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hello, pink hair

by Kaylah Stroup January 12, 2016
pink hair, the dainty squidpink hair, blue hair, beyond the zone, punky colours

When I make drastic hair color changes I like to share photos on the blog. See here, here + here. Sometimes it feels kind of funny, like right now, which is exactly why I’m over-explaining it. But I enjoy looking back at these posts for a multitude of reasons. One of which being I’m super forgetful. By the time I’ve applied dye to my hair I’ve usually already forgotten what I used. While what color your hair ends up really depends on what color it was previously, at least the way I change colors, it’s nice to have a point of reference for the next time I inevitably make my way back to this color.

I had let the orange grow out more than I normally do. It was probably the longest I had ever let my roots grow. See?! I just didn’t want to give up the orange but I knew if I redyed it I would regret it. When I finally bleached my roots the pieces of hair that bleach ended up on ended up being an even brighter orange then they were, which is sooo typical when you’re ready to switch colors. All that to say my hair was still VERY orange when I applied dye to it.

I decided to try and use only the dye I had in my cupboard. I have a pretty awesome supply of dye on hand. I have basically every color but of course, I didn’t have what I really wanted – any shade of pink. I mixed a boatload of conditioner with Punky Colour Purple for my top layers and used Punky Colour Atlantic Blue for the bottom. It ended up a little bit less perfect than I was hoping. It wasn’t awful but there was too much orange for my tastes. I definitely diluted it too much. You live and you learn, I guess. After all these years each time I dye my hair it’s still kind of like an experiment. You can see it in this post.

These photos are from after I touched up that dye job. I’m so much happier with this than what I ended up the first time around. I haven’t had pink hair in over seven years. It’s kind of a fun change. It sounds funny for someone who has had orange hair for the past few months to say but I haven’t been all that adventurous with my hair this last year or so. I’ve been sticking around colors that I do often and haven’t been branching out into new combinations. This is definitely a new one for me. 

This is Beyond The Zone Bubble Head Pink, some more Punky Colour Purple, and I hate to admit it… Ion Color Brilliance in Radiant Orchid on the top layer. I also touched up the Punky Colour Atlantic Blue. I hadn’t used ION Color Brilliance since around the time they came out. I hated them then. They have a lot of nice looking colors though, and the price certainly makes them tempting. I thought maybe in the last four years they’d have improved their product. Nope. The second I started applying it I regretted not being more patient and waiting a day or two to grab some Punky Colours instead. Hilariously enough the color barely even showed up once rinsed out but it sure did make a mess of my shower… and towels …and everything else for like a week. I legitimately don’t even know where it was coming from.

Because the main color used is already fading (Beyond the Zone dyes are an okay stand in but kind of an awful idea for using on the majority of your hair) I’m looking forward to touching it up in a few weeks with a slightly different color combo. Maybe I’ll keep the pink or I might go purple instead. Who knows!  For now I’m liking this.
xoxo

Psst. If you have any hair questions or are looking for some tips, check out my hair masterpost! 

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favorite 10 abandoned spots in 2015

by Kaylah Stroup January 7, 2016
motel

Finally, the last of my 2015 recaps! The year before last I shared my 10 favorite abandoned spots of the year and couldn’t resist choosing my favorites from 2015. I didn’t get out as much last year as I did the previous year but regardless I still had some really amazing adventures. Factories, multiple trailer parks, a greenhouse, and even a stretch of highway that hasn’t been driven on in years. My favorite had to be the massive abandoned hospital though. I’ve honestly had multiple dreams about that place since. I’m chomping at the bit to go back!

 party supply company

 trailer park

 greenhouse (in the winter without snow, in the spring, and in the fall.) 
abandoned around Cleveland

hospital
school
 factory
rubber duck factory

highway

Here’s to another year of great adventures!
xoxo

You can find the rest of my posts on abandoned places under the “abandoned” tag. 
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2016 Bulletin Board

by Kaylah Stroup January 6, 2016

At the beginning of every year I clear off my bulletin board and hang up all new things. I try to avoid using anything that was up in the previous year although sometimes there is something that I like too much to not put back up! It’s a cleansing process, it’s relaxing, and it’s a much needed change of scenery.

This year’s new board photos also come with a peek at my new office! Apparently that’s not all that rare though, out of the five years I’ve documented this only two years share the same room. I’m a restless little thing, what can I say? While this new office is still a work in progress I’ve got my computer corner all set up. It feels awfully cozy in here. I’m looking forward to putting the finishing touches on this room and sharing photos.

A few sources :
moon calendar, see the world pennant, friend to bugs patch, where is my mind print, cactus print, tooth patch, fuck yeah ribbon, teeth containers , keyboard decals

Check out previous year’s boards; 2012, 2013, 2014 + 2015. 

