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Friday Favorites #421

by Kaylah Stroup

How ca-yoooot are these mugs!?

(via McCheeks Mayhem)

Love this dress!

(via Modcloth)

This instax photo frame banner is the coolest! Such a fun way to display your photos.

(via Urban Outfitters)

Cute shelf!

(via Kirralee & Co)

Have a nice day!

(via Steffi Lynn)

Aliens like cacti too!

(via Mermaid Hex)

Doesn’t this bra and underwear set look so cozy? They look perfect for lounging around the house.

(via Cosabella)

Lovin this plant stand!

(via Christensen Jackson)

Always a fan of stripes and polka dots together.

(via Modcloth)

Did you see the new Kelly Moore / A Beautiful Mess collaboration? The color of this camera bag is so dreamy!

(via Kelly Moore Bag)

Link love…

  • Ooohweeee, I love this swimsuit!
  • I can’t decide what colorway I like this rug in best!
  • I’ve been working really hard to get my hair in tip top shape and fade the color so that I can finally move on from green. I’m LOVING this mask. It’s super affordable, smells awesome, and my hair is ridiculously soft. Definitely give it a try if your hair needs some extra lovin.
  • Perfect LBD.
  • Work hard and be nice to people. <— it’s a water bottle & I love it!
  • This creative photography: light effects class from Brit + Co looks like a ton of fun.

Happy Friday!
xoxo

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cutting room floor : bikes!

by Kaylah Stroup

I can easily put my finger on the exact date I fell in love with Cleveland. It was my first bike ride in the city. Jeff and I weren’t even officially dating, and I had only been living here a little under two months at the time. He asked me to join him and some friends on a bike ride. I didn’t want to go. I actually got mad at him because he wouldn’t stop asking me to go. I just thought that since they were in so much better shape than me that I’d have a hard time keeping up. Plus I didn’t even have a bike!

I ended up borrowing a friend’s spare bike and having the time of my life. We did just under twenty miles that night. We rode the west side, the east side, and everything in between. I was still very unfamiliar with the city at that point so it was all new and interesting to me. It still holds a place as one of my favorite rides. That was the night I decided Cleveland and I would get along juuuust fine.  (Jeff also told me he loved me for the first time that night after the ride. Awww!) First thing the next morning I was texting Jeff and another friend asking what kind of bike I should buy. Before I could even get a solid answer I had chose one. The rest is history.

Last year we kind of took the year off of riding. It wasn’t necessarily on purpose. It just happened. No one really wanted to ride and I have a hard time motivating myself to go very far alone. I slowly but surely started getting back into it this year. I’m still helping out at the flower shop downtown. From my old apartment I would just take the train but I’m not located as close to a station anymore so my options are walk downtown, drive there, or bike. Easy answer, right?

The rides to and from are short but were enough to get me pumped up about riding all over again. So I made a goal for the month of June to ride 50 miles. I’m stoked to say I absolutely murdered that goal. I actually rode three times that amount. This last week in particular I’ve ridden 77 miles. It feels amazing. I’ve said it before, and I will definitely say it again – I never feel stronger or sexier than on my bike. Can’t tell you how many times I said “Jeff, feel my thighs!” this week. Hehe!

Since we’ve been getting out so much I have an abundance of bike photos I want to share. It’s been such a wonderful week, it needs documented.

Since I started riding back in 2014, I’ve been meaning to take a fifty mile ride. I feel like it could actually happen this summer, especially now that we’ve made some new bike lovin’ buds. The last few days where we’ve done 20+ miles have felt so easy. Well, not that last one. I wanted to crawl home but I blame that on having a cold that straight knocked me down on the couch the next day.

Being on my bike just makes me feel good. I feel excited about life, and I feel excited about where I live! I love my bike.
xoxo

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Goldfield Pioneer Cemetery

by Kaylah Stroup

headstone, goldfield nevada, cemetery

After visiting Tonopah Cemetery I guess my excitement got the best of me because I fell asleep as soon as we got back into the car. I woke up a short time later to Jeff asking “wanna stop at this cemetery?” I’m not sure I’ve ever said no to that question. We pulled in and I realized it was actually a place I already had mapped out before leaving Ohio and was planning on getting us directions to.

