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"what ive been reading"

what I’ve been reading…

by Kaylah Stroup March 16, 2017

Without a doubt, buying a Kindle was one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. Throughout the years I’ve gone through different phases with reading. For the longest time I hated reading (thanks to being forced to read things I didn’t like in school) then I read obsessively. The last two years my numbers have been pretty low but things have definitely taken a turn since buying a Kindle. I’m finally at a point where I feel like I’m reading the perfect amount for me!

I swear I read so much faster on my Kindle, and the fact that I’m never without a book kind of rules. I can’t tell you how many times in the past I’d be somewhere, finish a book, and not have a new one to start but still have to carry around the weight of the one I finished. Books obviously aren’t that heavy but in my mind as soon as I’ve finished it it’s just dead weight, ya know? Now I basically always have at least three new books ready to read as soon as I finish my current and it adds no extra weight to my bag! I really can’t say enough good things about the Kindle Paperwhite. If you’re on the fence just go for it, you’re going to love it!

What I’ve been reading… 
▴  Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud by Elizabeth Greenwood. Think the idea of faking your own death is exciting? Me too. That’s why I chose to read this book. Don’t worry though (Hi Mom!) this kind of changed my thoughts on the whole idea. In this book you read about lots of different people from the guy who helps folks fake their own death -for a handsome fee, of course – to the guy in charge of investigating whether or not someone is actually dead to the people who tried faking their death, and obviously failed for one reason or another. It was a super interesting read!

▴ Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty. For the longest time people have been telling me to read this book. I hesitated because I honestly couldn’t remember if I had read it or not already since I’d read so many books on the funeral industry. At some point they kind of all just blur together. I finally downloaded it on my Kindle and within a few pages I realized I definitely had not read it before. I was in love with her writing immediately. The book was filled with bits of morbid humor but also lots of interesting ideas that really make you think. While telling her story, which is interesting enough on it’s own, Caitlin Doughty makes so many important points about how our culture views, and essentially tries to hide death. If you read one book on the funeral industry, make it this one!

▴ Riding Fury Home by Chana Wilson. This is a memoir by a woman who had a really rough childhood. Her mother was suicidal and she basically had to become the parent since her mother wasn’t able to take care of herself any longer. Many years later she learns that her mother’s anguish was because was in love with another woman. This wasn’t exactly a time in history when coming out as a lesbian was accepted and her mom dealt with some really horrible things in mental hospitals because of it. That’s the first half of the book. The second half is the author’s relationship with her mother as an adult after learning her story. I enjoyed the first half of the book. It was a little depressing, of course, but otherwise interesting. The second half of the book kind of dragged on and on for me though.

▴ Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep by David K Randall. This book is a super interesting look at one of the most important parts of everyone’s life – sleep! I loved this book and came away with a ton of factoids to ramble at Jeff about. I would recommend this book if you’re a fan of Mary Roach. I mean, he’s no Mary Roach, duh, but I’d venture to guess if you like her books you might like this one too.

▴ Sex Object by Jessica Valenti. I had really high hopes for this book.
Everywhere I looked I was being recommended that I read it. Basically
every book I looked at on Amazon was like “Oh, you like this book? Try
Sex Object!” I’m not sure what I expected but I spent most of my time reading this wishing it was over because it made me feel uneasy. I probably wouldn’t recommend this one.

I woke Professor up specifically for this photo. You are welcome.

What have you been reading? 
xoxo 

Check out my ‘books‘ tag if you’re looking for more recommendations! 

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what I’ve been reading…

by Kaylah Stroup January 25, 2017

At the end of last month I bought a Kindle Paperwhite on a whim, hoping it’d help me get back into reading… and it did! I’ve read more in this last month than I did in all of 2016. It feels great. I swear I read faster on my Kindle, and of course, the fact that it’s so portable certainly is a plus. Seriously, if you’ve been on the fence about getting a Kindle, just go for it! 

What I’ve been reading…
▴ Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread by Chuck Palahniuk. I’ve finally joined the huge number of people who don’t quite get Chuck Palahniuk’s newer work. I hate saying it but it’s true. The only reason I was to determined to read the whole book was because who it was written by, and that’s not really a good thing. While a few of the stories were fairly entertaining, all in all it wasn’t that great. It was sloppy, and a little too strange to be relatable. I still consider Mr. Palahniuk one of my favorite authors but I’d recommend sticking to his older stuff. Rant is INCREDIBLE.

