"Night Of 100 Stars" Oscar Viewing Party

Dalai Lama (Photo by Frances Vega)

By Frances Vega

The 83rd Academy Awards was the biggest event of the night on Sunday, but some celebrities chose a cozier event to attend.

The Beverly Hills Hotel hosted the 21st Annual Night of 100 Stars. This black-tie private dinner featured former Oscar winners, nominees, and other television and film actors. Celebrities had a chance to get together and watch the awards live from the hotel's Crystal Ballroom.

Nearly 200 stars arrived on the red carpet to show off their most formal attire. Even the Dalai Lama made and appearance. This years guests included Ed Asner, Fred Willard, Keith David, Alan Thicke, Chris McDonald, Antonio Sabato Jr., Lea Thompson, Bai line and many others.

Local Businesses Suffer During Oscar Setup

GBK Oscars Gifting Lounge

Mike O'Malley

By Frances Vega

The GBK Oscars Gifting Lounge was held at the W Hotel in Hollywood this weekend.

This invitation only lounge was open to various celebrities from Thursday through Saturday. GBK Productions, one of the leading gifting suite production companies, welcomed guests with cake from Hansen's Cakes and large black duffel bags for them to put their presents in.  Various sponsors bombarded Academy Award nominees, comedians and television stars with extravagant merchandise. Guests received trips to Tanzania, designer clothing, jewelry, wine, makeup and much more.

Celebrities to make an appearance throughout the weekend included: Jacki Weaver, Tom Hooper, Beau Bridges, Cloris Leachman, Denise Richards, William Shatner, Justin Long, Tristan Wilds, Camille Grammer, Jaime Pressly, Cheech Marin, Malin Akerman, Lisa Vanderpump, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Eddie Hassell, Taylor Armstrong, Kelly Rutherford, Lauren Velez, Nia Peeples, Tim Daly, Fred Willard, Natasha Henstridge, Nelson Ellis and Raven-Symone, to name a few.

The President of GBK Productions, Gavin B. Keilly, will donated proceeds to A New Way of Life, the American Red Cross, City of Hope and other charities.

Bedroom Talk at the L.A. Zoo

Gerenuks (Photo courtesy of Tad Motoyama)

By Frances Vega

For those that were looking for a unique way to spend their Valentine’s Day weekend, a trip to the L.A. Zoo might have been the perfect choice.

The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association hosted “Sex and the City Zoo 2” on Sunday, a fundraiser intended to help fund the zoo. The lighthearted lecture taught people about the mating, dating and cohabiting behaviors of animals in the wild. Sponsors of the event also provided couples with free champagne, wine and dessert to enjoy prior to the lecture.

Cee Lo And Big Boi Bring The Grammy Pre-Party To Club Nokia

By Frances Vega

Cee Lo Green livens up the crowd at Club Nokia on Friday night before his colorful Grammy performance on Sunday (Photo by Frances Vega)

 Friday night’s Cee Lo Green concert at Club Nokia was an all age event, welcoming a diverse crowd to listen to their favorite rappers, Big Boi and Cee Lo, with Grammy-nominated Melanie Fiona as the evening's MC.

The night began with Big Boi rapping classics like “Bombs Over Baghdad,” “Rosa Parks,” and Outkast's “ATLiens.” Where most rappers expect their rhymes to carry the entire show, Big Boi brought in a few dancers to liven up his set and busted out some moves of his own.