The day had already had its fair share of awesomeness. I was super tired from being on the road all day but there was one headstone I had to hunt down here or else I wouldn’t be satisfied. This property is really unique because there are actually multiple cemeteries here, each sectioned off and with it’s own sign. I was in search of the oldest one – Goldfield Pioneer Cemetery.

According to the plaque, this cemetery was originally located within the city of Goldfield until 1908 when the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad Co. ran its main line alongside the graves in order to be as close to the business district as possible. The railroad company didn’t want the passengers stepping off the train onto the graves, and the city didn’t want graves near its largest hotel. Under the cover of darkness, a group of men known as “official ghouls” moved the remains to their current location.

goldfield cemetery, headstone, nevada, graveyard headstone, goldfield pioneer cemetery

The headstone I was specifically looking for? “Unknown man died eating library paste” Find me a better headstone than that, I dare you. The moment I saw a photo of it online I knew I had to go there and see it for myself. Luckily the cemetery is located in what I’d consider a hot spot of other interesting road side attractions so its not even like we had to go out of the way to stop here. (…but even if we did – worth it!)

The story is that a homeless man was wondering the streets, looking for something to eat. In the library’s trash he found some book paste which at the time was a mixture of flour, water, and alum. Large quantities of alum are toxic when consumed, especially on an empty stomach.

I think its so interesting when a headstone states the cause of death. Tonopah Cemetery was really the only other place I’ve seen it so abundantly. Its definitely not something that’s common anymore.

headstone, unique headstone, goldfield pioneer cemetery, nevada

Goldfield Pioneer Cemetery easily ranks among one of the most interesting cemeteries I’ve ever been to, even without the library paste headstone! In retrospect, I wish I had had the energy to explore the other graveyards in the area. I’m sure there were lots of other hidden gems!
xoxo

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project 365 : days 170 – 176

by Kaylah Stroup

170 : 365 My current favorite breakfast – avocado mashed up with goat cheese on an everything bagel and topped with radish. It’s so good, and so easy!

171 : 365 I got a new band for my apple watch and surprise surprise it’s just as exciting as getting a new phone case (which is very exciting!)

172 : 365 21 miles all across the city. I still get a kick out of that silly shark horn.

173 : 365 I had told Jeff I was having a rough day. When I got home he had flowers and coffee waiting for me. He’s a sweetheart.

174 : 365 Typical “hurry up and take a photo before you forget” photo. I’ve been taking too many of those this last month. I feel like there has been one every week. I’ve gotta step up my game!

175 : 365 Another evening spent on my bike. I seriously love nothing more. I’ve put in 42 miles this last week, and it feels amazing. I feel amazing.

176 : 365 Just some dork I have a crush on.

Hope your week is off to a wonderful start!
xoxo

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Friday Favorites #420

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

Bone stickers!

(via Erin Greenough)

I still think Nicole from writes like a girl is the absolute cutest and I ADORE that shirt!

(via Writes Like A Girl)

These new glasses from Warby Parker are so darn pretty! PS Don’t forget they have a rad at home try-on program!!

(via Warby Parker)

Love this bra and undies set!

(via Garden of Delight Shop)

These globe lights! Love ’em!

(via Urban Outfitters)

I really love Beetle Ink Co.’s style! There were so many items I wanted to feature, you should probably just go check out the whole shop.

(via Beetle Ink Co)

I know it’d only take a few days for me to absolutely destroy this white rug but I’m still tempted by it. It’s so pretty.

(via Petek Design)

How adorable is this shirt?!

(via Modcloth)

Eye anatomy print.

(via Made Au Gold)

You guys, this week… I tried on my first romper. AND I LOOK SO DARN CUTE. I will definitely be shooting outfit photos in it very soon. I’m now hunting for more because holy easy breezy outfit! I dig this one, it’s so simple and could easily be dressed up with a cute cardigan or just worn as is!

(via Amazon)

Words to live by.

(via Yay For Friends)

This pattern which I have been obsessed with for in bedding form is now available as curtains!! Ahhh! These would be amazing in my office.

(via Urban Outfitters)

Link love…

  • I love these flatforms!
  • If you missed it, there is a new round of limited edition pouches. Find the full details here.
  • If you’ve been looking for a cute incense holder – I found it for you!
  • This little dining set is perfect for a small apartment.
  • Do you guys like gummy bears? Because I found THE BEST GUMMY BEARS EVERRR. I had them for the first time on a plane recently and actually came home and immediately bought a five pound bag. They’re so tasty. The bag is almost gone! Mostly because of Jeff but I can’t deny that I put a dent in it too!
  • These rainbow drinking glasses are so awesome!

