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some of my favorite posts

things I loved in March

by Kaylah Stroup April 2, 2019

▴ Jade facial roller. I’m a little late to this party. These jade rollers were all the rage a year ago but excuuuuse me, I am here now. I don’t necessarily like that they advertise it as “anti-aging” and that you’ll be saying “goodbye to lines and wrinkles” because that very much feels like a stretch. That being said, holy smokes, it’s relaxing!

I have mine sitting on my bedside table so each night, after washing my face, I lay in bed and use the jade roller. Some nights I don’t use it with any product, other times I use it to roll in Herbivore Botanical’s orchid facial oil (which feels ultra luxurious!) It makes my skin feel plump and smooth. It’s not an effect that lasts forever obviously but it does truly relax me which definitely counts for something!

If you’re someone who likes to rub your face when you’re sleepy, I think you’d love a jade roller!

Jade face roller + Herbivore Botanicals Orchid

▴ Revlon Kiss Cushion Lip Tint in Naughty Mauve. Ugh. Naughty mauve? Why?! Worst name ever aside, I LOVE this stuff. Love it so much I bought it twice, actually. The first time I bought it on a whim, got it home, tried it on and instantly loved it. I went to find it the next day and it was missing. I searched high and low. I looked every single place possible and eventually came to the conclusion I must have accidentally thrown it away. I sucked it up and bought a second because I just couldn’t stop thinking about how much I liked the color and consistency.

I love lipstick. I want to wear it more often but I stress whether or not its worn off in a funny way. Obviously, the solution for most people is just to, uh…ya know, check but I really do hate having to touch up anything throughout the day. I just want to put something on in the morning and not worry about it again. That’s my make up style – one and done! This lip tint works for me because it wears off nicely. It looks excellent when you first apply it and as the day goes on, you eat, drink, etc, it wears off evenly. At the end of the day I have lightly stained lips which is ideal!

Revlon Kiss Cushion Lip Tint - Naught Mauve

*It also fits perfectly in my standard sized pouches. I love* *this jackalope print* *so much I had to steal one for myself.*

▴ Joules ankle rain boots. I have been a big fan of Joules rainboots for quite a few years now. I have a pair of their taller rainboots that I get a ton of use out of but I wanted a more casual pair. Honestly, something I could wear to the beach and then go grocery shopping in on a sunny day without feeling like a goofball in. These fit the bill perfectly. They’re comfortable and they keep my feet dry so I can search for treasures along the shoreline. Plus they are covered in a cute raindrop pattern! What more could you want?

I will say that I think they run a bit large. I’ve noticed in reviews of Joules products people always mention not buying their regular size. For my mid-calf height pair, I bought my normal size. Never once have I felt like they were anything other than perfect. Despite the reviews warning otherwise, I went ahead and bought this shorter style in my normal size as well. They definitely feel a bit big. If I were to purchase another short pair in the future I’d probably size down.

Still, a great purchase! I love Joules boots!

▴ Speedball Rubber Stamp Making Kit. I already wrote a whole post about how much I loved this kit! (Read that here!) It’s perfect for anyone looking to carve their own stamp or give lino cutting a try. No complaints here! I’m just stoked to have a new hobby to play with.

▴ Thigh high socks. I own many thigh high socks alas I am always on the hunt for the next best pair. I think I may have finally found them. These bad boys stay in place all day long, don’t get baggy after hours of wear and perhaps most importantly, aren’t snagged easily. They’ve certainly gotten their fair share of use this last month and aren’t showing any signs of wear yet.

I bought the set with one gray pair and one black pair. I’m already considering buying a second set because I wear them so often.

One last thing…

▴Tubi. Have y’all heard of Tubi yet? It is a 100% free streaming service. I’ve only been using for a few days now but I AM STOKED to have discovered it. We have both Hulu and Netflix but sometimes it can feel like there’s nothing left to watch. (I marathon movies while I sew!) Tubi has lots of big names movies that I recognize and tons of other stuff that is 100% new to me. So many documentaries! YES!

Obviously, it is supported by commercials but they’re no worse than if you were watching cable. I take that back, sometimes they’re very randomly placed. For a legal free way to watch tons of movies and TV shows that I don’t have access to anywhere else though, it rocks!

