A Tour of Our Little Beach Shack

Plus our new favorite podcast, the cost of our adoption, and the bad habits we each want to give up.

Hi everyone!!! Happy Friday the 13th.

First of all, I can’t tell you how much last week’s launch meant to me. Thank you so so so much for reading and commenting and subscribing and providing feedback. Being vulnerable is never easy, but you sure did soften the blow, and for that, I am so grateful for you.

This week we made a quick trip down to our beach shack for the kids’ fall break. And I really mean quick: we were there a day and a half. Yes I know that sounds crazy, and it kind of was, but we were skeptical about going from the start. It’s fall, which is our favorite season, and it finally feels like fall here in Tennessee, which means what we really want to be doing is spending time outside at our farm or baking apple cakes or getting out all of our flannel shirts. What we didn’t really want to be doing is driving down to the beach. But, we had to check on the house and get it ready for winter, so alas, a trip was made.

When we got there, everything was just as we’d left it, which was a rather comforting feeling. We got there on Monday afternoon, the rain came shortly after, and if you know anything about the rain and us at the beach, you know we just don’t mix well together. Our moods become affected by the dark and stormy weather there and the kids become stir-crazy in that tiny house and it’s just a bad combination. So we tidied everything up, PJ built some stairs on the front of the house (as one does on a Tuesday afternoon), we packed up and loaded into the car (as you can see in the photo above), and we hit the road Wednesday morning as the rain was started to pour again. Nine hours later, we were back home like we never even left.

BUT! Before we left, I snapped some pictures for you so I could give you a little tour of our tiny beach shack. And it really is tiny, y’all. It’s around 700 sq ft, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It’s so charming, though, with the original poplar wood walls and ceilings from the 1940’s adding so much character and natural warmth in each room. We tried to match the feeling of the existing wood to the new rooms we added on to so they all flowed nicely, like the new bathrooms and dining room, all on the back of the house. We wanted a very light and airy beach vibe, so we painted all the rooms white except one: the kids’ room. We left it original, but we may end up painting it down the road. Thoughts? Should we leave it or paint it? We think it’s beautiful as is, but something is telling us to drape every wall in white. TBD.

These photos were taken on my iPhone as we were on our way out, so nothing is styled or put together, but I kind of like seeing houses like that these days, you know? I feel like everything is so picture-perfect online when it comes to interiors, but that’s not really how we live. These are all very much in-progress photos, and that’s what this little cottage is at the moment: a work in progress.

Without further ado, here is a tour of our little beach shack:

Kitchen:

The walls in the kitchen are only primed, so they still need about two coats of paint. Don’t you love the carrara marble countertops with the dark green cabinets? In person it’s giving Ralph Lauren, and I can’t wait to cook something in that kitchen. Of course, in order to do that, we need appliances. One day!

Dining nook:

This is the happiest little room. It’s so small, and works both as a back entry (and the way we normally get into the house) and as a place to eat. We brought the table and chairs from home (both are separate Facebook Marketplace finds) and they fit just fine here. This room was an addition, so we matched the wood and hung some prints we got at an estate sale just down the street from our house in town. The windows look out into the backyard and it’s so fun to be eating in there and glance out and see the kids climbing the branches of the two trees out back.

Living room:

Yes we are those people who put sheets over their couches when we leave for a while. Underneath the sheets is a white slipcovered couch from IKEA. The curtains are just canvas drop cloth, the lamp came with the house and fits the color scheme of the room perfectly, the rug is from Facebook Marketplace, and the wooden coffee table is a Habitat Restore find. I love the opening from the living room on the left, which is original to the house.

Primary Bedroom:

Both bedrooms are tight, but they’re so cozy. The primary only has enough room for a queen-sized bed (which is fun to sleep in since we have a king at home) and two nightstands. The door to the right leads to the bathroom addition.

Primary bathroom:

A small but mighty room! We added this on to the primary bedroom. The door to the bathroom used to be an exterior window. It looks so bland without art and towels to fill it, but the last time we stayed here this past summer, this room wasn’t ready, so it felt amazing to have it completed and be able to use it this time. The vanity was found on Facebook Marketplace, the little wicker storage unit came with the house, and the tile came from Lowes.

Kids’ room:

The only room left in the house with the original wood, the kids’ room is moody and cozy and has kind of a California-cool vibe. We plan to get bunkbeds for it, because right now they’re just sleeping on two mattresses on the floor, but they don’t mind so much (it’s like camping for them). This room is just off the living room and gets the most amazing light throughout the day.

Guest bathroom:

For the size of the house, the guest bathroom is actually a pretty good sized room. We brought the (extremely heavy) vanity with us from home earlier this year, and the decorative fish came with the house. Aren’t they fun? This room also pulls double duty as a bathroom and laundry room; the little space with the paint and mop bucket is where a stackable washer and dryer will go. It’s a very light and fun bathroom, with the wavy white shower tile mimicking the motion of ocean waves, and the floor tile looking like little droplets of water.

And that’s all! Isn’t it a sweet little shack? We’re back home now and plan to do all the fall things for the rest of the kids’ fall break. What are you up to this weekend? Anything fun?

