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<\/a>Fig and Olive. Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n
There was so much true fabulousness at this one that I seriously do not know where to begin! Everyone was nice, the gifts were unbelievable, and, of course, the ambience was top-notch. Noelle told me that she had a smile on her face as soon as she walked in the door and it never left! I joined her in that, as did all<\/em> the guests, I\u2019m sure.<\/p>\n With so many Oscar Week events, I have to multi-task on most days. Noelle had asked me why I saved one whole day for just<\/em> Doris\u2019 party, but, as we had to tear ourselves away after six hours in that one location, she totally got it.<\/p>\n Of it all, she commented, \u201cThe ambience was warm and inviting, and the variety of companies and products was perfect. There was an elegance to the entire event, right down to the beautiful meal we were served.\u201d (More on the fare at the end.)<\/p>\n Karen Salkin signing the poster for Wednesday’s Child. Just look at her beautiful tresses! Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n Of course, we loved learning about all the products on offer at the event, but best of all, for me<\/em>, is the chance to give back. We\u2019re all asked to bring at least one gift for Wednesday\u2019s Child<\/strong>, an organization that helps teens in foster care, which is such a worthwhile cause. To make-up for the guests who don\u2019t get that memo, (even though they sure don\u2019t mind receiving beaucoup gifts for themselves<\/em> all day,) I brought a dozen<\/em> for the teens, an age group who is so often overlooked. If you<\/em> want to follow suit and help out, with gifts, money, or adoptions, here’s the info you need to get started:\u00a0 www.foxla.com\/wednesdays-child<\/a>.<\/p>\n And the gifts were divine. So many of them were new to us, but I was thrilled that some of my perennial favorites were back, too. Here are the very many highlights, in categories this time:<\/p>\n JEWELRY<\/strong><\/p>\n Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n Diamond Veneer<\/strong>–OMG–I saw a woman at lunch wearing the most gorgeous “diamond” tennis bracelet I had ever seen, and when I admired it, she told me that she just received it from this jeweler with the humorous moniker, Fake Jacob the Jeweler<\/em>. (The real<\/em> one is in jail!) Once I picked my jaw off the floor, upon finding out that it was not<\/em> diamonds but diamond veneers<\/em>, I went right over to examine all of his wares. \u00a0And absolutely everything he has is gorgeous! \u00a0I have no idea how the guests chose from among all the shiny pieces. www.diamondveneer.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n Twisted Silver<\/strong>\u2014Noelle said, \u201cI was thrilled to meet designer Debra Mitchell, and see her amazing jewelry in person, as I had read about her here in Karen\u2019s INAM<\/em> e-zine many times. Her display was stunning and included necklaces, bracelets, and rings, all of which have a vintage feel to them.\u201d And we were both very impressed that Debra \u201ctook the time to hand-select\u201d the gifts for each guest. www.twisted-silver.com<\/a><\/p>\n The bracelets. Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n S & G Thesign<\/strong>\u2014We stopped in our tracks when we saw this table full of gorgeousness!!! This Italian company makes leather accessories and jewelry…in colors<\/em>! Not just your usual black or brown. I loved everything I saw, which is unusual for me. But my girly-girl eyes went right to the braided bracelets, which looked to feature an infinity symbol. It turns-out that it\u2019s not that symbol at all. It\u2019s the initials of the designers, put together–S for Stefano and G for Gianluca. Noelle pointed-out that that logo \u201cis incorporated into all<\/em> of their designs.\u201d www.sgthesign.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n My Saint My Hero<\/strong>\u2014These wonderful handwoven bracelets each have different inspirational words. I was happy to discover a new one labeled \u201cSerenity,\u201d while Noelle, who\u2019s always stressed by her uber-busy life these days, was especially taken with the one that she says, \u201cReminds me to take a moment to \u2018Breathe\u2019!