Did you try anything new & awesome in March? Tell me all about it! xoxo

adventures in stamp carving

by Kaylah Stroup March 31, 2019

When I first started The Dainty Squid I blogged about… well, everything. Some of my oldest posts featured silly sewing projects like a catnip filled kitty mat and the one quilt I started but never finished. I talked about the hunt for my first house in great detail and rambled on about just about everything. Sometime between then and now I decided to focus more on finished projects and adventures, things I had already mastered or was already decided on. Two reasons for doing this – 1. Sharing a lot online is weird and sometimes you need to step away to protect yourself mentally. 2. It really cleaned up the blog to not just be posting about every single thing ever.

For a while, it didn’t really occur to me that this was kind of taking away what made The Dainty Squid special because I wasn’t creating (aside from photos.) Now that I’m back to sewing and other creative ventures I’m wanting so badly to share more but feeling like I don’t really know how these days. In the past three months, I’ve grown so much in my sewing but aside from a quick photo or two in my instagram stories I haven’t even mentioned it on the platform I literally started to talk about that type of thing.

Friday night though, I did something I have to blog about!

I carved my very first stamp.

Okay, not a huge deal. Lots of people do this in high school art class or even take a college class that requires it. Not me though, I have never ever carved a stamp in my life. You should also know that I’m the kind of person who wants to try everything but gets pissed off and quits when they try something for the first time and aren’t automatically excellent at it.

I’ve been feeling so inspired lately with my sewing that its really just lit my creative fuse. I obviously want my sewing to be profitable but I also want it to be fulfilling. That’s a very important piece of the puzzle that was missing the first time around. (I wrote a little about that here the other day.) These days I’m allowing myself the time to sew for fun, to doodle on my iPad, and experiment with other hobbies that interest me.

Stamp carving was something I had been wanting to try for a while now but always felt like I wasn’t talented enough to do. I still don’t think I’m naturally gifted at drawing but I do think that if you practice at something enough you’ll definitely improve. I’d drawn up these dentures based on a pair in my collection and thought they’d make the perfect subject for my first stamp. (Same drawing used in this fabric I had printed! It’s kinda fun to see it in different mediums.)

I sat down, reminded myself my first stamp was sure to absolutely suck but that it was okay and got to work. A short time later I scurried away into my office to do a test print and reemerged with a massive beaming smile as my little experiment had been a success.

So, it’s not perfect but HOLY SMOKES, I AM PROUD. It was the last thing I thought about before I fell asleep that night and the first thing I thought of on Saturday morning. I’ve already bought another carving block so I can make more. You best believe I’m thinking about making a bigger one of a very similar print for my jean jacket.

Consider this your reminder that its okay to create just for fun, that experimenting is good & you’re probably going to suck at things when you first try them (but sometimes you don’t and that might be the best feeling everrrrr!)

I used Speedball’s rubber stamp making kit. It has everything you need to get started so it’s perfect for first-timers. (Plus it’s cheap!) I also picked up screen printing ink since I knew I wanted to print on fabric and a foam brayer because I read that foam works better when you’re printing on fabric. BOOM. Everything you need. Now go make something!

Also, I really am going to try to get back into the habit of posting about projects as I work on them instead of only when they’re finished. Hope you’re ready for the sewing posts that are sure to be heading your way!

abandoned church

by Kaylah Stroup March 27, 2019

Still loving this camera bag. Read my review of it here.

Another leave-the-house-before-the-sun-even-rises weekend adventure. This time, an abandoned church.

We had actually scoped this place out a couple of years back but couldn’t find a way inside. I didn’t realize that’s where we were heading on this trip or else I might have protested. I woke up moments before we drove past and immediately spotted exactly how we’d get inside. It was comically easy, especially considering how tightly it was sealed on our previous visit. It’s incredible how quickly a building can go from useable to completely wrecked once it’s abandoned.

The most interesting thing to me about this church was, without a doubt, the stained glass windows! I’ve been in my handful of abandoned churches but never one with this many gorgeous, colorful windows. This spot has been abandoned for a while and suffered quite a bit because of it. There was a massive hole in the middle of the floor, the drywall from the ceiling and walls is missing and the balcony was threatening to collapse but surprisingly the majority of the windows were intact. I’m not sure how much longer they’ll last before vandals destroy them though. I hope someone saves them!

abandoned church with stained glass windows

Aside from the gorgeous windows, there wasn’t too much to see. Just a giant empty room and a dark empty basement. Seems like we were a little late, photos from just a couple years back show the church with white walls and pews. I’m curious what it’ll look like in another year.

