For those of you who did not already read the news in Facebook and Twitter, the winner of the Wall Slicks Facebook Fan Contest, by Modern Wall Graphics, was Dani Graves! She was so excited to claim her prize and she chose our Goth wall decals which we shipped out to her last week. She was actually just about to re-do her room, so, winning these awesome Wall Slicks came just at the right time. She’ll be providing photos to us of how her room redesign went and where she placed her Goth Wall Slicks, so, stay tuned for a future blog post with more details.

And, speaking of photos, we LOVE to see how you’ve used Wall Slicks in your home, so, please send us your photos and we’ll post them to the blog. You can upload them here at our Contact Us page. Or, post a message on our Facebook wall or via twitter @wallslicks with a link to Flickr or TwitPic so we can share them with other Wall Slicks fans. We love sharing and connecting with you and welcome your comments.

Reminder, our “Become a Wall Slicks Facebook Fan” contest is coming to an end. If you love DIY decorating you’ll want to become a fan of Wall Slicks on Facebook. Wall Slicks, form Modern Wall Graphics, is a great way to create a beautiful and professional look to your decorating projects. We are the ORIGNIAL wall decal store. When you become our fan, we’ll provide you with decorating tips and suggestions, as well as Wall Slicks coupons and specials.

All Wall Slicks Facebook fans will be automatically entered into a drawing to win ANY Wall Slicks pack they want. You must be entered by August 15th, 2009 to be eligible to win. You can choose from any (1) one of our designs, large or small, no restrictions on price. One winner will pick their favorite Wall Slicks pack, on us, just for becoming a fan

Plus, the more fans we have, the more Wall Slicks we will giveaway. Tell your friends about our contest in the social media space of your choice such as: Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed, on your own blog, via email, etc… If we reach 500 fans by the Aug 15th deadline, we’ll draw 2 names, if we reach 1000 fans, we’ll draw 4 names, etc… All Facebook fans of Wall Slicks are eligible to win. The winner will be notified in Facebook within 1 week after the contest close date. To enter, visit the Wall Slicks Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/WallSlicks and become a fan today! All entries MUST be received by the end of day 8/15/09 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time, to be eligible. No purchase necessary.

Decorating the baby nursery can be very fun and exciting. Through the use color, patterns and visual ornamentation, you can create a warm and inviting space. You’ll be spending a lot of time in this room, so, you’ll want to make sure the colors and accents you choose bring about a comforting mood and relaxing feeling.

Here’s some basic steps and suggestions to get you started decorating your baby nursery:

• Colors
  Choose your crib bedding first and match the walls and curtains from that. If you’re having trouble deciding on a color, go with a tint or shade your favorite, you’ll be able to find it in the bedding. Plain white walls go with everything and can make a small space feel larger, but color can really create added visual interest. Mythic Paint offers a zero-VOC formula (totally nontoxic) with a wide range of colors to choose from so you’ll be able to find something to match or complement the bedding you’ve chosen.
• Walls
  There are many options for wall decorating. We suggest items that are light weight, keeping safety in mind, in case something falls. If you choose to hang a quilt, make sure it’s up high enough so it can’t be pulled down from within the crib. Wall decals are a natural choice because they come in so many different colors and designs, you’re sure to find the right one that matches your décor theme. You can also create a “paint-like” stenciled look with peel and stick, easy to apply, wall decals. Wall Slicks™ are the natural choice being Green Certified and containing no-odor or volatile chemical content.
• Furniture
  There are three main pieces of furniture in a typical nursery:
  1. Crib
  2. Changing Table / Dresser
  3. Rocking Chair / Glider

  Be wary of getting a crib from a friend, unless you’ve checked online to make sure it hasn’t been recalled. A changing table is a must and many offer them in combination with a dresser unit for added storage. You’ll really want to have a rocking chair / glider in the room because it makes feeding and late night snuggling so much easier than a standard chair.

• Accents
  • Rug
    You’ll appreciate a soft rug below the changing table to cushion your feet for diaper changes. You’ll be standing there quite a bit, so, you’ll be glad you added this accent piece in just that spot. You can certainly find colors or visual elements to match the décor you’ve chosen. Online shopping makes that easier than driving all over town.
  • Toys
    Babies first teddy bear or a comfort object that plays a musical lullaby will start your collection of toys (as decorating accessories in the room itself) that will certainly grow once the baby gifts start to arrive. Keep them on the bookshelf and not inside the crib for the first year.
  • Lighting
    Even if you have an overhead light source or torchère in corner, you’ll want to consider adding a small lamp with a very low light bulb for those late night feedings. You’ll still be able to find you way for feeding and changing, but, you won’t add so much light that it keeps your little one awake for too long.

Preparing and decorating a room for baby can be such a joy. Our suggestions can help give you the ideas you need to help your room come out just the way you dreamed.

