Warning: This is not one of your usual GirlHacker’s Random Log postings. This is, instead, one of those navel-gazing, self-promoting weblog posts that regular readers may find unpalatable, so I apologize in advance, and promise I will return tomorrow in better form.

Last Friday I composed my second annual Oscar Gift Bag list. My post last year was well-linked within the weblog circles, and I expected this year’s to do similarly well, but instead it received more exposure than anticipated, thanks mainly to a link on Gawker (thanks!). On Monday I received a nice email from one of the artists I mentioned, Sherri Lindsay, thanking me for singling out her contribution to the “losers” gift basket which I unearthed from a Google news search that turned up a local news story on her handmade boxes (she also sent along the link to her website where you can see her amazing eggshell mosaics). In a follow-up email Ms. Lindsay mentioned that the N.Y. Post’s Page Six had printed a “nearly identical” paragraph to mine on Sunday, which had been picked up by other media outlets. She echoed the sentiment found in many essays on “the power of weblogs,” that one person with a PC and modem can indeed be powerful these days.

Here’s a portion of my original paragraph. I gathered my information from the Wichita Eagle (last item).

…this bag of goodies valued at $32,000. The main feature is, of course, a trip to Caesars Palace with plenty of perks and gift certificates to smooth away the sorrow of losing the Oscar. A unique addition are one-of-a-kind mosaics made of painted eggshells placed on small wooden boxes, created by Kansas artist Sherri Lindsay.

Here’s the N.Y. Post archive link and a portion of the paragraph they printed:

The bag, valued at $32,000, includes a trip to Caesars Palace with plenty of perks, gift certificates to Las Vegas malls, and one-of-a-kind mosaics made of painted eggshells placed on small wooden boxes created by Kansas artist Sherri Lindsay.

Interesting, isn’t it? I don’t think those last 17 or so words and a few above those are a coincidence. And in case you are wondering, no I’m not upset at the N.Y. Post. I am, however, very amused. Sentences are impossible to watermark, save for a writing style, and I’m not sure what to think about mine appearing on the gossip pages! But it’s only a few words, and I’m glad I decided to feature an artist with a unique craft for that portion of the posting.

Here at last are the results of a week of research. Contents of the coveted official Oscar gift bags are not publicized by the powers that be who run the Oscars. Companies that contribute gifts often put out press releases, though this year the Oscar folks ordered them to stay mum until February 23rd. One good source of discovering the more unique items are local news stories about shops in town who have been asked to contribute items. Case in point, I’m still trying to find the actual gift behind a cryptic Wisconsin TV news teaser advertising an interview with “a Wisconsin man who made a product that will be in all Oscar star’s goody bags.” Complicating the list compilation are the “unofficial” bags and gifts that are given out to the celebrities by other companies. These items are often mixed in with the official gift bag reports. Here first is a selection of these “other” bags.

Buzz Bags is a company that puts together gift bags, and thus
they are creating their own buzz by hand-delivering loot valued at $12,000 to this year’s Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress nominees. They’re certainly not shy about the vast list of contributers to their bag; you can read the lengthy list on their home page. Included are a consultation with a hair restoration surgeon, African safari, hands on dim sum instruction, and a 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition PEZ dispenser.

Revlon is handing out a “Red Carpet Bag” full of their products, valued at $2,500. It will be given to this year’s nominees “on the red carpet” as well as to presenters and other celebrity style setters. So keep an eye out when you’re walking down that red carpet!

Distinctive Assets, another company that puts together
gift bags, and Caesars Palace teamed up to create a gift bag for losers. That’s right, only
the nominees in the six major categories who don’t win a statue get to go home with this bag of goodies
valued at $32,000. The main feature is, of course, a trip to Caesars Palace with plenty of perks and
gift certificates to smooth away the sorrow of losing the Oscar. A unique addition are one-of-a-kind mosaics made of painted eggshells placed on small wooden boxes, created by Kansas artist Sherri Lindsay.
And now here’s what I’ve culled from a week of searching the wires for those press releases
and news reports. It’s likely that some of these items are not in the official bag but got mixed up in
news articles. Also, I’m certain this is not a complete list. If you saw the aforementioned TV show
in Wisconsin, drop me a line. Heck, if you got an official gift basket, drop me a line!

