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Propagating for the very first time…

by Kaylah Stroup April 9, 2015

I think it’s pretty obvious I have a thing for plants, my instagram is full of them and I’m sneaking them into my 365 posts. When I was younger my mom would try in vain to get me to garden with her. She’d always quip “someday you’ll love flowers!” Lo and behold she was right. Before moving to Cleveland, I lived in a small town in a quaint little home I decorated with an abundance of flowers. When I moved to Lakewood I lived in an apartment building with no outside space to call my own so the gardening ceased. There my interested in house plants really bloomed. (heh, get it?) Even though the house I’m living in now has a deck where I can have flowers when the weather warms up my house plant obsession is still going strong.

I’ve always been interested in propagating succulents but had just never put any time into learning how. I recently noticed one of my plants was looking pretty leggy so I decided to finally spend a little bit of time learning how to turn that one plant into many. It’s been just over two weeks since I laid them out to do their thing and guess what! They’re growing. Totally not that big of a deal at all, especially if propagating is something you do regularly. But this is my very first time trying and this is so darn encouraging. All the posts I read were so positive, and reassured me it was easy but the comments all left me feeling like maybe it wasn’t. I read a ton of posts, gathered up what seemed like good advice, and it all seems to be working.

Shown in the photo above are the cuttings, which are from the top of the plant the leaves were harvested from. One post I read basically said that if it already looks like a plant then to plant it, and wait for it to grow roots. I’m incredibly impatient (and equally as curious) so I very carefully maneuvered one of the smallest out of the dirt to see if it was growing as planned. Surprise, surprise – it was! I mean, I may have caused some damage doing that but at least I know the others are probably doing the same!

I was pleased to read that no part of the plant goes to waste when you propagate. Even the stem will grow new babies. My stems were looking pretty rough so I wasn’t too hopeful but would you look at that! Growth!

These photos were taken six days ago, since then the babies have grown leaps and bounds. I’m so proud. I really love growing things and this just takes it to the next level! Fingers crossed they continue to grow and grow!
xoxo

Recommended reading if you’re looking to get started –
▴ Propagating Succulents on Needles + Leaves
▴ How to Propagate from Succulent Leaf Cuttings on Snapguide
▴ How to Propagate Succulents from Leaves on Succulents + Sunshine
▴ How-To: Propagating Succulents on Terrain

oVertone haircare review

by Kaylah Stroup April 1, 2015

Last month I was contacted by oVertone haircare. They have a line of color depositing conditioners made to fight fading. Cool enough, right? What really sold me is that you can rinse with hot water and heat style as much as you want without worrying about your color fading. They actually encourage you to use warmer water. For the past eight years, I have been washing my hair in cold water to fight fading. It is not fun. It’s my least favorite part about having dyed hair. So when you tell me that using warmer water, to open the cuticle and let the product in, will help keep my hair color brighter I am sold!

oVertone currently has seven different colors in three intensities so there is something for everyone no matter if you’re rocking pastels, vibrant colors or suuuuper bright colors. It doesn’t lighten your hair so if you have very dark hair it’s not going to change much but it can still be used to deposit color on hair that isn’t already an unnatural color. Obviously, the color won’t be as bright but it will still be colorful.

The above photo is what my hair looked like on February 28th, the day before starting to use the conditioner.

Since my hair was/is a mix of blue and green they sent over their daily conditioner in extreme teal and extreme green as well as the deep conditioner in both colors. The daily conditioner is meant to be used anytime you’d use regular conditioner. Some days I use a mix of both colors, and other days I just used one color applied all over my hair. Since it does deposit color it tends to stain my hands. Good news is I’ve found that the staining is gone by the time I finish washing and shaving which is basically how I time how long to leave in the conditioner every day.

This photo was taken on March 9th after using the conditioner for nine days and the deep conditioner once.

The deep conditioner was made to be used on a weekly basis or as needed whenever you’re looking for an extra jolt of color and moisture. I used it right before I got my hair cut so that it would be super bright when meeting a new stylist. I applied it to wet, towel dried hair and left it on for around a half hour. I used the green was tickled pink to see what a gorgeous green my hair was when I rinsed.

