2nd and Strand

I expected my trip to Target to be a quick one, but lets be honest, that usually doesn't happen for me. This time, it was thanks to the new Nate Berkus collection that ate up my time. Its been a while since SO many beautiful things jumped out at me while strolling through the store... I was practically forced to stop and admire them!

Below are some of my favorite things I saw - 

Pretty, right? Make sure next time you make a trip to Target you take a few minutes to check out the Nate Berkus collection. And if you can't make it, you can check it out here!

-Megan

There are certain things in my home that make a statement.  My blue sofa is pretty unique.  My media cabinet is a favorite.  A fantastic pillow that I splurged on years ago still makes me very happy.  And you already know how I feel about my living room rug.  Guess what doesn't make a statement, our rug liners.  

Rug liners are one of those things that make a big difference in comfort,  safety, and wearability.  Three things that are pretty important, but not very exciting.  When I worked at Pottery Barn during college I was amazed to learn how expensive their rug liners are, and all for something that never sees the light of day.  Well I was reading here, and caught a great tip that I wanted to pass on to all of you.  I might not need to sing Joann Fabrics praises to you but, she does it again!  You can buy rug liner by the yard at Joann's and save yourself quite a bit of dough.  A 5 x 8 rug pad at Pottery Barn will cost you $40.  At Joann's you can buy the same square footage for $21, and that's without using the ever present 40% off coupon.  Save your money and buy yourself one of these instead! 

Speaking of saving money, I saw a mercury gourd at Costco this weekend for $12.  It came with an acrylic stem, which I would probably paint black, but such a good price for a large mercury piece.

-Andrea

I was out shopping yesterday for a gift for my sister-in-law, Erin, who is getting married this weekend. I did a couple different 2nd Opinion segments for Erin in the past, one for her living room, and another for ideas on how to dress her wall alcoves. She's got great style, and already has most of the normal things that newlyweds need. 

The present is for a wedding dinner a few days before the actual wedding takes place. The theme was something to help them in their marriage... something funny is welcome as well. Finally my husband and I decided on something that would be useful and pretty = a jewelry box. Erin loves jewelry, and since her soon-to-be husband will inevitably be gifting Erin with some of her favorite things throughout their life, we thought we'd give them a beautiful place to store it.

So I thought I'd share some beautiful boxes that I came across- 

I decided to go with box 1 from West Elm. It's large so it makes a big impact. I wanted something beautiful that wasn't too feminine so Erin's fiance can appreciate it as well. The black graphic design is more masculine, but it has a nice silver shine that brings a nice sparkly feminine touch. It would look great on its own or with things stacked on top. In the picture the jewelry box looks good, but its prettier in person!

Here are the sources for the above boxes-

1. Metallic Printed Jewelry Box
2. Mother-Of-Pearl Box 
3. Glass Jewelry Box
4. Iris Paper Lacquered Box
5. Snowdrift Jewelry Box
6. Imogen Box

Do you use a jewelry box? Or have a favorite way to store it? I shared how I organize my jewelry here!

-Megan

I have three small children, yep three.  They are delightfully messy creatures who are often too wrapped up in their own little worlds to remember to put things back where they belong, or to notice when they knock something over etc.  They are just the way they should be!  I however am a compulsive neat freak.  How do we get along?  Well, they're teaching me to not care too much about order, and hopefully they will be successful, responsible adults in about fifteen years - I"m choosing to take the long view!  As I was carry another load of "stuff" from one room back to where the "stuff" actually belongs I noticed something.   There is one corner of my house that is usually mess free.   

The kids rarely sit in this chair, and the top of this storage piece is too tall for them to see; so they leave it alone!  I'm going to consider this corner, mine, and look at it more often when I'm feeling frenzied.  I like this corner because it's a lot of my favorite colors; blue, gray, yellow.  Lovely.  I also like it because of the layering of pattern.  Chevron, large scale modern damask, and the geometric print on the candle.  And the books underneath the metal bowl, those are mine too.  Yep, I'm feeling calmer already :)

Do you have a space that is yours?  How does it work for you?  

                                                                                                                                   -Andrea

My husband has rode his bike to work everyday for the past 4+ years, and it's great.  He loves to add exercise and fresh air to his regular desk job lifestyle, and with Boston monthly parking rates it saves us a small fortune.  But this does mean that we have his bike, and it's gear, to deal with.  I've collected a few pictures to show how a bike is not only a great transportation device, but also a great decor accessory!