Okay, here’s the rest of this week’s issue!

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Watching: Beckham

When I tell you we are suddenly OBSESSED with David Beckham because of this documentary!! I am sure you have already seen it, because it seems like everyone is watching this show, but if not, you have to watch it immediately. We’ve never really been into the David Beckham craze for whatever reason. I was aware of him when I was younger, but I definitely think he was (is?) bigger in the U.K. than he is in America. Still, his star power is undeniable, and getting a peak into his and Victoria’s life is fascinating, because wow, what a life they’ve had. A must watch.

Reading: To Kill a Mockingbird

I promise you, I can feel your eyes rolling to the back of your head. But the truth is, I’ve never read it. I know, I know. What’s even worse? I’ve never seen the movie, either. But all that is about to change! After watching an episode of The Changeling where they reference a first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird worth $10,000, I was immediately intrigued and asked myself, why haven’t I read this iconic book? My brother read it in middle school, along with the rest of the world, and I am finally starting to read it, too. It’s on my bedside table and I am excited to dive in! Have you not read it, either?!

Listening to: Las Culturistas Podcast

Another one that I am, admittedly, late to the game in, is this incredible, hilarious, wild podcast Las Culturistas hosted by Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. This is my new favorite podcast, y’all. And not for nothing, but it won Podcast of the Year at the iHeart Radio Podcast Awards this year. They touch on all the things I love and am interested in: movies, TV, celebrities, culture (duh), scandals, and so much more. And they’re not just funny, they’re smart as hell and so damn witty. The depth of their industry knowledge truly knows no end, and it’s so fascinating to listen to them talk about tangents of tangents of tangents of celebrity culture. I binged as many episodes as I could on the way home to the beach and it made the trip go by so much faster.

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Q: “What was the cost of your guys’ adoption?”

A: Every adoption scenario is different, even though they may share many similarities. We went through a private foster care agency and then adopted through the state, so there was actually zero cost for us. Our foster care agency paid for our foster care classes, which isn’t always the case, as sometimes you have to pay to take the courses. And when the time finally came and we were able to adopt, the state paid for everything as well, so there was no out of pocket cost for us. Again, it is different depending on what agency you go through and what state you live in, but that was our experience.

Q: : ”Where do you guys get your decor?”

A: Honestly, everywhere! Our house is mixed with both high and low cost pieces, but mostly it’s filled with antique and thrift store finds, and lots of estate sale scores. We rarely pay full price for anything, and any time there is an estate sale going on, we’re there. You would be amazed at the deals you can find at those. We also love a local-ish store here in Chattanooga called Southeastern Salvage, which is where we got our couch, TV console table, and lamps from.

Q: “What is the one bad habit each of you would like to give up?”

A: PJ: “Since we all know I have trichotillomania, I will skip that bad habit and go on to another one I want to stop: Touching my teeth. I find myself touching my teeth a lot, mostly when I’m deep in thought or riding in the car on road trips. It’s a bad habit that I want to break, especially since flu season is coming up!”

Thomas: “I don’t think I have ever talked about this online, but I chew the inside of my cheeks and have for as long as I can remember. I can’t explain how fun (and gross!) it is, but I mostly do it when I am working on something or driving. I wouldn’t say it stems from anxiety, since I don’t really have anxiety in my day to day life, but I think it comes from just something to do while I do something else, which I know makes little to no sense. I’ve been told by dentists how horrible it is and how I need to stop, and I actually did stop for about a month last year, and I really want to get back to that.

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• Our hearts break for those who are suffering from the attacks in Israel and Palestine, especially for the innocent children who always pay the biggest price during times of war. If you want to learn more about what’s going on and ways to help, click here.

• Wow. These photos taken on an iPhone 15 Pro Max are absolutely stunning.

• These College Baseball Stars Were Once Rivals—Now They're Boyfriends

• I am so into 90’s style lately, especially for fall, and these 90’s straight jeans from Abercrombie are perfection.

• A Seinfeld reunion might be happening. Would you watch?

• This Hudson Valley home features a gorgeous moody kitchen that actually kind of resembles what we’re planning to do for Holiday House’s kitchen.

• Matt Rogers’ music video for his single Also It’s Christmas is wild and hilarious, and features a very shirtless Zane Phillips.

• All the reasons why 2023 is the year of the bisexual man

• How stunning is Alfredo Paredes’ Shelter Island home? It’s so comfortable and unpretentious yet sophisticated at the same time.

• Since it is Friday the 13th and the spookiest month of the year, here are 10 haunted towns in the U.S. Don't you just love October?

• And lastly, I know she gets a bad rap sometimes, but I adore Gwyneth Paltrow, and her 73 Questions with Vogue proved she is a gem and definitely in on the joke.

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Thank you SO much for reading Okay McKay this week! As a reminder, next week’s issue will be for paid subscribers only, and I promise you don’t want to miss it, as it’s the first interview of the year we’re featuring on this newsletter.

We’re interviewing Sam and Jared (below) and discussing things like their wedding, what a typical night at home looks like for them, and the culture they’re consuming these days.

See you on Friday, and have a great weekend, loves!

xoxo, Thomas