And now I’m 24!
I had a great birthday weekend. :) On Saturday, the weather was absolutely beautiful. I spent most of the day outside, reading, walking, picnicking. Then I did a closet cleanout, which always makes me happy, because I love clothes. And then Sunday came, my birthday!
My dad’s out of town, so my mom and I spent the day doing whatever we wanted. I know it makes me sound nerdy, but I loved having a whole day to spend with her, since she’s definitely one of my best friends, and she’s so busy nowadays. I finally got to wear my birthday present, which is the beautiful dress I’m wearing in the picture! (The shoes were my sister’s birthday present to me too.) Also, my mom surprised me with this gorgeous bag! Isn’t it the prettiest painting? And perfect for me!
And check out the back: there’s a surprise puppy! Too fun.
We had an early lunch/brunch at our favourite Indian place, and then we spent the whole afternoon wandering around Manitou, a small town about a twenty minute drive away full of art galleries and little shops run by aging hippies. ;) We finished up the day with some thrifting, then went home for chilli & (vegan) cheese potatoes, a Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding cake (vegan; I modified the recipe to make it gluten free), and An Education, which is a movie I’ve been wanting to see for months!
All in all, a wonderful start to my next year of life! I’m feeling very positive that this year will bring lots of good things, as my health is getting better and we move to Texas, which will make it easier for me to pursue my job plans.
P.S.: Also, I can’t believe this is the fourth birthday I’ve blogged about! I started blogging when I was a mere babe at 20. ;)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Eva! I can’t believe your only 24…somehow you seemed older to me. I guess it is just your incredible maturity coming through on your blog *laughs* Love the bag!
Aww: thanks Wendy! :)
Belated happy birthday, Eva! Cute dress and bag :) Your birthday celebrations sound lovely.
Thanks Claire! It was definitely a lovely day. :)
Aww, you look so lovely in your new dress, & it sounds like you had a fantastic day. :-) Loving mother/daughter time doesn’t make you dorky, at least I don’t think so – I very much enjoy my mom as well. Good wishes for the year ahead; it sounds like it promises great things!
Thank you Emily! And I’m glad I’m not the only one who loves mother/daughter time. :)
Happy birthday, Eva! :) Your gifts are really pretty! How did you like An Education? Wasn´t it totally worth the wait?
Thanks Bina! I definitely enjoyed An Education. And the making of featurette was really interesting!
Happy Happy Birthday, Eva! Glad you got to spend the weekend doing a variety of pleasurable things! Many happy returns!
Thanks Becker! :)
Happy birthday, Eva! Sounds like a wonderful day.
I agree with Wendy’s comment (but then, I usually do). You’re much closer in age to my daughters, and precisely half my age now. And yet it never seems that way when I read your blog! So rather than saying you are like an old lady, let’s just say Wendy and I are young at heart, and leave it at that :)
I just watched An Education over the weekend as well. It was a wonderful film, didn’t you think?
Thanks Laura! And I think you and Wendy are definitely young at heart. :) I really enjoyed An Education too!
Happy belated birthday Eva! Loving the blue dress (I’m very partial to blue). Loving the bookish bag, too. And definitely loving the bonding with your mom. I’m the same with my mother, she’s not like a mom mom, she’s more like a friend mom, which my sisters and I get to enjoy! :D Wishing you happiness the rest of the year!
Thanks Claire! I have a lot of blue in my wardrobe, but this is my first blue dress. :D Friend moms are the best, aren’t they?
Happy Birthday Eva!
Thank you Linda!
I should have said happy birthday when I talked to you on the weekend because now I am late! Happy Belated Birthday!!!
lol! Don’t worry about it! Thanks Kelly. :)
Happy Birthday! Love that dress and I covet that bag!
Thanks Ty! The bag’s from Barnes & Noble, so you could get one of your own. :)
Happy Birthday!!!
I love both the dress and the bag!
Thanks Zee!
Happy Birthday Eva! Looks like you got some wonderful gifts and a had a most perfect birthday!
