Tag:

Archive

what I wore: bridal shower ready!

by Kaylah Stroup

heart knee tights

I haven’t been that great at blogging about wedding related stuff. It’s nearly completely consuming my life but at the same time, it’s almost like there isn’t a whole lot to share, at least not that I’m willing to share just yet! What can I say? I like to keep secrets! The biggest thing I want to talk about is my dress but I’m absolutely not spilling the beans until the big day! No one other than my mom has seen it, and she hasn’t even seen it on me. I will absolutely share with you some photos of what I’ll be wearing to my bridal shower brunch though!

I teamed up with David’s Bridal to showcase one of their little white dresses. I wasn’t aware they had so many cute casual options! I also recently discovered the joy of bell sleeves so this little number couldn’t be more perfect. I had planned to pair the dress with some bright color tights but apparently I got rid of all mine at some point. As luck would have it, I did discover these heart knee tights in the bottom of my drawer. No idea where they came from but they’re definitely super appropriate.

Ya girl is ready for brunch and to get married!!!

details
lace dress with bell sleeves c/o David’s Bridal
flower headband c/o David’s Bridal
fringe booties by Alpine Swiss

This post is sponsored by David’s Bridal. Thanks for supporting the companies that help support The Dainty Squid!
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

Friday Favorites #454

by Kaylah Stroup
This post contains affiliate links. For more information on what that means, read here.

Love love loving this sweater!

(via Trove)

It’s taking allll my will power to not buy these earrings right this second. My ears aren’t even pierced yet! (I’ll probably end up getting them soon anyway. They’re super affordable!)

(via Modcloth)

Pretty sure I’m gonna need a pack or two of this pink Polaroid film for my wedding week!

(via Urban Outfitters)

I recently discovered Min & Mon on instagram and was instantly obsessed. Just look at this one!

(via Min & Mon)

Speaking of cute purses, loving these ones!

(via bando)

How pretty is this print!?

(via Aimee Mac Illustration)

This porcelain hand is just my decor style!

(via Flicker & Sway)

This dress looks so comfortable.

(via Bella Ella Boutique)

This giant beach towel is fabulous!

(via bando)

The print on this dress!!! Yes, please!

(via Modcloth)

Link love…

Happy Friday!
xoxo

PS. I have a list of more rad finds here + they’re organized by color!!! Bookmark it, and check back often. I’m always adding things.

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

Tinker’s Creek Cemetery

by Kaylah Stroup

One of my favorite fall traditions is visiting cemeteries. Obviously, if you’ve been following The Dainty Squid for any amount of time you’d know it’s not just a fall thing for me. Buuuut there is something super special about them when the weather starts to get a chill and the leaves litter the ground. Honestly though, everything is better is the fall…

I shot these photos and started this post back in October. Jeff had taken the day off work because he wasn’t feeling well. Luckily, by midday, he was feeling well enough to go on a little adventure with me. It was like a bonus weekend day! I wanted to go check out a new cemetery alas there aren’t many in the area I haven’t already throughouly explored. He ended up suggesting Tinker’s Creek Cemetery. He had actually taken me here on one of our first dates to try and impress me. Whatta guy! I thought it was super awesome but at the time I was still really shy about taking photos in front of him so I didn’t end up shooting anything that day.

These days I’m anything but shy about taking photos so I took my good ol’ time poking around the cemetery while he hiked around the nearby trails. It was rainy, gloomy, and truly just the quintessential fall day. Perfect for finally photographing this old place!

Tinker’s Creek Cemetery is one of those off the beaten path places that always ends up making those lists of “most haunted”. It’s located on the top of a big hill in the middle of a field. You have to park at the bottom, in a small pull off, and hiiiiike. The cemetery is often described as abandoned but rampant vandalism doesn’t actually equal ‘abandoned’. The path there is obvious, and both times I’ve visited it’s been well maintained.

Still, there’s definitely a spooky air to the grounds…

Check out even more interesting graveyards under the “cemeteries” tag!

