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living room refresh : part two

by Kaylah Stroup May 3, 2016

A few weeks ago I shared a little bit about my current living situation. Wording it like that makes it sound more dramatic than it really is. Hah! Like I said in that post I’m ready to move. I have my sights set on the perfect spot but I’m currently on a wait list for it, I could move in a month or a year. Who knows! That means the new place is all I think about though, making it hard for me to really appreciate the absolutely adorable place I already live. I’ve been trying to do all sorts of little things to keep myself excited about my current apartment, including keeping it extra tidy, buying new plants, and rearranging furniture and knick knacks. So far, so good!

My latest little project was painting this bookshelf. It was just a cheap bookshelf that I’ve had for at least five years, originally purchased for fabric storage. I was over it. It didn’t fit my style and just kind of looked out of place with the rest of my things. The thought of painting it had come up before but I just figured it was such an old, cheap piece that I didn’t really love that it wouldn’t be worth it. I ended up having some left over paint from another project I worked on with one of my favorite companies (more details coming soon!) so I decided to just give it a whirl. Worst case scenario? It looks bad and I get rid of it sooner than anticipated. No big deal.

Two coats of black paint later… and I’m OBSESSED. Like can’t stop walking into the living room to glance at it, and wondering why I didn’t do this years ago – obsessed! I can’t count how many times I said “Jeff, dude, the bookshelf looks so good! Doesn’t it?!” It makes all of my books, photo albums, and knick knacks really pop. I know, it’s not a huge deal. It’s just a black bookcase but there’s this certain satisfaction from doing it yourself. This post is me taking note that painting something might just be the best way to get stoked about your space again!

I was reading a little bit about painting fake wood and realized that painting furniture is a thing that people seem to really get hooked on. Either you hate it, or you looooove it. It’s safe to say, I caught the bug. After seeing what a huge difference this bookcase made on the whole room, I want to paint e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. I might even start my next project today…

Sometimes I really wish I lived in an all white, minimalistic place but I can’t imagine I would like it more than this. One of the things I enjoy about moving so much (although I hopefully won’t be moving again for a long time after this next move) is being able to try out so many different styles and always be redecorating. I don’t consider myself a decorating expert but I really do enjoy playing around, and hey, gonna toot my own horn here, I’m not half bad.
xoxo

Pssst. Here’s the full living room tour. It’s kind of outdated now. A lot of things have been moved around but that should give you a better idea of the room, plus you can see what that bookshelf used to look like.

It’s the little things…

by Kaylah Stroup April 20, 2016

like watching the sunset on the beach with your favorite person.

I know, I know. So many of my “The Little Things” posts are about sunset but sunrise and sunset are such a magical time of day. It doesn’t matter what kind of day you had, something about watching the sun set and hearing those waves crashing into shore makes everything else just fade away.

Jeff and I didn’t get to do anything too special for our anniversary. He was recently offered a full time job (woooo paid vacation!) in the tax department of a nearby city, and tax day happened to fall on our anniversary this year so needless to say he was whooped by the time we finally got to see each other. Our favorite pizza, macarons, and lots of cuddles were the highlights of our two year celebration. While it kind of stunk that we didn’t get more time together, its definitely for the greater good (like I said, paid vacation, yo!) plus earlier in the weekend we had a really great day. So good that it’s probably only fair that our time together Monday evening lasted about three hours before we were dead asleep.

So back to Saturday, we ended up at the “new” beach that we had discovered while geocaching a few weeks earlier. When we got there I could see from a little ways back that the tide was all wrong for picking glass. I was disappointed but it was a beautiful evening so just walking the beach with my favorite dude was more than enjoyable. On our way back we stopped at the furthest edge of the beach before heading back to the car and ended up finding a real “nectar sector!” (Do yourself a favor and watch the show Diggers. It’s available on Netflix. It’s sooo bad that it’s good. Jeff and I have picked up so many stupid little sayings that we crack up about all the time.)

