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Project 365 : days 308 – 322

by Kaylah Stroup November 20, 2017

I accidentally took a few weeks off of Project 365. Well, just one week but, of course, sharing my engagement seemed a lot more exciting of a post to share than my Project 365. Since we’ve gotten back from that short vacation life has just been a blur. Between stressing about our wedding (Y’all I’ve already had nightmares about forgetting things but more on all that another day!), and working lots of hours at the flower shop I don’t feel like I’ve had much time to relax. Life feels like it’s on fast-forward. Like how in the world is it the end of November already?

Anyway, in order to get caught up I’m just going to share some of my favorite photos from the last month so far instead of every single photo from the project.

308 : 365 Cisco, Utah at sunset. This was taken just minutes after Jeff proposed. (You can read about that here, in case you missed it.) I still can’t believe this whole trip was real.

309 : 365 One of the things I loved so much about Utah was all of the yellow. All that yellow foliage paired with the gorgeous blue skies was serious eye candy. I took so many photos just like the one below. That photo just feels so warm and comforting to me, like if I were to squint hard enough I’d see myself frolicking in the background. That sounds nutty but y’all this trip easily was my favorite that we’ve taken together and I am obsessed with every little detail.

310 : 365 A little abandoned building we pulled over to check out… and my ring. I always said I’d be one of those people who sneaks their ring into a million photos when it finally hapeened. I probably took about one billion photos of it while we were out west. In ghost towns, with my coffee, with a bison in the background, at In-N-Out, and on and on and on. Totally not excited or anything.

312 : 365 We arrived home from our vacation to a decorated apartment. I guess we have pretty sweet friends…

315 : 365 Two things I love very much – socks and candles. Candelles has such lovely scents. If you’ve never burned one, you’re missing out.

318 : 365 Speaking of candles, wanna know a smart move? Buying candles in cute containers because they’ll end up making nice planters later on.

321 : 365 Jeff and I went out in the rain to shoot some photos. I didn’t end up capturing anything spectacular but it was nice to be reminded how good it feels to be out at night. I loved wandering around in the rain. (Also, I got my hair caught in my jacket zipper while we were out and it was extremely stressful. I will now be about one million times more careful!)

322 : 365 Shimmery new Keds found via Wikibuy– a site you can use to search for sales on all the things you want. They show you all the places said item is being sold and what it costs. They also have an extension will test coupon codes automatically at checkout and will find online rebates from participating retailers. Pretty awesome, especially this time of the year.

Hope your week is off to an awesome start!
xoxo

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Friday Favorites #441

by Kaylah Stroup November 17, 2017

Cat bike bell!!

(via Modcloth)

I can’t decide which of these two planters is the cutest! (left, right)

(via Urban Outfitters)

Cactus necklace!

(via Dawning Collective)

My pal, Amber, makes these incredible pet cookies and she takes custom orders! Aren’t they just precious!? You can find details on how to order here.

(via realfun__funeral)

I am drooling over these ridiculous velvet boots. They’re fab! Can you believe they’re Toms? I didn’t realize they had such cute shoe designs. Um, also, gold banana shoes!

(via Toms)

Lovin’ this light!

(via Moorea Seal)

Sasquatch being abducted by a UFO!

(via Modcloth)

YES!

(via Amazon)

Look at this corkscrew!

(via Urban Outfitters)

Link love…

  • Glow in the dark constellation blanket!!! It has great reviews, looks super cozy, and c’mon, one can never have too many couch blankets.
  • Do I need these polka dot shoes? Yes. Absolutely.
  • If you’ve been looking for a plain black jumpsuit that fits AMAZING – I found it for you. Seriously, it’s the coziest!
  • Cactus dog toy – because you should absolutely buy toys that make you smile.
  • Have you ever loved something simply because it was ridiculous? Yeah, that’s me and this coat right now.
  • These green velvet pants paired with this snazzy top? YES, please!

Happy Friday!
xoxo

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Antelope Island

by Kaylah Stroup November 15, 2017

As per usual, before leaving on our latest roadtrip, we hadn’t done much research. I take that back, I actually mapped out all the interesting ghost towns I could find but quickly realized it was way more driving than we could handle on this short trip. Basically, our plan was Cisco (where Jeff proposed!!!) and then decide from there what to do.

Once we woke up in the morning I realized how close the Great Salt Lake was, and noted that there were a few other things in the area that would make driving in that direction seem like the right choice. A quick search seemed to point to Antelope Island as the best place to visit if we wanted to check out the lake so that’s where we went.

Antelope Island is the largest of ten islands located within the Great Salt Lake. It is home to populations of pronghorn, bighorn sheep, American bison, porcupine, bager, coyote, bobcat, mule deer and lots of birds. Sounds pretty promising, right? The fact there was admission to the island made me question if we really needed to go there but we certainly ended up getting our ten bucks worth.

