While most of us are armed with our smart phones, and have hundreds of photos stored on them, how many of us actually get them printed these days? Well, let me tell you about this super cool app, HappyMoose, which makes printing your photos directly from your smart phone easy and lots of fun! The app was developed by Dunedin-based Alex Dong, and he teamed up with Tim Green, who has been in the print industry for 10 years.
This amazing app means you no longer have to load photos onto a USB stick and take them down to a print shop, you can do it all on your phone, from wherever you are. Choose from the range of products - wall dots, canvases, and wood blocks - and within minutes your order will be complete.
I recently gave the HappyMoose app a go so I could tell you exactly how fabulous it is, and I was so impressed! It is really easy to use, you don't have to be a tech whizz at all, the steps are clear and very easy to follow. Once you've selected your product, you then choose your photo straight from your camera roll. You can zoom in and crop and adjust the photo until you're happy with how it looks in the frame. Next you select from a range of sizes and put in your delivery address and payment details - that's it, too easy!
I chose one of each product in the smallest size, and they were delivered to my door within days of ordering. The quality, and the service is fantastic. The canvas is wrapped around a 2cm wooden frame and sprayed with a layer of fine UV resistant varnish for extra protection. The image wraps around the edges so that the canvas looks great from any angle.
The wood block has your photo printed onto the best photographic paper using top quality pigment ink, then pressed firmly onto a solid 18mm thick wood block. The sides and back are painted a smart black.
My canvas and wood block are currently sitting on my desk and my bookshelf, but if I want to hang them on the wall that's no problem. The wood block has an alligator hook on the back for easy hanging, and the canvas comes complete with a sturdy string and two foam dots at the bottom - so there are no contact marks on your wall.
The wall dot might just be my favourite product. My little one featuring my three girls is on the wall next to my desk in the studio, and it makes me smile every time I look at it. It was very easy to apply - I simply peeled the backing paper off and smoothed it onto the wall. You can peel the dot off and reapply without damaging the wall. It's also easy to clean with a damp cloth and the colour will still look great after many washes.
I highly recommend the HappyMoose app and will definitely be using it again. What a fantastic idea for gifts, don't you think?! Why don't you go and try it out for yourself, you can find it in the app store and it's free!
A little interior inspiration to take us into the weekend... I love the work of photographer, Petra Bindel and have featured it before here. I've chosen to share with you three shoots I love, all very different, starting with photos for Urban Outfitters. They always have amazing styling, and in this shoot Petra worked with stylist Emma Persson Lagerberg.
This beautiful home belongs to Ylva Mazetti, and was featured in Elle 2011. The soft pastel colours and vintage furniture pieces give it a lovely relaxed, homely feel.
And these gorgeous photographs are for the Rädda Barnen (Save the Children) design shop - all profits go to their work for children in need. Petral worked with stylist Lotta Agaton on these photos.
A great piece of art can make a huge difference to a room. Dael & I fell in love with some large scale posters by US photographer, Debbie Carlos, and we're really excited to now be stocking them in our online shop. The subject is really simple, but in a large scale (approx 60cm x 90cm) it's so striking.
You can see from these gorgeous examples how fabulous the Flowers poster can look.
The other poster we've chosen is this really fun Pink Ice Cream poster. I love the colours, and it makes me smile, which is what you want art to do - evoke an emotion.
Another great thing about these posters is that they're a really affordable art option. For a bit more money you could frame your poster (and if you live in Hawke's Bay we can do that for you), but we can also offer you a very cost effective hanging solution... We have these cool metal poster clips in gold or silver that can clip onto your poster and hook over some nails. Aren't they awesome?! Pop over here to see all of our most recent additions to the shop.
I can't believe it's December already! This year has been a whirlwind of exciting interior projects and new business developments for Dael & I with our Bibby + Brady interior styling business. As well as lots of fabulous clients, we have also met a lot of amazing, creative people who have become suppliers of ours. And we've been developing a range of our own products to use in our clients' homes, and sell to you in our shop.
We're very excited about the first of these new products to arrive. This stunning Kilim lampshade is made by our friend Kate, from Bold Lampshades. We've been working with Kate to select a range of exclusive Bibby + Brady shades, there will be two more joining the kilim shade soon, and you won't be able to but them anywhere else.
It's complimented beautifully by the fresh white lamp base with it's little gold legs. This is a creation by another of our clever friends, Asha, from Little & Fox. Asha has a talent for finding old furniture and homeware and using her keen eye and upholstery skills to breathe new life into them.
