This year, I made time to attend seven Emmy Suites, and have a lot of info to share. So, if you don\u2019t have time to read about everything in one sitting, I beseech you to return to finish it up because there are so many worthy participants for you to know about. Here\u2019re the highlights:<\/p>\n
Gavin Keilly\u2019s suite is still the gold standard. They seem to have the most celebrity visitors, (I saw Julianne Hough and Jean Smart) and offer the most primo gifts. And this time it was held in actual suites! It was at the Mondrian Hotel and though I\u2019m a frequent diner at the lobby level Asia de Cuba, I had never seen a guest room here before.<\/p>\n
Because there were so many rooms, I have a feeling I didn\u2019t make it to every sponsor, so I hope they forgive me and I\u2019ll get to them first next time around.<\/p>\n
The most important gift we got, in my opinion, was from Save the Tatas, a charity that supports breast cancer research and education. It\u2019s a special soap to make it easier to do monthly self-check breast exams, and therefore such a simple little gift can potentially save some lives. I even saw a sponsor in another un-related suite wearing their tee-shirt! www.savethetatas.com<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve run out of time to describe all the gifts in detail this go-round, so here\u2019s a list of some of my favorite gifts, without the usual clever commentary:<\/p>\n
Leap Frog<\/strong>–wonderful interactive children\u2019s books. www.leapfrog.com<\/strong><\/p>\n Juku<\/strong>–gorgeous hand-painted display dolls. www.jukucouture.com<\/strong><\/p>\n Rock Our World<\/strong>–health-giving rock salt lamps. www.rockourworld.net<\/strong><\/p>\n Envirosax<\/strong>–pretty bags to take to the store, which I used immediately. www.envirosax.com<\/strong><\/p>\n Booseh<\/strong>–beautiful black tops with rhinestone necklaces built-in. Jean Smart and I chose the same one, and I wore it on my very next show. www.booseh.net<\/strong><\/p>\n Laguna Beach Jeans<\/strong>–with gorgeous hip details. www.lagunabeachjc.com<\/strong><\/p>\n Beco Baby Carriers<\/strong>–I may get pregnant, just to use it. www.becobabycarrier.com<\/strong><\/p>\n Rough Roses<\/strong>–I received two really happening leather belts. There were so many styles, I had to have their great-looking sales coordinator Lauren Federman pick them out for me, though I\u2019m sure they still looked better on her. www.roughroses.com<\/a> This was by far the most relaxing, peaceful, soul-nourishing suite I\u2019ve ever been to! I seriously had trouble leaving, especially when I kept seeing those gorgeous, welcoming beds at the villa at the Sunset Marquis Hotel where it was held. Even more welcoming were the personnel. It\u2019s seriously what I imagine heaven to be like. Not a sourpuss in the bunch. And they were from all different companies! Maybe the key was that most of them aren\u2019t from L.A.<\/p>\n This was a beauty suite and pampering is what we got. I\u2019m sick that I had just had my hair colored for my show a few days before, because I would have loved to do it here. But I got a fabulous treatment courtesy of Biolustre. Then Patti Harrison (not to be confused with Patti Boyd Harrison), styled it with products from Belegenza using the mouth-watering FHI blow-dryer. Actually, I had so much hair, it was more of a team project! I felt like such a star. www.biolustre.com www.belegenza.com<\/p>\n And we received said FHI Turbo Blow-dryer as a gift! It was by far my favorite one of the week. Now all I need is one of their top-rated flat-irons, and my looks will be secure for a long time to come. (At least, from the back!) www.fhiheat.com<\/p>\n To help with the view from the front, Dr. Juhi from NY did facial acupuncture, the first time for me. It really didn\u2019t hurt at all, and I was grateful to lie down for a few minutes, especially on the breezy patio of the villa. When she saw the results, she said, \u201cDamn, I\u2019m good.\u201d A girl after my own heart. She laughed, though, when she saw that the needles in my stress points had popped out! Visiting Gifting Suites is a stressful job, but somebody\u2019s got to do it.<\/p>\n To finish me off perfectly, so I could attend the opening night of Dolly Parton\u2019s new musical, \u201c9 To 5,\u201d Rebecca of Napoleon Perdis did my make-up. Since she was already booked to do the same at the actual Emmys the next day, I felt special indeed. www.napoleonperdis.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This was my first time at this lovely one on the penthouse roof of the Luxe Hotel Beverly Hills. It\u2019s run by Nathalie Dubois, who I\u2019m told is the originator of gifting suites. I got the scoop from my favorite person there, Barbara Moore, who was repping several fabulous products, including jackets by Blu Horse and children\u2019s dental care by Dr. Fresh. www.bluhorseclothing.com www.drfresh.com<\/p>\n She said that Nathalie and her friend, who\u2019s married to David Carradine, with whom I did a film years ago, (six degrees\u2026) came up with the idea on a trip to France many years ago. I hope we\u2019re all grateful they did. I know I am!