We picked glass for so long in this little tiny area. Let me tell you, the picking was good! It was so much fun hunting for treasures with Jeff, and trying our hardest to avoid getting wet all while the sky put on a beautiful show of color for us. When I think back on it it just feels like we were there forever, in our own little world. I really can’t explain why this trip to the beach felt so much more awesome than normal but it definitely did. Sometimes words just can’t adequately do the job I guess.

lake erie beach glass, cleveland, beach glass,

I know life is hectic and sometimes it feels like there just isn’t enough time but I swear I have never in my life regretted watching the sunset. Make it a point to get out sometime this week and let the sky show you something beautiful!
xoxo

The little things is an on-going series celebrating the little things that make life special.

shackman multishot 102 – part two

by Kaylah Stroup April 19, 2016

Last month I shared a little about my newest camera, the shackman multishot 102, which was an incredible gift from a reader. I am LOVING this thing. I’m only a few packs of film in but it’s easily one of my favorite cameras.

It’s biggest downfall is that it’s a pretty awkwardly shaped camera that doesn’t fit in any of my camera bags (…and I own a lot of camera bags!) so I have to carry it around in a separate tote. I wish it were easier to haul around but I think that might lead to me taking too many photos. Since the film compatible with this camera is no longer in production and super expensive now it’s kind of a good thing I can’t take it with me all the time. I really am trying to ration my film but when you have a new toy like this it’s hard to not shoot it.

Cleveland, bridge, black and white instant film

One thing I’m interested in experimenting with more is taking the first photo then rotating the camera before taking the second, like I did in the photo above. The one at the top of this post of my nieces (which I bartered for. Told them I’d go to the pond with them if they let me take their photo. I was going to the pond anyway…) is the first one I took like this and I reeeeeally love it. I’ve really been looking forward to shooting more portraits like that but truth be told, I rarely see my friends in daylight. That sounds like a strange thing to say but everyone just gets off work so late I don’t get to use this camera around them since shooting in anything other than bright sun is out of the question. Perhaps it’s time to pick up an external flash so I’m not as limited.
xoxo

puppy love

by Kaylah Stroup April 13, 2016

Over the weekend Klaus had a health scare. I would gladly tell you more except it’s pretty gross. Definitely tested how strong my stomach is. While waiting for the vet to open on Saturday morning I googled his symptoms which I, of course, know better than to do. The results were terrifying. All signs pointed to HGE and there were people saying how their dog passed over night. I was a wreck. I went from “Oh, this poor baby needs to go to the vet” to “Oh my god, my best buddy is gonna die!”

The vet visit went really really well. Our vet is an absolute angel. She immediately knelt down to greet him, praised him repeatedly for how handsome he is, and was just so very kind to both of us. I’ve visited my fair share of vets and none have ever been so loving with my pets. I seriously can’t say enough good things about this woman. She made the whole thing so much less scary. Anyway, he got some shots, a liter of fluid put under his skin and some antibiotics for the week.

Things immediately improved after that vet visit (With him. My bank account on the other hand… ouch!) I still worry about him though. He’s acting normally, not that he ever wasn’t actually, but he just looks so skinny. Nothing a day at grandma’s over the weekend won’t be able to fix, I’m sure. I’m not really positive what caused his sickness but it just came on so fast. It got me thinking about how much I love this big goof and how I just can’t imagine life without him. International Pet Day was earlier this week so that combined with the fact he was sick this week means I can totally get away with sharing a bunch of photos of my favorite pupper and telling you all about how much I love him, right? RIGHT.

He’s one of the best things to ever happen to me. There isn’t a day that goes by that Klaus doesn’t make me smile at least fifty billion times. His love of all things squeaky drives me absolutely nuts sometimes but it really is adorable how much he enjoys the noise. Plus I must enjoy it at least a little bit since I literally only buy him toys that squeak. The way he hops up beside me when I sit down and nuzzles his head under my arm so I’m hugging him makes my heart melt. I don’t even mind the fact that he’s always more excited to see Jeff than he is to see me because it makes me happy to see them having so much fun together. (Plus I know Klaus loves me more than anyone else no matter what! Hehe!) I love that he always wants to cuddle and that his favorite place in the world is curled up between Jeff and I. I love how he always wants his front legs held up so he can see the world from a different perspective and that that means we can slow dance. I appreciate the fact that it looks like he likes when I sing to him and I don’t think I’ll ever not crack up watching this dog jump. Puppy’s got hops!

