards and other stationery items. In order to raise funds, I have launched a campaign on Kickstarter, an online crowd funding source for entrepreneurs like myself, who need capital for their businesses.

Here’s how it works. Backers make a pledge (for as little as a dollar)  for a project they like and in exchange they receive a reward. In my case I am awarding my cards and my original seaweed art pressings. You can visit my SeaweedArt Kickstarter project here to learn more. Please make a pledge and pass along to your friends on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I really need your help.

When I watch this video of James Durbin singing Carol King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” I can’t help but remember this young man singing in my back yard. He’s got it all. The voice, charisma, stage presence, theatricality and most importantly … undeniable, unbridled… PASSION. Amazing. Really, really, special.

This is far and away James Durbin’s best performance on American Idol. James got his start in musical theatre here in Santa Cruz and his natural gift for theatricality is ever present in this video.

A  few days ago I alerted you all to the news that our local Santa Cruz home town boy, James Durbin ( I checked the spelling) made the top 40 list to appear on American Idol. Our family has tuned in every week and could see  from last week’s previews that James will appear this Wednesday night, February 9th,  during the San Francisco auditions. He’s the one with the mohawk who wows all the judges. I found this video of him on YouTube. It was taken a few years ago at a local club. The video quality is not great since it ends with a close up shot of his stomach, but his incredible voice is unmistakable.

For those of you who have not been following along, I just earned my Master’s Degree in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University. It was a year long program taught online and it was brutal. I consider the experience one of my greatest life achievements simply because it was so exhaustively hard. I knew throughout the course of the year that I had won several Course Director Awards. These are presented to students chosen by their professors for outstanding work during the course. Several days before graduation, I learned that I was to be the recipient of the Advanced Achievement Award and prepared a speech to give at the Commencement. What I did not know until it was announced, was that I was also the Valedictorian, having earned the highest GPA with a 4.0.

My purpose for writing this is not only to express my pride, but also to inspire. I am a 49-year-old mother of five teenagers. I’ve survived divorce, single motherhood, financial woes, professional setbacks, and just about all the other crap life can throw at you. But I prevailed. And so can you.

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Paul, the kids and I were all heading downtown to the Catalyst to see our rock star tenant, Johnny Prynce’s band Dirty Penny. My friend Kathryn’s twin sons’ band, Rapid Fire was the opening act. This is a video from that night. Even through my ear plugs I thought they were great. Become a fan  on Facebook.

Paul took this video from the sun roof of our car while I was driving down a hill from a client’s house in Carmel Valley. The house is a gorgeous rustic ranch on 146 acres on top of an expansive hill over looking the valley. On the ride up Paul said, “We gotta capture this view on the way down.” It was just breathtaking. Watch out for the Spanish moss. It is like an enchanted forest.

Paul took this video from his cell phone last week to show me the beautiful ride he took up the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco.