<![CDATA[2nd and Strand

<![CDATA[2nd and Strand - Home]]>Sat, 25 May 2013 00:13:59 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Updates From Boston]]>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:30:12 GMThttp://www.2ndandstrand.com/1/post/2013/04/updates-from-boston.htmlI woke up Monday morning sicker than I have been in a long time. As you might be able to tell from the lack of posts in the past month my house has been too busy, and my body was done. I have been training for a race, no not THE race, but a Ragnar relay race. With so much running on my mind I was bitterly disappointed not to see the marathon on Patriot's Day.

Monday afternoon the unthinkable happened 5 miles from my house and it has been on my mind since.

The morning after I drove my husband downtown for work, all the while thinking, "How important is this meeting?". Our car full of our precious children as we drove right into the crime scene. We slowly drove past fleets of black suburbans for the FBI, bus after bus of National Guardsmen, armed guards with machine guns outside beautiful hotels, humvees in our favorite park, policemen on motorcycles, and media like I have never seen. My two year old told me one of the soldiers was scary.

But that's not all we drove past. We also got passed by tons of runners. People wearing their hard earned marathon jackets. We also passed tourists stopping to take pictures of our beautiful Brownstones and blooming Magnolia trees. That's when I started to see how different our choices make us. Most of us create, not destroy. Most of us make things better, we add beauty and life to the world. Most of us run through barricades to help injured victims and donate blood and offer housing and a shoulder to cry on. I am so in love with my hometown right now. And I'm sure wherever you are your hometown is worth loving too.]]><![CDATA[Possibly the Best Hostess Gift Ever]]>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:06:19 GMThttp://www.2ndandstrand.com/1/post/2013/03/possibly-the-best-hostess-gift-ever.html

Somebody throw a party so I can bring these as a hostess gift. Aren't they darling? You can find these and a ton of other great household goods at School House Electric.

-Andrea

]]><![CDATA[Free Vintage Posters]]>Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:31:28 GMThttp://www.2ndandstrand.com/1/post/2013/02/free-vintage-posters.htmlI was just introduced to the website, Free Vintage Posters from another great site, Crocodile Tears. They have a vast selection of free posters that you can print and hang for practically nothing! I found a Boston one for me and an LA one for Megan that are fairly representative of the two coasts right now. What can you find?

-Andrea

]]><![CDATA[Waste Not Want Not]]>Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:14:30 GMThttp://www.2ndandstrand.com/1/post/2013/02/waste-not-want-not.htmlI'm a big believer in buying something just once. My plan doesn't always work out, but I keep trying. A few years ago I bought a stainless steel trash can with a with a lid that was way too heavy. It was just a matter of time before the lid broke. Well, that time has since passed and I'm in the market for a new workhorse. Below are some of the trash cans I've been eyeing.

I like the color of the Hideaway Trash Bin, I like the way the lid can hang off the side, and I like the how the bag is hidden inside the container.

The entire Vipp line is delightful. Most of their lids are foot-pedal activated and I hear the closures are very secure; they keep in all sorts of nasty smells!

I like the contrasting colors of the Dustbin above, designed by Brendan Ravenhill. We use a dustbin and broom at our house everyday and I like the combination of the two related jobs being housed in one place.

The Brabantia line, showcased above, offers great colors and the lid opens with a touch.

The trash cans above offer great design and great quality; but they should, they cost a lot. The most economical trash bin I'm considering is the bin below. At sub $50 it's the least expensive by a land slide.

-Andrea

]]><![CDATA[DIY Monogram Bag]]>Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:06:06 GMThttp://www.2ndandstrand.com/1/post/2013/02/diy-monogram-bag.htmlValentine's has been on my mind lately. I usually keep holiday's as simple as they can possibly be, so what does that mean for good ol' V-day? My mom used to cut out paper in a heart shape, write a cute little 'I love you, happy Valentine's day' note on it, then had some candy sprinkled on top. It was so fun to wake up to that on my floor. So fun, that it makes me want to do the same thing for my boys. Adding some fun and excitement, but not feeling like I need to spend hours working on something to give them... cause lets be honest, that alone can be accomplished with giving out Valentines to class members at school!

