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it’s the little things…

by Kaylah Stroup August 11, 2016

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!

my 26th birthday party

by Kaylah Stroup August 3, 2016

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…

birthday wishlist 2016

by Kaylah Stroup July 19, 2016

The end of July means one thing to me – that my birthday is rapidly approaching! August 2nd! Wooo! I’ve only been counting down the days since…uh… my last birthday? Just a few more weeks now! It’s basically tradition by now to share a birthday wishlist here on the blog so here’s 2016’s list…

1. Yep, still dreaming of owning a full sized skeleton! It’d just fit so perfect with my decor!

2. I somehow don’t own a black camera bag, well not one that looks nice with dresses. This one from Epiphanie sounds awesome! It can even be worn three ways; shoulder, cross-body or as a backpack. How cool is that!?

3. Kat Von D’s tattoo liner in Trooper!

4. This tank top! Because maybe owning something not black and white striped would be okay for once? …Only if it has a cactus on it though.

5. An Ulta gift card would rule! I really do love trying out new make-up and as much as I would love to receive a basket of things I don’t really trust anyone to pick out things for me yet. Top of my wishlist would be Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick. I’ve read such good things about it and I love Stila!

6. I really want a kayak. A few years ago a friend’s mom was talking about how much she loved finding marbles on a secret beach she kayaked to. My interested was piqued then but it wasn’t until recently that Jeff and I started talking about how much fun kayaks would be. There are tons of places nearby to
go, and it really does sound like the best way to spend an afternoon! Totally not picky about what kind or what it looks like right now. As a beginner, I really just want something that will get me around the lake without any leaks! In true if you give a mouse a cookie form, I would need all the fixings to haul it too.

7. Film! Always need film! I have two road trips coming up this summer, and instant film is an essential.

8. Because a girl can never have enough pairs of Palladium Boots! For real though, the more I walk the more I love and appreciate Palladium. This pair would look SO cute with dresses, which is essential for summer!

9. I’m still mourning the loss of my last pair of Joules rain boots. I like this bee pair! I know, who in the heck puts rain boots on their birthday wishlist? I wore mine a ton though. Never really realized just how often until they got a hole in them!

10. This bedding is what my dreams are made of. I prefer comforters instead of duvets and their separate covers but I guess I could make an exception in this case! Seriously, that bed looks PERFECT.

Another short, albeit expensive, list this year. There are lots of non-tangible things that I really want for my birthday as well. Bike rides and ice cream with friends (are you reading this Jake, Anji, Jason? Hi! Put air in your tires!), time spent with family, and of course, a roadtrip or three with my favorite dude. Maybe a trip to an abandoned hospital too? That sounds nice!
xoxo

17-year cicadas – Brood V

by Kaylah Stroup May 31, 2016

Pssst. If you’re not a fan of bugs, you might want to skip this one. I’d rather you scrolled on by than left a comment saying how “gross” this is! 😉

You guys know I like cicadas, right? I have a giant one tattooed on my leg! This obsession started a few years ago when I found a bunch of them in the quiet little cemetery where I often took outfit photos. Look at this lil baby Kaylah! I was / am just enthralled by what neat critters they are.

It’s actually been a few years since I spotted any despite always keeping my eyes peeled. So when the news that the 17-year cicadas would be emerging this year I was stoked! All the news stations around here are covering it, which piqued my interest even more. Of course, there was the chance that the new stations were doing what they do best, exaggerating stories to make them more appealing, but after a little bit of research I figured I better get my butt out there to look or else I’d have to wait another seventeen years for this grand event to happen again!

I wasn’t quite sure where to look but randomly happened to check the Cleveland Metroparks website. They had a whole page on cicadas and just my luck, they were hosting a few cicada walks where you could go, meet up with a group, and look for them together. That’s not really my style but they did list the locations of where they’d be meeting so I figured that was probably the best place to start looking, right?

