HGTV Design Blog - Design Happens

Party Food: Mother’s Day Breakfast Casserole Recipe

by Liz Gray May 11, 2013 1 Comment

When you’re cooking with kids for Mother’s Day, the simplest recipes are the best. Skip the four-course meal and try this delicious ham and cheese breakfast casserole that’s simple enough for the most kitchen-clueless dads. The best part? You assemble the casserole the night before serving, making morning-of preparations a snap.

To make the casserole, cover a greased ceramic pie pan with a single layer of bread cubes, followed by ham, cheese and an egg-and-milk mixture. The kids will love layering in the ingredients and helping to mix up the eggs. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden brown. Serve alongside a simple salad and store-bought cake or cupcakes. Don’t forget the kitchen clean up!

GET THE HAM AND CHEESE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE RECIPE >>

Trending on HGTV.com: You’re Liking Upcycling

by Sarah Herron May 11, 2013 3 Comments

I believe home organizers have a seasonal cycle.

At the beginning of the year, online organization tips spike and a couple of months later, it’s spring cleaning season. So it makes sense that now, our audience loves finding new ways to use old things…as in stuff they couldn’t bear to toss.

Whether it’s for an environmental or a sentimental conviction, upcycling is a creative way to justify keeping old stuff.

In a few months, we’ll be organizing closets again for fall. This will likely be followed by a thorough cleaning in preparation for the holidays. Then, perhaps the unused items can be upcycled into Christmas gifts.

Just know, if you don’t use it or toss it, this stuff will keep cycling through the seasons.

How do you stay organized? Let us know or just keep clicking…

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Defend the Trend: Do You Wig Out Over Wicker Furniture?

by Briana Mowrey May 10, 2013 6 Comments

BRIANA: Wicker furniture was big up until the late ’70s, and then it seemed to be relegated to the backyard. Now it’s making its way back indoors, too. (Peep this wicker headboard and bedside table. Double trouble!) Are you pro-wicker furniture or do you think all this rattan looks ratty? Talk to me, people.

FARIMA: I am pro-wicker! I admit, it looks pretty ratty in natural form, but it looks refreshing and springy with a coat of paint.

LILI: This is only okay in a sunroom. And maybe not even then. I think of the wicker patterns smashed into the backs of my thighs as a kid and shudder at the memory. Furniture should never hurt you!

MORE FIGHTING OVER WICKER FURNITURE

Give Mom Our Free Printable Mother’s Day Cards

by Liz Gray May 10, 2013 1 Comment

Still searching for the perfect Mother’s Day card? I love these cards that Kim Stoegbauer of The TomKat Studio created just for HGTV.com: The printable templates are adorable and easy to assemble, but each one has a handmade touch that will make moms of all ages smile.

This 3-D flower card features patterned spring flowers. (Fun fact: The printable paper for Kim’s flower designs was inspired by children’s fingerprints.) To create, simply print the card, cut out the flowers and attach using double-sided tape. Then, use a hole punch to create a tiny center for each blossom.
GET THE FREE PRINTABLE TEMPLATES

Free Printable 1920s Accessories For Your Great Gatsby Party

by Liz Gray May 10, 2013 3 Comments

We can’t all throw lavish parties on the scale of Jay Gatsby, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate today’s release of Baz Luhrmann’s take on Fitzgerald’s classic novel. Grab a gin-based cocktail (no bathtub required) and celebrate The Great Gatsby with vintage accessories and our free 1920s printables.

To recreate the lavish style on a dime, print out our free printable Great Gatsby and Classic Glam accessories, then cut out and attach to wooden skewers with double-sided tape or hot glue.

DOWNLOAD THE GREAT GATSBY PARTY PRINTABLES >>

DOWNLOAD THE CLASSIC GLAM PARTY PRINTABLES >>

SEE MORE GREAT GATSBY PARTY OUTFIT STYLE

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D-Happ on Broadway: I’ll Eat You Last Set Tour and Giveaway

by Grant Dudley May 10, 2013 79 Comments

Have you heard about the latest sensation to hit Broadway? I’ll Eat You Last starring Bette Midler chronicles the life of Hollywood superagent Sue Mengers (1932-2011). Sue, played by the Divine Miss M, was a legend in her time and represented the biggest names in show business (Barbra Streisand, Faye Dunaway, Burt Reynolds, Ali McGraw, Gene Hackman, Cher, Candice Bergen, Ryan O’Neal, Nick Nolte, Mike Nichols, Gore Vidal, Bob Fosse).

Keep reading for giveaway details.

I’ll Eat You Last starring Bette Midler is currently playing on Broadway at the Booth Theatre through June 30th! For more information, visit IllEatYouLast.com.

For more than 20 years, Sue Mengers’s clients were the talk of the town, and her dinner parties were the envy of Hollywood. Now for a limited time (best show availability is on Sunday, June 2nd), audiences are invited into her glamorous Beverly Hills home for an evening of dish, dirty secrets and all the inside showbiz details only Sue can tell.

I’m honored that Scott Pask, the set designer for I’ll Eat You Last, is giving a web-exclusive tour to Design Happens of the Broadway set (where we can see Sue’s home decor and tastes really come to life — she loved white flowers, silver and the National Enquirer). Watch the clip now:

As Scott mentioned, Sue Mengers’s real-life house (pictured below) was designed by a name that may be familiar to some D-Happers — John Elgin Woolf. Woolf (1908-1980) built or renovated homes for many wealthy and famous Los Angeles area residents in the 1950s and 1960s. It was said of him in his obituary that he, “…established a new vocabulary for glamorous movie-star living.”

Sue Mengers’s John Elgin Woolf home (Photo From The Real Estalker)

Now, on to your chance to win! Design Happens, I’ll Eat You Last and CB2 have partnered to give you items to help with hosting your very own Sue Mengers-inspired dinner party. To win an I’ll Eat You Last tote bag, script, a Wine Bites cookbook, a one-year subscription to HGTV Magazine and a CB2 Party of 4 Starter Set, simply leave a comment on this post. You can answer this question: What do you think is the key to throwing a successful dinner party?

You may only comment once to be considered, and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited by law. Only open to legal residents of 50 U.S., D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 years of age to win. All entries (comments) must be entered between 10:00 a.m. ET on May 10, 2013 and 10:00 a.m. ET on May 17, 2013. Subject to full official rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of prizes: $148. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a HGTV, 9721 Sherrill Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37932.

Cozy Breakfast Nooks That Will Brighten Your Morning

by Kayla Kitts May 10, 2013 4 Comments

There’s something about catching up on the morning news and drinking a cup of coffee in a kitchen nook that feels cozier than gathering around an expansive dining table. I mean, that’s the whole point of a kitchen nook, right? It’s supposed to be quaint, cozy and secluded, which, oftentimes, is exactly what you want when you crawl out of bed in the AM. A tiny corner or sliver of extra space is just the right amount of room to set up a small eating spot. Everyone needs that moment of their own before conquering the outside world each day. Why not steal that time in the comfort of your own kitchen?

Grab some inspiration from a few of our favorite designers who have mastered the art of the breakfast nook.

Cozy Breakfast Nooks at HGTV's Design Blog Design by Brian Patrick Flynn

Designer Brian Patrick Flynn created this vibrant, coral space not only as a breakfast area, but as a work space and museum of sorts. Built-ins with lucite shelves allow this photographer’s vintage camera collection to be front and center.

Cozy Breakfast Nooks at HGTV's Design Blog Design by Anisa Darnell

Designer Anisa Darnell wanted to keep the homeowners’ personalities at the forefront of this nook design. Eclectic styles are brought together through a neutral zebra-print banquette, bentwood chairs, Saarinen table, capiz chandelier and rustic, vintage wall art.

See More Morning Spots

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Daily Delight: Electronic Garden Pot (No Green Thumb Required!)

by Grant Dudley May 10, 2013 2 Comments

If most of your plants never survive longer than a few months, don’t worry, you’re not alone — “Hello, my name is Grant Dudley — and sadly, I kill plants.” To offer folks like us a hand, Click and Grow has created an easy-to-use solution.

A Click and Grow starter kit contains everything we need to become instant gardeners: a smartpot and a plant cartridge. These kits will grow our plants without us having to water or fertilize. Just add batteries, fill their water tanks and everything else is taken care of by smart technology.

Click and Grow Pot

HGTV Magazine June Issue Sneak Peek

by Alyssa Sparacino May 9, 2013 1 Comment

For an early-access pass to the June issue of HGTV Magazine head over to our I Heart HGTV blog where I dish on three homes that really wow!

brooks beachhouse deck
This breathtaking view is courtesy of the Brooks family beach house that is so gorgeous now, you’ll hardly recognize the home before their massive remodel. Head over to see how they did it.

Answer to “Decorate This Space: Pick the Right Patio Rug”

by Farima Alavi May 9, 2013 3 Comments

You chose correctly if you guessed option B. Designer Brian Patrick Flynn painted stripes on a canvas to create an outdoor-friendly rug.

Eclectic Patio

We randomly chose one person from the comments, and Pamela is the winner of an HGTV baseball cap, gardening gloves and this month’s issue of HGTV Magazine. Congrats!

Check back next Wednesday to decorate a new space.