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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Alpacas Mating

I thought you might enjoy this PG video of one of my alpacas, Brighton, visiting her boyfriend, Champion Canzelle's Mombasa. Alpacas are induced ovulators,like bunnies, which means they don't come into heat. The act of mating causes them to ovulate. The male alpaca makes a funny sound called "orgling' while mating. Alpacas are pregnant for about 11.5 months, so we're hoping for an 11/2012 baby. Baby alpacas are called cria & are one of the most adorable things on the planet! http://youtu.be/g8WGaqUWv5U Follow @Erin_Murphy

Have a Magical Holiday Season!

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Magical Alpacas!

We're featured in the 12/26/2011 issue of OK! Magazine. My two yearling alpacas, Latte & Cinnamon. Photo by the amazing Christopher Ameruoso. Follow @Erin_Murphy

My How They've Grown

Sally, Spot & Omelette explore outside on 7/18 while the kids swim! We can't let them out unsupervised: we've got hawks, owls & coyotes nearby... Follow @Erin_Murphy

Summer Chicks! June 4th!

Sally, Spot & Omelette

Farm Fresh Eggs!

This year in addition to fruits & vegetables, we're adding something new to our garden: chickens! Despite the fact that I love animals, I've always had a slight fear of birds. I think this can be traced back to some traumatic childhood experiences. Once while riding my bike, an enormous black crow swooped down & plucked hair from my head & knocked me to the ground. Also, as a young teen, I was chased daily by a pair of swans, who would follow & peck at me when I sailed past their nest. I've also had some negative experiences with angry geese & roosters. Surprisingly, when our local feed store mentioned that they had chicks for sale, with very little prodding from the kids, I quickly agreed. I learned a couple interesting facts: The reason you can get 1 day old chicks is because they don't nurse & are separated from the hens before they hatch. Also, they can determine the sex of a newborn chick with over 90% accuracy. This is important because many people want eggs only, not baby chicks & many neighborhoods don't allow roosters.
The chicks have been delightful, funny, friendly, EASY pets so far. We have seven: 2 Buff Orpingtons (Sally & Omelette), 1 Plymouth Barred Rock (Spot), 1 Black Sex-Link (Dot), 1 Americauna (Dot) & 2 Black Silkies- pictured above (Disco & Daiquiri). I'll fill you in on their personalities & more as we undertake our adventure in farm fresh eggs!!
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Farm Fresh Eggs!

This year in addition to growing fruits & vegetables, we've decided to add chickens, so we can have fresh free range eggs. To be perfectly candid, as much as I love animals, I have a slight fear of birds. I think this comes from several childhood incidents. Once a large crow swooped down & actually plucked hair from my head while I road my bike. I was also chased daily by swans when I was a young teen when I sailed by their nest.
But, when our local feed store was offering chicks for sale, with very little prompting from the kids, I very quickly agree. Much to my surprise, the chicks have turned out to be delightful, funny, easy pets! We have seven so far: 2 Buff Orpingtons (Sally & Omelette), 1 Plymouth Barred Rock (Spot), 1 Black Sex-Link (Dot), 1 Amer
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Drag U Promo!

Watch

Rupaul's Drag U

See if you can spot me in the promo clip!

TMZ Caught Me With No Makeup!

Here's my paparazzi moment from this week. Of course they caught me after a workout with no makeup!

http://www.mefeedia.com/video/30561682

This Week

Yesterday, I chaperoned the fourth grade field trip, then we went to see a taping of The Doctors about autism. After the show, the Glee kids were waiting at the Paramount valet with us. They're all so cute (& all have brand new cars)!

Also, went out on a school night this week! I'm a girl who usually falls asleep watching TV with my hubby around 10:00 PM. Went to see Mark Ballas (Dancing With the Stars) sing at The Mint, then to see my friend Raven's show at Micky's & Candice Cayne at the Abbey. Grabbed a slice of pizza with friends before heading home. Since I spent the night nursing a club soda, I felt great at 6:00 AM the next day when I had to wake up to pack lunches and get the kids ready for school. I made the press: //www.wenn.com/archives/18009 Follow @Erin_Murphy

I'm on Twitter!

