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a new brick walkway through my garden

by Kaylah Stroup June 19, 2023

We added a brick walkway through my garden. I AM OBSESSED.

drone garden view June 2021

Back in 2021, I added the first of many gardens to our yard. It all started with this handmade arbor that I wanted to grow clematis on and from there the idea of a massive circle shaped bed was born.

My plan had always been to put large flat rocks on the inside so that I wouldn’t have to mow it. I was in no rush though. I didn’t really feel like sourcing the rocks. Even though my dad will always let me steal rocks from him that still meant finding the perfect ones, hauling tons of them and then figuring out how to puzzle piece them together. It was a project that I just kept pushing to the side.

Then, early spring of this year, my husband and I randomly decided our fire pit needed a makeover. A weekend’s worth of work and it turned out BEAUTIFUL. I jokingly said “we should do my garden next!” thinking it was just too big of an area or that we’d never actually have enough bricks.

Well, turns out once the idea was in my brain I couldn’t get rid of it. I don’t recall if it was the next weekend we started or not but either way, we got right to work making it happen as soon as possible. The whole flat rock idea now seemed so silly.

About 85 to 90% of the bricks we used were sourced from our own yard.

Shortly after we moved in we discovered a hidden patio near the house. It had completely grown over with grass. I spent a huge chunk of time uncovering the patio before I finally decided that I didn’t want to keep it as is. It was a bit of a tripping hazard and not really in a spot that we’d use at this point in time. I painstakingly dug up all the bricks and stacked them on our woods line.

I was able to find a newspaper article about the folks who laid the aforementioned patio and it seems like they really truly loved this house. Everything I’ve read about their time here just makes it feel like they poured themselves into this place. I like knowing that I’m able to give these bricks a new life and one that is so near and dear to my heart. It sort of feels like paying tribute to them in some strange way, ya know?

The other 10 to 15% of bricks came from Facebook marketplace. I found a gal giving away bricks (FREEEE!) so I ended up grabbing two Jeep loads of bricks from her. She wasn’t home when I picked up the bricks but a neighbor wandered over, asked me a few questions and then proceeded to give me some history on the house and garden I was gathering the bricks from. Apparently the previous owner of the house was an older gentleman who had suffered a stroke and lost the ability to use one of his arms. That didn’t stop him from laying all these bricks by himself though. My goodness, let me tell you, there were a ton of bricks too. More than I could ever manage to bring home. The neighbor was sad to see his hardwork torn up like this.

I obviously love how rad this ended up looking but as you can guess, I also love how sentimental the materials are. I have no idea who the man with the brick garden was but I think it’s really cool that his materials could come to my home and make something so special for me.

It took a couple of weekends worth of work mostly because it was just too darn hot to work for very long. All the hard sweaty work was so worth it though! The whole project turned out even better than I could have ever imagined. It was one of those projects where when you finally step back and look at it you think “Oh, this is how it was always supposed to look!”

Adding six rows of bricks inside my garden bed opened up a few inches around the entire interior. Of course I also got a decently sized circle in the center to plant in as well! So, it looks way prettier and I got more room for flowers. A win/win, right!?

I’m still working on filling in the new interior bed but it’s coming along quite nicely. Honestly, a lot more quickly than I thought I would. I thought I was going to have self control when it came to plants this year but… nah.

I absolutely could not be happier with how this bed is turning out. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this being mine. Literally every single day I look at it and think ‘WOW!‘

left 2021 // right 2023

THE best overalls // duluth heirloom gardening overalls review

by Kaylah Stroup June 15, 2023

This post is a ~~love letter to~~ *ahem* a review of my favorite overalls, the Duluth Women’s Heirloom Gardening Bib Overalls.

It is no secret I love overalls. I’ve reverted to the style I rocked as a kid and I basically only wear overalls. They’re nice to work in, they’re comfy and, perhaps most importantly, unlike most other women’s clothing they have POCKETS. So, I am always on the hunt for my next pair.