Thanks Kathleen! It was definitely a perfect birthday. :)
Yay! Happy birthday, Eva! I tend to think 24 is a very good age (it’s when I met Tony! ;) ), so I hope your 24th year is filled with lots of good things. And your birthday dress is wonderfully fetching – the whole outfit is great!
Tony and I are going to watch An Education soon – we have it sitting by our tv, just waiting for our attention.
Thanks Steph! That’s so neat that you & Tony met when you were 24. :) I think you’ll enjoy An Education!
Happy birthday! I’m an April baby too- in fact, I turned nineteen on Friday. :) I’m so happy you had a wonderful birthday, and you look very cute in your new dress and shoes.
Aww-thanks! Happy birthday to you as well then. :) April babies rock! hehe
Happy Birthday! Great photos and it sounds like a wonderful way to spend your Birthday: doing what YOU want. I have just begun the “Y” book you suggested for me (You’d be prettier if…) and I’m really liking it so far.
Don’t know if you’ve seen it yet, but I reviewed Body Drama within the past week; it totally made me think of you and your Flow posts.
Thanks Helen! I’ve been wanting to read Body Drama for ages, but just haven’t gotten around to requesting it from the library. Sounds like I’ll have to fix that soon!
I didn’t know you were such a young one! (Okay, so at 27, I’m not much older, but still.) Looks like you had a wonderful birthday. Many happy returns!
lol! You’re only 3 years older than me. :p
Happy Birthday! you look great, happy and healthy.
Thank you Kinna! :)
Happy Birthday! Nice presents and they seem to suit you.
I love spending time with my mom too, which doesn’t happen too often as we live half a continent apart. Hope it was as good as it sounds.
Thanks Shonna! It was wonderful, and I really value that I live w/ my mom for now. It’s wonderful to be close to her. :)
Happy Birthday! I feel old now since my son is almost your age!
lol! I feel young! :)
WHAT? Only 24? It’s so funny how I assume all book bloggers are EXACTLY my age and am shocked when I learn that this is not the case.
How come you described your dinner in so much detail but not your lunch? Come on, give us the Desi details, too! Also, remember when we were going to be nerdy and cook the same dinner to eat at the same time in our respective homes (one of your mom’s recipes and one of my mom’s)? Let’s still do that!
I always assume everyone’s exactly like me too! :)
The reason I didn’t give more details about the lunch is that it’s a buffet, so I pretty much eat everything that’s veggie (which is all but like two dishes) and don’t actually pay attention to the dish’s names. Isn’t that awful!? I didn’t want to embarrass myself. LOL But I do always eat my body weight in pakoras, along with everything else that’s yummy.
And yes, nerdy dinner is totally on! Are you a vegetarian? Most of my mom’s dishes involve chicken, but her chili is veggie. :)
Happy birthday, Eva! It sounds like you had a wonderful time and are set for a great year ahead.
And now you’ve got me in the mood to walk around Manitou! What a fun place and I haven’t been there in years. :)
Thanks Kristen! Are you from the area?! How did I not know this?!
Happy birthday! Your dress is pretty! And it sounds like a lovely, relaxing day – hopefully an augur of the sort of year you’re going to have. :)
Thanks Jenny! I hope it’s an augur. And what an AWESOME word to use. :D
Happy birthday & many, many happy returns! Sounds like you had a wonderful day!
Greetings,
Tiina
Thanks Tiina!
Happy Birthday Eva! You look gorgeous in your dress!
Sounds like you had a beautiful day for a birthday. I will be joining you in the 24 camp next month! Just a few more weeks of being 23 left!
Thanks Rachel! Enjoy your last few weeks of 23-dom. :)
Happy Birthday! It sounds like you had the best time..
The dress is wonderful and you look great in it! The picture radiates happiness, if that doesn’t sound too new age for you. Oh, and the bag is beautiful as well!
