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garden view – june 2021!

by Kaylah Stroup June 16, 2021

Welcome to my garden! It’s very much still a work in progress but I just have to document how beautiful she is in her first spring! I’ve been working my buns off to get this baby in shape. She’s a bit bare in some spots still but I am still so proud. My garden is off to one heck of a wonderful start. Let me tell you a little about it!

My dad and I built the arbor from reclaimed wood from the kitchen… and that kind of started the whole bed. I wanted to build an arbor for clematis to grow on. I figured after we finished it that’s when I’d decide on placement. My dad, on the other hand, had a different idea. We did a tiny bit of assembly before he wanted to get it placed in the ground which meant picking out a spot for it immediately. After we got that finished, I spent the next week or so digging out the massive circle-shaped bed.

heuchera
garden visitors – dragonflies!

My plan for this bed is all flowering perennials. I’m envisioning it packed to the brim with plants. I want this bed to be something that truly takes time to view. Each angle providing you with a peek at different showstoppers!

We met a woman working at a local garden center that recommended going a different garden center every week for a year and buying whatever was flowering at the time so that you’d never be without flowers. While I haven’t committed to the every week thing, I have definitely been inspired by that idea. I want flowers of all shapes and sizes blooming all the time.

Other than continuing to fill the bed up, my other big plan to place flat stones on the inside grassy area of the circle. I don’t want to have to worry about keeping the grass in there mowed. Right now, I still have a space large enough to sneak the lawnmower in but that probably won’t be for much longer. I’m sourcing the rocks from my parent’s creek which has the major positive of being free but it also means spending the time finding them and hauling them. I’d love to get it done before the end of this growing season but honestly, who knows. There are always five hundred other projects going on…

dianthus, iris

I have plans for many different kinds of beds on my property. Obviously, I’m growing veggies. I have my perennials. I’ve been dreaming of a cut-flower bed for literally years. I also really wanted a memorial garden for my mom. After she passed, we planted a tree for her at my parent’s house. I pictured myself doing the same here with maybe a little bench to sit on, some pretty flowers, etc.

Now that I’ve started this bed though? It doesn’t feel necessary. There’s no one tree that I feel represents my mom to me so buying something random for a memorial bed doesn’t feel special. What is special though is replanting flowers from her garden in mine.

My dad has given me free rein of all her flower beds. For the last month or so I’ve been working on digging up her plants and bringing them home. Things I thought weren’t so exciting or that maybe I wouldn’t really want – like iris – have brought me so much joy as they bloom. I didn’t expect flowers to feel so important but here we are!

lavender, clematis

foxglove

I’m so excited to see how this bed is looking in another few months. Shoot, I’m excited to see it in another few weeks! It’s been so exciting to watch some of the plants I got in the bed first lose their nursery pot shape and start to spread a bit. This is truly the most satisfying hobby! xoxo

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plant room update

by Kaylah Stroup January 17, 2021

One of my last blog posts was my big reveal of this room but since then I have some new additions that are making the room even cozier. I know from past experience that I change the spaces I live in… well, basically constantly. I think I’ll be even more prone to do this now that I actually own a home (and have space to store furniture that is still loved but not needed at the moment.) That fact alone makes me want to do a better job of documenting the spaces around me. I want to be able to look back at this space in a year, or even six months, and see how much it’s changed.

So, here she is today, in all her glory!

It’s January of 2021 and this is my favorite room in the whole house. 3328 square feet and these ones are my favorite.

It’s not complete yet, I’m still hunting around for the perfect pieces of furniture (vanity, dresser, seating) to call my name. Still, this is the space I love to retreat to after a long day. Most of the time, it’s where you can find the cats. It’s such a relaxing space I’ve even started doing yoga again. Any excuse to spend time in here!

Aside from a whole bunch of new plants, my newest addition is a gorgeous Moroccan rug from Revival. I’m swooning. Revival sells one-of-a-kind, restored vintage rugs as well as limited edition rugs, designed and woven in collaboration with artisan partners. I spent well over an hour lurking their site for the perfect one.

Revival even has a ‘view in your room’ tool that is wildly fun to use. I can’t even tell you how many I viewed in this space before finally choosing this one of a kind beauty!

