Category:

all the posts!

Nelson Ledges + a new 2017 goal

by Kaylah Stroup

Last summer Jeff and I made a goal to visit as many of Ohio’s waterfalls as possible as a way to keep busy, and have an excuse to get outside more often. Instead of sitting around feeling like there were too many options of what do with our summer “Let’s go find a waterfall” became our weekend go-to. It was awesome! We obviously didn’t visit them all but we hit enough of them near us that it probably wouldn’t make much sense to make the same goal again this year even though I definitely want to visit a few over again.

I recently had the itch to go hiking. I had been bugging Jeff to go but it just kept falling to the wayside. …Probably because I don’t have the best hiking reputation. Walking around the woods with my dad? Totally cool. I love it. But the hikes Jeff and I took always led to me pouting about being tired and hot. We would start off having fun then I’d start complaining. I don’t know what the heck my problem was but getting a Fitbit changed everything. I went from hating walking to trying to find every excuse to walk places. It sounds likes I’m exaggerating but I promise I’m not, that thing changed my life. I even said the other day “remember when I hated walking?” and we both got a good laugh out of it because it seems so incredibly silly now. I’ve since upgraded to an apple watch but still watch my step count fairly closely. Honestly, that’s really embarrassing to admit that I ever didn’t like taking walks. I only bring it up because I did a complete 180!

After finally convincing Jeff it’d be fun and I wouldn’t be a whiner, we headed to Nelson Ledges. Neither of us had been there before and it ended up being one of the most fun hikes we’ve taken together. It is BEAUTIFUL there! We didn’t follow any particular trail but wandered around as we pleased. We wiggled our way through tight crevices, and peeked over the edges of tall ledges. After such a long, dull winter it was so wonderful to see so much color. It hadn’t rained recently but the lush moss was dripping. I want to describe it as moist but that’s kind of gross, right? I hate dampness but it was damp in a good way, if that’s possible. Like somewhere in a fairy tale. Everything was so bright, and green! It was a great peek at spring. When I look at these photos I feel like I can smell the freshness of the new season.

Super duper into taking ghost shots right now!

So maybe there aren’t enough waterfalls left to make that 2017’s summer goal but there are certainly enough magical places to hike! I wanna hunt down all the best ones and cross them off my list one by one.
xoxo

Save

Save

Save

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

what I wore : incognito elephants

by Kaylah Stroup

Let it be known that this is the dress that converted me to a shift dress fan and I think my summers will be 100 times more enjoyable now. You might even say it “shifted” my views. Ba dum tissss. If you hadn’t noticed my dresses are basically all fit and flare. I feel like that’s a super flattering style and it just works on my body. The thing is, it’s miserable in the summer especially when you wear a belt along with it. It’s just so hot having that fabric clinging to you. Even if the rest of you is a decent temperature there’s just this sweaty band around your midsection. That sounds gross but that’s life. I’d basically just stopped wearing dresses in the summer except on cool days and when absolutely necessary. It’s hard to feel cute when you’re sweaty. (Unless that sweat is well earned. I don’t know about you but I feel my best after a good bike ride. I swear my skin looks so much nicer than any other time. Anywaaaay…)

Urban Outfitters has some seriously cute summer dresses right now that I already had my eye on so when they reached out to work together I was like “Yes, pleeease!” I always thought that shift dresses weren’t for me … then I tried this one on! I was drawn to the pattern but was a little nervous about the style. Like I said, it’s not a cut I would normally gravitate toward. Well, after putting it on I literally twirled my way out of the fitting room to show my mom who agreed it looked darn good! It’s so breezy. Despite not coming in at the waist like I thought I “needed”, I feel like it looks super cute. It even has a cutout on the back which I love. It’s basically the ultimate summer dress! Plus black and white always look amazing with my hair color.

Also, how long did it take you to spot the elephants on this dress? I thought it was just squiggles but when I tried on the dress for Jeff he immediately said “cute elephant dress!” I was like “…wait. what?! nuh uh!” Now I can see them clear as day! I’m almost embarrassed I didn’t spot them right away.

details
dress – Silence + Noise Shift Dress
cardigan – BDG Parker Cardigan
backpack – Fjallraven Kanken Mini
boots –Palladium Boots
all c/o Urban Outfitters.

This post is in collaboration with Urban Outfitters. Thanks for supporting the companies that help support The Dainty Squid!

