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my first tomato focaccia

by Kaylah Stroup October 15, 2021

This year I grew tomatoes for the first time. I mean, I grew A LOT of tomatoes. I didn’t have the best luck with larger varieties but my cherry tomatoes were a major success. I have eaten more tomatoes in the past three months than I have in my whole life. My favorite way to eat them is to roast them in oven with salt, pepper, olive oil and a boat load of garlic. Cooked up like that they’re literally perfect on everything.

On instagram I had been seeing photos of people’s beautiful focaccia art. I had never even had focaccia but I understood that it was some sort of bread-y thing that I could dress up any way I’d like. Seemed like the perfect way to use up tomatoes!

I followed this recipe. It’s not all that quick, requires some kneading and rise time. It’s enough work to make you feel like you’ve really accomplished something when you finally get to sink your teeth into it but easy enough that you basically can’t mess it up!

It turned out PERFECT.

ready to bake!

fresh out of the oven!

I hesitated sharing about my first focaccia here on the blog because it’s already been a few weeks and I guess I can see how it’s not really a big deal but you guys, I was SO excited about this darn thing. This year I’ve done more experimenting in the kitchen with things I’ve grown than ever before. (See: blackberry cobbler) It’s so satisfying. Gardening can be extremely frustrating and overwhelming but when things go right it’s truly the best. It brings me so much joy to know that I grew nearly everything in that meal. The tomatoes! The peppers! The onion! Right down to the herbs, those came from my garden.

Since this first one, I’ve made one each week! I’m obsessed. Each one has been better than the last as I learn what flavors I really like to lean in to. It’s been an awesome way to use up tomatoes but I’m also looking forward to experimenting with more artsy versions once my tomatoes are done for the season.

stroup mansion – halloween dining room

by Kaylah Stroup October 12, 2021

Even though this is our second Halloween in Stroup Mansion, it feels like the first. We had only been in the house a little over a month last year at this time. Decorating for any holiday, even my most favorite one, just wasn’t a priority.

Halloween this year though? It feels SO exciting. I’ve been hunting for decor for months now. Living in our small apartment with tiny closets and no extra storage space meant that I basically had nothing for any holiday. I’ve been stalking the big box stores as well as thrift stores, antique malls and well, literally anywhere else that might possibly have something I like. My collection of Halloween decor is still quite small but I definitely picked up some neat pieces this year.

When I was in my early twenties I distinctly remember thinking “I wish I had kids to decorate for!” I don’t know why but I felt like I needed en excuse to celebrate big for any holiday other than Christmas. I’m so happy to have realized how dumb that was because holy smokes, this makes me so happy. Just out of frame, my dining room is still a work zone. There is drywall that needs mudded, an ugly fireplace that I need to spruce up and gosh, I hate the fabric on the chairs but every time I walk into this room I’m filled with joy.

I hope every year here Halloween can be bigger and better! I’d love to add more skeletons, more spiderwebs in here next year. I want to be able to share more than just one tiny spooky corner!

For this year though? 10/10! Would haunt!

2021 pumpkin patch

by Kaylah Stroup September 30, 2021

Our first summer at Stroup Mansion! What a magical summer it was. JK. I didn’t have the most fun. It was hot… and wet… and mosquito-y. I had grand plans of spending the whole season in the garden but honestly, all the beds I made in the spring were basically ignored for a few months while I hid from mosquitos in the house.

Spring was amazing and thankfully, fall is looking like it’ll be just as dreamy! I’m finally able to be back outside in my gardens, enjoying all the hard work I put in earlier in the year.

I made myself three main beds back in early spring. There is my large flower garden, a rose bed, and a fairly sizeable kidney bean-shaped bed which I really had no formal plans for. That bed kind of became a catch-all. Anytime I stumbled upon a cool plant that didn’t fit in my flower bed vision or somewhere else around the yard, it went into that bed.

I had read that the best time to plant pumpkins was early June so that they’d be ready in time for Halloween. It just happened to be around that time that I had the realization there was no way I’d be able to afford to buy plants to fill that bed. Not to mention the fact that I didn’t want to rush into filling it with perennials just to get it done. My dad had given me a bunch of miscellaneous gourd, pumpkin, and squash seeds he’d saved so that felt like a great place to throw those. They’d keep the bed intact so that it wouldn’t become overrun with weeds. (Listen, I ain’t weeding an empty bed. I needed the motivation of something actually being planted in it!)