I don't quite understand twitter, but my friends have been teasing me for not being technologically advanced. If anyone is interested in my random musings, I am now on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/erin_murphy

Tweet..Tweet Follow @Erin_Murphy

My Commercial With Ronald Reagan!

Thanks to GaryB from Australia for finding my old commercial with Ronald Reagan. I'm topless, of course! This was one of Ronald Reagan's last commercials before he ran for Governor of California.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

It's Spring, my favorite time of year. Full of promise. We've been spending every weekend in the garden planting and battling the bunnies. I love all the rabbits in our yard, as long as they don't eat my roses! For the first time ever, I've planted a vegetable garden: several varieties of tomatoes, sugar snap peas, pickles(okay, cucumbers really...but my kids love pickles!) and pretty in pink strawberries. Can't wait to post photos of our first harvest.

I HATE MOTHS!!

OK, I don't hate ALL moths. How can I hate something so closely related to a butterfly? I like watching moths flitter around the outside lights in the summer. I also like finding those weird mutant moths that are the size of a soccer ball. To be specific, what I hate are the individual moths who made a meal out of one of my favorite dresses. These moths were so stealth and crafty that I didn't even know what they'd done until I was out IN PUBLIC leaving a meeting. I felt a sudden draft and realized that the entire back of my dress was disintegrating leaving me completely exposed! It was like something out of an R rated episode of I Love Lucy as I attempted to use my purse to cover myself.

Have a Very Scary Christmas :)

My first grader had a class project last week where he had to prepare a presentation about how our family celebrates the holiday season. Some of the kids celebrate Christmas and some celebrate Hanukkah. The first part of the assignment required the kids to draw a picture that showed how their family decorates for the holidays. My little boy colored a picture that was very dark and a little scary looking. In one corner it looked like there was a knife with blood. I asked him how his picture symbolized Christmas. He said, "Weeellll, our family also celebrates Halloween!!

Why Don't You "Stay A Spell"?

While on a recent trip to the East Coast, I paid a visit to the Bewitched Bed & Breakfast in Rehoboth Beach. The lovely owners, Inez and Shirley, graciously offered me a tour when I called them completely out of the blue. They have three beautiful B & B's in a row and one of them is completely Bewitched theme. Such a fun place to stay!!

http://www.seawitchmanor.com/

Hell's Kitchen!

I love a good haunted house! Our neighborhood has a fun Halloween event and this year we've decided to add a Haunted Kitchen. I'm in charge, so I'm calling on all my creative friends to send me your great ideas! I've come up with some scary "menu" items: Mice-A-Roni, Hot Apple Spider, Spaghetti and Eyeballs & for dessert a nice slice of Frosted Chocolate Snake! We also got lucky because one of our neighbors produced the Halloween movies, so we have access to some cool props and costumes. I'm thinking that we stick with the kitchen theme and have people dressed like scary chefs, waitresses, etc.
We'll have a less scary version early in the night for the younger kids and a teenage version later on. Any suggestions on how to totally transform a banquet room catering kitchen?

Fight On!

I love college football! The USC-Ohio State game tonight was absolute perfection. Have you ever ridden a roller coaster and found yourself laughing hysterically and totally exhilarated? That's how I felt after tonight's game. Led by our true freshman quarterback, Matt Barkley, we're going to have quite a season.
Great job kid!

Fried Pickles?

When I was in Junior High and High School, our family did weekly theme dinners, like "taco night" (which we still occasionally do) and "fry"day, which ironically we had on Thursday. Keep in mind this was quite awhile ago and folks weren't as health conscious. Our family had a deep fat fryer (just sounds unhealthy, doesn't it?) and my mom would cook up a tasty assortment of sizzling treats: fish sticks, tater tots, vegetables. As an adult, I'm not a huge fan of fried foods, but I do enjoy hearing about the latest crunchy offerings that they come up with each year at the county fairs. We took the family to a fair this summer and one of my sons was delighted with the deep fried pickles, which were actually better than they sound. I recently heard about one of the most disgusting sounding treats ever: Deep fried BUTTER! I wish I were kidding.

Firestorm!

