GIFTING LOUNGE: DORIS BERGMAN’S 2017 EMMYS LOUNGE AND PARTY

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DORIS BERGMAN’S 2017 EMMYS LOUNGE AND PARTY

As usual, a fabulous time was had by all at Doris Bergman’s Emmys Lounge, which was held once again at the Fig and Olive restaurant in West Hollywood. And you know what that location means, right? It means the guests were also treated to a beautiful luncheon, while they collected wonderful gifts!

Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the big one at the top of the page.

Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the big one at the top of the page.

I’m happy to report that one of my favorite contributing writers over the years is back! Even though she’s preggers right now, (with her fourth child!,) Rachel helped me on this one, and was thrilled with the entire event! (Her comments are all the ones in quotes.) She said, “I was so grateful to be a part of such an elegant event.  Doris Bergman put on a fabulous Emmys party!”

And, as usual, the fare was delicious. First up, the signature flatbreads were passed for the first few hours. Rachel had never had them before, and declared them all to be “decadent!”

The flatbreads.  Photo courtesy of Doris Bergman.

The flatbreads. Photo courtesy of Doris Bergman.

Later on, the guests moved into the lovely dining room for the buffet brunch. I’ve never seen that room so packed before! We actually had to sit in the brightly-lit enclosed patio area for the first time ever, which we really enjoyed. It was delightful back there. As for the food itself, I always enjoy the Moroccan chicken with vegetables, slivered almonds, and cous cous, (which is also healthful, so yay!,) while Rachel’s fave was the pasta with shrimp and truffle oil. How generous of them to serve truffle oil!!! We were both especially grateful for the yummy salad with fresh figs. And she was downright giddy about having a Shirley Temple drink with her meal!!! That made me smile.

Photo courtesy of Doris Bergman.

Photo courtesy of Doris Bergman.

But before the luncheon, we did a couple of fun activities as soon as we arrived. Here they are:

The Dry Bar—When we found-out that they were doing the guests’ hair right on-site, we ran right over there! I believe we were their first customers of the day! While Laura Uboldi perfectly flat-ironed my tresses and then made them extra-shiny somehow, (which Rachel raved about all day,) Taylor Ledesma gave Rachel a “Mai Tai” style, which she said gave her hair “a fabulous beachy look.” She exclaimed, “My hair never looked better!  Taylor created a masterpiece in just minutes.”  So, will I see her rocking that style again at her upcoming baby shower? I have a feeling the answer is yes!  www.thedrybar.com

Rachel Wilcox and Karen Salkin's photo booth pix.

Rachel Wilcox and Karen Salkin’s photo booth pix.

Pucker Up Photo Booth—Now that we were all glammed-up, we took perhaps the best photo booth pix we ever have!!! Two of the three were actually pretty good, so we had a little pep in our steps for the rest of the day! As Mr. X always says, lighting is everything! www.puckerupphotobooth.com

And now, finally, here are the highlights of the gifts:

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

CJ’s Pet Staycation and Homemade Wholesome Pet Treats—This sponsor was the hit of the day! Christy Aaron is a lovely experienced veterinary technician who baby-sits pets in a cage-free environment, while grooming them, if you like, and providing them with her healthful homemade treats. The guests who own dogs (which, sadly, let me out) received a box of Christy’s freshly-baked cookies, which Rachel’s dogs devoured and loved! We both feel that Christy is so caring that her home would be a great place to pamper your pets.  She even gave away adorable paw print duffel bags (that she was kind enough to purchase from a pet charity!,) which contained all kinds of toys and doggy essentials.  So, she was basically a gifting suite unto herself!!! This company was truly the perfect sponsor! I’m now thinking of getting a new dog just to take him to CJ’s Pet Staycation! www.cjspetstaycation.com www.cjspettreats.com

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Olympia Luggage, USA—I was already a fan of this fun luggage company, but I went extra berserk over them when I spied their adorable rolling backpacks, in either blue or pink. (You just know that I wanted both of them!) While I perused those, Rachel, who has kids, was looking over the interesting red backpacks that she said “are perfect when you’re on the go.”  She pointed-out that they’re “durable,” and she was especially impressed that they “have a compartment to securely store your lap top.”  www.luggage-america.myshopify.com

Photo courtesy of Doris Bergman.

Photo courtesy of Doris Bergman.