(March 21, after using the daily conditioner for 21 days.)

As you can see, my hair is actually brighter now than it was when I started. I’m not even halfway through either bottle of conditioner. Obviously, my hair is also a totally different color but that’s because I was using two different colors of conditioner. That led to a huge variety of shades which is essential to making the color look natural so needless to say I’m totally into it. I absolutely adore my hair right now.

In my years of dyeing experience, I’ve found blue to be the absolute biggest pain in the butt to keep vibrant so for my hair to look like this after so long I am pumped! I am currently considering changing my hair color but only because my roots are so darn long. Normally hair fading is my sign that it’s time to touch up my roots but this color just isn’t stopping anytime soon! My hair is incredibly soft and vibrant right now.

Final thoughts ///
▴ For single color hair, or multiple shades of similar colors (like mine is now) this stuff is amazing – a must have especially if you struggle with fading.
▴ Unless you have a mirror in your shower and want to spend time separating sections of colors daily these conditioners probably wouldn’t be ideal if you’re sporting more than one color. Is it doable? Yes, totally but realistically I don’t see many being that committed. If you are, then by all means, buy this stuff.

You can read more about oVertone and purchase their conditioners on here.

Update May 2018 – If you’re unconvinced by oVertone but are still looking for a color depositing conditioner the good news is there are lots of new ones on the market these days. Keracolor comes in 13 different colors + has tons of excellent reviews.
xoxo

If you’re looking for some tips on bleaching and dyeing, check out my hair master post!

Don’t call it a comeback…

by Kaylah Stroup March 26, 2015

If you’ve been following for some time you might remember when The Dainty Squid was a sewing business, and not just a blog. (Oh yeah, and you might have noticed that giant sewing machine tattoo on my chest!) Sewing was my life. Day and night, it’s nearly all I did. That lead to me getting burnt out. I didn’t touch my machine for a few years other than to sew a patch on my coat every once in a blue moon. I’ve mentioned a few times over the last few months how I’ve had the creative itch again. After a weird year or so I’m finally feeling like myself. I’m dabbling in a few other creative outlets, like embroidery and watercolors, but deep down I missed sewing a lot.

( top to bottom – 1, 2, 3 )

I really enjoyed making zipper pouches. It’s super relaxing to me, and as someone who loves organization – I love pouches. I still have a handful from my old sewing days that I use everyday to keep my camera bags tidy. It hit me a couple weeks back what I wanted to do! I could get fabrics printed with my photos on them and sew pouches with them. This would combine my favorite hobbies, photography and sewing, and that way I’d have something unique to offer. I wasn’t exactly sure how good the fabric would look so I just went ahead and got three photos that I had already taken for my society6 shop printed. I could barely contain my excitement when I opened the package. The fabric turned out even better than I expected. I immiedately set to work gathering the rest of my supplies, and got sewing. I’m so proud of how these babies ended up looking. I actually have them sitting on my desk beside me right now because I seriously just love seeing them!

I’d like to produce a new set of fabrics hopefully once every month or two. I think from here on out I’d like them to be a little bit more tied together with a theme, like I said these were just tests that turned out really well! I considered opening up the shop again full time but realized it would be a lot more fun for me creatively if I did it this way with little . I’ll definitely give more notice before the next one, hopefully with some sneak peaks before the release, as well as a date of when to expect them to go live but this batch really just came together so quickly I couldn’t hold off sharing them.

They’re available for purchase. I only have a few of each of the three prints so if you’re interested I’d act quickly. I’m still undecided on whether or not I’ll be getting any fabrics, these or future collections, reprinted. So consider these babies limited edition!
xoxo

Update – In exactly one hour I sold out completely. I am blown away. You guys are the actual best. Due to overwhelming demand, I’ve made five more of each print available for pre-order. The fabric is ordered. I will sew, and ship as soon as it gets here. Please allow up to 2 weeks for shipment.