I'm a big supporter of lifelong learning. I try to take a college course every semester on a topic of interest. I'm also not afraid to admit that I don't know something. If I can't answer a question, I turn to the internet (much as I turned to encyclopedias when I was young.). This week I was confronted by something that I'd never seen or heard of before (see photo above). I learned about clouds when I was a kid: stratus, cumulus, nimbus; but somehow, I'd missed out on learning about pyrocumulus clouds. They're formed when a rapidly moving fire sucks all the moisture out of the atmosphere and burning brush. The most amazing example of nature taking care of itself is that the clouds can turn to rain and extinguish the fire! In an ironic twist on the workings of Mother Nature, the clouds can also produce lightening which can start another fire.

In Living Color!

I was reading to my youngest son about the history of Sesame Street, which happens to be celebrating it's 40th season. The story featured lots of photographs, including a black and white shot with Bill Cosby. He asked me what year the photo was from & I guessed somewhere around 1970. My dear little boy asked "When did color start Mommy?". I explained about color television and photographs. I told him that when I was young, lots of people only had black and white television sets and NBC had an animated peacock that would open it's tail with a voiceover that said "The following program is brought to you in color". My sister Diane & I called it the "following peacock". After I'd finished explaining, he said "I mean when did color come to the earth,like the sky and the trees?". My sweet little son thought that the entire world was black and white in 1970.

The Joys of Summer

Do you remember Otter Pops? Of course you do, they're still around. I'm a fan of Strawberry Short Kook. There are so many things that I love about summer, but today while watching my kids invent new dives (Look I'm a pencil! I'm a question mark!), I realized that not many people have diving boards anymore. I wonder if they were deemed too unsafe, like those merry-go-rounds that used to be on every school playground and now you only see in deserted parks. When I was little, we had a diving board and our parents also got one of those big fiberglass pool slides. Boy, did we have fun with that! These days, it seems like people only have rockslides that look like something you'd find at a 5 star resort. Since my childhood home is only a couple miles from our current home, I drove by and took a peek in the backyard. The pool's still there, but no diving board or slide! Oh, well.
Another thing that I'm enjoying this summer are popsicle stick jokes. Example: Where do actors go camping? The Holly Woods! Is that funny, Mommy? Yes, it is.
Summer is all about the simple pleasures. Put on some sunscreen and Enjoy!

Reading is FUNdamental!

Summer is here. Hooray!! Even though summer is associated with outdoor activities, I thought I'd write about one of my favorite indoor locations: the library. We visit our local library at least once a week all year long. Where else can you get all the current magazines, bestsellers, the latest dvd releases and internet access...FOR FREE!? Our library has fireplaces, comfortable chairs and year round activities for kids. We read nightly bedtime stories on school nights and the current favorites for 5-9 year olds are the Roscoe Riley Rules series by Katherine Applegate and the My Weird School series by Dan Gutman. If you haven't been to the library lately, check it out (pun intended!).

You're Still The One!

I thought you might enjoy my birthday photo (Thanks John!) and also footage from the Celebrity Brides show I did:
http://www.joost.com/201rs8y/t/Celebrity-Brides-Unveiled-S2-ep-4

Play Ball!

It's T-Ball season in Southern California! If you've never been to a T-Ball game, let me explain it for you. It's played by 5-6 year olds who have very limited knowledge of the sport. The ball is hit off a "tee", so no one strikes out. After the ball is hit, the coach "reminds" the hitter to run. Every player on the opposite team leaves their respective positions on the field & runs for the ball. The result is a large pile of little children. The sport, at least in the league where my kids play, is completely noncompetitive. The score is always a tie & the parents shout encouragement instead of orders. Definitely a fun way for a family to spend an afternoon. Play ball!

Magic Castle & They Liked My Dress!

Alright, I'll admit it. I do now & have always loved magic! I don't think it has anything to do with being on Bewitched, but who knows. One of the coolest places in the entire world is the Magic Castle in Hollywood. I guess you could describe it as a really hip private club where magicians gather & perform. Last night Darren & I went to the Academy of Magical Arts 41st Annual Awards at the Avalon. Neil Patrick Harris was the host of the event. NPH is not only talented & funny, but he's also a lifelong fan of magic. He's on the board at the Magic Castle & was part of their junior program when he was a kid. The show was amazing & to top it off the press liked my dress!
http://jezebel.com/5166626/the-stylish-had-tricks-up-their-sleeves-at-the-magic-arts-awards#c

Potentially Great News!