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a few of my favorite posts in 2015 – part two

by Kaylah Stroup January 3, 2016
 foxy lady + tramp – in June, late June, July, August, October, and November.  

 lake erie fog

 where I work

 my first holiday party
 
 don’t call it a comeback

what we wore : one year

land camera photos // bikes bikes bikes

one year in cleveland!

 cleveland snow day

 found on the beach 

snowy monroe street cemetery

 my collection of curiosities – part one + part two

 asilomar state beach – tide pools

living room tour

Posting on Sundays isn’t really my thing. Not for any real reason, I just never really do. I guess I like to pretend I have a day off. Hah! Anyway, I just wanted to drop in and leave this here. Another look back at 2015. Posting so many recaps always starts to bug me. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy reading other folks but I guess it just starts to feel repetitive on my end. The thing is though I LOVE looking back through these recaps a few years later (okay, okay, a few months later is usually fun too!) So to future me, 2015 was pretty cool. You’re welcome for the reminder!

To see more of my favorite posts from 2015 check out part one + my favorite outfits of the year!
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Friday Favorites # 345

by Kaylah Stroup January 1, 2016
 Yep, I’m definitely going to need this Mrs. Doubtfire lapel pin.
 (via: Amy Blue Illustration)
 This dress + this dress both belong in my closet.
(via: Modcloth)
Perrin‘s work is SO gorgeous. I’m particularly fond of this print.
 (via: Made by Perrin)
A prickly pear note pad! I wish all my favorite artists made note pads…
 (via: Idlewild Co.)
Don’t mind me, just melting over this pup in cute sweaters. Pipolli has a handful of pup sweaters available for sale. I so wish Klaus looked that good in clothes. The lil dude in the photos below just fills them out so well.
 (via: Pipolli)
 Founds this on tumblr earlier in the week and knew I had to share, headstone 2016 mini calendar!
 (via: Pam Wishbow)
Flies for your nails!
(via: YVNGPEARL)
I was about to be all “Oh man, I wish Land of Nod made adult stuff” but technically this amazing quilt comes in queen so the only thing really stopping me from having the snazziest bed is the price. I have always been hesitant to spend much money on quilts since I do have three pets. They’re not necessarily destructive or anything but a quilt has to be tough, and able to be washed often. Can anyone vouch of Land of Nod’s bedding? Or recommend any tough bedding? Obviously black and white is first choice. 😉
(via: Land of Nod)
Now that I’m pretty darn confident in my succulent growing skills, I love the idea buying cuttings instead of grown plants. San Pedro Cactus sells cuttings in a variety of different quantities. I definitely want to snag some of those when spring comes around.

(via: San Pedro Cactus)
These needle felted hearts are so awesome! Sarah of Once Again Sam is one talented lady!

(via: Once Again Sam)
I don’t think I am ever going to stop being amazed by Andie’s Specialty Sweets. These mushrooms just kill me.

(via: Andie’s Specialty Sweets)

Such a nice little message to see as you leave the house each day.
(via: Modcloth)

 
Link Love…
 ▴ All about this “Boss Lady” lapel pin!
 ▴ Have you seen Sweet Saba’s designer candy yet? The candy retainer is my favorite.
 ▴ I love how Margot from Strange Flora always sneaks plants into her photos.
 ▴ These taco note cards are kind of hilarious. The note cards come with stickers so you can build your own!
 ▴ Speaking of nice bedding, here are my dream sheets. Spoiler alert : they’re black and white striped, duh.
 ▴ Slightly cheesy, super positive 2016 calendar? INTO IT.

Happy Friday and Happy New Year!!
xoxo

Ps. Don’t forget to browse my Everyday Favorites if you want to see more fun finds!

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This year I…

by Kaylah Stroup December 31, 2015
played in tide pools for the first time ever.
got a big fat crush on Toronto!
explored lots of interesting places people left behind.
grew lots and lots of plants.
tried more new foods than ever, and even kind of fell in love with cooking.
got to cross off a really silly goal that meant a whole lot.
then celebrated with a spur of the moment road trip tattoo.

started helping Anji out at the flower shop on occasion.

made the beach a cleaner place one neatly organized arrangement at a time.
made pals with lots of new critters including the always adorable Foxy Lady, and Tramp, and some friendly squirrels along the coast.
fell even more deeply in love with both the desert, and my favorite adventure partner.
did some highly questionable things like moving a mattress and lockers on top of Jason’s car.
spent a great deal of pedaling, a lot of the time just to go sit at the beach.
moved into a new apartment.
got back into one of my favorite hobbies.
experienced some truly magical sunsets, my favorite being in Morro Bay.
bought a new car two days before the end of the year!

And oh so much more!