All that to say, what was just a way to use up some seeds and fill space ended up being one of my favorite things to grow!

I get so much joy from walking around my pumpkin patch each morning, scanning for new growth. It’s wild how easy they are to miss in the mess of all the leaves. That large white pumpkin in the middle? I didn’t see that until I did one last pass of the garden before taking these photos! It’s the largest one I grew and yet somehow I never noticed it!

I’m very much looking forward to going wild with this next year! I’ve been hunting down varieties I’d like to add to my mix. (Y’all have you seen black pumpkins!?!) I’ve even been researching growing them on a trellis instead of letting them run wild in my yard. I just can’t wait to at least double what I grew this year.

I think a lot of the satisfaction in these does come from the fact that I just didn’t enjoy my gardens for a few months and yet was still rewarded with these precious little things waiting on me when I decided to emerge. Feels like such a sweet fall treat.

If I didn’t love tiny pumpkins, gourds, and squash before (I definitely did) I sure do now!

outfit details
sweater
turtleneck
jeans
boots

our new windows!

by Kaylah Stroup September 29, 2021

This post is sponsored by .

Patio door off kitchen before + in progress.

We just celebrated one full year of living in Stroup Mansion. In these last twelve months, I’ve accomplished SO much. I’ve refinished original hardwood floors, hung new drywall, gone through gallons of paint but honestly, one of the most exciting things we’ve done for the house is get her new windows and a functioning patio door!

I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work with the last few months and wanted to write a little bit about my experience and how easy it was to update our windows (and doors)!

The laundry room before + after.

We had a total of six windows replaced by . Three in the attic (you can see those in this video!), two in the hallway (above in the photo with Klaus), and one in the laundry room. The laundry room window is one of my favorite improvements. It was one of the worst windows in the house. It hadn’t been replaced by the previous owner despite the fact it was cracked. I knew it needed to be replaced just based on that but I truly wasn’t expecting how much better a new window would look! I swear, it’s like the room has a whole new view of the yard now simply because you can actually see out of the window now.

The whole process was a breeze. Universal Windows Direct offers free estimates. They’ll come out to your home, show off product samples and talk everything over with you. They even do a neat little demonstration with a torch to show how their windows keep extreme temps from coming into your home. After you’ve picked out what you want, the next step is a measure tech visiting. This literally took no time at all. He came in, measured everything up, and then the order was sent to production.

Installation day is what you have to look forward to next. Can I just start by saying that when you’ve been DIY-ing everything it is SO nice to watch someone else work on your house. The install team was courteous, friendly, and super efficient!

Patio door off kitchen before and after.

not only does windows but doors as well! Off our kitchen, we have a little concrete platform, absolutely perfect for plants and coffee breaks, but when we moved in it wasn’t accessible from the inside. The opening had been filled with two large windows that were held together and in place by boards. They were clearly placed like this with the intention they wouldn’t be opened.

Before this collaboration, I was a bit at a loss with what to do about this opening. I absolutely wanted it to be a door but quickly discovered it was a weird size. I would never be able to just find a door waiting for me at the store. The good news is that Universal Windows Direct makes everything custom. My goofy-sized door opening? Not a problem!

I don’t want to admit it but winter is well on its way here in Ohio. I’m not excited to have to turn our heat back on but at least I know our bill will be lower now that we have new windows that will keep the cold out!

Now is the perfect time to get new windows! is offering buy one get one free on all windows (with no limit! Literally you could buy ten and get ten free which is pretty amazing!) Their windows have a lifetime warranty and if you sell your home that warranty is transferable to the next homeowner for 30 years! Can’t forget that they are also offering 24 months no payments, no interest!

lunch – a photo series

by Kaylah Stroup September 23, 2021

Taking full advantage of the end of summer, I headed to Lowe’s to check out their clearance perennials. I scored a handful of plants that don’t look so great today but will be beautiful again come spring. I also found a small pal to bring home, a praying mantis!

I placed him in my garden and got to work planting my clearance scores. Afterwards, I ran into the house, grabbed my macro lens and set out to get a few glamour shots. What I captured might just be my favorite photo series of insects that I’ve ever shot.