If you’ve been hesitant to take on that home decorating project due to the time commitment, we have an idea that will bring you beautiful results in 30 minutes, or less. Use Wall Slicks wall decals from Modern Wall Graphics. Wall Slicks are quick and easy to apply, just peel and stick! No artistic or technical skill is required. Depending on the size of decal you choose, most can be applied to one wall in about 30 minutes. It can even take less time, depending on the number of decals you’ve selected. For example, if you just wanted to put a cluster of Sea Shell decals as an accent in your bathroom, that would definitely be a quick project. Don’t forget to save the backings your Wall Slicks come on, in case you need to re-position or plan to remove them in the future. You’ll want to keep your applicator tool in a handy spot as well.

As you’re planning your project, keep in mind that Accent Packs contain enough decals to decorate 2-3 areas of a room. Whereas the Wall Packs contain enough decals to create a pattern wallpaper look on 1-2 walls of a room, depending on how closely the decals are placed. We are calculating an average room being 8 feet tall and 12 feet long in size. If you are looking to put up a few Accents around the room, this can definitely be accomplished in a 30 minute time-frame. You’ll want to allow more time if you plan to decorate with one of our Wall Packs and achieve a wall paper like look. We would estimate that a project like that would require several hours considering you’ll want to take the time to measure and line the decals up in a straight line using the spacer dots to mark your spot before applying the decals. Remember, once you apply a few, you’ll get the hang of it and be quicker with each one. Before you know it, you’re done in no time. Even the kids can help!

More intricate and larger Wall Slicks may require additional time to apply as well, but, in general, you can have a complete look in just 30 minutes. So, don’t wait to get your decorating project underway. You can have beautiful walls in just minutes with Wall Slicks.

If being green in your home and office is important to you, you’ll be happy to know that Wall Slicks, the original wall decals, are Green certified.
Wall Slicks wall decals are a great way to design your own professional look on home or office walls and the vinyl used to create the product has been certified by Det Norske Veritas. This means that the product has met the standards to reduce environmental impact. The raw vinyl, manufactured by Orafol Europe, and its US subsidiary, Oracal USA, has the most green process of any vinyl manufacturer. Plus, they are constantly looking for ways to improve their processes, reduce waste, pollution and offset their environmental footprint.

In addition to the vinyl that the decal is made of, the water-based adhesive used to apply the decals also contains no-odor or volatile chemical content. This is the perfect solution for decorating in kids rooms and baby nurseries. You want to create a healthy environment for your children, even in your decorating. In addition to being happy with how visually appealing it is, knowing that the “Baby Blocks”, “Train” or “Princess” design you chose for their wall is not omitting any toxic chemicals is a good feeling.

If you live a green life, you’ll appreciate this green DIY decorating idea. Want more ideas on how to decorate green? Read this previous post on Budget DIY Makeover with tips on how to re-use and re-cycle what you already have in the house for a new look.

Christa DeMartini, owner and founder of Modern Wall Graphics, was just like millions of other moms in her desire to create a comfortable home for her family. But with little time and money to spare and dreading the mess of traditional home improvements such as paint, and wall paper, she wished there was an alternative. She had seen wall stickers, but unlike most moms, it just so happened that Christa had a background in Graphic Design and Print Production in the corporate Advertising and Marketing field. And, then she had an amazing idea!

An Amazing Idea
Christa realized a possibility that was being overlooked. As industries were changing and looking toward more high-tech solutions, Christa knew of a material that would be ideal. The material was a tried and true product… adhesive vinyl. She had found a winner! It had been around for decades, but the product she would create had a few twists made just for home decor.

A Wondrous Material
Christa’s material was a vinyl but unlike anything else produced, it had an adhesive that was made for interior walls. It was completely removable and would not leave any residue behind on your surface…. and it was GREEN certified! Another feature of this product was that unlike anything else on the market, is that it had a matte finish, not shiny. This vinyl was also very thin and malleable, so it could be smoothed over even bumpy or curved surfaces with ease. Lastly, and most importantly, it was available in 48 different colors. This gave Christa the ability to allow consumers to buy decals in whatever color they needed, that would complement their decor, and make them their own designer.

A Stylish Alternative
Christa’s background in graphics design gave her the experience needed to develop styles that would resonate with people. Modern Wall Graphics began with over 100 styles of wall decals and is constantly developing more. The initial goal was to create styles that would provide the consumer with as many choices as possible, to solve their home decor design issues, without needing paint or wallpaper. Because of that, you’ll see styles that mimic painting and stencil work, like stripes and trees, but are so much easier to create with the simple peel and stick process. There are a variety of categories and styles to choose from like: Classical, Nature, Country, Kids, Babies, French, Shapes, Modern, and Say It (for words on walls).

More Innovation
And unlike mass produced options that sit on store shelves and offer only cookie cutter designs, Modern Wall Graphics, tailors their product to the individual customers needs, providing their decals in multiple sizes, and colors, the way no other company can claim. Plus, this product actually sticks to the wall! AND can be removed just as easy with no residue left behind. Modern Wall Graphics is “The ORIGINAL Custom Wall Decal Store”. So far, the response to Wall Slicks™ has been overwhelming. Its popularity and notoriety continues to grow. Christa plans to continue to expand her line with other options and styles using customer requests as a big motivator for new products. To receive the latest information on Wall Slicks, sign up for the newsletter (at left), follow us on Twitter (@wallslicks), or become a Wall Slicks Fan on Facebook. We’d love to hear from you!