Ps. I’m curious to hear what else you’d like to see on pouches! What sorts of themes would you be interested in? I’m down to hear any suggestions.

Blogging – a real job

by Kaylah Stroup March 24, 2015

I often get asked what I do for a living. My answer depends on who asks. If it’s an older person that I don’t know I might just say that I’m a photographer. It’s easier to explain than the real answer. If people in my own generation can’t seem to grasp it, how I can expect the generation before me, who grew up without computers to understand it? So what do I do for a living? I’m a blogger.

The frustrating/strange/down right annoying thing is, I frequently hear things like “that’s not a real job”, “you can’t possibly make enough money doing that!”, “that’s only a temporary thing, right?” and “what are you going to do after this?” But what is a “real job”? I have thought so long and hard about this question. I still haven’t come to a conclusion. Maybe it means a doctor, or a lawyer or any number of careers that I have literally never even considered for myself. Is blogging not a real job because you can’t go to school for it or because you don’t need a resume to do it? Is it not a real job because you don’t need an interview to fill the position or because you don’t personally know anyone who does it? What makes something a “real job”?

Whatever your answer I assure you, blogging is a real job. I may not have to leave the house for days on end if I don’t want to (not that I recommend anyone ever does that, definitely not as fun as it sounds!) I can work in my PJs or without pants if I want, and no one cares if I come into work with morning breath. My co-workers may be two cats and a dog who enjoys sitting beside me and squeaking his tennis ball incessantly but this is a real job. I live alone and completely support myself. I pay all my own bills with the money I make blogging. There isn’t another job or person helping me out and I’m not living off credit cards. I’m no different than any other person with a conventional job.

The sad thing is that this bias of what is and isn’t a real job doesn’t stop at blogging. Many other millennials with unique careers experience the same thing. For example, Mickey travels the world teaching taxidermy. This girl is killing it. Did you see what I just said? TRAVELING. THE. WORLD. Yet somehow, that’s not good enough to be considered a real job by some people either. She deals with the same questions.

It needs to be acknowledged that any way of supporting yourself even if it isn’t traditional, so long as you aren’t stealing or hurting anyone, is a real job. It seems awfully silly to criticize someone for making a living doing something they love and enjoy, doesn’t it? Blogging isn’t all that new of a career and despite what you may have heard, it isn’t going anywhere. There are tons of people out there making a living doing just this.

Co-worker Klaus. Excels at distracting me.

_________________________
This is part one of a new series that will hopefully help explain and clear the confusing fog about blogging as a career. I’ll share tips, answer questions, and generally just share more information about what being a blogger really means. On that note, if you have any questions, or specific things you’d like me to talk about I’m all ears. Shoot me an email or leave a comment!
xoxo

bike style

by Kaylah Stroup March 23, 2015

details

jacket – Target

shirt – TJ Maxx

jeans – High Waisted Button Up Jeans c/o Unique Vintage

boots – Palladium Boots

camera bag – Lowepro Fastpack 250

patch – Best Made Company

explorer pin – Explorer’s Press

good vibes only pin – Pintrill

bicycle – State Bicycle Co.

My bike is has become a huge part of my life, if you couldn’t tell. It has, without a doubt, changed my life. It’s my favorite possession – even ranked above my camera which is saying a lot. I try to find at least a little bit of time everyday to ride. It’s what makes me the happiest.

Last summer I shared my typical bike outfit. That was Kaylah who had only been on a bike for a few months, and was still figuring out what I liked to bike in. I was having issues with being comfortable on my saddle, and found that things without a seam in the crotch made all the difference. Cue me buying a million pairs of comfy yoga shorts and pants. They got me through but now I’m trying to expand what I wear on my bike. I could (and have) read a million articles about being stylish while biking but I need to figure out what’s comfortable for me.

Here’s where “bike style” comes in. These posts will be just like my outfit posts except they’ll be things I’m wearing on bike rides. It’s a way to challenge myself to wear something other than yoga pants and a cozy black tee. I love that, it does look cute, and I’m sure you’ll end up seeing me wearing it at some point but I want to expand so that doesn’t end up being what I wear all summer long.

Currently I’m just trying to get back into biking in jeans. It caused me so much pain over the summer that I swore them off completely. Now I’m figuring out it all depends on the jeans and how big the seam is. T hese jeans are super cozy to ride in the only downside is they’re turning blue saddle. Hah! Luckily it’s nothing some bleach wipes can’t fix!

xoxo

Lake Erie Fog

by Kaylah Stroup March 16, 2015

Last week as I was sitting in my office, pecking away at the keyboard I happened to look up and notice it looked kind of weird outside – either there was a huge fire or it was insanely foggy. I live just around a mile, as the crow flies, away from the lake and even though that’s super close I normally don’t see any fog up here. I immediately packed up my camera bag, jumped in the car and headed to the lake. As soon as I got to the first cross street I hit the wall of fog. Just the densest, craziest fog I’ve ever seen. The closer I got to the lake the thicker it was. It was beautiful. I was in heaven. Maybe it’s because we don’t get enough of it up here but I swear it never loses it’s charm for me. Must not for everyone else either because for the first time since the end of summer the park was full of people. Everyone was out photographing the fog.

After leaving the park I drove around Cleveland to see how far the fog reached. I found a few other spots to pull over and jump out for photos but my favorite of the day has to be the one below! Plus I met a cat a few feet away so win/win!

Even if it kind of stresses me out to have to rush around before the fog disappears, I really enjoy the adventure of it. It’s like being a storm chaser – except WAY less dangerous. Okay, it’s nothing like a storm chaser but it does involve weather and a camera so that’s fun. Fingers crossed there are lots more foggy days for me to run around like a nut trying to photograph.
xoxo

You can find photos from the last time I photographed fog at the lake here.

It’s the little things…

by Kaylah Stroup March 5, 2015

…or maybe the really, really big heavy things?

What a coincidence that the day I posted this post about how I was holding off on a full office tour (and apartment warming party) until I found lockers things would finally fall together and I’d end up with a gorgeous set of my own. I guess I could have waited until my office tour post to share photos but y’all, I am SUPER excited about these babies.

I had actually been trying to get them for a few days prior to that post. I had contacted the seller asking for dimensions to make sure they weren’t too big but it took nearly a week before I heard back so I had basically given up on them. When I finally heard back, and measured my staircase it was on. I had to have them. Things just weren’t working out though. The seller was slow to respond to emails so setting up a time to pick them up was difficult. After one failed attempt I was worried I had missed out. They were a deal, and they were exactly what I wanted for the room so back to craigslist I’d have to go. But then I got another email, and we set up plans for the next day.

Now, the adventure of getting them home! None of my friends own a truck or van but Jason has the “SwagWag”. It had already successfully hauled my mattress from apartment to apartment (with only tape securing it. Haha!) so why not lockers? I think we all might have underestimated how much lockers weigh and how awkward something so large is to move though. Luckily someone from the warehouse was kind enough to forklift them on to Jason’s car, all while giving this “you kids are idiots” smirk.

Ten long miles later and they were back at my apartment. Getting them off the car and up my stairs was a challenge to say the least. I ripped my coat while trying to help, and then nervously paced while the boys tried and tried to move these massive, awkward things up my stairs. Long story short, it was next to impossible so we had to wait a few hours until Brandon got off work and was able to lend a hand.

Finally upstairs and right where I wanted them to be, I think they might be even more perfect than I could have ever pictured. The color looks so awesome with my wall color. I immediately scrubbed them down and started filling them up with my things.

I still can’t believe what a challenge it was to get these babies upstairs. I don’t know why I didn’t think about how hard it would be but I sure am lucky to have such awesome friends to help out. Love you dudes!