When I saw this hand drawn monogram bag on Oh Happy Day I knew this could be a winner (whether this year, or in future years). Here are some of her beautiful images capturing this fun, simple DIY project.

Aren't they cute? All you need are muslin drawstring bags, and a paint pen. For Valentine's favors you can put in a little thing of candy, or a dollar store toy. These are really great for any party favor... baby shower, bridal shower, birthday, etc. Go on over to Oh Happy Day for more details!

How does your family celebrate Valentine's day? What do you typically do for friends at school?

]]><![CDATA[Paper Crane Mobile DIY]]>Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:35:04 GMThttp://www.2ndandstrand.com/1/post/2013/02/paper-crane-mobile-diy.html

A friend of mine lives in London. Lindsey had one of those fairytale happenings of going on a study abroad to London, making a connection with a handsome local, and then married him! She now has three kids, and has a very cute blog named Urban Mums, where she documents cool finds in the city. You should check it out.

DIY projects and I have an interesting relationship. I really love the idea of them, but I rarely actually do them. Part of it is because I need a friend to do them with. Isn't everything so much more fun when you have a partner in crime? Also, if I can't get it done in one sitting... then there is a chance it wont ever get done.

This is part of the reason I'm so drawn to this cute DIY paper crane mobile Lindsey posted on Urban Mums, from this site. You could totally do this in one sitting with a very pleasing end product.

Who knows, It also might be the fact that I grew up in Japan to why I'm drawn to anything involving oragami paper cranes.

Hop on over the Strawberry Chic to get the details on how she put together this cute mobile for her baby's nursery!

-Megan

'Design Therapy' is a great segment where we highlight fun DIY's (both small and large scale!) as well as well organized spaces. Anything that breathes new life into an object or area of your home we find therapeutic! If you have a DIY project or well functioning/organized space in your home, we'd love to feature it! Simply click the button below!

Design Therapy

]]><![CDATA[Beds and Headboards that Wont Break the Bank]]>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:17:09 GMThttp://www.2ndandstrand.com/1/post/2013/01/beds-and-headboards-that-wont-break-the-bank.htmlAs I mentioned in last Wednesday's post, today I have a great post for all you bed-less readers out there! I'm going to include this in a laid back series of posts I've done about beautifying our master bedrooms. Here are some of the others included:

Tea Towels Turned Pillow Cases
Lamp Shade DIY
Ikea Rast Hacks (for nightstands)

So now I'd like to show you some beautiful bed and headboard options for a queen size mattress, all under $500! It didn't surprise me to find good headboard options for under 500 dollars, but a whole bed for under that price?? Thats pretty amazing.

1. Safavieh Shayne Gray Headboard from Overstock for $274.99
2. Velvet Tufted Headboard (multiple colors) from Urban Outfitters for $379.00
3. Linen Nail Button Wingback Headboard (multiple colors) from Skyline on Amazon for $431.00
4. North Avenue Upholstered Headboard (mutiple colors) from Skyline on Amazon for $268.00
5. Lace Headboard from Urban Outfitters for $479.00
6. Andres Headboard from Target for $199.99

1. Julian Bed from World Market for $399.99
2. Dove Gray Draper Bed from World Market for $299.99
3. Erin Cute as a Button Bed from World Market for $ 399.99
4. Nail Button Bed in Velvet Light Grey from Skyline on Amazon for $484.00
5. Isaac Charcoal Bed from Crate and Barrel for $499.00
6. Kingston Mahogany Metal Bed from Macy's for $339.00

Bed's can be very expensive, but hopefully this post has given you hope that you don't have to break the bank to make your room feel more beautiful and complete.

Do you have a bed or headboard? What are your thoughts about each of them?