a Victoria’s Secret jewelled pink bra-and-panty set with a detachable diamond brooch, fragrances, and other items worth $7,000 for Best Actress nominees
a coupon for laser eye surgery
gold accented Havaianas flip flops
Manolo Blahnik leather “My Shoes for the Weekend” bag, with pouches sized perfectly for three pairs of
Manolos. It comes with matching suede sandals
Hermes cashmere shawl/blanket
La Grande Dame Veuve Cliquot champagne
pair of Baccarat crystal earrings or crystal lighter
Baccarat champagne flutes
Estee Lauder products, including a “crystal glow” sugar rub and a “calming body spray”, plus spa treatments for recipient and a guest
round-trip tickets to anywhere Song Airways flies
Crest Whitening Expressions toothpaste
Kiehl’s gift set, value $500
“the ultimate HDTV package”: VOOM high-definition satellite and
12 months of programming service as well as a 43-inch Samsung DLP HDTV. Value: $6,000
Peacock Black Pearl Collection gift set including an 18-inch necklace, seven-inch bracelet, and stud
earrings, from PearlParadise.com.
“Canadian Adventure” package:
-a one-night stay at Whistler Platinum
-a day of skiing on Whistler Blackcomb
-helicopter transfer between Vancouver and Whistler
-private tour of Canada’s premier family-owned winery, Mission Hill Family Estate
-three nights at Opus Hotel in Yaletown, Vancouver
-dinner at Elixir restaurant
-air tour of Vancouver
DuWop cosmetics in a custom-designed gold and silver striped tube
along with a yoga mat and yoga pants
a private, $1,500 steak dinner at Morton’s
$500 Krups espresso machine
A pair of round-trip business-class tickets on Air New Zealand from L.A. to Auckland
5-night stay at New Zealand’s Treetops Lodge & Estate in
secluded Rotorua, New Zealand (above airfare may be used separately)
Two nights in a suite at The Carlyle Hotel
SeaDream seven-day cruise for two to the Mediterranean or
Caribbean
Pollaro Custom Furniture $5,000 gift certificate
Christina Oxenberg Knitwear neck scarf or shawl
French perfume bottled in Baccarat crystal emblazoned with the nominee’s moniker
Charles Worthington shampoo gift pack (“made-in-Wales with a cool £4,295 price tag”)
gift certificate for a free TAZ I from Tight Systems, a
personal video and media player
GINGI skincare products
Once again, Motorola is giving out cell phones, not yet available to the public. The V600 cell phone, equipped with an
activated SIM card. It comes in a custom-made box, engraved with the recipient’s name, in the shape of
an old-time film camera that features an audio snippet of Mel Torme’s classic rendition of “You Oughta
Be in Pictures.”
Kyocera 7135 Smartphone with the Sherwood Personal Security Mobile Security Protection package included
PCS Vision Video Phone VM4050 by Toshiba, courtesy of Sprint, personalized with an engraved monogram and ringtones and screensavers from the appropriate movie
Personalized Anastasia diamond tweezers with an 18kt white gold chain and heart-shaped diamond (for Best Actress nominees, value $2,000)
a limited edition tin of Altoids mints, encrusted with crystals. Each tin takes up to 10 hours to create.
Nyakio’s African black tea candle
Jelly Bag (like these, basically a rubber version of the Hermes Birkin)
a $750 piece from the new Talismania collection, the new jewelry line from porcelain sculptors Lladro
Tina Earnshaw Makeup set
chocolate-covered strawberries from Brymm Berries in Houston, TX
A glass ornament in the shape of a shopping bag with the Oscar logo, handcrafted in Europe, designed by Lisa Kelechava of Tennessee
…and something made by some guy in Wisconsin

I’ve culled together all the news reports and press releases I could find on the contents of this weekend’s Oscar gift bags for presenters and nominees. The offerings are generous and tallied by news sources at a value of $20,000 or more (items included vary from presenters to nominees, type of nominee, and gender). The Oscar folks don’t release a list (or haven’t yet) which seems odd considering the idea is to garner publicity, but most companies heavily publicize their inclusion. This list is not meant to be complete, but it is as accurate as the news reports can be. I gathered the links from Google searches.