Within five minutes of being on the island we spotted a herd of antelope which was beyond exciting. The very first time we had seen antelope was back in 2014 on the way to Cisco. I had no idea what they were at the time. I just remember shouting “I saw weird deer. They were like deer, but not deer!” as we sped by them. This year I got to positively identify those ‘weird deer’ as pronghorn.

They’re not true antelope like you’d find in Africa or Eurasia but they’re known colloquially in North America as antelope. Whatever you want to call them, they’re cute as all heck. I was SUPER excited to have Jeff’s 70-200mm lens. Gosh, we needed two of them on this trip so that we weren’t constantly trading lenses. I was a bit bummed about not being to get any really nice portraits of one but I really am smitten with the shots I got. How can an animal look so adorable from behind? Look at them fluffy butts!

pronghorn, antelope island

pronghorn, utah, great salt lake, antelope island

After the pronghorn we continued driving around the island looking for more critters. The weather was a bit gloomy, and we were completely underdressed but there wasn’t another person in sight. It was lovely to have such a gorgeous park all to ourselves. I would have to imagine that in nicer weather this place is packed. It felt like we were on our own little self guided safari.

We didn’t have to drive far before we came upon some bison just chilling beside the road. I guess if you lived out here these animals might not be so exciting to you but Jeff and I were both whisper yelling at each other about how amazing it was to be so close. They’re pretty dirty lookin’ dudes. We both took approximately four billion photos of them though…

antelope island, great salt lake, utah

great salt lake, antelope island

great salt lake, antelope island

After getting our fill of bison, spotting a few mule deer, and admiring some more incredible scenery we were ready to hit the road. Before we could do that though, I thought it only necessary to actually go to the beach at the Great Salt Lake. We followed signed for the beach, parked, and walked what felt like years. Walking in the sand is so exhausting.

A little foamy but otherwise it was really nothing too exciting. I had read that the lake had a huge population of brine shrimp. I was pretty disappointed to not find any…until I realized THEY WERE EVERYWHERE. See those brown-ish lines in the sand? Brine shirmp! The massive clumps that I thought were just… I don’t know, regular stuff that washes up on the beach (??) were actually thousands and thousands and thousands of brine shrimp. Pretty wild stuff!

So, I would definitely say our short trip to Antelope Island was successful. Every animal I saw was something that I wasn’t 100% familiar with which is wildly exciting. I feel like the amount of time we spent there was perfect. Enough to satisfy my curiousity but still leave me wanting more. Utah is a wonderland!
xoxo

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Friday Favorites #440

by Kaylah Stroup November 10, 2017
This post contains affiliate links. For more information on what that means, read here.

How stinken cute is this kitty print?!

(via Iota Illustration)

Diggin this patch!

(via For the Love of Patch)

This scarf paired with a striped shirt and some overalls is like my perfect outfit.

(via Amazon)

Three things I really dig – plants, cats, and patches!

(via OHNORachio)

Yes, please, to this sweater!

(via Pendleton)

I’m obsessed with this cabinet. It would just be so darn perfect filled with all my weird collections.

(via Urban Outfitters)

Loving these earrings!

(via Papavier)

Black and white stripes plus elbow pads! Perfection!

(via Amazon)

These slippers!!

(via Urban Outfitters)

Okey Dokey!

(via Fair Goods)

I love everything about these photos. That dress! Those sunnies! So cute!

(via Lulus)

Link love…

  • Love that these polka dot tights aren’t obnoxiously polka dotted so you could totally wear them in a more serious setting.
  • I normally prefer my skirts to be a little more flowy but I dig the cut of this one.
  • Hot apple cider candle! Gah, doesn’t that sound so nice?!
  • The mug for you if you’re a member of the house plant club.
  • The purse itself doesn’t seem that special but I am a huge fan of pompoms and tassels!
  • If you had asked me earlier this month if I was a fan of leopard print I’d have said no buuut something is making me think I could rock the heck out of this coat.
  • Coconut rose lip balm! Mmmm!

Happy Friday!
xoxo

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project 365 : days 302 – 307

by Kaylah Stroup November 6, 2017

302 : 365 Obligatory new glasses selfie! These are SkunkBoy from Bonlook and I don’t think I could love them any more. The shape is just perfect for my face.

303 : 365 These tooth planters are still one of my favorite things around the apartment.

304 : 365 Halloween! I didn’t really dress up, although I did pull a dress from my closet, braid my hair, and of course, sport an Uncle Fester pin in attempt to be a lazy Wednesday Addams. Totally something I’d wear any other day though.

305 : 365 Home, sweet home. I put away “all” my Halloween decor but judging by my lil skeleton pup and that eyeball placemat you probably wouldn’t even realize.

306 : 365 Have you guys tried one of those bubbling face masks yet?! I bought this one. It’s under ten bucks and SO. MUCH. FUN. It feels so funny. I hadn’t planned on taking photos of myself in it (until I realized I didn’t have a photo for the day yet) or else I would have applied it more nicely. Regardless, it’s seriously amazing. (It totally gets way fluffier too!)

