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on the cutting room floor – road trip edition!

by Kaylah Stroup

A sort of different version of my regular on the cutting room floor series today. Jeff and I just got back from a road trip late last night. While I still haven’t even begun to go through all my photos there were a few I knew that didn’t fit into any of the posts I’d end up writing about the trip. I naively thought that we’d get home earlier yesterday and that I wouldn’t be exhausted today so I didn’t queue anything else but sharing some photos from the trip seems like a solid plan, right? Right!

Old friends of Jeff who now live in Maine asked him to shoot their wedding which he gladly accepted because it was a perfect excuse for us to take a trip. So last Thursday night after Jeff got off work, we dropped Klaus off at my parents house and hit the road. In four days we covered just over two thousand miles, and nine states! I fell stupid in love with New England (and all their amazing, old cemeteries.) I have SO many photos to sort through and tons and tons of things I can’t wait to talk about with y’all.

You guys, JUMANJI!
 

Quick highlights; 
▴ THE OCEAN. Duh. 
▴ Stumbling upon old cemeteries.
▴ Surprising Kristina in Boston. Seriously, the look on her face was worth the mile walk in the heat!
▴ DONUTS MADE FROM POTATOES. Literally the best donuts of my life. If you go near Portland, Maine you have to visit The Holy Donut. A friend recommended them, told us there would be a line, and that we should just get a dozen. Jeff and I both agreed there was no way we’d be able to eat a dozen of them because they were just donuts, right? NO. We could have killed a dozen of them, no sweat. All donuts are not created equal. 
▴ Visiting NYC for the very first time + being able to see the Statue of Liberty from our hotel room.
▴ Finally visiting a beach that’s been on my list for a very long time.
▴ Exploring my second abandoned hospital!

…And
probably a million other things I can’t think of right now. Jeff and I
have this rapid fire way of traveling. We like to hit lots of spots in
short periods of time. It’s funny because we end up doing so many
amazing things that for a brief moment you can forget the
amazing thing you just did. It’s fun, and a little stressful but totally suits us. 

 

Well, I’m off to start catching up on everything including pet snuggles because my three babies sure missed me! I’ll share more about our trip oh so soon.
xoxo

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what I wore : pink glasses

by Kaylah Stroup
enamel pin, lapel pins, tooth
what I wore, cleveland fashion blog
the dainty squid glasses, classic specs, bevy in milky mauve
the dainty squid, what I wore, ootd, outfit
green hair, cleveland, blogger, wiw, pink glasses

 

details 
glasses – Bevy c/o Classic Specs

When I was a lot younger my brother’s wife, who was his new-ish girlfriend at the time, and I bonded over the fact we hated the color pink. “Ewwww pink!” I was a tomboy through and through. I despised all things “girly”. It was so awesome for me to finally find someone else who was anti-pink. Sometime after this I saw her in a pink shirt and felt so betrayed (the same kind of betrayal I felt when my brother admitted he like country music after all the years of us making fun of it together. Haha!) Alas, here I am now in what has become one of my favorite colors. I’m mildly obsessed with this baby pink color and how it looks against my green hair. It’s just such a pretty combination… which is why when it came time to choose my first pair of glasses I chose a pink pair!

I guess this is growing up, you have a birthday and the same week learn your vision is basically garbage. Back in 2014 I got prescription reading glasses just to take some strain off my eyes since I’m always on the computer. I kind of thought I’d just be fine for a while after that but I was having trouble even seeing Netflix movie titles from my bed so it was time for another check up. Basically I had trouble reading all the letters, which isn’t as much embarrassing as it is frustrating. Why you no work, eyeballs!? My optometrist, who I looooove, showed me what I’d be able to see with glasses and I was blown away. I could not wait to get a pair.

I picked out from Bevy in milky mauve from Classic Specs. One week later aaaand my mind is seriously blown how much of a difference these bad boys make. I honestly had no idea my vision was that bad. I mean, it’s not a crazy strong prescription or anything but I can actually browse Netflix from bed now. I can read street signs better, and holy cow everything just *POPS*! It’s definitely taking some getting used to wearing them all the time but I’m very curious to see if this will help my headaches. I imagine it will because I apparently had been straining to see just about everything without even realizing it.

