It has been quite a week! I busted through so many comfort zones that I am officially in a new zip code. Thanks to all of you for making this an exceptional week. At every step you were there letting me know that it was safe to fall, stumble and yes, even succeed!

It’s Friday and in the U.S. the start of a long holiday weekend. Yahoo! Our weather is lovely and I plan to savor every second of these last few days of summer.

Before I cartwheel into the sunshine, I wanted to share a few things that tickled my fancy this week:

Kickin’ it..Sharpie Style. I found this blog while trolling for a summer art project (okay technically it wasn’t supposed to be an all summer long project but I procrastinated!) and loved it! It’s fun to read about all the ways you can use a Sharpie but it’s also a pretty nice use of social media.

Starbucks 15th Avenue. The rise and fall and change of  Starbucks could fill several business books. The brand continues to make curious steps as it strives to rebuild in a tumultuous economy. This post examines their latest brand adventures. Hit or miss? I’d love to hear your take.

The Big List of Social Aggregators. You know how you want to not only post but grab updates from multiple sites at once? Well there’s a tool for that! This is a great reference list for anyone who has more than one social media account.

My Linking Power Forum. If you’re not up for twitter or Facebook, or you simply long for a more intimate setting where you can share resources and ideas, you will love this forum. It’s one of my favorites, and it is a place where I have met many of the wonderful people I now connect with in other places.

Battling the Demons of Doubt. As you read, you will find yourself cheering for our heroine as she silences the demons of doubt. Emma is brilliant writer who is wicked funny and filled to the brim with heart. Dash over and tell her I sent you.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! I’ll see you next Tuesday!

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Written by Karen D. Swim

I am sitting in my office on what could be described as a perfect summer evening. August has arrived and with it the heat that has eluded us all year. The sky is clear and there is a peaceful stillness. Even the bugs seem to be moving at a slower pace in an attempt to conserve their energy.

It is the kind of night that makes you want to just sit back and enjoy friends and family, take a dip in a pool, lake or creek (or “crick” as I heard someone say recently) and laugh until it’s so dark you can’t see your finger in front of your face.

I found myself singing an old Gershwin tune and I wanted to share it with you all.  This is the beginning of the end of the summer here, and I hope you take some time to just savor and enjoy.

Summertime,

And the livin’ is easy

Fish are jumpin’

And the cotton is high

Your daddy’s rich

And your ma is good lookin’

So hush little baby

Don’t you cry

One of these mornings

You’re going to rise up singing

Then you’ll spread your wings

And you’ll take to the sky

But till that morning

There ain’t nothing can harm you

With daddy and mamma standing by

Summertime,

And the livin’ is easy

Fish are jumpin’

And the cotton is high

Your daddy’s rich

And your mamma’s good lookin’

So hush little baby

Don’t you cry

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Written by Karen D. Swim

It has been quite a week! I don’t know about you but I’m all for celebrating the half-way mark. For me it has been a week of being sifted and shaken from every direction. I wish I knew a great joke to share with all of you (come to think of it I could use a good joke in which er you know I’m not the butt of it, got any?), but instead let’s check in with the web happenings of the week.

Stacy Lukasavitz shared a great link this week on rap artist Eminem’s integrated marketing campaign. Like Stacy, I’m not a fan but read with interest how his marketing team is using traditional, social media and multimedia to promote his latest album.  Give it a read and let me know your thoughts – weird or brilliant?

Kelly Erickson snags an interview with the author of When Growth Stalls,  Steve McKee. Learn how Steve failed his way to success. Great insight and takeaways that we can all use.

Joanna Young returned from her spectacular writing retreat in Sardinia and pondered how to hold on to that balance. It is a timely, thought provoking piece as many of us attempt to pursue writing dreams, while funding our lives.

…and if you’re up for some great e-book reads, head over to Smashwords and pick up Flashy Fiction by George Angus and Poke it with a Sharp Stick by the man with the big hat and even bigger heart, Robert Hruzek.

How about you? Did you read, hear, see anything interesting, inspiring or just plain wild?

Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.