Jackie McGilvray | Design Happens

POSTS BY Jackie McGilvray

Blog of the Week: Vintage, Pretty and Weird Christmas Ads

by Jackie McGilvray December 25, 2009 3 Comments

The one thing I hate to see go after the holidays is the Christmas ads and commercials. From the comical to the melancholy, it’s fun to see everyday products holidayized (my new word). I especially love looking at ads from 1950s and 60s – check out some of these posted on MomGrind.com.

Back in the 50s it was common to give bed pillows, bathroom scales and cartons of cigarettes as gifts.

(Framed vintage ads are a great way to bring a touch of mid-century mod to your home. Look for old magazines, cut out the pix and frame them.)

Planning a New Year’s party? Need menu ideas? Check out these ads/recipes from 1967. (If Spam and Bugles aren’t your thing, Sandra Lee has plenty of entertaining tips.)

Time to Get Your Clark Griswold On

by Jackie McGilvray November 26, 2009 No Comments

Christmas house What better way to work off the extra calories than to set up a brilliant outdoor holiday display. Need inspiration? Check out the Amazing Fact blog spot, it’s got extravagant light displays from all over the world – everywhere from Malaysia to Columbia. (Click on each image to see them a bit bigger.)

Do you already have the best light display on your block? HGTV is looking for spectacular lighting displays for an upcoming four-part special. Follow this link to find out more.

Our sister site, DIY Network.com has plenty of do-it-yourself projects you can put together for your yard – everything from man-size toy soldiers to giant gift boxes. If you’d rather shop for your display items, we’ve compiled a list of some of the hottest illuminated outdoor decorations this season.

Have fun and happy Thanksgiving!

Home Improvement Dos and Don’ts

by Jackie McGilvray October 22, 2009 6 Comments

Lady tiling

Now that the weather is getting cooler, it’s time to take your home improvement projects indoors. The holiday season will be upon us in a few weeks, so you better get started. But before you do, check out our list of costly pitfalls to avoid and the important must-do steps to make your project a success.

After that, take our toolbox quiz to see if you know what tools, trick and tips are needed for several household jobs.

If you’ve just finished a successful home improvement project and you found a secret that made things go easier, add it to our tip jar and share it with other readers.

Good luck and happy home improving!

Blog of The Week: Pioneer Woman

by Jackie McGilvray September 30, 2009 10 Comments

pioneer woman dining room

Pioneer Woman is a fun, informative and rather pretty website – beautiful artwork and photography. Ree Drummond is the Pioneer Woman. She is from Los Angles, but now lives on a working cattle ranch in Oklahoma. She blogs about life on the ranch and has a ton of tips on various topics including cooking, home schooling, gardening, decorating, and she even has some giveaways too.

Last year the Pioneer Woman and her husband renovated an old lodge on their property. The end result is a fabulous mix of rustic charm fused with modern elegance. They use the lodge for a guesthouse and as a place to hold cooking classes — gorgeous kitchen! She chronicles the renovation and includes info on where she got most of the furnishing — many of which are easily accessible online or at big-box retailers.

If you seek more classic western style, check out some more beautifully rustic spaces on Designer’s Portfolio.

Decals and Family Photos

by Jackie McGilvray August 26, 2009 15 Comments

I’m always racking my brain for new way to display photos of kids. This week I’m thinking decals! Loxii.com has beautiful, easy-to-apply decals. I love these almost cartoonish old-timey picture frames. They would look great in a collage with real black-and-white photos. Ikea has something similar — picture frame stickers without the silhouettes. decal-picture-frames

by Jackie McGilvray July 29, 2009 1 Comment

I enjoyed watching Design Star’s infamous kitchen challenge this past Sunday. Although neither team did outstanding, the team with the Moroccan-Italian fusion kitchen did least finish their project. Most everyone agrees that one of the best design elements in that kitchen was Torie’s tin tile backsplash (you can give your opinion too). It was a good idea, a tin tile backsplash is easy to install, no power tools are needed and it doesn’t cost big bucks. Here are some written and video instructions on how to do it in your kitchen.

What Are You Up to This Weekend?

by Jackie McGilvray July 9, 2009 1 Comment

If you’re thinking of puttering around the house, I’ve got some ideas for you. wall-molding

We’ve compiled a list of 20 home improvement projects that you can have done by Sunday night (in time to watch Showdown). All the projects have written and video instructions, all are relatively simple, inexpensive and some you can even do without the use of power tools. These projects are small, but can make a huge impact on your home. Thinking about adding molding to flat-panel doors, hanging ceiling medallions or framing wall mirrors? Need a new bedside table? Make one from a store-bought corbel and plywood. How about building a headboard, radiator cover, or window valance. Want to install a tin-tile backsplash, wainscoting or picture railing? We’ve got all those projects and more. And the best part is: these projects will cost you less than $100 in materials!. Do it this weekend, and you’ll enjoy it for weekends to come. Browse projects.

Tree Furniture and a Forest of Tree People

by Jackie McGilvray July 1, 2009 4 Comments

tree-chair

I came across a website with some of the coolest furniture art ever. This stuff takes years to make and is wonderful cross between forestry and high design. It’s called Pooktre. The artists form living trees into furniture as the trees grow. When the tree is the perfect shape, it is harvested, dried and finished.

Not all the trees harvested, some remain as living art on the artist’s property. They have a large garden of tree people all with seemingly different personalities, but no mean ones like in the Wizard of Oz .

Check out the Pooktre website to see all the tree people.

Thinking About Fireplaces on the Summer Solstice?

by Jackie McGilvray June 20, 2009 8 Comments

This weekend marks the beginning of summer, and strangely enough, we’ve noticed a lot of you are searching our site for fireplaces. Tell me, why are you thinking about fireplaces when it’s 95 degrees outside! Is it like buying clothes out of season — you get big bargains? Is it just advanced planning — you’re giving yourself plenty of time to refurbish your old fireplace or install your new wood-burning stove? Could it be the rise in gas prices is motivating you to think of alternative means of energy? Whatever the reason, take a look at this photo gallery of gorgeous fireplaces. I hope it will cool you off and inspire you.

Happy Summer!!!!!

The Longevity of Lounges, a Daybed for Big Bird and a Chaise Giveaway

by Jackie McGilvray June 3, 2009 7 Comments

Lately I’ve been thinking about chaise lounge chairs — chaise longue, to use the proper spelling. A quick search on the Internet provided me with a myriad of chaises and their history. I knew Cleopatra had one; I’ve seen the Elizabeth Taylor movie. But I didn’t realize that the chaise has such a long and varied past. Take a look at Designbloom.com. They have a historical timeline of the chaise lounge/daybed dating back to 900 AD. Very interesting - naturally, the 1960s and 70s had some of the most unique designs, like these three.

Yes, these are lounge chairs!