Save

Save

Save

Save

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

project 365 : days 93 – 99

by Kaylah Stroup

93 : 365 Office vibes.

94 : 365 Send help, I can’t resist a good notepad. TJ Maxx always has the hook up!

95 : 365 My favorite shirt by Daisy Natives. I love the smiles I get from other ladies when I wear it. Also, lemme just comment on how much I loooove this lipstick. It’s so good!!

96 : 365 This planter and air plant are a match made in heaven.

97 : 365 The relationship Jeff and Professor have melts my heart. They are seriously the absolute cutest.

98 : 365 I’m still not tired of the rainbows this sun catcher creates. I love that the rainbows move across the room as the sun moves across the sky. Its always fun to catch them somewhere new.

And here’s my puppy, once again making that face that Jenny’s roommate makes in Forrest Gump. (Here if you need a refresher.)

99 : 365 More Klaus! Jeff was sick all weekend and spent the majority of time snoozing on the couch Klaus kept him company THE WHOLE TIME. It was really, really sweet. I truly think pets know when you need a little extra lovin’. I’ve also never met a dog that loved to cuddle as much as this huge dork.


Happy Monday! Hope your week is off to an awesome start.
xoxo

Save

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

Friday Favorites #409

by Kaylah Stroup

This bed wouldn’t work in my current bedroom. It would just dwarf the room but gosh darn it, it’s such a lovely set up. It looks so cozy!

(via: Urban Outfitters)

How adorable is this cactus throw pillow?!

(via: Ankit)

My squad! Yesss!

(via: Moorea Seal)

Cactus socks! Love the colors.

(via: Woven Pear)

This bra is the cutest, and it comes in SO many colors!

(via: Cosabella)

I have a new love for shirt dresses, especially when they have a print this good!

(via: SimkaSol)

One of my favorite foods!

(via: Heather Buchanan)

Love this mirror!

(via: Urban Outfitters)

Friends who collect weird things, this skull is super cheap (+ waaay cool!)

(via: Amazon)

This print is so so so awesome!

(via: Kathleen Neeley)

Link love…

Happy Friday!
xoxo

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

what I wore : a food baby

by Kaylah Stroup

Sharing outfit photos can be scary. There are a lot of people who think that because something is published or otherwise put out into the world that it’s up for debate or open to criticism. People tend to forget that behind every single thing there is a real person who is potentially reading these things, and being affected. It doesn’t even have to be a huge deal, a simple off handed comment can shift how someone thinks for the worst.

A year or so ago I shared a photo of Jeff and I. It was an adorable photo with a caption about our half anniversary but someone left a comment asking if I was expecting*. That caused me to look super closely at my body in that photo… and in every single photo I shared ever after that. My stomach is not flat. It never will be. I’m not pregnant…and I never plan to be. It shouldn’t be necessary for me to have to examine my body closely and meticulously before sharing photos for fear that someone will ask if last night’s sushi is a baby or comment that my knees are ugly. (Yes, that really happened. And yeah, that made me self conscious for a while until I realized that you have to be a real dingus to make fun of someone’s knees. I mean, THEY’RE KNEES. For the record, my knees look just like everyone’s knees)

Comments like these are why everything gets photoshopped. Why Madonna is photoshopped to look twenty years younger, why apps like facetune even exist, why bloggers edit out their pimples, and on, and on, and on. You can’t comment on these stupid things and also be outraged at the fact people photoshop themselves into oblivion. It just doesn’t work that way.

I’m mentioning all this because immediately after thinking “Oh, these turned out cute” my next thought was “Shoot, someone is going to ask if I’m pregnant. I just know it.” And then “darn it, you can really see the dye on my scalp.” I started trying to fix the dye along my hairline so my head didn’t look so blue but realized I definitely have better things to do. I have no reason to be ashamed that there is dye on my scalp. It happens. Every time I dye my hair, my scalp is the same color as my hair for a few days. I also have no reason to try and hide the fact my stomach isn’t completely flat. I love food. I eat well. So what?

