Hi, it’s been a few week’s since my last Pull up a Chair post, so grab your cuppa and let’s catch up.
We had a busy few weeks visiting with family, celebrating birthdays and a Wedding, and that all took priority as we reached the end of the Summer. It does’t matter how old I get, September still has that back-to-school, fresh start pull and, while I had planned to start another magical month, in all honesty, I am just not ready to dive into it yet. I still feel like I am catching up and getting back to routine.
However, we have a New Moon on Friday, and New Moon’s are a great time to set intentions and for fresh starts. So, although it is a little later than planned, I’ll be setting some intentions and goals tomorrow ready for this next moon cycle. It won’t be elaborate or fancy, just a quick session with my journal to write down what I want to achieve, I may pull a tarot card or two, I will make some moon water and will select a few crystals that align with my goals to charge with the new moon energy. I’ll post about it on my socials, if you want to see what I choose.
What I am Reading
Well, I have done a fair bit of reading these last few weeks. I have finished the whole ‘A Court of Thorns & Roses’ series and honestly, thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely want to read more of the ‘Maas-verse’ but am taking a little break to catch up on some other reading before getting sucked in again. I am now reading the third (& last) book in the All Soul’s Trilogy by Deborah Harkness, “The Book of Life”. I really enjoyed the first book but struggled a bit with the second, hence a little break before continuing. For book club, I am listening to “The Secret History” by Donna Tart, not one I had heard of before but apparently considered a modern classic.
In terms of non-fiction, I finished “The Book of Magical Living” by Poppy Jamie on my Kindle, but think I need to buy a physical copy to read again and make notes. I really enjoyed it, but feel I can get more from it. I have also started reading “The Celtic Wheel of the Year” by Rhonda McCrimmon as I want to start learning more about more local and Welsh withcraft. And I’ve started “How to get your Broom Back” by Gabrielle St. George, about reclaiming confidence and power during midlife.
What I am Watching
I managed to introduce Matthew to ‘Practical Magic a couple of weeks ago, ahead of ‘Practical Magic 2’ being released in the cinema. Obviously, I introduced it to Evie years ago! I can’t wait to go see it in the cinema. We are also watching ‘Ludwig’ on BBC, about a puzzle designer who starts solving crimes while pretending to be his twin brother. Well worth a watch!
What I am Crafting & Creating
I haven’t done much lately, but Autumn is my season. As the evenings get darker, and cosier, ALL of my crafts come out! I did ‘bedazzle’ an old pair of shoes for a friend’s wedding to match my dress, which turned out better than I had dreamed, although I can’t say all of the diamonds survived the wedding!
I have started a little French Bulldog cross stitch I picked up in Hobbycraft and treated myself to a new diamond art project that I’ll be starting soon.
What we’ve been Cooking
In Swansea, it has felt like September hit and someone has switched on the Autumn weather, so roast dinners are back and Matthew decided to mark the occasion with a MASSIVE Yorkshire Pudding – yes, I am working on the blog post – to go with a Lamb roast, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
The leftover lamb has been used to make a Cawl, which is a welsh stew, again, yes, I am working on a post. I baked some brownies and, after saying I should probably get some fancy bowls to improve my content creation, have been gifted (by Matthew) two gorgeous Mason Cash bowls, so more baking will definitely be happening.
What I’ve been Planning
Everything! Honestly, I have plans, lists and notes everywhere at the moment. I have so many ideas for On My Dining Table, including getting my Magical Month Guide finished and ready to sell, plus blog posts to write, recipes to test, crafts to try and so much more. Plus we are working on decluttering the house to get some rearranging and decorating done, including updating our kitchen. I absolutely love Autumn and celebrating Samhain or Hallowe’en and Christmas or Yule is just so magical, and I have already started planning some festive treats which I can’t wait to share. I am really excited about the last few months of the year and can’t wait to see what I can get done.
That’s all for now, I’ve got some decluttering to do. (By the way, if you are interested in the decluttering, come and follow @rhiandaniel on Instagram or TikTok.)
Thanks for joining me, see you next time!
Rhi x
