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The annual Oscars telecast is coming up this February 25th – and along with it, one of the year’s best opportunities for a TV-centered theme party. Yup, let’s face it, watching the endless parade of lame speeches, botched jokes and ludicrous song-and-dance spectacles isn’t all that much fun when you’re doing it all by your lonesome. But bring in a group of your fellow movie-fanatic, celeb-gossip-loving friends to share in the night of couch potato-dom, and you have the perfect setting for good snarking and plenty of shared laughs. Sure, these glitzy awards can make a good backdrop for a fancy-schmancy, black-tie cocktail party, there’s no reason you have to go sophisticated and formal (which can be fun, but has a tendency to be expensive as well). Instead, get a little creative and embrace the kitsch factor of the event’s extravagance. Here are a few ideas to get you inspired… 1 Accessorize! While an Academy Awards party can be a fab excuse to get your friends all decked out in their eveningwear finest (or sparkly tackiest), if your group isn’t a big costume crowd, you can still have some dress-up fun with a few choice swanky accessories. Just make sure to have some small costume bits on hand at your party. Rummage through your closets and recycle costumes and bad bridesmaid/prom apparel past; make a trip to your favorite local thrift shop and check out some dollar stores to stock up on more glamoriffic accessories. Set out feather boas, long strings of fake pearls (those ubiquitous Mardi gras beads work just fine), tiaras, bowties and cummerbunds, and sunglasses galore, and encourage guests to accessorize as they arrive. 2 Roll out the red carpet. Set up a red carpet at your front door. Look for red sheets or tablecloths at the thrift store which can be trimmed or folded down to aisle-width; scour the discount bins at a fabric store for cheap bolts of ruby-hued material; look for a cheap red plastic tablecloth at a party supply store. Alternatively, use a roll of red wrapping paper or stick together some red poster board (though bear in mind that paper really only works if you have a hard floor rather than carpeting). Whatever material you co-opt, be sure to tape down all the edges to keep your faux red carpet in place. 3 Smile for the camera. Meanwhile, have a digital camera ready too; as your guests make their grand entrances chez vous, shout their names and give them the paparazzi welcome. Better yet, get a couple of friends to show up early with their digital cameras and help you play paparazzi, so you can provide the full-on star treatment. Come show time, take advantage of photo ops by snapping pix of you and your guests hamming it up with the stars as they appear on the television set. ---------------------------> lounge . nourish . host . laze . home . |
