GIFTING SUITE: CANNASPA GIFTING SUITE IN HONOR OF THE 2019 ESPYS

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CANNASPA GIFTING SUITE IN HONOR OF THE 2019 ESPYS

I’ve been to several events thrown by the lovely Tamara Anderson, who is the CEO of Culinary and Cannabis, and the organizer of this CannaSpa Gifting Suite. So I knew not to miss it, even during my self-imposed exile this week to watch every second of Wimbledon!

Matt Barnes speaking with a sponsor. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this page.

Matt Barnes speaking with a sponsor. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this page.

Because this event was to honor the ESPY Awards, her co-host was former pro basketball player, Matt Barnes, who had been both a Laker and a Golden State Warrior in his long career, and whose charity, the non-profit Athletes vs. Cancer, benefitted from a portion of the proceeds. Everyone there seemed happy to meet him.

This whole day was the easiest, most relaxing Los Angeles experience ever, from beginning to end, including even getting there!

And “there” was downtown LA’s Casa Vertigo, which was a totally new venue to me. I had never even heard of it before, (even though it was built in 1926, and has been designated a historical site!,) but it turned-out to be fascinating.  And very comfortable. Leave it to Tamara to find something so interesting to entertain us.

Casa Vertigo’s personnel were lovely from the get-go. Handsome Orlando greeted us warmly at the entrance, which set us up happily right away. Once inside this multi-level edifice, adorable Darron made us feel totally welcome, and escorted us throughout the day. And then lovely Olga showed us around a bit, including giving us a peek at a fabulous secret theatre that I doubt anyone else got to see. (She was so cute—when I asked for her name, she was worried that she had done something wrong, not realizing I was asking because she had gone above and beyond!)

Part of the action from above. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Part of the action from above. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The entire shebang was tons of fun! My contributing writer, Roz, had also never been to this locale before, nor this particular event, and she agreed with me about how charming and relaxing it was. She said, “Casa Vertigo is a beautiful ‘old Hollywood’ type of place. The ballroom we were in is so beautiful and inviting, with lots of open giant windows open. Fresh air is so rare in LA buildings that this was a welcome surprise. It made for a very uplifting vibe.” As to the crux of the actual CannaSpa, she commented, “The gifts and services were enjoyed by a continuous flow of people who looked very happy to be there.”

Karen Salkin getting a hand massage from Kelly Anne. Photo by Roz Wolf.

Karen Salkin getting a hand massage from Kelly Anne. Photo by Roz Wolf.

And I must laud Tamara and Matt for not having a DJ there, as so many non-club events are wont to do these days, in an effort to appear hip! As much as I love me some great hip-hop jams, I hate it when the organizers of gifting suites feel the need to blast music when we’re all trying to converse and learn about the sponsors’ products!

As the title CannaSpa implies, this event featured gifts and services that mostly involved cannabis, with either CBD and THC, in one way or another.

Roz and I were all about the spa services. We began with massages and ended with facials. How can a day out be any better than that?! It cannot. Let us tell you all about them:

(L-R) Cynthia Livingood and Eve Stumpges working on a pair of guests.  Photo by Traveling Hands staff.

(L-R) Cynthia Livingood and Eve Stumpges working on a pair of guests. Photo by Traveling Hands staff.

Traveling Hands Massage—These massage therapists were set up in a light, breezy room, with each guest receiving his or her choice of a chair or table massage. We both chose table ones, (of course,) mine by Eve Stumpges and Roz’s by Cynthia Livingood. Eve went right to work on my poor broken back, loosening-up all the tension-filled knots she was kind enough to not point-out to me. Roz had a sore hip, and said that Cynthia’s work on it was “transforming,” and that “The CBD-infused oils they used on us elevated the healing process.” But the best part of this company is that…they travel to you!  Roz says, “Now you can stay at home to avoid even more stress from the crazy LA traffic, and have a deep, healing massage at home or your office.” And who would not love that?! Count us in!  www.travelinghandsmassage.com

Adorable Rocio Bonilla giving a guest a facial.  Photo by Karen Salkin.

