DORIS BERGMAN’S VALENTINE ROMANCE OSCAR STYLE LOUNGE & PARTY

Doris Bergman celebrated the ten-year anniversary of her Valentine’s gifting lounge (which is also in honor of the Oscars) in grand style at her favorite venue of recent years, Fig & Olive restaurant in West Hollywood.  And my contributing writer, Lisa, and I were more than happy to join her, as were the rest of her guests. (Lisa’s comments are all the ones in quotes as we go along.) It was Doris’ biggest event yet!

This was Lisa’s first visit to a Doris Bergman extravaganza, and she was amazed! She told me, “The entire event was so well-organized and pleasant. It was very inviting and comfortable from the moment we walked in! Everyone running it was so accommodating and cheerful. I felt very lucky to be able to talk to all the folks there and find out about their products.”

We were also lucky enough to have lunch with Doris herself, along with Bruce Dern, a deserving Oscar nominee a few years ago. I found-out just how astute Bruce is when I mentioned that he had given Mr. X a ride a zillion years ago, and Bruce knew exactly where they had met! And he knew that Mr. X was a runner back then (before he switched to his now-famous krump dancing.)

I always laud Doris for feeding her guests, and this time she changed-up the fare to fit the occasion.  Since her event was on a week-end this time, she treated us to brunch food, instead of the usual luncheon. Since the only item of the sumptuous buffet that I ate was potatoes, (because I’m the craziest eater,) I’m letting Lisa take this one. She said, “The pasta with fresh sautéed mushrooms was augmented with the perfect amount of truffle oil. And I was even impressed with the perfectly-cooked scrambled e-words!!!” There was also chicken sausage, crisp bacon (that I was drooling for,) several varieties of bagels, all kinds of pastries, and what Lisa deemed “the most delicious part”–the eatery’s signature fig butter.

Of course, as with all of Doris’ generous events, flatbreads “abounded” for a few hours before the real meal even started. Lisa had never tasted them before, and loved them all, her favorite being the “one with a mound of caramelized onions on top.”

Speaking of favorites, I met my favorite television actor of this season there! Matt Murray from 9JKL could not have been more pleasant to every single person there! He’s just like he is on that show! We shared a few laughs over our good mutual friend who’s on the show with him. (I’ll let you all be detectives and figure-out this blind item for yourselves.)

And as I was leaving, I bumped into Dennis Christopher, star of the classic film Breaking Away, (which I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never seen; I watch only old black and white movies, so I’ve missed-out on this color one.) I was so happy to tell him that I loved his old Metropolitan, a wonderful car I used to see him driving around town when I was a teen-ager and new to LA. I coveted that classic auto! He was thrilled to hear it, and told me he had actually owned three of them! I wish I had made his acquaintance back then, so I could have talked him into giving me a ride in one!

One of my favorite aspects of all of Doris’ events is that we guests get to give back right off the bat by bringing gifts for the foster children who are in the Wednesday’s Child program. I always love choosing multiple fun items for them, and just pray that every guest does the same. www.foxla.com/wednesdays-child

But, in addition to the yummy comestibles and really fun celebs, there were also fabulous gifts to be gathered! Here are the highlights of those:

Pampered Pets Playhouse, CJ’s Pet Staycation—Once again, Christy Aaron and crew were one of the most generous, pleasant sponsors there! I loved seeing their smiling faces! And the guests loved receiving giant customized gym bags (complete with an opening for a water bottle) filled to the brim with all kinds of gifts for their pets. Lisa remarked, “All pups will be completely hooked-up with everything from chew toys to potty pads, food bowls to baby blankets.” To that I add, “You name it—it was in there!” Lisa continued, “Whether your pet is young or old, big or small, there was a lot of thought put into their needs.” An extra perk was receiving the homemade treats Christy baked for everyone’s pooch pals! www.cjspetstaycation.com

Olympia International—This item was a big hit because it aided the guests with all the gifts they were gathering right then and there. It was handsome and hip green or camouflage backpacks…with wheels! Lisa said they’re the “perfect size for carrying-on a plane, or just running around town.” And she noticed that there are several “convenient pockets for stashing travel documents, laptops, and valuables for quick retrieval,” while the “durable fabric will stand up to lots of toting around.” I say, what she said!  www.olympiausa.com

Precious Vodka—Lisa said that the unique bottle design of this vodka is a “total showstopper!” It’s an inverted precious-cut diamond shape, which you just know that I wanted to put into the setting of a giant ring and wear around this status-conscious town. Lisa said, “This bottle is a keeper long after the vodka is gone!” That is, indeed, precious! www.preciousvodka.com

Curtis & Co. Timepieces—I noticed this table from across the room because, as many of you already know, I love colorful, youthful objects. (Which is why I have a “Crayon Room” in my house!) Lisa said that the “adorable” watches from this company’s Chalk Lifestyle Scribble line “will lift your spirits when you check the time and see the cute colored pencils that are the hands.” We both agreed that “the wide array of colors” will “put a smile on your face.”  www.chalklifestyle.com

