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things I loved in November

by Kaylah Stroup December 4, 2019

▴ hooded sweatshirt + matching leggings. I shared about these on my Instagram account a week or so back and joked about how wearing leggings and a matching hoodie that aren’t black feels like I’m dressed for a cult. I still haven’t changed my mind on that. It’s probably not something I’d wear out of the house. At home though? I wear them constantly. Maybe like every other day. Seriously.

Comfortable! Cute! The leggings keep their shape and don’t get baggy after all-day wear. They’ve already been worn and washed a bunch of times already yet haven’t faded. And dare I say, it’s kinda nice owning leggings that aren’t black!? (These come in black plus like eight other colors if ‘merlot’ isn’t your jam but I kinda dig the culty vibe of this color…)

This has basically been my uniform for the past month.

▴ striped sweatshirt. It’s a cozy hoodie, what’s not to love!? When I’m not wearing the sweatshirt I mentioned above, I’m probably wearing this one.

▴ LaPen. I am constantly on the hunt for my favorite new writing instrument. Right now it’s LaPen! I recently used one for the first time and despite the fact it was orange and who in the heck ever needs to write in orange(??!?) I was hooked. I bought myself a handful of black ones and haven’t touched another pen since.

That being said, for me, it’s always a short term thing with pens. I’m seriously always looking for the next best thing. So tell me, what’s your favorite pen? My only requirement is that it writes smoothly. (I feel like that should be a given but if so, then how are there so many pens that skip!!)

▴ L’Oreal Paris Quick Dry Primer Spray. Not a new discovery for the month but one I ran out of and didn’t even think twice whether or not I’d repurchase. This is my favorite heat protectant spray I’ve ever tried and it’s cheap! It does its job, doesn’t make my hair greasy even when I use a bunch of it, and smells nice too.

This stuff has earned a place in the rank of products I will always have on hand and *need* to do my hair each day, like Hask Placenta.

▴ CordaRoy queen bean bag chair. This is honestly like 85% of the reason I wanted to write this specific post. I am IN LOVE with this bad boy. It’s a bean bag chair (not actually full of those little beads you’re probably imagining but shredded foam…stuff) that comes out of the cover to turn into a queen-sized bed. Super rad, right?

I was interested at first because we always need extra seating when guests come over. When we have friends crash here I always let them sleep in our bedroom and to be honest, I hate sleeping on the floor sooo it’s pretty clear how this bean bag solves both of those problems.

In the cover, the bag is super cozy. The cats love it. Basically, if I’m not in it one of them is! Out of the bag, in the form of a queen-sized mattress, is where this product truly shines for me though. Jeff and I have this thing on our floor… almost always. It’s not exactly cute taking up our floor but gosh darn it, it’s cozy. Like the coziest thing ever. Do you love the feeling of being in a nest? Yeah? You need this baby!

They are pricey, I will be the first to admit that. You probably won’t catch me spending that much on a non-essential piece of furniture very often and to be completely transparent, I received this in exchange for providing the company with some photos BUT we love this thing so much that when it needs replaced we will absolutely purchase another without hesitation!

We’ve had this for about two months now but with the cooler weather (aka cuddle weather!) we’ve been using it like crazy lately. It’s our favorite place to curl up and watch TV in the evenings. We haven’t sat on the couch in like a month.

Welp, that was way more than I ever meant to type about one product in this post but I’m very very jazzed on this bad boy. I’m literally laying in it now typing up this post. Feel free to ask any questions you may have about it!

▴ Dead Rising 4. I guess I should preface this by saying that I’ve never played any other Dead Rising Games. This was free to play with Xbox game pass (which isn’t free but totally worth it!) I figured I had nothing to lose by giving it a shot. Turns out I had like 72 hours to lose because that’s how long it took me to beat the game. I was, still am, obsessed. Like, play until 3 am obsessed.

Zombie games aren’t normally my jam and I’m extremely particular about video games in general. The list of games I truly love is minuscule but this one makes the cut. What I enjoy the most about it is that it’s not terribly challenging. It’s fun to just collect things, and rack up zombie kills. It’s a blast. There’s also so much comic relief mixed in that it’s not stressful (which is a huge turn off for me with games. I wanna relax, not be tense.)

I’ve already started playing a second time through just to collect everything!