▴
Mattress Actress by Annika Cleeve. I’ve always loved reading books by sex workers. I’ve read a ton that I really enjoyed, and a handful that were, uh, a bit of a struggle to get through. This one falls into the latter category. It wasn’t completely awful but a lot of it sounded fabricated. Obviously I could be wrong but so much of it just seemed like it was made up to be shocking which ended up having the opposite effect. All in all, not a terrible book, just not one I’d recommend. If you’re looking for books on sex work, I recommend Stripped, Chicken, Johns, Marks, Tricks and Chickenhawks or Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys.


▴
How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran. So, right now I’m going to admit that my memory is failing me. I rated this book three stars out of five over on Goodreads but honestly don’t recall feeling one way or another about in. On my Kindle I highlighted one passage that I loved but other than that I’ve got nothing. In the future I’ll try to write my reviews as soon as I finish reading a book so this doesn’t happen again.

If you’re curious, I highlighted “We need more women who are allowed to prove their worth as people, rather than being assessed merely for their potential to create new people.” from page 238. As someone who is not interested in having any children but is constantly being told I’ll change my mind, or something along those lines that sentence really struck a chord.

▴Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks. Hallucinations was my first book by Oliver Sacks but certainly not my last. In fact, I’ve already downloaded Awakenings to read next. I’m very interested in medical writing but am often turned off by the fact that a lot of it is hard to digest as a layman. This book was filled with case studies, and information that even as someone who has no previous knowledge was easy to understand. I had NO idea how common hallucinations were and thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the different types. The human brain is really wild!

▴ Shrill by Lindy West.  You guys, I LOVED this book. That’s right capital L-O-V-E-D. I devoured it. I read the full book in two sittings which for my short attention span is a miracle. Lindy West is hilarious! Not only that but there were so many times I was like “YAS MOMMA!” I highlighted the heck out of that book. Definitely read Shrill if you liked Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson… or read some Jenny Lawson if you liked Shrill!

I also started and quit The Job: True Tales from the Life of a New York City Cop. The title is very intriguing to me as someone who watches every single Prison documentary they can find, and has enjoyed the show Cops since childhood. This book though, it was a struggle. I made it about a quarter of the way through before reminding myself that life is too short to read things you don’t enjoy at all. The author pointed out numerous times he was just a regular guy, not a writer which was fairly apparent seeing as he seemed to just be writing in circles. Glad I got that one from the library and didn’t actually buy it.

What have you been reading? 
xoxo

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what I’m reading…

by Kaylah Stroup December 20, 2016
Look at my nail! I’m obsessed with Incoco nail strips!

I bought myself a Christmas gift, one I never thought I’d buy. I was browsing Amazon’s electronics gift guide for kicks. I always think gift guides like that are… ridiculous? I don’t know about you but I don’t really know anyone who gives huge, expensive gifts like that and if they do, they certainly don’t need a “gift guide” to tell them what to buy. But this gift guide, it got me thinking, maybe I’d read more if I had a Kindle. Maybe I deserve to buy myself something nice, ya know because life is stressful and shopping for others is stressful too. Maybe it’d be good for me. Aaaand then I got an email that said it was shipped and would arrive two days later.  You’re welcome, self!

I’ve always been that annoying person that was like “I like the feel of reeeal books! Why would I ever need a Kindle?” Then I went on two separate vacations where I finished off the book I was reading and didn’t have another to start on. This year I also adopted this minimalistic view where I don’t want to own anything I don’t absolutely love which includes books. I sold nearly all that I owned except for my favorites (Chuck Palahniuk + Mary Roach collections, Geek Love + The Contortionist’s Handbook.) So owning a device I can have in my home and take on vacations that takes up almost no space at all and still can hold thousands of books is right up my alley. I’m honestly surprised it took me this come to come to that conclusion.