I don'​t know if they'​re jokin​g with me, but I got a call that as of today​ I'm in first​ place​ for the Wrest​ling Radio​ Award​s Femal​e Inter​view Of The Year!​!​ I was just hopin​g not to come in last.​ I just talked to one of the DJ's who interviewed me. I told him how surprised I was that I was getting votes. I believe his exact words were "You can't be more surprised than I am!"
If you have the time,​ you can keep votin​g for me once a day & maybe​,​ possi​bly I might​ even win!​!​
You guys are the greatest.
http://wrestlingradioawards.com/ballot.html

Who Likes Wine?

The correct answer is EVERYONE! OK, everyone over 21. You know how hard it is to find the perfect bottle of wine: one that you don't see at every grocery store, one that tastes great & is reasonably priced. Where do you go to find friendly wine merchants who will happily answer your questions & make you feel like family? Two of my favorite people in the entire world (my wonderful sister, Diane & her equally wonderful partner, Laura) have entered the wine business! Their new venture, Classic Vines, has just launched their website:
http://classicvines.com
Since we've already agreed that EVERYONE loves wine, now you know where to shop for those "hard to buy for" folks on your Christmas list. Or get a couple bottles,some cheese & crackers & host your own holiday wine tasting party!
Cheers!

Holiday Travel

We were at the airport the other day & a woman in a very sparkly, very purple, very tight pantsuit suddenly ran right in front of our car (against a don't walk light I might add). After my husband slammed on the brakes, he said "How could someone see that outfit hanging on a rack & want to try it on?". Then I recognized her. It was Paula Abdul!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

CCW Backstage Interview

http://www.cmt.com/shows/series/hulk-hogan-celebrity-wrestling/series.jhtml

I thought you might enjoy this article about my strategy on Celebrity Wrestling.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2008/10/22/7166416.html

Red Carpet Interview About Celebrity Wrestling

All Erin, All The Time!

This Saturday, even those of you who love me, may get sick of seeing me so much. Not only is episode two of Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Champonship Wrestling on four times, but you can also see the episode of Over Your Head that I did for HGTV & WGN is playing a couple episodes of Bewitched. The shows couldn't be more different. On HGTV I'm building flagstone steps for the kids play yard & on HHCCW you can see me...well, that one you'll just have to watch!
Building flagstone steps is almost as challenging as fighting Bonaduce (although I tackled both!).

Celebrity Wrestling to Air on VH1 & TVLand!

Hey Friends!
Thanks for all the positive feedback on our premiere episode. For those of you who don't get the CMT network, I've got some great news. HHCCW will also be running on VH1 & TVLand starting this week. Check your local listings!
http://www.cmt.com/shows/series/hulk-hogan-celebrity-wrestling/series.jhtml

Home Sweet Home!

Thank you, thank you for all your prayers. Our entire neighborhood was saved & we are now back home. An extra special thank you to the firemen and other emergency workers who camped out in our yard to make sure that we all had homes to return to. Words can't express how much we appreciate your efforts.

Evacuated!

We're finally settled in for the night & it's impossible to answer all the e-mails. Yes, we were evacuated today. It was one of those surreal experiences where I watched the news reports about a fire, miles away from our home, drove to pick the boys up after school & came home to Police, Fire & Search & Rescue Officers telling us we had five minutes to evacuate. What do you grab when given five minutes? What is truly irreplaceable? We left our home with our children, pets, family photos & some jewelry. I also packed things to make the kids feel safe & comfortable for our temporary relocation: some small toys, school supplies, clothes & a book to read as a bedtime story. The kids are sleeping soundly, but I don't think Darren & I will be able to. They're expecting 70 mile per hour winds tonight & the fire is headed straight towards our neighborhood!

Chocolate Skittles?