<\/p>\n We went into the actual suites for services. Straightaway, I got a mist tan from the darling Samantha Land of HB Skin Spa in the OC, courtesy of Infinity Sun. She did it the best of anyone ever. I wasn\u2019t even sticky for the day, as I\u2019ve been with all the other tans I\u2019ve had over the two years I\u2019ve been doing it. www.infinitysun.com www.hbskinspa.com<\/p>\n There were more services to be had, but unfortunately, I hadn\u2019t portioned enough time for this venue. I know to next time.<\/p>\n My favorite gift here was so simple–a beautiful 3-compartment jewelry dish from Timree, and up-and-coming artist, who also had the prettiest gift cards with see-through envelopes, so the people at the Post Office can enjoy looking at loveliness, too. I hope to feature her artwork on this site sometime soon. www.timree.com<\/a><\/p>\n SECRET ROOM<\/h2>\n The lay-out of this one was perfect for linear thinkers such as me–it was in a square, which made it easy to get to every sponsor. I wound-up spending the most time here. And coming away with the most goodies, as well.<\/p>\n The highlight was getting new lash extensions from Kelsey Clay of Beauty Heaven in Irvine. They were a little different from the ones I\u2019m used to and were equally beautiful. Long-lasting, too. www.beauty-heaven.net<\/p>\n Second to that was seeing the handsome Alex Mazo, of \u201cDancing With The Stars.\u201d I\u2019m kicking myself for being too shy to talk to him. Debbie Gibson was at this suite, too.<\/p>\n I was thrilled to get a manicure and gifts from Dianna Morris of Pampered Hands, a house calls service. Lovely girl. www.pamperedhands.com Speaking of skin care, I received many products from Modele of Canada, where everyone looks great, so there just might be something to it. www.modeleskincare.com<\/a> I spotted only one celeb here, but he\u2019s the one I was happiest to meet–Elliot Yamin from last season\u2019s American idol. My mother loves him, and wouldn\u2019t watch this past season since he wasn\u2019t on anymore. He couldn\u2019t have been nicer. I\u2019m kicking myself for not asking for a picture with him! I actually started tearing-up talking to him because I love his journey to the top so much.<\/p>\n I met him on the way in, so I just kind-of floated through my time there. It was held in the beautiful backyard of a big Hancock Park home, but it was a hot day, so I just did a quick run-through. The happiest group of sponsors were in the shade, so I spent the most time there, on both counts.<\/p>\n The fabulous make-up artist, Dmitri James, started his own make-up line, Skinn, and I wanted it all! If his lip plumpers give me the same Angelina-type ones that he has, I\u2019ll be all set! www.skinn.com<\/p>\n Tassi had the best headbands for holding back as much hair as I have when washing-up or doing make-up. www.tassicompany.com<\/p>\n And Beautylash MD is what I\u2019ll use to regrow all the lashes I think I\u2019ll lose when my new false ones finally come off. www.beautylashmd.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n As the organizer explained to me, this really wasn\u2019t a gifting suite–more to let people know about \u201cgreen\u201d choices. Therefore, I have no gifts to let you know about, which makes my job here easier.<\/p>\n I did have two interesting treatments, though, courtesy of Ventura Center For Healing in Encino. The girls who set them up for me couldn\u2019t have been more adorable. And while I was lying there having the calories sucked out of me (from my mouth to God\u2019s ears), I heard them be equally accommodating to anyone who inquired about them, no matter how low down the Hollywood totem pole they may have been.<\/p>\n First up was a foot bath that pulls poisons out of your body. The water is clear at first, then winds up looking like mud. I wasn\u2019t that disgusting, though–mine was still somewhat clear. Maybe it\u2019s cause most suites weren\u2019t serving anything, so I was low on poisonous substances!<\/p>\n Then they wrapped my body with heat and frequencies, which are designed to make you lose weight. I don\u2019t think I did, but I hope to try again in their near-by spa. I\u2019ll let you know what happens. No matter what, it\u2019ll be nice to spend time with such pleasant people again. www.VenturaCenter.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n This one was a little different this time. It was in a big empty retail space in sunset Millennium, and wasn\u2019t so much about celebs or gifting, but seemed to be a shopping for charity event. That was a nice idea, but I didn\u2019t have the time to spend shopping and trying things on, so there\u2019s not much to tell. Which I\u2019m actually grateful for because now instead of spending a lot of time writing about it, I can start resting up for the January suites for the Golden Globes and SAG Awards!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" EMMY SUITES 2008 This year, I made time to attend seven Emmy Suites, and have a lot of info to share. So, if you don\u2019t have time to read about everything in one sitting, I beseech you to return to finish it up because there are so many worthy participants for you to know about.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n\nPATRICK MELVILLE<\/h2>\n
DPA GIFTING LOUNGE<\/h2>\n
\n
\nAfter all this work, I was thrilled to see my favorite Vava Water. The owner told me that they\u2019re starting a skin care line as well. Maybe it will be at the next suite. www.vavawater.com<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n\nMAIN EVENT<\/h2>\n
ALIVE<\/h2>\n
SMG<\/h2>\n