Aww-thanks Iris! My mom was making me laugh hysterically as she took the picture. :)
Happy Birthday Ms Eva! And you say you aren’t photogenic… pshaw! I am now trying to reconcile ‘chocolate’, and ‘pumpkin’ in my head – I can’t decide if that sounds awful or awesome. One way or the other, ‘awe’ is involved… :D.
lol! The cake was quite yummy, more chocolate-y than pumpkin-y. It wasn’t as magical as the (chocolate-free) pumpkin brownies though. And thanks for the compliment and well wishes! :)
Happy happy Birthday!! I love the dress and your new bag! So adorable!
Thanks Allie!
Happy birthday, Eva! What a great photo of you!
Thank you Sarah!
Eva, Happy Birthday to you!! You look so pretty in your new dress. It’s very flattering. And your bag is precious. I love Manitou Springs (right?). My grandparents lived in Colorado Springs when I was a little girl and I have many happy memories from that time, visiting Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, Manitou (where the water fountains that had fizzy water made me laugh) and Helen Hunt Falls. It will be lovely to have you in Texas. Take care and I’m so glad you had such a nice day.
Aww; thanks Kay. :) Yep: it’s officially Manitou Springs. It’s a great area; when my niece comes up for the summer, we’re going to take her there quite a bit. I can’t wait to get back to southern Texas though: it’s where my heart is.
An Aries like me! Happy birthday Eva. Glad to hear you had a fabulous weekend. My birthday is tomorrow and I wish I was turning 24 rather than 39!
That’s wonderful that our birthdays are so close! And yay for Aries! :D Your life is nicely sorted out, though, while mine is still all up in the air. I’d like to be able to fast forward through a couple of years, until things get established.
Happy Birthday! You look so pretty in your birthday dress! And I hope you will post those recipes for us – they sound great!!!
Thanks! I meant to include the link to the cake and forgot. Here it is: http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2008/10/chocolate-pumpkin-pudding-cake.html
Happy belated birthday! April is the BEST month for birthdays. :-D
Thanks Jill! Yep: April babies are the best. :D
Happy Birthday to you! It sounds like your 24th year is off to a great start!
Thanks Amanda!
A happy birthday to you! I love your dress and the bag! Too cute.
Thank you Atla! :)
Happy birthday, Eva! What a cute bag!
Thanks Christina! It’s totally my new favourite bag. :D
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You look absolutely lovely in your new dress. And I agree with you that the bag is fantastic. Are you going to put books in it? ;-)
Thanks Terri! And yes, it can fit a wonderful amount of books. ;)
Happy Birthday! It sounds like you had a wonderful day. I hope that the year ahead is filled with lots of good things!
Thanks so much! :)
So glad you’re day was so wonderful!!!
Thanks Debi! :D
Here’s to a fabulous year :D
Happy Birthday!
Thank you Mary!
Happy Birthday, Eva!
Thanks Rebecca!
I agree with Aarti and now I feel old. lol! Happy Birthday, you wise young’un! My daughter says your dress is pretty. :)
I love that bag!
Aww: say thank you to your daughter. :) And I feel old in comparison to some of the younger bloggers! hehe
Happy Belated Birthday!!
(and I’m totally coveting that bag – it’s adorable!!)
Thanks Suzi! The bag’s from Barnes & Noble, if you want your own. ;)
Happy Birthday Eva!
Thanks!
Happy birthday!!! The bag, and the dress, and the shoes are just perfect!
I’ve just gotten a copy of An Education from Netflix, so I’ll probably be watching it soon.
Thanks Teresa! I think you’ll enjoy An Education. :)
Happy Birthday, Eva! You look so adorable! Glad to hear you enjoyed your day and what a cute book bag you got!
Aww-thank you Iliana!
A belated Happy Birthday from me Eva!
Thanks Simon!
Happy Birthday Eva! You look fab in your new dress! Thanks for sharing that pic with us. Are you vegan? I am so close to being so but haven’t taken that final step.