I drove to a park a half hour away, and huffed and puffed my way around the trail. I found nothing. Hot, sweaty, and annoyed, I called my mom – “Have you seen any cicadas yet?!” I figured since they live in a heavily wooded area my parents would have spotted some if they were out but there were none there yet either.

I hopped back in my car and decided since I was already out and about I’d see if there were any garden centers near by. Google told me my local favorite garden center chain had a location about ten minutes away so I started to head that direction. On my way there I happened upon a cemetery. It looked sufficiently old and I thought if I couldn’t shoot what I came out to shoot I could at least take some photos of a new cemetery. I pulled in and immediately noticed something on the tree. I let out a victorious “hell yeah!”, threw my car in park, grabbed my camera bag, and darted over to the tree. Cicadas everywhere. The tree was covered. They were on headstones. You could barely walk without stepping on them.

white cicada, cicada, ohio, brood v, 2016, 17 year

It’s so incredible to me that these little guys hang out underground for 17 years then when the conditions are right (ground temperatures have reached 64 degrees Fahrenheit) they emerge to molt. Nature is too cool!

Something you may notice from these photos is that a lot of the cicadas had shriveled up wings. If they aren’t able hang downward after emerging they won’t form properly. There are a couple photos in this post, third from top, and second from bottom, that show how the wings are crinkled when they first emerge. This can also be caused by cicadas trampling each other. You can see in the photo above there one decided that directly on top of another was a good place to molt. It seemed like the majority of the adults who had finished drying after molting and stuck around had damaged wings. Judging by the number of abandoned exoskeletons laying around quite a few had already left the immediate area and presumably had fully formed wings.

Super awesome, right?! I’m really stoked about my photos but a little disappointed I didn’t think to take a couple shots that show the just how many there were. I mainly shot individuals as opposed to the whole scene. Hopefully this won’t be the last big group of them I see this year though. I’m planning out going out to look for them in a few other areas where and I’ve got my fingers crossed!

If you’re interested in reading more about these guys, Cicada Mania is a great resource! There is a ton of information. If you’re curious when the periodical cicadas will be emerging in your area, this site has an easy to read chart.
xoxo

Weird fact : I’ve only found cicadas in cemeteries. I’ve literally never seen a single outside of a cemetery. I tried to research this and see if I could find any information on why this might be but I came up empty handed. Is it the kind of tree which happens to be popular in cemeteries? Softer ground? They’re actually performing witchcraft underground for seventeen years?! I have no idea but it’s pretty interesting.

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.

hello, pink hair

by Kaylah Stroup January 12, 2016

pink hair, blue hair, beyond the zone, punky colours

When I make drastic hair color changes I like to share photos on the blog. See here, here + here. Sometimes it feels kind of funny, like right now, which is exactly why I’m over-explaining it. But I enjoy looking back at these posts for a multitude of reasons. One of which being I’m super forgetful. By the time I’ve applied dye to my hair I’ve usually already forgotten what I used. While what color your hair ends up really depends on what color it was previously, at least the way I change colors, it’s nice to have a point of reference for the next time I inevitably make my way back to this color.

I had let the orange grow out more than I normally do. It was probably the longest I had ever let my roots grow. See?! I just didn’t want to give up the orange but I knew if I redyed it I would regret it. When I finally bleached my roots the pieces of hair that bleach ended up on ended up being an even brighter orange then they were, which is sooo typical when you’re ready to switch colors. All that to say my hair was still VERY orange when I applied dye to it.

I decided to try and use only the dye I had in my cupboard. I have a pretty awesome supply of dye on hand. I have basically every color but of course, I didn’t have what I really wanted – any shade of pink. I mixed a boatload of conditioner with Punky Colour Purple for my top layers and used Punky Colour Atlantic Blue for the bottom. It ended up a little bit less perfect than I was hoping. It wasn’t awful but there was too much orange for my tastes. I definitely diluted it too much. You live and you learn, I guess. After all these years each time I dye my hair it’s still kind of like an experiment. You can see it in this post.

