[lately] birthday shenanigans

This post is especially for my sisters, one of whom is in another state, and one of whom is currently in another country. Lauren, in particular, was most insistent about wanting pictures. Here you go, Lauz. Bear with me; my photo taking skills (never earth-shattering even at their peak) were not in full force this week past.

I really felt as though I got to have a double birthday, because on Wednesday (my birthday eve), I caught up with two lovely friends. About midday, Anastasia turned up at my door -- just like this -- bearing the most wondrous blackboard, handmade by her and husband Danny. I was so excited! Staish had also made icecream sundaes in jars -- eee!

We set off for the movies where we laughed and talked our way through Larry Crowne (also, I spilled sundae-in-a-jar on myself, so there was that) and then we had sushi!

It was the best and Anastasia is so awesome for giving me a special afternoon. It is my hope that we always live less than ten kilometres apart -- even though we both dream of escaping Queensland humidity at some stage in our future.

Happy!

Then, in the evening, Tain and I drove to meet Ruth and Malachi for a cheeseburger date -- the 10th being that miraculous day just after Ruth's birthday and just before mine. Of course, I forgot to take pictures of us birthday girls, but here are the boys. Judging from their excitement levels, it might well have been their birthdays.

Thursday was my Actually Birthday -- and Mum made amazing mocha french toast! Did I mention it was amazing?

And there were flowers! (gold and purple were the colours for my twenty-first birthday, way, way back in the black and white days).

Growing up homeschooled, then self-employed, and now studying, it's possible to get this irrational idea that all birthdays should be public holidays. That being the attitude I've somehow developed, we decided to spend some hours in a birthdayish exploration of one of my favourite suburbs, Bulimba.

We had lunch at this super awesome fantastic excellent very cool bookshop that I love.

It's like... everything excellent in a bookstore. Good food, books, and a verandah with a book screen!

Tain had adorably tiny sushi.

I ordered an eggplant and rocket tart.

And Mum had roast pumpkin pizza. No surprise that the food was really yum.

There was also a random -- yet friendly -- bear.

Mum and I were both weirdly under the weather, so we didn't do much other than eat, browse books, and stroll. But it was still nice -- a perfect let's-pretend-it's-spring day.

We didn't "come in and rest" but Tain was in a reverent mood and wanted to survey the interior of the church in a soulful way.

There was also some afternoon tea involved (I realise how this looks but I swear we didn't just eat all day long!).

Lemon and lime cheesecake, anyone?

Mum paparazzi'd her banoffee pie.

On the way home there were amazing clouds, and in between all of that there were beautiful gifts, and happy text messages, and kind phone calls, and facebook probably broke because of all the posts on my wall, and none of it was deserved but every bit of it was really, truly appreciated the end.