The Weekend Edit No. 6: An Evening in Rosemary Beach
Plus, the best movie to watch this weekend and a new gay romance novel
The Weekend Edit is our little sendoff as we head into the weekend, with a few updates and recommendations from the week to bring some joy to your inbox, and is free for all subscribers. Happy Friday!
Dearest reader,
Happy Saturday morning! How was your week? For us, it’s the weekend before school starts and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve always been so drawn to new beginnings or the start of new seasons in life: When the leaves begin to turn orange and fall, when the kids first get out for Christmas break, when they get out of school for summer, and, as mentioned, when they return in the fall.
There’s an energy surrounding these times of change, a permission to get excited about the little things and the difference they make in our lives. For example: I love school supply shopping. I always have ever since I was little. Getting the list, going to the store, loading up all the items in your cart, picking out new school clothes, and having everything neatly lined up and ready for the first day of school. You, too? Anna and I tackled school supply shopping yesterday and got everything we need for the year and it feels so good to check that off our list.
As we get ready for next week, I wanted to share with you something fun we did this week. We were invited by our friends Vern and Craig to their gorgeous Rosemary Beach house for a fun evening of food, drinks, s’mores and, get this: a bonfire on the beach. The whole thing felt like a scene straight out of your favorite romantic comedy, it was so dreamy.
Our new friends IRL (but old internet friends) Sherry and John were also there with their two kids. So our three, their two, and Vern and Craig’s two (plus more of their kids’ friends) and other friends of the hosts’ all got together to swap crazy stories, sip on yummy cocktails, and try their best to decide which kind of pizza they wanted. Vern and Craig and their kids just got back from a month overseas where they did SO many fun things, but maybe the most fascinating (to me) was they got to go to Wimbledon! Surrounded by celebrities, I asked Craig who was his favorite that he got to see. His answer? Princess Kate. He said she was stunning in person and as soon as she walked out, it was like the whole place fell silent and just watched her. How fun is that?
The night began with us walking through Rosemary Beach, which, if you’ve never been, is the most charming little community. All of the houses are breathtaking and look like they belong in another country, with old wooden shutters and white stucco. It’s like you’re in a different world when you’re there.
When we arrived, they greeted us with a charcuterie board and Craig’s take on the official drink of Wimbledon called a Pimm’s Cup. Have you ever had one? It tasted just like summer, was so refreshing, and as someone there pointed out, looked like a salad in a cup. I had two they were so good. The kids played while we mingled and played catch up with everyone we hadn’t seen in a few months.
After that, we all made our way down to the beach for pizza and a bonfire, but were completely stopped in our tracks by the view that greeted us on the way:
Vern and Craig had rented out a bonfire area complete with chairs and a fire pit for the evening, and we all ate pizza on the beach and listened to music while the kids took turns running all over the beach.
One thing we’ve learned about the two of them since getting to know them more is how deeply caring and invested they are in the people they spend their time with. They go above and beyond for their get togethers (they will tell you “it’s nothing!”) and you always feel like you’re the only person in the room when you’re talking to them. They listen to you, really listen, and you just feel so welcome in their presence. They’re wonderful people and we feel so fortunate to be able to call them our friends.
Love this group of design-loving parents/bloggers/friends who all share the same interests and outlooks on life. It feels easy to talk to them and we have loved getting to know all of them over the last few months. We have had virtually no sense of community down at the beach for the last nine years that we’ve been coming to this area, so having actual friends makes it feel more like home every time we’re down there.
Overall we’re feeling so thankful for good friends and a very lovely evening at the beach. It felt like the perfect way to say goodbye to our summer in Florida before the school year begins.
Are these the most perfect summer shorts ever?
And wouldn’t they look great with this classic Oxford button down?
I just finished this wonderful book and I’m excited to read more from the author.
This website creates personalized meal plans based on your diet, budget, and what kind of food you like. You just type in how many calories you want in a day and it does the work for you. Pretty cool, right?
Rotisserie Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad? Yes, please!
The energy is back in the Democratic Party this week!!! Are you excited?
If you missed our feature in The Washington Post, you can see it here.
Speaking of, The Highs, Lows, and Whoas of the 2024 Olympics
If you’re in the 30A area of Florida anytime soon, might I recommend Thomas’ Donuts for breakfast (get any of their biscuits and a pink iced glazed donut), Back Beach Barbecue for lunch (their mac n’ cheese is delish), and Squidly’s Seafood for dinner (get the low country shrimp boil!).
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire on Netflix
They just don’t make movies like this anymore. The type of movie that is funny, heartfelt, thrilling, and has actual stakes. We watched this as a family down at the beach and it was fun telling the kids, “Okay now that’s the guy from the original Ghostbusters!” as they went “oooooo” and “ahhhhh”. I love that they’ve rebooted this franchise because it’s so timeless. The fact that the originals came out 40 years ago is wild to me because it all still feels so current. I’m excited to see where the next one goes because this film was a hell of a good time.
You always send the most thoughtful things to our PO Box, and we finally got around to checking it after getting back from the beach. And y’all!!
How cute is this little wooden puzzle of our family from Ted?! I am obsessed. Anna helped open it and put it together, a huge smile on her face the entire time. Thank you, Ted! We will cherish this forever.
We also received a beautiful new book from debut author Matt Hatton. Hiding Him “explores coming of age, coming out and hearts coming together. In this warm and cosy read, get ready to laugh with friends, relish in a little spice and gird your loins for several adrenaline-charged moments.” And isn’t it a beautiful cover? I can’t wait to dive in. Thank you, Matt! You can get Hiding Him here.
The four letters you may have missed this month
We’ll see you on Tuesday. Have a wonderful weekend, loves!!! xoxo
What a beautiful way of ending what it looked like a couple of wonderful weeks at the beach. Have a great start of the new school year!
A lovely way to finish your summer. I remember shopping for school supplies as a kid. I always loved it too. Is there anything better than a new box of crayons (Crayola only please) and that lovely crayon smell. I’m an artist to this day. So glad the little puzzle arrived safely and that you love it. When I saw the design, it made me think of you all. Looking forward to sharing the fall season with you.
Lots of love and big hugs to each one. 🤗❤️