Last year I tried out Duluth’s overalls for the first time and it’s been a full on obsession ever since. Let me tell you more…

duluth trading heirloom gardening overalls review

Duluth Trading Company is known for producing durable and functional workwear, and these gardening overalls are no exception. They’re made from a breathable and sturdy cotton/polyester blend fabric that is designed to withstand the rigors of gardening and other outdoor work. In a word? They’re AMAZING.

details

4.8-oz. DuluthFlex® ripstop fabric is super-stretchy and strong.
Dirt brushes right off – keep it in the garden!
No-slip elasticized straps with upgraded hardware that stays clipped.
Double-chapped legs for poke protection.
Double-layer knees with bulk-free bonded water barrier; accepts knee pads, sold separately
12 pockets, including right thigh cargo pocket with tuckable flap, left thigh utility pockets, 2 back patch pockets and pruner loop. TWELVE! T-W-E-L-V-E pockets!
Bib storage system with zippered pocket/phone sleeve, pencil slots and sunglasses loop.
UPF 50 sun protection.
Relaxed hip and thigh; straight leg.
Machine washable.

wear & tear

These babies have seen their fair share of garden time. One thing I noticed right away was that their claim of ‘dirt brushes right off’ is surprisingly actually true!? They seem to stay so much cleaner than any thing else I wear while crawling around in the dirt. It’s kind of crazy!

I own three pairs. All of which have held up beautifully. I’m one of those people who washes my work clothes after every single wear so my overalls have been washed A LOT. They still look good as new! Literally no fading, pilling or other signs of their constant use.

I had one very small issue a while back where a button came off the side while in the washing machine. Duluth has a very generous exchange policy so I was able to just take them back to the store and get a brand spankin’ new pair without any hassle. I literally walked up to the counter said “Hi, one of my buttons fell off in the wash!” and the gal behind the counter started organizing my exchange despite the fact they’d been washed and worn many times previously.

sizing

Sizing is definitely the one thing you have to look out for with these overalls. I am a pretty consistent size large in clothing, especially bottoms. My favorite pair of pants are a size 12 but others that fit well in my wardrobe are size 10. In these overalls? I’m a small. I’ve made sure to include lots of photos in this post, as well as a gif of me wiggling around so you can see how they fit on me.

returns & exchanges

With anything, online especially, I like to know that if I straight up hate something or it just fits weird I’m not going to be stuck with it. As I mentioned above, Duluth as a really great exchange policy. Shipping is free if you’re exchanging size or color! They also have a ‘No Bull Guarantee’ which means if you are not satisfied with any item you purchase from Duluth Trading, return it for a refund within one year. After one year, they will also consider returns for items that are defective or don’t perform as designed. No Bull means if something goes wrong, they will always treat you right. Amazing, right!?

As you can see, I have zero complaints about these overalls. The price is a bit more steep than I’d like but this is definitely one of those things where you get what you pay for! Take it from this cheapskate, they are worth the price. They’re easily one of my favorite things in my wardrobe.

Now, what are you waiting for, grab a pair!

my mother’s irises

by Kaylah Stroup June 14, 2023

Time for my annual photoshoot with my late mother’s flowers.

In 2021, the year I started my massive circle shaped flower bed (ahem, see here!) my dad gave me free reign of my late mother’s flower beds. My mom LOVED her gardens so despite the fact that none of the flowers that were still surviving excited me, I happily brought a bunch home to care for in my own garden.

That first season, even though we transplanted at the ‘wrong’ time, the plants still managed to product flowers. From then on I have been straight up obsessed with these plants.

This is their third season in my garden and I truly can’t imagine them looking any prettier than this. Every single bloom just feels like pure magic.

left 2021 // right 2022 // 2023 below

It breaks my heart she isn’t here to see my garden. I know she’d love it. Growing up, she couldn’t pass by a garden center without stopping in to see what they had. It drove me nuts at the time. She always said “You’ll get it someday!” and by golly, I do now. What I wouldn’t give to browse a garden center with her again. ❤

See also: Mom’s daylillies – a post from July of 2021

what I’ve been reading

by Kaylah Stroup May 1, 2023

The Mud Ballad by Jo Quenell.