Thanks Ti! I eat vegan, yes (I still wear silk and wool, so I don’t call myself full vegan). I’ve been vegetarian for years, and then last year I went vegan for New Year’s. I was originally trying it out for 3 months, but I really loved it. Then I found out I’m gluten intolerant, and I was overwhelmed trying to figure out what to eat, so I went back to vegetarian, eating vegan at least one meal a day. But then a couple months ago I read Eating Animals, and now I’m back to eating vegan full time! This was probably WAY too long a reply, lol. But I’m finding it pretty easy to cook vegan gluten-free delicious meals…it’s another story eating out though. I either go for ‘ethnic’ restaurants or just don’t eat!
Happy Birthday to you! I’m turning 24 this year too :)
I knew we were about the same age…does this mean I’m older than you though? Eek! lol
Happy Birthday!!!!!! That dress and that bag look AWESOME! I really have my eyes on that bag now. ;-) Glad you had a wonderful Sunday and here’s to a wonderful year ahead!! *Cheers*
Thanks Aths! You can get the bag at Barnes & Noble. :) I’m impressed w/ its quality!
Always good to see fabulous birthdays! Glad yours was fantastic!
Thanks Victoria!
Happy Birthday, Eva! Love the dress…
Thanks JoAnn!
Happy Birthday! I’m always interested to find out how old other bloggers are – especially when I find those, like you, who are the same age as me! Sounds like you had a wonderful weekend and your presents are lovely (particularly the dress).
Thanks Claire! I thought we were pretty close in age. :) I’m always curious about book bloggers’ ages too!
Happy Birthday, Eva! Sounds like you had a fantastic weekend. That bag is so cute!
Thanks birthday-twin! ;)
Happy, happy birthday!
Thanks She! :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love your dress and your bag! I also love hearing when bloggers are close-ish in age to me because I always feel like such the baby around here. Or rather, I’m the in-between. I feel like there are a lot of teen bloggers and a lot of bloggers in their late twenties, but us young twenty-somethings are slacking in the book blogosphere. Sounds like you had a wonderful day with your mom and just a great day in general. I hope your 24th year is amazing!
Thanks Lu! There aren’t a ton of early-twenty-something bloggers, you’re right. It’s obviously because we’re such a slack generation. j/k
Happy birthday, Eva! I also was surprised to hear you’re only 24! I love the pic of you and the bag is beautiful.
Thanks a bunch!
Happy Birthday Eva. Thanks for bringing us such an interesting, fun and intelligent blog 4 years in a row!
Thanks Becky! :) I’m 1/3 into my fourth year of book blogging now; I started in January, so that’s why I’ve had four birthdays blogged about!
Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful year, Eva!
Thanks Priscilla!
Happy birthday! Love the bag! Gorgeous. Glad to hear you had a good time on your birthday.
Thanks Vasilly! :)
Happy birthday! That bag is very cool.
Thanks Charlie!
Happy belated Birthday, Eva! Those are wonderful gifts, and I love the bag! :)
Thanks Melody! :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Gorgeous bag! I can just see it with library books poking out the top … ;)
Thanks Shannon! And by ‘poking out’ you mean ‘overflowing’ right? ;)
Happy Birthday! Your dress looks lovely. :) It sounds like you had a great day!
Thanks Dominique!
Happy Birthday !!!!!!
Thanks Maphead! :)
Those are ADORABLE shoes and a really cute dress. I’m always jealous of outfits that are put together really well, I only occasionally have this talent.
Thanks Christine! :D Dresses make outfits so much easier, lol.
Happy Birthday Eva! Sounds like you had a lovely birthday weekend. :)
Both the bag and the dress are sooo cute!
Thank you Megan! :)
You’re still a mere babe. That’s a good thing. Belated Happy Birthday!! I’m glad it was a good one and I don’t think it’s nerdy at all that your mother’s your best friend. I’d call that very good luck. My mother and I were poles apart in temperament, likes and dislikes. We tolerated each other well, though. So glad to hear you’re feeling better and, wow, you’re adorable!! Love the dress, shoes and bag!
lol-thanks Nancy! I’m definitely very grateful that my mom and I are so close. My dad and I…not so much. ;)
Happy Birthday! I just had a Birthday on Thursday but I am now 29..my last year in my 20’s. I guess I better make the best of it!
