diff --git a/logger.go b/logger.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d3bc3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/logger.go
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+)
+
+type Logger struct {
+	logpath string
+	logfile []byte
+}
+
+// write to our file, if it exists
+func (l *Logger) Log(str string) {
+
+	CheckLogPath(l.logpath)
+
+	var msg string
+	msg = str
+	os.WriteFile(l.logpath, []byte(msg), os.ModeAppend)
+}
+
+// dump the err into a string, write to our log file, then pass off the error to the log package
+func (l *Logger) Fatal(err error) {
+	l.Log(fmt.Sprintf("%v\n", err))
+	log.Fatal(err)
+}
+
+func NewLogger(logpath string) *Logger {
+	CheckLogPath(logpath)
+
+	return &Logger{
+		logpath: logpath,
+	}
+}
+
+// checks for existence of given logpath file, creates if it doesn't
+func CheckLogPath(logpath string) {
+	_, err := os.Stat(logpath)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		os.Create(logpath)
+	} else if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/resources/images/crown.png b/resources/images/crown.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60fc301
Binary files /dev/null and b/resources/images/crown.png differ
diff --git a/resources/images/ebiten.png b/resources/images/ebiten.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e78de9f
Binary files /dev/null and b/resources/images/ebiten.png differ
diff --git a/resources/settings/config.json b/resources/settings/config.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de3d64d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/settings/config.json
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+    "labels": {
+        "title": "PI-8 Dashboard",
+        "completion": "PHASE B COMPLETE"
+    },
+    "expiry": "2023-11-24T04:00:00.000Z",
+    "jira": {
+        "url": "https://jirawms.mda.ca",
+        "teamfield": "customfield_14580",
+        "project": "GERSSW",
+        "epics": ["GERSSW-4971", "GERSSW-3759"]
+    },
+    "teams": ["devops","gaia", "igaluk", "orion", "pulsar", "solaris", "supernova"],
+    "productowners": ["dbenavid", "el076320", "em031838", "ktsui", "ma031420"],
+    "criteria": {
+        "pattern": "POB: (\\d+)",
+        "matchid": 1
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/settings.go b/settings.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..732f026
--- /dev/null
+++ b/settings.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"os"
+	"time"
+)
+
+type DashSettingsJira struct {
+	Url       string   `json:"url"`
+	Teamfield string   `json:"teamfield"`
+	Project   string   `json:"project"`
+	Epics     []string `json:"epics"`
+}
+
+type DashSettingsSearch struct {
+	Pattern string `json:"pattern"`
+	MatchId int    `json:"matchid"`
+}
+
+type DashSettingsLabels struct {
+	Title      string `json:"title"`
+	Completion string `json:"completion"`
+}
+
+type DashSettings struct {
+	Labels        DashSettingsLabels `json:"labels"`
+	Expiry        time.Time          `json:"expiry"`
+	Jira          DashSettingsJira   `json:"jira"`
+	Teams         []string           `json:"teams"`
+	ProductOwners []string           `json:"productowners"`
+	Criteria      DashSettingsSearch `json:"criteria"`
+}
+
+func LoadSettings(path string) (*DashSettings, error) {
+	var err error
+	var settings *DashSettings = &DashSettings{}
+
+	//check file exists, load, deserialize
+	_, err = os.Stat(path)
+	if err == nil {
+		rawbytes, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+
+		if err == nil {
+			err = json.Unmarshal(rawbytes, settings)
+		}
+	}
+	return settings, err
+}