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Friday Favorites #529

by Kaylah Stroup

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

I know I’ve shared this mug before but its seriously too pretty!

How cute is this spider cardigan?!

I love a good catch-all dish!

Spooky all year! (Also, by the same company, boooobs. I LOL-ed.)

This side table! YES!

Holy cow, this sweater is fabulous!

This kidney model! YES!

These shoes? They’re made partially from plastics from the ocean! How awesome is that!?

This moon phase garland! Cute + super affordable.

I already shared this on my instagram last week but I’m head over heels for this sweatshirt. It’s super cozy. (Also comes in a tank top!)

skull sweatshirt

Okay, how rad is this shelf with hand shaped brackets!? That is 100% my style!

Link love…

Happy Friday! xoxo

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Mansfield Reformatory

by Kaylah Stroup
Mansfield Reformatory

The weekend before last, Jeff and I were spending our normal quiet Saturday morning in our favorite neighborhood coffee shop, as we always do. We had been there a few hours already. He had ignored my ‘I’m done when you are’ cue. (Me shutting my laptop, in case you’re wondering.) So I just figured he was getting a lot done and wanted to stay and work longer.

Because the coffee shop has a pretty good flow of good boiz (dogs, for the layperson) coming in all the time, I basically look up every single time the door opens. One such instance, I looked up and saw someone vaguely shaped like my best friend. It’s bright toward the door, and dark where we were sitting so I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure but I stood up at attention anyway.

Jeff had invited her and her crew out to celebrate my birthday. Two things make this especially cute. One – the week before, my actual birthday, I actually cried because I really wanted Elycia there. I was bummed we had failed to make plans. Two – earlier in the morning, while at the coffee shop, I jokingly asked Jeff “When is Elycia getting here?”

I only cried a little but it warmed my heart big time! Jeff ran home to speed clean the house, something he had planned all along since he knows how important it is to me to have a clean house for guests. After Elycia and her family got coffee we headed off to the rest of the surprise plans for the day, visiting The Mansfield Reformatory. It’d been a few years since my last visit so I was super excited to go back, especially with my friends.

Ohio State Reformatory
Mansfield Reformatory

Mansfield Reformatory, also known as Ohio State Reformatory, is a historic prison that’s actually open for tours. The reformatory opened it’s doors originally in 1896. After 94 years, it eventually closed in December of 1990 as the result of a prisoners’ class action suit citing overcrowding and inhumane conditions. In it’s time it housed over 155,000 men! It has the largest free-standing steel cell block in the world, six tiers high.

In 1995, the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society was formed. Their goal is to restore the facility to its original state. Although the building still resembles an abandoned one, they’ve made great strides since opening the prison up to tourists. The smell of fresh paint was apparent during our visit and dumpsters full of debris were visible through some of the windows.

The history of this place is super interesting but I’d venture to say a lot of people that visit are probably just there because it’s where parts of The Shawshank Redemption were filmed. I mean that’s super exciting to me! Jeff and I watch that movie all the time. It’s one of our absolute favorites. Even if you’re not a fan though, the prison is still an incredibly fun spot to poke around.

Mansfield Reformatory
Shawshank Prison
Olive being dragged away to her prison cell. Her crime? Being too cute.

Visit The Ohio State Reformatory’s website for more information on the building + on the available tours. Ghost hunts, y’all, ghost hunts!

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Friday Favorites #528

by Kaylah Stroup

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

Digging this hand wall hanging. (And that eye one too!)

This dress comes in a variety of different colors (ones that would definitely look better with my hair than this one) but this color just grabbed my attention!

These shoes! How cute would they look paired with that dress above!?

Then top off that outfit with these earrings!

Once again, not trying to rush away summer but this coat is excellent! Really, that whole outfit is great.

How rad are these hand bookends!?

Loved this stained glass moon as soon as I spotted it but my first thought was that I cannot hang anything else in my window (they’re already home to one too many rainbow makers and crystals) but then I scrolled and saw it displayed on a shelf. TOO cute!