Sue Wong Couture Gowns & Fragrance—Gown designer Sue Wong was on hand once again, looking very elegant, as usual for her. (I once went to a brunch at her Malibu house, and when I got there, Sue told me she had to go change, even though I perceived her “work” attire to be better than everyone’s party clothes!!!) After showing Lisa some of the many projects she’s currently working on, we got a peek at the stunning, dramatic shawls she was gifting the celebs.  www.suewong.com

Art Lewin Bespoke Suits & Tuxedos—As a long-time fan of this bespoke tailor, I was so happy to introduce Lisa to him, and show her the gifts he was giving that day. She told me, “Wow. You don’t find many shops doing neckties that are handmade! Obviously this company cares greatly about their products and the people wearing them. They use classic designs and quality materials. They even present their ties in a handsome ribbon-tied gift box. So elegant, so classy.”  www.artlewinbespoke.com

Twisted Silver Jewelry—Lisa had only admired the jewelry that I already owned by designer Debra Mitchell, so when she saw the full display here, she exclaimed, “What a great collection of stunning jewelry!” She advised that all the designs can be “either casual or elegant,” and they all “cross generations.” But her favorite was “a simple leather bracelet with a shiny brass clasp.” She added that their logo on each piece “adds to the fun look!” www.twisted-silver.com

Hemp Lifestyle Network—They were gifting their hemp Salve, which Lisa explained “is a CBD-based skin emollient for relieving pain and softening skin.” She had some muscle pain in both arms that day, so she tried it on just one arm “to see what happened,” and she said “it actually helped!”  For people who get nervous when they see the word “hemp,” no worries–you get the health benefits of this formula without getting high. www.kannaway.com

Buy Wine—We were overwhelmed with the selection of wines at this Host Sponsor’s beautiful display. Alcohol is far from my area of expertise, but Lisa was particularly taken with a late harvest Chardonnay dessert wine, whose “dusty pink color” she deemed “delicious looking.” She told me this bottle would make “a spectacular hostess gift.” As would their entire dazzling display!!! www.buywine.com

Nail & Bone—I think you all know by now just how nail polish obsessed I am, so I was thrilled to discover this new line which not only features fabulous colors, but it’s charitable, as well! The polish itself is for people, but the money earned supports pet rescue and adoption. (When guests saw all the canine pix on the boxes, many of them erroneously thought the polish was for dogs. I wish Hollywood types would learn to read already! And listen, too, because their rep explained it all. Many times!) www.nailandbone.com

Impromptu Life—These lipsticks are created by a woman who was rocking fabulous eye make-up, so of course I trusted her with our lips! Pink-tressed Lisa said, “The first thing I noticed about the lipsticks is their classy square case, but the feature I love the most is that the cap snaps back in place with a magnetic closure.” She added that the shade was drawn to the most is the one whose moniker is Ribbon in the Sky “not only for the name, but for the lovely pink semi-matte lipstick” that matches her hair and nails. She deemed it “a trifecta!” www.impromptu.life

My Saint, My Hero Bracelets—Lisa was impressed to see the full display of these blessing bracelets that I always wear, on a table rather than on just my wrists! She found it to be “so nice to see a company reminding us to do good things to make the world a better place.” And she added with a smile, “And you look good doing it!”  www.mysaintmyhero.com

Lights, Camera, Action—This is the latest book by Northern California realtor and author Debbi DiMaggio. Lisa perused it and told me that it’s a “fun, quick read that will guide you through the steps of home ownership.” She added that the contents “put home buyers’ minds at ease so that they won’t have to worry about what comes next.”  www.debbidimaggio.com

Montrose Regenerative Cosmetics & Laser Center—This Montrose spa was gifting certificates for a skin analysis and custom facial, which Lisa deemed “something that should be on everyone’s regular calendar.” And I really appreciated that they presented the the certs in pretty bags with colorful tissue paper, which shows that they know how things, and their clients, should look! www.facebodyaesthetics.com

Beauty Kitchen—I’ve known the owner of this company for a long time, so it was nice to get the surprise of seeing her again here. Each guest received a small gift box, (in either pink or blue, so it was a hard decision for me,) that housed a few little beauty products. Lisa’s came with a 24K gold collagen eye lid mask, which she said sounded like the “royal treatment” to her. www.heathermarianna.tv

And now on to the Oscars themselves! I will be forgoing all the soirees on Sunday to be able to watch the telecast with no distractions so I can live-tweet my many comments on the proceedings for you! If you don’t already follow me on Twitter, (which reminds me–welcome to all my new followers who came on-board during the Olympics,) this would be a great time to do so. @MajorCelebrity. I’ll start with the arrivals, so get ready for my snark because here it comes! May the best man (Gary Oldman) and best woman (Sally Hawkins) win!