Single Dress—Half my wardrobe seems to be from this fashionable line, but this was Rachel’s first time seeing it. (Outside of on yours truly, of course!) She said all the items on display were so stylish that she wants to wear one of them to her upcoming baby shower! On top of all the women’s wear, they have a new line of men’s underwear, which she said “comes in great colors, and appear to be very comfortable due to the soft, breathable fabric.” She also noted that they read “Single” around the waistline, but I suspect the guys won’t be single for long with attractive underwear like this! www.singleunderwear.com

Art Lewin Bespoke—This was Rachel’s first time meeting my favorite clothier, and she exclaimed, “Mr. Lewin  is a class act!”  I love that. This time, he was gifting the assemblage something very useful—handsome garment bags, to carry their suits in style! What a great idea! www.artlewinbespoke.com

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Sue Wong Couture and Fragrance—The fragrance of one of Sue’s signature perfumes lured Rachel right over to her booth, where she was pleased to meet the fashion designer herself! She perused Sue’s “elegant gowns” and sampled her new line of “fragrant perfumes.”   We were both impressed with the “beautifully-made” scarves she was gifting that featured “stylish embroidery.”   www.suewong.com

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Twisted Silver—After having lunch with designer Deborah Mitchell, Rachel couldn’t wait to peruse her jewelry. And she loved it all! She said it has a “fun vintage style,” and added, “They’re created with earthy metals that make these pieces timeless classics.” We both were especially fond of the new long gold necklaces that each end with a circle charm, which come in both gold and silver tones. Rach said that piece  “dresses up any outfit.”   www.twisted-silver.com

Photo courtesy of Doris Bergman.

Photo courtesy of Doris Bergman.

Signature Innovation Group Men’s Wear—I’m a fan of this apparel company that’s located right here in SoCal. Rachel was impressed that their “stylish” shirts and caps “come in great colors,” (which I already knew,) and the best part is that it’s all made in America! www.signatureinnovationgroup.com

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

My Saint, My Hero—I’ve been a fan of these blessing bracelets for awhile now, so I’m letting newbie-to-them Rachel take this one. She said, “They are beautiful and stylish, and have a message. Each bracelet was made and blessed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  They remind you that each one of us has a chance to make the world a better place!  It’s nice to share a product with such a positive message.” I echo everything she said! www.mysaintmyhero.com

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Jeanne Vixen Jewelry—We loved meeting this jewelry designer! Rachel noticed that “these pieces are all handmade and very stylish,” especially the “ statement piece” Prosperity Rings that Jeanne was whipping-up for guests right on-site!

Hint Water—This fruit-flavored water has always quenched the thirst of the suite’s guests, but the company went one step further this time. A big step! Because they now make sunscreen! And, of course, they each have the subtle fragrance of a different natural fruit essence! Since the gifting portion of the event was outside, I’m sure that everyone appreciated having this skin-protecting mist on hand. www.drinkhint.com

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Hashtag Hooker—This was a new one to us! This company makes bejeweled underwear…for men!   I never saw anything like it before. But for the girls, (or male guests who weren’t brave enough to rock those sparkly briefs,) they gifted cute tank tops with the “Hooker” logo, which Rach deemed “stylish and fun.” www.hashtaghooker.com

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Hank & Frida’s Burger Time—This well-known chef was on-site, gifting her “tasty” homemade mustard, habanero hot sauce, and jarred pickled veggies in the cutest picnic-themed display. I brought some mustard home to Mr. X, who loved it and described it as “spicy like a Coney Island hot dog!” You can’t get better than that! www.chefjamielauren.com

Curlifornia—Rachel tried this spray that gives everyone “beach hair,” and noted that it also gives your hair a healthy shine. She suggests you “just spray and go!” www.mycurlifornia.com

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Buy Wine—Of this wine-buying site, Rachel exclaimed, “Wow–they have so many different wines to choose from!” I joined her in noticing that the bottles were “beautifully displayed,” and “from a wide variety of wineries.” Very impressive. www.buywine.com

Reema Beauty—I had met this cosmetics company before, and had tried to get them into Doris’ suite for years, so I was glad to finally see them here! And to introduce the brand to Rachel, who deemed it to be “fun make-up, with great colors and lots of choices to perfect your look.” And it’s affordable, too! www.reemabeauty.com

The charity poster we all signed.  Look whose autograph is front and center!

The charity poster we all signed. Look whose autograph is front and center!

And, as usual, Doris had Wednesday’s Child on-site, collecting gifts for teen-agers in foster care, to make their holidays a bit brighter. I hope that every guest brought fabulous gifts for them, as Rachel and I were more than happy to do. With so much gift-collecting at this time of year, it always feels wonderful to give back! www.foxla.com/wednesdays-child

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