The two gorgeous photographic prints featured here are the start of a new range of artwork we have coming. Tide and Lake Louise are available to purchase framed or unframed, and we've made sure they're a nice big scale to create lots of impact.
You know my love of velvet, so it's only natural for a velvet pouf to sneak into the collection. The midnight blue is quite beautiful, and we also have a soft, blush pink version arriving shortly. Pop over and see all of the new arrivals, and keep your eye out, as there will be more arriving any day.
The creative duo consisting of stylist LeeAnn Yare, and photographer Larnie Nicolson have done it again... following the success of their first book New Zealand Interior Style, they've released another beautiful design book called Rooms to Love, due out today.
Brimming with tips and tricks and gorgeous New Zealand interiors, the book is broken down into different areas of the house, even those often neglected. It shares decorating ideas catering to every budget proving that you don't have to have a lot of money to create a stunning space.
LeeAnn's advice is to do what you love, don't follow trends, it's your home and it should make you happy. "Don't create a home that's off the pages of a catalog," she says. "When you walk into someone's home you should be able to feel the people that live there. We want to be able to see their story".
This is a must read for all interior junkies out there. I can't wait to get my copy and devour every page and all those incredible photographs.
Reproduced with permission from Rooms to Love by LeeAnn Yare and Larnie Nicolson. Published by Penguin Group NZ. RRP $59.99. Copyright © text by LeeAnn Yare, 2014. Copyright © photographs Larnie Nicolson, 2014.
If you're a long-time follower of the blog you may remember my post from a couple of years ago featuring ixxi, an amazing decorative wall system created from a series of small squares snapped together with x's and i's. You can choose a single image, either your own or one from their image bank; or create a montage or a design from individual squares pieced together.
I've been dying to try out the system, so was really excited when I was contacted by ixxi recently and asked if I'd work with them on a collaboration for their blog - ixxi your world. Of course I jumped at the chance, and the next thing was to decide which image to use.
I knew the spot for my ixxi. Our kitchen and dining room are the last spaces in our home to get my attention. I wanted a piece of artwork with some impact for the back wall of the dining room, which you see when you walk in the back door. Our home has a laid-back coastal vibe with lots of colour and pattern - a real mix of Mark and my interests. So I chose a very cool surfing photo by US photographer Stephanie Sherman. Stephanie was kind enough to let me use the image and forwarded the digital file to ixxi for me.
It was an exciting day when the ixxi box arrived all the way from The Netherlands looking very smart.
I thought it might be a two-man job and waited to put it together until the weekend when Mark was home. But when he was more interested in tinkering with his mountain bike I decided to go it alone. I was pleasantly surprised how simple it was, and had a real sense of accomplishment when I stood back to see it hanging on the wall.
At first I was worried that I would tear the corner of the ixxi squares when I pushed the x's in, but the panels are extremely strong and durable. I just put both thumbs on either side of the hole and pushed down gently but firmly. The x's and i's just snapped into place.
When completed I attached the special band provided to the wall and snapped the entire ixxi onto it. I used a tape measure and level to make sure the band was in the right place, and it looked fantastic. Honestly, I was so impressed with how easy the whole process was.
When we got home from our holiday a couple of days ago, I opened the door and my ixxi was the first thing I saw - it made me smile, I love it! Now to rip up the horrid old lino and get a new table and chairs! ;) I can now happily recommend ixxi to all of you, it's such a great product. Pop over to their website to see exactly how it works.
I am a massive animal lover, and photography is one of my favourite art forms, so of course, I love photographs of animals. But animals are not always willing models - it takes a special photographer to capture their beauty on film. Sharon Montrose of The Animal Print Shop specialises in animal photography, and I was thrilled to see her latest print - Baby Horse.
In my opinion, horses are the most beautiful of all animals - graceful, elegant, and strong. Kara Rosenlund has a divine print of Wild Horses, that I love.
I came across this gorgeous print on Domaine recently. Combined with the beach backdrop, this photograph is a winner in my book.
A large framed photograph can be a fantastic statement piece in your home. I highly recommend finding one with a subject matter that has meaning to you, and remember in this case, size does matter - the bigger the better!
With my great love of pattern & colour, wallpaper, and birds, you can imagine my delight when I came across these incredibly gorgeous photos by Claire Rosen. The series is called "Birds of a Feather". Each live bird is photographed in front of a backdrop of complementary vintage wallpaper.
I am so impressed with Claire's photography. You can imagine how difficult it would be to capture the birds in a still photo, and she's matched them so beautifully with their wallpaper. I would love one hanging on my wall, but which would I choose? Which is your favourite? Be sure to go and see the complete series here.