Last month I posted about how excited I was to see Klaus and Professor in bed together Since then it’s become a regular occurrence. Things were the same for so long, with no signs of a budding friendship, but now it seems like these two are on the fast track to being BFFS. My twitter account has basically turned into a place where I just post photos of Klaus and Professor but when they’re both cuddling on me, or both mean mugging can you blame me?!

Klaus, I love you oh so much! Please refrain from ever scaring me like that again.
xoxo

PS. Give your pets some extra loving today from me and mine! Klaus sends some squeaks.

the cult of Fitbit – one month later

by Kaylah Stroup April 12, 2016

Fitbit Alta

A little over a month ago I made a really awesome spur of the moment purchase, a fitbit. You can read my original post here. It took all of about fifteen minutes for me to become completely enthralled with this thing. I was a little worried my enthusiasm for it would quickly dwindle but it hasn’t at all!

I originally purchased the Charge HR in teal… and almost immediately regretted that decision. I went into that thinking that you could change the band like you can with the Flex but you can’t. That was my first qualm with it. The second thing, which was the real deal breaker, was that it was just too bulky for me. It’s honestly not that large at all but for someone who can barely stand to wear a bracelet for a full day it just wasn’t going to work no matter how much I liked it. Don’t even get me started on sleeping with it on. It literally would wake me up at night because I would be like “what’s on my wriiiiist?!” Don’t mind things on your wrist or sleep on your hands? The Charge HR is awesome!

Luckily Fitbit was releasing a new smaller model, the Alta, right around the same time I made my initial purchase. I stalked the internet trying to figure out when I could buy it but for some reason they kept the release date on the hush hush. Toward the end of March I finally found a WalMart a half hour away that had the one I wanted in stock. As soon as I put it on I knew that switching was exactly what I needed to do.

I bought the Alta in black, instead of one of the other more fun colors. It’s so much slimmer than the Charge HR and looks a lot more like an accessory than some sort of fitness gadget. Best of all, you can buy different bands for the Alta so you aren’t stuck wearing the same thing with every single outfit. I figured black was a good starting point and sometime in the future I’ll start building a collection of bands for it.

When I originally bought my Fitbit I thought it would just be fun but I think it’s safe to say this thing has kiiiiind of changed my life. I feel SO much healthier than I did one month ago! I didn’t realize how much walking just a liiiittle bit more each day would effect me. I have so much more energy. Klaus gets to go on more/longer walks which makes us both happier. Jeff and I are enjoying night walks around the neighborhood. I basically look for any reason to get up and move now!

I’m still working a day or two a week at the flower shop. I used to take the train but since getting a Fitbit I’ve been walking the three miles from my house to downtown. Every time I do it it’s an easier walk. It’s such a wonderful start to the day too. I feel so much more connected to the city. I enjoy it so much that I even walked in the rain to work last week which is kind of a huge deal considering I hate being damp. Funny enough, it ended up being one of my favorite trips thus far.

Since starting this journey, I’ve been walking 5.5 miles a day on average. I guess it really doesn’t sound like that much but its absolutely an improvement for me. I didn’t realize how little I actually walked until I saw how much effort I had to put into getting the recommended 10,000 steps each day. The best thing is every week since I’ve started tracking I’ve walked further than the last. I could go on and on about how much I love being able to see all my statistics but I’ll refrain since it’s probably not all that interesting to anyone but me! It’s super satisfying though.

