Sidebars can be allot of fun.  I found this one on a website called Save The Songs.  I fell in love with the concept of rap-arounds a while ago and have not really used them yet.  My guess is they will be out of style soon, but I am going to use them liberally until then!  

The trick with trendy ideas is to not assimilate them permanently into your signature.  When you really love something it can carry into everything you do.  The maturity of design is knowing when it is appropriate and when to flat out stop using it.