So, uh, consider this your reminder – if you haven’t been to the optometrist in a while, it might be time to make an appointment!
xoxo

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it’s the little things…

by Kaylah Stroup

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!

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chasing waterfalls in Ohio

by Kaylah Stroup
vermillion, waterfall, ohio waterfalls

Toward the beginning of summer Jeff and I made a little goal to visit as many waterfalls in Ohio as possible. We’re two people who are easily defeated by the heat. It’s super easy for me to feel anxious about wasting a beautiful day just because I don’t have a solid plan. This waterfall goal turned out to be exactly what we needed!

“Let’s go find a waterfall!” became the go-to when we didn’t know what to do on the weekends. It was a reason to get out of bed early, and an excuse to get some exercise. Most parks usually had geocaches so that was an awesome bonus. Lets not forget the post-falls donuts and coffee either! Seriously, I’m going to be sad when we’ve hit them all. It’s been a blast!

We’ve crossed ten waterfalls off our list so far, which I think is a pretty darn impressive number. The majority of others left in Ohio are a bit more of a drive so they’ll have to be planned a little better. Everything we have seen could probably be revisited after a large rain though. It’s been a very dry summer here which obviously means all the falls are looking a little weaker than normal. Most were still definitely worth the trip but I don’t think there is anyone who wouldn’t prefer a roaring waterfall as opposed to one just trickling.

ohio, waterfall, ohio waterfall
Ohio Waterfall, CVNP, national park, waterfall
ohio, waterfallsElyria, Ohio, Waterfalls, abandonedEast Falls of the Black River

 

so far this summer we’ve visited – Indian Run Falls, Paine Falls, Great Falls of Tinkers Creek.
Honey Run Falls, Hayden Falls, Brandywine Falls, East and West Falls of the Black River, and Big and Little Lyon Falls.

most impressive – West Falls of the Black River. Oddly enough, not pictured in this post.  Half of the falls were shaded and the other half in bright sun at the time we visited. I took a crappy photo just to have but the lighting was all wrong. It was easily my favorite we visited though. It’s a beautiful hike to get to it and even after a very dry summer it was still pretty impressive. I’m very much looking forward to going back!

least impressive – Little Lyon Falls… well, Big Lyon too! Also not pictured in this post. Okay, so perhaps the lack of rain attributed to this, as well as the heat of the day but daaang, that was a long hot hike just to see water drip over the edge. It didn’t help that Jeff wasn’t feeling very well, due to aforementioned heat, so when we finally got there I couldn’t help but let out a defeated whimper of a laugh. Maybe visiting after a huuuuge rain would be best for these two? I don’t know. All I know is I’m in no rush to go back.

I’m still struggling to love summer. I think I’d like it at least a little bit more if I had air conditioning. It’s just hard to enjoy anything when you’re sweating for no reason, ya know? Visiting waterfalls definitely made summer a million times more tolerable to me though. I can’t wait to hunt down a few more.
xoxo

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limited edition pouches

by Kaylah Stroup

It’s been a minute since I had any new fabric printed but the time has finally come, kind of. I say “kind of” because this is just one print and an extremely limited run of it. Only six total pouches, one of which is mine.

Recently I’ve discovered my love of hanging out at coffee shops. Not just hanging out but hanging out with my laptop and being CRAZY productive. I got myself a sweet little backpack to carry around my perfect planner, laptop, and array of pens and office supplies. The issue was that all the little things were getting buried in my bag.

…Then I remembered zipper pouches were kind of my thing and I had no excuse not to make one for myself. I photographed a handful of items from my personal collection and voilà! The print includes skulls, a dried mushroom, some random animal teeth, moths, a turtle shell, and more. It’s very similar to my previous work but uh, I guess, if it’s not broke don’t fix it? Hehe! Check it out here.

 Friendly bee approved!

