Karen Salkin and "The Fighter"'s Jack McGee.<\/p><\/div>\n One of the best things about the GBK suites is that they wind-up bringing everyone together, especially because they seem to book the most celebrities, so many people have already met through the industry. This time, I was especially happy to bump into the always adorable Jonathan Silverman<\/strong>, who said it\u2019s okay to tell you that he was one of the earliest fans of my show, only now I\u2019m his<\/em> fan. We kind-of grew-up together, in a way, and I\u2019ve met his whole lovely fam over the years. I was also thrilled to run into one of Mr. X\u2019s old acting buddies, the upbeat Jack McGee<\/strong>, who played the kind father in The Fighter<\/em>. GBK was like old home week for me!<\/p>\n Their charities of choice this time were the American Red Cross<\/strong> (www.redcrossofsantamonica.org<\/a>), A New Way of Life<\/strong>, which is an organization committed to breaking the cycle of incarceration and addiction for females (www.anewwayoflife.org<\/span><\/span><\/a>), and City of Hope<\/strong>, a leading research and treatment center for cancer and other life-threatening diseases (www.coh.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n I have to apologize to the last one because I had promised the girl from the City Of Hope booth that I\u2019d be back to record a \u201cmessage of hope\u201d for them, but I wanted to take time to compose it because, to me, this was not an occasion for one of my usual comedic monologues. But, while I was working on something good to say, I realized that I was already due at another suite, so I just ran out, forgetting to go back and record my message for City of Hope. I still feel terrible about it because I\u2019m always happy to do something for charity. I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll figure-out a way to rectify it, though, because better late than never.<\/p>\n Before we get to deets about their fabulous gifts, I have to thank GBK for keeping the peace at home for me this time. Mr. X always gets upset when I bring my many bags from suites into our already-too-crowded house, (I can\u2019t write about the items without taking my time to examine them up-close and personal, though,) so he was thrilled with the ones from GBK this time because, for some random reason, my gifts from here were all of the smaller-packaged variety, (not smaller gifts<\/em>–smaller packaging<\/em>) such as nail polishes, cosmetics, and gift certificates. Of course, the suite also featured their signature giant<\/em> items, but those were reserved for nominees. So, logically, Mr. X is hoping I never get nominated! (Trust me, at this point, with the crazy roles I\u2019ve had over the years, like the sheriff\u2019s wife in a western of all things!, it isn\u2019t a likely possibility anyway.)<\/p>\n So here\u2019s the mouth-watering array of GBK gifts, with most of the companies being new to me, which makes me especially happy to share them with you:<\/p>\n SENSA WEIGHT-LOSS SYSTEM<\/strong>–the Sensa rep was wonderful and gifted me right away with their clever weight-loss system, which features an easy-to-use shaker of ingredients that make you feel fuller by smell. Do we think their generosity was based on seeing me in person and realizing I\u2019m a tad chubby? Hey, this was the one item I wanted, so no matter the reason for the gift, I\u2019ll begin using it right after the Oscars, to start getting ready for next year\u2019s events! www.trysensa.com<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n GALLOPING COWS FINE FOODS<\/strong>–I wish I had some culinary skills, just to be able to use these specialty pepper jellies in creative ways. Actually, the jellies themselves, in a variety of flavors, are creative enough, so I\u2019ll probably just spread them on crackers and enjoy. And I believe the ingredients are home-grown in Nova Scotia, so you know they\u2019ve gotta be good. www.gallopingcows.com<\/a><\/p>\n REVITALASH<\/strong>–this is always the most cooperative and generous sponsor. And their products work! In fact, I love their mascara so much that I wore it to<\/em> the suite. I was thrilled to receive a new one, along with the rest of their hair-growing line, including brow conditioner, hair thickener, and their patented eyelash conditioner for thicker lashes always. www.revitalash.com<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n ANGUS MITCHELL SALON<\/strong>–they gave us certs for a hair-cut from one of the very hip and attractive stylists I met at the suite. Those are two people I will really trust with my precious tresses! If one of them turns-out to be a color expert, as well, I\u2019ll be a happy girl. www.angusmsalon.com<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n NEAL\u2019S YARD REMEDIES<\/strong>–I absolutely love just about everything from England because that\u2019s the place that started my