![\"Photo](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/IMG_0257-e1516159094567.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the big one at the top of the page.<\/p><\/div>\n
It took place in the second floor Contessa Room, and was laid-out perfectly in such a way that everyone was totally comfortable.\u00a0 And, as always, it looked beautiful.<\/p>\n
My contributing writer on this one is Flo Selfman, who was new to GBK.\u00a0 She was as impressed as I was with it.\u00a0 She told me, \u201cThe elegance began the moment we entered the hotel and continued into the spacious exhibit room.\u201d Having an artistic eye, she touted the \u201csoft lighting which accented the gold-and-white theme of the displays,\u201d and we both loved the \u201cpops of color\u201d on the front of the \u201ccool DJ booth at the far end of the room.\u201d (All the quotes below are the comments from Flo.)<\/p>\n
<\/a>Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one of the gyros below.<\/p><\/div>\n
My regular readers know by now that GBK always feeds its guests, and this time they did it royally!\u00a0 In the middle of the room was a beautiful buffet which featured mini treats–perfect for just grabbing and popping, for those of us who didn\u2019t have time to savor a whole plate full of deliciousness. There was something for everyone: sirloin sliders, short rib-grilled cheese sandwiches, crab cakes, skewers of fresh fruit, chips and salsa, and \u201cyummy\u201d desserts! I was especially impressed that the hotel’s adept personnel kept it replenished at all times.<\/p>\n
Now let\u2019s get to the highlights of the gifts, since this was<\/em> a gifting lounge, after all!:<\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n The Artisan Group<\/strong>\u2014I\u2019m always thrilled to see this wonderful collection of artists at GBK, and Flo was bowled-over when she saw the bags of goodies they were gifting each guest! Jewelry is her thing, and there was much of that.\u00a0 But that\u2019s far from the only<\/em> category of gifts from this group; I\u2019m always overwhelmed by their various creations!\u00a0\u00a0Since my birthday is January 14, (yes, you all did<\/em> just miss it…and I did<\/em> take names!,) opening a bag from The Artisan Group is all I ever need to celebrate with. Here are the highlights of what we discovered in them: As always-polite beings, we both especially appreciated the \u201cvery cool\u201d thank you notes from Beez Kneez Designs<\/strong>, which come in two different lovely color combos (www.beezkneezdesigns.com<\/a>); CY Design Studio<\/strong>\u2019s golden hoop earrings with dangly pink stones, which Flo says \u201cbrings out the gypsy in me!\u201d (www.cydesignstudio.com<\/a>); bracelets made of \u201cpea-sized\u201d wooden beads from Maple Syrup & Co.<\/strong>, which Flo deems perfect for \u201cschool, hiking, or a beer with the gang,\u201d and added, \u201cBest of all, they weigh nothing!\u201d (www.maplesyrupco.com<\/a>); Designed by Stacey<\/strong>\u2019s \u201ctres chic\u201d cubic zirconia suspended from a fine golden Y-drop chain, which goes with everything, no matter the time or season (www.designedbystaceyjewelry.com<\/a>); \u201call-natural, ph-balanced, cruelty-free, and great-smelling\u201d vetiver lime shave soap for the men from Three Sisters Apothecary<\/strong> (www.soapcauldron.com<\/a>);\u00a0Andrea\u2019s Wired Designs<\/strong>\u2019 14k gold-filled modern design earrings featuring a drop made of “preciosa\u201d glass (www.awdinsilver.com<\/a>);\u00a0Botanical Therapy<\/strong>\u2019s flavorful lip balms, to which Flo says, \u201cM-wah! That\u2019s a big kiss from my formerly chapped lips after using these creamy and pure sticks\u201d (www.botanicaltherapy.com<\/a>); and\u00a0The Signify<\/strong> Collection<\/strong>\u2019s timeless gold chain with two interconnected golden circles (www.katyavalera.etsy.com<\/a>.) \u00a0Whew\u2014that\u2019s a heck of a lot of creativity in one group of artists! www.theartisangroup.org<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n LMK Art<\/strong>\u2014This art dealer was displaying several of her clients\u2019 artwork, but we found-out that she\u2019s also an artist herself. \u00a0So she was gifting her own fun prints in \u201cbold splashes of color in shades of red, pale green, black, and gold leaf.\u201d On top of that, Flo could not get over a giant \u201cSwarovski crystal-studded \u2018City of Los Angeles\u2019 medallion that was resting on the floor in front of their table.\u201d She was so afraid that, in a rush to receive one of Lissa\u2019s prints, someone would step on it. (As was I<\/em>!) She said \u201cFingers crossed it made it intact through the weekend!\u201d www.lmkart.