I bought the Kindle Paperwhite and I’m IN LOVE. Definitely one of those purchases that I should have made a long time ago. I christened my new Kindle by buying Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread by Chuck Palahniuk. I’m about 60% of the way through (love seeing the percentage!) and probably wouldn’t recommend it* but I’m still obsessed with reading it. I feel so much more motivated to read than I have in a long, long time.

In 2017 I want to spend less time aimlessly browsing the internet. I’m not talking about reading blogs or writing up my Friday Favorites (you wouldn’t believe how long that can take some weeks!) but the time clicking back and forth to check my email, facebook, ebay, etc fifty billion times a day. It’s just wasted time and I don’t even like doing it. It’s almost like a compulsion. I want to spend this newly found “free time” reading. I haven’t picked a number yet but there will definitely be a book goal on my list of things to accomplish in the new year.

I’m so excited to get back into reading like I was a few years ago when bubble baths and tearing through a book were something that happened almost every night. I think me, my Kindle, and my new clawfoot tub are going to be spending a lot of time together. I bought a waterproof case which should arrive shortly after moving in to my new apartment so I am alllll set to get my readin’ on!

So, tell me, what are you reading? What books should I buy next? I finally made a Goodreads account and have gotten some awesome recommendations over there but I love hearing yours!
xoxo

*It breaks my heart to say that. In the past I’ve been accused of being a “fan girl” who eats up whatever he puts out but I’m finally willing to admit that maybe, just maybe, Palahniuk’s work has started to get a little, uh, out there? I still consider Rant my all time favorite book but I no longer feel the need to pick up his books on release day which bums me out immensely. 

Also, I made a little section over there in the right sidebar that I will keep updated with what I’m currently reading in case you’re curious!

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listening, watching, reading

by Kaylah Stroup August 31, 2016

Twice in the past I’ve shared posts titled “listening, watching, playing” (Find them here + here) This mini series of sorts started after a reader recommended something similar to my what I’ve been reading posts, except with movies, shows, music and more. It’s been a while since my last installment, long enough that I’m finally listening and watching different things, so I figured it was time for an update!

Listening
According to last.fm I’ve been listening to a lot of AFI…because apparently I’m fifteen again. The Art of Drowning has just been on repeat. There are very few albums out there that I can listen to and enjoy the whole thing and this is one of them. A few others, off the top of my head, include Taking Back Sunday’s Tell All Your Friends, all Man Man albums, and most recently, Aesop Rock’s The Impossible Kid.

I’m still really into Spotify’s recommended playlist, Discover Weekly, that they make at the beginning of each week. Some weeks it’s way off but the majority of the time I find at least a handful of new songs to listen to on repeat. As someone who gets stuck in patterns of listening to the same thing over and over again, it’s fun to hear a variety of new things.

Watching
Like everyone else in the world, I watched and thoroughly enjoyed Stranger Things. I’m impatiently waiting for season two. What else on Netflix have I been watching?
Jane the Virgin – why do I love this show so much!?
Animism – a documentary about people who love objects. Yep...
Shameless – Why, oh why aren’t the rest of the seasons on Netflix? I’m obsessed.
St. Vincent – Caused me to ugly cry. It was a good one, for sure.

Other than that, I was excited to find that there was a new season of Expedition Unknown available to stream. I don’t have cable or anything, just Netflix, so I’m always a season behind on things. Josh Gates is basically the best TV show host, ever. He’s hilarious, super smart, and adorable. I’m pretty sure Jeff and I both want to be him. In this show he investigates legends and mysteries, often looking for lost treasure or lost cities. I wish there were unlimited episodes (…and that him and Guy Fieri were hosts of every TV show because I love them so very much.) If there is only one thing from this post that you check out make it Expedition Unknown!

Nearly forgot to add, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season two! So many of my favorite queens are back. Ahhh! I don’t even know who I’m rooting for yet! 

book review,

Reading
I’m trying SO hard to get back into reading. I don’t know that I’ll ever get back to how much I used to read but anything is better than nothing. I hit up Half Priced Books the other day hoping to get lucky and score Mary Roach’s new book, Grunt, for cheap. Sadly, they didn’t have it in stock but I did manage to find a few other books that sounded interesting and were super affordable. With a little pile of new books, I found a renewed enthusiasm for reading. I’ve even spent a few evenings at the beach reading while the sun set.

