Hey, if you are a Dan Vickery fan — the finalist from Design Star — you won't want to miss Sandra Lee's HGTV special on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Sanda Lee, host of the Food Network's Semi-Homemade Cooking and Money Savings Meals, has cooked up four one-hour primetime segments for the holidays, and Dan Vickery will be on one of them!

In each of the four Sandra Lee Celebrates segments...read more

Dan's new online videos are at HGTV. There are four. There are four videos and you can watch them at the main Design Star page. They are halfway down the right side.

Listen up, Dan Vickery fans. Design Star's "fan favorite" has posted four short videos at HGTV and he's revealed plans for his upcoming HGTV.com show.

Remember that awesome nursery for Jason Priestley? And...read more

Fu For Thought raves about Antonio's special. Fans of Reality TV

Hey, did you watch Antonio Ballatore's first show after winning Season 4 of HGTV's Design Star earlier this month?

I did, and so did a couple of my fellow Design Star fans. Antonio says he won't deliver the typical HGTV fodder.

"It's going to be shot different. We're going to go about it...read more

Do you remember the house Dan fixed up for the final challenge on Design Star? The owner's name was Gail. She contacted me the other day to say how great her house is — even four months later — and how great Dan is. I asked if she would answer questions for me, and she did. Gail sent them back in the wee hours of the morning. I hope you'll find it as interesting as I did.

How much time did you actually interact with Dan for the redesign?

We...read more

Consider Dan Vickery a member of the HGTV.com family. Catch his design magic sometime next week if all goes as planned.

After a disappointing - and oh-so-close winner of Design Star Sunday night - the Vale native begins immediately making videos to air very soon - maybe next week.

"After generating millions of page views and votes, we know that HGTV Design Star viewers and online community...read more

Yes, Dan Vickery won the fan vote and he will host the first-ever online show for HGTV.com.

"I just want to say thanks to everyone for voting and supporting me," Dan said minutes after he was notified. "I especially want to thank my sister, Karen Vickery, for rallying the troops."

Dan doesn't have any details yet, but he promised he would let me know as soon as he knows...read more

Fu for Thought's interview with Antonio. It's interesting. Let me know what you think.

Also, HGTV closed fan voting at 5 p.m. ET. A winner is supposed to be announced sometime today. I guess they got 3 million votes. Hope Dan Vickery wins. Antonio says Jany or Jason would make great hosts for the online show.

Vern Yip says Antonio Ballatore won Design Star because of his "distinctive voice"

By...read more

Hey, here's a great interview with Dan Vickery. As always, Fu for Thought, who conducts weekly interviews with the most recently "canceled" finalist, she does a great job pulling out some interesting tidbits. Check it out.

Also, voting ends TODAY at 5 p.m. Eastern time. That's 3 p.m. in Mountain time and 2 p.m. in the Pacific time zone. So don't delay if you want Dan Vickery...read more

New from Active rain: "We arrived early to get a good table (and had a cocktail before ordering a delicious Irish dinner) and soon a big white limo pulled up outside and out popped Dan Vickery with some of his family & friends ... when Dan walked into the pub, everyone cheered and he happily posed for photos with his "fans" and even signed autographs. Dan was accompanied by a gorgeous, tall brunette who he later introduced as his girlfriend, Rose. Dan is extremely gracious and about the nicest, most humble person you could meet. Not to mention what a talented designer he is!"

Read the whole post and see photos. Thanks, Michele Rose!

From Fu for Thought:...read more

Words escape me. Dan Vickery and Antonio Ballatore both did amazing jobs with the final challenge on HGTV's Design Star, but in the end, the judges decided that Antonio would have his own show. We'll see his first on HGTV next week when he makes over his own home.

Want to catch up with what others are saying? See my roundup in today's post and check back for more of my own thoughts...read more

It seems like yesterday when I got news that Dan Vickery, my nephew and godson, was going to be one of 11 finalists for HGTV's Design Star. The first challenge aired Sunday, July 17. Week after week, friends and family gathered at the home of Dick and Bev Vickery in Willowcreek, Ore. One week, family watched from McCall.

But it's become a ritual. Who will bring what for dinner? Who's...read more

Here are a couple of interesting posts about the upcoming final Design Star Episode and don't forget to read my preview. I interview both Dan and Antonio for the final episode.

A preview blog at HGTV: It all comes down to this! We started with 11 talented designers and now Antonio and Dan will go head-to-head this week to design an ENTIRE house.

Daniel and Antonio created T-shirts...read more

From the beginning, it was predicted. Dan Vickery and Antonio Ballatore would meet for the final challenge.