I have put this planter in my shopping cart so many times only to never go through with the checkout process! I already own one from the same line and absolutely love it so I don’t know what’s stopping me.

This mushroom cardigan!

I’ve been on a big time planter kick lately. I really like this one. The extra height would be perfect to set it apart from all my others.

Link love…

Happy Friday! xoxo

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Twin Arrows, AZ

by Kaylah Stroup
Twin Arrows Trading Post in Arizona. Old Rt 66

20 minutes west of Two Guns lies the ruins of the Twin Arrows Trading Post. Just like Two Guns, we’ve been making annual visits here since 2014. Somehow in all those years, I have yet to dedicate an entire post to this place (although it’s definitely shown up in its fair share of posts, like here, here + here) but here we go today…

Sometime in the 1940’s a business named the Canyon Padre Trading Post was established. It did modest business but was never all that popular. In 1955 a new family took over, added two giant arrows, and renamed the business Twin Arrows Trading Post, the business flourished! Eventually, a Valentine Diner and gas station were added as well. It was a popular spot for travelers to stop, fuel up, stretch their legs and grab a bite to eat.

Twin Arrows Trading Post, Arizona
Twin Arrows Trading Post

Just like the case with so many other businesses along old route 66, the construction of interstate 40 was the kiss of death for Twin Arrows. The business switched owners a handful of times before finally being shuttered in 1995.

It’d be nineteen years after it closed until I finally got to visit. I’d seen the spot in various movies including my all-time favorite Forrest Gump* but not with my own eyes until 2014. Our first visit, the trading post and diner were almost completely sealed up. Windows and doors were still boarded. Over the next couple of visits, small sections of the property became more and more accessible. Our most recent visit? Wide open! Every window and door inviting us inside.

Nothing Else Mattress

Similar to Two Guns, Twin Arrows seems to be experiencing a very quick decline. I don’t have a ton of photos from my first couple visits but enough to be able to see that we managed to get it right before it was completely covered in graffiti. I’m glad I have those photos because it’s honestly hard to imagine it in a state other than the one it’s in now.

These days, the building seems to get a new look quite often. When we visited last year, the morning of our wedding rehearsal, a good portion of the exterior was painted blue. (Fourth photo down in this post!) I appreciate the latest paint job making it look a bit less obnoxious and of course, I can appreciate the no one has completely covered the original paint job’s ‘Twin Arrows Trading Post’.

I’m anxious to see what it’ll look like in another year or two. Hopefully the vandalism slows down, or better yet, that someone restores it to it’s former glory. These days the property is owned by Twin Arrows Casino Resort (where I woke up the morning of my wedding day. Awww!) Maybe, eventually, they’ll decide to do something wonderful with the property. Fingers crossed they don’t demolish it!

Twin Arrows Trading Post

Other posts from this trip –

Check out even more road trip posts under the ‘travel‘ tag & more ghost towns here.

Twin Arrows Trading Post

Check out Jeff’s video from our visit below. I also recommend checking out Twin Arrow’s facebook page for some really neat historic photos.

*Do you ever wonder about how many of the things you like are because you were unknowingly exposed to them at an early age? I didn’t know Forrest Gump ran by Twin Arrows until after I had already visited there. I’ve seen the movie about five hundred times though, so you know that spot was drilled into my brain at least subconsciously.

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ghost town – Two Guns, AZ

by Kaylah Stroup

Throwing it back to June’s epic road trip again.

No trip to Arizona for us is complete without a stop at Two Guns. I’ve written about how important this place is to me a handful of times so there’s no need to retype that but I do want to share some photos from our latest visit.

Previous posts on Two Guns; that time I got married in a ghost town, our six month anniversary trip back to Two Guns, our wedding ‘rehearsal‘ & my first time in the Apache Death Cave.

It kind of sucks to fall in love with an abandoned place in the middle the desert because… well, it’s almost a guarantee that someday it’ll be destroyed. For as long as this place has been around though, I feel like it’s taken a heck of a beating in the last five years.