So! You can obviously be expecting a full office tour sometime in the next few weeks. I am pretty darn excited about how this room came together. These lockers were just what the room was missing.
xoxo

Vanity Tour

by Kaylah Stroup March 3, 2015

I’ve been living in new apartment for just under two months now. All the rooms are done-ish, meaning that each one has at least one or two little things that I want to find or fix up somehow. The main thing my office is missing is lockers. I’ve been looking like crazy for them but haven’t found the right ones yet. I just can’t get over the idea of having them, so much so that I keep putting off my housewarming party. Must. Find. Lockers!

Even though I’m still working on the rest of this room I wanted to share some photos of my vanity area today. Since I took the bigger of the two bedrooms for my office there wasn’t really room for my vanity in my bedroom. My office has two windows that, as luck would have it, my vanity fits perfectly between. I knew immediately that’s where it was going. Since those two windows get the best lighting out of all the others in the apartment, it was obvious where my plants would go. So basically, it’s an amazing little area. I feel like a goddess everyday while putting on my make-up surrounded by plants.

I love it here. Seriously, this apartment is just perfect. Can’t wait to share more photos of it as I find the finishing touches for each room!
xoxo

/// Source list
▴ jewelry holder hands
▴ jackalope ring holder
▴ Small gold turtle is vintage.
▴ Large turtle shell and stool are from Target.
▴ Vanity (Actually a writing desk from Walmart, but it was $40, and it does what I need it to!)
▴ Mirror was thrifted.
Anything else, just ask!

book review : Destination Truth

by Kaylah Stroup February 25, 2015

Although I’m reading a lot less than I used to, not that you’d be able to tell these last few weeks, but I still want to blog about what I’m reading. The thing is by the time I get around to blogging about them I’ve forgotten exactly how they made me feel. From here on out I’ll be posting about books in a slightly different format. I’ll be posting about one book at a time, sharing the summary, a review, the bottom line, and suggestions for similar books if I have any. So here we go…

Destination Truth by Josh Gates

/// Summary
“Truth is stranger than legend . . . and your journey into both begins here.

World
adventurer and international monster hunter Josh Gates has careened
through nearly 100 countries, investigating frightening myths, chilling
cryptozoological legends, and terrifying paranormal phenomena. Now, he
invites fans to get a behind-the-scenes look at these breathtaking
expeditions.

Follow Gates from the inception of the
groundbreaking hit show (at the summit of Kilimanjaro) to his
hair-raising encounters with dangerous creatures in the most treacherous
locations on earth. Among his many adventures, he unearths the
flesh-crawling reality of the Mongolian Death Worm, challenges an
ancient curse by spending the night in King Tut’s tomb, descends into a
centuries-old mine to search for an alien entity in subterranean
darkness, pursues ghosts in the radioactive shadow of Chernobyl, and
explores sightings of Bigfoot from the leech-infested rain forests of
Malaysia to the dizzying heights of the Himalayas.

Part journey
into the unexplained, part hilarious travelogue, part fascinating look
at the making of a reality-based TV show—and featuring
never-before-published photographs— this Destination Truth companion takes readers on the supernatural expedition of a lifetime” – Summary from Amazon description

/// Review
It was Jeff that made me start watching the show Destination Truth. I wasn’t too interested at first. Despite my love of cryptozoology, watching a show about someone searching for these creatures didn’t sound like my cup of tea. It only took a few episodes before I was sold. The host, Josh Gates, is hilariously snarky, and just absolutely makes the show worth watching. It’s hard not to love him. Of course I had to read his book!

This book is a quick, easy read that’s made all the most interesting by the fact that you basically read it in his voice if you’ve seen the show. He’s just as funny and enjoyable in this format. I may have laughed out loud more than once. I loved that most of the time I remembered the episode he was
writing about. It’s kind of like a fun behind the scenes peek. I’m not
100% sure how this book would be to someone who hasn’t seen the show.

My only real complaint is that I wish it were longer! The summary from amazon makes it seem as though you’ll be hearing lots about each of his adventures but in reality each chapter is fairly short, and his adventures almost seem glossed over. I just wanted more, which I guess isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Always leave them wanting more…

/// Bottom line
Watch the show, then read the book. You won’t be disappointed but be warned, you’re going to want to travel after you’re finished.
xoxo

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