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Giant’s Stairs

by Kaylah Stroup
Maine, Ocean

Pemaquid Point didn’t quite satisfy my urge to explore tide pools. I mean it was obviously an awesome spot but I needed to see more of the coast! Giant’s Stairs trail was another spot I found listed as a favorite by the same person who recommended Pemaquid Point. It was a little over an hour away from where I was but the tide was still low enough, and the photos looked cool enough that I figured it’d be worth it.

…Aaaand it was! I followed the trail for a few minutes before dipping down off the path to climb around on rocks. Same luck as before though, I still wasn’t finding anything alive. Despite all my research tide pool exploration is still a bit of a mystery to me. It kills me that I don’t get to do this more often. If I lived near the ocean I would be at a spot like this every single day at low tide to search for critters. It’s so
amazing that this world exists and for a small amount of time we get a
peek of it.

giant steps, maine,

After an hour or so of watching waves crash in, I climbed back up to the trail ready to head back to my car. It was then I realized the path went on a lot further than I had thought before. Despite being tired and ready to head back to the hotel (+ the hot tub!) I figured I might as well keep on walking because when would I get a chance to explore here again anytime soon.

Not too far from where I climbed up I stumbled upon the actual Giant’s Stairs. Seen above. I guess I thought the whole area was just the Giant’s Stairs. My photo does them no justice at all. They really are giant stairs!

I’m already aching to get back to the coast. One half day is not even close to enough time. I always hear people always say stuff like “I was born in the wrong era.” but I was just born in the wrong state – which, luckily, is something I can fix. I definitely picture myself living on the coast some day.  I am an ocean gal through and through. I’m half terrified of it which I think is so much of why I love it. It’s frightening yet calming. I don’t quite know if that makes sense at all but the ocean definitely has me feeling some kind of way.
xoxo

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what I wore : covered in cactus

by Kaylah Stroup
green hair, cleveland fashion blog, what I wore, outfit post
modcloth, the dainty squid, green hair, kaylah doolan, cleveland, blogger, fashion
the dainty squid, cactus dress, cleveland fashion blog, cleveland

 

details
sunglasses – TJ Maxx
PS. Use rep code “daintysq” for 20% off your first order!
shoes – Black Sandals via Modcloth

As if I wasn’t going to eventually own this dress! It’s covered in cactus, and y’all know I feel about cactus. Not to mention the fact the name of the dress, The Blogger the Better, is almost like they’re subtly poking fun at the fact that errrry blogger out there is going be posting photos of themselves in it. I’ve got no shame in my cactus game though! Seriously, look at my plants. They’re cute cutest.

Can’t say I wasn’t hesitant because of the mixed reviews and the fact that it was backless. I hate strapless bras, and my girls are too big for me to go without. Just glancing at the product photos I didn’t realize that it had a built in bra. It’s surprisingly structured! There was even a photo from this set where I was like “daaaang girl, looking fiiiiiine!” I didn’t include it though because it was an obviously gratuitous boob photo. Haha! The second I put it on I knew it was a keeper. This dress is amaaaazing. It’s a little late in the season but I found the perfect summer dress.

Hope you’re having a lovely day!
xoxo

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Old Bennington Cemetery

by Kaylah Stroup
Old First Church Cemetery , Old First Congregational Church Cemetery, Vermont

Jeff and I just got back from a “mini” road trip. I’m putting mini in quotes there because since I found out we’d be doing this trip I always just kind of thought it would be a quick get away buuut I think it’s safe to say we killed this trip! Nine states, and just over two thousand miles. For now I think the easiest way to blog about it will be to go in chronological order…

Thursday night after Jeff got off work, we loaded up the car and headed toward my parents house. I thought the plan was to spend the night there and leave early in the morning but Jeff had misunderstood and thought I wanted to leave right after dropping Klaus off. Aaaand that was totally cool by me (because that is exactly what I actually wanted! I just thought a little bit of sleep before a twelve hour drive would be the responsible thing to do.) So we drove through the night, took turns sleeping, and made pretty great time.