What did you love in November? Anything I should be adding to my Christmas list? xoxo

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Black Friday 2019

by Kaylah Stroup November 29, 2019

Good morning! It’s become an annual tradition here on The Dainty Squid to share Black Friday sales each year. This post is extra special because I’ve teamed up with Etsy share sales from some of my favorite small businesses! This is a hefty list, so grab your coffee and get ready to shop.

This post contains affiliate links. Check out our disclosure policy for more details.

Bel-Air Fresheners has 20% off when you buy 5 items now through December 4th. I love this camera one!

Frankie Print Co is offering 25% off blankets, and 20% off everything else, plus free shipping within the USA.

Appendage is offering 20% off when you spend $20. Good through Dec 3, 2019. Their sleep masks are the absolute cutest! Such a fun gift idea.

Girl Party is offering 25% off all items in the shop using coupon code ICECREAM.

Oddspark is having 20% off their entire shop! I genuinely can’t pick a favorite pair. The stag beetle ones below are so cute but cicadas!?!

Wishcraft Goods is offering 20% off all purchases over $30 from now until December 2nd.

Rosebud Casson has most of their shop marked down 20%!

Anitako Organics is offering 10% off when you purchase at least two items. Their lip balms sound amazing.

I like cats is offering up to 50% off select items. Items already marked down, no code needed. If someone on your list to buy for likes cats, this is a one stop shop for ya! They have so much to choose from.

Apricity has 20% off when you spend $75. Isn’t this dress the cutest!?

Heremeow has 20% off when you spend $10! I love their pretty bird enamel pin. I bought it the second I discovered it!

Spice Wildflowers has 20% off on all the items in the shop plus free worldwide shipping until December 3rd.

Everything in The Dainty Squid shop is marked down – up to 30% off!

Justine Gilbuena has their whole shop marked down 25%!

Even more sales!

  • Forgotten Fern is offering 10% off plus every order will include a free gift.
  • Glitter Punk Jewellry has 25% a huge number of their items including this precious bat pin!
  • Snoogs and Wilde has 25% off all unframed prints!
  • Barruntando Ceramics makes some of the most precious ceramic goods and nearly everything is marked down 15%. I really love their planters.
  • Megan Roy Design has 20% off nearly everything today through Monday.
  • Little Woman Goods has 20% off today through Monday!
  • Lazy Girl Lingerie is offering 20% off when you spend $105. They have tons of gorgeous lacy things but I really really love this gingham romper.

Happy Friday! xoxo

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abandoned route 66 trading post

by Kaylah Stroup November 26, 2019
Bowlin's Old Crater Trading Post

It’s blowing my mind that I still have photos from June’s roadtrip that I haven’t sorted or edited yet. We stopped so many places and saw so many things that trying to tackle the photos in one chunk, or even a couple, was just too overwhelming. Admittedly, five months is a really long time for me to sit on photos no matter how many there were. The upside is that its been a really fun way to relive the post and it satisfies a little bit of my travel urge. Jeff and I are currently trying to save for a house so I’m not quite sure when the next time we’ll be doing something like this will be. I mean, I never quite know since we’ve been known to plan trips like this in less than a week soooo…

We spotted this abandoned structure from the freeway not too long after getting into New Mexico. If you recall, we were driving from Phoenix, Arizona back home to Cleveland, OH. A thirty-hour drive – not including any stops! New Mexico and Arizona are neighboring states which means we had not been on the road too long at all. Although we were both excited to check out all sorts of things on the drive home, I guess I had thought maybe those stops would happen a little bit further into the thirty-hour drive to break up the time.

BUT the building looked too good to pass up even from a distance. We hopped off the freeway and went to go check it out. It was well worth the stop! Although fairly small, it had lots of different things that grabbed my attention. The safari wallpaper, the nearly completely collapsed ceiling, the murals on the exterior! It was fantastic.

Be sure to check out the video near the end of the post for a tour!

Bowlin's Old Crater Trading Post
Bowlin's Old Crater Trading Post

Perhaps just as exciting as stumbling upon this excellent stop by accident was realizing that it actually has some pretty cool history. The building that is standing here today was finished in the spring of 1954. Claude Bowlin, who owned and operated Bowlin’s Old Crater Trading Post, was not only a well-respected merchant but operated such a successful business that he expanded, opening five more stores along Route 66. Although he catered to a lot of tourists, he made it his mission to educate those passing through about local tribal cultures.

