My Review of Smash

I saw the preview episode of the new NBC series Smash on an airplane today & let me be one of the first to say that I smell a hit! The show follows the making of a broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe & the two young actresses vying for the lead (Katharine McPhee & Megan Hilty). I can't even remember who won American Idol the year Katharine McPhee was the runner up, but hopefully she won't be in 2nd place this time. The pilot reportedly cost $7.5 million with a budget of approximately $3.5 million per episode. With a cast that includes Debra Messing & Anjelica Huston & a production team that includes Stevn Speilberg, I can practically guarantee that this Glee meets American Idol & Chorus Line will be a SMASH! The series premieres on Monday, February 6th at 10:00 PM, but you can download the pilot for free right now on ITunes.

Showered With Gifts

One of the wonderful advantages of being 'semi-famous' is being invited to Gifting Suites. In the days leading up to virtually every awards ceremony (Golden Globes, Emmys, Academy Awards, etc.), Gifting Lounges pop up all over town at hotels & sound stages. The Suites are a win/win situation for everyone involved. The companies are able to get their products in the hands of some high profile folks & in return the celebrities are gifted with some fabulous items! Over the years, I've gotten game systems, toys, bikes & adorable clothes for my kids & some wonderful things for myself & husband too. I'm more than happy to wear the items to red carpet events & when I tell the company owners that I love their products, I MEAN IT! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!

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Alpaca Porn

It's Wednesday, otherwise known as "Hump Day", so what better way to celebrate than a little alpaca porn.. which has proven to be very popular with my blog readers. This is one of my black girls, Toscana, with her boyfriend Champion Canzelle's Swahili. Alpaca color genetics are very confusing, but we're hoping for a grey baby, which is the rarest alpaca color. White is the most common. The video gives a good example of the male alpaca "orgling". Follow @Erin_Murphy

We Vacuumed Our Dogs!

I'm not embarrassed to say that I asked for a vacuum cleaner for Christmas. With a house full of kids & pets a vacuum cleaner is a necessity! Actually anything that keeps our home cleaner & more organized is a necessity. I received the amazing Dyson Animal with the pet grooming attachment. As soon as Darren & I took down all the Christmas decorations, we decided it was time to "vacuum the dogs". The attachment is similar to a dog slicker brush; but instead of leaving piles of hair all over the floor & stuck to our clothes, it cleverly sucks up the hair as you brush. I'd have to say the first time you use it is a two person job, but once Zuma & Lucky got used to it, they sat happily. I swear they smiled!

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Making TV Magic

Now that the Press Dome Campaign is running, I can show you a little behind the scenes footage. One version of the commercial has a segment with & little wink & nod to Bewitched Magic. I'm frequently asked about how we make things appear & disappear on Bewitched. Here's a little video tutorial that gives a good example of the "freeze process". Kids love the results if you want to try a little movie making on your own.

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Beneath The Darkness Premiere

Last night my hubby & I went to the premiere of Dennis Quaids' new film Beneath the Darkness at the Egyptian Theater. For the first time in his career Dennis played a bad guy & once I got used to that idea I kind of liked it. Co-starring in the film & also co-producing is my old pal Brett Cullen. Brett & I worked together over 20 years ago in a western TV series called Young Riders. That show was also the launching pad for future Academy Award winners Melissa Leo & Josh Brolin. After exiting the theater I was met by a friendly crowd of autograph seekers. Just fyi, if you ever see me out & about I'm always happy to sign anything. The fact that people still ask is beyond flattering. Although, it does make me wonder how people seem to have an endless supply of Bewitched 8 X 10s on hand... Follow @Erin_Murphy

Press Dome Campaign

I've been wanting to talk about this since we shot a few months ago, but I had to wait until the Press Dome campaign rolled out. I'm really excited about this product from United Home Tech/ Chef Concepts. The project was a pleasure start to finish: especially working with the amazing team at Cesari Direct up in Seattle. They sent me samples before we shot, so I was able to use them in real life situations & they really do work great! They can keep dinner warm for up to an hour. They're perfect for bringing snacks to school, a game or

a party, they can stick directly to the kitchen countertop & in my favorite test for freshness, they kept Sprinkles red velvet cupcakes fresh for seven days! I think they would have kept them fresh even longer, but we ate them. www.pressdome.com http://unitedhometech.com/ Follow @Erin_Murphy

All About Eggs

I've received a lot of mail asking about chickens & eggs, so I'll try to answer some of your questions. There are many different varieties of chickens, we currently have 5. Some chickens are dual purpose, eggs & meat. But we ONLY eat the eggs. I'd have a hard time eating a pet that we've raised from a chick. The chicken pictured in this post, Marzipan, (photo credit: Christopher Ameruoso for OK! Magazine) is a silkie chicken. I like to refer to them as the "kittens" of the chicken world. Silkies are darling, fluffy & very mild-mannered. They are wonderful with children & will sit happily on your lap. Every time someone new sees one of our silkies they ask "What is that?". I have several friends who've gotten chickens after meeting mine. Silkies do lay eggs & the eggs are about 1/2 the size of a regular chicken egg (see photo for comparison to a Buff Orpington egg). They taste the same & they're perfect for recipes & as a "diet" egg. Farm raised eggs really do taste better & it's nice to know that our eggs come from happy chickens! Follow @Erin_Murphy

Healthy Cooking Segment- Avocado Chocolate Mousse?

HAPPY 2012!! Let's start the New Year with a healthy cooking segment: Avocado Chocolate Mousse. I know it sounds weird, but It's delicious! If you don't tell people that avocado is the main ingredient, they'll NEVER figure it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_yQIWmMagE

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