Whew!  It's been a WEEK, y'all. Pilot Season is in full swing. Combine that with the you-know-what and I've been wiped OUT. I had to do an early morning screen-test last Friday with no coffee and that about put me over the edge. But I made it! Turns out adrenaline is nature's caffeine. Unfortunately, it's not really gonna work in my everyday life to audition for 20 executives before breakfast. Maybe I could have David jump out of a closet and scare the crap outta me?  

Anyway...aside from the fact that all the blood in my body is slowly being replaced with hummus and almond milk, I finally feel like my energy is approaching normal. So at long last I bring to you some more pics from our Aspen trip! Sorry for the delay...

We arrived right before a serious storm--it ended up snowing almost three days straight.  This was the view from our condo on the first morning:

Which made for this...!



The skiing was just perfect. We had some days on our own and also attended a 5-day workshop called The Magic of Skiing. It's a beautiful experience and I can't recommend it more! It's taught by Tom Crum, an Aikido master and probable saint, who is one of the most delightful humans on the planet. There's an hour-long session in the morning with meditation and some Qigong, skiing all day with an Aspen Ski School pro, and an hour in the late afternoon talking about how to bring those centering principles you used on the mountain into your life. It's so cool to walk away from those five days a way better skier and a more grounded, present, authentic person.

By night?  Severe eating and drinking.

I took so many bad pictures of dark food. You'll have to just imagine how well we ate:)  

The sun came out for the second half of our week and it was stunning!  The blues and whites...

There are four ski areas in Aspen. The historic downtown is at the base of one. Check out those bumps!

There's great shopping, too. Best place to get cowboy boots, hats and scarves?  Kemo Sabe...

These colors make me so happy!

We stopped in a shoe store to browse when I checked out these gems. I call 'em 'Shoes With a Girl With a Pearl Earring'...

More Aspen faves:

L'osteria, my favorite Italian restaurant! I can't wait to eat here whenever we're in town.

Matsuhisa for incredible sushi.

BB's Kitchen for delicious breakfast and the best crispy roast chicken with root vegetables for dinner.

Paradise Bakery for warm cookies and muffins. In the summer, have ice cream here while listening to string quartets from the music school play out front.  Divine!

Il Mulino for a decadent Italian fine-dining experience.

Cache Cache is delicious all the way around. And fantastic service. Very cool bar too.

Montagna, especially for apres-ski and brunch. They even allow dogs in this high-class joint:)

Johnny Maguire's is a surly hole-in-the-wall but the best deli for sandwiches.

Pitkin County Dry Goods for super fun clothes and jewelry shopping. Great sales seem to be always happening here too.

J. Crew is off-the-chain here! It's some special at-the-mountain store. Seriously good finds you don't see in the regular stores.

Ute Mountaineer for outdoorsy anything.

Pomeroy Sports is the best for ski tunes, rentals and hand-warmers.

Oh!  I almost forgot to show you the awkward family photo on the wall in our condo:

Holy 80s, Batman!

Hope you have a wonderful day...

oxoxox

jolie

scenes from a parking lot

WARNING: 

IF HIT BY THE PARKING LOT GATE, YOU MAY TURN INTO A MODERN DANCER AND/OR LOSE A FOOT.

a case of the anti-coffees

A coffee from a San Fran trip I'd practically kill for right now.

DP and I are getting ready to commence this cleanse and in preparation, quit coffee yesterday. Needless to say, I've got a severe case of overall malaise. There's some dread thrown in there too for what we are about to embark upon. Yeeks. Wish me luck.

Not helping my malaise? My (usually) sweet cleaning lady, who comes bi-monthly to work her magic, told me today my hair "not look so good" and then hugged me. And then she laughed, told me again and hugged me again. And then she reached around, held my ponytail in front of my face, pointed to the bottom two inches and proclaimed, "dead". And then laughed again and hugged me again.

Thanks, Maria.

I'll bet if I'd had some COFFEE today:

a.) I would've laughed with Maria, said, "I know, right?!" good-naturedly and maybe even hugged her back.

b.) I wouldn't have The Malaise.

c.) I would've been able to think of something clever and funny to write right here.