In 1973, the trading post suffered the same fate as many other buildings along Route 66 and was closed shortly after the interstate opened. The owner enjoyed a few years of retirement before passing away. His widow sold the property with a stipulation in the deed stating it only be used for religious purposes. That’s how in the 1980s & 90s this building was used as a bible school and church. In 2006 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Bowlin's Old Crater Trading Post
abandoned trading post in New Mexico
abandoned trading post in New Mexico

Spots like this are my absolute favorite. I don’t know why or what the big draw is for me but waking up early in the morning, grabbing a coffee and stumbling upon gems like this with my favorite person in the world is my perfect day!

More posts from this trip;

  • Ohio to Arizona & back
  • the abandoned Anasazi Inn
  • Mel Gould’s Buryville
  • Mountainview Cemetery + Wild Horses
  • road tripping – abandoned gas station
  • ghost town – Piedmont, WY
  • ghost town – Two Guns, AZ
  • Twin Arrows, AZ
  • 2019 road trip video!
  • ghost town – Winton, WY
  • abandoned Fort Courage, AZ
  • Slug Bug Ranch
  • abandoned diner

Check out even more road trip posts under the ‘travel‘ tag.

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The Dead Moms Club – a book review

by Kaylah Stroup November 21, 2019
Dead Moms Club review

It has been SO long since my last blog post about books. It’s one of the most popular post requests I get. The thing is, I just have not been reading very much lately... at all.

I have to be in the mood to read and on top of that one bad read will set in motion months of not reading. So, that’s how it’s been lately. Read some crummy books a while back and just haven’t picked up one since. BUT I have been feeling the urge to find a book about grief. (Please don’t stop reading, I swear this book could be beneficial even to those who haven’t lost yet!)

It was one of the first things I did once I stopped crying every second of the day – look for a book that would help me through this terrible time. I was specifically on the hunt for something secular, no mention of religion, spirituality, of my mom being in a ‘better place’, etc. I also didn’t want a self-help book that was essentially just going to tell me to do yoga and volunteer. I read tons of reviews but came up empty-handed.

I had basically given up on it when I got a DM on Instagram recommending The Dead Moms Club by Kate Spencer. The name really struck me, I looked it up immediately.

‘Kate Spencer lost her mom to cancer when she was 27. In The Dead Moms Club, she walks readers through her experience of stumbling through grief and loss, and helps them to get through it, too. This isn’t a weepy, sentimental story, but rather a frank, up-front look at what it means to go through gruesome grief and come out on the other side.’

Honestly, the name alone made me want to buy it but after seeing she lost her mom at 27, I had to buy it. I felt like maybe she could offer some nuggets of wisdom for me since we lost our mothers at a similar age.

Dead Moms Club review
my mom’s plant that I rescued from near-death

I feel like this is a really weird place in my life to lose my mom. There’s obviously no great time but as the great Britney Spears once said: “I am not a girl, not yet a woman.” (LOL) For real though, I’m married and have been out of the house for 11 years at this point but I still depended on my mom for so much. At her funeral someone said to me “Kaylah, now you have to take care of your dad.” and it completely blindsided me because I’m the baby! Who takes care of me? Grief brings up ugly selfish feelings and I just hoped that The Dead Moms Club could help me understand and deal with those. Spoiler – it didn’t solve everything but it certainly helped!

I was merely a couple of pages in before I knew it was the book for me! I want to say ‘I tore through this book’ but honestly, it was too relatable. I could barely read a chapter each night and most of the time I needed a couple of days in between each of those. I sobbed through it. There were times I had to quit midchapter because I couldn’t see. But… it felt good! I laughed. I cried (A LOT!) and most importantly, I felt understood. I realized some universal truths (wow, that sounds dramatic) and dealt with some shitty feelings.

Grief is super lonely. At some point, you’re going to lose someone important to you so these are feelings that everyone feels, perhaps in slightly different ways but still! In the depths of it though, you can’t imagine that anyone has ever felt that way too. Reading a book by someone who has gone through the same thing is so helpful.

Being able to pick up this book and put it down as I pleased was just what I needed. Talking to a real live human is obviously ideal but sometimes I don’t want to talk about it, and other times maybe I do but don’t want to unload like that on my husband. This was almost like a workbook for me. Reading it in small doses gave me time to think about and process what she had written.