For the past few years I’ve been doing a “This year I…” post. See 2011, 2012, 2013, +2014. 
If you do a “This year I…” post, leave a link in the comments. I’d love to check it out. 
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a few of my favorite posts from 2015 : part one

by Kaylah Stroup December 30, 2015
At the end of every year I go a little recap post crazy. Earlier in the week I shared my favorite outfits from the past twelve months, and I have a few more “favorite” posts queued up for these last few days of 2015. I really just love going back through the year’s posts. It makes me appreciate my blog so much more. It’s amazing how much I would have otherwise forgotten. Below are a few of my favorite posts from 2015, these are the more informative posts, as opposed to personal or daily life posts. (That list will be up later this week!)
 

 propagating succulents 101

two tips for switching hair colors easily
 
 my Cleveland favorites
 
 skull cleaning 101

 blogging – a real job
 
the story of The Dainty Squid part one + part two
 
5 tips for building your blog’s readership

15 ways to fight the winter blues
 
hair master post 
 
list making for productivity
 
 my 6 favorite bath products
 
my camera equipment
Favorite posts from 2012.
Favorite posts from 2013 – part one + part two.
Favorite posts from 2014.
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playing in the rain

by Kaylah Stroup December 29, 2015

For Christmas I bought myself a present. …A really, really nice present, the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L lens. I had been planning and saving for months. It was the last thing I “needed” to complete my camera gear. I bought it the day before Christmas Eve, and the day after Christmas it showed up in my PO Box. I stalked the tracking, finally got the notice in my box, then waited around nearly a half hour while the post office folks looked this package they had apparently misplaced. Of all the packages to lose it had to be this one, right? Hah!

I wanted to try her out immediately. Jeff agreed to do something fun with me for my lens’ maiden voyage but when he showed up that evening saying it was raining and we were going out to take some photos I wasn’t too stoked. Earlier in the day I had started rearranging my whole apartment (more on this soon!) and finishing that up sounded way more fun than traipsing around in the rain with brand new camera equipment. I reluctantly packed up my bag and off we went.

I borrowed one of Jeff’s camera rain covers ($8.99 for two. They’re super simple, and take the worry out of shooting in the rain. I am definitely getting myself some!) and wouldn’t you know it, I had an absolute blast. Shooting in the rain was so much fun. Sometimes you just need someone to drag you out of the house to experience something new. The rain created a few different interesting elements to the photos; bokeh caused by rain drops on my lens, and reflections in puddles.

I’m never really all that confident shooting at night. I understand how to take the photos but it’s very easy to get frustrated when you’re spending up to 30 seconds per exposure, and not getting exactly what you imagined. It’s especially frustrating for me when I’m with a larger group of friends. You want to take your time, set up the perfect shot but I hate holding people up. Even though I know my friends don’t mind waiting I feel like a pain. Since it was just Jeff, and I, and I was shooting with a fancy new lens, I felt completely as ease! I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so excited about the shots I got at night. It was obvious I was having a blast. I never really show Jeff my photos until after I’ve edited but I couldn’t help but shove my camera in his face “LOOK AT THIS PICTURE!” I was all “the only thing that could make this night better is if I got some drinking chocolate*!” thinking it was too late in the night to get some but it wasn’t! Winter plays tricks on ya like that. Basically, it was best day ever.

Verdict on my new lens? I’m totally in love! It’s always scary spending a big chunk of money but it was definitely worth it. The wide angle lens I owned before this one, the 10-22mm, was a great lens but you can’t beat good glass. L series lenses are where it’s at! I’m so looking forward to shooting more with it.
xoxo

*Let me tell you about drinking chocolate! When I first met Jeff I didn’t like any coffee drinks or anything. I basically only liked hot chocolate. He claimed to know of the best hot chocolate ever, so he took me to Lilly Chocolates. It was love at first sip. It’s basically like drinking liquid chocolate but somehow it’s acceptable? I don’t even know. There’s a little bit of a kick when it hits the back of your throat. It’s incredible. They don’t have a webstore, but they do ship if you contact them…and seriously, it’d totally be worth it. Or just come visit Cleveland.

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Favorite Outfits from 2015

by Kaylah Stroup December 28, 2015
little black dress // windblown // plaid, polka dots + pups // orange you glad
good vibes only
swans + summer legs // birthday attire // black + white // owl keep you
one year
“just jeans” // hello to the perfect coat // bikes, bikes + more bikes // #iamunique
pattern clashing champ

Every year, at the end of the year, I make a little list of my favorite outfits that I shared on the blog. It’s a fun way to look back and see all the outfits I put together, and the different hairstyles, and colors I had. (Did I really only have three different colors this year? I’m slackin!) No real revelations here, my style seems just as random and obnoxious as ever. I’ve always kind of wished I had a really distinct style but perhaps my style is less random than I think and it’s just that it’s hard to see because I see it everyday?

I don’t normally choose a number one from my list of favorites but I really can’t get over the outfit in the photo above. It is easily one of my all time favorite outfits. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as fierce as I did in that. That needs to be something I wear more often. Also, if my hair could just permanently look like it does in that photo that’d be great! Hah!

This past year I shared the smallest number of outfit posts since I started sharing them back in 2011. I’m hoping to get back to sharing outfits more frequently in 2016.
xoxo


See past years favorite outfits : 2011, 2012, 2013 + 2014.
And of course, you can find more outfits under the “what I wore” tag.

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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