‘In a dying railroad town, a conjoined twin wallows in purgatory for the murder of his brother. A disgraced surgeon goes to desperate ends to reconnect with his lost love. When redemption comes with a dash of black magic, the two enter a world of talking corpses, flesh-eating hogs, rude mimes, and ritualistic violence.’

Listen, I loved this book so much it already got it’s own post here on the blog. Read my review of The Mud Ballad here. I’m still feeling like this is going to be one of my favorites of the year. Once again, if you’ve liked my book recommendations in the past this is one you’re not going to want to miss!

Tales from the Gas Station Volume One & Volume Two by Jack Townsend.

“Drunk customers. Shoplifting raccoons. Otherworldly visitors. As night shift clerk at the twenty-four-hour gas station at the edge of town, Jack has pretty much seen it all.

That is, until his best friend reveals the body of a local politician hidden in the trunk of a car, setting off a chain of events with apocalyptic potential. Soon, Jack finds himself entangled in a supernatural conspiracy involving monster hunters, sociopaths, doomsday cultists, and… garden gnomes?

Armed with nothing but his wits, sarcasm, and alarming amounts of coffee, can Jack stay alive long enough to see another morning shift? Or will he, too, fall victim to the dark, ancient force infecting the dreams of everyone around him?

One thing’s for sure. He’s not getting paid enough for this.”

I was very excited to start this series based on the fact that lots of reviews call out these books as a must read if you liked John Dies at the End.

Personally, I’m torn. If I am entertained by a book, which I absolutely was with these, then it feels wrong to criticize it. That being said, I feel like these could have been… better. The premise is super fun. I enjoyed the characters and definitely had more than a few laugh out loud moments. BUT there were also quite a few times I had to flip a couple pages back to clarify something confusing. There were also a lot of loose ends that never got tied up. When I finished up the second book and moved on to something completely different I realized how slowly I had been trudging through reading with these two.

Tales from the Gas Station is currently a four part book series. I think I’m happy stopping at two. If you’re into books that mix comedy and horror, maybe check this out! This series has a bit of a cult following and despite my complaints, I did enjoy them. I’m just not positive that I need to read more of them when there are so many other books out there to dive into!

If This Book Exists You’re in the Wrong Universe by Jason Pargin.

Book number four of the John Dies at the End series! …And possibly my favorite of them all?! I loved this whole series.

If you aren’t familiar, these books follow the adventures of David and his friends John and Amy as they investigate paranormal and supernatural phenomena, battling all manner of monsters and otherworldly threats. Some folks may find the childish humor and irreverence of the series off-putting but it’s the perfect blend of horror and comedy for me. I enjoyed all four books immensely and look forward to more. Fingers crossed!

If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe by Jason Pargin review

Bedside Manor by Jack Townsend.

“When Jack’s car breaks down in the middle of a cross-country road trip, the mysterious house at the top of the hill is a beacon of hope. If he can borrow a phone to call for help, he’ll be on his way in no time. But someone – or something – has other plans. Soon, Jack finds himself trapped in a nightmare that defies logic, where a depraved killer on the loose is the least of his problems. Will Jack escape before it’s too late?
A house full of strangers.
An unsolvable mystery.
A night that won’t end.
Welcome to Bedside Manor.“

This novella was written by the same author as the Tales from the Gas Station series and even includes two of the same characters but you absolutely do not need to read other books to understand this one. It’s a stand-alone.

My hot take? It’s even better than the Gas Station series. I loved this book! It was a quick read that wasn’t at all what I was expecting. The premise was familiar (murder mystery party) but the story itself was really unique and fun. I would love to find more books like this one.

Small Horrors by Darcy Coates.

A collection of fifty creepy stories all jam-packed into 366 pages! I picked this up because I had read and enjoyed one of her other books, The Haunting of Gillespie.

This was such a fun collection of horror shorts. I actually got sunburn from reading it my hammock because I just kept saying “ahhh, one more!” The stories are so short that it’s hard to talk yourself out of just one more. This was a solid collection!

Peruse the ‘books‘ category here on the blog for similar posts. Keep an eye on my instagram stories if you’re looking for even more recommendations!

portrai.me review

by Kaylah Stroup April 18, 2023

Have you ever heard of Portrai Me?