Dead Moms Club review

I don’t know that this is the book for everyone because I recognize that we all go through and deal with grief differently. The Dead Moms Club was 100% what I needed though. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

xoxo

More posts on grief, my mom and loss in general –

▴ my mother’s plants ▴ grief & road trips ▴ I cry over four leaf clovers ▴ grieving in the digital age ▴ the greatest loss ▴ six months / things I want to tell you

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Friday Favorites #541

by Kaylah Stroup November 15, 2019

This post contains affiliate links. Check out our disclosure policy for more details.

How rad is this stained glass aloe plant?! The person who makes them also makes other plants as well!

This shirt!!!

Love this simple blue dress with that cute little back detail!

I stumbled upon this book this morning and promptly broke into tears looking at the preview. I think I’m gonna need a copy.

This light!

How gorgeous is this patch!?

Let people enjoy things.

Pretzel cardigan!

LOVE this moth tote bag.

You know I love anything that’s a cute version of a regular thing – like this elephant teapot!

Sweater crush! Perfect for layering this winter.

I’m obsessed with Gabriela Dec’s custom portraits! Her style is so lovely!

Book smeller! I mean, who can resist!?

Link love…

  • I don’t know when I’d ever have an excuse to wear a dress like this but I’m obsessed with this velvet maxi dress that has a starry cape!!
  • Oh look, another starry dress!
  • This floral bra + undies set is perfect! I love love love when cups are half lace.
  • I really really want one of these ugly teddy bear-esque hoodies. It looks so cozy!
  • I went looking for a polka dot jacket and ended up finding a polka dot cat harness. It’s cute but what really gets me are the review photos. I seriously love looking at review photos on pet clothing. They’re like a guaranteed smile.
  • This black polka dot bralette!
  • This 3D tooth model chart! Yes, please!
  • Socks I wanna wear every time I’m out of the city, at my parent’s house (They’ve got some… language.)

In shop news, I’m getting super geared up for the holidays! This week a handful of new key fobs, as well as new wristlets and double zip pouches hit the shop. I’m so pleased with how they turned out.

Happy Friday! xoxo

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abandoned diner

by Kaylah Stroup November 14, 2019

Last summer my pal Allie blogged about an abandoned diner she explored in Arizona. Check out her post here. She was road tripping around an area I’m fairly familiar with (She was actually in the area for my wedding!) so when I saw her post I was confused about how it was something Jeff and I had never been to over the years. A little further into the post and I realized we’d driven by it time and time again but always missed the exit. Had we known that there was an abandoned diner, we may have made it more of a priority but it was always like “Oh, what was that? Looked cool. We passed it though… maybe next year!”

Needless to say, after seeing her post, it was number one on our to-do list next time we were in the area! Although it was on the way home, it was something I looked forward to basically as soon as we set out on this roadtrip!

It did not disappoint!

I’m truly not sure what else to say about this place. It’s pretty straight forward, ya know? It was a diner and now it’s abandoned. This was my first restaurant of any sort so it was all new and fun for me. The two things I liked the most was the signage inside with prices and the booths, of course!

I’ve talked about this before but there are certain buildings that just kind of resonate with me more than others based on previous experiences. For example, I’ve never worked in a factory so abandoned factory, while big and exciting, doesn’t give me the same feeling as an abandoned school – somewhere I spent many years. Of course, it’s not the same school I went to but it’s very easy to see the similarities between the schools you grew up going to and basically any other school.

All that to say, it’s easy to picture myself sitting here. I’ve eaten in enough diners, a lot of which don’t look too much better. It’s a funny feeling to walk into a place like this and so easily be able to imagine the patrons and folks who worked there.

abandoned diner
abandoned diner kitchen
abandoned pancake house

More posts from this trip;

  • Ohio to Arizona & back
  • the abandoned Anasazi Inn
  • Mel Gould’s Buryville
  • Mountainview Cemetery + Wild Horses
  • road tripping – abandoned gas station
  • ghost town – Piedmont, WY
  • ghost town – Two Guns, AZ
  • Twin Arrows, AZ
  • 2019 road trip video!
  • ghost town – Winton, WY
  • abandoned Fort Courage, AZ
  • Slug Bug Ranch

Check out even more road trip posts under the ‘travel‘ tag.

Until next time, Arizona!

