Let's All Laugh Together Now

I hate mass joke e-mails. I'm sure you get them too. Friends, family, co-workers all get the same jokes & then they all think you'll find them hilarious (so they ALL send them to you). I don't like getting them, but I've never complained, I find it a little bit sweet that my friends /family are trying to make me laugh (or cry, or feel patriotic, etc. depending on the tone of the e-mail) .

You may have seen this one before, but it's a good one!

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well.
The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.
With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less

NOW --------
Enough of that . . .

The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to
bury him. The gash from the bite got infected, and the farmer eventually died in
agony from septic shock.

MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:

When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

Think Spring

To all my friends on the East Coast (& other cold climates), Hang in there...Spring is on the way!!

Discontinued

Don't you hate it when a company discontinues a product you love? It happens all the time, when they try to "reformulate" something to somehow try to make it better. Companies usually fail miserably when they try to improve a classic (new Coke anyone?). Well California Pizza Kitchen has eliminated my favorite: Peking Duck Pizza (hold the crispy wontons please). I understand it may not have been for everyone, but CPK is known for the original. My kids love the BLT pizza (bacon, lettuce, tomato & mayo) which surprisingly is still on the menu. I guess I'll have to start ordering the garlic chicken (good, but not delicious).

Starbucks Addiction!

Ok, I admit it...I'm addicted to Starbucks. I can't help it, their coffee is just SO good. No matter how hard I try, coffee just doesn't taste as good when I make it at home. I use the same coffee beans, the same flavored syrup & it's somehow not quite right. I'm pretty sure that some day a study will be conducted that shows Starbucks has some "secret" ingredient that they slip in the cup that makes their coffee so delicious. I'm not apologizing for my love. As far as addictions go, coffee & chocolate are relatively harmless. The caffeine speeds up my metabolism, takes away headaches, & just makes me feel better. One word of advice for my germ obsessed readers (which I most definitely am not!): Have you ever noticed that when people take their coffee drink to the sugar / milk station they remove the plastic top & put it face down on the ledge? That means the top part that touches your lips is touching the "germy" counter. I flip the lid over so the bottom of the lid rests on the counter when I add three splendas to my venti nonfat sugar free vanilla latte. I tell you, it's a sickness!!

julib.com

Perhaps you don't know that I'm multi-talented. Besides my family & tv stuff, I'm also a "luxury lifestyle" writer. Here are my Valentines Day beauty picks for www.julib.com.

beauty picks
in case you don't get what you really want for valentine's day, no worries. take things into your own hands with this month's beauty picks.


hangover over.
finally, a wine that won't leave you dehydrated. dior l'or de vie, la crème with chateau d'yquem grapevine sac can actually reverse the damage from all that pinot. it's back ordered everywhere, but use your connections and you just might find it. $320. at neiman marcus. 9700 wilshire boulevard. at roxbury drive. 310.550.5900.

chocoholic.
who needs a box of godiva when you can quench your chocolate cravings with a bliss double chocolate pedicure? at the w hotel. 930 hilgard avenue. off lindbrook drive. 323.930.0330.

haute chocolate.
famous praline makers, coppeneur have turned their skill with the sweet stuff into a limited edition fragrance set. dark chocolate and estate cacao beans will satisfy your sweet tooth, while the eau de cacao in the handblown flacon will leave you smelling good enough to eat. $110.
scent bar. 8327 beverly boulevard. bewteen la cienega and crescent heights. 323.782.8300.

fish eggs.
nothing says luxury like caviar. whether you nibble it on toast or slather it on your skin, it's an indulgent treat. which brings us to the kerstin florian caviar facial at the four seasons beverly hills, naturally. 300 south doheny drive. between 3rd street and burton way. 310.273.2222.

good as gold.
first they brought us caviar. now our friends at la prairie have brought us pure gold to wipe away the signs of a life well lived. at $525 an ounce, cellular radiance concentrate pure gold is worth its weight in, well, gold.

who needs a ring?
we've all heard that diamonds are a girl's best friend. you'll know it's true after a 90-minute precious diamond massage at the peninsula beverly hills. 9882 south santa monica boulevard. at wilshire. 310.975.2854.

perfect date.
chocolate and roses. champagne and caviar. partake without the guilt with one of verabella's famous facials. her tiny salon in beverly hills has been a hangout for the hollywood elite for over 25 years. verabella. 301 north canon drive. at dayton way. 310.278.4733.

all that glitters.
get glowing with scott barnes diamond dust, $28. enough said.

Click below to read my picks online:
http://www.julib.com/beautypicks021307LA.html

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

I promised you an update, so here it is. Yesterday we filmed the special features for the DVD box set. The weather forecast was calling for rain, but it was a beautiful day at 1164 Morning Glory Circle. As I drove up to the gate at the WB Ranch, the guard welcomed me home. As much as things in life change, the Ranch is still SO much the same. Of course there are changes to the Bewitched house & the neighboring houses, but everything is still so recognizable! I didn't see any of the bunnies that used to roam the Ranch (that I'd bring carrots for) but the pool I used to swim in on hot days was still there. In a happy twist (to illustrate the power of a little blog) I'd mentioned the other day about "possibly" continuing the tour at Sunset Gower Studios. The morning after my post, I received an e-mail from one of the senior v.p.s of the public relations firm that represents Sunset Gower. He had read my blog & was able to make that portion of the tour happen for us! They were filming the show "House" on Stage 3 yesterday when we visited & we were able to get some great footage on the lot. No word on when the DVD box set comes out (sorry, I asked!). It was a fun day with beautiful weather & a great crew & so nice to take a stroll down memory lane!

Horse Dancing

I love animals (dogs, cats, tortoises, etc). But, I've always had a special spot in my heart for horses. I started riding about as soon as I could walk. I remember every year asking for a pony (then when I was older a horse) for Christmas. Sadly, Santa couldn't carry a pony in his sleigh, so I didn't get my first horse until I was 21. There's a certain bond between people and their animals that's really hard to describe. I found a remarkable video on youtube that shows Dutch horse trainer Wim Vonck "dancing" with one of his horses. It's really beautiful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N1ZiA8SUyk

Bewitched Box Set

I've received lots of e-mails asking about Bewitched DVD's & their lack of special features. Well Sony heard from you too & they want you to be happy. So, despite the fact that I rarely mention Bewitched on my blog, I figured you'd like to hear the latest news. Sony is going to be releasing Bewitched as a box set & next week we're filming the special features. I will be hosting a tour of the Warner Brothers Ranch where we filmed the exteriors for Bewitched & possibly the studio (now Sunset Gower, used to be Screen Gems). I'll fill you in on all the details after filming.