Use the ‘abandoned‘ tag to view more posts on forgotten buildings across the US. (Here’s another church!)
Also, be sure to check out my husband’s book – Abandoned Cleveland.

10 things making me smile

by Kaylah Stroup March 19, 2019

This excellent vinyl decal which I absolutely had to buy after seeing a car on the road with it. (Find it here. Also, please tell your dog I said hi!)

Finding a swing under a bridge (+ making it out and back without getting wet!)

Weekend mornings at our coffee spot. There’s just a real nice feeling when the person behind the counter already knows your order.

Fun shadows.

Tiny dinosaurs invading the neighborhood.

Growing a tiny tree in the house! (More on my avocado propagation adventures here.)

Squid who as soon as I squat down to take her photo ALWAYS hops up to come get pet.

Icy Lake Erie.

This creep and his most prized possession.

Sending pretty mail out into the world. For the record, spending a tiny bit more to order fancy bubble mailers is totally worth it.

Other good things on my mind: ▴ all the sunshine we’ve been having in Ohio ▴ deciding what I want to do for my 30th birthday in 2020 & starting both a qapital and digit goal for it ▴ when coffee made at home turns out juuuust right ▴ Professor burrowing under the blankets ▴ Shrill (available to watch on Hulu!) Oh gosh, I loved the book but wow I looooved the show ▴ A lifetime of kitten cuddles ▴ getting my cuticles back in order after winter wreaked havoc on them ▴ I was a pizza commercial last month!!! (This was way out of my comfort zone but also so so so much fun. I can’t wait to see the finished product!) ▴ clean sheets and a fluffy new pillow ▴ making & actually keeping exercise goals ▴ the fact its almost warm enough to be out on my bike all the time

What’s making you smile today?
xoxo

PS. Can’t recommend this gratitude journal enough!

collection of curiosities 2019

by Kaylah Stroup March 13, 2019

Its been a while since I shared any photos of my cabinet of curiosities! Although I’ve shared photos of my living room in this apartment, I haven’t even taken any specifically of my curiosities. These last few weeks I’ve been on a spring cleaning kick so when I dusted everything off here and rearranged I knew it was time to get some updated photos. (That living room post definitely needs updated as well! Soon!)

I’m essentially at the point where I have so much stuff in my collection of weird stuff (skulls, taxidermy, misc bones, medical models, etc) that I have my own mini museum. I even have a good portion of stuff stored away because there simply isn’t room in this apartment to display it. My dream home definitely includes a room with tons and tons of shelves that can be used to show off my oddities.

Even though I live with these things and see them literally every single day, seeing them like this gets me excited about them all over again!

*Whiskers from Klaus, Professor + Squid*

Sources – The cabinet is a lucky auction find. It cost a whopping ten dollars. Most items were found at auctions, estate sales, random websites across the internet, the trash (seriously…), and sometimes folks are even nice enough to send me things that would fit in my collection perfectly.

I’ve compiled more related finds here if you’re in the market for some oddities of your own.

found on the frozen beach

by Kaylah Stroup March 7, 2019

Only 13 days until spring!

Lake Erie is still frozen. New treasures appear each random (and 100% appreciated) day of warm weather tha allows some of the ice built up on the shore to melt.

Nothing too spectacular on my last visit. Not even a single toy soldier. I appreciate any burst of color this time of the year though.

xoxo

CHECK OUT MORE ‘FOUND ON THE BEACH” POSTS HERE!

If you like my ‘found on the beach’ collections – prints, phone cases, and more can be found here.

abandoned trailer park 2019

by Kaylah Stroup March 6, 2019

Four years ago Jeff and I discovered what would quickly become one of my most favorite abandoned places. This former vacation hot spot is a place we visit nearly every year, and some times more than once. Colorful trailers and cozy cottages line a small overgrown road. Each one filled with personal items. It’s like one day everyone just left and never came back.

Despite having visited so many times it always feels so new and exciting!

One of the most shocking differences this visit was how overgrown it was. Our very first visit was in March of 2015. It was still technically winter so it was quite barren. I remember being completely enthralled by the line of brightly colored trailers. When we returned in June of the same year I was shocked at how grown up it was. The green of the leaves was overwhelming. I even noted in a post from that visit that toward the end of the road there were some trailers so completely overgrown with trees, and other plants if you weren’t specifically looking for them you could easily miss them.