Since anyone who knows me even remotely knows that I have a sweet tooth, & in the past I've blogged about everything from chocolate covered Altoids to chocolate covered edamame, I feel an obligation to introduce you to chocolate skittles! I stumbled across these by accident while out on a Sunday drive with the family. I don't know if they're available everywhere yet, but I found them at a little gas station midway between Los Angeles & Santa Barbara. They come in a five flavor mix, including flavors like brownie batter & s'mores. I can't say that I love them, but I do like them! I volunteer at a therapeutic riding stable every week & I like to keep snacks in my car to nibble between the lessons. I always have those little Trader Joe's individual packets of raw almonds & a bottle of water, but what I really want is a little bit of chocolate. The problem is, most of the year in California, chocolate melts. Chocolate Skittles seem to hold up to heat.

Celebrity Wrestling Video

Hulk has just posted the first video from HHCCW on his website. On his main page, click on the third video. By the way, how cool is our animated banner? I told Dustin he must have bribed the animator to get those biceps. Let me know what you think!

HHCCW

CMT has posted our first photos from Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling. In case you're interested, these were taken after midnight! Episode information & a message board will be following shortly.
http://www.cmt.com/shows/series/hulk-hogan-celebrity-wrestling/series.jhtml
Check out pics of my castmates:
http://www.cmt.com/pictures/hulk-hogan-celebrity-wrestling-championship-cast/1594636/thumbnails.jhtml
& be sure to tune in for our premiere episode on CMT on October 18th.

90210

It's quite a coincidence that the new series 90210 premiered the same week that Dr. 90210 launched his skin care line. While I haven't seen the new 90210 series yet (I tivoed it, so will get to it eventually), we did attend the launch party for Dr. Rey's skin care, Sensual Solutions. On the way to the party we stopped for a quick bite at my favorite sushi restaurant in the world, Matsuhisa. I've been going there about 15 years & every time i eat there, I see someone famous. I've dined next to David Bowie & Iman & Heather Locklear & Ritchie Sambora borrowed my husband's cell phone once. This night was no exception, midway thru dinner a tall, pretty blonde entered wearing a black silk bathrobe looking jacket with something that looked like a gold dragon sequined on the back. She walked over to her table & her date stood & hugged her for at least thirty seconds. It was a really sweet moment. Then I realized who they were; Heidi Klum & Seal!
By the way, I'm not a patient of Dr. 90120. Anyone who watches his show will know, that's the other Tabitha Stephens!

The 60's...Man!

I just shot a segment for a national PBS telethon. Tune in on September 13th for the three hour special live from San Francisco. The telethon will focus on the 60's & feature music & educational programming. Others taping with me were Leonard Nimoy, Carl Reiner, Susan Olsen, Charlene Tilton, Johnny Whitaker, etc. etc. It's so interesting listening to others reminisce about the 60's. I realized that most of the bands I could think of from the 60's started with the word "THE": Beatles, Stones, Doors, Who. Since I'm a California girl, I've always been partial to The Beach Boys. Speaking of which, I went to a screening the other night at the Writer's Guild for a really great film called The Wrecking Crew. It's about a group of Los Angeles session musicians who played on virtually every famous song of the era. The film is currently playing the festival circuit, but if you have a chance to see it, I'd highly recommend it.
If you're a huge fan of PBS (like I am), tune in on 9/13 & show them your support!

Summer

I know, I know it's been way too long since I've posted. The problem is I can't talk about the thing that everyone wants to hear about, Celebrity Wrestling! I promise I will soon & I have MUCH to say. Summer is passing too quickly, as it always does. I know when I was a kid the school year seemed to last forever & summer was gone in the blink of an eye. You'd think that now that I'm a parent & summer means a house full of kids, it would be reversed with the school year speeding by; But that's not the case at all. I think I may love summer even more now: planning fun activities, having friends over, outdoor concerts & swimming every day. Also, no perfume is quite as appealing as the scent of sunscreen. I'm currently busy planning a party for our two August birthday boys & filming a Celebrity Brides show.

Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling!!

CMT and Hulk Hogan are shaking up the wrestling world!