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Burke-Williams Spa<\/strong>\u2014This well-known spa was gifting guests a choice of facial masks, along with a moisture serum, which I\u2019m sure everyone in this looks-oriented biz appreciated! Flo tried the Moisture Enhance on her hand and told me that it \u201cfeels really silky.\u201d www.burkewilliamsspa.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n The Avocado Sock<\/strong>\u2014Flo was so impressed with this very \u201coriginal\u201d product from Canada that I\u2019m going to let her tell you all about it. She gushes, \u201cI bet you\u2019ve never seen this before! It\u2019s sort-of a mitten for your avocado. You know, the ones you bring home from the store that are black and hard and you don\u2019t know how many days they will take to ripen. Put one in this pure wool sock, leave it in a nice warm place, and in a day or two it will be perfect for guacamole or avocado toast!\u201d And I\u2019m<\/em> adding that the creator was also one of the nicest people I\u2019ve ever met at a gifting suite! www.theavocadosock.com<\/a><\/p>\n The golden Blue Nun display. Photo by Flo Selfman.<\/p><\/div>\n Blue Nun 24K Gold Edition Sparkling Wine<\/strong>\u2014I sure wish that I had known about this sparkling wine that has 24k gold flakes in it before this–it would have come in really handy on New Year\u2019s Eve!\u00a0\u00a0But it was definitely in time to celebrate my January 14th birthday this past Sunday!\u00a0 On a sidebar, their gorgeous display at the suite was very worthy of their moniker. \u00a0 www.bluenun.com<\/a><\/p>\n Heroes Wanted: Why the World Needs You to Live Your Heart Out<\/strong><\/em>\u2014Literate Flo says this book by Atlantan Rodney D. Bullard that shows that \u201cevery one of us can be a hero in our own lives, communities, and the world,\u201d is \u201ca real \u2018how-to\u2019 that includes workbook pages for the readers to chart their own courses toward making a difference.\u201d And she really enjoyed his handshake and hug, as well! www.hero-wanted.org<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n CO2Lift<\/strong>\u2014This skin care company was gifting single-packs of their special formula products that are said to lift anything you apply it to! (Face, hands, neck, eyes.) Flo exclaimed, \u201cI can\u2019t wait to try it!\u201d www.co2lift.com<\/a><\/p>\n Noshinku<\/strong>\u2014Flo suggest you \u201csanitize in style\u201d by using this all-natural bergamot-scented hand sanitizer. It\u2019s made from organic ingredients, and comes in one of those credit-card-sized flat misters that fits anywhere, even in a slim clutch! www.noshinku.com<\/a><\/p>\n GBK always cares about charities, and the ones who benefitted this time were:<\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Today I\u2019m Brave<\/strong>\u2014This non-profit, whose mission is \u201cto inspire individuals and organizations through Brave initiatives and by sharing Brave stories,\u201d actually inspired Flo to share a story about me<\/em>! I\u2019m so far from brave in most situations, (bordering on wimpdom,) but she got emotional telling me how brave she thinks I\u2019ve been though my stroke ordeal. I don\u2019t see that as brave, but rather, \u201cOh well, what can you do?\u201d But her telling me that as we left their table was a special moment for me. So we\u2019re living proof that this organization lives up to its mission! \u00a0www.todayimbrave.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Food on Foot<\/strong>\u2014We really enjoyed meeting the personnel from this organization that is \u201cdedicated to assisting the homeless of Los Angeles with free meals, full-time jobs, housing, and confidence.\u201d And boy, do we need them right now, with Orange Hitler ruining so many lives!\u00a0\u00a0www.foodonfoot.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" GBK\u2019S\u00a0PRE-GOLDEN\u00a0GLOBES\u00a0GIFT\u00a0LOUNGE 2018 I was thrilled that GBK\u2019s gifting lounge for this years Golden Globes was held at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills for, I believe, the very first time.\u00a0 I love that gorgeous, classy hotel; I always feel ritzier just entering it! It took place in the second floor Contessa Room, and was laid-out<\/p>\n<\/a>But the refreshments did not stop there! We were also treated to chicken and lamb gyros courtesy of Good Greek Grill<\/strong>. Flo chose the lamb and told me that it was \u201cas yummy as I had hoped.\u201d I was so impressed with my perfectly-seasoned chicken treat that I now plan on doing a full review of them for you in the near future. I just want to brush-up on my Greek language skills beforehand because these guys are true Hellenics! www.goodgreekgrill.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>