This visit was similar, I was overwhelmed by the growth except there were no leaves. Small trees have started growing into something a bit more substantial. Most of the small cabins near the front of the property were actually hard to get into. My winter jacket and double layer of pants protected me not only from the cold but from the briars. Squeezing my way into some of those spots in a tshirt and shorts seems unthinkable. I also imagine that once the leaves make a return most of the cabins will be nearly invisible.

2019
2016
2015

The trailer park is the only spot I can think of that I’ve ever been where after visiting so many times I still feel like there is tons more to shoot. I never leave feeling completely satisfied. There’s always something more I could have looked at, another door I could have went through. This basically guarantees that each visit I find some new detail I absolutely love and wonder how I could have possibly missed it before. (The made bed a couple of shots above caught my attention this time.)

This chair though! I’ve been taking a photo of it every time we go just to document its decay. It’s barely recognizable these days. When summer comes around again it’ll probably go missing in the tall grass.

Until next time, trailer park.
xoxo

Check out past posts from this location – March 2015, June 2015, May 2016, March 2017 & May 2017.

TDS shop update!

by Kaylah Stroup February 21, 2019

Okay, I obviously have to lead with this photo of THE dainty Squid doing quality control. SO CUTE!

I’ve been working my buns off the last couple weeks on a big update for the shop. This morning over 50 new listings went live. Two brand new sizes, and a bunch of new prints. I’m so excited to finally share!

New size number 1 – above – the XL flat bottom pouch! Since before I even officially opened up people have been requesting larger and larger pouches. I thought my flat bottom pouches were a nice size but after making this bad boy I realize maybe they are a bit more petite than I previously thought. The XL flat bottom pouch measures approximately 9 inches (23cm) at its widest point by 4.5 inches (12cm) tall. The flat bottom is 2.5 inches (6cm) across. It’ll hold a lot!

New size number 2 – above – the clutch! The first one of these I made was kind of an accident. I had cut the fabric for something else too short and decided to just add another piece of fabric on top of that. It looked precious! I knew I had to make a few more and thats how this little line of one of a kind clutches came to life. I only have seven of them right now so don’t hesitate if theres one you have your eye on. Each one even comes with a handmade zipper pull. (I am 100% obsessed with the zipper pulls! I wish I could add them to EVERYTHING, alas it’d take up all of my time making that many of them!)

Check it all out here!
xoxo

A letter to 2014 Kaylah

by Kaylah Stroup February 14, 2019

Dear 2014 Kaylah,

You’re moving to Cleveland today!

I’m proud of you for doing something so incredibly out of your comfort zone. You can count the number of times you’ve been in the city on your hands so even now, I’m surprised you decided thats where you wanted to move. I guess you just knew. These next five years will be a wild ride! Giving up all you worked so hard for at a young age sucks (yes, definitely referring the house!) but its 100% worth it. You already know that though…

In your first year in the city, you lean hard into your new friends. They teach you so much about life and about yourself. Some of these friendships regrettably don’t last but you’ll think about those people and how grateful for them you are often. You’ll also meet a man that you end up marrying. HELL YEAH GIRL! He’s really cute and your family LOVES him! He’s going to oversleep and miss your first date, make sure to razz him about it until the end of time.

Three years into your new life you’ll make the cover of Cleveland Magazine. Nope, I’m not lying. THE COVER. You’ll get that news on a day that you really push yourself out of your comfort zone so those two things will always be linked together and ultra special. You also ate some really great pizza that day. Stop talking about it and get back there already, ya dingus.

Things change so much that in five years time, you won’t even remember what life used to be like. The only reason you even remember some of the anxieties you used to have is because you write about them, some publicly and some privately for yourself. Journaling will be so good for you. It’ll help you heal, grow, and best of all, recognize your growth. Know how you’re afraid to bike around the block? Soon you’ll be crushing city streets on two wheels! It’s the best feeling in the world.

Moving to the city opens you up to so many new opportunities. Take them all! Say yes to bike rides, dinner with people you just met (their names are Stefany and Wade and they’re really fun!), and any opportunity to travel! I know right now you’ve only been on like one real road trip but they actually become a pretty regular thing for you. Push your friends to go on more of them with you.

Over the next five years, you’ll fall in love many times. With a bicycle, with food, with the city, with Lake Erie, with a man that knows exactly how to take care of you and most importantly, with yourself! That sounds cheesy but it’s true.

Just wanted to let you know life in 2019 is amazing. Things won’t always be easy but you’ll always be reminded that you did the right thing moving to the city. Keep your chin up & always always always say yes to new adventures!
xoxo

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