The men have two things in common: They love design and they both know their stuff. But only one of them will be declared the Design Star and awarded his own television show on HGTV on Sunday night. Dan and Antonio each redo a house for the final challenge. They get their own teams of carpenters...read more

Read my complete interview with Lonni Paul here Fu for Thought's take on the show HGTV blog

Dan Vickery dreamed of being on Design Star since he was a student at University of Oregon where he graduated with an architecture degree. Today, after eight design challenges, Dan is one of two who will compete in the extreme job interview for the ideal job: his own television show on HGTV...read more

I had the opportunity to interview Design Star finalist Lonni Paul after her show was cancelled Sunday night. I've included parts of this in my blog report for DIY Diva, but here's the whole interview. And I'm excited to say that she seems to have a lot more personality than what we saw on TV .... but I'm troubled with a couple of places where she talks about the infamous cup disaster...read more

"You don't want to count your chickens before they hatch ..."

But Dan Vickery had a hunch that the nautical-themed nursery designed to grow with the child would push him into the finals.

And it did. Dan, along with Antonio Ballatore, will go head-to-head next Sunday to decide which man will host a new show for HGTV.

Lonni Paul, who hung in the contest until the final three, didn't...read more

There's been quite the Design Star storm about last week's landscaping episode. The whole budget matter really stirred up some heated conversations on the Web.

Many thought Dan Vickery — my nephew and godson — should have been sent home because he screwed up the budget by $5,000. But if you read my blog and interview with Dan you'll see that he actually went back...read more

Torie Halbert, the Design Star who left the reality show after the backyard challenge does a full-blown interview. Torie said she hopes that Dan Vickery wins the show.

Torie said she and Dan wanted to win more than anyone. "Hopefully Dan did win ... I don't know. I think he's really talented and I'm really impressed with everything he does. I think he's a great designer and has a lot of potential. I hope he wins."

It's a great interview with Fu for Thought.

As for Dan winning ... We'll have to wait until Sunday to see if he survives the celebrity challenge Sunday night. First things first.

Sunday: Kathy Griffin, Jason Priestley and Tiffani Thiessen

Meanwhile...read more

Design Star finalist and hometown man Dan Vickery bared his chest twice in the HGTV reality show Design Star, but narrowly escaped elimination after the backyard challenge that exceeded the budget by $5,000. The show's editing — a 36-hour challenge, plus additional time for the elimination round cut to 43 minutes — painted the University of Oregon architecture graduate like the handsome...read more

What can I say? That was a heart-stopping Design Star episode. I'm relieved that Dan Vickery survived the backyard challenge. It was clear that Torie wasn't doing a good job keeping track of the money. If they decided on $5,000 for the pergola, why did she say $10,000? Even Antonio was surprised when she was doling out money.

I could dwell on this much more, but I think there's a lot...read more

Sunday's Design Star - Episode 7 with just four of the original 11 fighting for a chance to have his/her own design show on HGTV - are thrown into a 10,000-square-foot yard. They team up to create an oasis with limited time and a limited budget. It should be a great show. I'm certainly hoping it goes better for Dan this week. I loved his home and so did many others, but the judges put him in the bottom group....read more

"I hope I'm not going home," Vale's Dan Vickery muttered from the Design Star green room as the judges deliberated.

Dan, one of five finalists for the chance to win a show on HGTV, faced his first elimination.

In the end, the University of Oregon architecture graduate was safe. Jason Champion turned on the "fluffy creme puff" hosting charm but he couldn't salvage...read more

Whose show will be cancelled after the remaining five designers must please kids in tonight's Design Star challenge that airs at 8 on HGTV?

Each finalist, including Vale's Dan Vickery, takes on a different child client's room.

Here are a few sneak preview comments:

• "That room is a real bummer."
• "All your flaws are totally pronounced."
• "It looks a little bit like a remnant room in the back of a fabric warehouse."
• And this from the televised preview Candice says you look "a big fluffy cupcake" ... I want to snack on you all day..."

"One of you is going to win this." That's what Candice told the six designers as she gushed with praise during Sunday night's Design Star competition.

Yes, with just five left, Vale High School graduate Dan Vickery's chance to win or at least be in the final challenge is ... I better not say it ...

The University of Oregon graduate remains in the top tier after Sunday night's...read more

On next week's show: The six remaining designers are deployed to a military base where the drill is to turn two drab rooms into stylish, comfortable entertainment spaces. However, both teams struggle with in-fighting that threatens to leave two deserving military families in the lurch. Here's a quick sneak peek video. Be sure to click on Episode 5.

And it looks like the two teams are split up like this: Dan...read more

I've not been a fan of Tashica in this year's Design Star series. But here's an interview that Fu for Thought did with Tashica Tuesday. It's very insightful and she doesn't sound bitter. In fact, she's thinking about learning carpentry because she can see the value of the power a designer has with those skills.

She also explains the reason for the flower that she wore...read more

There are plenty of bloggers dishing about this week's Design Star garage challenge that aired Sunday night on HGTV.

And there should be. There was plenty of drama and now there are just six going into the next challenge. The competition heats up and a winner will be declared Sept. 13. Want a sneak peek at next week's show? I think it's going to be a doosey based on this little video...read more

Check out this Design Star blog roll call.