CMT teams-up with Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff (Former President of World Championship Wrestling) and producing partner Jason Hervey in a celebrity fueled reality wrestling competition slated to premiere this Fall. HULK HOGANS CELEBRITY CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING will train ten adventurous celebrities who, through various exhilarating challenges and elimination matches, will compete for the title of "Celebrity All-Star Wrestling Champion."

Each episode will take the viewer through the training process, preparation and performance aspects of professional wrestling. In addition to starring in the series, Hogan will also serve as Executive Producer.

"The CMT audience loves professional wrestling, so a show where superstar Hulk Hogan trains celebrities, gets them into character and into the ring, and really pulls back the curtain on how intense, colorful and difficult it is to be a champion, is a big win for us and our viewers!" said Bob Kusbit, Head of Development for CMT.

The new series will feature 10 celebrity contestants, male and female, in tag teams, performing moves like the Pile Driver, the Running Power Slam, Dragon Sleeper and the Triple Power Bomb as they compete against one another for the CCW title! Former pro wrestlers, Brian "Nasty" Knobs & Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, will train the contestants, with Hulk, former World Championship Wrestling president Eric Bischoff, and Jimmy Hart serving as judges.

Contestants include Dennis Rodman, Dustin Diamond (Screech from Saved by the Bell), Danny Bonaduce, Tiffany (pop singer), Todd Bridges (Different Strokes), Trishelle (Real World), Butterbean (boxer/ Jackass 2), Nikki Ziering (Playboy), Frank Stallone (musician), and Erin Murphy (Tabitha from Bewitched)!!

Famous Neighbors

I was at an event recently & someone approached me to tell me that they'd read online that Micky Dolenz, from The Monkees http://www.mickydolenz.com/, (who was also attending the event) was my neighbor. I chatted with Micky & his wife & it turns out that we live a block away from each other & I walk the dogs past their house everyday. I live in LA, where it's pretty common to see celebs at your local Starbucks. Depending on a person's age, I either tell them that Alyssa Milano (http://www.alyssa.com) or Jamie Farr (http://www.jamiefarr.com) is my neighbor. The Kardashian girls & Lisa Rinna both have clothing stores at the local shopping center & Nikki Sixx's daughter is in my sons' class at school. When I see him daily, it's hard not to mention that I saw him in concert in 1983! Despite all this it not only surprises me that there's a list online of my famous neighbors, but also that I'M on the list!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Canyon,_California

Personal Appearance

I love to attend personal appearances. They're fun for me for many reasons. I get to catch up with old friends, I get to meet celebrities I've always admired & I get to chat with people who know more about my life & career than I do! Several things about these events are consistent. At least 100 people will ask me which Darren was my favorite (I'm going to start saying my husband). A couple famous actors will hit on me shamelessly (which while very flattering, would be much more enjoyable if we were both single). I also get to hear some great stories that I've never heard before. This past weekend I sat next to my friend Lou Ferrigno. He's an amazing guy who's been married for 29 years (& didn't even flirt a little). He told me that in May of 1995 he was in the hospital with pneumonia, that he contracted by drinking milk in another country. Same thing happened to me by the way (one time in my teens & another time with ice cream in my twenties. So be careful in countries that don't pasteurize). Well it turns out that Lou was in the room right next to Elizabeth Montgomery, when she passed away. Lou Ferrigno was the very last person to get Liz' autograph.

Whooping Cough?

Consider this blog a public service announcement. Remember all the immunizations you got when you were a little kid? Many of them can "wear off" when you're a grownup. How do I know? Because I caught Whooping Cough! It's also called pertussis & is the "P" in the DPT immunization. How do you know if you have Whooping Cough? First of all you cough uncontrollably & at the end of the coughing fit you inhale a large gulp of air that makes a "whooping" sound. Also, unlike a regular cold, your cough doesn't go away. For many people, including me, it can last for over three months! Before the vaccine became available, 5,000-10,000 people a year would DIE from whooping cough. There's a sudden rise in cases of whooping cough because many parents are choosing not to immunize their children & as a result those kids are infecting the adults (whose immunizations have worn off). Unfortunately once you have it, there's really no effective treatment.

Two Things You Don't Know About Me...