-Megan

]]><![CDATA[Natty by Design DIY]]>Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:59:59 GMThttp://www.2ndandstrand.com/1/post/2013/01/natty-by-design-diy.html

Are you guys familiar with the site Natty by Design? I found out about this gem from a friend of mine who lives here in Santa Monica. She told me she just bought a campaign dresser from this site and thought I'd be interested. I checked it out and oh man she was right, and was I jealous! Okay, and I still am a little jealous.

So here's the story. The woman behind Natty by Design knows a thing or two about refinishing/painting furniture. And when I say a thing or two... I really mean she knows everything about it. Not too long ago she posted this, with a bunch of beautiful vintage furniture she found, bought, and is in the process of selling. You tell her which you want, redone in what color, and she does it for you. And does an amazing job.

My friend saw the post and quickly snagged the campaign dresser. Here is what it looked like before -

Totally good looking, right?

And this is how it was spruced up -

How great does the navy look? I love it and am sure it looks great in her boys bedroom. The paint color is Benjamin Moore's 'old navy'. Click here to read the post on this dresser from Natty by Design, and also be sure to check out all her 'popular posts' on the side bar... she's transformed some pieces to look so super cool.

-Megan

Design Therapy

]]><![CDATA[Twin Beds]]>Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:32:50 GMThttp://www.2ndandstrand.com/1/post/2013/01/twin-beds.htmlWe have quite the conundrum going on in my apartment right now. We are at a weird turing point and its hard to know what to do with my boys room, specifically their beds. I have two kids, 4.5 and 2.5 years old. The four year old is in a toddler bed, and my two year old is in a crib. The truth of the matter is we went with the toddler bed instead of a twin bed because of the size of their room... it has a weird layout which makes it seems small. But my four year old is getting too big for his bed. Like, he lyes down on his pillow and his feet are touching the end! My two year old is content in his crib, but I feel like its time to get him out of there and he's at a stage where he'd be happy switching over (he occasionally asks to take naps in his brothers bed and sleeps in a toddler bed when we visit grandma).

So what to do? I might bite the bullet and get two twin size beds for these growing boys. Which means I'd have to do some major rearranging in their room, and probably sell a couple furniture pieces... which isn't always a bad thing. I wish I felt comfortable with bunk beds... but I know a bone is going to end up broken with my thrill seeking two year old. And I wish I liked the idea of a trundle bed more... they just seem like a pain to me.

I really love upholstered beds. So thats primarily what I'm going for here, but definitely keeping an open mind if there is a cool wood option too. I don't want something childish... if I'm going to spend a decent amount of money on a bed I want it to last for a long time!

So here are a few options I've found so far -

Skyline Wells Street twin bed from Amazon. (Or the 5 button version.)

Bordeaux Dolphin headboard from Amazon.

Morocco Headboard from West Elm.

Grid Tufted Headboard from West Elm.

What advice can you give me about beds for children? Bunk vs. trundle? Upholstered vs. wood vs. metal? Buying vs. DIY? Bed vs. headboard? I know I'd prefer a bed, but I'm surprised with how hard it is to find a great twin size bed option for boys that are reasonably priced (girls are easy-peasy. There are so many cute feminine beds out there). Boys bedding is also a sore point for me too.

Stay tuned for next Monday's post. I've found some FANTASTIC bed options for adults, and all are very inexpensive! Get excited... cause I definitely am!

-Megan

]]><![CDATA[January Sales... I Love You]]>Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:14:32 GMThttp://www.2ndandstrand.com/1/post/2013/01/january-sales-i-love-you.htmlI came across this picture from Stephmodo's website. I really liked the ratio of stocking to fireplace. I really liked the pennant as well, it helps break up all the linear elements of most fireplaces. I have a similarly scaled and styled fireplace, so I took mental note.

When I opened up an email from Polarn O. Pyret this morning I spotted these:

For $5. I bought six as quick as I could enter my account info. These stockings will tie in with some ornaments on our tree perfectly and I like that they aren't too big. Santa only brings a few things for each person to our house, and there is something kind of sad about a half filled stocking.

-Andrea

]]>