Happy Friday!
xoxo

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It’s the little things…

by Kaylah Stroup

like seeing your dog be his happiest self!

On Sunday we went to my parent’s for Father’s Day. As usual we ended up down near the pond, searching for frogs, and turtles. My dad is usually the ring leader. He walks along the edge with a net while the rest of us follow. Klaus has recently gotten to the point where we let him off leash at my parents. It used to make me super nervous because…well, my parents house is definitely exciting for a dog. There are so many smells to follow. It was my dad who’d always push me to let Klaus off leash and it’s been amazing. He’s never all that great at listening the first ten or fifteen minutes but eventually he calms down and remembers what the heck his name is. You can tell he’s having a blast. He follows us around as we walk the edge of water but never really stays still for too long. He’s always running back and forth.

Since starting these off leash adventures we’ve really been trying hard to convice Klaus to swim. He’s not interested in the deep parts of the pond. He prefers the gross swampy part. It’s whatever, I’m just happy to see him enjoying water of some sort even if he does need a hose down before leaving and then a bath once we get home.

On Sunday, the pond was much more shallow than normal. It hadn’t rained there in a while. Water levels had dropped, and the muddy pits had expanded. Basically it was Klaus heaven. He was zooming back and forth. We were trying to get him to hop in the water by throwing sticks in and yelling “get it! get it, buddy!” He was being cautious and resisting the urge to chase the sticks. Then, all of a sudden, he jumped straight in the muddiest part! He looked a little startled by how deep it was but before I knew it he was back in the mud. Not just running through it though, he plopped right down. He layed there for a second before army crawling through it into the shallow water. From there he jumped back onto land and seemed enjoy terrorizing everyone as they tried to avoid the inevitately muddy mess he’d make when he shook off. Then back to his mud pit he went. He did this three or four times.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Klaus look happier. It made my heart swell to a million times its regular size. I was so busy watching and laughing as he did this I wasn’t sure I captured any decent photos. When I got home and sorted through the shots I immediately knew that I had to write this wonderful little moment its own post. I’m melting over these photos.

I can’t wait to see if he’ll finally swim in the pond this year. Even if he doesn’t and just sticks to the mud pits, I’ll be happy because I know he’s happy!
xoxo

Just look at that massive grin!
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project 365 : days 163 – 169

by Kaylah Stroup

163 : 365 Professor doing what Jeff would refer to as “kindergarten smile.” Its where you tell a kid to smile and they just show their teeth.

164 : 365 I attempted another #ghostkaylah shot. As you probably guessed from my use of the word “attempted”, I don’t feel like it was super successful. I guess I just feel like the background is too distracting. Practice makes perfect though!

165 : 365 Basically the perfect keychain for me!

166 : 365 I feel like I caught a rare photo of Professor thinking about his life choices. I really love the way he’s melting into the couch.

167 : 365 A peek at the pouches I’ve been working on this month! They’re ready to list online, I just need to take photos. This is another collection featuring my beach finds. I’m super excited about those neat-o two color zippers. Can’t wait to show you more.

168 : 365 You get to see a photo of a skull because I really did not want to include another photo of Professor in this week’s post. I was off my Project 365 game this week and ended up realizing “oh crap, I haven’t taken a photo that wasn’t of a cat yet!” after the sunset more than once.

Anyway! I found this skull along the tracks while taking the #ghostkaylah selfie earlier in the week. I didn’t have anything on me to pick it up with at the time but it was in such nice condition and so clean that I decided to go back the next day with gloves and a bag. This is after being washed off with soap. It’s currently soaking in a peroxide bath. It’s been so long since I cleaned a skull, I feel a bit rusty.  PS. If you’re interested in cleaning your own skulls – you can read more here.

169 : 365 I grew up catching tadpoles with legs but all these years later they still blow my mind. So cool to be able to see a part of a frog’s lifecycle like this.

And because yesterday was Father’s Day I’ve included a photo of my dad.