Here are two facts about me that I'm pretty sure you don't know.
1. My Uncle Leo created the sport of Roller Derby.
2. My mother, sister & ex-husband have all been bitten by rattlesnakes!

HGTV & Me!

Have you ever watched a home improvement show & thought "I can do that"? I'm the type of person who thinks I can tackle anything. But my recent attempt at building flagstone steps left me a little "Over My Head". How could I build steps when I couldn't even lift the rocks? So, I contacted my good friends at HGTV & they came to the rescue! I've got blisters & bruises everywhere, but the finished product is totally worth it. The crew was so much fun & totally kid friendly. Plus I have a new love of power tools. I'm sure the execs at the network are hard at work & I'll have my own HGTV series soon called the Helpless Housewife!

Something Funny...A Blonde Joke.

My sister e-mailed me a joke this morning. She is so NOT the type of person to send e-mail jokes (because she knows I hate them), but this one is actually funny.
I've changed the wording a little, since the writer/perfectionist side of me always tries to improve everything:

A blonde calls her boyfriend & says 'Honey, please come over. I have a really tough jigsaw puzzle & I can't figure out how to get started.' Her boyfriend asks 'What's it supposed to be when it's finished?'

The blonde says, 'According to the picture on the box, it's a rooster'. Her boyfriend decides to drive over & help with the puzzle.

He looks at the pieces spread out on the table, looks at the box, then turns to her & says, 'First of all, I love you very much, but no matter what we do we're not going to be able to assemble those pieces into anything resembling a rooster.' He takes her hand & says, 'Second, I want you to sit down & relax. Let's have a nice glass of wine & then...he says with a deep sigh...





'Let's put all the Corn Flakes back in the box'.

Groomer Has It!

Yesterday my enormous Leonberger puppy Zuma & I spent a fun day taping an episode for a new show on Animal Planet (think Project Runway for dog groomers). Being the reality TV fan that I am, I immediately recognized the loft as the same one used for America's Next Top Model Los Angeles. The host is Jai Rodriguez, the "Culture Vulture" from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I can't give out too many details, (since I signed a $1,000,000 non-disclosure form!). I'll let you know when to watch so you can see Zuma looking beautiful & me with absolutely no makeup on! Only on Animal Planet will they spend hours grooming the dogs & not even put powder on the humans.

RIP: Johnny Grant

It is with great sadness that I discuss the death of the Honorary Mayor of Hollywood, Johnny Grant. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Mr. Grant many times over the years & I'm delighted that I was able to have a long conversation with him last Friday as he unveiled his last star on Hollywood Blvd: Elizabeth Montgomery's. I'd like to share a story he told me about his first trip to Hollywood. Johnny came to California from North Carolina in the 1940's to serve in the Army in World War II. He was in Santa Monica & asked one of the guys how he could get to Hollywood. They told him to walk outside & stick out his thumb. The first car that drove by picked him up & the driver asked "Where you going Sarge?". He said "Take me to Hollywood!". The car dropped him off at Schwab's Drugstore, where he was greeted by Charlie Chaplin. He told me that the number one thing that got him through the war, was the thought of getting back to the place where he wanted to spend the rest of his life: Hollywood. He was a class act, who was sharp as a tack to the very end. He will be fondly remembered & greatly missed.

Sisters At Heart

Bewitched - Minisode - Sisters At Heart

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In honor of Elizabeth Montgomery receiving her star on the Walk of fame, I'm posting the minisode of her favorite episode of Bewitched: Sisters at Heart. It's one of my favorites as well! I love the story behind the story: the episode was written by an English class at Thomas Jefferson High School. Their teacher asked the class one morning, about the reading assignment from the night before. No one had done their homework, but they'd all watched Bewitched. The teacher came up with the idea for the class to write an episode of the show as a class project. They presented the completed episode to Liz & Bill Asher (who loved it & decided to flm it!). The entire class came to the set & even as a child, I knew how special it was.
For those interested in the star ceremony, there are some great photos & videos on the Harpies Bizarre site:
http://www.harpiesbizarre.com/star.htm

A Star is Born!

I thought I'd share the press release for Elizabeth Montgomery's Star Ceremony tomorrow. If you're in Southern California, please stop by & say "Hi".
Thanks to "SamSarah" & Melanie at http://www.harpiesbizarre.com/ for the photo.

