DORIS BERGMAN’S VALENTINE ROMANCE OSCAR STYLE LOUNGE & PARTY

Doris Bergman’s Valentine’s/Oscars suite returned to Fig & Olive restaurant in Beverly Hills for the ninth time. That’s a lot of figs! And olives!

The event is always beautiful and happening, and it seemed even moreso this time. I can’t put my finger on why, except that maybe because I had my old friend, Hacksaw Ridge producer, David Permut, with me. How often does a pal get nominated for an Oscar, especially for a project he worked on for sixteen years?! That definitely made this suite a tad more special for me.

Plus, you know how much I enjoy good food, and Doris always provides everybody on site with a gorgeous buffet lunch. My contributing writer, Alice, hadn’t been there for a long while, and she exclaimed, “Fig & Olive has the most delicious food! I love the crostinis that are passed for the first several hours of the event. They’re all so yummy, especially the fig topped with Manchego cheese.”

Of the main dishes, her favorite was “the gorgeous penne pasta that was topped with shrimp, capers, olives and truffle oil.” I don’t eat truffle oil, (am I a cheap date or what?,) but I was more than happy with the Mediterranean chicken, cous cous, and special salad with–what else—figs?!!!

One of my favorite aspects of Doris’s suites is that we’re all asked to bring an unwrapped gift for a Wednesday’s Child in foster care. I always bring extra since I know that not every person there is kind enough to do it themselves. Hopefully, the ones who read this will participate next time.  (I’m proud to say that my pal, David Permut, stopped to buy some gifts along the way. If an uber-busy Oscar nominee can do that, I think that everyone can, don’t you?!) www.foxla.com/wednesdays-child

Okay, let’s get to the many sponsors already! I loved that there were so many new ones this time. Here are the very many highlights:

Sassy Locks Custom Baby Clothing—This was one of our all-out faves! Not only was all the baby attire on display absolutely gorgeous, but the bibs they were gifting were adorable! They each came with a really cute saying on it, that made Alice quip that “your baby will be the hit at the next playtime.” David Permut picked one up for Mel Gibson, his director on his Oscar-nominated film, Hacksaw Ridge, who had just had his gazillionth kid! But I bet none of his previous babies ever had one of these adorbs bibs before! I also loved that Cindy and Marty, the couple who own the company, dressed to match their display. That is creativity in the utmost!  www.sassylocks.com

Photo T-shirts—These guys were a major hit! They brought their truck right into the middle of the action to be able to print each guests’ choice of picture on a t-shirt for them. We just sent them a pic from our phones, and they did the rest. As Alice said, “What a fun customization!” www.photo-tshirts.com

The Footmate System by Gordon Brush—This was Alice’s introduction to this fabulous brush that suctions to the bottom of the shower, for a great foot cleansing. She exclaimed, “Talk about doing it all in the shower! Footmate preps your feet for your next pedicure by removing the dry, dead skin.” Who knew?! www.footmate.com

Single Dress and Kay Di Koko—All the female guests clamored over these colorful dresses! Each guest got to choose her own. Alice, always the fashionista, loved that “these dresses are functional for any occasion,” and commented that the brand “really knows how to incorporate different fabrics and textures into one design.” I didn’t get that deep into it—I just noticed that they look good on everyone. www.singledress.com

Dr. Perricone Gift Boxes—Not only did each guest receive a giant (and I do mean giant) box of products from this health company, but Dr. Nicholas Perricone himself was on hand to meet and greet! Alice pointed-out that, “with his line of essential multivitamins and super greens, the doc is a believer that beauty starts from the inside out.” And everyone there was impressed with his new line of cold plasma products, especially the Cold Plasma Eye and Cold Plasma Sun-D. www.perriconemd.com

Buy Wine—This wine-buying website features, according to them, “The largest selection of vineyards and wineries on the planet.” And they made their giant display a lot of fun…and I don’t even drink! They had one table set-up beautifully for all-day wine tastings, and another with all the wines to gift. I couldn’t believe how many varieties there were! And the rep was very kind and patient to help each guest choose just the perfect wine for their tastes. www.buywine.com

Rejuvenation in Motion Mobile Med-Spa—Alice signed right up for this doctor who makes house calls for…cosmetic procedures! She said that concept is “so innovative.” www.rejuvenationinmotion.com

Fibrum Virtual Reality Headsets—Tech-savvy guests were flocking to this table to try these lightweight portable virtual reality headsets. It’s easy to use—you just slide your own smartphone into the slot on the gadget and you’re ready to go! And they provide a lot of apps to help you along your adventures!  www.fibrum.com

My Saint, My Hero—Alice just loves crosses, so her eyes lit up when she saw their new Prayer Partner Bracelets, which is two delicate rope bracelets, each with a sweet silver cross in the center. You’re supposed to share with a pal, but she didn’t share with me, so I have a feeling next time you’ll be reading the words of a different one of my contributing writers in this space! (And I may or may not be kidding.) www.mysaintmyhero.com

Twisted Silver—I always love seeing jewelry designer Debra Mitchell at this event! Each time, she brings something new and wonderful to gift. This time, it was a hip choker dubbed “Muscle,” which is so versatile, you can actually wear as a bracelet, as well. It’s made out of flattened brass chain links, but still looks beautifully feminine. Like she does herself! www.twisted-silver.com

Sue Wong—I’ve long been included in gown designer Sue Wong’s events, so to see her here was really special. She obviously cannot gift her gowns, but every guest here was happy to receive a beautiful, colorful, creative evening bag from her, which featured a sun and a moon with some beading. www.suewong.com

Art Lewin Bespoke Suits—Alice told me that she “loves a man with a great tie,” so she must have loved every male guest there because they were each gifted with a beautiful one right out of Art’s many showrooms. Now they just have to go in and get tailored by Art himself, so he can turn them each into what Alice calls “a sharp-looking gentleman.” www.artlewinbespoke.com

Samiah Hinton Designs—Alice noted that these “vintage-looking designs” took her “back to the 1900’s.” They were gifting cross-body satchels (one of my mother’s favorite words!) in what Alice deemed “luxurious embossed fabrics.” She added, “It’s timeless, and so roomy that it can even carry a laptop!” www.samiah.com

Spa Girl Vodka—This booth was so pretty, it just drew you in. And they did something really smart. They had the perfect-sized bags all ready with pink tissue paper and their PR materials. They handed each guest one, and then everyone was able to taste their flavored vodkas, and chose which one to put in the bag! Very clever. And appreciated. www.spagirlcocktails.com

True Love Skin Care—We got to try some natural products from this company right then and there. We thought their scrub was so cool because, after you use it as a scrub, you just add some water and it became a moisturizer! No need to wash it off. That’s really great for travel. www.trueloveskincare.com

Timmy Woods Handbags–Since Timmy’s purses are so high-end, she obviously can’t gift those, so she created crystal-enhanced butterfly rings for the guests. Alice tried one on and said, “When I put it on, I felt like there would be no need for other jewelry since the ring is a statement all by itself.” www.timmywoods.com

Zozo Bean Bakery—We were all thrilled to discover this new bakery from Canoga Park. Every guest was happy with these yummy mini-cupcakes, which came in handy throughout the day, whenever we were craving a sweet treat.