Fresh, beautiful and noisy as hell

I spent a few days by myself (mostly...) at an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic about 7 years ago. Nothing amazing (I couldn't afford "spectacular," but I could afford unlimited beer in my room), but it was pretty and it had peacocks. They are lovely birds -- strutting around, fanning their plumage and distracting me somewhat from the dismal food on the premises.

The first night I was there, after a few drinks and "dinner", I was sitting in a hot tub and heard the most awful screech -- ever. It sounded like someone being knifed. Being a 25-year-old woman on vacation alone in an island nation -- in a bikini in a hot tub alone late at night -- this was a bit disconcerting in a "all the things Mom warned me about" kind of way. I waited. I listened. The sound came again.

I grabbed my towel and booked it back to my room.

After not sleeping all night, I went to the lobby to try once again to contact my online travel agency about a booking issue (a now defunct vacation site that screwed me over for a good $200) and to see if the police had showed up overnight for that dead lady I was sure was found on the lawn after midnight. On the way, I ran into a peacock, gliding across the lawn -- bobbing its head and checking for a snack.

Then it opened its beak....

The good thing about peacock images -- which are the rage in the greeting card world this summer -- is that they are all jewel-tones and flash, without the noise. Trust me, this is one sound Hallmark will not want to license.

Remember, she's carried you a lot longer than 9 months

Moms don't quit on their kids. Ever. At all costs. And you were kind of a brat at times. And you know it.

So consider that when you're weighing what to get her this weekend. Smaller bouquet or 2 dozen rodes. Mediocre brunch or a swanky affair. The cheaper card, or a Pep Greetings card. Come on now.

She didn't eat you alive. And she could have. Trust me.

Happy Mother's Day to all of our favorite mommas. We love every one of you.

Creating a brand

When Kathy Davis started submitting her designs to card companies in the the late 1980s, she had no idea what was born from necessity (a divorce) and talent (freelance calligraphy) would become inspirational. The former art teacher with a master's degree built her business design by design. Recycled Paper Greetings believed in her, and the two worked together to develop her brand, which has grown into four separate entities, 15 employees and more than $50 million in retail sales last year. In 2008, she forged a new partnership with American Greetings and wrote a book. Not bad for the rest of your life.

You don't have to be an entrepreneur to develop your personal brand. It isn't all about mugs and gift bags or book deals. Know who you are. Embrace it. Take a risk. And live it.

"Everybody's going to want a piece of you. Make sure you maintain doing the things you love," Davis said about advice she received on drawing boundaries in business.

It applies well beyond the workplace.