Don't forget........

Stampin' Up! has some fantastic offers & promotions currently on offer! With Sale-a-bration running again for the months of January & February 2008, there is no better time than the present to purchase exclusive Stampin' Up! merchandise, host your own workshop or even join kick start your own business as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

Follow the Sale-a-bration link to see how easy it is to earn Sale-a-bration rewards & you can also download your own copy of the online brochure which also showcases some gorgeous samples & ideas on how to use the rewards stamp sets.

The fabulous Summer Mini catalogue also provides the opportunity to purchase a wide variety of gorgeous stamp sets, patterned papers & accessories available for a limited time. Check it out also for some stunning ideas for cards, page layouts & OTPS.

Do yourself a favour & contact me today for any further information, to order merchandise or to book your own workshop!

2nd L/O for 2008

I've also created this one for the DT challenge by Alison over at 3AS to scrap 10 L/Os by the end of January using only materials in our stash......................no shopping!

Used up some of my Scenic Route Roxbury papers & the photo is very special (read the journalling if you're interested to find out why)




Until next time......

Sad start for 2008 but......

.........I have my first L/O for 2008 to share, I really love how it has turned out, very simple but beautiful & special. The photo of Lily, Mackenzie & Dakota was taken on 5th January & is just so sweet.

It's taken a little while to actually come back & want to update as we've all been quite devastated at home for the last week.

Last Sunday we lost our beautiful & very loved husky Dakota, it was all so fast & unexpected. Craig had taken him to the vet as he had developed a cough was given some antibiotics & told quite optimistically that "that should do it". Well after a couple of days on the antibiotics & no visible improvement, they went back to see the vet again, who this time suggested that under anaesthetic Dakota have a tube put down his throat to see if there was anything lodged in there to cause the cough. Well it went pretty much downhill from there & real fast too. The vet unfortunately didn't find an obstruction but a massive pooling of blood, definitely not good. Then the x rays he took showed an abundance of huge tumour masses around his heart & lungs & blood tests revealed that Dakota was severely anaemic due to the huge blood loss. Basically in a nutshell the diagnosis was there was nothing we could do except take him home, love & care for him for as long as he had.

We brought Dakota home on the 5th January to play with the kids, took lots & lots of photos & spent as much time as we could with him. By Saturday night his whole mood had changed & we knew that he really didn't have long.

That Saturday was such a blessing & I really do believe Dakota knew how much we all love him & how important he was to our family. I sat outside with him most of the night, petrified that he'd die alone out in the yard & trying to keep his fluids up.

Our beautiful boy lost his life & therefore ended his suffering around midday on Sunday 6th January. The last week at times has gone by as a blur, filled with much shock & sadness for us all & many, many tears.

Dakota was a few months short of 8yrs old & a wedding present from myself to Craig. I still remember him choosing me at the pet shop. He was a most remarkable dog, so gentle in nature, obedient & a wonderful companion, never far from the girls as they played in the yard.

Just a few of the many gorgeous & special photos taken of Dakota

The day we brought Dakota home (2000)

Lily & Dakota in the front yard at our old place (2004)
Mackenzie & Dakota at Umina Beach (2006)
Christmas Day 2007
January 5th 2008

We all miss you Dakota & know that you are shining down on us from up there in "doggy beach" heaven.

Thank you always for the joy & happiness you brought into our lives.

May you rest in peace.