I certainly don’t mind graffiti. Generally, I am pro-graffiti but I am anti-people who can’t paint, people who paint dicks, people who paint offensive phrases, people who just make gosh darn messes on cool old buildings, etc. Two Guns is covered in spray paint. Seems like there isn’t a spot of bare building anymore so it’s pretty wild to look back at photos from my older posts and see how ‘untouched’ it looked (despite definitely being painted back then.) I’m most disappointed to see the paint making its way over to the much older ruins.

One of the most striking changes though is the collapse of the ‘Kamp’ building. It had been looking pretty rough for a long time but it was definitely a strange feeling to see it collapsed. Just a year earlier I had taken photos of my brother on the upper floor, waving from the window! Shoot, just a year earlier I had wedding photos taken in there! I’m curious if it’ll continue to fall or sit like it is now, roof on top of the rubble, for a while.

Apache Death Cave. Two Guns, Arizona
Inside the Apache Death Cave. Can’t help but feeling like that coolest cat ever knowing that I was in this cave in a wedding dress.
Two Guns, Arizona
Two Guns, Arizona
Two Guns, Arizona

Hopefully our next visit to Two Guns will be in the school bus with my family. I think I’ve got everyone on board at this point, it’s just a matter of getting the bus done and making plans. I get goosebumps thinking about being there with my family again. And to actually camp there? YES, PLEASE!

Other posts from this trip –

Check out even more road trip posts under the ‘travel‘ tag & more ghost towns here.

Until next time, Two Guns! xoxo

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Friday Favorites #526

by Kaylah Stroup

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

My mother in law got me this candle for my birthday and holy smokes, it smells SO GOOD. They even have a roll on perfume in the same scent. Gardenia and honeysuckle is seriously the best scent combo ever.

This couch is gorgeous! Just picture it surrounded with plants. So dreamy.

This vintage hand model! I already have a hand model but not one with arthritis!

Look at these awesome coasters!! The person who makes them also has these dental ones as well.

I’m just a sucker for strappy black flats.

This dress!

Digging this wild and colorful rug!

Just rediscovered this snake candle holder in a wish list I made and surprise, surprise, I still love it!

If I could afford it, I’d cover my walls in vintage anatomical charts. How pretty is this one?!

Stumbled upon this cool little glass terrarium and can’t stop thinking how cute it’d look full of beach treasures!

Link love…

Big shop news – a massive update went live this morning! 47 new listings in total including a handful of one of a kind wristlets, a brand new size of pouch that’s a little larger than our ‘standard’ sized one and a whole bunch of coin pouches.

Shop The Dainty Squid.

Happy Friday! xoxo

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hair dye diaries

by Kaylah Stroup
Arctic Fox Sunset Orange + Virgin Pink

Its been around two months since I made the big change from green to orange. In that time period, I feel like I’ve had to touch up or deal with faded hair way more than normal. This is my one last hair change with Arctic Fox then I’m off to try new brands. (I say that… but honestly, I bought some Punky Colour last night and I already know it’ll treat me well.)

I very recently dyed my hair yet again with Arctic Fox’s Sunset Orange, Cosmic Sunshine + Virgin Pink. Because I am trying to now document any and all hair changes, I have a video!

Watch below + subscribe on YouTube!

These are the colors I was really looking forward to doing the most after leaving green. I wouldn’t say it came out as expected. Maybe next time!

It feels kind of silly to continue to dye my hair with Arctic Fox when I’m so unhappy with the results. (In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have bought the 8oz bottles.) Don’t get me wrong, the initial color is GORGEOUS, although never really what the bottle shows. I still can’t believe that it covered the mess of green I was left with after bleaching but it just does not last. The fading is worse than anything I had ever tried before. Its been about a week and a half since I filmed that video and already my color is… meh.

It leaves me with such vivid color when it’s fresh that I know despite how I feel now, in a years time or so, I’ll probably convince myself to try it again. For now though, I’m excited to tuck the remainder of those bottles in the back of my cupboard and try something else.