Shot with a Canon 7D mark ii and a Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens.

plant room 2021

by Kaylah Stroup August 14, 2021

Throughout the history of this blog, I have always loved documenting and sharing the spaces I call home. Now that I actually own and am learning to renovate a house of my own, I feel even more inclined to do so. We’ve been here just shy of a year now and already SO much has changed. I’ve shared photos of this room, my plant room, a handful of times before but it’s always changing. So, despite the fact these photos are a little over a month old, I want to give them a permanent place here on the blog. Something I can come glance back at in the future.

sources –
love seat
plant stands
arch mirror
brass hand
lamp
circle shelf (similar)
dress

For good measure, in case you’ve forgotten, here’s what the room looked like when we moved into the house! If you’d like to see more of this room check out these posts – plant room renovation + plant room update.

exploring Ashtabula Harbor

by Kaylah Stroup August 10, 2021

Special thanks to the Lift Bridge Community Association + Ohio. Find It Here. for inviting us out & sponsoring this post!

Recently Jeff and I were invited to explore the historic Ashtabula Harbor area. I couldn’t hop on the opportunity quickly enough! We’ve been in full-on house renovation mode for nearly a year now so a mini-vacation was definitely in order. One night and two full days was barely enough time here. We squeezed so much in! Here’s a little peek at our trip –

Where we stayed…

We spent the night in the cutest Air BnB! It was a charming 1930s home filled with the coolest decor. Seriously, look at that table made from an old sign! It had a fire pit and the garage had been converted into a summer room. It’d be the perfect spot to rent with a couple of pals. They’re even pet-friendly.

Best of all, it’s within walking distance of not only Bridge Street, the main strip of Ashtabula Harbor, but Lake Erie!

What we did…

Eerie Harbor Ghost Walk! As a lover of all things spooky, this was surprisingly my very first ghost tour! The tour was heavy on the history side of things, as opposed to pushing ghost stories which I really enjoyed. It was neat to learn more about the area with some spooky lore mixed in! Our tour guide was energetic and enthusiastic.

We rented kayaks from Harbor Yak which I cannot recommend highly enough. I love kayaking to begin with but being out on the lake as opposed to in a river is such a rad experience.

Before sending us out into the water they gave us a little rundown of the different things we could head to while out on the water. There is a massive ship docked in the harbor waiting to be scrapped so that was my obvious choice of which way to head. We also made our way out to a sandbar where someone had made a cool little structure out of driftwood.

If kayaks aren’t your jam, Harbor Yak rents hydro-bikes, paddleboards, and canoes as well. You can, of course, go out on your own but they also offer a sunset tour as well as a few other group activities.

Besides having some absolutely top-notch restaurants, the Harbor is also home to many cute shops along Bridge Street. From curated vintage finds to handmade chocolates and of course, locally made art – there is absolutely something for everyone to enjoy. I recommend walking the length of each side of the street in its entirety and popping into each. There are so many neat things to discover.

Pictured below – Farmhouse Vintage + truffles from Marianne’s Chocolates.

Ashtabula County is home to many wineries. Needless to say, a wine tour was a necessity. We visited Laurello Vineyards, M Cellars Winery, and Kosicek Vineyards. I’m going to be completely honest here, I didn’t start drinking wine until maybe a year ago and my taste was quite cheap. What’s up $5 bottles from Target! Visiting wineries 100% changed my tastes. I didn’t realize what I was missing, truly! I had an incredible time learning more about how wine is made, all the science that goes into it, and obviously tasting was fun.

Perhaps best of all, we were chauffeured from winery to winery by Richmond Limo. Y’all, I have never even been in a limo before this. I had SO much fun! Our driver, also named Jeff, was so nice and funny. If you’re looking to safely do some winery hopping without having to choose a friend to be your DD, this is absolutely the way to go. I honestly can’t wait for another excuse to get a limo.

For more info on local wineries, be sure to check out NeoWineries!

Five minutes away from our Air BnB is Walnut Beach. We went early in the morning and nearly had the whole place to ourselves. The shoreline, covered in small pebbles, is prime for beach glass hunting. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, I hope my love of Lake Erie has been apparent! It’s just so underrated.

Searching for beach glass at Walnut Beach.

What we ate…

Where do I start with food? I seriously ate some of the best food of my life over these two days.

Bascule. Shown above. We were able to try a sample platter of their appetizers which actually worked out perfectly because I don’t know how else I would have been able to choose from their menu. Wasabi shrimp? Confit duck wings? Drunken dates? Gosh, yes, please!! My favorite ended up actually being their roasted cauliflower which are made with a house-made curry powder, eggless aioli, lemon, and EVOO. So tasty! Make sure to save room for dessert too! That’s not even a posed photo of me above – that is literally just a gal STOKED about her chocolate pot de creme.

