let’s hang out on instagram

Our Silmarillion book club begins ✨ tomorrow! ✨ Are you ready? We’ll be discussing Ainulindalë throughout the week! The main discussion will be happening on our discord server but feel free to jump in on Instagram or twitter by tagging @teawithtolkien so we can see!

brb filling the house with tiny plants for maximum coziness

The podcast is back! This week, I’m joined by co-host of The Tolkien Road podcast and author of two books on the Silmarillion, John Carswell. 📚 This episode was so fun to record because I’ve been a big fan of John’s work for a few years now and I loved hearing his thoughts and advice for those reading the Silmarillion for the first time!

very grateful to share that alex aand I are expecting another baby, we hope to meet him or her this spring.
I know our little ones in heaven are rejoicing; saints Frances Xavier and Juniper Rose, pray for us. ❤️ In case you were wondering why I had basically dropped off the face of the earth, I’ve had a rough time with morning sickness! I’m hoping now that I’m into the second trimester, it will ease up soon.

Essays & Blog Posts

Podcast Episodes

September 2019
- Sep 10, 2019 Episode 18: Ainulindalë Read-Along with Alex and Matt
- Sep 3, 2019 Episode 17: Reading the Silmarillion: An Introduction with John Carswell
April 2019
- Apr 19, 2019 Episode 16: To Morning Through the Shadows (On Good Friday, Miscarriage, and The Light We Cannot See)
- Apr 2, 2019 Episode 15: All that is Gold Does Not Glitter, Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
March 2019
- Mar 26, 2019 Episode 14: I Feel like Spring After Winter
- Mar 25, 2019 Tolkien Reading Day (Bonus Episode: My Favorite Tolkien Passages)
- Mar 19, 2019 Episode 13: "I am in Fact a Hobbit (In all But Size)" - Letter 213
- Mar 5, 2019 Episode 12: A Hobbit's Guide to Lent
February 2019
- Feb 26, 2019 Episode 11: The Tragedy of Sméagol
- Feb 19, 2019 Episode 10: Tea with Flannery (feat. Theresa Williams)
- Feb 12, 2019 Episode 9: Lembas & The Eucharist
January 2019
- Jan 29, 2019 Episode 8: An Introduction to Tolkien for Beginners
- Jan 22, 2019 Episode 7: Squad Goals, Friendship in Middle-Earth
- Jan 15, 2019 Episode 6: Love Mingled with Grief
- Jan 8, 2019 Episode 5: Concerning Conversion (Feat. Alex Facista)
- Jan 1, 2019 Episode 4: Ways to be more of a Hobbit at Heart in the new year (plus, a giveaway!)
December 2018
- Dec 25, 2018 Episode 3: December 25, The Ring Goes South
- Dec 18, 2018 Episode 2: An Unexpected Book List
- Dec 11, 2018 Episode 1: A Long-Expected Podcast
November 2018
- Nov 30, 2018 Episode 0: Chatting with Lily

