Ok, so finally, here I am, here to say good-bye. The last hoorah. Au Revoir. All over, red rover. The end.

Ankle Biters is now officially defunct. Except for this blog, the website/facebook pages and the now half-removed signage on our car, nothing of Ankle Biters remains.

It has been tough, really tough, and only worsened by the whole bankruptcy thing. However, it is onwards and upwards! Somehow, we have managed to pull ourselves up and into a much more positive position. We are feeling optimistic about our future and the remainder of 2010, perhaps mostly due to the inception of Love Bytes, but also due to the fact that I am spending more time with the kids, organising our house and the like. We may be broke, but at least we are a bit happier!

We never did find a willing buyer for Ankle Biters, although we did find a lovely buyer of the STOCK that we had, and you should be able to now purchase much of it if you drop into Keperra Kids R Us Child Care Centre, in Keperra, North Brisbane.

Now, we just have a few more loose ends to tidy up, and it will be done!

I want to take this opportunity to shout from the hilltops about some amazing people who have helped us through our very own annus horribulus that was 2009. You know, I don't want this closing post to sound too full of cliches and the like, but it is hard to articulate our thoughts without it doing so. It is an absolute fact that we would not have been able to drag ourselves through this, if it wasn't for the amazing people that have bolstered and supported us through-out the ups and downs, and twists and turns.

Particularly, the community over at Skout Trade Fair has been invaluable and paramount to our emotional survival. The girls even met our practical needs many times over with gifts for our children at Christmas, an amazing delivery from Chrisco hampers, offers of advertising and more. So, although this might be a long list, I think that the least I can do to really thank these amazing people is to put a shout out here....

And so, in no particular order...

Lou from Lil Rockers

Lou from Maeve

Skout Trade Fair

Hayley from Little Pinwheel

Eva from Oz Baby Trends

Jo from The Toy Bug

Kat from Charlipop Kids

Katie from I Want Fabulous/About A Boy

Susan & Alison from Agoo

Lou from Buttons by Lou Lou

The gorgeous Kiersten Bissett (mwaah!! x.o.)

Jenny & Dave from Vegeout

Connect 2 Mums

Christine at Little DIVA / Kawaii For You

Stella from Little Miss Stella

Jo from Strawberry Communications

Cate Bolt

Hema from BornSage

Chris from Petit

Naomi from Thula Thula

Miriam at http://www.bubbachenille.blogspot.com/

Liesa at http://www.handmadeheaven7.blogspot.com/

Jodie at http://www.lovemum.com.au/

Heather at http://www.babiesandkids.com.au/

Stella at http://www.littlemissstella.com.au/

Bonny at http://www.bonnibuns.com.au/

Johanna at http://www.strawberrycommunications.com.au/

Siobhan at http://www.downtoearthorganics.com.au/

Tiessa at http://www.jtkids.com.au/

Belinda at http://www.dewdrops.co.nz/

Monica at http://www.beyondpinkandblue.com/

Melissa at http://www.ele-ahbaant.com.au/

Amanda at http://www.stylecollective.com.au/

Peggy at http://www.cookiesandcream.com.au/

Jannine at http://www.natureschild.com.au/

Georgie at http://www.merinokids.com/

Kerri at Molly and Jack, Oatley, NSW

Kim & Simon at http://www.stickytiki.com/

Amanda at http://www.bay6.com.au/

Mel at http://www.thehipinfant.com.au/

Victoria at http://www.downtoearthbaby.com/

Pam, Jude and Ros at http://www.organicbabe.com.au/

Despina at http://www.backpacks4aussiekids.blogspot.com/

Stephanie at http://www.moobeardesigns.com.au/

Katerina at http://www.twinklelily.com/

Jo at http://www.babyjo.com.au/

Angela at http://www.kidsstylefile.com.au/

Tracey at http://www.niftythriftyloveliness.blogspot.com/

Lianne at http://www.mystical-entertainments.com/

Anna at http://www.barefootmagazine.com.au/

Bev at http://www.trendykidz.com.au/

Pauline at http://www.funkyfriendsfactory.com/

Terese at http://www.redhillchildrenswear.com.au/

http://www.ministylista.onsugar.com/

http://www.aussieproductreview.blogspot.com/

http://www.ulitmateguide.wordpress.com/

http://www.tatyourtot.biz/

http://www.babyuniverse.com.au/

http://www.designer-kids.co.uk/

http://www.completepartyboxes.com.au/

http://www.rusticfuture.com.au/

www.cleverstreak.com/wordpress

http://www.bellybeyond.co.nz/

http://www.cackleberrykids.com/

http://www.upinanniesroom.com/

http://www.enchantedgarden.com.au/

That is a ridiculously long list of links - and so be it! It is just a poignant illustration of the amazing people we have come to know and love! If I have failed to mention you, please don't hate me! It doesn't mean that your gesture of kindness was lost or forgotten by us - just that my humble little brain hasn't been able to recall it in the few minutes since I have begun typing this!

And to our "real life" small, but amazing circle of friends Nat & Chris Saville, Louise Peters, Pauline McCarthur, my besties Bec, Kellie and Kellie, Freddo, Nat Tindale, Barbara Bennett, Jill Blacker, Sandy Forbes, Maryann Lister, Fiona Deegan, Tracy Couper, Iona Crichton.

Customers turned friends Shannon Morris, Tahne Brown, and Nicole Appleby...

To the only family members to have shown us true unconditional, emotional support and acceptance - Reg, Sally and Audrey. We can't thank you enough, there are no words that I can say that can get close to expressing what you mean to us.

If nothing else good has come from Ankle Biters; if no-one was educated, or learned anything about our eco-friendly message, if we weren't able to add even one ounce of good to the world from our efforts over the past 3 years, at least, I know this - the lovely people whose lives have touched ours, the (many!) customers who I now am proud to call my friends, have made it all all worthwhile for us. I know just how cliche this sounds, but it is from the heart, and so I guess really does smack of warm fuzziness. We have been embraced, supported and loved, by so many of you. Our lives have been forever warmed by having had you in them.

And so, as my kids sit out in the driveway dutifully peeling the signage from our car, the sun is setting on the final day of what we once believed to be our future. Instead, we have a new future layed out before us, and a new, hopefully happier path meandering in front of us.

We'd love for you to join us over at Love Bytes. I am beginnning to feel right at home once again with a camera in my hand, and loving some of the gorgeous images we have been making.

You can follow, fan, and catch up with us at any of these places:

The Love Bytes website

The fancy schmancy, new Love Bytes Blog

The Love Bytes Twitter page

The Love Bytes Facebook Fan Page

Please join us for our new adventures! We hope that these, and the coming years will prove to be happy, fruitful and fun, and will make the annus horribulus that was 2009 a rapidly fading, distant memory.

You will notice that all of our new websites/pages are bright, and vibrant and a bit on the lary side - well, this is our first step to our bright new future! I am determined to find the "old" me, this year! The me that was optimistic, full of bubbles and exuberance and always ready for a new fun challenge to throw myself at! Gone is the down trodden, cynical pessimist that has seemingly taken over my body lately! I am back, and I am here to tell all of the stress-mongers to LEAVE US ALONE!

We hope that you can join us in spreading our new message and our new image!

Thanks again friends, see you on the other side....

(that is, in the "Love Bytes" realm!)

hugs and bubbles,
tan, steve and the ankle biters.

xo.