\u201d www.mysaintmyhero.com<\/a><\/p>\n MISCELLANEOUS<\/strong><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Jonathan Sweet<\/strong>\u2014A few pieces of this designer’s handcrafted wood furniture and accessories were on display at the event. Noelle mentioned that the oblong table featured \u201celegant lines and a warm, rich stain,\u201d and she thought that the engraved wall fixture was \u201cstunning.\u201d They were gifting a wooden candle holder with three frosted glass votives, which Noelle stated \u201cwill look beautiful on any<\/em> mantle.\u201d\u00a0 www.jonathansweet.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Liquid Nano<\/strong>\u2014This is one we had never even heard<\/em> of before! It\u2019s a liquid<\/em> screen protector for your phone. Each package includes a cleaner, two coatings of the screen protector, and a little microfiber cloth. Noelle said that she loves the concept since she\u2019s \u201cterrible at properly positioning those hard<\/em> screen protectors.\u201d I<\/em> just love knowing about new technology innovations before Mr. X! \u00a0www.liquidnano.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Milena’s Boutique<\/strong>\u2014Noelle was drawn to this table by the smell of plumeria, (her bestie\u2019s favorite fragrance of all time, so she\u2019s an expert on it,) which was coming from these candles. She points-out that they\u2019re \u201cmade with soy, shea butter, coconut, and apricot\u201d and \u201csmell absolutely delicious!\u201d\u00a0 www.milenasboutique.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Hint Water and Sunscreen<\/strong>\u2014This water company constantly ups its game with fun and useful items. Noelle, who is staying at a house with little kids this trip, was happy to discover the new Hint Kids juice-box-sized flavored waters. And we both were interested in their spray sunscreen; Noelle loves that it\u2019s a spray because, as she put it, \u201cI hate having my hands full of lotion when I’m at the beach.\u201d Who doesn\u2019t<\/em>??? www.drinkhint.com<\/a><\/p>\n ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES<\/strong><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Spa Girl Cocktails<\/strong>\u2014Since I<\/em> don\u2019t imbibe, Noelle was more than happy to sample both<\/em> flavors of this fun cocktail. She enjoyed the original cucumber vodka martini, but said, \u201cI particularly loved the sweetness of the pear<\/em> one.\u201d She also pointed-out that \u201cit’s only forty-eight calories per shot!\u201d\u00a0 That<\/em> bit of good news made me<\/em> almost want to start drinking!\u00a0www.drinkhint.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Buy Wine<\/strong>\u2014They were offering each VIP a choice of a bottle of red\u00a0or white wine from their beautiful display, which Noelle noticed was \u201cdecorated to go along with the theme of the event, Valentine’s Day.\u201d She also noted that all their wines are \u201cproduced and bottled in Santa Rosa, California,\u201d and told me, \u201cIn looking over\u00a0their website, I was thrilled to see that they not only sell wine, but also offer travel resources, wine education and much more.\u201d \u00a0www.buywine.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n Precious Vodka<\/strong>\u2014Noelle said, \u201cIt was love at first sight the second I saw these gorgeous diamond-shaped bottles\u201d of vodka! She added, \u201cThis company\u2019s display was simple yet effective, focusing primarily on the beauty of the bottle. Then, in sampling the vodka itself, I discovered that it tastes as good as it looks; it\u2019s smooth and crisp, with no aftertaste.\u00a0 It would be a great addition to any\u00a0dinner\u00a0party, both in looks and to drink.\u201d What she<\/em> said. www.preciousvodka.com<\/a><\/p>\n ATTIRE<\/strong><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Sue Wong<\/strong>\u2014Noelle was immediately \u201cobsessed\u201d with the display of gowns from this famous designer. She couldn\u2019t wait to get over to their display. Since they could not gift those fabulous creations, of course, Sue\u2019s very lovely reps did the next best thing\u2014they gave each guest a \u201cbeautiful, colorful, flowy scarf,\u201d each of which Noelle advises \u201ccan be dressed both up and down.\u201d www.suewong.com<\/a><\/p>\n Art Lewin’s gift bags, with a cameo by Karen Salkin’s thumb. Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n Art Lewin Bespoke<\/strong>\u2014Noelle enjoyed meeting bespoke suit-and-shirt-maker Art Lewin, who was on-site to meet-and-greet. Each guest received a bag with a mystery tie in it, and as everyone compared them at lunch, Noelle said that she \u201cparticularly liked the variety of the ties, especially the ones in muted tones and pastel stripes.\u201d www.artlewinbespoke.com<\/a><\/p>\n BEAUTY ITEMS<\/strong><\/p>\n Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n Lasio Professional Haircare<\/strong>\u2014This hair care company was gifting travel kits of six of their most popular products. Noelle is flying back to Canada right after the Oscars, so she was especially interested in learning about these \u201ckeratin-infused products, which are designed to eliminate frizz,\u201d which all the guests could have used on that semi-rainy day!\u00a0 www.lasioinc.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n Freebird Remedies and Euphoric Enlightenments<\/strong>\u2014This wellness company had one of the most inviting displays there, featuring quite the array of their CBD-infused products. Noelle said, \u201cI love that many of their offerings are named after classic rock songs, such as Gold Dust Woman <\/em>and Witchy Woman<\/em>.\u201d We were both most<\/em> interested in their pain relief bars; Noelle tried one, and said it \u201creally worked\u201d on her sore back. A bonus is that the bath bombs and lotion bars \u201csmell yummy.\u201d www.freebirdremedies.bigcartel.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n La Cristallerie des Parfums<\/strong>\u2014These reps from Paris were gifting beautiful bottles of perfumes, in a variety of fragrances. I<\/em> couldn\u2019t smell them because of my asthma, but Noelle tried them all, and said her fave was the Aurora, which \u201chas a bit of a sweet, fruity fragrance.\u201d Besides speaking my broken French with the sweet reps, (which, I\u2019m happy to report, they got a kick out of,) I was most fascinated by the way the guests got to sample the aromas–the perfumes were sprayed on feathers<\/em>, rather than on the usual paper! Oh la la. www.lacristalleriedesparfums.fr<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Sugar Me Life<\/strong>\u2014When we saw these very colorful and whimsical face and body products, we ran right over to this table, and chatted with the cute rep for quite awhile. He gifted everyone a bag of items he chose for them on the spot, including face and body scrubs and an aloe lip treatment. But our faves were the the bath bombs disguised as sprinkled donuts!\u00a0 Those were perf because Noelle said they \u201csmell good enough to eat!\u201d www.sugarmelife.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n Olecea Beaute<\/strong>\u2014This skin care line was gifting little pump vials of their Pearl Activating Elixir. The rep told us that it\u2019s designed to help reduce signs of aging. And who in Hollywood doesn\u2019t want that<\/em>?! Actually, people everywhere<\/em> will be happy if it works, not just in Tinseltown. www.oleceabeaute.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Noelle Hannibal.<\/p><\/div>\n Quantum Rejuvenation<\/strong>\u2014This place in Santa Monica was handing-out gift certificates for one of their anti-aging treatments. I\u2019m sure that all of the show biz guests will be rushing right over there. Trust me, all these Oscars events take as much a toll on our faces and bodies<\/em> as they do on our psyches<\/em>! www.quantum-rejuvenation.com<\/a><\/p>\n Beauty Kitchen<\/strong>\u2014This company had a colorful display of products. They handed out a couple of tiny samples, like a hydrogel eye mask which combats puffy eyes.\u00a0 www.beautykitchen.net<\/p>\n Some of the flatbreads. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n And, let\u2019s not forget the Fig and Olive fare. As we mingled in the early part of the day, the amiable staff passed\u00a0a variety of their signature flatbreads. This was Noelle\u2019s virgin visit to the famous eatery, so she especially<\/em> loved them, with her \u201cpersonal faves\u201d being the mushroom with artichoke, and the\u00a0caramelized\u00a0onion with goat cheese.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>