Arctic Fox Sunset Orange + Virgin Pink
Arctic Fox Sunset Orange + Virgin Pink

Supplies used – (affiliate links)

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!

orange and pink hair
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my mother’s plants

by Kaylah Stroup
July 20th – Face planter by Kinska

Grief for me has been cycling through the polar opposites of ‘save everything!’ and ‘throw it all away!’ Sorting through her storage room in my dad’s garage a few weekends back with my sister-in-law, I found myself when asked what to do with something, more often than not, answering “Goodwill pile!”

Guess it was just the mood I was in because I’ve kept so many random things that had she’d of offered me I’d have said ‘no’ to. Recipes she printed and wrote her own notes on, her flannel shirts, her pajama pants (most of which I recognized from our shopping trips together), her fuzzy socks and so much more stuff I 100% do not need. Buuut my grieving brain insists it’s all special.

June 25th – The day I brought it home. I had already trimmed off all the dead leaves.

One Sunday, while the guys worked on the bus, I walked down to the house and did a little housework for my dad. I noticed three dead looking plants on the staircase landing. I figured I should ask before tossing them despite already knowing that my dad wouldn’t be interested in caring for houseplants. After confirming he didn’t want them, I climbed back onto the landing and got a closer look. They were definitely hurting after not being watered for 2 and a half months but two of the three were possibly salvageable…

I tossed the completely dried out one. The largest I pruned the dead leaves off and decided that it was worth trying to save. The third had completely wilted leaves but didn’t seem beyond repair. I chopped off the leaves to try and propagate and gave the root base to my niece to grow.

June 26th – One day after water. Already perking up!
June 26th – First day in water. I let the ends callous over for a day before placing them in water.
July 2nd

Five days after being placed in water, I already had the start of roots and much healthier leaves!

July 2nd
July 7th – The start of two new leaves!
July 11th – Look who is opening up!
July 20th

As much as I love growing things in water and watching the roots grow and change, I really wanted to get these leaves in soil ASAP. I planted and replanted these darn things at least four different times before finally deciding on how I wanted them arranged. I thought one super full pot would be neat but I didn’t have the right sized pot and I figured two would give me a better shot at least one surviving. (…Not that I really have any doubts but ya know!) So two pots it was. One larger for all the big cuttings, and a smaller one for the more petite cuttings – who interestingly enough had much larger roots.

July 20th – Right after being planted.
July 29th
July 29th – More new leaves coming in!
July 29th

My mom was never really a house plant type of person but anyone who had ever been over to the house would tell you how much she loved to garden. She kept such beautiful flower beds. My love of plants definitely stemmed (heh!) from her. When I moved to the city and no longer had an outdoor space, I started bringing the outside in. It was then I convinced her to try growing things inside as well.

All of that to say, it feels a little weird to be putting so much importance on these plants that I’m not sure she ever loved, at least not as much as the ones she grew outside. It’s a perfectly me way of dealing with grief though, especially since tending to my many houseplants is already so cathartic to me.

I look forward to continuing to watch these plants grow and hope that they continue to bring me at least a little bit of peace. My mom may be dead but she lives on in so many other ways.

July 29th – The start of new leaves on this tiny guy!
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Friday Favorites #525

by Kaylah Stroup

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

Digging this desk snail, complete with shell that opens up for sneaky storage.

This living room is pretty cute but I am all about that mirror! I don’t know what it is lately but I just keep finding myself looking for cute mirrors. This one even has a shelf at the bottom for all my odds and ends. LOVE IT!

Still loving the short wide leg pants trend, still haven’t tried it for myself for some unknown reason! These ones are super cute, come in a handful of colors and are pretty darn affordable.

This bat print!

UO now carries my favorite planter! These things are so neat. You plant in the top half and the water drains into the bottom half. It’s just super nice that you don’t need any ugly little tray to collect excess water. (You can see mine here!)

Love this jumpsuit. Maroon was not a color I ever wore with my green hair but now I can’t help but be drawn to it. I have lost time to make up for.

Tiny vintage mice to hold your rings!

Loving these sandals! They’re majorly marked down right now too.

I’m still obsessed with rompers! (Here’s another cute one that’s black and white striped!)

You know I love anything with moons on it, this mug is no exception!

Link love…

Happy Friday! xoxo

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