It all comes in a Longaberger wicker basket with a specially made gold plaque.
Estee Lauder Oscar Spa package which includes (total value $15,000):
-custom-made Goyard travel case
–Manolo Blahnik sandals ($600)
–Hermes beach towel ($400)
–La Grande Dame Veuve Clicquot champagne, gift ($250) -certificate for spa services
-Estee Lauder cosmetics
Victoria’s Secret gem-studded bra and panty set customized with initials and good-luck charm bracelets $5,000

Bi-coastal membership to The Sports Club/LA, $4,000
Valerie Beverly Hills silver vanity makeup kit, $3,000

Dinner party for 10 in the Private Boardroom of any of the 65 Morton’s steakhouses and a set of six steak knives, $1,500
Rosewood’s Badrutt’s Palace Hotel gift certificate, $1,500
Revlon cosmetics, $1,000

Fendi stainless steel wristwatch, $995
Timmy Woods of Beverly Hills handbag, $300-$1,500
Stuart Weitzman shoes, $500 (presented separately)

A pair of Beamer BM80 Phone Video Stations, $499
Gaiam‘s “Organic Night’s Sleep,” including organic sateen sheets, natural cotton sleep mask, two sleep CDs, blanket and Zen digital alarm clock, $475
Nicole Miller cashmere halter top, $350
Givere chocolate truffles presented in a limited Waterford crystal vase, $350

Sesna sunglasses by KATA Eyewear, $350

Oliveri Fashion custom shirt, $100-$300

Sama sunglasses designed for the Oscars, for women only. $300
Motorola camera phone and free service for six months, $200
Sprint camera phone with Fendi case.
Tempur-Pedic mattress, any size. Value up to $1,700
La-Z-Boy recliners, choice of four. $539 to $1,199

Three-night stay at Esperanza, a luxury resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. $3,000
Allsteel #19 office chair. $1,195 to $1,495 (Lou Horvitz will direct the Oscars from one made especially for him.)
Hewlett-Packard Photosmart 715 camera. $499.99

Stainless steel Ebel watch. $1,600 for the women with a mother-of-pearl dial, $1,450 for the men with a white roman dial
Flying Fig scarf. $300 to $1,100

90-minute Godiva chocolate body wrap at Ajune, a New York spa. $175

1 lb. Godiva Gold Ballotin, $38

Lancôme gift certificates. $200
Sonya Dakar Skin Clinic gift certificate, $500, and drying potion, $28

Complimentary teeth whitening at Brite Smile. $600
Sebastian International Shaper hair products, $50
Enjoy perfume by Jean Patou, $85
Själ’s holistic skin-care products, $230

Dream Couture shampoo and conditioner, which contain extracts from chardonnay champagne grapes and Perigord black truffles (from Charles Worthington), $1,500?
Cargo cosmetics, $600

Custom facial at Kinara Spa in West Hollywood, $120
Giorgio Armani Cosmetics (part of L’Oreal USA): Giorgio Armani Cosmetics Fluid Sheer, Sheer Blush, Lipstick, Eyeshadow, Smooth Silk Eye Pencil, Mascara and Nail Polish in a signature Giorgio Armani Cosmetics makeup bag, $250
Birkenstock gift certificate. $300
Eddie Bauer Limited Edition Skyliner Replica Jacket
Dooney & Bourke mini-tassel handbag in pastel-colored leather

accent table from Thomasville’s Bogart Collection, inspired by Humphrey Bogart
Omas 360 Rolling Ball blue resin pen, $250
Kiehl’s Academy Collection of skin-care products, $200
World According to Jess handbag, $190
Amy Reiley’s Pocket Vineyard and Pocket Gourmet, software for Palm Pilot and pocket PCs, $50
Cross Ion roller ball pens, $35
Danier Leather turquoise leather bistro flask with two shot glasses, $28

Two-night stay at a Fairmont Hotel & Resort with spa treatments and a home spa basket, $1,500
Delphi XM SKYFi portable satellite radio, $229, and one-year subscription to XM Satellite Radio’s 100 channels, $120

Gift certificate for SkyMeals, which delivers home-cooked meals to airline travelers, $150
Swoon candle and custom matchbox, $34
Jenni Originals VegeSoy candle, handmade from an exclusive blend of soybean and vegetable waxes. $12.95
Jay Strongwater jewel-encrusted mirror compact (Bloomsbury), hand-enameled and adorned with Swarovski crystals, $275-$325

Invitation for two to international gala premiere of Zumanity, a Cirque du Soleil show at New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Sept. 20 and a two-night stay at the hotel, priceless (no tickets are being sold to this event)