Sources
Rug c/o Revival
(use code DAINTYSQUID10 for 10% off!)
ceiling light c/o Lights.com
side table
cicada door pull
plant stand
grow lights
Chair is vintage
Wall color is Herb Bouquet by Benjamin Moore

Check out my previous post about this room for the before photos. I even made a video about it.

Get out my room, mom!

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the writing on the wall

by Kaylah Stroup December 28, 2020

The plan with my plant room was that it’d double as kind of a massive closet/dressing room. I mean, who doesn’t want to get ready each day surrounded by a bazillion plants!?

So far all of my folded clothes are in the room but my dresses and cardigan haven’t made their way in here yet. My main concern was just getting the room renovated. Let me just get that finished then I’ll worry about the mess that is the closet, ya know?

Last week, after finishing up the room, I realized I should probably stop putting it off and actually get the closet in order. I figured it wouldn’t be too big of a project. Just organize it, slap some paint on it and call it a day. A band-aid fix until I felt like gutting it.

I started by peeling off any wallpaper that was loose. It didn’t take long until I discovered writing on the wall.

Vila
June
Fred

I snapped a photo for my instagram stories. When I looked up from the waist height writing I was met with more writing except this time there was a date involved. I immediately Facetimed my husband and told him to rush upstairs to come see.

The writing is so faint I can only really make out ‘closet’ and the date ‘June 22, 1900’. One hundred and twenty years have passed. Layer after layer of wallpaper applied. Many folks have lived in this house since then but not a single one of them has laid eyes on that writing until me! THAT IS SO EXCITING. My eyes legit welled up over it.

Here’s what I ended up finding after peeling back more wallpaper.

Vila Thompson Closet
June 22, 1900
Friday at 10 o’clock

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plant room renovation!

by Kaylah Stroup December 22, 2020

We never intended to buy a seven-bedroom home. It’s just Jeff and I plus the animals with zero – I repeat, zero – plans of human children. When an opportunity as perfect as this one presents itself, though, you don’t question what you’ll do with the extra bedrooms. You just go for it and figure it all out along the way.

In the past three months, we’ve made and changed plans a ton of times regarding what each room might be. One thing has never changed though, the front bedroom upstairs, the one with the great light, would be my plant room.

Like a lot of the upstairs rooms, it started with carpet squares and a drop ceiling. Woof. I almost left the drop ceiling, thinking I’d just tackle it at a later date but I am so happy to have it finished. The following two photos are before I started renovating…

Underneath the drop ceiling was wallpaper! Super pretty stuff but it was badly damaged so I opted to cover it with beadboard. It was something I’d never seen done before in person but thought it could look rad in this room.

Above – My dad assessing the situation. 2x4s had to be hung so the beadboard would have something nice to hold on to since we’d be hanging it with brad nails. We had a ~wonderful time~ finding the studs.

Below – After hanging crown moulding, caulking, and painting! Then it was time to finish sanding down the floor.

Mid-sanding. LOL.

And now! The room isn’t quite finished. I’d still like to purchase some old furniture for it, specifically a vanity. It needs about 100 more plants, of course. More seating would be awesome too because I basically never want to leave the room. These things take time though. I want to find the perfect pieces and not just rush into buying stuff just to fill the room.

I’m so proud of this space. I did everything I physically could by myself. I, of course, needed help hanging the ceiling but everything else was allll me! I’ve come a long way just in these last three months. I feel like I’ve learned so much already. My confidence has skyrocketed too. I mean, did you see those floors? I DID THAT!

Slowly but surely, this house is becoming cozier and cozier! I’m so excited to see what we have done in another few months.

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things I loved in October

by Kaylah Stroup October 29, 2020

this post contains affiliate links.

â–´ Skin therapy oil. It’s not even winter yet, but I already feel like I’m suffering from ~winter skin~. This stuff is the blast of moisture I needed. I massage it in after I wash my face. Oh my goodness, not only does it smell great but it makes my skin feel so silky and moisturized. It feels especially luxurious to apply right before bed! (Don’t let my use of the word ‘luxurious’ when talking about a face oil scare you away. It’s actually under ten bucks!)

