End of March | 2024
A roundup of mundane magic, links I loved, and books I finished this month
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Today's post is an end-of-the-month roundup of mundane magic moments, links I loved, and books I finished. The sections are clearly marked, so feel free to jump ahead.
My reading has been a bit slow again this month. I think this time of year just tends to put me in a bit of a slump, and I'm learning to be okay with it.
I've still got a few things to share, though, and I hope you find something worthwhile!
One quick thing to mention is that I have not included links for the book recs this time.
The truth is, it just takes a long time for me to go back and forth on my phone adding them, and I didn't have it in me this month. I hope that won't keep you from searching any that seem interesting.
✨️ Mundane Magics ✨️
Sybi, my 5-year-old, got her hair cut this month, and it's such a vibe. She loved every second of getting it cut, and kept saying, “I can't believe my hair is short! I love it!” for days afterward.
is doing a Create+Engage series that started with this zine workshop which was so fun and interesting!
Sybi asked me to paint her nails recently, and Oren came over and put his hand in my lap so I could do his too. They both picked the colours for each nail themselves and loved them.
Sybil has been picking some really fun outfits lately and both have been enjoying dress-up. I love seeing how they express themselves.
Watching Avatar: The Last Airbender, Doctor Who, Anne with an E, The Bachelor, and various knitting podcasts. The Doctor and Anne are rewatches, and all of these were/are enjoyable.
Crocheting alien plant hangers, granny square chickens(links to ravelry1), and a dress for Sybi - and also ordering yarn and project planning. My brain is really enjoying learning new things.
Finishing an embroidery hoop for my friends - this was such a fun project and one I've been planning for years, so I'm happy to have finally done it.
Realizing the colours of my shawl look a lot like my moss-covered log and leaves.
Taking a painting class by myself. I painted a Starry Night/Sunflowers inspired piece. Now that I've done it, I want to redo it a bit differently, but Sybil loves the colours, so this one will go in her room.
Getting my perm refreshed, a new cut, and talking to my stylist. I always enjoy my conversations with Maddie as much as my hair. (Pictures will happen eventually)
Links I Loved
A piece for fellow chronic people-pleasers from
:
Over time, the repressed reality of being so disconnected from self can calcify into rage, and the façade of fawning begins to crack and crumble under the pressure of it. We may find ourselves the proverbial “exploding doormat,” going from marshmallow peep-sweet to actively volcanic in the blink of an eye, scorching everyone and everything around.
This ode to spring by
is so gentle and kind, as is everything else she writes:
Here are some prayers/offerings/reminders I wrote to my own fear, to the parts of me who want to stay tucked in the bud instead of living into my own truest becoming. I need them; perhaps you do, too.
Poems for Palestine is a beautiful compilation by
that includes a number of her own poems as well as those written by others:
I’m creating this post as a place to share my own poems about Palestine, a place to begin my exploration of the work of Palestinian poets, and a space in which to invite you, dear reader, to share your own poems for Palestine or to link to poetry you’ve read elsewhere.
Books I Finished
Raising Hell, Living Well: Freedom from Influence in a World Where Everyone Wants Something from You (Including Me) by Jessica Elefante: this was a thought-provoking nonfiction that I really enjoyed.
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree: I adored this prequel to Legends & Lattes, which I read in January. I loved the characters and setting as much as the first book, and the story itself was intriguing. I hope there will be more in this series.
Midnight Ruin by Katee Robert: I have yet to read a book in this series I didn't enjoy. This one wasn't my top favourite, but it forwarded the overall plot in interesting ways (My absolute favourite will probably forever be Neon Gods, about Hades and Persephone).
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith: This is such a beautiful memoir. It feels honest and full of compassion. I think many of the less favourable reviews don't understand that this is a memoir written by a poet and that the repetition is poetic and intentional. I loved it.
Chasing Vermeer and The Wright 3 by Blue Balliet and Brett Helquist: These are middle grade rereads from my 2024 Reading Queue. I love the way the author set up the mystery in these books, but it's interesting that I forgot so much of the magical realism from my first read of them years ago. I expected to be able to guess what would happen by the end, but there's a lot of unexplained coincidences driving the story. I don't mind, because I love all the patterns and art themes. They're quite short, so I'll likely read the final two in the series as well, though they're new to me.
I hope your March was full of magic. I'd love for you to share any of your own mundane moments, links, and recs in the comments. And as always, feel free to share if this resonated with you!
For those unfamiliar, Ravelry is a site that has numerous knitting and crochet patterns available, however many people have difficulty using it due to issues with siezures, headaches, etc. Take care!
Nice round up! Legends & Lattes is on my Kindle, but I haven’t read it yet. 💫
I've been in a rut too but finally starting to come out of it I think.