favorite pastime, afternoon tea. And the Beatles! So, I\u2019m so happy to get to sample some of the products from a company that originates across the pond. All their products are organic and the packaging is recyclable–what more can one ask? www.us.nyrorganic.com<\/a><\/p>\n EMATIC HEADPHONES<\/strong>–these very affordable headphones are perfect for the krump dancing Mr. X! They\u2019re lightweight, and come in a variety of fun colors. My favorite thing about them, though, is that they fit tight to the ears, so no sound bleeds through to the outside world, meaning I<\/em> don\u2019t have to listen to the constant pounding beats that he<\/em> does! www.ematic.us<\/a><\/p>\n MADAME PAULETTE PROFESSIONAL STAIN REMOVAL KIT<\/strong>–I\u2019m hoping these easy-to-carry kits, courtesy of one of New York\u2019s most famous cleaners, work because, with my ongoing restaurant reviewing, I need a ton of them! Unless I\u2019m in the Big Apple and can just send my outfits straight to Madame Paulette herself. www.madamepaulette.com<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n PURE TOES YOGA SOCKS<\/strong>–when I was a young ballet dancer, I always wanted to also study modern dance, but couldn\u2019t bear getting filthy feet from dancing barefoot. As my movement tastes grew to include yoga and pilates, I still hate those dirty floors. Now, a new product to the rescue for germophobes like me! It\u2019s Pure Toes, which protects you from the floor and<\/em> skidding, without getting in the way of your work-out. And they look cute, too! www.puretoes.com<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n NANO DOTS<\/strong>–these spherical magnets can be made into just about anything! They\u2019re the new \u201cconstruction toy\u201d for grown-ups and teen-agers alike. I\u2019m planning to make myself a fabulous cocktail ring, which I\u2019m sure will be the talk of social functions throughout the year. Only I\u2019ll change it around every time and people will think I have a jewelry designer on retainer! www.thenanodots.com<\/a><\/p>\n COCOPOTAMUS CHOCOLATES<\/strong>–the very first sponsor I talked to was a lovely couple with delicious new chocolates. They\u2019re fudge-filled gourmet chocolate truffles in a variety of fun-filled flavors, with clever names. I loved the \u201cHang Loose,\u201c which is coconut covered in dark chocolate–a combo that\u2019s actually good for you, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0\u00a0www.cocopotamus.com<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s it for GBK\u2019s 2011 Oscars suite. But, as I feel they throw the most events throughout the year, I hope to have many more fabulous products to let you in on very soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" GBK GOLDEN OSCAR LOUNGE \u00a0 [Note: each Oscars Suite is getting its own column this season because I don\u2019t want any of you to miss even one item I\u2019m telling you about. So, please make sure to check back several times (and look at the past few posts) to learn about all the fabulous-ness.] This<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_2855.jpg\" "\\"IMG_2855\\"")
<\/a>This time, GBK held its suite in the hipper-than-hip W Hotel in Hollywood. I\u2019d been there for plenty of late-night parties, but never in the daytime, so this was special. GBK made their suite look even more gorgeous than I had imagined, in a space I\u2019d seen many times before. Kudos to them for that.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>RUMBATIME WATCHES<\/strong>–a fan of these adorable watches since I discovered them during the last group of suites, I can never have enough of them. This time, I picked-out a creamy blue one, that\u2019s perfect to wear with jeans, and a glitter-inflected silver one, which is perfect for every outfit I own! www.rumbatime.com<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>JULEP NAIL POLISHES<\/strong>–even though I already own more nail polishes than most salons, I\u2019m always thrilled to discover a new company, this one out of Washington state. Their colors are so interesting, and the tall, skinny, square bottles are really easy to tote on trips, of which I take many. And, after a week of suites, I can\u2019t wait to try their nail therapy! www.julep.com<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>GLIMMER BODY ART<\/strong>–I stopped in my tracks when I saw these pots of shimmering colors! Turns-out, they\u2019re to make temporary tattoos with. (I\u2019d get a real <\/em>tattoo, if I could have them sparkle like these!) The company\u2019s rep, a cute girl who looked like Katy Perry, wanted to put one on me right then, but, with so many suites to get to and not even close to enough time, I had to decline. But I\u2019m sure the artistic Mr. X will be happy to oblige me with my new at-home kit. www.glimmerbodyart.com<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n