And then there were six Design Star finalists. Yes, the HGTV expert judges sent two finalists packing after Sunday night's garage challenge.

For the first time in Design Star history, the normally polite judges whispered to each other after questioning Tashica on her contributions, or rather lack of.

Tashica - aka the Weakest Link - was ejected...read more

After the white wall challenge where finalists stood on their own and showed judges what they could do, the remaining eight finalists are divided into two teams: Dan, Nathan, Tashica and Lonni on one team and Antonio, Jason, Torie and Jany on the other.

If you watch the preview, you can tell it is tense. They feel a time squeeze and the judges' comments downright hurt.

"I think we keep...read more

OK, would it be too clich to say that Dan's deconstructed apple orchard turned into a huge bumper crop of glowing comments. "Biased" Aunt Vickie aside, it's amazing what judges and viewers are saying. It's "crazy" scary because there are six more challenges and a lot could change. But so far, Dan has done well, but Nathan, the youngest contender, is looking pretty good...read more

Who would deconstruct an orchard and turn it into a design?

Hometown boy Dan Vickery did and created "the single, most well-executed, most well-thought out response" to Design Star's white room challenge in the history of the four-year series.

Seriously, that's what Design Star Judge Vern Yip told Dan during the critique after nine finalists spent up to $1,000 each at Hows...read more

When the third episode of HGTV's Design Star airs Sunday night, viewers should be able to see who has design talent and who are pretenders.

Finalist Dan Vickery, a Vale High School and University of Oregon graduate, is flying in for less than 24 hours just to watch the show with his family. Could this be the end for him?

Remember, all the episodes of the show have been taped. But Dan and his...read more

Second Episode recap. Candice on Tile: The Four-Letter Word Genevieve: Design Your Concept Vern: Design Tips for Dueling Kitchens Want more on that nifty faux tin backsplash Torie used? Oregonian's recap

What did you think when you and Antonio got the pass in the beginning? I was shocked because I didn't know what to expect from the judges this...read more

First a peek at next week's episode: The remaining nine of 11 finalists get a chance to show their stuff in the white wall challenge. They each get a 10-foot by 10-foot space to decorate. The walls and floors are white and there are no team members to blame for failure. They have to shop at the same place - and they each have $300 to spend.

After a second disastrous performance, Tashica Morgan survived Sunday night because the judges held team leader Amy Sklar responsible for the unfinished kitchen in the second round of the reality series.

Design...read more

Vickery survives first show, ready for the most feared kitchen challenge

If Dan Vickery had his way, that dining room table he built for the first segment of HGTV's Design Star would have hung from the ceiling.

That's right. The Vale graduate and Floridian Nathan Galui wanted to take some risks in the first competition where 11 finalists decorated five rooms in a Hollywood mansion that...read more

NataLee's gone. Ten designers are left. The living space has been designed. And Vale's Design Star finalist is still in the show!

Whew! I don't know how the HGTV producers crammed introductions, a 14-hour design/execute challenge, judges' critiques and the first boot in about 43 minutes for a 60-minute slot. Read HGTV's blog, with photos, about the show and what people are saying.

But...read more

Watch Vickery tonight on HGTV

The 1st Design Star episode airs at 8 tonight on Cable One Channel 49. If you don't have cable or satellite, you can watch the episode the next day from here. http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv-design-star/show/index.html

"You'll have to wait and watch."

That's the rehearsed answer locally homegrown Design Star finalist Dan Vickery gives if you ask if...read more

Watch Design Star finalist Dan Vickery on Northwest AM this morning in Portland.

On Wednesday I went to Portland to see my nephew and Design Star finalist Dan Vickery. I wanted to interview him, see one of his favorite home dcor stores and check out Portland City Grill, a designation spot in downtown Portland.

My husband, Darrell, wasn't going to leave our cozy coastal base, but...read more

In a few hours I'm going to meet up with Dan Vickery — the next Design Star — in Portland to visit one of his favorite home decor hangouts and check out the bar where he is a drink wizard. I'm looking forward to it. We're also planning to visit Saint Cupcake and I'm going to interview him.

I have just two more episodes to watch from last year's season. Meanhile, it's...read more

Corrected to reflect different air time for Mountain Time Zone: OK, I just checked our online TV schedule at http://www.idahopress.com/tv/. I typed in Design Star and my zip code and it looks like Design Stars airs at 8 p.m. on Cable One, Channel 49.If you don't have cable or satellite, you can watch the episode the next day from here.

With just six days away from the debut of Design...read more

I've never watched HGTV's Design Star — I'm still boycotting cable TV at home — but this year is different.

My nephew — the "hip and historic" Dan Vickery of Portland — is one of this season's contestants.

Vote for (my) your favorite star, review Dan Vickery's bio or watch his video.

I'm so excited I can hardly contain...read more