THE DAINTY SQUID
  • blog
    • all the posts!
    • stroup mansion
    • some of my favorite posts
    • plants + gardening
    • beauty, fashion + hair
    • reviews
    • window shopping
    • explore everywhere
  • about me
  • contact
  • shop
Category:

all the posts!

found on the beach

by Kaylah Stroup April 23, 2014

I finally found a beach I can do one of my favorite hobbies at! Mickey and I had visited a beach right before everything thawed hoping to find some glass. I was super stoked because, although we found barely any glass, there was tons of trash. I couldn’t wait to go back and collect it for one of my found on the beach trash photos. I went back right after it thawed to find they had completely cleaned up. I was starting to think maybe, just maybe, they take better care of the beaches in Cleveland than in Geneva.

Fast forward a month or so, my boyfriend Jeff takes me to this new beach he loves that I hadn’t been to yet. At first I just like “Oh, this beach has lots of trash…” then it hit me and the words “this beach has lots of trash” meant something a little bit different. I couldn’t wait to go back and with a tote bag and start gathering colorful trash for a photo.

I think this might even have ended up being one of my favorite sets of these found on the beach photos I’ve taken. I actually collected so many things that they wouldn’t all fit in the photo. I’m finding my 40mm prime lens is a little bit limiting as of late and this was definitely one of those situations. I wish I could have kept building my little rectangle of trash larger and larger. I guess I have the rest of the summer to do so!

xoxo

Save

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

first hike of the spring // on film

by Kaylah Stroup April 21, 2014
The first few family hikes of spring are always my favorite. It’s magical watching everything coming back to life. New plants working their way up through the leaves and debris from last fall. Birds chirping and my favorite spring noise, peepers! This year it’s a little bit more special than normal since I’m now a city girl. There are tons of parks surrounding the area I live in but they’re fairly busy with other people also trying to escape the hustle and bustle. Last week I took a trip out to my parents house for a hike and a cookout. As much as I’m loving and adapting well to city life, it felt really nice to escape for a few hours.

And one more, of a snaggle toothed puppy!

xoxo
  
All of the photos above were taken with a pentax k1000 and Fujifilm 35mm Superia X-TRA 400.

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

life lately // on film

by Kaylah Stroup April 17, 2014

Just a collection of film photos from the last few weeks. There are a few TIM photos thrown in there. I shot a roll with no real expectations, I just shot. I was pretty excited to get them back. I went to pick them up after watching the clock all day only for the woman behind the counter to sheepishly mutter “I sahry, I esssposed ya films.” I have no idea how she did it but she did manage to not ruin three frames worth, and those three shots just so happened to be ones I really liked. I’m so bummed about it though. I shot at some super fun locations, and of such neat things. Guess that’s one of the risks of not developing my own film.  Oh well.
xoxo

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

Exploring // on film

by Kaylah Stroup April 10, 2014
 

Just a few photos from some recent adventures. Life is good.
xoxo

All of the photos above were taken with a pentax k1000 and Fujifilm 35mm Superia X-TRA 400.

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

A love letter to my car

by Kaylah Stroup April 3, 2014

Hey there, sweet thing! Today is our one year anniversary. Exactly one year ago today I signed the paperwork that made you mine. I didn’t even get to drive you home since I didn’t have my license yet, only my permit. I was too nervous to drive on the highway, a highway that we would eventually move very close to and drive on almost every day.

I remember the first time I saw you on craigslist, I took a screenshot that I still have tucked away somewhere. I didn’t even have to sit inside you before I was sold. You were even prettier in person than you looked online. You did have a bit of a funny smell from the previous owner. Something similar to hamster bedding, the clean kind. It was weird but I eventually came to love it and am kind of bummed that it’s either finally went away or that I’m so used to it I can no longer smell it.

Together we’ve gone on many adventures. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Columbus, Akron, Cincinnati, and so many more places. We’ve seen so many stupid roadside attractions together, including that silly giant basket. We’ve visited at least thirty cemeteries together and I hope we get to visit a few hundred more.

 Sometimes you can be a jerk. Right now you’re a little shaky. I know, I know, it’s the pot holes in Lakewood that did it to you so it’s not your fault. I need to get your tires aligned. But how about that time your tire blew out at 2am on the highway in Cleveland before I moved here? Or when you wouldn’t start in Pittsburgh and I had to call AAA and sign up on the spot so they’d jump me? Regardless, you’re still great, I don’t really blame you for any of those things.

You’re a petite little thing but still have lots of space for anything I might find out adventuring and need to haul home. Your tinted windows, and low profile tires (thanks to your previous owner) make you look so slick. Basically, you’re everything I could ever want in a car. If I can’t have , you’re absolutely the next best thing. 

Sorry I never gave you a real name, but I hope we get to go on a million more adventures together. You’ve made me a Volkswagen fan forever. 
xo

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

holga TIM

by Kaylah Stroup April 1, 2014
I fiiiinally finished off a roll I had sitting in my TIM since the beginning of the year. I’m not as happy with the photos as I had hoped but they’re definiately still worth sharing. I’ve had this darn camera for at least three years and still haven’t mastered it. It’s still fun to experiment with though.

TIM
shoots half frame photos. By closing one eye, taking a photo, closing up
that eye, opening the other and shooting again before advancing the film
you’ll get two pictures on one print. It takes regular 35mm film so
there is no fussing with sending it out to get it developed if you don’t
want to. It’s fairly simple to use! By leaving both eyes open at the
same time and taking a shot you get two of the thing on the print except
they’re from slightly different angles – which gives you a 3D image.
(You can learn how to view it using photojojo’s tutorial)

This roll had photos from our trip to Savannah, Pittsburgh and a few from Louisville. 