I've noticed that if you ride a bike regularly it's not just a way to get around; it's a hobby.  I like the idea of displaying your hobbies and interests, and I think it's a great way to add some of you to your room.  Not only that, but there are some truly beautiful bikes out there.  Their shape, finish, color, and moving parts can really add a lot of dimension to a space.  If you are interested in a great round-up of bike mounts Apartment Therapy has one here. I love some of these mounts because space is a premium at our house and they are such space savers. Is a bike part of your routine? 
                                                                                                                                    -Andrea

Today I'm sharing a small glimpse into my home. Do you remember our first guest post + introduction of our new segment?  Well, I'm continuing on with our new segment based on DIY's and well organized space...but in a much less intimidating way. 

My husband and I have this nook in our bedroom, an open space in between upper and lower cabinets in the corner of our room behind the door. At first I didn't know what to do with it, so it usually collected clutter, or folded laundry that for some reason couldn't quite make it to the closet right next to it. Luckily not too long later, I realized a more useful use for this space so we made it into our little jewelry nook. 

I did a simple DIY, like, it took less than 10 minutes. Thats my kind of DIY! I had some foam board that I've had sitting around forever (and needed a use for it!), bought some wrapping paper, and just wrapped the wrapping paper around the board and taped it in the back. I wanted to go with something similar to the wall color cause I didn't want it to stand out too much (and because there are notches that come down on both top corners of the nook, and the board wasn't long enough to run the whole way across), but have it add a little bit of interest to that plain white space behind the jewelry. The picture below isn't great because of the glare, but you get the idea.

My husband uses the watch box to keep watches, cuff links, collar stays, etc inside. And I have the earring stand in the back, and all the little bowls.

I used command hooks to hang my necklaces from to maximize space on that side of the wall and to keep them from tangling. 

I bought these white dishes while visiting my parents in Japan a few years ago. Really they are for kitchen use, not for decoration, but when I saw the need to better organize my belongings without spending money, these bowls did the trick! I have one for watches, bracelets, rings, and perfume samples/ necklace pendants, and one for loose change (not shown here, its on my husbands side which you can see in the top two pictures). 

So there you have it! My organized jewelry, and crazy simple DIY. 

How do you organize your jewelry?

Do you have any DIY's that we can share on 2nd and Strand? As you can see from mine above, you don't have to be intimidated... we'd love to see it no matter how great or small! Or how about a well organized space? We'd love to see glimpses into your homes and how you are making it work for you!

I've got a pouf, you've probably got one.  What's the deal with poufs?  Well; they're crazy practical for adding flexible seating options to a room, inexpensive, they are a great pop of color and pattern, a unique shape, a great DIY, and they can be stashed under a coffee table or in an awkward corner.  All around they are pretty great and might be just what a difficult area of your home is screaming for .  I've collected a few of my favorites but if I've missed one you love please let us know in the comments!

I wanted to start with the iconic pouf, John Derian's moroccan pouf.  This baby has been featured everywhere and for good reason.  People love it in the metallic, but I think it's pretty timeless in white.  I am not doubting that it's worth$345, but if you don't have that to spend, know that there are a lot of other more budget friendly options out there, specifically HSN.  

I also think it's important to acknowledge the knit trend.  The coolest version of this that I've seen recently is one by Kumeko.  I love the thickness of the weave, and the break in white with the added band; so sharp.  There are some great budget versions of this style at West Elm and cb2.

I also love the global look that poufs often showcase.  Have you seen the Ernest Pouf at DWR?  This would look so so good in my living room. 

And a source not to be over looked...etsy.  Lots of options there, and so many customizable features from size, fill, fabric, and shape.  I was drawn to this frenchy one below...

Do you use a pouf in your space?  
                                                                                                                                -Andrea

Today's post is all about a popular trend in fashion and home design.   I think a little neon this summer is totally fun and easily accomplished on a variety of budgets.  I've selected a few items from around the web that will add a POP of color to any decor.  

First we have a few pieces from everybody's favorite inexpensive stop, IKEA.  They've got two new textile lines that have some great brights going on.

Design Public has some GREAT shower curtain rings and curtain; not inexpensive, but definitely NEON.

Urban Outfitters has so many pieces to pick from that I am only highlighting my favorites, there are LOTS more options if you are looking to add some neon to your home.

And last, but certainly not least we have FLOR's Groovy Button Rugs - always a blast, but even better in a blast of neon color!

Do you have any neon in your home?  We've got a few items, mostly kid things.  But I will definitely consider neon as I buy new home goods this season.                
                                                                                                                               -Andrea