Friday, November 18, 2011

We're Six!












Things are hustling and bustling for the Playfriends with lots of changes, both professionally and personally. Today we celebrate our 6th birthday. We’re big kids now, with lots of exciting “firsts” to discover and even bigger Playground equipment to climb! *squeee*

When we first started the Playground, eons ago, we were focused on helping other writers on their writing journeys. Now, as more of the Playfriends join the published ranks, we find ourselves also meeting our readers and providing a place for them to get to know us. As those goals collide, we’ve decided to make some exciting changes around here! Our main website has been converted to pages right here on the blog. Any of our past articles or interviews can be found by clicking the link on the appropriate page – they aren’t going away, we just won’t be adding to those sections any longer. If we interview wonderful authors, it will be here on the blog as guest authors, so be sure to keep an eye on upcoming Playground visitors!

Many of us have individual websites now (links are in the sidebar), but the blog is our special place to speak our piece -- in more than 140 characters -- so we hope you’ll continue to visit with us on the swing set every day. Our newsletter is still active, so feel free to sign up from the link in the sidebar, but it will be coming out quarterly now and focused on special events, guest bloggers, and releases. And don’t forget our Facebook page, where a lot of those special announcements and guest bloggers show up right in your news feed! So “LIKE” us as the Writing Playground.

We hope you enjoy our streamlined site and new “look”. These past six years have meant the world to us as we’ve gotten to know you, our readers, and celebrated life’s ups or commiserated life’s downs. We want to celebrate once again by giving away 2 “presents” today! Two of our commenters will be given one of the following gifties – so be sure to comment! Tell us your favorite way (presents, activities, whatever) to celebrate your BIRTHDAY!!!!

Giftie 1: Quality Time, includes a thermal mug, English breakfast tea, bath goodies, and of course, books!
Giftie 2: A True Surprise Present, includes mystery goodies (because some people like a good surprise) and of course, books!

Happy birthday to us, Happy birthday to us, Happy birthday dear Playfriends, Happy birthday to us!!!!!














41 comments:

Jane said...

Happy 6th Birthday to the Playfriends. I love to celebrate birthdays enjoying the company of my family and friends at dinner. Cake is also a must for me. My favorite is Carvel's ice cream cake.

Scarlet Wilson said...

Congratulations on your 6th birthday ladies!
In my fantasy world birthday's would always include a day at a spa.
In the real world I just hope they've managed to remember to get me something!

Cheryl said...

Happy 6th Birthday,Playfriends! Even though I'm a mom with teenagers now, MY mom always makes me a birthday supper of my choosing. She's the best!

Unknown said...

A BIG HAPPY SIXTH BIRTHDAY TO OUR PLAYGROUND FRIENDS!!! I would love to just spend my birthday doing nothing but reading but that is just dreaming. I am lucky if someone ever thinks to wish me a happy birthday in the real world.

Angel said...

I think we should kick this morning off with cyber donuts (that have no calories, of course!) and Ghirardelli's hot chocolate. That would be my breakfast of choice for my birthdays. :)

Jennifer Mathis said...

Happy 6th Birthday . Mt fsvorite way to spend my birthday is a quiet day where I can read or paint and relax

meandi09@yahoo.com

Elisa Beatty said...

Happy 6th birthday! That's a big one!

Kimberly said...

Happy 6th Birthday, Playfriends! Today do something for you! Eat a cupcake, enjoy a long walk, order the fancy non-skinny six dollar espresso drink, buy those won't-go-on-sale shoes you've been eyeing. You have my full and complete permission.

CrystalGB said...

Happy 6th birthday ladies. For my birthday I like to go book shopping and to dinner at a favorite restaurant.

traveler said...

Congratulations and best wishes on your 6th and many more. I love birthday celebrations with family at home.

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

Thanks for stopping by, everyone. I can't believe we're six! That's crazy. Time flies.

I wish I could spend my birthday traveling each year. Kick off each new year of my life in a new place on my bucket list. Doesn't happen, but it sounds good!

Laurie G said...

CONGRATS on 6 wonderful years!!

Its been a fun year!

We celebrate every birthday with chocolate angel food cake topped with chocolate whipped cream frosting. It's a family tradition!! My mom got the recipe from her Aunt Tressie. It was a secret recipe!! My mom even had to whip the egg whites by hand with a wire whisk! It took forever!! I adopted an electric mixer. The birthday person gets to pick what they want to do to celebrate.

gigi said...

Happy 6th birthday to, Playfriends. you are right you are BIG girls now.
In my perfect birthday I get to spend the day with my best guy. He always takes a day off from work to celebrate my bday. Buys me a lovely cake and takes me out to eat.

Ella said...

And bacon, Angel! Don't forget the bacon. Better yet, just get a doughnut that has bacon crumbles on it. Perfect!

Happy birthday, ladies!

petite said...

Happy 6th birthday Playground sweeties. A birthday is so special spent with wonderful friends and just appreciating a lovely dinner together.

Diane Kelly said...

Raising a glass of cyber champagne to you! Happy birthday! My favorite part of my birthday is that my family takes over house duties and I get the day off!!!

robertsonreads said...

Happy 6th Birthday !!! And may you be blessed with many more.

Long time for me as it has been really busy here at school. I hope all you ladies are doing well and are blessed.

And for a birthday celebration, let's go have a wonderful meal together at a really big table so that we can enjoy fellowship among us as well as a little bubbly.

robertsonreads

Julie Miller said...

Congratulations, ladies! Happy 6th!

