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Abandoned Mill

by Kaylah Stroup December 20, 2017

Throwing it back to November’s road trip again today! After catching the ghost town of Frisco at sunset, Jeff and I headed back to Provo for the night. We had stayed there the night before and found a great hotel at a super price so it seemed like an easy choice to go back that way for a good night’s sleep. Plus there was an In-N-Out like two miles away from the hotel so duh. This was also the time both of us started to feel sick. We slept in as much as possible, which isn’t very late at all since we’re early birds, and then started off on another day of adventure. It was the last full day of our trip so we decided it would be best to start working out way back toward Colorado but before we could do that there was one thing we had to check out!

Located on the side of a mountain in a tiny town in Utah, this now abandoned refinery only operated for a few short years from 1921 to 1925. These days it’s looking a little rough. The ruins that remain are covered in terrible graffiti. But boy, oh boy! They are a sight to behold. I’m not sure my photos can properly shows just how HUGE this place is. It was a pretty tiring hike considering the massive cold my body was trying to fight but wow, what a spot! I don’t think it’d have quiet the impact it does if it didn’t have such incredible views though. Utah is just gorgeous!

Other posts from this trip…

▴ engagement story / Cisco, UT
▴ Antelope Island
▴ Eureka Cemetery
▴ ghost town – Silver City, UT
▴ ghost town – Frisco, UT

Word to the wise : please follow any posted signage at the locations I share photos of.  😉
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we only come out at night

by Kaylah Stroup December 19, 2017

canon 6d mark ii

#ghostkaylah

It seems like every year I end up getting myself one very nice Christmas gift – usually photograghy related. Last year it was a new lens, this year a camera! I had been saving my pennies (still loving Digit, y’all!!) for one of Canon’s newest cameras for a little bit but wasn’t really expecting to purchase for a few months. Then I saw a Black Friday deal I couldn’t resist and just went for it! For the same price that most websites carry the camera for I was able to purchase a bundle that came with a fancy pants photo printer, photo paper, battery grip, memory card, and spare battery!

I felt a little guilty after buying it because big purchases always make me nervous but after finally getting the camera in the mail all of that washed away. I’m absolutely in love with my new beast of a camera. I had been wanting to upgrade to a full frame camera for a while but was adamant that I buy one with a flip screen – something Canon didn’t make until this camera. It’s everything I’ve dreamed of, and has totally renewed my passion!

Getting a new camera was the perfect push for Jeff and I to start wandering around at night again too. We’ve gone out in the cold a handful of times in the last couple weeks to shoot and I just want to share a few of my favorite photos. I had never really played around with night photography, and long exposures until meeting Jeff. I’ve done a pretty good job at documenting my progress so it only feels right I post these as well. I’m particularly fond of the first shot!

canon 6d mark ii long exposure, cleveland, ohio, skyline, canon 6d mark ii

Look how pretty Cleveland is!

All photos taken with a Canon 6D Mark ii, 35mm f/1.4L, and of course, wouldn’t be possible without a tripod!
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a few of my favorite posts 2017 – part one

by Kaylah Stroup December 18, 2017

five of my favorite hair products – I don’t use too many hair products but there are the ones I can’t recommend highly enough!

grow light review – because I can almost guarantee your house plants aren’t getting enough natural light!

five reasons to start geocaching – say ‘hello’ to your new favorite hobby!

fun lighting must-haves! – LEDs behind the TV and uh… a toilet light!!!

five products to help combat facial redness – witch hazel is kiiiind of life changing!

a few of my favorite headstones – ‘specimens’, ‘seldom seen slim’, and of course, Lilly E Gray who was a ‘victim of the beast 666’

how to clean up hair dye messes – because no matter how neat you are it’s basically a fact you’re gonna get hair dye somewhere it shouldn’t be!

2017 bulletin board/wire memo board DIY – saved myself over $100 on this DIY. Literally so simple I couldn’t write a tutorial!

10 things making me smile – just ten photos of the kitty with the world’s biggest personality!

At the end of every year I go a little recap post crazy. I really enjoy browsing my archives, it makes me appreciate my blog so much more. It’s fun to look back and see all the fun things I’ve done, all the awesome photos I’ve taken, and what a great year it actually was. Above are a few of my favorite posts from 2017, these are the more informative posts, as opposed to personal or daily life posts. (That list will be up first thing next week!)
xoxo

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Friday Favorites #444

by Kaylah Stroup December 15, 2017
This post contains affiliate links. For more information on what that means, read here.

Lovin this resin pin!

(via Modcloth)

Oh my gosh! Goats of Anarchy 2018 Calendar! (Of course, there is an instagram account as well if you need some cute goats in your life!)

(via Amazon)

Well, this cat shaped bag is adorable!

(via Ted Baker)

Staying on the cat theme here, look at this fabulous dress. There is even a matching shirt, tote bag, and backpack!

(via Cath Kidston)

Ice cream lamp!

(via Urban Outfitters)

These shoes are such an awesome color. They’d look excellent paired with a black and white striped dress.

(via Lotta from Stockholm)

This dressssss!

(via Modcloth)

Obsessed with this eye pouch!

(via Anthropologie)

I’m outta here!

(via ban.do)

Finally an instax photo album that is actually cute!!

(via Urban Outfitters)

Link love…

  • A rainbow Christmas tree!!!
  • Lemon dress!
  • I’m practically drooling over this giant bean bag chair. Can you even imagine how comfortable that is?! I think I’d have to fight with my pets over who gets to lay in it though…
  • Bubble wrap calendar. SO COOL!
  • Pizza sleeping bag for ADULTS!
  • Its one of those super cute lightboxes buuuut it changes colors!!
  • A shirt with cactus and flying saucers!

Happy Friday!
xoxo

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what I wore : put a seagull on it

by Kaylah Stroup December 14, 2017

the dainty squid, kaylah doolan, ohio blog, cleveland, fashion blog pistachio palladium boots what I wore, the dainty squid overalls, black overalls, the dainty squid, kaylah doolan, green hair

details
hat – stolen from Jeff
glasses – BonLook
coat – Columbia rain jacket
sweater – ???
overalls – Charlotte Russe
boots – Palladium Boots (depending on your size & what color you choose in this style they’re wildly inexpensive for what you’re gettin!)

Another overall outfit. What can I say? They’re kind of my jam! At least this one doesn’t include a striped shirt though. Ya know, like the other four times I’ve shared an outfit featuring overalls. See – 1, 2, 3 + 4. I guess, like they say ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ but I think the end of that quote is ‘put a bird on it!’

This outfit feels a bit different from everything else I share. A bit more utilitarian than most, I suppose. I definitely do love dressing up but let’s be real here – it’s not an every day thing. I’m equal parts ‘girly girl’ and ‘tom boy’. I love frilly dresses but I also really love my overalls. Something like this is what you’d most likely catch me in if you saw me out and about. I’m especially digging beanies these days. A beanie and braids have been my lazy day go-to! Probably the only good thing about cold weather.

xoxo

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enamel pin gift guide!

by Kaylah Stroup December 13, 2017

lapel pins, enamel pin, gift guide, flair, pin game

1. crescent moon // 2. in cats we trust (dog version!) // 3. death before decaf // 4. yeah! // 5. Guy Fieri // 6. glow in the dark tooth // 7. readers gonna read // 8. skeleton // 9. coffee for life // 10. monstera leaf // 11. golden pretzel // 12. pizza lover // 13. kind is cool // 14. feminist cat // 15. lemon // 16. wowe doge // 17. dogs r ppl, too // 18. Uncle Fester // 19. library cat // 20. Mrs. Doubtfire // 21. Barbara from Beetlejuice // 22. pink house // 23. nothing better than sweater weather // 24. chameleon // 25. let’s trade cuttings // 26. eat more pizza // 27. donut // 28. succulent terrarium // 29. boss babe // 30. prickly pear // 31. donut with legs // 32. so salty // 33. stay woke // 34. alligator // 35. potted cactus // 36. trouble // 37. lungs

Last week I shared 30 gift ideas for your ~weird~ friend, today I’m back to share 37 super rad enamel pins! Pins are an awesome gift because they’re inexpensive and give you the opportunity to show just how much you really know about your friend. There is one out there for basically every single interest they could possibly have! Hopefully this list will give you some good ideas on where to start looking. Enjoy! xoxo

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ghost town – Frisco, UT

by Kaylah Stroup December 12, 2017

ghost town, travel blog, offbeat travel blog

Unlike Silver City, we had the ghost town of Frisco on our radar before even leaving Ohio. I was super stoked to visit. The photos I had found online looked rad, and the cemetery sounded right up my alley. Sadly, we arrived a biiiit too late in the day to see everything. While the sun was still in the sky when the navigation announced we had arrived, it was setting fast. Frisco isn’t located right in view of the road, and is kind of hard to see especially that time of the day. If you weren’t looking for it, you very well might cruise right on past.

We turned down an unmarked street… perhaps it’d be better to call it a ‘path’ though. It was dirt, it was rough, and it was a bit much for our tiny rental car. We also weren’t sure we were heading the right way. So, we tossed it in reverse and headed toward a second dirt path which seemed to be in even worse condition but did have a few ruins visible off in the distance. We pulled over as much as possible, not that being in anyone’s way would ever be a problem there, grabbed our camera bags, and ran to the ruins hoping to catch the last of the day’s light.

We stayed until the light had completely left the sky, which wasn’t very long after we arrived. Jeff seemed excited about his photos, so that made me excited, but I wasn’t expecting much from what I had shot.

ghost town, offbeat travel, utah, sunset in the desert Frisco ghost town, the dainty squid, utah, travel blog,

Fast forward to last week when I finally got around to sorting the photos from this stop, I LOVE THEM!! Like love love loooove them.

I know, I know, I talk about how special these trips are all the time. In nearly every roadtrip post I moon over how they’re always the best weeks of my life… and they are! I love being out on the open road with Jeff. There’s no place I’d rather be. We have so much fun, and see so many incredible things. It’s not all peaches and cream though. Sometimes we forget to eat and run out of energy before finishing exploring a location. Sometimes our rental car is a piece of crap. Aaaand sometimes we don’t plan well enough and show up to a location too late to really shoot it to it’s fullest potential. But maybe that’s what makes these places so great. I love our hectic vacationing style. I love cramming a million sights into one trip. It forces you to appreciate what’s in front of you that second. There’s no sense in fretting about what could have been or how great it’d have been if only this or that happened.

Being able to see Frisco with those gorgeous colors in the sky was just a dream! We didn’t have long, and it was incredibly cold but it was perfect. I love that we left feeling like it was this magical place that held so many secrets.

Other posts from this trip…

▴ engagement story / Cisco, UT
▴ Antelope Island
▴ Eureka Cemetery
▴ ghost town – Silver City, UT

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Christmas Wishlist 2017

by Kaylah Stroup December 11, 2017

  1. Slip-on Vans. A nice pair of slip-on shoes is basically an essential for me. I use them when I take Klaus out and on walks, when I run to the store, and anytime I’m too lazy to put on other shoes. The pair I currently have are completely falling apart. I literally wore them to shreds. It’s time for a new pair!
  2. Light ring. Because I’d love to be able to take photos even after it gets dark inside!
  3. Winking face pillow. I had loved this pillow for so long. It’d look lovely on my blue couch beside the other black and white pillows I have.
  4. Tiny, creepy baby dolls. A tiny porcelain doll purchased for $2 at an estate sale sparked a new obsession for me earlier this year. I now want to collect small, creepy, old, porcelain dolls. I don’t know what it is about them but I just love them so much. I’m not super picky – they just have to be creepy, like the one pictured above, not made of plastic, and small enough to fit on a shelf.
  5. Polaroid 600 film with circle frame. This is more a purchase I want for our wedding buuuut whatever. I love the circle frame and think that photos of Jeff and I all dressed up would just be gorgeous!
  6. Giant light bulb. Sooo, um, I almost started a house fire? I had Christmas lights strung up around the ceiling in my office. I happened to look up and notice that there were burn marks on the wall. I immediately unplugged the lights and ripped them down. Come to find there are burn marks the entire way around the room! The lights apparently got very, very hot. I’m just so thankful I caught it before anything happened. All that to say that it’s really dark in my office now that I don’t have that extra lighting. I really enjoyed how cozy the Christmas lights made the room. I’m not a fan of  regular overhead lighting so I need to find a way to light the room cool like before. I think that something like this giant bulb pendant would be perfect.
  7. Bird leg table. Ugggh. This table, man! So good!
  8. Swiss army knife. My swiss army knife got confiscated at the airport. I always keep it in my camera bag and apparently completely forgot to take it out before leaving on our last road trip. It made it through Cleveland’s airport security (way to go, guys!) but on our way home the Denver airport pulled my bag and searched it. I could not for the life of me think what would be triggering the search so when I was repeatedly asked “what’s in the bag?” I was like “Nothing?!” since I hadn’t added anything to the bag while we were on the trip. The guy eventually found it and I felt like the biggest dingus alive. Anyway, I used my knife, specially the scissors, all the time to make bouquets. I miss it so much!
  9. Prosthetic eye. In all my years of collecting oddities, this is the one thing that continues to elude me!
  10. Canon L series macro lens. Is it really a Christmas wish list if I don’t put one really expensive piece of camera equipment on it? I upgraded my camera body this year thanks to an incredible black friday sale and I now need a an L series macro lens to go with it.
  11. TONYMOLY banana lip balm. Banana errrrything, please and thank you.
  12. Forrest Gump lapel pin. Forrest Gump is my all time favorite movie so I think it’s pretty clear why I need this pin.
  13. Sally Hansen Insta-Dri nail polish. Obsessed with this brand. I liked the original but the improved Insta-Dri line is seriously amazing. I’ve got three colors so far and am looking to add to the collection!

What are you hoping is waiting under the tree for you this year?
xoxo

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Friday Favorites #443

by Kaylah Stroup December 8, 2017
This post contains affiliate links. For more information on what that means, read here.

I’m on this weird pom pom kick right now so I am definitely LOVING these shoes! There are five different colors to choose from too.

(via Anthropologie)

Obsessed with this silly sweater!

(via Modcloth)

Cat measuring cups!

(via Anthropologie)

YES!

(via Modcloth)

Eye always love a good notebook!

(via Urban Outfitters)

Welp, this apron is fantastic!

(via Uncommon Goods)

Ca-yooooot!

(via Anthropologie)

Earlier in the week I saw a lady at Target wearing plaid pants just like these with a bright red coat and I immediately knew I needed a pair.

(via Urban Outfitters)

Ooooh! Lovin’ this bedding set!

(via H&M)

I love this skirt. Miiiiight be super cute for engagement photos??!

(via Modcloth)

This blanket! Holy smokes!

(via Urban Outfitters)

Link love…

  • TACO CAT BED. Yeah, worth all cap-ing about, right?! So cute!
  • Grilled cheese socks! Corn socks! French Fry socks!!! I just love socks!
  • I’m pretty sad that this ridiculous cat overall dress most likely wouldn’t fit me. Tiny people reading this, pleeeease buy that and wear it for me!
  • A cowboy cat costume. This is one of those things you need to go look at because the customer review photos are to die for!
  • Hello adorable striped dress!
  • Flower petal shaped soap pieces for making your bath feel super luxurious.

Happy Friday!
xoxo

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About Me

About Me

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I'm Kaylah! Renovating a 150-year-old home in Northeast Ohio. Likely found in my garden.

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THE DAINTY SQUID
  • blog
    • all the posts!
    • stroup mansion
    • some of my favorite posts
    • plants + gardening
    • beauty, fashion + hair
    • reviews
    • window shopping
    • explore everywhere
  • about me
  • contact
  • shop