â–´ Dockers beanie. I have a big head… or so beanies have led me to believe. I cannot be the only person in the world that feels like beanies generally just fit their head waaay too tight. I found this hat in store maybe five years ago and I’ve worn it every cold season since. It just fits so well. I’ve tried buying a second but couldn’t seem to find the same one. Well, baby, I’ve found it! I am so excited to have two of my favorite hat. I might even buy a third, just to have. I love it that much. If you’ve ever seen a photo of me in a hat, this is the one.

â–´ Oversized cardigan. A cold-weather necessity, plain and simple. It’s cozy, it’s warm and it can be dressed up or down. No complaints here, I mean, other than the fact I don’t own one in every color. Sizing note – I went one size down and it’s still oversized.

Croc slippers

â–´ Crocs lined clogs. My first pair of Crocs, definitely not my last. Formerly someone who’d make fun of Crocs, I was hunting for a solid pair of cozy slippers when I spotted these ones. I decided I could put aside how dumb-looking they were if they’d be comfy and keep my feet warm. YO! These bad boys are amazing. Seriously, toss your slippers and buy a pair of these instead.

The Crocs slippers are so darn comfortable that I’m actually already looking forward to getting a classic pair of Crocs for yard shoes next spring. Never thought I’d say it, but I am a fan!

hand shaped chair

pillow is from John Derian’s line at Target.

â–´ Hand chair. I have wanted a hand-shaped chair for… well, forever. It’s just one of those things I’ve basically never had the room for / didn’t know a good source for. Shortly before buying our house, I happened upon these on Etsy and knew as soon as we got moved in, I’d treat myself to a chair.

It is everything I have ever dreamed it would be. Although, in all honestly, it’s not terribly comfortable. I probably wouldn’t want to sit in it to watch TV or anything, but that’s never been what it’s about. I actually already bought a second one so that I can have a matching set!

If a hand chair has something you’ve been wanting, definitely check out the shop I linked above. They’re a lot more affordable than I thought they’d be, and they’re made by a small business. (So many color options too!!!)

â–´ Long sleeve button-down shirt dress. I’m going to be honest, I don’t do much dressing up these days. My outfits are pretty consistently paint-covered overalls. Hey, if you’re looking for an overalls recommendation, I have that too! I bought this dress at the beginning of the month, and I am dying to wear it on a date. Ya know, one to somewhere other than Home Depot.

It is seriously the perfect shirt dress. Long enough to cover the booty, short enough to be flirty. Lightweight and flowy! Plus, y’all know I can’t resist a good black and white pattern. This easily moved itself into my top three dresses!

star light fixture

â–´ Star light fixture. I generally love decorating. Over the years, I’ve collected a ton of stuff I truly love, and that makes it kind of easy to put together spaces I find cozy. Do you know what I’ve never had to purchase before though? Light fixtures. You know there are a million of on the internet, and what’s hard to get a feel for without seeing in person? That’s right, light fixtures!

I ended up stumbling upon this one and immediately threw it in my cart. After helping my dad install it, I bought a second for another spot in the house because I love it that much. It’s small but still packs a punch of cuteness. I love the shadows it casts on the ceiling too!

Did you try/buy anything awesome this last month?
xoxo

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stroup mansion – one month update!

by Kaylah Stroup October 27, 2020

this post contains affiliate links.

It’s been a little over a month since we bought and moved into our dream home.* On one hand, I feel like we’ve been working nonstop on it. On the other hand, I feel like we haven’t done squat! I figured I was overdue for a house update video & blog post, so that’s what I’ve got for ya today! I’ll start with the photos and end with the video!

*Is there a word more fitting than ‘dream’ home here? Because this house is beyond our wildest dreams. When I pictured us buying a home, I never imagined we’d be able to find something like this.

First up, my office! This was the room I wanted to get finished up first. Obviously, the kitchen is super important but I need a place to work. It’s slow-moving but gosh, what a difference already! I honestly don’t think I realized how much had gotten done until I saw the photos below side by side.

Before-ish. This is after we installed new ceiling drywall, and primed but still before paint.

After! Ceiling painted. New light fixture. Painted wallpaper! Paint and more paint!

Wallpaper texture coming through! LOVE IT!