Happy belated birthday to you! :) Pretty soon you’ll be thirty, flirty, and fabulous. hehe
Happy happy birthday! We’re almost exactly the same age — I turn 24 in two weeks :D Have an amazing year (and many more)!
That’s awesome we’re close in age! :)
Belated birthday wishes, Eva! Sounds like your perfect day–may you have many many MANY more of those!!! :D
Thank you DS!
Happy birthday! It sounds like you had a wonderful birthday. Here’s hoping the year to come is just as good, if not better!
Thanks Michelle!
Happy Birthday Eva! Sounds like a great time :)
Thank you Emily Jane!
Belated happy birthday, Eva! Glad you had such a wonderful time!
Thanks Lightheaded!
Happy Birthday, Eva! I love the dress/shoes/bag. So cute!
Aww: thanks! :)
Happy Birthday, Eva! I’m happy to hear you had such a lovely day. You look beautiful in your new dress and shoes.
Thank you Cat!
Great day, great pictures, great presents! You deserve the best!
Thanks Susan!
Belated birthday greetings.
Thank you Mystica!
Oh my, I AM old enough to be your (youngish) mother – my son’s almost two years older than you! Happy birthday, Eva :-).
Thanks Florinda! :) You’re making me feel like a baby. :P
Happy Birthday, Eva! You look gorgeous in your new dress – and so happy. :)
Thanks Carrie! It was a very happy day. :)
Happy Birthday again Eva :D You look beautiful in your picture :D Glad to hear that your day was so good!!!
Thanks Chris! :D
Happy birthday! This makes me just over five months older than you…
Thank you Simon! I didn’t realise we were so close in age. :)
Happy birthday! What a lovely way to spend the day. That little town with the aging hippies sounds good to me! LOL. Love poking around galleries and shops.
How lovely to spend the day with your mother. My daughter also says I’m her best friend…which a mother loves to hear!
Thanks Laurel! All the indie, local shopping is marvelous. :D
Happy birthday you youngster (I’m 25 now). It sounds like you had a lovely day, did you enjoy ‘An Education’ ? Good luck for the next year.
Thanks Jodie! And you’re SO much older and wiser than me… ;) I did enjoy An Education!
Like many of the other commenters I am shocked to discover that you are only 24 – you come across as much more mature than that. Happy birthday!
Thanks Jackie!
Happy belated Birthday, Eva!! I love your dress – so cute. And that bag is wonderful. Sounds like you had a fantastic 24th bday – excellent! I think its sweet that you spent the day with your mom – that is something I would do, too (she is my best friend). Thanks for sharing about your bday celebrations :)
Thanks Nadia! :)
Happy birthday!! It’s great that you got to spend the day with your mom. I hope my daughter considers me one of her best friends when she’s your age. :)
–Anna
Thank you Anna! My mom and I have always been close, and it’s such a gift. :)
Happy birthday! Sounds like a lovely weekend, and I love the bag!
Thanks Amy!
Happy B-day! Wishing you a year of very happy reading.
Thanks Melissa!
Many many happy returns of the day :)
I don’t know if you do awards or not…but there is an award for you on my blog :)
Thank you Nish! I don’t pass awards along, but it was so nice of you to think of me. :)
A little belated, but Happy Birthday! And I agree with everyone, that is a very cute dress and purse. :)
Thank you Christy! :)
Happy birthday! Love the bag.
Thanks Jeane!
Happy belated birthday! I’m glad you had such a great weekend.
Thank you Meghan! :)
happy birthday!!!! I was wondering what you were up to during the read-a-thon. ;)
Your dress is so pretty and looks great on you. I’m glad you had such an awesome weekend! Birthdays are awesome. :) :) :)
Thanks Jehara! Birthdays are definitely awesome. :D
Happy birthday Eva! You look fabulous. Sounds like you had a great birthday weekend!