Like I said, nothing that really blows my mind on this roll. I think I might have been trying too hard. I took these photos with perfect visions of how they’d turn out and it never works that way with film, and especially with a cheap plastic camera. I’ve already started another roll that I’m just shooting random pictures with, without expectations of what they might look like. Hopefully they turn out more fun than these.
xoxo

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

apartment living // the living room

by Kaylah Stroup March 24, 2014
I realized last week that I’ve now been living in my new apartment for one month. It’s been the best month. I absolutely love it here, I couldn’t be happier. I feel like I’m exactly where I need to be right now. Initially a little nervous about city living, my fears have disappeared! This place is perfect for me.

Like I’ve mentioned in other posts, I’m mostly settled in. My bedroom still need a little work, really I’m just waiting to find a desk to make into a vanity and then it will quickly come together but in the mean time I’ve finished up my living room. It’s basically the cutest thing ever, in my opinion.

Behind the couch, from where I would be standing to see the view in the above photo, is where I have my desk set up to work. It’s the only wall with blank space left on it in this room, hence why it’s not shown. As soon as I get it all set up I’ll be sharing photos of my new office. To the left is my bathroom, a few closets and my bedroom. To the right is the dining room and kitchen.

I planned on doing a “sources” list but when it comes down to it, basically everything in the room is second hand, from a thrift store, ebay, a gift, etc. The couch is from Thrive Furniture. The fox and beetle pillow are from Target. If you’re curious about anything else specifically, just ask!

I love this place dearly. 
xoxo

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

Jerry’s Junk // on film

by Kaylah Stroup March 13, 2014

One of my favorite stops on Mickey and I’s latest trip was in Louisville, Kentucky at Jerry’s Junk. I want so badly to have an easy way to explain this place but it really something you just have to see first…

 

Jerry Lotz is a collector, clearly. He owns five homes in the neighborhood, all of which are packed to the brim with a wide variety of items. The place that draws people in is on the corner of Frankfort and William street. The lawn is covered and when you peek inside the windows (Don’t worry, he lives upstairs) you can see the inside is filled up with odds and ends as well. You could hang around for hours and still keep spotting new things.

Mickey and I just stopped to take photos but soon met Jerry who we ended up spending over two hours with. Jerry showed us around two of his homes, taking us inside to get a closer look at things we might be interested in. He told us stories of his childhood, and told us how his daughters don’t appreciate his collection. We volunteered ourselves up for adoption! He told us how everything he owns has a story behind it and even shared some of the stories. The funniest part is, the whole time he’s talking to us he’s dragging around a rake. It was SO hard to hear.

But really, it was incredible to be able to talk to him and hear all about his collection. Even though I could never see myself amassing a collection like this, there’s just something that draws me into collections and their owners. It’s like I just get it, I understand how it feels to be passionate about weird things.

Even a few spots not specifically on his property were adorned with his things. Below are some things found in the sidewalk.

  Above is the man himself, Jerry Lotz.

It was truly one of the most fun experiences ever. Mickey and I each bought a really great “souvenir”, I’ll tell you all about that another day though. Jerry is so very kind. If you’re ever in the area “Jerry’s Junk” is a must visit!

xoxo

All of the photos above were taken with a pentax k1000 and Fujifilm 35mm Superia X-TRA 400.

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

cabinet(s) of curiosities

by Kaylah Stroup March 4, 2014

Back in October I shared some peeks of my cabinet of curiosities,
since then my collection has grown and bigger than that, I’ve moved. My
new apartment has the best built in cabinets with gorgeous glass doors
on each side of the entrance to my tiny kitchen. The second I saw them I
knew I’d fill them with skulls, teeth and the like. I also chose to have my hutch, that at my old residence held weather houses, in the dining room to house the rest of my collection. I absolutely love how it looks.

It’s really fun to have these things I love so much on display instead of tucked away in my office. From my desk, which is set up in the back corner of the living room, I can see into the dining room where I have the perfect view of the hutch.

Not the best photo, thanks iPhone panorama feature, but here’s one last photo so you can get the gist of the room’s layout, and a better look at those beautiful built ins.

I’m really loving this place. For the most part, I’d say I definitely had creative control over my last place but this one is mine. Every little corner is mine, everything in it is mine, and I can make it look exactly how I’d like which is almost kind of overwhelming in a way. I’m a little bit stumped on what to hang on the walls. As you can kind of see in that last photo I have some prints taped to the wall. Not permanently of course, but just to see what it would look like. Previously I was a cluster-er when decorating. For example, all my paint by numbers went on one wall, all the cuckoo clocks together on another, etc. So, my first choice is to hang my taxidermy in there because it would fit so well with the rest of the things but I’m thinking of mixing it up and spreading my taxidermy out throughout the place. Plus those prints really are perfect for in there. We’ll see! I’ll surely share full room photos are soon as I figure out what to hang more permanently than with tape.
xoxo

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts

About Me

About Me

Hello!

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

Categories

  • all the posts!
  • animals + nature
  • beauty, fashion + hair
  • explore everywhere
    • abandoned
    • cemeteries
  • plants + gardening
  • reviews
    • books
  • some of my favorite posts
  • stroup mansion
  • window shopping

disclosure

click to drop down
The Dainty Squid is a for profit blog. and we participate in a number of affiliate programs meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you choose to make a purchase through one of those links. For more details click here

psssst! while you're here, check out my stained glass. Dainty Squid stained glass

copyright 2026 the dainty squid / kaylah stroup. please contact me about photo usage.


Back To Top
THE DAINTY SQUID
  • blog
    • all the posts!
    • stroup mansion
    • some of my favorite posts
    • plants + gardening
    • beauty, fashion + hair
    • reviews
    • window shopping
    • explore everywhere
  • about me
  • contact
  • shop