![\"Quinton](\"http:\/\/www.itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/img_6728-150x150.jpg\" "\\"img_6728\\"")
Quinton Aaron arriving at the Secret Room gifting suite. Photo by Lauren Bennett.<\/p><\/div>\n
I\u2019m glad I chose the Secret Room as my sole (and soul!) suite this season because it was jam-packed with lovely personnel and vendors. And, although I never care about supposed celebs, this one had the most recognizable group of attendees that I\u2019ve ever come across. There were lots of television actors from the few shows I actually watch, (Glee, The Forgotten,) the rarely-seen-in-person Candy Spelling<\/strong>, and I was especially happy to see Quinton Aaron<\/strong>, who played Michael Oher in The Blindside, having so much fun.<\/p>\n Usually I concentrate on the gifts, but after five weeks of virtual house rest (which seems like ar-rest,) I headed straight for the spa services. The hotel had provided a wheelchair for me, because the event was too big for me to navigate on crutches, and the lovely spa people worked around it. I didn\u2019t even have to get out of the chair!<\/p>\n Karen getting back to her glamourous self! Photo by Lauren Bennett.<\/p><\/div>\n First, I had a very quick massage on my upper back, and then moved on to nails. I was thrilled to get both a mani AND pedi because I usually do both myself, and couldn\u2019t do the toes since it\u2019s hard to move my leg right now. The girl who did them both, Arlene Estrada<\/strong>, was very understanding about my situation, and even had some good info for me on the subject of back surgery. Next, Ami Desai<\/strong> did my brows. I felt like a new woman!<\/p>\n Since it was hard to navigate my way around the room, big as it was, I checked-out only a few gifts. But they were all special. I was especially enamored with a gorgeous one-of-a-kind clutch courtesy of Errienne Designs<\/strong>. Each one is hand-made, with different patterns and materials, including the interiors! (They were so fresh, in fact, that the owner\u2019s mother was upstairs in the room, sewing some of them right then!) The designer, Chelsea Schick, helped me choose a textured navy blue one, with red and white interior, that\u2019s both classy and casual at the same time. Loving it! www.erriennedesigns.com<\/a><\/p>\n The colorful Alter Ego Jewlery.<\/p><\/div>\n They almost couldn\u2019t get me away from the Alter Ego Jewelry<\/strong> table that featured campy jewelry made out of small toys! I mean it–smurfs, matchbox cars, you name it. I wanted a bracelet with Cruella DeVille, but that would have been type-casting! www.alteregojewelry.com<\/a><\/p>\n I was happy to discover three luxurious skin care lines at the suite: Many of my pals are having babies nowadays, and they\u2019re all boys!!! So I pleased to find organic onesies by Sweet Prince Design<\/strong>, that are made of organic cotton. So far, they say their products are \u201cexclusively for boys,\u201d but I think they\u2019d look good on all babies. www.sweetprincedesign.com<\/a><\/p>\n As we were on our way out, we noticed a table with mini-cupcakes from Two Parts Sugar<\/strong> in Orange County. I always feel responsible for the cupcake craze in southern California because no one here had ever thought of it until I reviewed New York\u2019s Magnolia Bakery on my show, and told of the lines around the block for simple cupcakes! The audience response (both in-studio and viewers\u2019 calls and emails) was one of astonishment that so much money could be made from something as basic as cupcakes. Well, a few months later, creepy Sprinkles came along, and all hell broke loose. I should have just whipped some up myself, and I\u2019d be rich now!<\/p>\n But back to the Two Parts Sugar. I tried their one that looks like an old-fashioned Hostess cupcake, (which I lived on in my formative years–how I managed to be skinny then, God only knows!), and I loved it!!! It was truly the best cupcake I\u2019ve had in years! I\u2019m lucky they deliver in only a 100 mile radius, which is far, but not enough to get to me, or I\u2019d be gorging on them–I loved them that much! And to top it off, they gave me the sweetest little cupcake pendant. That whole experience cheered me right up. www.twopartssugar.com <\/a><\/p>\n One last note: I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever written about this, but though I\u2019m not a prejudiced person, I always say there are two groups I\u2019m not fond-of: Hare Krishna and child actors. But I think I may have just found the exception to that last rule. Ashley Boettcher<\/strong>, whose work I\u2019m not familiar with, but photogs were taking her pix, was just the sweetest little girl. We compared nails, and let me tell you, I was seriously jealous of her choice of a different bold color on each nail. Exactly what I used to do, and I was way older than seven! (It was in recent years that I was so colorful.) I hope she stays as good-natured and adorable as she was at the Secret Room.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SECRET ROOM OSCAR SUITE \u00a0 [Note: I am so sorry, but I thought that I had posted this column over a month ago! There was a while there during the past few months when the pain of my back was taking over my mind, so please forgive me for this column\u2019s tardiness. But, I thought<\/p>\n![\"Karen](\"http:\/\/www.itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/img_6718-150x150.jpg\" "\\"img_6718\\"")
![\"The](\"http:\/\/www.itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/img_6719-150x150.jpg\" "\\"img_6719\\"")
\nFanie International<\/strong> was featuring botanical skin care products, including a masque that I can\u2019t wait to try. I hope the products are as lovely as the people manning their booth! www.fanie.com
\n<\/a>Hylunia<\/strong> has so many helpful treatments, many for sensitive skin, that there\u2019s truly something for all types. And the girls in their booth are Capricorns, just like me! www.hylunia.com
\n<\/a>Cellcosmet<\/strong> was developed in Switzerland, so if it\u2019s as good as their chocolates, we\u2019re in luck! And the mini-products came in an eye-catching red clutch. www.cellcosmet-cellmen.com<\/a><\/p>\n