1. A Mother's 9 Gifts 18 months since I was last in this city. This is the longest I have been away from Haiti in 18 years? Yes. 18 years. Rebecca was 4 when I came for the very first time. 18 years. For over ⅓ of my life I have been here or would be back here within a few weeks. I sat in the office Friday afternoon with Christella and Emmanise. Chatting with these two women that I’ve known since 2010. We joked about how scared I was of Christella and her late sister, Jesula when I first landed in Jubilee Bla...
  2. A Closer Look at Some New Products There’s nothing we love more than a new product launch! Today we wanted to share a closer look at some of our most favorite NEW 2nd Story Goods Products, and tell you a little about why we love each 🤗 (scroll to the bottom to see the matching photos!) Atelier Calla is a Haitian woman-owned artisan workshop focused on handcrafting Haitian-sourced horn, bone, and wood products. Each piece is one of a kind due to the nature of the materials. We love our partnership with them and their elega...
  3. Back to School with 2nd Story Goods As we head back into this school season (however that looks for you and your family these days) we want to be sure that you are stocked up, and armed for success! We have compiled our ultimate 2nd Story Goods back to school guide for this season, and we are so happy to be sharing it with you! Whether you’re a parent to young kiddos, a teacher ready to see your students, or a college kid looking to set up the perfect dorm room, we’ve got you covered: Parents, don’t you have a WHOLE new appreci...
  4. A Summer Day With 2nd Story Goods You know that not-so-awkward moment when you realize that everything you do these days involves some of your handmade goods from 2nd Story Goods?! We love seeing how you take advantage of our artisans’ amazing creations in your everyday life! Today, we are looking at what a Summer Day with 2nd Story Goods’ beautiful goods looks like. We invite you to picture yourself in this scene as we paint it: There’s nothing quite like waking up in the morning, and stepping out of bed onto a Braided Cott...
  5. 2nd Story Goods: Fall Favorites Fall is in full swing, and we thought that, along with warm cups of coffee, pumpkin scented candles, and cozy sweaters, you might want to pull out some 2nd Story Goods fall gear! Here’s our ultimate list of all things fall from our collection: (scroll to the bottom to see the matching photos!) Mango and Oak bracelet set – This set of wooden bangles has all the fall vibes you need to finish off an outfit! Coffee and mug bundle – Is there anything more quintessential “fall” than endless cups ...
  6. The Power of a Purchase There’s nothing like some good ole fashion retail therapy to make the world seem normal these days, huh? Especially, when it involves online shopping! Over these past few months we have certainly found ourselves in the endless scroll-cycle-trance when it comes to shopping. There are so many new and cool products available that seem like they will totally change our lives. The question that we have for you today is this: will any product or piece of clothing or new shiny gadget actually chan...
  7. Change the Shape In 2012 my son, Taylor Brooks and I went to a business conference in Chicago. It was here that I first learned the term the "BOP," or "Bottom of the Pyramid." Basically, when we look at the worlds’ wealth, we see that its distribution looks like this pyramid shape. According to wikipedia “The bottom of the pyramid… is the largest, but poorest socio-economic group. In global terms, this is the 2.7 billion people who live on less than $2.50 a day.” Daily two things drive me: 1. ...
  8. Why Is This So Hard? Sometimes I find myself asking, “why the heck is this SO HARD?!” And then I remember, this thing we’re doing, this little company we’re building, it’s literally one of the hardest things we could possibly choose to do. A phrase that I try to remember when I’m being challenged is simple “We can do hard things.” You can do hard things. What are some hard things you’ve done in your life that you’re so proud that you did, or even if you failed, that you tried? According to the World Bank, out of ...
  9. Making the Pastiche Journal Here at 2nd Story Goods we are big believers that knowing the story behind every person, product, and idea helps us to appreciate God’s creation even more! Sharing the stories behind our beautiful goods is so important to us because the people making the beautiful goods are so important to us. We value celebrating our artisans for their creativity and gifts— we know you do too! ☺️ We have redesigned our classic Pastiche Leather Journal! 😍 Use it to process, dream, draw, pray, stay organized...
  10. Holiday Gift Guide Take holiday shopping virtual this year! Here's a catalog of our top picks for your loved ones this holiday season! Click below to shop the guide🎄🎁
  11. some of our favorite words "Good words are worth much, and cost little."—George Herbert any of these words speak to you or remind you of someone you love? grab a magnet stamped with them here! Learn love “What are you man, if you do not learn love?” -Shawn McDonald Learning love. Isn’t that what we’re all doing here? We’re teaching each other and learning together about what love is, what it looks like lived out, how it feels, and the healing power it holds. We have some days where we surprise ourselves w...
  12. 8 Ways to Use Your 2SG Journal Here 8 things you can do with a 2nd Story Goods journal during quarantine We are all finding ourselves in a really unique position these days, and we belief that it can be really healing to process things with pen and paper. Do you have a 2nd Story Goods Journal lying around your home? Here are some ways that we have been filling our empty pages. Quarantine log: These are unprecedented times! They should be recorded. Every week or so, write down how you feel, what’s happening ...
  13. Why Haiti? I’ve recently been asked, Why Haiti. Of all the places in the world, why Haiti? My answer, after some pause was, it is what we saw. I admit that my first trip to visit this Caribbean country took me by surprise. Of course i didn’t go to the gorgeous beaches or climb the lush mountain trails or swim in the cool clear rivers. I experienced that much later. I didn’t visit the homes of the middle or upper class or even visit any of the booming cultural centers and successful businesses. I...
  14. the sewer She works with such intensity. I watch her face as she sews. There is a heavy calm there. as if she has mastered the art of carrying the weight of her world on her tiny shoulders. i met her when Grace and Keziah brought her to the workshop. " hey mama k. please meet this wonderful mom, might you have work for her? " In her arms she carried her 5 year old son, born with severe hydrocephalic symptoms. Beautiful eyes set in a very large head. I took him from her arms, stunned by his...
  15. Unstoppable Mothers Mother’s Day in Haiti Today is Mother's day for our sweet moms in Haiti. In celebration of this very special day, we have a message from MK that speaks to the resilience of the mothers in Haiti. 2nd Story Goods exists to support women like this, and we are so very happy to share their stories with you! 2019 was a tough year for our city of Gonaives, roads blocked going out of the city. Gas stations out of fuel. Burning tires and rare electricity made it some of the most difficult days. ...
  16. Father’s Day: Providers, the Personal Power and Responsibility Fisherman Years ago we spent days in the fishing village near Aux Cayes, on the southern coast of Haiti. We hiked along the mountain’s edge and looked out over the bay. We followed a trail down to where the fishermen kept their brightly painted wooden boats, huge oars propped inside. We stopped and chatted with one gentleman who was mending his net in the morning sun. We had lots of questions about the life of fishing in this area of the country. And he was generous with his sharing. It ...