OH MY STARS!

ELIZABETH MONTGOMERY TO BE HONORED WITH POSTHUMOUS STAR ON THE

HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME


WHO: The late Elizabeth Montgomery

Honorary Mayor of Hollywood Johnny Grant

Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO Leron Gubler

Guest speakers: Actors Robert Foxworth and Elizabeth Sheridan

Accepting the star will be Montgomery’s children, Rebecca Asher and Bill Asher.


WHAT: 2,353rd Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

WHERE: 6533 Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Hillview Apartments

WHEN: Friday, January 4, 2008 at 11:30 a.m.

COMMENTS:

The late Elizabeth Montgomery will be awarded the first star of the year when she will be honored posthumously on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday, January 4, at 11:30 a.m.. Her star will be unveiled at 6533 Hollywood Boulevard.

Montgomery was born on April 15, 1933 in Los Angeles, the daughter of screen actor and TV star Robert Montgomery and former stage actress Elizabeth Allen. She and her younger brother Skip were raised in Hollywood, but were kept from the glare of the spotlight.

After her parents divorced in 1950, Elizabeth lived in New York. Her father had begun his successful television series Robert Montgomery Presents and it was here that Elizabeth made her television debut playing opposite her father in an episode entitled “Top Secret.”

Montgomery quickly became a prolific and hard-working television actress, making appearances on dozens of dramatic anthology shows of the 1950’s. She made her big screen debut in 1955 in The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell and although she would make more feature films, it would be television that would make her a star. In 1960 she earned her first Emmy nominations for her performance as prostitute Rusty Heller in an episode of ABC’s landmark drama The Untouchables. She also guest starred on a classic episode of the Twilight Zone.

In November 1963, Elizabeth starred in the pilot episode of Bewitched as the beautiful, good-hearted witch Samantha. The first episode aired in 1964 and the show was an immediate success. By the end of the season, Bewitched was ABC’s biggest hit ever and made ABC the #1 television network in the top 50 urban markets worldwide. Produced by her husband William Asher, Bewitched featured sophisticated writing and one of the best casts in television history. The show immediately became a part of the national popular culture. Catch phrases such as “Oh my stars!,” “you son-of-a gun”, and “what’s his name?” are specific to Bewitched, as well as hundreds of mesmerizing incantations, side-splitting humor, and of course, that famous “twitch”. Above all, Bewitched became a classic because Elizabeth’s character, Samantha, was so believable.

Bewitched was still ABC’s top show at the end of the decade. Unfortunately, ABC’s success demanded the show create nearly 40 episodes a year, placing a tremendous work load on the cast, writers and crew. Near the show’s end, Bewitched was rewriting earlier episodes to keep up. By the final season, the show was burning out. Mid-way through the final year, ABC moved the show to Saturday night opposite All in the Family, a stop-gag measure to block CBS’s gaining momentum. Bewitched held steady and the network requested two more years, but Elizabeth decided it was time to move on to other projects.

Montgomery continued to work in television, becoming the first and foremost “TV Movie Queen”. She created a string of classic TV films, including Mrs. Sundance, Belle Starr, The Legend of Lizzie Borden, The Awakening Land and A Case of Rape. Her final film Deadline for Murder was one of the highest rated movies of 1995. During the filming of that movie, Elizabeth fell ill, and after a short bout with cancer, she passed away in her home on May 18, 1995.

Happy New Year!

January first is the one day of the year where everyone gets a fresh start. It's time to reflect on last year, admit any bad mistakes or decisions you made & move on. It's time to choose a resolution that will somehow change your life, make you a better person & positively affect those around you. I usually pick something relatively simple (like drink more water) that I can stick to long after the Rose Bowl is over (Fight On SC!!). This year my goal is to learn to play the piano. I've wanted to take lessons since I was a kid.
For those who sent e-mails asking about my "wild" New Years Eve plans: I fell asleep watching Spiderman 3, had my hubby wake me up at 11:55, so I could watch the ball drop & kiss everyone. My life's not as glamorous as you may think (but it is happy).