Instead, I ploy you with pictures of the cutest dogs, courtesy Aspen...

I promise more Aspen stuff soon. Like maybe when I can lift my head without the pounding.

xo

jolie

gene shallot

What to do on a Saturday morning when you have a desk full of taxes to do, scripts to read, bills to pay, emails to answer, and just an overall, plain mess?

Take pictures of shallots, of course!

I can't think of a better distraction than a shallot.

 I am a Lover of All Things Onion and am constantly trying to sneak onions into my husband's life. I just  asked him if he flat out HATES onions. His answer?

"No.  'Cuz when they're caramelized I like them a lot."

Well, who doesn't?

"Raw is a different story."

This salad dressing is Ah. Maz. Ing. And I would venture to say even onion haters would bow to its will. The secret is the shallot, a milder cousin of the onion that you mince mince mince until the pieces are so tiny they sorta melt into the rest of the ingredients and said onion haters are left with no visual evidence. They just taste flavor, people!

Jolie's Secret Shallot Salad Dressing
serves 2-4 people, depending on salad size

1T minced shallot
1t lemon juice
1t dijon or spicy brown mustard
2t aged balsamic vinegar
Extra Virgin olive oil to taste (about 2 T)
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Whisk the shallots, lemon juice, mustard and balsamic together. Add the oil in a slow stream while whisking to emulsify. Salt and pepper to taste. Start slow when adding to greens. This dressing is concentrated and a little goes a long way. Serve immediately after tossing!

Happy weekend, lovelies:)
xoox
jolie

scenes from a drug store

Cervical traction set? Or old-timey toothache contraption?

Either way, I'm scared.

oy vey

I had to put some auditions on tape while I was away, seeing how it's Pilot Season and all. I posted this one online (for all the Important People to view). For the opening still shot you see before pressing PLAY, the nice people at Vimeo give you six random frames to choose from. These were mine. I look like I should be playing the Catskills.

0 for 6, right?  Oy.

i {heart} aspen!

I just returned from spending this last week in Aspen, Colorado--one of my most favorite places on Earth. As soon as I catch my breath I'll share all my pics and stories with you. In the meantime...here are a few snaps to tide you over:

Happy Monday/Valentine's Day:)
xoxo
jolie

perfectly disheveled

Joanna posted a fantastic tutorial on how to re-create this messy side ponytail. I love how undone a 'do it is. I can't wait to try. Learn how to do it here.

If the side pony doesn't work out, there's always a hat, right? Aren't these boots kickass? I love the rolled up jeans and slouchy blazer, too...

And no matter how messy your hair is, if you wear a pair of cherry red tights, your look will always look deliberate. Good to know.

I'm gonna spend some time working on my polished disheveled-ness:)

xo
jolie

{top photo by Jamie Beck, bottom two by The Sartorialist}

a message from me to you...

Why, you do look lovely today!

xoxo
jolie

P.S.  Get this poster here.

puppy love

We recently watched this amazing NOVA documentary on dogs and I learned so much. Like how dogs were originally domesticated from wolves, and how they have evolved specifically in their communication with humans. They can read human's faces(!) and over thousands of years they have developed different barks and vocalizations just so we can understand them. I highly recommend it if you're a dog lover/owner.

Another fun fact? After one "petting session" with your pooch (ok, that sounds creepy but you get the idea), there is an oxytocin spike in both the dog and the owner, creating bonding and feelings of well-being and love. Not unlike what a mother and baby experience while breastfeeding. Crazy and cool, right?

Yay, pooches!

Happy Tuesday, lovelies!  

xoxo

jolie

psssssssst....

The other night, while our (nerdo) men played video games, Kathleeny and I had a girls' night out. We went to a super-hip Hollywood sushi spot, really for the sushi over the scene and (as usual) we're pretty sure everyone thinks we're a lesbian couple when we go out for a nice dinner together.

We sat at a table next to this GIANT ear photo on the wall and it was imminent that this picture be taken within the first 60 seconds of being seated, despite the looks we got from adjacent tables.