I always feel a little nervous to share this sort of commentary. I don’t want to stir the pot or draw negative attention to myself but I definitely want to use my platform to remind people to be better to others. Nobodies life is all peaches and cream. Everyone struggles. Why add to that with silly little nitpicks? Do your best to raise other people up. Comment on the good things, instead of the “bad”! I’m going to leave you with one of my favorite little sayings…

“You shouldn’t point out things about people’s appearances if they can’t fix it in ten seconds.”

for your viewing pleasure, dye on my scalp.

details
shirt – TJ Maxx
sweater – Moorea Seal
glasses – Louise via Warby Parker
pins – Jim Carrey via Two Ghouls Press, Pizza c/o Moorea Seal, Tooth via Hooptedoodle
jeans – TJ Maxx (similar pair)
boots – Palladium Boots c/o Urban Outfitters

*For the love of dog, STOP ASKING PEOPLE IF THEY ARE PREGNANT. If they want you to know, they’ll tell you. Otherwise, it’s none of yer bee’s wax. Even if you think you’re being friendly, it’s just intrusive. Women aren’t simply baby machines. I could rant about this subject for years but we should probably save that for another day.

Save

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

found on the beach

by Kaylah Stroup


The weather here in Cleveland is finally warming up, at least for now. Everyone knows we’ll probably get at least one last surprise snow storm because that’s just what happens here. The warm-ish weather had me aching to get back to the beach. It’s been so long since my last found on the beach arrangement but I am back in action… and kind of completely hooked all over again!

The last few times I had been to the beach it was actually very clean. It seemed like the park was on the up and up! There were new picnic benches, a fancy pants wooden fence, and most noticeably of all, it was clean. This beach that was previously covered in driftwood, and trash was actually somewhere people might want to go again.

Well, winter did a number on the beach. It was gross… but perfect for picking! I found lots of colorful things, and had lots of fun ideas brewing about how I’d lay everything out for photos. While trying to avoid a group of people who seemed to be wandering my way (I had crazy morning hair and was picking up trash, not really in ideal people meetin’ mode) I walked out onto a small breakwall. The gloomy sky mixed with the dark rocks immediately made me realize it was the perfect spot to lay all my colorful finds. It’s been a great deal of time since my last found on the beach arrangement, and this certainly isn’t my largest but the photos are definitely some of my favorites!

A quick found on the beach FAQ

  1. You found all this stuff in one trip?  Sadly, yes. This isn’t even a quarter of it either.
  2. What do you do with all after your done? Normally I toss it in the trash. Sometimes I may take certain pieces with me if I think they’ll look cool in a future arrangement. On rare occasions I leave it as I photographed it. I’m still not sure which side of the fence I fall on here. It’s a bit counteractive since it’s still on the beach after I spent the time to pick it up but maybe others finding it and seeing what an issue plastic is, and possibly getting a kick out of the fact that someone made something colorful and fun from trash, is better than it sitting in a landfill forever. I don’t know.
  3. Do you wear gloves when you pick all this trash up? No, I don’t. These are things that are washed up from the lake, not just left on shore. They’re no dirtier than the sand or water. That’s not to say I don’t sanitize my hands as soon as I get back in my car though…

Kinda sorta obsessed with this shot of the colorful trash with my bright white Palladium boots. I purposely put the white trash at the bottom of the arrangement so my shoes would start the gradient.

In all my beach combing days I’ve never found so many army men and animals in one single trip. Right after taking the photo below I ended finding a little red dinosaur a few feet away. Kind of makes me way to break my “don’t keep any trash” rule. I feel like a jar of beat up plastic soldiers would look pretty darn neat on my shoulder.*** For the time being they’re in my car since I’m hoping to possibly do another found on the beach fabric, and maaaybe postcards? We’ll see. I had a pretty large collection of interesting beach finds stored up for those types of projects but I got rid of it all when I moved because it just seemed weird. Now I’m kind of kicking myself but I guess it just means I get a fresh start on the project!

I want to say that you’ll be sure to see lots more of these arrangements in the coming months but hopefully the park gets back to it cleaning routine once the weather warms up for good.
xoxo

***I literally had coffee come out my nose when I read over this post and finally caught that. I don’t know why in the world I originally typed “shoulder” instead of “shelf” but it made me laugh so hard that I have to leave it. Brain, what you doin?!

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

project 365 : days 86 – 92

by Kaylah Stroup

86 : 365 Office plants.

87 : 365 This is more toy soldiers and plastic animals than I’ve ever found in one single trip to the beach. I try to make it a point to not bring anything I pick up on the beach home with me unless I have plans to shoot it again but I really think these lake weathered toy soldiers would make a neat collection.

88 : 365 A very suspicious kitten.

And another…

89 : 365 Just a shelf in my office. I can’t believe I’ve been in this apartment for three solid months now and haven’t share an office tour yet. I’m still constantly rearranging in here though, trying to find the perfect feel. This shelf did photograph nicely but to be honest, I’m not in love with it. I can definitely do a better job creating a nice display.