Celebrating a birthday for me mostly means just having a day that's more special than others--family and friends call or get together, any kind of housework/cooking/laundry is off the table, etc. I don't need gifts (I won't turn one away, but I don't need them ;)), but I do like to be spoiled a little bit.

I love the new look of the site, too! Congrats!

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

Happy Birthday everyone! :-) I can't believe we're six. We're not little kids anymore.

I'll take some donuts, bacon (the candied kind, right?) and hot cocoa and promise to be back later with the teeter totters and masseuses.

Insti

Addison said...

Happy Birthday to the Writing Playground!!!!

Enjoy your day and celebrate all you've accomplished!

Addison

Captain Jack said...

Rum. And wenches. Somewhere in the tropics where it is warm. That is how I, Captain Jack Sparrow, would spend my birthday.

Joyeux anniversaire !

I learned that from a beautiful French girl I met in Paris when I... uhm... more than one needs to know.

Captain Jack

Gannon Carr said...

Happy 6th Birthday, ladies!! As long as I don't have to cook or clean on my birthday, I consider that a bonus. And cake is a must! Now, if I could have a day or two of me time at a spa....that would be the best!

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

Just got some more good news to add to the festivities! My second book is titled - MORE THAN HE EXPECTED - out with Harlequin Desire in July 2012!

The Brunette Librarian said...

Happy Birthday! :) I just love your blog and think its a wonderful, wonderful place to share the love of romance books while also having fun!

PM's Mother said...

Carpe Diem! Happy Sixth birthday.

Caroline said...

Wow - 6 already?! Happy Birthday to one and all at the Writing Playground. My ideal day? Doing nothing in the way of housework/The Day Job, followed by a spa visit and then dinner out with the DH. Caroline xxx

runner10 said...

Happy Birthday to you!! I am so glad I found you.

Playground Monitor said...

I am reminded of a poem I learned when I was six years old. You know, back in those days we heated the classroom with a wood stove, read by candle light and had slate tablets and chalk. ~grin~

Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne

When I was one I had just begun
When I was two I was nearly new

When I was three I was hardly me
When I was four I was not much more

When I was five I was just alive
But now I am six, I'm as clever as clever;

So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.


Happy birthday to us! And may we have many, many more.

Problem Child said...

Happy Birthday!!

My real birthday is coming up, but this one is better because I'm only six and not thirty-mumble-something...

squiresj said...

My favorite way to celebrate my birthday is with my family. One birthday my daughters took me to Estate sales, yard sales, and thrift shops. Then we went to A & W and acted like school girls. All of us are adults. Now I like spending it surrounded by my grandchildren. Have one who will be a year on 22nd. One who is a month old and two step-grandchildren older.
jrs362 at hotmail dot com

Donna B. said...

First off, Happy Birthday playgrounders! Thanks for sharing. My fave way to spend my birthday is starting off with a breakfast of french toast (in bed, if possible). Then a nice spell of relaxing and reading, perhaps a little retail therapy to compensate for the "year older" bit. Finally, enjoy a nice dinner with my family (cooked by anyone but me) and a nice cake (chocolate with frosting roses which I get a couple of) while being serenaded with an off key rendition of "Happy Birthday." Top it all off with card reading and present opening (which hopefully include gift cards to a bookstore). The complete, blissed out birthday!

Crystal Lee said...

Happy 6th Birthday!!!! Family, friends, festive food and presents make birthday celebrations special for me.

Carol Burnside aka Annie Rayburn said...

Happy birthday! Love the new digs. :)

Desere said...

A very big happy birthday to you all ! Congratz on years of excellence and may you have many many more !

Desere
desere_steenberg@yahoo.com

Cathy M said...

Happy Birthday! My favorite way to celebrate is a spa afternoon of pampering, then a dinner out with my kidlets.


caity_mack at yahoo dot com

Angel said...

Wow! Welcome to the party, y'all!!! It's been a wonderful birthday and I think we should end our evening dancing into the night and indulging in petite four cookies (if you haven't had these, they are to DIE for! melt in your mouth sugar cookies cover in petite four icing, yum!) and the official Playground drink -- the teeter totter (champagne and sparkling apple juice). That's what we're toasting with in our picture with the Mavens.

So many wonderful ideas!!! Spa days, dinner out (I love it when someone else cooks and cleans up), and gift cards. Woohoo! I think my favorite is for someone else to cook and clean. I get the day off at my house, but all my work (plus the dishes from dinner) are all waiting for me the next day. :( I think I'll adopt this as our new tradition.

catslady said...

Big congratulations on your 6th!! I usually do all the cooking so going out to eat is a pleasure and sometimes I get a movie too which I don't do too often!

SiNn said...

happy Birthday!!!

well honestly for me i celebrate my birthday with my nephew have since he was born almost 15 yrs ago

so we do the usual family dinner of fun and cake then its agood booka nd relaxing music I also like to gear up a week in advance as well as a few days ater to really get in the spirit of anothe year older so we tend to just be a family good food good fun

mortalsinn(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

Maureen said...

Happy Birthday!! Congratulations on six great years. I love to have a dinner with my family on my birthday.

Anonymous said...

Yeah,,! Happy 6th,
Love sharing it with great friends and family, food,presents lol, glad it my b-day,, is 29th,whooo, I,ove flowers,and food, more bdays, to come ladies
Thanks,
Kim h

Pat L. said...

Happy 6th bday, sorry it took me so long to get here; almost forgot. Hope you had a fun day.

My fav way to celebrate is with family and gifts of books or g.c.'s.
And lots of good food.

Turned 65 end of Oct and my girlfriends surprised me and stopped by at 8AM and brought breakfast. It was fun.