Portrai Me is a visual art project that creates ‘portraits’ of people’s personalities through the various motifs in their lives.

Each piece is created in collaboration with the client who orders the Portrai Me. After ordering, you receive a form to customize the artwork. You can then provide a list of words and attach images you would like to be represented on the piece. After you submit your info, they create a custom drawings entirely based on the submitted lists and images.

They’re available in black and white or color, as well as a variety of different sizes.

I think if you know anything about me at this point, you know that I’m obsessed with my house… so, of course, my Portrai Me piece is all about the house.

My list included my office fireplace, a metal detector, daffodils, the wallpaper with the hidden writing underneath, a black snake (because of this incident!), the clawfoot tub, the art we found buried in the woods, tomatoes, a toad, black berries, the gorgeous hardware I restored & of course, the pets.

For full transparency, I provided photos and posted about it on my instagram in return for my own custom portrait. That was over a year ago at this point. I’m under no obligation to write this post or share anything else about it. I just wanted to post about it here too because I’M OBSESSED with it.

The first year and a half of living here was such a blur. It just felt like going from zero to a hundred in a millisecond. Everything was new and exciting. I love this portrait because it really sums up some of my favorite things that happened during that period. I feel like if I were to get another one now, the same items probably wouldn’t be included and that’s what makes this so special. It’s a snapshot into our first year as homeowners.

I also have to note that just a few weeks after originally getting this piece our dog Klaus passed away so I’m so happy to have him included in this. It makes it even more special. He may not be with us anymore but he was a huge piece of our lives here. One of my biggest goals in life was to buy that pup a yard of his own and by golly, we did it! Now I’m sobbing.

All of that to say, this piece is very sentimental.

shown above : the original wallpaper from our home that inspired the piece in the art.

A custom piece from Portrai Me is an absolutely killer idea for a new homeowner or anyone just going through a new phase in life! It’s also the sweetest thing you could get a loved one (think little pictures of shared memories or inside jokes!) I love my picture and highly highly recommend snagging one for yourself! xo

my ‘new’ very old curiosity cabinet

by Kaylah Stroup April 17, 2023

I scored my dream curiosity cabinet.

I do not use Facebook marketplace regularly. I mean, I browse it A LOT but I’m not huge on meeting up with strangers. Buuuut when I find a dream piece I make exceptions. By “exceptions” I mean that I nicely ask my husband to pretty please call them and come with me to pick it up.

This piece that looked great on it’s listing was ten times better in person. When I walked into the room full of boxes this dude had and spotted the cabinet in the center of the room, I couldn’t shove my money in his hand fast enough. No, dude, you don’t have to hype it to me. I know that I neeeeed it.

I spent the ride back from picking it up sweating bullets. The piece weighs next to nothing which means that glass is thiiiin. I was convinced we’d hit a pot hole and it’d just explode into a thousand tiny pieces. It just felt too good to be true.

She made it home in one piece though! Stunning curved glass, nice and wide, just around one hundred years old! I literally can’t imagine a piece more perfect for my oddities in this house.

If you recall, when we bought the house the previous owner left behind an Ikea cabinet that I really liked. I immediately knew it’d hold my oddities. You can get a peek of that here. The more time I spent in this house though, the more I felt like Ikea furniture was not a great fit. When I re-did our living room, the Ikea cabinet full of oddities got moved into Jeff’s office ‘temporarily’ (meaning it would stay there nearly a year while I tried to figure out what my plan was.)

Please don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Ikea but I do feel like my one hundred and fifty year old house needs at least some time appropriate furniture. I will never be a restoration purist. My house will most likely always have a mix of new and old furniture. I think you should do whatever floats your boat. I will tell you one thing though, this cabinet? MADE FOR THIS HOUSE. Made for my weird crap! The age, the condition, the piece in general? PERFECTION.

oil portrait painting collection + antique curiosity cabinet

oddities, jar full of dentures, anatomical models

I am just tickled pink over this. I rearranged the paintings on the wall and went through all my boxes still left in the attic to find the perfect pieces to display inside the cabinet.

