A merry merry chrissy from us, to you....

May your stocking be filled with love,
happiness, peace and books,

May your holiday be filled with time to find a tree
by a river, blanket in hand, book in pocket,

May your books be filled with stories
that take you to wonderful, inspiring places.



Opening Hours for Jan/Feb 2009
Mondays: Closed
T- F: 10am - 4pm
Sat: 9am - 12.30pm
Sundays: Closed

Kate Knapp-isms

make me happy. My friend Ange and her little man Baxter were in the shop today, and we oohhhed and ahhhhhed over Kate Knapp's new book. Did she write it just for us? How did she know? We'd flip through the pages whilst chasing after little Bax and read Kate Knapp-isms to each other over a cuppa coffee.... here's one just to tempt your taste buds! (copies in store now - RUSH IN!!!!)

New Kate Knapp book!

Oh it's divine! I want to give a copy to all the special people in my life!

November goings on in the bookshop

It's been a while since we've posted on our blog - a) I forgot my password, then b)I got married! and c)we were in far north QLD for a week, then d) it was new hubby's birthday, then e) Wags got a grass seed buried under his armpit, and then f) Christmas suddently arrived in the world of retail! Well, only just now at the end of November (about time, I was getting worried).

We had our third author event last week - Michael Keenan, author of "The Shadows of Horses" (Random House) came to speak about this, and 4 of his other previous titles. What an interesting author to listen to! The turn out was rather small (Mike was happy with it though), but piles of his books sold, and we all feasted on freshly made sponge cake, timtams and pots of brewed coffee...

On the way to Mum's wedding!

A big day for the little dog - heading off to the forest to witness Mum and Dad's wedding! Here's Wags in his wedding ribbon. Just one minute after the ceremony, Wags jumped up on his mum's expensive new dress and put a big brown smudge all the way down the front of it! "Arrgh" came the collective cry from all our family and friends. "Typical" I sighed and smiled - the one day in my life I wear a dress, and a nice one at that, it ends up covered in mud again!

Little Dog is no longer little!

Spring!

Ah, the smell of blossoms and books, what a wonderful world it can be....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

Thanks to all our loyal customers, friends and family who have supported the LDB over the last year. Our first birthday celebratory sale over the weekend was HUGELY successful and highly energised (though that could have been due to the un-natural high resulting from too many minties consumed...)

Here's hoping we survive year 2 without drought, interest rate rises, mini-recessions, legal threats and crazy wacked out people off the street! We're looking forward to adding to our little family with more puppy pooches, fantastic sustainable giftware, and even more time to emerse ourselves in the worlds laying waiting between the pages....

Relaxation time with Ikou!

The Ikou range of massage oils, bath salts, candles and oil burners emit a lingering spicy and soothing fragrance that seeps into the pages of the books and the wood of the old timber shop doors (and covers up the smell of puppy-fluffs!).

It's been so busy being a puppy in the bookshop, I've been run off my feet....

It's exhausting, bookselling...

That's not helping!

Helping out in the bookshop....

soy melt burners have legs!

Yesterday I sold out of soy melt burners. After the snow last weekend and the -4 degrees and 1cm thick frost this morning I think people are snuggling indoors by the fire with beautiful scents and enthralling books (well, that's what I' be doing if I weren't in the shop!). Springtime is on the way though, even sooner in some supermarkets where I picked up these tulips this morning to remind myself the warmer, longer days are on the horizon!

The Little Dog Bookshop has a Little Dog!

Here is the new addition to our family.... his name is Wags, Wags the dog. Or Waggie, Wagman, "Trouble", or "the second cutest dog in the world". Locals are now coming into the shop to visit Waggie. I don't know that I've made any sales from him though as everyone is too busy playing with the little dog, rather than perusing the stock!

jMILTON fabric belts now in stock again!

Thankfully the talented designer/owner of the jMILTON range agreed to find time in her busy schedule to produce a fabulous new set of fabric belts for our little bookshop.

To be emailed a catalogue for an online order, send me an email to books@littledogbookshop.com.au . Be quick, this exclusive stock is limited!

Exciting new stock ordered!

A quick blog to let everyone know about some of our recent "non-book" purchasing which is either in stock now, or will be by October...

• new stationery range from Red Tractor Designs and Jam Tales....
• Studio Antic cards and notebooks...
• New designs from Kate Knapp at Twigseeds...
• Outback Antics stationery sets...
• Stationery sets from a Canberra designer, Poppen which are exceedingly groovy!
• new limited edition fabric belts from jMILTON
• a re-order of the fabulous alphabet friezes and the 2009 wall planner from Miriam Bereson....(see piccies above)
• beautiful ceramic chrissy decorations from Paper Boat Press available in October
• new stationery from Blossom Creations, also available in time for Christmas pressies...

I'm always on the lookout for fabulous stationery made from recycled or sustainable materials, so if you see any, made in Oz that I don't already stock - send me an email, I'd love to know about them all!

Peter Andrews to speak on "Back from the Brink"

As part of the Books Alive reading month, we are proud to present Peter Andrews speaking about his book "Back from the Brink".

Where once our country was able to survive long droughts and to prevent salinity, it is now on the brink of irreparable damage. And it's not just a problem for farmers - it's starting to affect our cities. Can we pull ourselves back from the brink?

With a lifetime's experience of working the land, Peter Andrews has seen the landscape change. He has watched and experimented with the movement of water. He has observed the importance of biodiversity - weeds included. And he's concluded that to save Australia we need to return the landscape to its original systems. From his observations, a radical new approach has developed. Long rejected by farmers, scientists and politicians, Peter's theories are being taken more and more seriously - because his theories work. Back from the Brink tells Peter Andrews's story and explains how we can, if we choose, save Australia from the mistakes of the past.

Tuesday 26th August, 6-8 pm at the Yass Soldiers Club.

LDB becomes the first carbon neutral bookshop in all of Australia....perhaps the globe?

On World Environment Day, June 5 2008, we became certified carbon neutral. Check out our environmental policy on our website to find out how. We're quite proud!

3.30pm, the kids walk straight past me to the children's reading room...sometimes not even a hello Kate....

After school, in they come and plonk themselves down in the children's reading room. It's done up with colourful rugs and chairs and soft toys. After half an hour or so I wander in to check on mischief levels, but mostly there are sitting there ensconsed in pages....

Main book room

I pinched some branches from the paddock at the bottom of our house and made the display in the main reading room. As the season passes the tree changes. In spring, it's covered with blossom. In summer, its full and fresh and vibrant. In autumn those dusky colours come out, and winter its barely there. This photo was taken during Easter, and the kids who came into the shop all helped create these carboard eggs for the tree. What fun they had....

Main reading room

And inside the shop are wonderful high ceilings and a small collection of beautiful books and gift items made my moslty aussies, mostly from recycled materials.

Welcome to my little bookshop

For someone who is not inclined to technical proficiency, I'm quite proud to introduce my first post to my first blog, and show you a picture of my little shop! Picture me, sitting in the corner in a sunspot, hovering over my bar heater, steaming coffee in fingers...