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plant room update

by Kaylah Stroup

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

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

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

this post contains affiliate links.

▴ 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!)

▴ 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.

▴ 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

▴ 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.

▴ 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!!!)

▴ 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

▴ 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

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

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

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…

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

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 ▴ 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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we bought a house!

by Kaylah Stroup

If you aren’t following me on Instagram or Youtube, you may have missed the big news – Jeff and I bought a house. Not just any house, we bought a 150-year-old mansion!

I did a bunch of googling on the definition of a mansion but there seem to be a lot of different ideas of what qualifies a place as one. Fact is, this house is massive. The biggest one I’ve ever lived in, for sure. It also has what we assume are maid’s quarters and a back staircase from there to the kitchen so mansion it is!

Seven bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, three and a third acres. It’s truly a slice of heaven. We’d been talking about leaving the city and buying a home for well over a year and seriously looking for around six months. It was starting to feel like we were never going to find anything… then we found this gem. It was worth the wait.

She’s a little rough around the edges but exactly what we were looking for. Any worse shape and we’d probably be in over our heads. Any better shape and we wouldn’t have been able to spend that much. This place has great bones and is ready for us to add our touches throughout. I am SO excited to finally have the freedom to do whatever I want to a house.

Wonderful built ins in our bedroom.

My future office.

The living room.

Moving into a house that needs a bit of work in basically every room is super exhausting. It feels like I haven’t sat still for more than ten minutes since we got the keys. I am certainly not complaining though. I felt like we were wasting so much of our lives holed up in our apartment. We had zero outdoor space and had definitely outgrown the apartment itself. It feels amazing to have some privacy and land roam! I’m tired but literally couldn’t be happier.

I’m trying my best to document everything that’s going on here. I’m taking lots of before photos and filming snippets of the work. I definitely plan on sharing the journey with y’all! (So, by all means, if you have any house content video requests – lemme know!)

I’m so excited to see how it’s all looking in another couple of weeks. There will be projects for years to come but I am READY! Hope you’re excited to follow along! xoxo

I’m writing this post from our front porch, snuggled up under a fuzzy blanket. There’s a cool fall breeze rustling the tree in front of me. I can hear a rooster off in the distance. I was more than excited to get out of the city but I think I severly underestimated just how much I missed having outdoor space. This is going to be so wonderful for my mental health. ♥

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