These photos are from after I touched up that dye job. I’m so much happier with this than what I ended up the first time around. I haven’t had pink hair in over seven years. It’s kind of a fun change. It sounds funny for someone who has had orange hair for the past few months to say but I haven’t been all that adventurous with my hair this last year or so. I’ve been sticking around colors that I do often and haven’t been branching out into new combinations. This is definitely a new one for me.

This is Beyond The Zone Bubble Head Pink, some more Punky Colour Purple, and I hate to admit it… Ion Color Brilliance in Radiant Orchid on the top layer. I also touched up the Punky Colour Atlantic Blue. I hadn’t used ION Color Brilliance since around the time they came out. I hated them then. They have a lot of nice looking colors though, and the price certainly makes them tempting. I thought maybe in the last four years they’d have improved their product. Nope. The second I started applying it I regretted not being more patient and waiting a day or two to grab some Punky Colours instead. Hilariously enough the color barely even showed up once rinsed out but it sure did make a mess of my shower… and towels …and everything else for like a week. I legitimately don’t even know where it was coming from.

Because the main color used is already fading (Beyond the Zone dyes are an okay stand in but kind of an awful idea for using on the majority of your hair) I’m looking forward to touching it up in a few weeks with a slightly different color combo. Maybe I’ll keep the pink or I might go purple instead. Who knows! For now I’m liking this.
xoxo

Psst. If you have any hair questions or are looking for some tips, check out my hair masterpost!

a few of my favorite posts in 2015 – part two

by Kaylah Stroup January 3, 2016

foxy lady + tramp – in June, late June, July, August, October, and November.

lake erie fog

where I work

my first holiday party

don’t call it a comeback

what we wore : one year

land camera photos // bikes bikes bikes

one year in cleveland!

cleveland snow day

found on the beach

snowy monroe street cemetery

my collection of curiosities – part one + part two

asilomar state beach – tide pools

living room tour

Posting on Sundays isn’t really my thing. Not for any real reason, I just never really do. I guess I like to pretend I have a day off. Hah! Anyway, I just wanted to drop in and leave this here. Another look back at 2015. Posting so many recaps always starts to bug me. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy reading other folks but I guess it just starts to feel repetitive on my end. The thing is though I LOVE looking back through these recaps a few years later (okay, okay, a few months later is usually fun too!) So to future me, 2015 was pretty cool. You’re welcome for the reminder!

To see more of my favorite posts from 2015 check out part one + my favorite outfits of the year!

abandoned greenhouse : round three

by Kaylah Stroup October 26, 2015

Last Sunday, as part of our anniversary adventure, Jeff and I swung by the abandoned greenhouse. We’ve visited in the winter, in the spring and I’ve been not so patiently waiting for the perfect time to go see it in the fall. Alas, it wasn’t as colorful as I had been hoping and dreaming it would be. …At least that’s what I thought while we were there. It wasn’t until I got home, sorted through the photos, and compared them to past visit’s photos that I realized there was some definite color going on in there. It’s kind of funny because that was the same reaction I had the last time we were there.

It’s hard to go into a place like this, that doesn’t really have too many objects to photograph, for the third time and try to find new things to shoot. I honestly wasn’t sure I got anything I really liked but the more I look at them the more I appreciate them, especially that first shot. It’s easily my favorite of everything I shot.

I didn’t plan very well in terms of taking photos that I would easily be able to replicate on future visits to compare the differences. I did take a very similar shot of the car each time though. I found it interesting to open each of the greenhouse posts (links above + below) in a separate tab, scroll to the car shot and click back and forth. My urge to shoot this place in the snow isn’t all that strong considering what I mentioned above about struggling to find new shots of this place but I feel like I need to take that car shot with snow.

One of my favorite things about this spot is that it could easily be overlooked. It’s in a fairly rural area, surrounded by fields, and if you aren’t paying attention you may just drive by it. It could be mistaken for just a large overgrown area. There are a few spots where you can see the glass paneling but otherwise it really doesn’t look like too much from the outside. After entering it’s like being in a jungle. It’s kind of weird because you’re inside of a building but this building is just a frame that is covered in vines. It’s like being outside but you’re inside. …It’s also like I’m trying way too hard to explain this! Heh!