Although it was slightly out of the way, Jeff really wanted to take a detour into Vermont. No real destination in mind, just wanted to cross it off his list as it was one of the only states on the east side of the US he hadn’t been to yet. We choose a town at random, Bennington.

I was rambling about how cute Vermont was when to my left I spotted one of the most beautiful houses I had ever seen. Seeee?! It was massive, decrepit, and honestly just looked like the perfect haunted house. We HAD to stop and get photos. While I was busy taking shots with each of my three cameras (one digital, two instant film. I’m a v. serious tourist, okay?) Jeff thought it would be a good idea to check and see if there were any geocaches nearby. Perfectly enough, there was! “Say Hi to Robert Frost” is the name of the cache and it was located in the cemetery right down the street. That’s how we randomly ended up in the cemetery Robert Frost was buried in!

Old Bennington Cemetery, Vermont, Bennington

Honestly, Robert Frost isn’t very exciting to me. I’ve just never been interested in poetry, it’s nothing against him. I’m always happy to check out the grave of someone famous though, no matter who they are. Also, any excuse to stop into a cemetery is fine by me. …Well, it turns out that Old Bennington Cemetery is packed full of history and the most beautiful headstones. I was only inside the gates for a matter of minutes before declaring it a favorite!

Do you remember last month when I blogged about Workman Cemetery and was all excited about that one headstone with a creepy face on it? Yeah, this cemetery was literally packed full of them! I have SO many photos of them. It’s just crazy how much detail and work was put into these. They put modern headstones to shame.

Pretty awesome first official stop of the trip, right!? Old Bennington Cemetery is absolutely gorgeous, and totally worth a detour. I have never seen old headstones in such amazing shape. This place is an absolute treasure!
xoxo

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Klaus – the water dog!

by Kaylah Stroup
Thank you IAMS™ for sponsoring this post. Take on the IAMS™ Visible Difference Challenge for your pet and see a visible difference in your dog!

If you’ve been reading for a while you might remember me mentioning that my big brave puppy is terrified of water. When I adopted him I was so excited to have a beach buddy but quickly realized that wasn’t going to pan out how I wanted. Klaus and the beach probably won’t be friends for a long time, if ever! But he is starting to love the water!! You know, as long as it’s quiet, and won’t sneak up on him like waves do.


Jeff, Jason and I went out to my parents a few weekends ago. Just a nice, relaxing weekend to escape from the city. I’ve been trying to convince all my friends, basically since we met, that they need to come out to my parents since my parents are coolest. Hi Mom! We hiked up the creek that runs through my parents backyard. We rode four-wheelers through the woods, and ate until our bellies felt like they might explode. We even brought our hammocks out, and slept underneath the stars. It was an awesome time but the highlight of my weekend was seeing Klaus finally realize how awesome playing in the water is.

Recently I’ve transitioned Klaus to IAMS™ Grain Free Naturals. We took IAMS™Visible Difference challenge and I seriously couldn’t be happier. I feel like I’ve been on the hunt for SO long for a good food for my best bud and after three whole years I’ve found it. The food I chose is grain free, made from farm-raised chicken, and farm-grown peas! For the past few months Klaus has been acting pretty bored with what I was feeding him. This pup who used to be so excited to eat would just let it sit in his bowl all day. Since starting switching over to IAMS™ he is stoked to eat again! While that’s not one of the three identifiable differences guaranteed, it’s one that makes me very happy.

The three visible differences you’ll see after making the switch are healthy skin and coat, healthy digestion, and energy. The one I’m showcasing in this post? I’ll give you one guess. Healthy coat isn’t the first that comes to mind with this muddy dog. Although just because he’s crazy dirty, doesn’t mean he isn’t super soft and shiny! He definitely is! Does this puppy not just look like a ball of energy? He is! That’s something else that had been troubling me for a while with his last food. He just didn’t seem to have any energy. Although anytime he gets to go to grandma’s house he perks up, he’s been especially crazy, in the best way, since switching to IAMS™.

