For a long time, I thought I was born in the wrong decade. My love of classic movies from the 30s-50s and Bing Crosby standards at an early age, seemed to validate my claim.

There was one thing I didn't count on though--the rapid growth of the digital age. Not only has this had an enormous influence over my writing, which is pivotal to everything else I've done, but it's allowed me to preserve my growing collections. I feel that with each stage of development, I have grown with technology and technology has allowed me to express myself in ways that otherwise would be inconceivable.

When I felt like a an odd duck and alone in my love for "old, dead people" (as I refer to my favorite actors and actresses from decades before my birth), I sought communities on the Internet which made me feel that I wasn't alone and helped me find what I hope to be life long friends. These friends became a new sort of family who encouraged me to share what I had collected with others and were generous in sharing their knowledge with me as well.

I felt compelled to give back and forge a path for those who seek the same information I plowed after--perhaps going down a more presentable trail.

Through technology, not only did my community of friends grow, but my interests did, too. My path became clearer. Digital photography, web design, and researching my genealogical roots have led to and may create opportunities to write and artistically preserve history as well as the present by expressing my reality and view of the world. I've branched out further into art and design with other mediums, as a result of each opportunity presented and each puzzle that called out to be solved.

When I started a vinyl collection and wanted to move songs from a Judy Garland record to a digital format that could be played on compact disc, I learned how to go about it on the spot and learned intuitively how to do so. I even went as far as to clean up recordings. The process made me resourceful and patient, because each puzzle was a challenge and I loved trying to take up the task. This was especially apparent when I took up web design--it takes extraordinary patience, with quite a bit of trial and error.

So influenced and impressed by what the digital age could bring, I started a labor of love seven years ago with my first full website--ReelJewels.com. Building from the basics and doing everything by hand, as I did, only helped as I continued to redesign the website at least once a year with more sophisticated programs. It was a labor of love that continues to be updated monthly and has been expanded with a podcast called ReelCast that reviews classic films, profiles stars, and shares old and new classic film news alike with fans all over the world; some of which contribute to the show on a regular basis--others submit segments occasionally. I really feel it is an extension of the community and a chance for young people--especially young women to have a voice in a profession usually dominated by much older males.

With the help of the Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald film community that I joined, I gained other clients who wanted me to design and re-organize their websites. I've also expanded ReelJewels.com to celebrate the elegance of the era with my own art and that of Jael Barstow on apparel for the ReelJewels CafePress Store.

I have tried to give back to the community that has helped me so much from the onset by providing places for young fans like myself to intermingle with those that have been fans of these films since they premiered at the great movie houses--whether it be through ReelCast, the ReelJewels Collective (community blog reviews of films), or the ReelJewels Forum.

My skill set continues to grow, because of preservation efforts. Whether it be preserving history now through my philosophical, political, and introspective writings or through family history, pictures of classic movie stars, and art--my quest is to reintroduce or engage young and old alike with the path of information I have left behind.