I seriously cannot recommend getting a Fitbit enough. It’s not magic but the fact that it’s got me walking (and LOVING those walks) certainly seems like magic.

xoxo

another beach fort

by Kaylah Stroup April 7, 2016

I was just about to type that Spring is here as an excuse why I have another one of my beach forts to share with you today it’s actually been really cold this week. The other night it was hailing snow, or something?, so loudly that it woke both Jeff and I up in the middle of the night. When I took Klaus outside the next morning the ground was just covered in tiny snowballs! We’re only a few days in but it’s been a crazy April so far. Regardless, it’s like I can’t help it. My mind knows it’s beach season, even if the weather doesn’t agree with me, so I’ve been heading there without even really thinking about it.

My last big trip to the beach including making this mini fort on a secluded section of my favorite Cleveland beach. I liked the spot because 1) there was a lot of driftwood there just begging for me to do something with it, and 2) you can see part of the skyline from here. While it didn’t photograph as beautifully as planned I still really like it.

As I made my way over to this spot I picked up all the beach glass I found. I ended up leaving the majority of it inside the fort for someone else to enjoy but had to take the piece above home. It just looked like a huge chunk of green but when I held it up to the light I saw that it had a bit of a pattern inside. I’m not really sure where glass like the comes from but I dig it! I’ve been finding a lot of really awesome stuff lately. I’m sure I’ll write a whole post about it soon, I have lots of pictures to share.

I went back a few days after building this fort and this section of the beach had actually kind of just disappeared. The water was so high that there wasn’t a trace left of my fort, or anything else for that matter. I hope someone got to enjoy it before the waves washed it away.

I’m itching to get back. I’ve always kind of been an all or nothing kind of person in regards to my hobbies. I’m either completely obsessed or not really interested and it tends to come in waves. Last year I took it easy on the beach, I actually barely spent any time there. Right now the beach is all I can think about. I think it’s safe to say its my “happy place”. I’m looking forward to the weather warming up a bit more and getting back to making my found on the beach arrangements! I have a feeling by the end of the summer y’all are going to be like “Kaylah, shut up about beach forts” so sorry, not sorry in advance. Building these is really relaxing to me and leaving things for others to find makes my heart happy!

Hope you’re having a lovely Thursday! Maybe go spend some time at the beach for me today if you get a chance?
xoxo

Cleveland Magazine’s cover girl

by Kaylah Stroup April 5, 2016

I got an email a little over a month ago from Cleveland Magazine asking if I’d like to be included in a piece they were doing about millennials in Cleveland. I originally wasn’t too into it. I dunno, writing about millennials kind of feels played out. I emailed back asking for a little bit more information. I felt a lot better after the second email. The piece seemed like it would be pretty fun as opposed to being the same old thing everyone seems to be writing about in regards to the subject.

That same day I got to explore the Knox County Poorhouse, which was already the best day everrrrr, I got an email from someone else over at Cleveland Magazine that said something along the lines of “Don’t tell anyone yet but we’re thinking of possibly making you the cover.” Jeff and I went out for pizza that night and without saying anything I slid my phone over to him so he could read the email. I made a bunch of excited squeaky noises and tried my best to push it out of my head because I would hate to get excited about something and then have it not happen.

A week or so later I met Madeline from Cleveland Magazine at Starbucks for the interview. I was shaking like a leaf but eventually cooled off once we started talking. The interview actually ended up being a blast. I had a ton of fun talking to her! I’m not really all that great at talking about myself (in person, that’s basically all I do here on the blog…) but she was easy to talk to. That or I was well caffeinated. Caffeine is my social lubricant of choice!

After that I had about forty minutes to mentally prepare myself for the photoshoot. They did my makeup which was really fun, I’ve never had my makeup done before. Kinda wish that could be a regular occurrence because my eyeliner was on point. They took a bunch of photos in a handful of different settings but I still wasn’t sure if I would be making the cover and was too nervous to ask. I did hear the word “cover” during the shoot but again, tried to not get too excited.

A few more weeks go by, Jeff and I are laying in bed when a notification from instagram that I had been tagged in a photo showed up. I opened it and immediately shoved it in Jeff’s face. “LOOK! OH MY GOSH!” There I was, on the cover! I was so nervous/excited/a million other emotions I couldn’t bring myself to look at for any amount of time.