Save

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

wedding wishlist

by Kaylah Stroup

  1.  I mean, if there were ever an occasion to wear white satin jammies I think it’d be on your wedding trip!
  2. Bride vibes. I’m so anti-everything traditional wedding related but y’all, I’m a sucker for ‘bride’ related things. I can’t help it.
  3. A remote + mini tripod for my phone. This will probably be the only vacation we ever go on with all our favorite people. Obviously, I plan on taking one billion photos but sometimes setting up the big camera and tripod is too much of a pain. I think having a remote and tiny tripod for my phone would be so so so helpful and help ensure I capture a ton of photos of all of us.
  4. All night dance party! We’re not having a traditional reception so no DJ, dance floor or anything like that but I’m sure there will be more than a few happy dances happening. This shirt seems appropriate.
  5. No bad days. Yeah, a sweatshirt in the desert is definitely not a necessity but I really dig this one!
  6. Our wedding day reception involves a pool and while I know the hotel obviously has towels I can’t help but think how cute this giant heart-shaped towel would look in photos.
  7. Dang right I want a ‘bride’ robe!!
  8. Each year, when we go to the desert I drag along more cameras than I need and way too much film. This trip will be even worse. I’m basically planning to bring along all the film I own (a ton!) plus more. I still think this round frame film would make for some stunning wedding portraits. I just feel like film is for capturing special moments and what will be more special than this once in a lifetime trip?!
  9. Lacy white underthings? Yes, please!
  10. You guys, I want these shoes so bad that I had a dream about them. In my dream I had found them NIB at a thrift store for three bucks. Wish that would happen in real life!
  11. Cute, comfy shorts. I don’t feel like I’m alone in the ‘I hate shorts’ boat. It’s not that I don’t love my legs (quite the opposite, actually!) I just feel like shorts are normally super uncomfortable, and never fit the right way. At the end of the summer last year I discovered the joy of non-denim shorts and I’m looking forward to finding a few more specifically for this trip.

Our wedding is sneaking up fast. It went from feeling like it was just ages away to being “oh shoooot, we need to book hotels!” Luckily, everything seems to be going really smoothly. I’m honestly not too stressed about anything.* I was in a bit of a panic about making a registry though. It sounds so dumb (and it definitely is) but finally, once and for all, coming to the conclusion we weren’t going to make a registry felt amazing.

Honestly, what do you get a couple who already lives together? We both already had all the things we needed before moving in together, and after getting our apartment, we had two! Everyone says to ask for better versions of what we have but that just seems wasteful, and totally unnecessary. Jeff couldn’t think of a single thing to put on the list, and the only thing I really want is a fancy vacuum. I can think of all sorts of random odds and ends I’d like for our trip though, hence why I made this list…
xoxo

*Hahaha! JK! Everything is stressful. More wedding talk soon, I promise! Check out the ‘wedding‘ tag if you want to read more right now.

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

abandoned church

by Kaylah Stroup

abandoned church

The very first abandoned building I ever shared photos of on The Dainty Squid was a church. That church is now long gone, and I’ve got a few more under my belt since then but they still haven’t lost their charm to me. Next to schools, I think they might be my favorite type of abandoned building to explore and photograph. Just something special about them!

Feeling like we’ve seen everything abandoned there is to safely see in Cleveland, we haven’t been getting out too much to explore lately. It definitely felt good to discover this hidden gem! An empty church* is always exciting but finding one with so much left behind was a real treat. Hymnals, empty offering envelopes complete with names and amounts written on them, and service programs littered the church. The pastor’s office was especially full of interesting items including a portrait of him and his wife (which if we’re being real here seems a little rude of him to leave behind, right?)

I don’t really have any information on this church or why it closed, all I can offer you today are some pretty photographs…

abandoned pews abandoned church

*Beautiful empty church shot can be found here.

Check out the ‘abandoned‘ tag for more dilapidated buildings, ghost towns, and forgotten cemeteries.
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

what I wore : covered in bugs

by Kaylah Stroup

beetle blouse! overalls + a button up shirt beetle blouse

details
hat – Target
glasses – Louise via Warby Parker
shirt – Bug Me button down by Catalog Classics (no idea why that listing only takes you to one specific size but here’s a link that shows all available sizes)
lapel pin – Caitlin Stout (no longer available)
overalls – TJ Maxx (I also recommend checking out Charlotte Russe if you’re looking for overalls!)
boots – fringe booties by Alpine Swiss

You guys, I found a beetle shirt!!! Last summer I found that beetle dress which was AWESOME but also a bit obnoxious. Obviously that doesn’t stop me from wearing it, and I definitely have a penchant for loud clothing. I also really enjoy wearing things that look moderately normal from a distance but up close reveal something super fun. This shirt falls into that category. Unless you’re really looking at what I’m wearing you might miss the fact that I’m covered in tiny colorful bugs!

I’m always hesitant to purchase button up shirts online since they almost never fit correctly. Hello, gaping buttons. Thank you, boobs. Buuuut when it comes to unique patterns I have a hard time resisting. Happy to report this button up fits like a dream. No gaping, it’s long and isn’t too tight in the shoulders! I’m wearing a size medium, FYI. It’s also super breezy and lightweight. It’ll be a great transitional piece when Spring finally decides to show its face here in Ohio. I’m, clearly, super stoked on this purchase!

Happy Monday!
xoxo

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

Friday Favorites #453

by Kaylah Stroup
This post contains affiliate links. For more information on what that means, read here.

These earrings! So pretty!

(via LaliBlue)

Isn’t this tea canister just the cutest? It contains honey scented black tea!

(via Wolf Tea)

How amazing are these custom paper dolls?! Gah! I want one of Jeff and I. I’d actually really just love to start a collection of portraits of us done by different artists.(via Jordan Grace Owens)

You guys, this dressssss! Modcloth has really been upping their wedding game these last few weeks. I am swooning over this dress. Had I not just bought my dress (ahhh! wooo!) I would definitely have bought this one to at least try on.

(via Modcloth)

~Desert vibes~

(via Lost Lust Supply)

It’ll all be ok!

(via Liz Harry)

How beautiful is this flower crown! It’s actually a DIY kit too!

(via Oh Dina Flower Crowns)

Neon plant lamps! So ca-yoot! Left here, right here.

(via Urban Outfitters)

Digging these sandals! Just all things star print for me, please!

(via Amazon)

This bag!!!

(via Modcloth)

Obsessed with the sleeves on this dress.  A year ago I’d have probably thought this dress was cute except the sleeves now they’re the whole reason I’m digging it!

(via Lulus)

Link love…

If you still haven’t had your share of fun finds, there’s a whole page of them here! I spent a good deal of time putting them in color order this week, so you should definitely check them out.

Happy Friday!
xoxo

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

four years in cleveland

by Kaylah Stroup

very rare photo without bangs in my face. just look at that smile though.

Valentine’s Day marked four whole years in Cleveland. FOUR YEARS! Part of me feels like this post is wholly unnecessary. I’ve written some variation of it a handful of times before, all of which I’ve linked at the end of this post, but what can I say? Ya girl likes to celebrate!

First apartment alone. 2014.

Second apartment. April 2015. Kinda miss those blue walls…sometimes.

Current digs that I share with the man of my dreams. 2018.

I’ve been racking my brain over what I’d type in this post. I knew I wanted to share some photos from the past four years as well as some highlighting how great this last year has been but I wasn’t sure what to write along side them. Moving here was a huge momentous thing. My life is radically different. I’m radically different but it’s getting to the point where it’s no longer a ‘thing’. It just is. I live here. Does that make sense? When people ask where I’m from I tell them where I grew up, not where I lived previous to Cleveland like I used to. Life before here doesn’t really matter.

It’s hard to even remember what life was like back in 2014. I’d say most people probably have a hard time remembering what was going on four years ago but I just feel geniuenly clueless. My life revolved around… well, nothing. There were no bikes, no friends, no road trips, no wandering around at night, and dude, no sushi! GASP!

That girl who was afraid to do anything alone, who always looked out the window before stepping outside so she wouldn’t have to say ‘hi’ to anyone, who – without a doubt – was wasting her life, she could have never dreamed of how great life would be in a few short years. I couldn’t even ride my bike around the block. Now I spend my days counting down until the next time I get to meet up with a 100+ other cyclists to yell ‘Happy Friday!’ to anyone in sight.

Honestly, moving to Cleveland changed me. BIG TIME.

I’ve discovered so much about myself over the last four years. I’m happy that I’ve documented so many of my adventures, and created a space I can look back on to view my growth, especially on days I’m feeling down on myself. There are so many little anxieties that I’ve conquered that I might not even remember having had I not written about them. Creating a ‘before’ and ‘after’ has been so great for my mental health.

Life is really rad, and honestly, it is NEVER too late to start again. Being happy is worth so much more than anything that might be holding you back. Thank you so much for following along + being so very supportive of my journey.
xoxo

2014 office

2015 office

2018 office

Past posts celebrating my move to Cleveland –

▴ six months ▴ one year ▴ read more books ▴ three years

 

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail

valentine’s day 2018

by Kaylah Stroup

Happy Valentine's Day from Professsor

This year I’m hoping to make it a little tradition here on The Dainty Squid to share themed cat photos on holidays. We (meaning Professor and I) started with Christmas and now we’re back with some precious Valentine’s Day photos! I can’t guarantee that there will always be more than one photo per holiday but these were way too cute to try and whittle it down to just a few! I’m sure you won’t mind though…

valentine's day cat

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love all of us here at The Dainty Squid – including this little vampire kitten.

Professor’s bowtie is by Carvas. Highly recommended!
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts