{"id":36194,"date":"2018-09-26T17:25:54","date_gmt":"2018-09-26T17:25:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/?p=36194"},"modified":"2018-09-26T17:25:54","modified_gmt":"2018-09-26T17:25:54","slug":"gifting-lounge-gbk-2018-pre-emmy-awards-luxury-gifting-lounge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/gifting-lounge-gbk-2018-pre-emmy-awards-luxury-gifting-lounge\/","title":{"rendered":"GIFTING LOUNGE: GBK 2018 PRE-EMMY AWARDS LUXURY GIFTING LOUNGE"},"content":{"rendered":"

GBK 2018 PRE-EMMY AWARDS LUXURY GIFTING LOUNGE<\/h1>\n
\"David<\/a>

David Alan Grier. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the big one at the top of this page.<\/p><\/div>\n

GBK\u2019s pre-Emmys event returned to the rooftop of the beautiful L\u2019Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills. I always feel so \u201cin with the in crowd\u201d just entering the premises! (Denise, my contributing writer on this one, and I met a cute, hip English guy on the way up in the elevator, and although he was staying<\/em> at this swanky hotel, he said he was jealous of us<\/em> for getting to go GBK\u2019s gifting lounge!)<\/p>\n

Denise, who had never been to a GBK event before, told me, \u201cI was blown-away by the array of items that satisfied my curiosity.\u201d She continued, \u201cIt was a unique blend of products, with food and wine, and even a chair massage! No matter what you\u2019re into, there was something you would like. It was a wonderful experience, from seeing cool cats such as Anthony Anderson<\/strong> and David Alan Grier<\/strong> to actual<\/em> cool cats from the Stray Cat Alliance!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was pretty toasty in Los Angeles on both days of this two-day event, so it was lovely of the organizers to have someone come around with trays of ice water all day. That simple gesture was much appreciated.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

The assemblage was also happy that there were snacks, such as a cheese platter and cookies, always available, even though for once in my life, I was too hot to eat! Maybe that means that I should go to a fat farm in the desert for awhile. (Hey, GBK\u2014maybe next time, gift the chubby among us, like me<\/em>, a stay<\/em> at one of those!)<\/p>\n

But, let\u2019s face it, the gifts<\/em> are always the main attraction here, and this was the perfect blend of some of my perennial favorites and items I\u2019ve never seen before. Here are the highlights:<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Pilot Pen<\/strong>\u2014I think that everyone knows what a fan of this company’s colored pens I am. So, since Denise just discovered them that day, I\u2019ll give you her<\/em> impressions of them. She says, \u201cDid you ever think a pen could change your life? The G2 pens have transformed my cat-scratch writing into the beautiful penmanship my mother had. The G2 Fashion Collection is also pretty on the outside<\/em>, and I like the compliments I receive when I pull out a nice pen. It\u2019s a simple thing that you don\u2019t often think about. This set of multiple colors encourage you to be creative. I wrote-out a birthday card with four<\/em> in my hand.\u00a0 Perhaps more importantly, the Enso Lettering Pens are screaming at me \u2018get married so you can calligraphy your invitations!\u2019 \u201d www.powertothepen.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Age Interventionist RX<\/strong>\u2014This fabulous facialist was on-site gifting a certificate for not only her new CBD serum and tincture, but also an entire anti-aging CBD facial! How\u2019s that<\/em> for an excellent gift?! I\u2019ve long known about Renee, (and even had a cool mini-facial from her once before,) so I was happy to introduce Denise to her at the lounge. Denise tells us, \u201cRenee’s knowledge and passion was evident as she spoke about the amazing properties of CBD for maximum collagen regeneration in the fight against aging and wrinkles.\u00a0 I’m glad to see the hemp plant able to come out of the closet so we all can reap the rewards from it’s unlimited possibilities!\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0www.c-youth.com\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Carter<\/a>

Carter Kelley with the backpack designed with his image! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Blended Designs 1954 Backpacks<\/strong>\u2014I could not run over to this table filled with colorful backpacks fast enough! Even better than the portraits of beautiful real-life children that are the faces on these bags, is that they were designed by the adorable Carter Kelley, a young man himself!!! How wonderfully creative and enterprising of him! As I admired the designs and colors on them, Denise marveled, \u201cThey appear to be so well-made! And I appreciate the many pockets as well as the water bottle holders on both sides.\u201d She added, \u201cThe backpacks are a friendly reminder that you \u201cCan Do Anything,\u201d which is the motto on the packs. www.blendeddesigns.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"<\/a>

Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Ike\u2019s Place Sandwiches<\/strong>\u2014Denise has always heard about Ike\u2019s sandwiches from me, so when she finally tried one recently, she declared it \u201cdelicious!\u201d And when she met the real<\/em> Ike at this lounge, she liked him right away, asking, \u201cIs the secret to his sandwiches\u2019 great taste the Dirty Sauce or Ike\u2019s personality?\u201d In addition to Ike\u2019s Place featuring a \u201cdelectable selection of edibles,\u201d he was offering nice \u201cwearables\u201d at the lounge, as well, in the form of his usual colorful tees. But this time, he also showed-off cute-yet-sexy red panties with \u201cIke\u2019s Love & Sandwiches\u201d logo-ed on them. As Denise put it, \u201cWho could pass those up?\u201d www.loveandsandwiches.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Karen<\/a>

Karen Salkin’s hand modeling the gorgeous glasses case. Photo by Denise Wilke.<\/p><\/div>\n

Zenni Optical<\/strong>\u2014Both of us glasses girls were drooling over these optical options! This eyewear company was gifting certificates for a pair of their beautiful and hip glasses. And to remind you to use it, they gave each guest a glasses case and cleaning cloth, right then and there. Denise gasped, \u201cI\u2019m not sure which is more alluring–the frames they offer or the beautiful teal case!\u201d She further explained, \u201cTheir website lets you upload a picture of your face so you can try glasses on virtually<\/em>. That way, you can choose the frame that not only fits<\/em> well, but also expresses your personality.\u201d What better gift could there possibly be for sight-challenged fashionistas??? www.zenni.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"<\/a>

Photo by Denise Wilke.<\/p><\/div>\n

Wen Hair Care<\/strong>\u2014This famous West Hollywood hair company made a makeshift salon right on-site, to beautify all the guests\u2019 tresses.\u00a0 I hated missing-out on having someone else<\/em> work on my waist-length locks, but I had arrived camera-ready, so I had to forego that bit of pampering.\u00a0 But in addition to the hair-curling and flat-ironing, they offered guests an array of their haircare products, which I\u2019m sure everyone there appreciated. \u00a0www.chazdean.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Denise Wilke.<\/p><\/div>\n

Athenaromas<\/strong>\u2014This is a new-ish company with a wonderful idea for busy pet owners. They offer candles (whose fragrance is a blend of chamomile, sweet orange, and lavender,) that you burn while you\u2019re home so that your pet associates that smell with you. Then, when you go out, you leave a diffuser which has the same scent. That way, your fur friends will never be lonely! (And you<\/em> can stop feeling guilty to have left them alone, as Mr. X always did with Clarence and Bud.) www.athenaromas.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Fork & Fire Catering<\/strong>\u2014I had met this Central Coast catering company\u2019s restaurant, Ribline, at a previous GBK event, and loved their food so much that I keep trying to find some time to go up there! But at this<\/em> one, they were treating us to several items from their, as Denise put it, \u201cdelightful\u201d catering menu. We both loved everything<\/em> they were offering that day, especially the \u201ccreamy and flavorful\u201d mac \u2018n cheese. Of course, dessert-obsessed moi was very happy that they also brought along a couple of their sweet treats. I<\/em> loved the chocolate-raspberry tart, while Denise gobbled up a few pink mini-macaroons. She said those cuties were the \u201cperfect bit of sweet deliciousness to top off the meal!\u201d www.forkandfirecatering.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Denise Wilke.<\/p><\/div>\n

Roar Organic Infusions<\/strong>\u2014Denise says these flavored coconut waters are \u201crefreshing and satisfying whether you\u2019re cutting calories or going full-force.\u201d They\u2019re infused with electrolytes and sweetened with Stevia, which she was surprised to find \u201cdidn\u2019t leave a funky aftertaste in my mouth like artificial sweeteners do.\u201d Even I, a coconut water-eschewer, loved them! www.drinkroar.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Burke Williams<\/strong>\u2014This time, this day spa was gifting what Denise deems to be \u201ca beautiful lip gloss in a happy shade of pink.\u201d And since she\u2019s<\/em> the happiest person I know, I totally trust her on this description! (By the way\u2014They were giving chair massages at the lounge, in addition to the lip gloss, but we were way too hot to be touched that day, even for a massage.) www.burkewilliamsppa.com<\/a><\/p>\n

As always, GBK was featuring a couple of charities they wanted us to know about. They were:<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A happy guest chatting with the cat people. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Stray Cat Alliance<\/strong>\u2014There were actual live felines on-site, and since I\u2019m deathly allergic, (a semi-funny story about that in a second,) and Denise loves cats, she handled this one on her own. She says, \u201cThis good cause has a decade of victories for the cats in the key areas of rescue, adoptions, and trap\/neuter\/return. If you\u2019re like me, and fear you\u2019d want to keep every cat and kitten in sight, there are many other ways to volunteer!\u201d (Okay, here\u2019s my story. Years ago, I was playing an animal handler on a TV show. One of those animals was a cat\u2014it was a comedy gig–which had me worried, but his was a thirty-second bit, so I figured I could make it through without having an asthma attack. But when I left hair and make-up and got back to my dressing room, I opened the door to be greeted by\u2014you guessed it\u2014the long-hair cat!!! They said they had no place else to put it, so my dressing room was it. Needless to say, my difficulty breathing scared them enough to get him out of there, pronto. Ah, the things I\u2019ve done for my career.) www.modernbeast.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Educating Young Minds<\/strong>\u2014As a former teacher myself, you know that I\u2019m down with as much education as one can get! And if we get to the minds while they\u2019re young<\/em>, maybe more of them will learn to speak better, and stop saying \u201cme and him,\u201d and \u201cbought\u201d for \u201cbRought!!! The distinguished gent from this organization whom we met at this event was in a handsome suit, yet he was the only person there who was not<\/em> sweating in that heat! That man is one more cool cat, to add to Denise\u2019s list from the top of this column!\u00a0 www.educatingyoungminds.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GBK 2018 PRE-EMMY AWARDS LUXURY GIFTING LOUNGE GBK\u2019s pre-Emmys event returned to the rooftop of the beautiful L\u2019Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills. I always feel so \u201cin with the in crowd\u201d just entering the premises! (Denise, my contributing writer on this one, and I met a cute, hip English guy on the way up in<\/p>\n

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