I’m so relieved this coming week won’t be as hot as last week. I blame my lack of diverse photos on the fact that I spent a lot of time in the bedroom trying to cool off. We only have one window air conditioning unit and the bedroom is the easy choice for where it should go since no one likes being hot when its time to go to bed. It means the rest of the house is an inferno though. Poor Squid was so hot that she let Jeff pet her with an ice cube in his hand. She didn’t just put up with it, she LOVED it. He melted the whole thing on her. So yeah, I’m definitely looking forward to a cooler week!

Hope you’re staying cool!
xoxo

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Friday Favorites #419

by Kaylah Stroup
This post contains affiliate links. For more details on what that means, read here.

This dress plus those shoes = the cutest!

(via Modcloth)

This bag is such a beautiful color.

(via Alex Bender)

Digging these nails! They’re super easy to do too.

(via Stick It Vinyl)

I seem to feature Ashley Ronning’s work in my Friday Favorites quite often. I just love her style and use of colors!

(via Ashley Ronning)

Jeff and I recently started using a water pitcher with an extra section to add fruit. It’s been awesome because I try to drink a ton of water but it kind of gets boring. With this, I actually want to drink more because its so tasty. So far my favorite combination has been cucumber and strawberry. It’s super refreshing. I’m posting about it here though because I want to know if y’all have any favorite combos for fruit infused water! Up next, we’re going to be installing a Ukf8001 filter on our refrigerator so I can make sure the ton of water I do drink on a daily basis is as clean as possible.

(via Amazon)

Cactus club!

(via Oh Plesiosaur)

How gorgeous is this ring?!

(via Tinybox12)

Love this cute little patch! Its super affordable too.

(via Triangle Trees)

Morning delight – “It smells like the perfect coffee drink with cream, caramel, and vanilla.” I’ll take five of them!

(via The Dancing Wick)

These sandals!

(via Amazon)

Lovin’ this tea towel!

(via Wild Hart Paper)

Link love…

Happy Friday!
xoxo

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found on the beach

by Kaylah Stroup

beach plastic, rainbow trash, lake erie, wendy park

This is a little bit different than my normal found on the beach arrangements. There weren’t too many large items on the beach to be picked up. Woo! The city does a decent job of keeping larger debris off the beach during the warm months. They use a backhoe to push everything to one end where they then scoop it all into a huge dumpster (…that lives on the beach.) It’s better than nothing, and it definitely makes the beach look a lot nicer.

Even with the big pieces of trash gone, tiny pieces of plastic will always be a problem. It mixes in the with sand and is essentially impossible to clean up. Approximately 60 billion pounds of nurdles are manufactured in the US each year. (How many nurdles in a pound? 25,000!!!) Nurdles are small plastic pellets that make nearly all of our plastic products. Accidental spills, and deliberate dumping mean that tons of them end up in the water, on our shores, and in the bellies of marine animals. This isn’t just Lake Erie, it’s everywhere!

nurdles, beach trash, beach plastic, rainbow trash, lake erie, wendy park

You can regularly spot lots of nurdles in my beach photos. Lots of whats in the photos in this post is just random pieces of plastic that have broken off of other things but if you look closely in the yellow and orange section you’ll spot lots of them. Tan ones, which don’t work so well in my little rainbow arrangement, pose the biggest threat since they look a lot like plankton to animals. Its a HUGE issue thats only getting worse as we rely more and more on one-time use items.

I’m not telling you this because I’ve quit using plastic and want to make you feel guilty. I’m just as much to blame as everyone else. I didn’t start picking up trash on the beach because I wanted to help the environment. I started because I like arranging things, and finding “treasure”. The beach just ended up being a great place for me to find things to photograph. I feel a bit guilty when anyone pats me on the back for helping clean the beaches because I know deep down picking up plastic army men and other interesting items doesn’t really help much of anything.

beach plastic, rainbow trash, lake erie, wendy park, flotsam army

The amount of time I’ve spent on the beach, seeing what a mess we humans are making of it, has definitely made me stop to think about what I can do to help. I could go on and on listing off shocking statistics but honestly, I don’t think anything will effect you that way that seeing it in person would. I encourage you to get out and check out your local beaches. Start by familiarizing yourself with the issue… and maybe try using a reusable shopping bag. We’ve made a huge mess but if we all pitch in we can help clean it up before its too late.
xoxo

Check out more ‘found on the beach” posts here!
If you’d like to read more about nurdles check out some of these links from across the internet – plastic pollution: nurdles, this incredibly informative video (highly recommended) and this article on the BBC.
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