I’m currently over three-quarters of the way through Prude by Emily Southwood… and loving it! In my past what I’ve been reading posts I’ve expressed my interest in anything to do with sex work, so immediately this book had my attention. It’s about a woman whose fiance lands a job filming a reality show about porn, and her struggle to accept it. The author’s writing is humorous and although, I don’t know that’s it’s meant to be, it’s thought provoking. If it sounds like something you’d be interested in, I definitely recommend it!


So, what have you been listening, watching, reading, playing, etc? I’m always looking for recommendations.
xoxo

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What I’ve been reading…

by Kaylah Stroup January 13, 2016

Well, it’s kind of been a while since I’ve blogged about books, huh? I, of course, missed reading but I’m sure you all know it’s easy for the habit to fall to the wayside. The fact that it’s bubble bath season (basically every other night, all winter long baby!) coupled with taking the train downtown a few times a week means I’ve had a lot more time to read than normal. It’s kind of like a snowball too, the more time I spend reading the more I want to read.


What I’ve been reading…
▴ Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs. It’s the third book in the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series, which I’m sure you’ve probably seen me reference before. I’m not sure I can pick a favorite from the three. They were all great! I honestly can’t recommend these books enough. If you haven’t read them yet, stop reading this post and get to it! …Before the movie comes out this December! Ahhh! Tim Burton, you guys!

▴ Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. I read Jenny’s first book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, and LOVED it. So when Amazon was all “hey, that author you loved that book by is writing another one!” I was pumped. Awesomely enough a very kind person offered to send it my way (Thank you, Sarah!) As soon as it showed up I basically spent the next three nights in the tub, getting pruny, and devouring this book. Furiously Happy is more a collection of writings by the author than one single piece that flows. There were certain parts I enjoyed more than other but the simple fact is it made me laugh, it made my cry, and I still feel a great deal of respect for Jenny. This book definitely isn’t for everyone but if you liked her first one definitely give this one a try too!

▴ Suits Me : The Double Life of Billy Tipton by Diane Wood Middlebrook. This book has been hanging out on my bookshelf for a pretty long time. I just kept putting it off for one reason or another but finally started it last week. In full disclosure, I haven’t finished it yet but it’s a pretty crazy story so far. Jazz pianist Billy Tipton was born Dorothy Tipton which nearly no one knew until he died. This guy married multiple women who claimed to not know! I’m not 100% sold on the author, it seems like her writing might eventually lose my interest but the story itself is very intriguing. I can’t wait to see what happens.

▴ The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I feel like I’m not allowed to give an honest review on a classic. I have been staring at my computer for a little while now trying to figure out what to type about The Bell Jar. It kept me interested for a little while but after a while it felt repetitive, and I was basically just reading to finish it and so that no one would talk to me on the train. But hey, I’m glad I finally read the book.

What have you been reading? I’m always looking for recommendations! Normally I have a pretty large collection in my to-read pile but I’ve nearly finished them all up. I need some new books in my life.
xoxo

You can take a peek at all the other books I’ve blogged about under the “books” tag, and a list of my favorite books can be found here!

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What I’ve been reading…

by Kaylah Stroup January 26, 2015
I didn’t make a reading goal this year, I didn’t want to put pressure on myself like that again. I didn’t want it to turn into a number thing, ya know? But I recently plowed through three books… in three days. Hah! I forgot how awesome it feels to get lost in a book!

What I’ve been reading…
Beautiful You by Chuck Palahniuk
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
The Good Nurse by Charles Graeber

Well, let’s get this over with. If you know anything about my reading habits, you know I LOVE Chuck Palahniuk. I’ve been a huge fan since the first book I read of his. I always buy and devour his new books each year. So you’re probably expecting a glowing review… I don’t have one for you. If it didn’t have his name on it I wouldn’t be able to tell at all this was one of his. It. is. awful. That’s the only way to put it. With the release of his last few books fans have been jumping ship saying he just trying to shock readers. I didn’t agree with that until this book. I so desperately want to give you some examples but honestly they’re too raunchy. I would be embarrassed to share them and it takes a lot to make me feel awkward. I don’t mind explicit sexual details in books, in fact I love them, but this book just crosses a line. I 100% would not recommend Beautiful You. It’s nothing short of train wreck. Looking for a good read by Mr. Palahniuk? Try Rant instead.

