It was many months ago that I randomly discovered ibride. They were featured on several design blogs and I instantly fell in love with their line of ornate wall art trays. Since they were seemingly everywhere at the time, I didn’t bookmark any online stores. Of course the name ibride quickly slipped from my memory and I have spent the last few months keeping en eye peeled for those gorgeous baroque flourishes and collages of anthropomorphic animals. Quite a hybrid of style, eh? In fact, the name ibride is actually a play on words that is meant to represent “hybrid”. The company consists of 4 French relatives, Rachel, Benoit, and Carine, who I wish I could find more info about online. Their official website is in French and is Flash based so it doesn’t lend well to translating. Anybody know more about them?

Their stunning art trays come in 3 different themes; vintage ladies, animals in nature, and hybrid human/animals attired in exquisite vintage clothing. The imagery is simply amazing, but it’s the colors that really grab me: brooding, muted shades with splashes of vivid color. Everything they make is truly a hybrid of modern and classic. Better still, the laminated trays are made from a recycled wood core!

And lest I forget to mention their newer offerings: furniture shaped like the lower half of an animal. The Basset Stool and Dog Stool (both shown above) are available in black or red. Joe the Polar Bear book shelf measures nearly 4′ tall and is super limited edition.

All but 4 of the trays offered at Burke Decor include Free Shipping in the USA.

Blik Surface Graphics provides awesome designs that we can easily affix to our walls, tables, mirrors, and other flat surfaces. Plus they are easily removable so it doesn’t ruin the surface it was once adhered to. They have many different designs to fit many decor styles, but I’m a big fan of bringing nature into our homes. My favorite nature inspired graphics is the 7.00 Wall Graphic which comes with seperate branches, branch nodes, leaves, and birds so you can arrange it all however you like. I really appreciate the modular setup Blik has with their wall stickers so the customer has more creative freedom with their decor. Buy some for your own place, or send them as a gift, either way they will surely bring a smile to those who get to enjoy them daily.

Other nature inspired wall stickers by Blik:

Flying Birds

Undersea Theme

Retro Googie Nature

Continuing our series of New Year’s Resolutions from yesterday’s Get In Shape article, Take More Pictures is next. Most people enjoy looking at past photos through Picasa (or their preferred photo viewing/editing/sharing software) and reliving some great memories. As much as I enjoy doing this, I often wish I’d taken more pictures on a certain trip I took or event I attended, but mostly just more everyday pics. Here are some reasons I didn’t take more pictures throughout the year and the possible solutions.


Possible problem: Wrong camera
If you find yourself bummed about how your camera is too slow, too bulky, poor-quality pics, not enough features, low battery life, etc., you’d probably find that an easy to use camera makes life simpler. How do you know which camera is for you? Evaluate what your needs are and choose the best camera for you. Read the specifications and other people’s reviews and pay attention to their details (ie. did it capture good in low light? quick to boot up? easy to navigate menu? good documentation?, etc.) Also feel free to start asking your friends about what they do and don’t like about their digital camera, this is very useful info. The Amazon widget to the right can help you find a great camera.

Possible problem: Don’t get to enjoy digital photos
Not everyone is computer savvy and can manipulate digital photos into works of art, or simply print one out to frame. You can buy your own printer and photo paper and try it on your computer, or you can visit a web site, upload some pictures and have them delivered to you in many different forms. Some of my favorite ways to enjoy my digital photos are to have them printed out in different formats and displayed around the house to become a part of my everyday life.
- Wallhogs: They print onto canvas, poster, or removable vinyl wall stickers up to 7 feet. Think life size cutout!
- SmugMug (Easy, ad free, many options.), Snapfish (first 50 prints FREE!), and KodakGallery (save 30% on print enlargements.), are just a few of the many places that help your organize, share, and print photos to paper, bags, mousepads, mugs, and more. For free software (Picasa, and more) to help organize, share, and enjoy your photos check out the Google Pack.

Possible problem: Forgot the camera
Start setting a better habit of bringing your camera with you everytime. Try leaving the camera by the door, always carrying it in your travel bag, leave it in the car, ask a friend to bring theirs, or tie a string around a finger. Whatever it takes for you to remember, do it.

Possible problem: I’m not a good photographer
Yes you are! You just don’t know it yet. I promise, the more you take pictures and flip through them with your favorite software the more you’ll become aware of what looks good and what doesn’t. Besides the point of the photo is to capture a moment in time, not to see who can take the best picture. Trust me, getting a funkily cropped/slightly blurry photo, is still better than getting no photo. Maybe you can even try taking a photography class at your local college.

For more choices and unbeatable deals be sure to check out eBay once you’ve found the camera model you desire.

What about you? What stops you from taking more pictures while you are out and about?

Planning world domination is so much easier when you have the whole world laid flat upon your secret lair/war room wall. If you are the World Domineering type then you’ll appreciate the fact that this is the worlds largest write-on map mural. If you’re more like me, you just want to take in the big picture every now and then (or you’re secretly embarrassed about your knowledge of world geography). Either way this would bring the entire earth into perspective on a daily basis.

This is the only accurately detailed, eight-color mural of the world that covers nearly 9 by 13 feet of wall space. The entire map comes in 8 panels, each laminated for ease of writing and rewriting with dry erase markers (one included).

$149.95

During a late night perusal of some design blogs, I recently came across New York based dVider. As their name would suggest, their flagship product is a modular room divider. Highly customizable in size and optional printed design, these partitions are adjustable vertically and horizontally, and provide a clean look to open spaces.

Unsurprisingly though, what really caught my eye was their accompanying line of movable wall stickers that can be applied to either the room dividers or any smooth, flat surface, such as a wall. Where other manufacturers have focused their efforts into a niche set of designs, dVider has a wide assortment of art to adorn your walls. There are styles for kids, an “edgy” category, animals and insects, and my favorite, nature stickers. Looking at the organic forms found in the “nature” and “shapes” categories is reminiscent of flipping through a graphic design magazine or walking through an expensive boutique; applied in your room though, you’ll get the look without the pretense.

Each design comes in 12 vibrant colors, and combined with their extensive design choices, that gives you a lot of creative options. To further sweeten the deal, dVider’s prices are a bit more affordable than the better known brands, starting at just $19. Be sure to check out their gallery for inspiration, then put together a set of stickers that are perfect for your walls.

$19 and up

Related: Wall Candy Arts & Critter Walls

Return readers may recall the penchant we have for slightly unusual home decoration. While there are some areas in life where sophistication is required, we feel that decorating your personal room is not one of them. Whether it’s your bedroom, workshop/craft room, or child’s play room, a little bit of whimsy can add up to a lot of fun and creativity for your personal space. The folks at Critter Walls specialize in this area, and offer the most beautiful and detail-oriented wall art I have ever seen. Co-owner Dede Lifgen, artist and mother of 3 boys says, “I’ve tried to give the animals a feeling of realism mixed with their own individual personality. Since they are not cartoon-like and are not menacing, they can be enjoyed by both young and adult.”

All of their designs draw from the beauty of nature and feature the likes of undersea creatures, jungle plant life and wild animals, birds in flight, farm animals, and even dinosaurs. Their customer gallery shows complete room transformations, but one well chosen wall decal can easily become the focal point of a room.

I’m a huge fan of wall art so you’ll be seeing reviews of other brands like Blik and Wall Candy Arts in the near future. If you’re decorating with any of these gorgeous, movable wall decals we’d love to hear your experiences. Please leave us a comment!