The purpose of the VOWS Awards ‚  is to recognise those companies in Scotland who offer a consistant, excellent service. ‚   VOWS stands for Voted Outstanding Wedding Supplier.

You can nominate your chosen wedding supplier on-line, ‚  once your Wedding has taken place, if this is ‚  after 20th September 2008 and ‚  before 20th September 2009.

Over the moon with the service offered by ‚  Sarah’s Creative Occasions, then please nominate us in the VOWS Awards, where your nomination will really count. ‚   With your vote, you will have a chance to win a luxury second honeymoon.

Last Thursday morning I attended the BNI at ‚  Irvine, ‚  on behalf of an existing ‚  member. ‚   It was another chance for me to network with similar individuals who are looking to promote their business and seek referrals. ‚   I gave a 60-second dialogue on the business for whom I was standing in for, and then I gave a 60-second presentation on Sarah’s Creative Occasions.

On Tuesday evening I went along to another AABW meeting at the Gailes Restaurant & Hotel by Irvine, and the guest speaker this month was Colin McDougall, presenting the fundamentals of negotiation and how to apply them in business. ‚   Much fun was had by all with Colin’s humour added ‚  around the many incredible stories he told from his time as a negotiator in the Strathclyde Police.

This month I ‚  too stood up, and gave a 5-minute presentation on Sarah’s Creative Occasions. ‚   I displayed a couple of moodboards for the guests to see some of my work first hand, and everyone also got to take home a free Wedding Guide Countdown.

As previously advised in an earlier story, I am now a member of the AABW Committee and a couple of weeks we had our first committee meeting with the new committee. ‚   We turned up, and was greeted with a photographer from the Ayrshire Post who kindly took our picture.

And last week, the story was featured in the Ayrshire Post, edition dated Friday March 20 2009.

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Happy Mother’s Day to all mums, stepmothers, and grandmas!

Enjoy your day, and relax

And a special Happy Mother’s Day to my own mum Patsy ‚  xx

My last full day in Yorkshire and I started it with a visit to Ripley Castle. ‚   Ahead of the guided tour I wandered around the walled gardens to see the Spring bulbs in bloom. ‚   Remarkably the castle has been the home of ‚  the Ingilbys for the ‚  last 700 hundred years. ‚   It was an enjoyable visit, particularly due to the tour guide’s interesting stories and how she demonstrated a number of key artefacts to us (such as the gambling chair and the hat boxes!). ‚   To help fund the upkeep of this historic sight Ripley Castle ‚  can be hired as ‚  a ‚  wedding ‚  venue, or to accommodate any special occasion.

I then went ‚  onto Ripon and visited ‚  their Cathedral, and then back to Harrogate to ‚  take in the history of this spa town ‚  at the Royal ‚  Pump House Museum. ‚   ‚  

This weekend I’m in Yorkshire and am staying in Harrogate, as a treat from my husband for my birthday.

This morning I visited Brimham Rocks ‚  and was blown away by the extraordinary 300 million year ‚  rock formations. ‚   I had seen similar scenery in Andalucia at a place called El Torcal, but I had no idea that we had a British ‚  version until now. ‚   I spent a couple of hours simply meandering through the aptly named rocky outcrops taking snaps under, over and through the formations. ‚   You’ll see from the photos above that I couldn’t help myself, and added a bit of humour to the shots.

Later, I went to another National Trust property called Fountains Abbey, and well, what can I say but just assure you that it was one of the most peaceful, yet the most immense and beautiful place on earth ‚  that I have ever been to. ‚   Fountains Abbey is a world heritage site, dramatic and the largest set of monastic ruins in the country. ‚   To one side lie the spectacular Georgian water gardens. ‚   The picture above has been taken from the River Skell looking back at the gigantic Abbey ruin.

It’s my birthday today, and I’ve enjoyed a fun filled day ‚  with plenty of ‚  humour, ‚  including receiving a 40th Birthday card (no I’m not 40, not just yet) and a special chocolate pudding.

Thank you ‚  to all my friends and family ‚  for their cards and gifts.