This pouch is wide enough to fit pens, highlighters…and well, more pens if you’re me! It has a back pocket perfect for stashing cash and a d-ring to attach your keys so they don’t get lost in your bag either!

You can find this pouch and a handful of other designs here!

I also added this print to my Society6 shop if you’d prefer a something you can hang on your wall, a mug, pillow, or a phone case instead! Aaaand speaking of Society6, they now offer zipper pouches so you can find a lot of the prints that I sold out of immediately with my handmade pouches over there. The teeth print, you guys!

That’s all for now! Don’t forget to tag me in any photos of goodies you may buy from this post. I want to see!!
xoxo

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Friday Favorites #376

by Kaylah Stroup
 Sooo, for my birthday I got a striped quilt. It’s ah-mazing. The only thing I need now are striped sheets. Aaaall the stripes!
 (via: Amazon)
I just got my first prescription and all I can think about are fun glasses. I’m excited to build a little collection of them. I love this pair!
 (via: Warby Parker)
I would love to just curl up in this chair with a book and a cat. The color would look so nice with all the black and white accents in my living room.
(via: LexMod)
This is such a cute dress!
 (via: Apricity)
Forever a fan of a pretty backpack.
This record storage rack is so so so cute.
(via: Urban Outfitters)
I know I’ve shared Kathleen Lolley’s work before but her style is just SO good!
Toucan scissors! Do I need them? Nope. But they’re perfect!!!
 (via: Kikkerland)
Well, this is AWESOME.
 (via: bingkai)
Marble usually isn’t my thing but I really dig this keyboard cover.
(via: Urban Outfitters)

Link love…
▴ I enjoy this clever collage, birdday cake. It reminds me of my dad because he always says “birdday” instead of “birthday”
▴ Someday I will get my hands on one of these vintage hand clips!
▴ Halloween is coming up… and these moth wings are AMAZING.
▴ Ah! Look at this moon lamp!
▴ This has to be the snazziest lunch bag ever.

Happy Friday!!
xoxo

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my 26th birthday party

by Kaylah Stroup

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…

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what I wore : twenty-six

by Kaylah Stroup

Oh hey guys, what’s up? Did you hear the news? ITS MY BIRTHDAY! Wahoo! The big twenty-six this year! I don’t think anyone actually calls it “the big…” but it kind of feels like a big one. I’m on the other side of twenty-five now… and it feels exactly the same.

So far no special plans. I’ll probably spend my day wandering around the beach, hanging out at my new favorite coffee shop, and eating all my favorite foods! Literally went out last night and bought myself broccoli for today. Never in a million years would I have guessed that some day broccoli would be my favorite food, the one that I choose for my birthday lunch! But hey, that’s life. Always full of weird, delicious, surprises.

Here’s to starting off the next year of my life right!
xoxo

Just because I love silly traditions here’s a peek back at previous year’s birthday outfit posts ft. balloons! 2013,  2014+ 2015! Some things really never seem to change…

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what Professor wore

by Kaylah Stroup
Pets by Carvas, cat bowtie
bowtie by PETS by Carvas

A while ago in my Friday Favorites I featured a cat collar with a little bowtie on it… because dressed up pets will always be my favorite, duh! Then last week I got an email from the maker of that collar wanting to know if I’d like one for as a thank you. I accepted, and chose one I thought would look good on Professor. I figured I’d share a photo on instagram to thank them for their generosity but once I saw Professor in it there was no way I could keep all this cuteness to myself.

I was a little worried that he would scratch at it but I don’t think he has any idea that there is something different on his neck from his regular collar. Squid doesn’t wear a collar but Professor normally wears one with a little bell because he’s a trouble maker. With his bowtie he looks like a real professor! Plus the color really brings out his eyes. I took so many darn photos of this kitty. I could just eat him up. Anyway, enough talk! It’s time for photos…

siamese cat, bowtie, professor stingray
cat bowtie, bow collar

Hope you’re having a lovely Monday! Thanks again to PETS by Carvas for making Professor look even cuter than normal. Seeing him in it makes me smile every single time. I’m definitely going to need to get this guy another one.
xoxo

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