90 : 365 Working hard on the new site. Wait. You did notice The Dainty Squid got a major facelift, correct? I worked my buns off. There were a few minor glitches (including the transferring of my domain name taking longer than expected which is why you might be having some trouble with links not going exactly where they should right now. I’m hoping to get that fixed as soon as the transfer goes through.) but I’m still so so so happy with how it turned out.

91 : 365 Nothing new, just poking around.

92 : 365 I just happened to notice a clump of black things on top of a electric box I was walking by. I assumed it was rotting leaves but upon further inspection it was a bunch of boxelder bugs. I’ve never seen them hanging out in such a big bunch like this but when I did a tiny bit of research I found that they’re considered a nuisance simply because they enter homes in large numbers so I guess hanging out like that is totally their thing.

Happy Monday!
xoxo

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

Salton Sea of the Midwest – 2017

by Kaylah Stroup

Two years ago Jeff and I discovered a place we’d come to call “The Salton Sea of the Midwest”. We’ve visited there numerous times since (I’ve linked all of my posts at the bottom of this one) but it still hasn’t lost its charm. Recently we decided to head back out there to see how its changed and get some new photos. Finding brand new places to explore is always an excellent feeling but I truly enjoy going back to the same spots to see how they’ve changed, to see if I can get an idea of what sorts of other people have discovered them since (aka has anyone painted penises on the walls yet?), and document the progress nature has made to take these places back.

Each time previous to this we’ve sneaked on to the property, and of course, been the only people there… because it’s abandoned, duh. This last visit though? People galore. As we approached on foot we spotted a parked car on the road close to the trailers. I wanted to leave but Jeff insisted it was okay. When we finally made it through the bushes we immediately came face to face with a middle aged couple. I assumed they’d question what we were doing but instead they commented on what a neat place and kept on walking the other direction. Well, that was weird but okay… We continued along the abandoned road, spotting some people out on the decrepit docks who also didn’t seem to concerned that we were there.

It was definitely a strange feeling to be there with so many other people. I guess saying “so many other” kind of makes it sound like there was a family reunion or something but generally abandoned places are very peaceful and devoid of people. It’s like finding your own little sanctuary… if you could consider somewhere filled with mold, broken windows, and animal feces a sanctuary. To have this place have any people is weird but multiple groups is something else. I guess part of it lies in the fact I consider it “my” spot. This area that everyone else seems to have forgotten – when I’m there, it’s mine. What are those people doing at myyyy spot? They’re probably wondering the same thing. We’re all just looking for our own little escapes.

During this visit I concentrated on shooting interior as opposed to taking the same exterior shots as before. It’s funny because after all these visits I feel like “well, yeah, of course I’ve been inside all of the trailers and cottages!” but I only recognized a handful of them. Everything else was new to me. I don’t know how, maybe I just have a really terrible memory but it made this spot that I thought I knew like the back of my hand feel new to me.

abandoned, trailers, ohio, colorful, decay
xoxo

Check out past posts from this location – March 2015, March on film, June 2015, and May 2016.

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

project 365 : days 79 – 85

by Kaylah Stroup
79 : 365 Lots of stripes and overalls lately, not that that is anything new.
Lapel pin by Valley Cruise Press.
80 : 365 Favorite plant, favorite puppy. Both love the sunshine.
81 : 365 I recently saw on instagram that Flambeauxs teamed up with my favorite graffiti artist to make some candles. Obviously hit “add to cart” real darn quick on that.

82 : 365 My dudes + I did a little poking around underground. I didn’t take too many photos down there but I did take this one that I ended up really loving it. It’s not the usual style of photography that I share on instagram so I made a comment about how it probably wouldn’t get very many likes… then it ended up getting a comically large number of likes. (Here) I wish I had more to share from that night but if you’re interested in seeing more underground stuff, I posted a bunch of photos back in November.

83 : 365 You guys, I really really love this cat. He makes me smile every single day. He acts so excited to see me every morning, like he’s been deprived of cuddles and kisses for the last eight hours. He’s good people.
84 : 365 Another pin close up! I’ve got the full outfit post coming up later this week.
85 : 365 Taking dumb photos of my pets is honestly one of my favorite hobbies, if you hadn’t guessed that already.

Happy Monday!
xoxo

Save

Save

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts