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2017 bulletin board / office sneak peek!

by Kaylah Stroup
bulletin board

Almost as long as The Dainty Squid has had a home online I’ve been sharing photos of what my bulletin board looks like at the beginning of each year. This is my sixth year of bulletin boards! Links to past years at the bottom of the post. I try to change things up at the end of each year. I like to take everything down, and start over. I enjoy the fresh start, and any excuse to redecorate is fine by me. This year I actually moved on the first, and just before that I finally thrown out that old bulletin board I had been using for all these years. I had a very specific look in mind for my new office and it certainly didn’t include a nearly ten year old cork board that was so well used it was missing chunks.

A while back I spotted this wire grid wall over on Urban Outfitters’ website. It was love at first sight. I knew immediately that was exactly what I wanted in my office. The only issue was the price. It’s 100% not worth that much money…like ever. No matter how cutesy it is or how well they photograph it – it’s just wire. I tried buying gridwall online but was always confronted with the issue of super high shipping costs or having to buy in bulk. I hunted all over for something similar at stores like Lowes, and Home Depot. I figured they’d have some fencing that would work but I just kept coming up empty handed. I eventually found this one which is gorgeous, gold, and has accessories you can buy but it was a bit smaller than I wanted. I had pictured my new memo board as the focal point of the room.

As a last resort I called my dad to ask if he had anything I could use. He was a bit confused by what in the world I wanted it for but suggested an old dog crate he had in the garage. I wasn’t completely sold on the idea of using a dog crate but figured it was worth a shot since I wasn’t having luck anywhere else and was more than ready to get started on my office. I had my dad trim it into rectangle for me then I dragged it home. Two coats of spray paint later aaaand it’s exactly what I had pictured all along. So, I ended up spending a grand total of six dollars and nineteen cents on this project and that was just for the pretty gold clips I’m using to hang things with.

It was annoying process trying to find the supplies to do this project without spending a fortune. There were even a few moments where I was like “Screw it, I’m buying the one from Urban! I don’t even care anymore!” But I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out, especially after hanging some stuff on it.

I say this every single time I share photos of the office I’m currently in at the time but this is my favorite one so far! My style feels a lot more developed than it was even last year. Despite the fact I still have a few projects I want to work on, such as painting that Ikea cart (you know the one, the one that everyone owns!) and hanging things on the wall, this office is looking gooood! For now I just have a bunch of photos of my snazzy dog crate heh! and a few peeks at other corners but you can definitely expect to see a full room tour as soon as I finish up.

bulletin board, gridwall, office
the dainty squid, office, blogger,

Sources;
office chair 
gold binder clips 
tooth print
give me coffee or give me death patch
tooth patch
black cat print
where is my mind print
Rug is from TJ Maxx. Calendar is from Target’s dollar section. Shark trash can was thrifted. Portrait of Professor by Emily Ledbetter.



Take a peek at past year’s bulletin boards here – 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 + 2016.

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the critters

by Kaylah Stroup

It’s been just around one month in the new apartment, and things have been so incredible here I figured it was time for a pet update. That and I have a whole bunch of cute photos of them that I want to share. In the first post that I shared an update on the new place I mentioned how the animals were behaving much better than expected. When I moved to my first apartment alone back in 2014, the cats hid in the litter box for nearly a week. They were absolutely terrified and were honestly quite skittish the entire time I lived there. In my next apartment they hid for a few days after moving but quickly warmed up, and made the place their own. With this move, I expected they’d hide for a few days then everything would go back to normal. I was mistaken. There was no hiding and almost immediately they were out exploring their new surroundings. Its obvious they are SO happy here, and were from basically the second they walked in.

I’m sure the fact that this apartment is completely brand new and doesn’t have any smells that belong to other animals is probably a big part but I would also venture to guess that they sense how happy their people are and that makes them happy. I know, or at least I firmly believe, that animals can read our emotions and do their best to respond in what they feel is an appropriate manner. Despite any reservations Jeff and I had about moving in together I think it’s safe to say things have been better than ever! Judging by how happy the cats and Klaus have been I’d say they agree.

Some of the biggest breakthroughs since moving;

▴ Squid tolerates Klaus! One of the biggest reasons I wanted to adopt a puppy instead of a full grown dog was because I wanted the cats to be able to teach that pup who was boss from the start.  I didn’t want to worry about this new dog hurting my babies. My plan worked out a little too well. Squid, without even putting much effort into it, somehow communicated to Klaus that she was the one in charge. For the longest time he wouldn’t even enter a room if she was in there. If I was on one side of the house and he was on the other but Squid was in the middle, he refused to run past. These days they’re more than happy to share the couch, even if I’m not in the middle. They often lounge in the same ray of sunshine, and sometimes even share food. Cats, obviously, aren’t supposed to eat dog food but Squid randomly became interested in stealing pieces from Klaus’ dish last week.

▴ Klaus and Professor are thiiiiis close to cuddling. Last March I caught them in bed together – not touching or anything – and it was such a big deal I wrote a whole post about it chronicling their relationship. Read that here! This last month has been full of instances like that. Professor is even totally comfortable laying on top of Klaus when I’m around which absolutely kills me. It’s taking forever but I have hope I’ll eventually catch them cuddling.

▴ Squid is seriously just a new cat. She has always been a little reserved but since living here she has been so free! She’s always somewhere rolling on her back, showing off her belly. I’ve had Squid since she was six months old, nearly ten years, and she’s more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her in her entire life. She was my first cat, and it wasn’t until I adopted a second that I realized she was the kind of kitty that would have preferred to be the only one in the house. It always seemed like she was happiest when all the other animals were in another room. These days that same relaxed happy cat I had only seen when it was just me and her is out all the time! Squid is living loud (literally, so many squeaky little meows!) and proud these days.

I love this photo of Professor. He looks so chubby and content sitting in the sunshine in his new home.

So yeah, that’s how things have been lately, and it’s awesome. Seeing the animals so happy makes me happy.
xoxo

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project 365 : 21 – 29

by Kaylah Stroup
21 : 365 Warm winter days, and all the stripes! Full outfit details + more photos here. 


22 : 365 I love seeing my nieces and nephew enjoy my parent’s amazing yard. That pond was such a huge part of my childhood. I spent so much of my time digging in the clay, building dams out of small rocks, and just getting dirty so it’s fun to see them doing the same thing. 

23 : 365 We’re fiiiinally starting to hang things around here. We haven’t made much progress, and the living room walls are still completely empty but I’m the kind of person who isn’t quite happy with a space until all the
open wall space is decorated somehow so this feels really good even if it’s happening one random piece at a time.

24: 365 Always a candle or seven burning around here. This neroli + eucalyptus one is a new favorite.

25 : 365 The newest addition to my collection of kind of strange things – a full sized skeleton! Woo! If you’re been reading for a while you might recall how it’s been on my wishlist for a looong time. I finally just went for it and couldn’t be more pleased. I’m not actually sure where I’ll end up displaying him but for now he’s hanging out in my office.

26 : 365 Oh look, more ridiculous things from around my house. What a surprise! My giant ice cream cone lamp is getting used more than ever in the new apartment. I’ve had it for years, and it still makes me smile every time I plug it in.
27 : 365 Sooo, I’m officially an adult now... or something? I got a big box of cleaning supplies in the mail and it honestly felt as exciting as Christmas. I had never used Mrs. Meyer’s brand previous to the day Jeff and I moved in together. When we were cleaning up his old apartment I used one of his  products and was like “Uhm? What the heck smells so good?” Since that day I’ve been looking for every excuse to use it because it seriously just smells that good.
Fast forward to last week when I see an ad for Grove Collaborative who carry all sorts of natural products. I spotted the Mrs. Meyers section and immediately filled my cart. My apartment? It’s super clean, and smells amazing too! Part of me wants to try other scents when these run out but that lavender is just too good.
28 : 365 ELYCIA CAME TO VISIT! Ahhh! We met through blogging about around six years ago but haven’t really been all that great about finding time to get together these last few. It was so nice to finally meet her youngest, show off the new apartment, and catch up. We ate tons of amazing food, and had lots of great laughs. These photos are from our quick walk to the park. Despite the snow I was determined to show our guests just how walk-able, and lovely my neighborhood is.
29 : 365 More photos from Elycia’s visit. Why can’t they just live closer?!!?

This morning I woke up to a ton of snow. It looks so beautiful falling outside my window, and from the second story I have an awesome view of all the snow covered houses in our neighborhood. It’s a perfect day to bundle up, drink alllll the tea, and work on my laptop from the couch. Hope your week is off to a lovely start.
xoxo

You can keep up with my Project 365 photos under the hashtag “project 365“, of course!
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Kinzua Bridge

by Kaylah Stroup

Last Monday Jeff had the day off work for Martin Luther King Day. The original plan was to head to Rochester for our annual abandoned subway adventures but at the last minute our friends weren’t able to make it. While we still have a lot of things to do around the apartment, we were both aching for an adventure. Somehow talk of Kinzua Bridge came up and we decided to drop Klaus off at my parents for the day, and take the three hour drive just to see a big pile of rust.

Kinzua Bridge is located in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. It was originally built in 1882, and billed as the “Eight Wonder of the World”. For two years it even held the record for tallest railroad bridge! In less than twenty years the bridge needed some serious updates to accommodate for the heavier weight of modern trains and the materials they were carrying. The bridge was rebuilt, and used on and off for quite a few more years. In 2002 all traffic on the bridge was halted due to the poor condition of important structural elements. (This is obviously a very brief history, if you’re interested in reading more there are tons of sites with the all the details a quick google search away!)

On July 21, 2003, a tornado struck the Kinzua Bridge causing eleven of the twenty towers to collapse. Instead of rebuilding, which would has cost approximately 45 million dollars, the state decided to turn it into a visitor attraction. In 2011 the Kinzua Sky Walk, a pedestrian walkway to an observation deck with a glass floor, opened.

Quarter found below the bridge from someone who probably tossed it to make a wish.

I had actually visited the bridge back in 2012 but didn’t really do too much exploring around the area. We basically walked out to the observation deck, took a peek, and left. These days I’m a quite a bit different. I’m certainly not as lazy, and definitely more inclined to want to get a closer look at things. Needless to say, after checking everything out from above, Jeff and I hiked to the bottom to get a better look.

Unlike my first visit, where the park was jam packed with people, we were one of only two groups of people there. It was awesome! We hiked down the crazy steep hill which was pure agony to get back up after we were done, and wandered around the massive ruins. I took so many photos but ultimately was disappointed in what I shot. There is just no way to capture how incredible this all is to see in person, and how tiny you feel beside it. Seeing it from above it almost looks like a model but as soon as you start to get closer you realize just how big it all is. I think the photo above the one of the quarter puts it in perspective, at least a little bit, when you spot the tiny person in the right corner.

I was a little nervous about taking such a long drive just to take a few photos, and return home the same day but it ended up totally being worth it!
xoxo

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what I’ve been reading…

by Kaylah Stroup

At the end of last month I bought a Kindle Paperwhite on a whim, hoping it’d help me get back into reading… and it did! I’ve read more in this last month than I did in all of 2016. It feels great. I swear I read faster on my Kindle, and of course, the fact that it’s so portable certainly is a plus. Seriously, if you’ve been on the fence about getting a Kindle, just go for it! 

What I’ve been reading…
▴ Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread by Chuck Palahniuk. I’ve finally joined the huge number of people who don’t quite get Chuck Palahniuk’s newer work. I hate saying it but it’s true. The only reason I was to determined to read the whole book was because who it was written by, and that’s not really a good thing. While a few of the stories were fairly entertaining, all in all it wasn’t that great. It was sloppy, and a little too strange to be relatable. I still consider Mr. Palahniuk one of my favorite authors but I’d recommend sticking to his older stuff. Rant is INCREDIBLE.

▴
Mattress Actress by Annika Cleeve. I’ve always loved reading books by sex workers. I’ve read a ton that I really enjoyed, and a handful that were, uh, a bit of a struggle to get through. This one falls into the latter category. It wasn’t completely awful but a lot of it sounded fabricated. Obviously I could be wrong but so much of it just seemed like it was made up to be shocking which ended up having the opposite effect. All in all, not a terrible book, just not one I’d recommend. If you’re looking for books on sex work, I recommend Stripped, Chicken, Johns, Marks, Tricks and Chickenhawks or Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys.


▴
How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran. So, right now I’m going to admit that my memory is failing me. I rated this book three stars out of five over on Goodreads but honestly don’t recall feeling one way or another about in. On my Kindle I highlighted one passage that I loved but other than that I’ve got nothing. In the future I’ll try to write my reviews as soon as I finish reading a book so this doesn’t happen again.

If you’re curious, I highlighted “We need more women who are allowed to prove their worth as people, rather than being assessed merely for their potential to create new people.” from page 238. As someone who is not interested in having any children but is constantly being told I’ll change my mind, or something along those lines that sentence really struck a chord.

▴Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks. Hallucinations was my first book by Oliver Sacks but certainly not my last. In fact, I’ve already downloaded Awakenings to read next. I’m very interested in medical writing but am often turned off by the fact that a lot of it is hard to digest as a layman. This book was filled with case studies, and information that even as someone who has no previous knowledge was easy to understand. I had NO idea how common hallucinations were and thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the different types. The human brain is really wild!

▴ Shrill by Lindy West.  You guys, I LOVED this book. That’s right capital L-O-V-E-D. I devoured it. I read the full book in two sittings which for my short attention span is a miracle. Lindy West is hilarious! Not only that but there were so many times I was like “YAS MOMMA!” I highlighted the heck out of that book. Definitely read Shrill if you liked Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson… or read some Jenny Lawson if you liked Shrill!

I also started and quit The Job: True Tales from the Life of a New York City Cop. The title is very intriguing to me as someone who watches every single Prison documentary they can find, and has enjoyed the show Cops since childhood. This book though, it was a struggle. I made it about a quarter of the way through before reminding myself that life is too short to read things you don’t enjoy at all. The author pointed out numerous times he was just a regular guy, not a writer which was fairly apparent seeing as he seemed to just be writing in circles. Glad I got that one from the library and didn’t actually buy it.

What have you been reading? 
xoxo

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what I wore : stripes, again!

by Kaylah Stroup
what I wore, outfit post, fashion blog, green hair
cleveland fashion blog, green hair, striped dress
tuesday bassen, green hair, girls lapel pin

 

details
glasses – Louise via Warby Parker
dress – striped dress via Amazon
pin – girls via Moorea Seal
shoes – White Mountain oxfords via Amazon

Super cute black and white striped dress that fits like a glove for under 20 buckeronis? Heck yeah! It obviously loses some cool points for not having pockets but still! This beauty will definitely be a staple in my summer wardrobe. Paired with my trusty jean jacket? Yeeeah. It’s gonna be perfect.

Speaking of summer, Cleveland got hit with some really crazy weather over the weekend. January 21st and it’s 60 degrees? I’ll take it! I was comfortable outside with bare legs! I was even comfortable without my cardigan on. A Sleeveless dress! In January! In Ohio! WHAT!? Warm weather after the cold breaks is always like that though. 60 degrees at the end of summer and I’m trying to wear hoodies, and my fuzzy socks. At the end of cold weather (or some random warm day in middle of winter)? I’m wearing as little clothes as possible. It just felt so good to be outside, not wearing a million layers. The sun was shining down and everything felt so right. Just a little pick me up in the middle of the worst, most depressing seasons like “here’s what you have to look forward to in just a few months!” It was a much needed surprise.

The random super warm weather also made me even more excited to be living in my new neighborhood. I feel so much safer taking Klaus on walks here than where I lived before therefore we’ve obviously been taking a lot more walks. We’ve been living here just under a month and I feel like it’s already made a huge impact on both Klaus and I. Obviously dogs are happier after they’ve been walked and have used up their energy but those walks help me feel a lot less stressed too. I’m so looking forward to exploring the neighborhood with my puppy dog even more once the weather warms up for good.

One last thing related to my neighborhood and the warm weather. Like I had mentioned before, my apartment was completely remodeled right before we moved in so my landlord had been spending a ton of time here over the last few months. He was telling Jeff and I that there is a neighborhood pig that goes on walks with it’s owner. We were both like “NO WAY! How cool!” and figured we probably wouldn’t see it for a while. A few days later my landlord came over to finally hook up our washer and dryer (DUDE. It feels so good to finally do laundry!) Shortly after he left he called and asked if it was still working to which I was like “Uh? Yeah? You just left?” then he revealed the true reason for calling… “The pig. It’s out walking at the corner of Professor and College” Sooo needless to say, I threw a leash on Klaus and we literally ran outside. I found the pig almost immediately – prompting this tweet. It was just happily waddling along behind it’s mom. I watched as three people stopped to talk to her about her unique pet. I’ve got my fingers crossed for lots more pig sightings this summer. I will most definitely be updating you, hopefully with photos and a name, next time I see the piggy!
xoxo

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project 365 : days 12 – 20

by Kaylah Stroup
12 : 365 I was going to caption this “one of my favorite plants”. Who am I kidding though?! Everything in this apartment is one of my favorites. Before moving I purged my plant collection. I gave away everything that I wasn’t crazy about or that I knew wouldn’t survive without summers outside. I still have a ton of plants but every one of them is a favorite.
13 : 365 Just my puppy dog enjoying the sunshine that pours into the living room.
14 : 365 This? This is Professor laying in a pot full of dirt. My little dirt kitten. The cats always hide when people come over. On this occasion someone came out to fix our internet and this is where my genius cat decided to “hide”. After the internet was fixed Jeff and I ran to Ikea – a whole day excursion – and when we got back Professor was STILL snoozing in his dirt bed. As I’ve mentioned a bunch of times in the past, neither of the cats have ever bothered my plants so I’m kind of surprised at this choice of a place to catch some z’s.
15 : 365 Twirling! Find the full outfit details + more photos here.
16 : 365 That’s just a suggestion, right?
17 : 365 Sooo Klaus and I were shooting a photo for Milk-Bone and their brushing chews (which help clean your pup’s teeth!) when my treat obsessed little cat came rocketing over because any bag crinkling is definitely for him, of course! I just kept shooting as Professor barged his way into our shot and ended up capturing this photo which nearly made me fall over with laughter. Professor wanted those chews SO badly. I wish I could have turned this in as my final photo. “Treats so tasty even the cat wants them!” Hehe!
18 : 365 One of the shelves in my office. I’m sure it’ll get rearranged about fifteen more times before I settle exactly how I’d like it but it’s pretty good for now.
19 : 365 I just finished reading Shrill by Lindy West. Dude. I LOVED IT. Highly, highly recommend checking that out.
20 : 365 Things currently on my desk. I’m super duper into these markers right now. I was browsing stationery items on Amazon and was suggested these marker pens. I read the reviews and was like “Oh. Okay. I need to own those!” I loooove them. They don’t bleed through the page, the case they come in stands up which is way rad, and they make my list making even more fun than I already thought it was.
xoxo
You can keep up with my Project 365 photos under the hashtag “project 365“, of course!

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what I wore : owl get the hang of it

by Kaylah Stroup
what I wore, polka dot skirt,
punky colours, jerome russell
green hair, cleveland, fashion blog, what I wore
cleveland fashion blog, green hair, polka dot skirt
blue banana, green hair, cleveland fashion blog
dachshund, flats

 

details
glasses – Louise via Warby Parker
sweater – Elsa Jumper c/o Blue Banana (also on Amazon with more sizes!)
skirt –  Modcloth (similar)
shoes – Loly in the Sky

My blogging schedule since moving has been… erratic, to say the least. December was kind of a mess for me. I was so anxious to move that I had a hard time concentrating on anything. I constantly felt behind in my work, and was so looking forward to getting the move over with. I somehow thought that once I moved things would just fall into place but I’m definitely still struggling to establish routine here. Owl get the hang of it soon though, don’t you worry! I finally got my office mostly in order last night, that should definitely help.

Jeff and I were both nervous about moving in together. I mean, we’ve been dating for nearly three years now but we’re both people who truly treasure our alone time. As much as I felt like it was a little lonely living by myself at times, I was worried about having to share my space again. Our new apartment is honestly the perfect space for us though. It’s not huge but the way it’s laid out makes it perfect for just squirreling yourself away and chilling. The fact that we each get our own office is a godsend! It’s also ridiculously soundproof too. His office isn’t that far away from mine, and I know he listens to his music really loud but I can’t hear a thing! Anyway the point of that was that even though I had planned to squirrel away in my office and work my tail off, I’ve been having a hard time pulling myself away from settling in, and making this place ours. Also, cuddling! Cuddling takes up a lot of my time now that the four creatures I like to cuddle live in the same house.

I am really happy these days. I couldn’t have even dreamed of it being this much fun to finally share a space with Jeff.  I’m trying really hard to get back into a routine where I spent a good chunk of my day typing out words for you to read but sometimes it’s just more fun to sit on the couch, watch American Pickers, and try not to happy cry about the fact my pets are finally becoming real friends. I sure hope your 2017 is off to as equally wonderful start.
xoxo

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Project 365 : days 4-11

by Kaylah Stroup
4 : 365 This was the first little corner of the new apartment to be put together and I still can’t get over how pretty it looks. That medical model was easily one of my best purchases ever. Love him something fierce.
5 : 365 Snow pup!
6 : 365 You guys, I really reeeally love my Kindle. I’ve had it just around a month and already finished five books. It feels great. Hallucinations was excellent!
7 : 365 Squid, up until meeting Jeff, liked a grand total of one person (me, obviously!) Look at her now though! I’m obsessed with how cute these two look when they look out the window together. It’s just so sweet.
8 : 365 Favorite thing about living with Jeff so far? Cooking together.
9 : 365 A few of my favorite things. Squid, the trash hog, and my favorite plant!


10 : 365 I bought some fancy pants grow light bulbs (these ones, if you’re curious!) to see if they’d help my plants out a bit since they’ll no longer get to spend the summer outside. It hasn’t been long enough to tell whether or not they’re doing anything but I’ve got my fingers crossed. At the very least, they light everything up nicely for photographs.


11 : 365 All the prettiest stuff of my desk!

So! After a year hiatus from Project 365 I decided to start it up again in 2017 with the hopes it would get me in the habit of picking up my camera more. While I completely forgot to do that the first three days of 2017*, I’m extremely happy with how the project is going so far. I’ve been taking so many more photos, documenting this exciting new chapter in my life, and posting on instagram so much more (You do follow me over there, correct?!) I know that last part sounds kind of silly but I guess you could consider that one of my unwritten goals for the year – be more active on instagram. Not taking many photos last year coupled with the fact I’d overthink it meant my account was kind of ignored. I missed it. This year is definitely off to a better start.

It’s not too late to start your own project 365 if you’re thinking about it. I wrote a post back in 2014 about why you should – read it here and start today! 😉
xoxo

 *That’s not to say I didn’t take photos those first three day, I just didn’t take anything with my “real” camera, and the photos I did take aren’t up to my blog photo standards. Moving and the chaos of settling in seems like a pretty excuse to me though. I’m not upset!

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