I’m a little late jumping on the fan train for Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children but I now see what all the fuss is about! I guess “teen fiction” is what kept me away… and that was dumb. This book is AMAZING. Easily in my top ten books. It’s a quick read that is incredibly easy to get lost in. The story is enthralling and if that wasn’t enough it includes real vintage photos that actually inspired the story. If you haven’t read this already, you should probably get on that… right away!!

I think it was Alexandra that originally recommended The Good Nurse to me, and apparently she understands my taste in books! The Good Nurse is the true story of Charlie Cullen who was dubbed by the media as “The Angel of Death”. He was a nurse who killed his patients, except they weren’t mercy kills at all. He just enjoyed killing.  Charlie worked at nine different hospitals, eight of which he was only let go of for making “errors”. That was the hospitals way of saving their own butts, they just turned a blind eye. It’s a super interesting read and a slightly frightening one as well! I highly recommend The Good Nurse.

What have you been reading? I’m always looking for recommendations!
xoxo

You can take a peek at all the other books I’ve blogged about under the “books” tag, and a list of my favorite books can be found here!

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what I’ve been reading…

by Kaylah Stroup December 2, 2014
It has been a long time since I last blogged about books. In 2013 I read forty one books. It was the most I had read in one year in my entire life. I made slightly too ambitious goal of reading 35 books this year and haven’t even made a real dent in it. Including these four books, I’ve read a total of 12 books. One on hand I’m disappointed because I didn’t reach a goal I set but on the other hand I’m not mad about it at all because I know that I spent my time wisely. I’ve had such a busy year I barely had time to sit down and read. It just wasn’t a priority for me.

This is what I’ve been reading…
Paradoxia by Lydia Lunch. I love raunchy books, I get that from my mom. Haha, seriously though. I want gross, explicit details about everything. I bought it because the reviews raved about what a wild ride this book was but when it comes right down to it, I think this book might have even been a bit much for me. Read this if you’re looking for something grittier than Bukowski!

You & The Police by Boston T. Party. This one is almost embarrassing to have on here. I suppose I was looking for a book about my rights as a citizen, mixed with something like a modern day Steal This Book. Within a few pages I knew it wasn’t the book for me but I had to keep reading because it was just so…weird? I don’t know, it’s very hard to explain. Nearly everything in the book is common sense. (Don’t be a smart ass to cops, well duh!) but the whole book was very clearly written by an angry author who without a doubt is a bit of an extremist. How the book has so many glowing reviews is beyond me. But hey, maybe it’s exactly what you’re looking for in a book. I’m not one to judge.

Stripped by Bernadette Barton. No “what I’ve been reading” post is complete without a book on sex work. Hah! In all seriousness, this is a really great book, possibly one of my favorites on the subject. The author spent five years researching, and interviewing dancers from all over the country on topics such as how they got into the business, the dangers, how they deal with the tolls of dancing, the community, and more. I really enjoyed the layout of the book, it was interesting to be able to read about the experiences of a variety of women instead of one.

The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons. This is the clear winner of the group. I actually finished this whole book in one sitting (It was a plane ride…) It’s a interesting look at how our minds work. The book covers six types of illusions we believe including; “Illusion of Attention, or, the belief that we are attentive to much more than we actually are at any given moment. Illusion of Memory, or, the illusion that our memories are much more exact than they are. Illusion of Confidence, or, the illusion that confidence (in others) is a good sign of competence. Illusion of Knowledge, or, the illusion that we have detailed
knowledge about many things that, in fact, we only have vague knowledge
of. Illusion of Cause, or, the illusion that two things
happening sequentially necessarily signifies scause/effect relationship. Illusion of Potential, or, the illusion that in every human, there
is a vast array of untapped potential waiting to come out (if only we
learn to use more of our brains, listen to Mozart, “train our brains”
etc.)” List courtesy of an amazon review because that guy wrote it way better than I would have. Heh. Certainly an interesting read!

All in all, not a super exciting group of books. The worst part about that is that doesn’t make me want to drive back into reading. Guess I need to go hunting for some new books that I’m almost positive I’ll love. What have you been reading lately?
xoxo

You can take a peek at everything else I’ve read this year, and in previous years under the “books” tag, and a list of my favorite books can be found here!

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What I’ve been reading…

by Kaylah Stroup December 23, 2013
My last three books of the year! Finishing up the last one left me at 40 books read in 2013. Not too shabby, aye? I’m pretty stoked with surpassing my goal by ten books.

What I’ve been reading…
Chicken by David Henry Sterry
The Last Living Slut by Roxanna Shirazi
Brothel by Alexa Albert

I’m unsure what to even say about The Last Living Slut. I love the idea of the book, it sounded promising, but it actually just made me feel uncomfortable. The one line in particular really killed it for me?  “I didn’t want to do this, but I wanted to be polite.” She’s talking about having sex with someone. Ehhh. In the beginning of the book she started off talking about how important a “female’s pursuit of sexual pleasure” is but it never really felt like it was about her pleasure, more like she was the one being used by these “rock stars” (I had no idea who half of these people were.) I’d have no problem with the book if it were more transparent from the start but various stories mention her being uncomfortable with what was about to happen. There was no grand redemption in end, I just left with a bad taste in my mouth.

Brothel started off slow but quickly picked up the pace. It was really interesting to read about a brothel from the perspective of a “square” -meaning she wasn’t a prostitute- female. Alexa Albert visited, lived with, and eventually became really great friends with the ladies of Mustang Ranch, one of the most prominent legal brothels in Nevada, while conducting a public-health study. 

Chicken was my favorite from this group and easily one of my favorites from the whole year. I’ve previously read Hos, Hookers, Call Girls and Rent Boys and Johns, Marks, Tricks and Chickenhawks which are collections of writings written by… well… everyone that titles mention, both books were edited by David Henry Sterry. I’d seen him mention Chicken in those books but finally got around to picking it up recently. Oh my goodness, it was wonderful. I’ve read a lot of books on prostitution but never one by male prostitute. I highly, highly recommend it. 

I’m so excited to hop into a new book. I’ll definitely be setting another reading goal for 2014. It’s so wild to think that just two years ago I thought that there was nothing else out there I’d enjoy reading other than Chuck Palahniuk. Once I got started I just kept unearthing more and more subjects I really enjoy. I encourage you to set a reading goal for the new year as well, it doesn’t matter how small. Reading one book is better than none!
xoxo

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things I loved in April

by Kaylah Stroup May 2, 2020

▴ Wire shelf for my memo board. Guys! Why, oh why, did I wait so long to buy any accessories for my grid memo board!? I realized the other day that I had zero plants in my office. The issue is that I don’t really have the space to put any since I need all of the surfaces to work on or store sewing supplies. Then it hit me that I could probably attach some sort of shelf or something to my grid for plants.

One quick search later and I had this cute little thing! It’s perfect. It fits my grid so nicely and will hold so many little plants!

I also put a grow light in the lamp beside it that points up toward the plants. Obviously that will be nice for the plants but holy cow, having the bright light in there is doing wonders for me too. I didn’t realize how much light it was putting off until I walked in to my living room and it was like… pitch black in comparison. It definitely helps keep me motivated having a really cute and well lit work space.

▴ Proud plant mom socks. I love cute socks & I love plants. It’s just that simple.

▴ Socially distanced hug postcard. I have sent out SO much more snail mail in the past month than I have in a really really long time. It feels good. I missed it a lot.

One of my favorite stationery purchases was a handful of these socially distanced hug postcards from E. Frances Paper. They’re super affordable and come with stamps on them already! It couldn’t be any easier to send a little love to your pals.

▴ Glass dome. I wanted a little something to bump up the humidity for one of my favorite plants. This baby has been doing the trick! Here is a photo of the same plant from April 10th and the above photo was taken on the 30th. I’m not sure how obvious it is in the two photos but yo, this thing took OFF! It grew so many new leaves. I am so happy!

I was pretty nervous about buying something so delicate online but it arrived in perfect condition. I don’t need another… but I’m tempted!

▴ Earthworm castings. Yep. I am over a month into quarantine and I’m buying worm crap on the internet. I mean, I totally would have bought this anyway but it is kind of funny to be buying poop on the internet when you know everything is so weird in the world.

ANYWAY. I bought worm castings after bingeing Planterina’s videos on YouTube. They’re supposed to be a great natural fertilzer for your plants. You just mix a bit in to the top bit of your soil and water through. Obviously it hasn’t been long enough to say that it’s making a major difference but I’m very curious to see if I can notice improvements in the coming months.

▴ Coir pole. This is my first pole for a climbing plant and I am very very happy with my purchase. I spent an excruciating amount of time reading reviews before deciding on this one.

I really like the trellis I bought for my swiss cheese plant (check that out here) but I just kept reading about how great moss or coir poles were for plants like this. Not only does it provide support but the roots but gives something for aerial roots to grow into. Better support and healthier roots means bigger leaves!

Also, can we talk about this plant?! Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma! I bought it from Urban Planting Cleveland (who are delivering right now while everything is closed! Hallelujah!) It’s so pretty. I just love those leaves. I can’t wait to watch it grow. It’s already working on popping out two new leaves since I got it a couple weeks back.

▴ Calming oil + No.1 Face Serum from Little Roamer. Missy just launched her shop on May 1st. Everything is super small batch and made from natural ingredients. She sent me her face serum and calming roller to try out early. I am in loooove.

The calming roller smells so lovely. I have it sitting on my desk. I find myself using it every time I start to stare off into space as a way to bring me back and ground me. The face serum is super moisturizing. It takes a second to really sink in but once it does it feels so nice. Definitely a nice little treat for my skin!

Also, y’all need to follow Missy on instagram. Her photos make my heart ache for the open road!

Did you try anything cool in April? Tell me all about it!

xoxo

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I'm Kaylah! Renovating a 150-year-old home in Northeast Ohio. Likely found in my garden.

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new rug, fresh floor, polished furniture! gah! it’s just so pretty. 🥲🖤

#stroupmansion
one of my favorite things to do is pull my chair o one of my favorite things to do is pull my chair over directly in front of the fireplace in my office, snuggle up under a blanket and read. Without fail, every single time, within ten minutes Professor joins me! It’s one of those things where I always think “I wish I could get a picture of this!” 

Well guess who finally remembered to set up the tripod before getting cozy! 🖤
my favorite four books I’ve read so far this yea my favorite four books I’ve read so far this year! ✨ have you read any of these? any great reads in 2023 yet?! 📚🖤

(As always, I’ve got them in my stories if you want a screenshot. If you see this after the first 24hrs, they’re in my saved stories under ‘books!’ along with a bunch of others. 🖤)
Combining my old interests (cemeteries!) with my n Combining my old interests (cemeteries!) with my new interests (this old house!) 👻🏚️ Can’t tell you how excited I was to find that the original owner of our home is buried a short drive away. Had to go say hey and let him know about the heavily tattooed, green haired gal working on the house now. 😜
🐢!!! Okay, now to make stands for everything el 🐢!!! Okay, now to make stands for everything else that isn’t easy to display because this turned out so cute!!
the spare room throughout the years! ✨✨✨ 1. the spare room throughout the years! ✨✨✨
1. Today. 🖤
2. 2022 - Refinished the floor, handmade custom trim, fresh walls I spent 99 years mudding and sanding to smooth out and repair.
3. 2021. Peace out carpet squares. See you NEVER!
4. 2020. The room on the day we moved in. 
5. The room in 2013 while the house was abandoned.
just a nice little photodump ✨✨✨ cats, the h just a nice little photodump ✨✨✨ cats, the house, rainbows, lake erie 🖤
now vs when we bought ✨ plus some bonus plant ph now vs when we bought ✨ plus some bonus plant photos because yesterday was plant maintenance day and everything is looking 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻!
slowly but surely! 🖤✨ slowly but surely! 🖤✨
If you never hear from me again, it’s because I’m embossing all my books! 💁🏼‍♀️📚📚📚✨ For real, I’m obsessed! I’ll share a link in my stories as well as a better shot of what mine looks like.
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