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beachcomb with me

by Kaylah Stroup November 12, 2019

For years and years... and years and years making videos is something I’ve wanted to do. I quickly figured out that photography and videography are two very different things though. I feel confident in my photos but video? Nope! I’ve wanted to learn but its just so overwhelming.

Finally, this year I’ve begun experimenting. It’s hard and at times, super frustrating but it feels good to finally be learning a new skill. I’m already seeing improvements in my work and feeling more a tiny bit confident.

This is where I tell you – hello, I have a YouTube channel! Check it out.

Point being, the one idea that I really had in mind that I wanted to play with was a sort of treasure hunting series. Obviously the word ‘treasure’ here is subjective. It only takes a few minutes on my blog to figure out that I’m excited by some pretty silly stuff.

This is my second attempt at making a video for my ‘beachcomb with me’ series. The first video was an utter disaster. I tried making something right after getting my GoPro and I didn’t really have a vision so the video was kind of all over the place.

This final product isn’t necessarily everything I have in mind for the series but I’m actually really really excited about how it turned out. This is a great starting point. I’m excited to look back on this in a year and see how far I’ve come.

In the future, I’d definitely like to talk in these videos and maybe expand the treasure hunting methods – some dump digging, metal detecting, etc. Right now my whole family is super into ‘treasure’ hunting so it’s honestly, a big part of my life right now.

Hope you enjoy! xoxo

favorite find of the day!

More found on the beach posts can be found here.

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Friday Favorites #540

by Kaylah Stroup November 8, 2019

This post contains affiliate links. Check out our disclosure policy for more details.

I originally was just going to include this bandana because I thought it was cute. Upon further reading though, I noticed that it actually repels mosquitos, ticks and other bugs ya don’t want on you! How rad is that!?

Because who doesn’t need more cute little storage containers to store tiny treasures in!?

I’m just picturing this gorgeous quilted throw on my blue couch and ugh, soooo good!

This reusable straw that rolls up into a tiny container you can attach to your keychain is the coolest.

This sweater is so cute! I also just really love how happy the model looks.

These earrings!

Creature of the night!

Love these jammies!

I’ve featured this snake lamp time and time again. I want it so badly but I’ve just been waiting for the price to drop. Guess what – it happened! It’s down $20 from the original price.

I wore one of my Sugarhill Boutique sweaters for the first time this season yesterday and I’m hooked all over again. They just fit really nice and who can resist a giant animal on their sweater!? I love this deer one.

This sweatshirt!

Gotta throw in one of my own items since it fits this week’s theme! This constellation boxy bag!

Link love…

  • This isn’t being marketed as pajamas but I could definitely see myself getting all cozy in this jumpsuit.
  • Globe folks – this is easily one of the most affordable moon globes I’ve ever found online! And because once I start looking, I can’t stop I’m gonna share a few other globe finds… I love tin globes and this one is no exception. This one’s stand is just weird and I love it!
  • This calendar!
  • This lounge sweater looks so dang cozy.
  • I just love fun socks. Here are some kitty socks. More kitty socks. Oh, and even more kitty socks. (One last pair, these ones with a swear word.)
  • Love this vanity tray!

Happy Friday! xoxo

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hair dye diaries – two tone blue

by Kaylah Stroup November 7, 2019
From yellow & orange…
to two-tone blue!

Ooof. This was an accident. A happy accident but an accident nonetheless! Originally I had half blue / half purple hair in mind. I bought the colors, dyed my hair, and yikes – you’ll just have to watch and see.

Watch below + subscribe on YouTube!

It turned out gorgeous in the end though, right?! It’s not what I had in mind when I started the process but I’m jazzed on the results!

two tone blue hair
half and half blue hair

Products used – (affiliate links)

  • boar bristle brush
  • Beyond the Zone Radical Bleach Kit (x2)
  • Punky Colour Purple
  • Punky Colour Flamingo Pink
  • Punky Colour Lagoon Blue
  • Punky Colour Turquoise
Lagoon Blue + Turquoise

You can find tips & guides in my hair master post – including Bleaching your hair 101, 7 tips for maintaining bright hair color, Two tips for switching hair colors easily. & so much more! I also have a handful of hair videos on my YouTube channel.

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About Me

About Me

Hello!

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

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The Dainty Squid is a for profit blog. and we participate in a number of affiliate programs meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you choose to make a purchase through one of those links. For more details click here

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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