Happy Friday!! Here are some fun things for you to click on...............


I want one of these to make envelopes pretty! Aren't they cool?

For Gloria: the best hair product EVER, and this yummiest multi-purpose balm that you can slather just about anywhere for this especially dry winter.

Peanut butter biscotti--need I say more?

These would be kick ass for a superbowl snack! BTW, go Packers!

I'm almost finished with this book and I need a new one. Any suggestions?

The most fun time suck? This website I just found. I [heart] it!


Have a great weekend:)
xo
jolie



P.S.  In the 24 hours that followed this post, I saw these two celebs at Whole Foods, ran into (and hugged) a person I don't know very well from auditions, saw this gal at said swanky sushi spot and almost asked this actress if I knew her from somewhere. Lord.

you look familiar/brown-sugar zucchini bread

I have this horrible habit:  (and I'm totally outing myself here) but I experience a little bit of panic when I see people in public that I know. My first impulse? Duck and cover.

In examining this about myself, I think I know why:

When you've been kicking around in LA for over a decade, there are a million possible random places from whence you may know someone. There are the regular places that everyone can relate to: work, through friends, the gym. But then you have to add to that: acting classes, auditions, odd on-set interactions...

Here's the THING though: you might just know them because you've seen them on TV or from a little place called The Movies. So you could potentially (or most-certainly) make an idiot of yourself by asking, "do we know each other?"

Once I saw a guy in an audition waiting room and I knew I knew him--it was killing me.

Maybe we went to High School together, I thought, or maybe college. I went through the list: Acting class? Yoga? Pilates? That random self-help workshop? Starbucks?

Well. I couldn't recall and I kept stealing quizzical glances at him, wracking my brain. He seemed clueless about me, and that added to the conundrum. Finally it hit me: I was in a movie with him (don't get too excited, it was a very small role in a very small movie) and we worked together in one scene for one night 9 years ago.

OK, you think, that's not bad, Jolie. You can't be expected to remember everyone you've ever worked with. 

Wanna know the scene? We were in a car at a drive-in movie making out and he was repeatedly squeezing and releasing one of my boobs. We met on set and crawling into the car, it was literally: "Nice to meet you. Shall I grab the right one since its closer to camera?"

And I couldn't remember him. What's worse? I turned to him in that audition waiting room:

Me: "Hey there, I finally realized how I know you."

Him: [blank stare]

Me: "We did [that movie] together."

Him: [blank stare]

Me: "We made out in the drive-in?"

Him: [blank stare]

Me: "You repeatedly squeezed and released my downstage boob?"

Him: [pained expression] "Oh...I think I remember that...." [he didn't] "Nice to see you."



Really?


Yesterday at Trader Joe's, I saw a guy I worked with for one day on a TV show. We caught eyes quickly and then both pretended not to know each other even though on camera we hugged while I comforted him on the loss of his dead wife whom he potentially murdered. I felt good about this decision, bought some zucchini, and came home to make this bread.



Brown Sugar Zucchini Bread
adapted from Bill and Cheryl Alters Jamison

This is one of my most favorite go-to recipes for a weekend breakfast. It's super moist, has great texture because of the oatmeal and it's not too sweet (but the sweet crunchy top is SO delicious!). It's yummy warm but even better once it cools and has a bit of time to sit. For a gluten-free, carrot version, go here!

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 4 T packed dark brown sugar
6 T granulated sugar
1 1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
2 t vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2-3)
3 packets Sugar-in-the-raw (a couple tablespoons)

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan. Or spray it with my favorite, Pam for baking (it has flour in it!)

Stir the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. When combined, add the oats. Whisk the eggs, oil and vanilla together and then add that to the dry ingredients. Combine lightly (It'll be a bit dry) and then gently add the zucchini. Do not over mix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the Sugar-in-the-raw. It's great if it has a nice crunchy, sugary top, since the bread is not too sweet. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling. After it cools, wrap it tight in plastic wrap and it'll be even better the second day.
 

Happy Wednesday, Lovelies!
xo
jolie