IAMS™ is so confident that you’ll see a visible difference in your dog when you choose their dog food that they offer a money back guarantee. Pretty sweet right?! For more information on IAMS™ products for dogs of all sizes and ages and to learn about the Visible Difference Guarantee, visit Iams.com/VisibleDifference.

obsessed with Jeff’s reaction in the photo above. Guess that’s the “who is that puppy?!?” pose.

This puppy was in absolute heaven. He was just a rocket, shooting back and forth, splashing in the water. I’m hoping next time I’ll be able to convince him that going out past where the water clover grows is even more fun. Will Klaus and I ever be able to enjoy swimming in the pond together? I’ve got my fingers crossed but only time will tell!
xoxo

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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it’s the little things…

by Kaylah Stroup

like taking hiiiiilarious photos of your cat.

Since getting my Fitbit I’ve started jogging in place a lot. What I first considered “cheating” in terms of getting my daily 10,000 steps became something I do quite often. It’s a nice break from working on the computer mid-day and it certainly gets my heart pumping.

So, the other night I’m running in place in front of my window air conditioning unit because that’s the only place to do it and not instantly overheat and out of the corner of my eye I notice Professor on the bed going absolutely nuts. He’s darting around, jumping straight up in the air, and
genuinely just looking crazy. It takes a second before I realize my
phone is reflecting light onto the ceiling, and he thinks he can get it. While I jog, to keep my mind off how boring it is, I play games on my phone. Currently Dots & Co.  I immediately ran out of the room, grabbed my camera and tripod, and set up to get what turned out to be some of the funniest shots ever.  I literally spent my Saturday night laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face as I edited these. I hope they make you smile too!
xo

And finally, Professor falling off the bed. You’re welcome!

PS. His bowtie by PETS by Carvas + if you need more photos of him in it – see here!

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chasing waterfalls in Ohio

by Kaylah Stroup
vermillion, waterfall, ohio waterfalls

Toward the beginning of summer Jeff and I made a little goal to visit as many waterfalls in Ohio as possible. We’re two people who are easily defeated by the heat. It’s super easy for me to feel anxious about wasting a beautiful day just because I don’t have a solid plan. This waterfall goal turned out to be exactly what we needed!

“Let’s go find a waterfall!” became the go-to when we didn’t know what to do on the weekends. It was a reason to get out of bed early, and an excuse to get some exercise. Most parks usually had geocaches so that was an awesome bonus. Lets not forget the post-falls donuts and coffee either! Seriously, I’m going to be sad when we’ve hit them all. It’s been a blast!

We’ve crossed ten waterfalls off our list so far, which I think is a pretty darn impressive number. The majority of others left in Ohio are a bit more of a drive so they’ll have to be planned a little better. Everything we have seen could probably be revisited after a large rain though. It’s been a very dry summer here which obviously means all the falls are looking a little weaker than normal. Most were still definitely worth the trip but I don’t think there is anyone who wouldn’t prefer a roaring waterfall as opposed to one just trickling.

ohio, waterfall, ohio waterfall
Ohio Waterfall, CVNP, national park, waterfall
ohio, waterfallsElyria, Ohio, Waterfalls, abandonedEast Falls of the Black River

 

so far this summer we’ve visited – Indian Run Falls, Paine Falls, Great Falls of Tinkers Creek.
Honey Run Falls, Hayden Falls, Brandywine Falls, East and West Falls of the Black River, and Big and Little Lyon Falls.

most impressive – West Falls of the Black River. Oddly enough, not pictured in this post.  Half of the falls were shaded and the other half in bright sun at the time we visited. I took a crappy photo just to have but the lighting was all wrong. It was easily my favorite we visited though. It’s a beautiful hike to get to it and even after a very dry summer it was still pretty impressive. I’m very much looking forward to going back!

least impressive – Little Lyon Falls… well, Big Lyon too! Also not pictured in this post. Okay, so perhaps the lack of rain attributed to this, as well as the heat of the day but daaang, that was a long hot hike just to see water drip over the edge. It didn’t help that Jeff wasn’t feeling very well, due to aforementioned heat, so when we finally got there I couldn’t help but let out a defeated whimper of a laugh. Maybe visiting after a huuuuge rain would be best for these two? I don’t know. All I know is I’m in no rush to go back.

