Madame Shoot Day 1

We are thrilled to be filming a new pilot with a puppet named Madame! Some of you may remember her from Solid Gold, Laugh In or the Hollywood Squares - well....she is back and she is back with the same quick and sometimes naughty humor. We are working with an original puppet - she is amazing and I must say that her mate Joe was spectacular!!!!!! Filming was awesome, today went off without a hitch and we actually finished early! I am dog tired and my belly hurts from laughing.

Here are a few "behind the scenes" pics - more to come tomorrow....


Madame, Joe and Greg


David plays the "Winehouse" as Madame sings a tune.


Joe just off the plane....


Zach and I kept snickering....


Look close and you can see Eddie, Steve and Jenn.


Snack Time


Madame and Joe.

Shooting a pilot with a mini diva!

So.....today I have been making "mini" aprons for a pilot we are shooting this weekend. And when I say mini...I mean mini! - they are only about 10" tall. The crazy part is that the aprons are for the "star" of the show - yes it is true, the star of the show fits a 10" apron.

This little lady will be gossiping with the stars, eating at the hottest restaurants in Los Angeles and making her own concoctions and recipes in her kitchen.

This is her "Hot & Spicy" apron for making grilled veggies.

Here is her Sushi making apron.

This one is for her Blended Fruit Cocktails.

This one is for her "Perez Hilton" fan club...she was actually just featured on Perez and TMZ!

Any guesses as to who she is????

Homemade Soaps

Making homemade melt and pour soaps, is as easy as it sounds, all you need to do is melt and pour! The fun part is getting creative and decorating the soaps

Materials:

1 lb. melt-and-pour glycerin soap base
essential oil
soap bar mold
spray bottle with rubbing alcohol
plastic cling wrap
microwave
medium glass bowl
optional: additives such as lavender, peppermint, etc. & glycerin soap colorant

Wrapping Materials: tissue or decorative papers, rubber stamps, ink pads, ribbons, stickers.

1. Cut a 1 lb. brick of glycerin soap base into 2" cubes. Place cubes in a glass bowl and cover with plastic cling wrap to keep excess moisture from evaporating. Melt on high for one minute and stir until melted.

2. If desired, add a few drops of colorant and/or additives to the soap and blend thoroughly. Add several drops of essential oil to the mixture and blend.

3. Pour the soap into molds. Spray the soap surface with rubbing alcohol to remove excess bubbles. Allow the soap to harden/set for several hours before popping it out of the molds.

4. Package the soap in a paper sleeve trimmed with decorative scissors, place it in a cellophane bag or wrap it in tissue paper. Embellish paper labels with ribbons, stickers and rubber stamps and attach to the packaging.

Puppy Dog Ring Bearer & Dog Wedding Fashions

While I was making my morning rounds on internet gossip sites, I came across the new cover of people magazine featuring...."Ashlee and Pete" wedding photos and their adorable dog ring bearer. I immediately started thinking about Bow Wow WOW! my pet costume book. (out in October) I have patterns for a doggie wedding dress and a tux for the puppy fellas.

Here are a few sneek peek pics.

The Vegas Bride



The Groom

The "almost" Emmy Dress Nightmare

So this morning I was having coffee and speaking with the lovely Jenn, from the new magazine Where Women Create when an email arrived informing me that my dress was not available. The perfect emmy dress - that was paid for! I totally freaked for a millisecond and then got my a** up and drove to Costa Mesa to get the last one in my size. The dress is by Jessica McClintock!

The South Coast Plaza shopping center in Costa Mesa is so amazing - I could not believe the shops. It was a quick trip down from LA and totally worth it!

I am off to celebrate my dear friend Robbie's Birthday. Cheers

Get Glowing

Glow in the Dark Pillowcases

Creative Juice - Episode #113 - Get Glowing

Tune in or TIVO - Tuesday on DIY Network - 12:30 eastern

Illuminating crafts are the order of the day as Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza show you how to really let yourself glow. They turn old glasses into sparkling etched barware; transform plain glass jars into glowing container candles; and show you how to leave a secret glow-in-the-dark message for that someone special.

Soy Candle Making


Glow in the Dark Pillowcases

Etched Bar Glasses - Glass Etching

Cheers!

E! Online - Witch Crafts Press

E! online has a little blurb about the witch crafts nomination!

Sunday in Malibu

When we get a heat wave here in Southern California, the first place we head to is the beach. So this morning, we ventured out to Malibu and "belatedly" celebrated Steve's birthday with Bloody Marys, Lobster Salad, Fancy Shopping and a Walk on the Beach.

Moonshadows Restaurant

A sea lion

Oysters on the half shell! They were so good!!! They were served with a sesame Asian sauce instead of hot sauce. Very tasty and of course Eddie and Steve had a million jokes......

Jelly Fish - we used a shoe to get it back in the water.

I found my Emmy Dress!

Last night my sister and I went shopping for a little retail therapy and the ongoing Emmy dress hunt! We had such great success! Erin found a stunning top and le sportsac purse on super sale and I found my dress for the Emmys.

I was looking for a dress that would somewhat match the "witch crafts" nominations but not be Halloween looking. I love how this dress has a ghostly flow and the black lace is so stunning. I am going to shorten the dress to floor length with a tiny train - I am only 5'1" so you can imaging how much will get chopped off. Steve and I will be presenting a few awards at the ceremony (nervous butterflies) and I think this dress will look great on stage with all the movement of the ruffles. Steve is wearing a traditional tuxedo and bow tie and my hubby is wearing a traditional tux, he bought his last year, so all we need is his tie. I am thinking of a white straight tie????

I still need shoes! At first I was thinking of black because I can always use a pair of black heels and I figured with a long dress they would never show.... but then my step-mom suggested a pewter color because when we walk across the stage you might get a peek at them. I think she is right, so now I am looking for a pair of pewter/metallic shoes that I can wear from 3:00 in the afternoon until 2:00 am, walk across a stage in and make me tall enough to reach the microphone. The new hunt begins.....

Don't be a Wall Flower

Lime Wash Painting Techniques

Creative Juice - Episode # 112 - Wall Flower

Tune in or TIVO - Thursday 12:30 eastern DIY Network.

Plain, boring walls get a major makeover as we show off some easy ways to spruce up your home. We use lime wash to give a wall that "natural weathered" style; demonstrate a technique for creating a mural that's perfect for the artistically challenged; give depth and character to a lifeless wall with Roman clay; and show you how polka dots and fabric can totally change the mood of any room.

Projector Art

Polka Dot your walls with fabric and hoops.

Roman Clay Painting Techniques

Projector Art TO GO!

Shopping LA

Oh Happy Day! The new Americana shopping center just opened and it is pretty close to my home. Eddie was a super trooper on our first visit to check it out. They have a play area for the kids, a big movie theater, a beautiful Barnes and Noble and tons of my favorite shops.