Jeff and I had planned to take outfit photos together and make it a little tradition to do that for every six month anniversary. I was having one of those days though where after every photo I found something “wrong” with myself. We didn’t end up shooting too many of us but I managed to find a few that I just adore. So maybe every six months we won’t get a full outfit post but here’s to hoping we can at least get an adorably cheesy shot together.
xoxo

Find previous abandoned green house posts here: winter without snow, and in the spring.
Unrelated to the greenhouse but way, way cute – Mine + Jeff’s one year anniversary photos.

ONA Camps Bay Review

by Kaylah Stroup October 5, 2015

I’ve been a big fan of ONA for a while now. If you haven’t heard of them before, ONA makes insanely beautiful, high quality camera bags. This whole love affair of mine started back in 2012 when I first spotted their bag, Brooklyn. I eventually got my hands on one which I subsequently blogged about often. here, here + here. That bag and I have been through thick and thin together, and it’s still holding up beautifully. I know their bags are of great quality so I was more than excited when they reached out to see if I’d like to give one of their newest bags a spin.

A few weeks back, ONA released their new Black Collection, three beautiful designs featuring premium nylon, Italian leather accents, and gunmetal hardware. I chose the Camps Bay backpack. I actually really liked Brixton but I have a tendency to carry way more equipment than I need and my shoulders can’t handle that anymore. Anyway now that I’ve had a little while to tote this backpack around I wanted to share a little review.

First things first, this is a solid bag. Not so much in terms of weight, I’m talking about how safe I feel my equipment is inside. When I think backpack I think something soft, malleable, made from a light fabric, etc. This bag, on the other hand, essentially has a shell. The material is stiff but still manages to be comfortable to wear. I’m sure given some more time it will begin to break-in and not be so stiff but I rather enjoy the feel of the bag now.

ONA claims this bag will hold your camera with lens attached as well as seven (!!!) extra lenses. I unfortunately don’t own seven lenses to test that but I’m sure it would. This baby can hold A LOT. I’ve found that by rearranging the dividers I am very comfortably able to hold everything I use regularly, including a polaroid camera which is something I’m never quite sure how to bring along. I love that anything I could want to bring along I can most likely find a way to safely pack it in this bag since all of the interior dividers are removable and adjustable.

Under the flap, and above the main camera area, there is another zipper compartment that I’ve found to be the perfect size for a light lunch or snacks. Along the backside of that compartment is an area for your laptop. The camera bag also has two side pockets. They are a little bit tight but I’m still able fit a water bottle inside. They’re a great size for my shutter release! Basically just about anything you could want to bring along this bag has room for it.

One main downfall I find with this bag is that to get anything out you need to take the bag off, set it down, unbuckle it, and unzip. It’s a bit of a process and there are certain situations where that just doesn’t cut it for me. I might need to get my camera out or switch lenses quickly sometimes and this bag would hinder that. There are other times though when I feel like that this bag is exactly what I want, specifically when I’m on my bike. I don’t need my camera right away and I enjoy the added security this bag provides.

A second setback is the price, currently $409. The bag is obviously beautiful. ONA’s craftsmanship is impeccable. It’s certainly an investment. Out of all the camera bags I own I feel that my equipment is the most safe in this bag. Is it necessary to spend that much to get an awesome camera bag? No but I’m doubting you’ll find something as nice as this one. Ultimately it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it.

All in all, color me impressed by the Camps Bay. It’s beautiful, it’s comfortable, and it can hold a heck of a lot of equipment, which for an over-packer extraordinaire is the best!
xoxo

Thanks to ONA for providing me with the camera bag! All opinions are my own.

PS. I own a handful of other camera bags. If you’d like to see reviews on some of the others in my collection let me know!

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