I’m still struggling to love summer. I think I’d like it at least a little bit more if I had air conditioning. It’s just hard to enjoy anything when you’re sweating for no reason, ya know? Visiting waterfalls definitely made summer a million times more tolerable to me though. I can’t wait to hunt down a few more.
xoxo

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limited edition pouches

by Kaylah Stroup

It’s been a minute since I had any new fabric printed but the time has finally come, kind of. I say “kind of” because this is just one print and an extremely limited run of it. Only six total pouches, one of which is mine.

Recently I’ve discovered my love of hanging out at coffee shops. Not just hanging out but hanging out with my laptop and being CRAZY productive. I got myself a sweet little backpack to carry around my perfect planner, laptop, and array of pens and office supplies. The issue was that all the little things were getting buried in my bag.

…Then I remembered zipper pouches were kind of my thing and I had no excuse not to make one for myself. I photographed a handful of items from my personal collection and voilà! The print includes skulls, a dried mushroom, some random animal teeth, moths, a turtle shell, and more. It’s very similar to my previous work but uh, I guess, if it’s not broke don’t fix it? Hehe! Check it out here.

 Friendly bee approved!

This pouch is wide enough to fit pens, highlighters…and well, more pens if you’re me! It has a back pocket perfect for stashing cash and a d-ring to attach your keys so they don’t get lost in your bag either!

You can find this pouch and a handful of other designs here!

I also added this print to my Society6 shop if you’d prefer a something you can hang on your wall, a mug, pillow, or a phone case instead! Aaaand speaking of Society6, they now offer zipper pouches so you can find a lot of the prints that I sold out of immediately with my handmade pouches over there. The teeth print, you guys!

That’s all for now! Don’t forget to tag me in any photos of goodies you may buy from this post. I want to see!!
xoxo

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my 26th birthday party

by Kaylah Stroup

Most years I opt not have a birthday party. I’ll go out to my parents (because that’s not an option. They’d kill me if I didn’t!) but I ask them not to invite anyone else. I’m not crazy about being the center of attention, and I appreciate just spending time with them alone. This year when my mom asked “Do you want me to invite anyone else?” My response was “Fiiiiine!” Which doesn’t quite answer the question but makes it seem like I wasn’t secretly really excited to spend my birthday with my nieces and nephew who I really seem to be bonding with this summer.

I had been looking forward to it all week. Jeff and I planned to head out early in the morning so I could get my annual birthday outfit photos before anyone else got there. We ended up having to take a huge detour and when we finally got close to my parents it started to rain. My hair and the rain are not friends. Some people deal with frizz, I deal with the complete opposite. My hair goes flat flat flaaat when there is moisture in the air so I was not pleased. Luckily it stopped shortly before we got there and I got my photos taken with no problem at all. Disaster averted.

Right as the food was being taken off the grill a car pulled into the driveway. I probably would have been surprised to see my friends hanging out of the windows waving if my sister in law hadn’t just asked my mom “So, are Kaylah’s friends not coming?” My mom shot her the death look, and I just turned my head like “Oh! Didn’t hear that!” Haha. Despite not being surprised, I was super excited to have them there. But here’s where the real fun starts…

We start eating, and the thunder that had been rumbling for the past couple hours picks up. Rain starts to fall… a little bit harder… and a little bit harder until it’s finally POURING. My mom is starting to freak out again about how everything is ruined, and at anyone else’s house I’d probably agree but a torrential downpour is exactly what I wanted for my birthday. I’ve talked about it very briefly in the past (here!) and it hasn’t happened in a few years but when the rain comes down really hard at my parent’s house it creates a slide on the hill. All the water runs down in one stream, straight into the pond. When this happens it’s time to get dirty! You run, drop to your butt, and sliiiide. It’s honestly one of my favorite things in the world.

