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on the tracks // on film

by Kaylah Stroup May 4, 2015

The weather around these parts is finally warming up – and actually staying warm which means I’m getting back to being outside every single chance I get. (I’m actually sitting on my deck typing this right now. I love sunshiiiiiine!) Twice last week I spent the day roaming the tracks with Jeff, and friends, one day on the East side and the other on the West. It was super fun, maybe a bit nerve wracking but an exciting adventure none-the-less.

I’d fallen back into the habit of ignoring my film cameras. It’s so easy to do. I’m trying to hard to get back into the swing of things so on both days we went out I only carried my Canon T2. Ive been spoiled by digital cameras, it’s such a pain not being able to see my photos right away. It’s frustrating when everyone is comparing shots and I have to wait a few days just to see if anything will come out, let alone a good shot. It was all worth it though because I loved nearly everything I shot those two days.

The side of the tracks is a treasure trove of random things. There was garbage, a creepy baby doll, a copy of The Fast & The Furious (which is a favorite of both mine and Jasons!), and oodles of bones. I even managed to find a near perfect cat skull. It was completely clean sans the puddle scum from where I grabbed it. Hot water and a little bit of soap and it’s already in my display case. We also found a vacuum. If you recall a month or so ago we had found another vacuum in front of an abandoned cottage and I got a shot of Jason vacuuming with it (seen in this post.) As soon as I saw this one I was like “JASON, You HAVE TO vacuum!” Thus my “urban vacuuming” series was born. Haha. I wish I was kidding but I am really pumped to get more photos of him vacuuming because you know we’ll find more.
xoxo

All of the photos above were taken with a Canon T2 and Fujifilm 35mm Superia X-TRA 400.

30 days of biking recap

by Kaylah Stroup April 30, 2015

Today’s ride will wrap up 30 days of biking. I did it, I rode every single day! Rain, snow(!?), and sunshine. Some days I biked in shorts and a t-shirt, there were others I wore two pairs of pants, my winter jacket, gloves and a hat. I rode a total of 175 miles, not including today’s ride obviously.It was an interesting month for sure, and not just because of the weather. In the middle of the month there was actually a bit of a mishap. Long story short, while riding with three of my friends we were attacked and I was ripped off my bike by some “tough guy” trying to steal my backpack. I actually wrote a long blog post about it that is still sitting in my drafts because it was just too raw, too full of emotion. It was traumatic and I’m still not positive I want to talk about it. All that matters now is that we’re all okay, they weren’t able to steal anything from us, and that I didn’t let it stop me from getting back on my bike. The next few days were tough, I didn’t want to ride. But for some darn reason my commitment to 30 days of biking was too strong to break. I was back in the saddle the next morning, and have been every day since. Booyah! You can’t steal my backpack or my fun, ya turd.

On a lighter note, it felt SO good to ride everyday. I don’t know that my body actually looks any different but I certainly feel like it does. I feel so strong. If there’s one part of my body I’ve struggled with it’s been my thighs. I’ve always hated the way they look when I’m sitting, how they flatten out and look a billion times bigger. Sitting in shorts I’d always be on my tip toes so my thigh wouldn’t be completely flat. But you guys, my thighs are sexy. I don’t care how big they are now. They’re strong. They’re made of muscle. I’m proud of them.

30 consecutive days of biking was a bit stressful for me just because I was watching the weather like a hawk and that’s something I never do. There were days I’d see it was going to rain in the evening so I’d rush out in the morning when I didn’t really want to ride and do a few obligatory miles only for it not to end up raining later in the day. I feel like I may have possibly gotten more miles in this month if I hadn’t been worrying about squeezing in a bike ride at a certain time and just went with the flow, if that makes sense.

30 days of biking, I love/hate you. You kept me on my bike when I didn’t want to do be, which in this case was the best thing for me. I’m glad April is over but I’m already looking forward to doing it again next year!
xoxo

Skull Pouch Update!

by Kaylah Stroup April 29, 2015

Today’s the day! My second set of limited edition pouches made from custom printed fabric are available. Like I mentioned in my behind the scenes post, the skull pouch from the last batch was the first to sell out so I decided to do a whole collection of them. I photographed a bunch of different photos of skulls in my collection in various different layouts and ended up choosing five photos to get printed. There are four ‘standard sized’ pouches (6×3.5 inches) and one ‘coin pouch’ (5×3.5 inches) in this collection.

I don’t think I can choose a favorite from the bunch but I am pretty darn fond of the coyote skull pouch. I actually blogged about this skull shortly after I finished cleaning it (see here). I think it’s neat to have a bit of a profile available on this one. I pride myself on knowing that everything in my collection was cleaned by me. I just wish I would have done a better job documenting the rest of them. It’s crazy how quickly memories fade. There are times I have to double check what a skull was before answering a question about it. So, I just think it’s really neat to be able to look back and see so much about the coyote and where he came from. Plus I still have the scar from cleaning that guy! He’s a special one.