307 : 365 My princess, Squid. The cold weather makes her the ultimate cuddle bug and I love it! She’s a fairly reserved kitty but every year around this time she starts following from room to room trying to cuddle up with me, no matter what I’m doing. It’s very sweet. Saturday morning I woke up to her under the covers with me in bed!

Happy Monday! I hope your week is off to a great start!
xoxo

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Friday Favorites #439

by Kaylah Stroup November 3, 2017
This post contains affiliate links. For more information on what that means, read here.

A set of little cactus vases! They’re probably way more affordable than you’re imagining too!

(via Modcloth)

These socks are just peachy.

(via Amazon)

Full moon! Let’s get weird!

(via Hot Mess Studio)

Such a cute little bag!(via Moorea Seal)

This card is amazing.(via Moorea Seal)

Eye will never stop sharing eye tote bags.

(via Antonin Plus Margaux)

Love this whole outfit!

(via Amazon)

A cactus car charger!

(via Kikkerland)

Such a simple yet beautiful dress. Look at that collar!

(via Modcloth)

This glasses case is fabulous!

(via Plasticland)

Link love…

  • Cactus shaped catnip toy!
  • A notebook for doodlers. This thing is genius!
  • Empowered women empower women – love love love this mug!
  • A cat-shaped tray to hold your glasses.
  • 15 face masks for one awesome price!!!
  • I’m obsessed with all things holographic. Just look at this wallet! And this backpack! And this fanny pack!

Happy Friday!
xoxo

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Professor’s Halloween costume

by Kaylah Stroup November 1, 2017

You guys, above might be the absolute best photo I have ever taken of Professor. I regularly take ridiculous photos of him (See here!) buuut that one takes the cake, in my humble opinion. I was already cracking up about the shots I was getting of him in this little get up but then he stood up on this back legs and I lost my mind.

I was at Marshalls, looking for Klaus a jacket so we could keep enjoying walks around our lovely neighborhood even when the weather turns, when I spotted this tiny sweater with an attached bowtie. I had been stressing out about what I was going to post Halloween week here on the blog. As much as I love the holiday, we don’t really do too much to celebrate other than hit up a haunted house. Still, I wanted something fun for the blog. I figured a photo or two of Professor dressed up as a little businessman was better than nothing.

To be fair, while I purchased this silly sweater with Halloween in mind, he’ll probably wear it anytime I need a laugh. Although he acted like it weighed a thousand pounds when I first put it on toward the end of our little photoshoot he had gotten used to it.

$7.99 well spent, am I right?!

siamese cat, bowtie, dressed up cat, businessman cat cat in bowtie halloween cat, siamese, bowtie

Did you dress your pets up for Halloween? PLEASE, leave me a link to photos if so! I would absolutely love to see.
xoxo

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what we wore : no bones about it redux

by Kaylah Stroup October 31, 2017

skeleton dog costume, green hair, skeleton leggings

details
hoodie – Target (little boys section, last year)
sunglasses – Claudia via Foster Grant
leggings – skeleton leggings via Hot Topic (on clearance now!)
shoes – saddle shoes via Amazon
Klaus’ outfit – Target (two years ago)

First and foremost,

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Klaus and I actually did this same thing two years ago. (Here!) Buuut I love that post so much I wanted to do it again. Even though he’s worn this little costume almost to smithereens, it still makes me smile every time I see him in it. I was even hoping Target would be carrying them again this year so I could buy a replacement. Alas, no luck there.

Lots of things have changed since that first post, most noticeably my hair length! In the time since I also managed to get my hands on a skeleton sweatshirt that fits really nicely which is kind of a huge deal! Don’t mind if I do, Target’s little boys section! We’re still the same cool bony buds though.

2015 & now

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project 365 : days 295 – 301

by Kaylah Stroup October 30, 2017

295 : 365 Kitties, and a most appropriate shirt.

296 : 365 Lurking around an old cemetery with my dude on a rainy day.

297 : 365 One of my largest plants. Sadly, I think this guy is on his way out. It was thriving in my last apartment where it was able to live outside but these days it just doesn’t seem to get enough light. I really appreciate Professor’s grumpy cameo.

298 : 365 Will I ever stop obsessing over these rainbows? I think not.

299 : 365 My little sun kittens. You guys, all of a sudden, my two babies are becoming close than ever. I’ve never actually caught them cuddling with each other but they have been sitting together a lot which is a new thing. This is so exciting!!!

300 : 365 My other life, at the flower shop.

301 : 365 It’s been raining for like a week straight. I can’t decide if I hate it or love it. I did finally go out and get a cute photo with an umbrella which is something I’ve been meaning to do for like ever so that’s cool! Also, this sweater is the bee’s knees!

Hope your week is off to a great start! Happy Monday!
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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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