It's my (blog's) birthday! So here, have some books:

It's this little blog's sixth birthday! To celebrate, I want to thank you all for reading along. And what better way to honour readers than with a book giveaway? (EEEK BOOKS!!) I've selected a handful of my favourite books, with an eye to including something for everyone, and the winner of this giveaway will get to choose two of these books to be delivered straight to their door. Yippee!

I've chosen a mix of non-fiction and fiction, with books ranging from middle-grade to adult. Three of the books are by Australian authors. One is autobiographical. Four deal in some way with World War II or its fallout. One is a short story collection. All of them are books that have impacted my life, my thinking, or my love of words in some way. I hope that, if you win, the books you choose will do the same for you.

Check them out here, mull over which two you'd pick if you win, order the other six for yourself or get them in from your library, because they're great.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner
Going Solo by Roald Dahl
Pennies for Hitler by Jackie French
Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall by Anna Funder
A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor
Wonder by RJ Palacio

Here's how to enter:

Everyday goodness:

Mothers and how we feel about them might just be one of the hardest things to capture in words. It's certainly so for me. I mean, I knew my mother before I knew God. That's a pretty big deal.

She's been there always. She is there, always. Mum listens to the things that I am too scared, too worried, too goofy, or too ashamed to tell other people. She says 'yes' to people who need help. She is creative, fun, intense, and has a green thumb that none of her kids seem to have inherited. She is a strong individual who nevertheless supports her husband and builds her life with his. She has lived in like a million and a half places and somehow managed to make each one into a home.

Basically, the world didn't know just how much good it was in for when a squalling little baby arrived on the second of June, 19... something or other. Happy birthday, Mum.

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Conversations:

Carla and Alastair -- you know me. My desk isn't complete without a dead fish hanging round somewhere...

Katie -- it is SUPER cute.

Abbie -- you're right; she is lots of fun. Today Mum got back to some of her work at the computer to find the kitten had added four whole pages of text :D.

Caitlin -- you should get one! Kittens for all the world! :D Love you. xx

Andrea -- and here's another one! Wonders will never cease.

Cara -- aw, kitten love!! Two and a half weeks? They must be teeny! (and I owe you an epic email!)

Lauren -- someday, Abby, this technology will exist.

thelittlebluefishy -- yay! I'm glad you liked the pics :D. I don't know if I'm a glutton for punishment or not but I do love studying. I do not love it when it feels like it's my whole life, though :P.

Sarah -- aw, I can imagine Gracie would love a kitten. Do you think she'll ever get one? I hope your studies are going great. Are you nearing semester's end -- and all that busy essay-writing that comes with it?

Meaghan -- ;)

Amanda -- we think so too :D

Twenty seven:

Happy birthday, Lauren. We love you quite a lot. 

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Conversations:

Jess Axelby -- <3

Hannah -- and indeed it is.

[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.

[lately] pre-birthday @ noop

The last few days have been ones of goodbyes. Yesterday, we said goodbye to my brother Nick as he headed back home to WA after his week of chilling and family time here. And today we said goodbye to my sister Lauren and her little family as they headed off to spend three weeks with the New Zealand Friends And Relations. Since Abby is only twelve weeks old, three weeks is a quarter of her life so far -- she'll be a different person when she returns!

My birthday falls during their time away, so Lauren planned a little pre-birthday afternoon tea at Noop, her latest local discovery. It was a great little place, and rare in that all of the baked goods (and there were so many AMAZING sweet and pretty things) are baked locally, instead of being shipped in from somewhere else. I hate going to cafes and seeing the same row of generic cheesecakes and mud cakes which could be bought anywhere (including McDonald's) so it was awesome seeing a little coffee shop doing their own thing and doing it nicely.

Peanut butter chocolate ganache cheesecake? Uh huh.

My lunch: ham and cheese toastie and peach iced tea.

Milkshakes are automatically cooler when they come with two straws -- and those amazing metal cups you can use to top up your glass with.

Some of the birthday treats Lauren spoilt me with: the first issue of new Feast magazine, Leeland's Love Is On the Move album, and Caramello Nibbles. Not pictured: adorable moccasin ugg boots.

I love my family!

[some images by Lauz]

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Conversations:

BushMaid -- life is indeed wonderful and busy just now :). And yay you hosting a story writing contest! I hope it goes brilliantly and you get to read lots of great stories from entrants.

Samantha R -- I always wish I had more time for journalling. I'm so disappointed to have had that habit fall by the wayside in more recent years. In a sense, blogging has taken its place, but I still miss the unguarded mind-bomb that journalling can be.

Katie -- I'm loving the photography focus on your blog. I feel like I learn lots from your picture-taking; you always have something cool to share!

Laura Elizabeth -- isn't it weird, this love-hate relationship with study? I really do love it, and yet it IS a massive job and can be a pretty huge stress factor. Oh strange contradictory life! Ah yes, StJohn!! I kind of don't want Jamie Bell to play StJohn because he's always been a bit of a noob in any of the Jane Eyre film adaptations. Are you going to go see it? PS. Received email! Loved email! Replied to email!

Rach da Axe -- so the sun has found its way down to you, too? Yay!

Staish -- ooh, you may have some textbooks I could use! Yes! I will ogle them accordingly next time I see you.

Eweight -- oh do it, do it!! And then we could compare notes! And be, like, at the same school and stuff :).

Asea -- PhD applicationsssss! Woohoo! I wish you success. And I'll have to lurk your facebook piccies and be all jealous of your homeland explorations.

lately (two):

blueberry pancakes for lauren's birthday breakfast;
when even your littlest sister is twenty-six years old
(not to mention "great with child"),
it is impossible to continue to deny your status as a grown up.
happy birthday laurenbidgee!

Weekend Journal XXIII :: Party like it's 1980

To pretend I wasn't To celebrate turning thirty, Lauren helped me host an icecream sundae party which was full of sugar-induced joy and a revelling in all things eighties. Lauren did an amazing job organising trivia and Pictionary and celebrity heads, which featured such characters as Ronald Reagan, Michael Jackson, and E.T. There was a lot of synthesiser music, and a heavy focus on reminiscences of childhood television programs, of which Astro Boy, Rainbow Brite, and Bananaman were favourites. It was RAD.

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Conversations:

Bethany & Jessica & Samantha -- it's an EOS 1000D, and his name is Clive Staples.

Amanda -- thanks! I'm continuing to practice :).

Katie -- right on both counts: amazing family and amazing gift!

Rachael -- there will absolutely be more pictures! The question should really be: when will Danielle hold back from posting pictures? ;)

Abbie -- thank you so much! I have a lot to learn, but I'm having fun experimenting.

Meaghan -- some amazing chick I know sent me flowers and I keep taking pictures of them...

Julia -- thank you! and yes, new cameras = so much fun!