You know what else is rad? It still has the key to lock the cabinet. To be honest, I didn’t realize it was a key. I excitedly showed my dad my excellent new score and he said “Ah, you’re lucky it still has the key!” Confused I responded “Nah, that’s just the knob.” He pulled it out of the lock, I screamed!

Like many folks, I have always thought old keys were neat-o. I’ve owned quite a few but none that actually went to something! That was just the icing on the cake to this purchase.

Maybe I should be giving FB marketplace more of try! xo

fire pit makeover

by Kaylah Stroup April 16, 2023

I wish I could start this post with a really great before photo but what’s above is as good as it’s going to get. Our fire pit area has never been cute. Believe me, it’s a lot cuter than when we bought. Even though we improved on it, by making the pit smaller, building benches, and adding a cool curved woodpile, it’s still not an area I’d have ever gone out of my way to photograph. It was ugly and muddy.

Even though I’ve enjoyed having fires out here, it always gave off more camping vibes than cozy home vibes. Does that make sense?

Well, as luck would have it, the materials needed to give the fire pit a whole new look were already all over our property. There are piles of bricks here, piles of bricks there. Oh yeah, and we discovered a whole brick patio under the grass back in 2021.

It took us two Saturday afternoons get this done. One to dig it out and the second to haul and lay bricks. It came together so quickly. An immediately gratifying project, the kind where after the first few bricks you had a really good idea of how rad it’d end up.

It’s still settling so we’re sweeping sand and small rocks into the cracks every couple of days. I can’t wait to get grass planted around the outside and see how it looks fully cleaned up. Even like this, a little dirty, it’s still a million times better than what we had before. I’ve already found myself spending more time out here than normal.

This was such a satisfying project Jeff and I have already decided to tackle another brick project. Next up? My garden! xo

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book review // the mud ballad

by Kaylah Stroup April 12, 2023

It’s been a very long time since I wrote a post specifically about one single book. I still plan to do my round-ups of all recently read books but sometimes one will stick out that I just need to talk about. That’s where we’re at today.

The Mud Ballad by Jo Quenell! Although it’s been out for three years this April, it has a measly twenty-nine reviews on Amazon and just over one hundred on Goodreads. This book is criminally underrated.

If you’re a long-time Dainty Squid fan who has enjoyed my book recommendations in the past, stop reading right now. Go buy it, go read it!

Jo Quenell’s storytelling puts you right into the book. As someone who doesn’t have the easiest time visualizing characters or settings in books, I felt like I knew exactly how everything and everyone looked. It was like watching a movie in my head as opposed to simply reading.

If you like circus/sideshow themes, books that generally leave you feeling a little bit icky and unsettled, and horror elements so absurd you giggle – this book is for you! It feels like the kind of book that got me interested in reading to begin with.

My only complaint? That it wasn’t longer! (This is basically always my complaint with books I love!) I just wanted to stay in this strange world a little bit longer. I was also saddened to see Jo Quenell hadn’t written more books. I’d love to read more of her work. The Mud Ballad is an absolute gem. I’m over 25 books in and this is easily one of my favorite reads this year so far! xo

Check out my other book posts here!

2023 bouquets // pt. 1

by Kaylah Stroup April 11, 2023

Each year I try to take on some sort of year long project. In the past there have multiple years I did Project 365. In 2023? I am going to take a photo of every single flower arrangement I make!

For years and years, I always said one of my life goals was to live somewhere that I can grow flowers just for the sole purpose of picking and enjoying indoors. In 2021 I made that goal a reality by starting one heck of an awesome garden! The first year I wasn’t so great at cutting my flowers. I just wanted to enjoy them in the garden. I am definitely getting more and more comfortable stealing stems though. It’ll be even easier if I make it into a little photo project too, right?

So, here we go! The first six arrangements of 2023.

Clearly, right now the only thing I have blooming is daffodils. I almost backed out of this project thinking it might be silly if I’m just making arrangements from the same flowers over and over again. BUT I actually think, with time, that will be what makes it really fun. Throughout the series you’ll be able to see what I’ve got growing during a specific period and the main colors and flowers in my bouquets will slowly evolve. xo

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