September 2019
- Sep 9, 2019 Ainulindalë (The Silmarillion Book Club: Part One)
August 2019
- Aug 12, 2019 Film Review: Tolkien (2019)
July 2019
- Jul 13, 2019 Lattes with Lewis: A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
June 2019
- Jun 30, 2019 At Home: Ithilien Bookshelf Mural
- Jun 10, 2019 A Mid-Summer Hobbit Party
May 2019
- May 22, 2019 Introducing 30 Days to a Hobbit at Heart: A Journey towards Hobbitness and Holiness
- May 17, 2019 Reading The Lord of the Rings: Resources & Recommendations
- May 16, 2019 Afternoon Tea (vol. 3)
- May 3, 2019 Evil Labours in Vain: Tolkien on Suffering, Hope, and God's Plan (Letter 64)
April 2019
- Apr 25, 2019 Make a Habit of the Praises: Tolkien's Prayer Recommendations
- Apr 25, 2019 Átaremma, Aia María, and Alcar i Ataren: Prayers of the Rosary in Quenya
- Apr 16, 2019 Book Review: “Symbol or Substance?: A Dialogue on the Eucharist”
February 2019
- Feb 28, 2019 To-Be-Read: The 50 Books on My List
- Feb 16, 2019 Afternoon Tea (vol. 2)
January 2019
- Jan 31, 2019 "The Truth Shall Make You Odd": Tea with Flannery O’Connor
- Jan 31, 2019 Hobbit Parties: Our Favorite Party Goods from Etsy
October 2018
- Oct 28, 2018 A Long-Expected Party & Second Breakfast: Our 2018 Hobbit Parties
September 2018
- Sep 24, 2018 To Middle-Earth and Back Again
- Sep 5, 2018 Riddles in the Dark (Hobbit Party Game)
- Sep 2, 2018 Silmarillion Book Club (Week Twelve)
August 2018
- Aug 14, 2018 Silmarillion Book Club (Week Eleven)
- Aug 5, 2018 Silmarillion Book Club (Week Ten)
July 2018
- Jul 29, 2018 Silmarillion Book Club (Week Nine)
- Jul 27, 2018 Silmarillion Book Club (Week Eight)
- Jul 16, 2018 Silmarillion Book Club (Week Seven)
- Jul 9, 2018 Afternoon Tea (vol. 1)
- Jul 8, 2018 Silmarillion Book Club (Week Six)
- Jul 6, 2018 Our Hobbit Party (2017)
- Jul 2, 2018 Silmarillion Book Club (Week Five)
June 2018
- Jun 25, 2018 Silmarillion Book Club (Week Four)
- Jun 23, 2018 The Heart of Tea with Tolkien
- Jun 18, 2018 Silmarillion Book Club (Week Three)
- Jun 13, 2018 The Best Planners for 2018-2019 (Tea with Tolkien Edition)
- Jun 10, 2018 Valaquenta (Silmarillion Book Club Week Two)
- Jun 4, 2018 Ainulindalë (Silmarillion Book Club, Week One)
May 2018
- May 29, 2018 Our Silmarillion Read-Along: 2018 Summer Schedule
- May 25, 2018 The Tea with Tolkien Father's Day Gift Guide
- May 10, 2018 Our Blessed Brunch (& How to Host Your Own)
April 2018
- Apr 30, 2018 Like Butter Scraped Across Too Much Bread
- Apr 25, 2018 Discovering the Sacraments in Middle-Earth: Boromir's Confession
- Apr 24, 2018 Book Review: The Messiah Comes to Middle-Earth by Philip Ryken
- Apr 5, 2018 Etsy Finds (vol. 1)
March 2018
- Mar 10, 2018 Look to Him and Be Radiant
December 2017
- Dec 30, 2017 Growing in Hobbit-ness & Holiness with Our LOTR Companion Journals
- Dec 29, 2017 Say Hello to the First Catholic Journaling Bible ( + a Giveaway!)
November 2017
- Nov 3, 2017 Tea with Tolkien Christmas Gift Guide: Etsy Edition
- Nov 2, 2017 Tolkien-Inspired Baby Names
September 2017
- Sep 18, 2017 Riddles in the Dark (Hobbit Party Printable)
- Sep 18, 2017 Hobbit Party Planning: Second Breakfast & More
- Sep 13, 2017 Mount Doom Bean Bags & Ring Toss (Hobbit Party Games)
- Sep 10, 2017 Almond, Citrus, and Lavender Lembas Bread
August 2017
- Aug 31, 2017 Shelob's Web (Hobbit Party Games)
- Aug 25, 2017 Our Saints & Scripture Gallery Wall
- Aug 14, 2017 The Two Towers: Journey to the Cross-Roads & The Stairs of Cirith Ungol (Week 10)
- Aug 6, 2017 The Two Towers: The Black Gate is Closed & Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit (Week 8)
- Aug 1, 2017 Hobbit Party Planning: Woodland Decor & Accents
July 2017
- Jul 28, 2017 The Two Towers, Book IV: The Taming of Smeagol & The Passage of the Marshes (Week 7)
- Jul 17, 2017 The Two Towers: The Palantir & A Recap of Book III (Week 6)
- Jul 10, 2017 The Two Towers: Flotsam and Jetsam & The Voice of Saruman (Week 5)
- Jul 3, 2017 The Two Towers: Helm's Deep & The Road to Isengard (Week 4)
June 2017
- Jun 26, 2017 The Two Towers: The White Rider & The King of the Golden Hall (Week 3)
- Jun 19, 2017 The Two Towers: The Uruk-hai & Treebeard (Book Club Musings, Wk. 2)
- Jun 12, 2017 The Two Towers: The Departure of Boromir & The Riders of Rohan (Book Club, Wk. 1)
- Jun 9, 2017 Fellowship of the Ring: The Old Forest (Book Club Musings)
- Jun 8, 2017 Fellowship of the Ring: A Conspiracy Unmasked (Book Club Musings)
May 2017
- May 30, 2017 Our Two Towers Reading Schedule (Summer 2017)
- May 24, 2017 A Look Inside Our Two Towers Companion Journal
April 2017
- Apr 29, 2017 Tolkien's Requiem (A Review & Giveaway)
- Apr 26, 2017 Fellowship of the Ring: A Short Cut to Mushrooms (Book I, Ch. IV)
- Apr 26, 2017 A Second Breakfast Giveaway
- Apr 25, 2017 Fellowship of the Ring: Three is Company (Book I, Ch. III)
- Apr 22, 2017 Explore Indiana: Coxhall Gardens
- Apr 18, 2017 Fellowship of the Ring: The Shadow of the Past | Book Club Musings
- Apr 17, 2017 John Ronald's Dragons (A Book Review & Giveaway)
- Apr 15, 2017 On this Holy Saturday: Here At the End of All Things (Triduum Series)
- Apr 14, 2017 On This Good Friday: "I Thirst" (Triduum Series)
- Apr 13, 2017 On This Holy Thursday: The Eucharist and Lembas (Triduum Series)
- Apr 11, 2017 At Home in Middle-Earth: The Heroism of Life-Saving Hospitality
- Apr 6, 2017 Not All Who Wander are Lost (Giveaway with Keep Collective)
- Apr 4, 2017 At Home in Middle-Earth: Becoming Strongholds of Goodness
- Apr 3, 2017 Fellowship of the Ring: Prologue and A Long-Expected Party | Book Club Musings
March 2017
- Mar 21, 2017 Why March 25th Might Be The Most Important Date of all History
- Mar 6, 2017 How Does Christ Battle Evil?
February 2017
- Feb 26, 2017 How Tolkien's Middle-Earth Introduced Me to Catholicism
- Feb 20, 2017 Our First Tea with Tolkien Giveaway: Fellowship of the Ring
- Feb 20, 2017 Awake & Unafraid: Tea with Saint Lucy and My Chemical Romance
- Feb 18, 2017 10 Prayerful Ways to Begin Each Day
- Feb 16, 2017 Why Middle-Earth Matters: 11 Reasons We Need to Read Tolkien
December 2016
- Dec 7, 2016 Wisdom from a the Patron Saints of Beekeepers & Brewers
September 2016
- Sep 22, 2016 Moments from our Hobbit Party (2016)
November 2013
- Nov 3, 2013 Hobbit Party (2013)
September 2012
- Sep 22, 2012 Hobbit Party 2012 (In Dominica!)
- Sep 17, 2012 Planning A Hobbit Party