There are still a few large tasks to finish in my future office, but what a difference already!

sources
ceiling color – texas rose by Benjamin Moore
shelves + wall color – swiss coffee by Behr
medallion
chandelier

Next up, the other room with big changes, our upstairs landing area! I rushed to get a bit of work done in this room because I had some photos I needed to shoot here but didn’t want to take them on carpet squares. My goal was just to straighten up the space a little bit. I definitely did just that. Just a quick coat of paint and carpet square removal turned this room into one of my absolute favorite areas of the house. It gets such wonderful light! I can’t wait to finish up the floors, figure out what furniture goes here ‘permanently’, and fill it with plants!

Before paint + carpet square removal.

After!

Currently. Not it’s final form, obviously but a space I’m loving nonetheless.

sources
rug
hand shaped chair
eye pillow

As well as a million other tiny projects, I also built a swing! It was my very first time using the circular saw. (I’m still very proud and excited!) I used one of the original boards from the kitchen that we ripped out that first weekend. I would really like to make another one for in the kitchen when it’s finally finished.

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decorate with me – curiosity cabinet

by Kaylah Stroup October 15, 2020

When we bought our new home, the owner offered to leave us any pieces of furniture that we wanted. He was getting divorced and most likely moving to a much smaller home. (That’s just me assuming because this place is massive!) It kind of felt awkward going through the house and pointing out things we wanted to keep. One thing I wasn’t shy about asking for was this glass cabinet.

I’d been eyeing up a similar one (perhaps even the same one?) from Ikea for years! I just thought it would make the most perfect display cabinet for oddities. In my old apartment, I simply didn’t have the room. So when I spotted it in the bathroom of this house, I had to make sure it stayed with the house.

We ended up bringing it downstairs and as luck would have it, my living room has the perfect wall for it.

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Friday Favorites #564

by Kaylah Stroup October 10, 2020

this post contains affiliate links.

I am positively wow-ed by Sclo Glass Studio’s work! Look at this crow. (They also do custom pet portraits!! OMG!)

Victorian mourning bath salts! Perfect for a spooky, seasonally appropriate bath!

How cute is this ghost mug!?

Grey Squirrel Studio makes gravestone impressions from clay that are seriously too cool. I’m particularly fond of the hand below. That’s one of my favorite headstone symbols.

Are you a member?

These earrings!!

Doesn’t this candle sound just incredible? I bet it smells so cozy.

This tea light holder!

Look at this precious little toad witch!

Just a totally normal way to spread jam on your toast!

Spooky & cute. My favorite combo!

Link love…

  • Loving this pumpkin shirt.
  • Halloween is also a good excuse to send out cards. Perhaps this one for your sweetest – I want to hunt cryptids with you.
  • Does your cat need a pie costume? I think so. (I mean, even if not, you need to go look at the photo. SO CUTE!)
  • A succulent planter shaped like a brain!!
  • A Halloween mini enamel pin blind bag!
  • I cannot tell you how much I love victorian mourning jewelry. This locket is so dreamy.
  • Very into this ‘witch things’ blanket!

Check out Etsy’s Halloween Guide for even more spooky finds from small businesses! xoxo

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metal detecting our 150 year old yard!

by Kaylah Stroup October 7, 2020

this post contains affiliate links.

a few of our found treasures from the yard

One of the first things I thought after falling in love with our 150-year-old house at the first showing was ‘holy cow, there’s gotta be lots of treasure in this yard!’ We had the opportunity to meet the previous owner and while showing us some random bits and bobs he’d saved from around the house, metal detecting came up in the conversation. He said that at one point he’d let a friend do a little detecting but nothing was really found. I think Jeff and I both kind of took that as a challenge because a house this old? There has to be something cool buried in the yard!

It’s been just over three weeks since we moved in and while we’ve done a little bit of metal detecting here and there, over the weekend was the first time we really spent some time searching for treasure.

Our equipment – metal detector â–´ pinpointer

I highly recommend both! The metal detector is a great brand and this is a solid model. Easy enough for beginners to start with but good enough for enthusiasts as well! Personally, I think a pinpointer is a must. It and the metal detector go hand in hand. You’re going to have a much better time looking for treasures if you have the pinpointer’s help!

I’m already so excited to get back out there and spend another couple of hours hunting for treasures in our yard. xoxo

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About Me

About Me

Hello!

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