When the idea emerged of bringing a soda-making machine into our house, I was skeptical.  We push back firmly when the kids ask for a Coke or Sprite in the restaurant, and we keep no soda in the house.  We break down for parties, and occasionally the kids get their wish when we dine out.

L.A. Fashion Weekend was held at Sunset Gower Studios in the heart of Hollywood, but instead of featuring movie-star glamour, the styles were more rock-star chic, especially opening night. Kicking off the three-day runway marathon was the launch of White Trash Beautiful. It’s the new line of women’s contemporary styles from designer Nikki Lund, who has teamed with Richie Sambora, the Bon Jovi guitarist who certainly knows what rocks in the music scene.

A crazy-fun GBK Celebrity Poker Tournament was just one of the highlights of the GBK and Healthytrim.com Luxury Gift Lounge event held in celebration of the 2010 Oscar Nominees and Presenters.

The two hottest gangs roaming the streets of LA are not as dangerous as you might think. They are the casts of Glee and Jersey Shore. And they were making the rounds between award shows in Hollywood. We caught up with the bickering Jersey Shore castmates at the GBK Lounge hosted by Gavin B. Keilly, who introduced the East Coast wild bunch to the luxury lifestyle they had only dreamt about until landing in Tinsel Town on a rainy day.

The place to start the holiday hunt for glamour, glitz and gifts was the Shecky’s Girls Night Out experience which landed in the Los Angeles area just before Christmas. Set up at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, it was a three-day shopping event that had everything for fashionistas and glam gals looking for bargains.

Surrounding the special events for the American Music Awards, GBK Productions set up one of their finest luxury lifestyle lounges, and celebrities and VIPs were invited. It was as though Christmas came early for LaToya Jackson and Aaron Carter and many others who were seen enjoying the collection of top products making Hollywood stars say “Wow!”

Rock Fashion Week Los Angeles was a fabulous mix of new collections from emerging and established designers. Plus the big two-day event reached out to help a worthy cause, with sassy celebrities joining the runway models to show off the Pink Dress Collection, which has been touring the country to benefit the Susan G. Komen cancer research foundation.

At a private estate in Beverly Hills, “A Luxury Bazaar for the Senses” was presented by GBK Productions, a luxury lifestyle gift lounge and special events company that attracts the hottest fun-loving stars in Hollywood. American Idol’s super-nice guy Randy Jackson was there, along with stars from TV, movies and the sports world, such as boxing champ Sugar Ray Leonard. They all hooked up with their host, GBK founder Gavin B. Keilly and had “sweet time,” according to Sugar Ray.

At Red Carpet events in Hollywood, watching celebrities grab the spotlight is fun. You can spot trends and take note of the latest must-haves thanks to these over-the-top occasions. Recently the Bravo Channel brought viewers an irreverent night of celebrating fashion, design, beauty and pop culture with its second annual A-List Awards.

The 2009 MTV Movie Awards showed that hot-blooded Hollywood, and all the fans who voted, were over the moon for Twilight. The Gothic romance vampire saga won Best Movie, also Favorite Male Breakthrough Performance for Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson, and Female Performance for his leading lady Kristen Stewart. The sizzling duo also got the Best Kiss award. And the cinematic battle between Pattinson and Cam Gigandet was deemed the Favorite Fight scene.