Briquettes Smokehouse. Shown above. This was the perfect spot to grab lunch after kayaking all morning. They have a beautiful patio but we opted to sit inside to hide from the sun for a bit. Their upstairs seating area has a great view of the river!

Jeff had a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw on the side. (All their meats are smoked in-house!) I filled up on their buffalo chicken dip. It was delicious! I will absolutely be craving it.

Rennick Meat Market. Shown above. Rennick was actually our last meal of the trip. Nearly everyone we talked to at different spots around the Harbor listed Rennick as their number one spot to eat. I was definitely looking forward to it, and I had very high hopes… which were completely blown out of the water.

This truly may have been the best meal of my life. Each item we ordered was, without a doubt, the best version of that thing that I’ve had. If (no, when) you visit, definitely make sure to order the caramelized onion dip and the fried brussels sprouts. Also worth noting – our leftovers reheated beautifully. I don’t think that I’ve ever been so pumped to eat leftovers.

We also grabbed coffee at Harbor Perk and a decadent cupcake from Little Charlie’s Bake Shop! I’ve, sadly, reached the age where sometimes things are too sweet so normally giant cupcakes like this aren’t something I’d go for. Jeff is a peanut butter addict though so we had to try their peanut butter cup cupcakes. Y’all, I did not want to share. It was perfect. The frosting isn’t overly sweet so I could have easily finished one on my own (and probably wanted another!)

Ashtabula Harbor is a hidden gem! It may not show up at the top of lists of places along the lakeshore you must visit yet but it’s truly only a matter of time. They have everything – beaches, history, culture, incredible food and lots of wonderful shops!

floor transition mini update

by Kaylah Stroup August 9, 2021

There are tons of tiny details around this giant old house that I want to change. For example, the floor in the living room needs a lot of love. Until I’m a bit further down my jumbo to-do list, it’s something I’m totally fine with putting off for a while. Listen, I’m already knee-deep in a giant kitchen renovation – no more starting big projects at the moment. The transition pieces between the living room and each of the other rooms off it though? I can’t stand the way they look. Beige marble. Ick. Honestly, anything beige doesn’t really fit my vibe. I’ve hated them since the first time we saw the house.

Randomly, one evening, it hit me. I’ve seen a ton of contact paper DIY projects over the years! Why not give it a try on the awful beige marble transition pieces!?

I ended up purchasing this black marble contact paper. For less than ten bucks per roll, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. (The price seems to vary a bunch but always stays cheap. Right now you can even get two for less than ten!)

It was super easy, took less than an hour, and only required the contact paper and an exacto knife. Honestly, most of that time was probably just wasted with me fiddling with my camera since I was trying to film the process.

above – before // below – after

I don’t know how long it’ll end up lasting but I’m certainly happy with it for now! Of course, eventually, I’d love to replace the beige marble with real black marble transitions. Marble isn’t exactly cheap though and we have a lot more pressing matters to take care of in this old home so who knows when it will get done. This is the perfect little hack for the time being!

A Squid approved project!

blue heron

by Kaylah Stroup July 17, 2021

Does it blow your mind that giant birds just… exist? Because it certainly blows mine.

Growing up, there were frequently blue herons around the pond. I’ve seen them many, many times but somehow the excitement still hasn’t gone away. They’re just an incredible site to see.

When we first toured the house, we got to meet the previous owner. He told us some random bits and bots about the house but honestly, it was all a blur. My mind was racing at the possibility of owning such an unbelievable house that talk of what sorts of animals frequented the yard went in one ear and out the other. However, I do recall him mentioning blue heron hanging out around the pond.

Up until the other day I had only been lucky enough to spot this beast from a distance and it was usually him taking flight after hearing the door close behind me. The other evening Jeff spotted him from the sliding glass door in the kitchen. I ran full speed to my office, grabbed my new telephoto lens, and tried to sneak outside as quickly as possible.

I snagged these three shots. The evening lighting and our lush woods set the perfect scene. While I’d love to get a little bit closer next time, I’m still over the moon that I get to share a yard with this critter. I will also never get over animals using our the little wooden bridge Jeff built. I’ve watched rabbits cross it, we have a stray cat that sleeps on it somtimes and I even spotted a groundhog on it once but this is the first one I’ve photographed. I hope it can eventually turn into a series.

Did you know great blue herons are anywhere from 3 to 4.5 feet tall and can have a wingspan of 5.5 to 6.6 feet. Yet only weigh 4.5-7lbs because of their hollow bones!

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