THanks Valerie! It was great. :)
Happy Birthday!! Four years of book blogging… what an achievement!
Thanks! :) I’m actually in the middle of my fourth blogging year. :)
happy belated birthday!
Thanks Kris!
Happy Birthday, youngin’!
Thank you Corvus! :)
Happy Birthday Eva! You look terrific and it sounds like you had a very fun day! The bag is adorable and the food you had sounds so yummy!
jaimie
Thanks Jaimie! :)
Happy birthday Eva! (sorry I’m so late to the party) You look so beautiful and happy in your new dress! I’m so glad to hear that you had such a great day. And I think there are wonderful things in store for you this year, too. ;)
Thanks Heather! :D
Happy belated birthday!! It sounds like an awesome day and I love your dress and bag. Also, I am seriously going to have to try some chocolate pumpkin pudding cake…YUM!
Thanks Jess! This was my first experience w/ pudding cake, and it’s definitely awesome.
Happy slightly late birthday! I’m glad to hear you had such a wonderful day.
Thanks Memory!
Happy birthday to you, that’s awesome! The dress is cool, too. =) I didn’t know you were vegan… or was it just to make the cake gluten-free? But seriously, chocolate and pumpkin? GOOD CHOICE for your birthday! Have fun, glad to see you’re still blogging after four years.
Thank you Noslias! I do eat vegan (I don’t dress vegan..still wear silk & wool). Are you vegan? And yes, pumpkin and chocolate are two of my fave thigns! hehe
A happy belated birthday! It looks and reads like a wonderful day.
Thanks Andi!
Happy belated birthday Eva! :D
Thanks Darren! :)
A very happy, belated, birthday to you. Congratulations and many, many more.
Thank you CB!
Happy Belated Birthday Eva! That bag is adorable! It’s so perfect for you.
Thank you Ruth! :)
Happy Birthday! (Better late than never.) Just want to say that I really like your reviews, and the library loot posts, although it makes me feel a tad envious of all the great books you can borrow. Hope the coming year is a great one. Cheers.
Thank you so much Violet! :) If it helps your envy, I always feel really grateful towards my library. I don’t take it for granted!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVA! Have a fantastic one!
I am crazy about bags, that will do nicely for all your library loots. A library loot bag for a library looter! ;)
Thanks Jo! :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVA! Have a fantastic one! (Awww.. you are still a baby)
I am crazy about bags, that will do nicely for all your library loots. A library loot bag for a library looter! ;)
Happy Birthday, Eva!! What a wonderful photo– you look lovely! :D
Thank you Christine!
Happy Belated Birthday!
Thanks Care! :)
Sorry… I’m really late with this. Just wanted to wish you a very happy and much belated birthday. My goodness… to be 24 again! (Mind you I didn’t much like my 20s, it was my 30s that I loved)
You’re not that late Kim! You know everyone has told me that the 30s are better than the 20s. This makes me very happy. ;)
Happy (belated) birthday! Cute dress. :)
Thanks Michelle! :)
Happy belated birthday! You’re new tote bag is adorable! Glad to see that you had so much fun on your birthday.
Thank you Alyce!
Happy belated birthday Eva! Gorgeous dress. My husband had his birthday yesterday (16 April) ;)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Eva… So sorry I’m late, but I’m feeling more and more like the White Rabbit these days. 24 was a very good year for me, and I hope it is for you, too!
Happy Birthday!
Hi Eva, Happy Belated Birthday!
Sorry for the delay but my pregnancy keeps me busy and sleepy all the time :)
It seems you had a wonderful day…and i should add i loved your bag!!!!
Many returns of the Day,
Hazan
Hi Eva,
Happy belated birthday! The bag is too cute :)
Happy belated birthday Eva, sorry I missed it.
You hardly look 18 :)