The pouches are available for purchase here. The last collection sold out in exactly one hour. I made quite a few more than the last batch, but I still wouldn’t hesitate if you’re interested in grabbing one. Once these ones are gone, they won’t be restocked and the fabric won’t be reprinted.

I totally understand skulls, and teeth aren’t every one’s cup of tea! Don’t worry, I will definitely have ‘normal’ pouches in the future. As always, if you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see in a future collection just let me know!
xoxo

behind the scenes

by Kaylah Stroup April 27, 2015

The very first pouch to sell out of my last collection was the skull pouch. I love skulls, of course, but I was nervous about that pouch for two reasons. First, I wasn’t sure how it would look printed. I was worried the details would just get washed out. Then I wasn’t positive other people liked skulls, or at least liked them enough to want a cute little pouch with them on it. Well, guess it was good I trusted my gut because apparently skulls are pretty cool.

I had whole bunch of really great ideas for my next batch of pouches but after seeing the success of the skull pouch I decided to run with it. I photographed a bunch of different skulls from my collection laid out in different ways and ended up choosing five different photos to get printed on fabric.

To be honest, I wasn’t crazy about the fabric when it arrived. I suppose I was just nervous because after cutting it and getting it all sew up…I AM IN LOVE. These babies are so pretty. No product shots today though, just a bunch of behind the scene photos from these past few weeks while working on them.

As you can see, Professor was quite the little helper. I had taken the glass top off my desk and moved it onto the floor to photograph the skulls. It’s easier to control the lighting if I can actually move the whole surface I’m working on. But being on the floor meant I couldn’t walk away from what I was doing because some nosy little kitty would come by, sniff everything, then plop down to take a nap. Lil’ guy is lucky he’s so darn cute.

The pouches will be available for purchase on Wednesday, April 29th at 8:30am EDT. On Wednesday morning I’ll be sharing a photos of the finished products as well as a link to the shop. (It’s the same link as before if you’re someone who wants to have it open and refreshing!) Can’t wait to share the finish product!!!
xoxo

It’s the little things…

by Kaylah Stroup April 23, 2015

like finally getting organized!!!

I may collect a lot of things but I do have one thing going for me – I’m organized...for the most part. I like for things to be in their place, and do my best to keep things around the house neat. Honestly, I can’t even stand to have messy closets. Out of sight out of mind doesn’t work for me. I know there is a mess lurking behind that door and I have to deal with it. Something that has been pestering me for years and years was the fact that all my photos were just in boxes. It was ugly, I couldn’t look through them, and it took up a lot of space.

These last few weeks I’ve been tackling that issue one photo album at a time. I’ve got most of my 35mm prints organized and in albums. Thanks to an estate sale I have albums for all my land camera photos. I’ve had instax mini albums in my amazon wishlist for a really long time but only recently pulled the trigger and purchased. You guys, I don’t understand why I waited so long.

You might be like “okay, congratulations, your photos are in albums” but seriously this is a weight off my shoulders. Getting organized is the best feeling! I filled up four of the albums and still have a few slots left in the last album (which was a lucky guess! I had no idea how many photos I had or albums I needed) The best part is it makes me want to get out and shoot more knowing that my photos won’t end up just tossed in a box.

Now I just need to pick up a handful of Polaroid albums and I’ll be all set…
xoxo

collection of curiosities – part two

by Kaylah Stroup April 22, 2015

Last week I shared some photos of my living room and today I’d like to share a few more of my favorite corner. I guess this is part two of my collection of oddities. The ones in my office are more natural oddities. Basically they’re all just things that used to be alive or part of something living. These ones weren’t. There are dentures, dental slides, a tooth shade guide, a model of the uterus with a baby inside, dental models, and a few other odds and ends. I even have my braces, and a mold of my own teeth after getting my braces removed.

This cabinet is actually one of the very first things I started to decorate this apartment with. The same week I moved in my furnace died in the middle of the night. It was freezing and I had to call my new landlords right away. They’re a super sweet middle aged couple. As I was waiting for them to arrive it hit me, the thermostat is right above this weird little cabinet full of teeth and its basically the only thing in my living room right now. They’re going to think I am SO strange. The last thing I want to do is give them a bad impression of me, especially after I was so nervous they wouldn’t want me as a tenant because of my hair and tattoos. Hilariously enough the husband was actually pretty interested in my collection. After simply asking “are you a dental student?”, he complimented how it looked and revealed his brother used to make dental molds for a living. When he came back the next morning to work on the furnace yet again he said “your apartment is like an I Spy” and that my friends, is a high compliment to this lady!

Hope you’re having an awesome week!
xoxo

found on the beach – feeling blue

by Kaylah Stroup April 21, 2015

It’s beach season again! Swimsuits, sun, swimming or… ya know, trash. If you’re a new reader and totally confused already, be sure to check out the tag found on the beach.

Last week I headed to my favorite beach to get some fresh air. Still feeling a bit like there was a dark cloud hovering over me I figured spending the evening watching the sun go down over the lake, and listening to the waves hit the beach would do me good. I guess I forgot how much I loved that place, I was instantly at ease. It didn’t take long before I was compulsively picking up lighters. I wanted to do another set of beach trash photos but didn’t necessarily want to do another rainbow gradient. I do love doing that, and will most certainly do it again in the future but I waned something new. So…I picked up everything blue I found, all while singing this song, of course. I walked for around twenty minutes, really probably less. Just one swoop across the beach and this is what I gathered.

Crazy how many milk jug rings!

I considered leaving the collection there for others to find but felt a bit guilty not tossing everything. I’d love to do something with these things other than just taking photos, that’s actually been floating in my mind the last few times I’ve went to pick up trash. I’m just not sure what to do yet…

xoxo

bike style : windblown

by Kaylah Stroup April 15, 2015

As much as I love color, and an abundance of patterns, I really love wearing all black. With my hair and tattoos I really don’t need too much else to still be colorful. Sometimes it’s fun to just let them take the attention. I know all black shorts and a top isn’t too exciting but I’m pretty darn picky about how clothes fit, especially clothes I’m going to be biking in so when I find something that fit really well it’s basically all I want to wear. I wandered into Gordmans last week. I had never been in one but I remembered my mom saying something about it. It’s similar to TJ Maxx, I suppose, but with maybe a bit more cheap stuff mixed in. Bad cheap stuff, not good cheap stuff. There were a few hidden gems buried in the clothing department though. I spotted these shorts and recognized they were the same brand as a pair of jeans I have and love. I grabbed a random black top to try on with the shorts and instantly fell in love with both. On really hot days I don’t like to spend too much time worrying about what I’m going to wear since I’m just going to get gross and sweaty in it. If I could have a week’s worth of this top and these shorts I’d be all set for the summer!

Sunday marked one year since my very first bike ride around the city. Jeff, and I were hanging out when he asked if I wanted to go on a bike ride with him and few of his friends that night. I actually remember specifically where we were when he asked. I was not interested…at all. The fact he was even asking stressed me out. I hadn’t been on a bike in a long time, and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them. He kept bugging me about it, and eventually convinced me to say yes – although I wasn’t happy about it. I borrowed one of Jason’s bikes and seventeen miles later I was beyond sold. That was the night I fell in love with Cleveland. A week or so later I bought the prettiest bicycle I’ve ever seen and haven’t looked back since. It was easily one of my best purchases…ever.

What’s especially funny to me is that last week while searching for a photo I stumbled upon a post from 2012. In it I talked about how simply riding around the block in the small town I lived in caused me great anxiety. I even said “I can’t wait until I can look back and realize how stupid all of this was.”Posts like that are my absolute favorite reason to blog. It’s so easy to look at my life now and see it as so normal but reading things like that make me so proud of how far I’ve come. I used to be this timid girl afraid to just go around the block in a town of 6,000, now I’m chopping traffic in a city of 390,000. I seriously cannot think of anything more satisfying than conquering your fears! It’s pretty amazing how this thing with two wheels was able to change my life so drastically.
xoxo

It was WINDY! Can you tell? Hah!

Living Room Tour

by Kaylah Stroup April 14, 2015

I’ve been living in my “new” apartment for around three months now. I actually got settled in here fairly quickly but like I’ve mentioned before there are always little odds and ends I’m looking for or things I’m considering changing. That leads to me putting off posting room tours but I’m feeling like this room is in a pretty good place right now. Really ever since I bought the rug I’ve been dying to post pictures. In the words of The Dude, that rug really tied the room together. It’s absolutely what it was missing! It’s a pain in the butt to keep free of cat and dog hair but it just looks so darn good.

The bike rack is one of my other favorite things in the room. I was kind of stumped with what to put on that wall. The obvious choice was to put a tv there, I keep mine in my bedroom though. Then I realized I didn’t have anywhere to put my bike! I spent a while searching for an attractive and affordable bike rack type thing. It just wasn’t happening so I decided making one was the route to go. Jeff and I went to the hardware store with a tiny idea of what we were looking for but ended up coming home with the pieces for this. It actually ended up looking way more awesome than I had pictured. It’s great because it’s simple, it was cheap (under $20), gets my bike out of the way, and it looks awesome!

I don’t think I could have found an apartment more perfect for me right now. I’m sure someday I’ll outgrow it, or realize I have other needs in a space just like I did with my last place but for right now this is the best. I love this place!
xoxo

Sources:
▴ Rug – Ikea
▴ Fillmore Sofa – Thrive Furniture
▴ Tooth print by Brendan Megannety
▴ Globe mirrors
▴ Record player (+the record spinning)
▴ Large pillow
▴ Small eye pillow by Fancy Clancy
▴ Rabbit taxidermy made by me (!!) in one of Mickey Alice Kwapis’ classes.
▴ Map, anatomical man, globes, coffee table, record stand + giant cat all picked up second hand.

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