The Weekend Edit No. 11

Our 9 year wedding anniversary, the winner of our giveaway, 5 new pieces for our farmhouse, and a sweet gift from a reader

Oct 18, 2024

Dear reader,

Happy Friday! How was your week? Fall has officially arrived in our part of the world and I couldn’t be more elated. I broke out our sweaters this week and got to wear my new jacket not once, but twice, so I’m a happy man.

Real quick, I wanted to mention that we have a paid-subscriber only chat going on where we talk about everything and nothing, including TV recommendations, recipes, and what’s going on in all our lives. You can join, if you’d like.

Yesterday was our 9 year wedding anniversary, which feels wild to say. While it doesn’t feel like it was just yesterday (a lot has happened in the last 9 years!), it also doesn’t seem like it’s already been almost a decade. We spent it in quite possibly the least romantic way possible. We were packing for a trip and driving for five hours, haha. Still, we were with our children, so a little family roadtrip listening to music and podcasts was just a fine way to spend it.

We’re in Kentucky for the next few days and, so far, we’re having a blast. The tourism board invited our family out for a long weekend to take in some of the beautiful sights and things to do here. We’re sharing everything in real time over on Instagram, so if you’d like to see you can head over there, and I thought about putting together a whole issue on Okay McKay with photos/everything we did, in case you ever want to visit the places we went, as a sort of travel guide.

Meanwhile, we want to thank everyone who entered our first ever giveaway! It’s now closed and a winner was randomly chosen.

And the winner is…

Congratulations to Maxwell!! We are so thankful for each and every one of you for being here. Like, truly, I can’t express how much it means that you take the time to read, comment, and like each issue. I love putting these together, I love writing, and I love this little community in our little corner of the Internet.

In other news, we got some new pieces in for Holiday House last week and we are in love! It feels so good to finally start furnishing this house the way we’ve been envisioning for the last few years. We’re partnering with Ballard Designs, who did all of our lighting fixtures at the farm, to help make our farmhouse look more like a home, and we’re giving you a sneak peek before anyone else:

1. ENTRYWAY MIRROR AND LAMP

We don’t have a formal entryway, so we decided to dress up the wall space by the front door to create one. We put the Louis Mirror on top of an existing antique dresser we had and the tall, slender frame makes our 8 ft ceilings look so much taller. The gold really pops against the dresser, don’t you think? We also did Ballard’s Lorenzo Table Lamp, which has the look and feel of homemade pottery. I love how earthy it looks and how beautifully it contrasts with the more luxe mirror.

2. COUNTER STOOLS

We’ve been in desperate need of counter stools for our island, so we did five of these Corey Counter Stools in the natural whitewash finish and we absolutely love how they go with our lighter floors and our darker cabinets. They’re like a shade in the middle. They’re also a great size and so comfortable.

3. TV CONSOLE TABLE

Our new TV needed a new console table underneath it, one that would fit how big the TV is. The Ananda Console Table fit the bill perfectly. The dark-stained wood feels moody against the white walls, and the “wings” on the end are playful and fun. And isn’t the antique brass Montie Mini Accent Lamp on the far right so darling?

4. ACCENT PILLOWS

We wanted to add some pattern to the all-white living room (and are still very much in the process of doing so!), so we went with four of the Gazella Pillows and looooove the look of them with the couches. They’re so soft and comfortable and the animals on them are a charming little touch.

5. HALL BATH MIRROR

When I tell you we are obsessed with this Halstad Mirror!! It’s SO substantial and heavy, and the oil rubbed bronze finish goes perfectly with the bath fixtures. I also love the curved shape of the corners. It looks like it was tailer-made for this space, doesn’t it?

Below, some weekend links for you, what to watch, read and listen to this week, and the sweet gift we received from a dear reader.

Noteworthy

Bookshops are cool again!
Brat summer is over. Welcome to Strega Nona fall.
Fascinating! How couples met 1930-2024.
How to stop checking your phone every 10 seconds
I’ve never made snickerdoodle cookies before, but I want to try this recipe
“Why did y’all leave me?” (sob)
Loving all the wallpaper in this Connecticut home
This pre-1945 kitchen trend is making a comeback
Have you ever tried bullet journaling?
Never use these 10 words to describe yourself
The oldest hotels in the world
Cooper Koch did NOT wear a prosthetic while filming that Monsters scene
How good do these homemade pumpkin spice donuts look?

The Cultural Digest

Watch: Teacup

The name of this show on Peacock completely threw me, but it’s a thrilling new horror series perfect for Halloween. It follows a family facing a mysterious and deadly force lurking in the woods around their farm. It blends sci-fi and horror and features eerie twits, family tensions, and survival against a terrifying unknown threat. The first two episodes are out now, and at around 30 min per episode, they’re an easily digestible and spooky-filled treat.

You can stream Teacup on Peacock.

Read: Does Substack Have a Jealousy Problem?

This is why I love Substack. At any moment, you can discover a writer or publication that you connect to and resonate with. I have been familiar with

Platonic Love

for a while now, but reading their issue about comparing yourselves to others on social media, particularly on Substack, really hit home for me. Social media is such a numbers game, and when you see others doing well, and even better than you, it can cause feelings of envy or jealously. Not always, but I would be lying if I said I have never been jealous of other accounts I see on Instagram or Substack. It’s all a mind fu** and it’s just part of the game, I guess. Still, this was such a great read.

You can read Platonic Love’s entire letter here.

Listen: Moon Music

24 years after releasing their debut album Parachutes, Coldplay has just come out with their 10th studio album Moon Music, and it debuted on top of their Billboard 200, which is wild for a band to still be this successful two decades into their career, but when you’re as good as they are, it makes sense. Moon Music blends the band’s classic orchestral sound with elements of synth-pop and is a companion album to Music of the Spheres and is sure to delight new and old fans of Coldplay.

You can listen to Moon Music wherever you get your music.

All the Cozy Feels

Because is there anything better than eating something pumpkin flavored while wearing a cozy thrifted sweater and reading a book as a fall-scented candle is burning? I think not. By the super talented Brooklyn Swenson.

Mail Call

I just about screamed when I went to the PO Box earlier this week and this was waiting for me. A sweet reader named Michael sent it to me and it completely made my week. If you’re a longtime follower, you know my love for Diane Keaton, specifically her fashion, so you can imagine my delight upon opening the box and seeing her new book, Fashion First, inside. Thank you so much, Michael! This will be proudly displayed in our living room forever.

Lastly, we have a new vlog premiering this Sunday at 10 am! Come live chat with us during the premiere, won’t you? Have a great weekend, friends! We’ll see you on Tuesday. xo