My brother and nephew checking it out.

I waited to tell my parents until I had a physical copy and I was able to show them in person. I wanted to see their reactions. It just so happened I was able to pick up a copy from my PO box on Easter morning so I was able to show my whole family at once. It was a really exciting, although still slightly embarrassing. I guess I’m just the kind of person who loves and hates attention equally at the same time.

Barnes and Noble! Ahhh!

Right now my current excitement is seeing my face in stores. While Cleveland Magazine is obviously a local magazine, it’s available at a heck of a lot of places. There is a full run down of all the newsstands here. Every time I go out now I usually make an excuse to stop at at least one spot that I know carries the magazine just so I can see it.

Pretty awesome, huh? I’d say 2016 is off to a rad start for me.
xoxo

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international pillow fight day 2016

by Kaylah Stroup April 4, 2016

pillow fight, cleveland, #pillowfightCLE

Saturday morning I’m sitting at my desk, drinking my coffee, when a little notification box showed up in the bottom corner of Facebook. “Two of your friends are interested in going to an event.” I click on it, thinking it’s probably a concert. It directs me to an event page titled “Pillow Fight Day Cleveland.” A pillow fight within walking distance of my house? Say no more, I am 100% interested.

The weather forecast wasn’t the best but I figured if you were the kind of person to go to a public pillow fight, you probably wouldn’t mind a few raindrops, right? The weather mostly held off. While by 3pm the temperature had dropped significantly from where it was at the beginning of the day, it wasn’t raining. A little bit of snow started to fall but still over 200 people showed up. It was easily one of my favorite experiences so far this year… maybe ever.

I think, without a doubt, the star of the pillow fight was the person in the dinosaur costume. First of all, anyone whose train of thought is “Oh, a pillow fight? I should wear my dinosaur costume!” is cool in my book but everyone clearly loved beating up on the dinosaur. I feel like a lot of children are kind of shy and wouldn’t necessarily be all that comfortable hitting strange adults with their pillows but they took to that dinosaur like flies to honey. Poor dinosaur had to be SO tired at the end of fight!

I originally brought my camera in hopes of getting funny moment of impact shots but shortly after it started I realized I just wanted to shoot all the smiles. Everyone was just glowing with happiness. The crowd was incredibly diverse, people of all ages, races, and walks of life showed up. It was impossible to not smile watching all these strangers hitting each other with pillows. I’m getting all teary eyed typing this because it was seriously just so magical. Seeing adults act like children is my favorite.

I’m pretty sure the shot below is my favorite of the day.

Jeff and I didn’t bring along pillows this year, just cameras. 2017, I’m coming ready to fight. I already have it on my calendar.
xoxo

International Pillow Fight Day events happen in cities all across the world. The official website has a list of cities and where they’re being held, as well as tips of creating your own event if there isn’t already one happening in your city. You guys HAVE TO GO next year. I promise, there is nothing like seeing it in person.

#fessermakesfaces

by Kaylah Stroup March 31, 2016

Something that has been missing from the blog for a while is pet photos. I used to post them constantly. While there is still a fair share of them on my instagram account, most of them never make their way to the blog. I recently created a hashtag for Professor Stingray because I tend to post a certain kind of photo of him quite often. It’s #fessermakesfaces, and it’s full of the ridiculous faces he makes. Most are post yawn, or mid chirp but some are just plain silly faces I happen to catch with the camera. He’s the most expressive little critter I’ve ever met. At the risk of sounding like a total cat lady (which I am, it’s literally tattooed on my knuckles) he’s the funniest “person” I know. Not a day goes by that this little dude doesn’t make me laugh.

In the nearly six years this little rascal has been in my life not too much other than his fur color has changed with him. He’s always been this rambunctious little cat that’s just full of personality. While browsing for old photos of him, I found the diptych below from 2010. Apparently I’ve always thought his yawn face was hilarious.

Even though it’s easy enough to browse his hashtag over on instagram I thought this little dude needed his own blog post. These photos crack me up, I hope they brighten your day as well.