My twelve year old nephew was chomping at the bit to start sliding, and of course my five nieces were as well. They know it exactly what it means when it starts raining like that at grandpa and grandma’s house! I hesitated for a second figuring none of my friends would want to get absolutely filthy with me, especially considering the fact that nobody bought extra clothes, myself included. I ended up borrowing a shirt and sweats from my mom, and grabbed some clothes for my friends as well.

It was a BLAST. Everyone except Jake joined in! I’ve been dating Jeff for just over two years now and in that time it hasn’t rained good enough to slide down the hill. Totally not a big deal because he doesn’t like to get dirty anyway. I can’t even convince him to play in waterfalls with me! He’s just not a water dude. But on Sunday, even Jeff was sliding down the hill!! You guys, this is a huuuuge deal!

The rain stopped very shortly after we started sliding so the hill dried up pretty quickly. We weren’t able to slide as far anymore. After a few failed attempts at prolonging the fun with the hose and buckets of water from the pond, I gave up. Then “I’m just going in to rinse off in the pond” turned into spending a couple of hours floating around and taking turns jumping onto a mattress my dad blew up for the occasion.  

Yep, easily the best birthday party I’ve ever had and I think that’s saying a lot. My mom has always thrown me some pretty dope parties but that crazy rain and my friends really took it over the top this year. I still can’t believe that the weather worked out so perfectly, and more than that I really can’t believe my friends were down to get muddy and play in the pond with me, although I’m not sure how anyone could resist jumping onto a huge air mattress.
xoxo


Also, there were pony rides at my party too?! So, uh, we’re gonna have to work pretty hard to top this next year…

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medical model collection

by Kaylah Stroup

A few weeks ago I shared photos of my globe collection and talked about wanting to share more of my collections. Today I’m bringing you one of my favorites, my collection of medical models. I wish I had a better reason to share as to why I started but I’ve got nothing. I really just like how they look. If you haven’t noticed my apartment has a whole doctors office / middle school vibe going on.

It’s not all that large of a collection yet but I’m certainly
working on it. Just like globes, and well, everything else, I try to be
thrifty in my purchase. I rarely shell out large chunks of money on a
piece. The piece I paid the most for (one hundred dollars) is the life sized torso I purchased from Jerry’s Junk. Considering it’s one of my very favorite possessions I’d say it was a solid purchase!  Honestly, when I think of my visit to Jerry’s Junk I regret not buying more from that guy!
My medical dude, who I somehow never named which seems like a very
Kaylah thing to do, is missing some pieces, that I hope whoever owns
them treasures as much as I treasure the piece I have.
Because I don’t like to shell out lots of money finding new items is like a treasure hunt. I regularly scour ebay, as well as etsy. I’m often unlucky and spot lots of amazing things that are simply overpriced. I’ve had the most luck at estate sales though. Well, one estate sale in particular. Back in 2014 I went to the estate sale of my dreams. It was one of a doctor’s residence. I’ve been to many doctor’s estate sales. Most of the time they’re in massive houses, and these folks have collected super normal things that aren’t of interest to me. This sale though, normal size home packed to the brim with medical goodies. Creepy vintage tools, medical models, and even a few articulated skeletons. My kinda dude! I shared some photos of my finds from that sale in this post, aptly titled “the BEST estate sale.” I still have yet to get as lucky as I did those two days.
 “Mom, you know I hate the tripod! Why would you call me in here?”

Here are a handful of photos of everything laid out on my coffee table. I thought this would be a more epic shot when I set it up but really it turned out to be a mish mash of body parts. Still, it shows a few things that weren’t so easy to see in the photos of the items in their place, like the model of the baby in utero – which is what I’d consider to be one of the strangest items in this collection. Although to most people all of this is probably very weird…

xoxo

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