Adorable Rocio Bonilla giving a guest a facial. Photo by Karen Salkin.

CannaFaceAesthetics by Rocio—This wonderful aesthetician, Rocio Bonilla, gave facials to the assemblage, in a private area high atop, and overlooking, the ballroom. Even though she was billing the sessions as “mini” ones, they were really pretty complete, without even disturbing our eye make-up! I swear, the next day, somehow, my face looked five pounds thinner! Mr. X said the same thing. I have no idea how Rocio accomplished that! Roz said that she was glad that we saved this experience for last because it was “the best!” She says that “as my make-up was washed away, the tension in my neck washed away, as well. I think I was in a meditative state as Rocio masterfully applied CBD-infused CannaCreams from Canna Cosmetics Premium CBD Skincare line.” Relaxation and looking better? Just sign us up for more sessions with Rocio! www.rxcannacare.com   www.styleseat.com/eastvaleparlour

KA Holistic—Kelley Anne (the “KA” in this company name) was doing hand massages for everyone. I was appreciative of that because I had not had my phalanges worked on in my table massage earlier, and this completed my body relaxation for the day.

And these are our favorite products that we discovered at CannaSpa:

In the top left corner, notice Karen Salkin's pink business card (upside down, of course,) with the beautiful Underground Beach Club one right below it.  Photo by Karen Salkin.

In the top left corner, notice Karen Salkin’s pink business card (upside down, of course,) with the beautiful Underground Beach Club one right below it. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Underground Beach Club—Jason, the cute co-founder of this fun clothing line, (whose business card is the most mouth-watering one I’ve ever seen!,) told us that their tops and shorts are mainly for men at the current moment. But I pointed-out that girls wear their boyfriends’ shirts all the time, so he agreed that these items of apparel can definitely qualify as unisex. Roz looked over the wares, and tells us, “Summer is perfect timing for discovering this hip beachwear. The pre-shrunk cotton tee-shirts are outstanding in look and feel and here’s the coolest thing…they’re all made in the USA!” I think the coolest thing is that Mr. X and I can share a sweatshirt from this company!  www.undergroundbeachclub.com

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Seven Leaves—This appeared to be one of the most popular sponsors. That’s because they were gifting actual joints! Each one comes in its own plastic case, ready to go. Even though I don’t smoke it anymore, I got a kick out of the clever monikers, such as Bon Bons and Bruce Banner.  www.sevenleavesca.com

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Pineapple Express Wellness—This was my favorite company name at the event! Mr. X laughed just reading the moniker. Their main claim-to-fame is their delivery service for…cannabis! Of that, Roz comments, “This is a fresh idea for people who rely on deliveries to their home or office. You get to skip the drive when you need a supply of the various strains they offer.” To remind us of them, they gave-out little packages containing CBD-infused epsom salts for the bath, full-spectrum CBD tincture, and personal lubricant. Roz adds, “They even have a rewards program. I’d say the future of cannabis-consumption is here.” www.pineappleexpresswellness.com

We were thrilled that there were very interesting snacks and creative beverages available all day long. (And they were all non-infused so everyone could try them, cannabis aficionados and non-indulgers alike.)

Photo by Roz Wolf.

Photo by Roz Wolf.

Chef Matt served two delicious dishes, one sweet, one savory. The full-size shrimp salad sandwiches were both hearty and light at the same time. And the crowd could not get enough of the sweet treats. They were fresh-cooked crepes and waffles, both featuring strawberries and bananas, topped with a drizzle of chocolate. [Pix of the sweet treats are in the big pic at the top of this page.]  www.chefmattcooks.com

And Mad Diva Mixology came up with a handful of unique refreshing “fruit-forward”  (according to Roz) non-alcoholic drinks, including the Matt’s Mojito which Roz said was “very minty, and perfect for summer hydration.”  www.maddivaconcierge.com

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