2015 Oscars Party

This is the third year I have hosted an Oscars viewing party and this time it so happened to fall on my 30th birthday! I figured I'd make the most of it and go all out for both. I've learned things the last 2 years about what works and what doesn't and I've added little details each year as well. I'm not necessarily a huge Oscars fan, but I do love movies. Not usually the ones nominated for Oscars, but still....

You can see from my invitation that I request "Red Carpet Attire." We get pretty much anything with that request. Some people are coming from work in jeans, some people purchase a new dress just for the occasion, and everything in between. No matter what you're wearing, people have a blast. I like the opportunity to dress up, because for most of us, how often do we get to look all fancy like that anymore? So dust off your old prom dress and dive right on in!

My husband stepped up again this year and helped make gold stanchions for our entrance. Every year I look for some cheap version of a red velvet rope and I am let down by the exorbitant cost. So I broke down and bought 4 tissue paper pre-made ropes from Oriental Trading Company (they looked great, but are not really reuseable) and then racked my hubby's brain for a way to make stanchions. I used my old pie tins, Doug filled them with cement (using a bit of leftover pipe for a hole in the middle while it dried so the stanchion would fit), flipped them over and cut a hole in the bottom (now top) of the pie tin big enough for the 1 inch wooden dowel I bought at the craft store. The cement doesn't show and keeps the pie tin weighted in breezy weather. Spray paint it all gold and there you go!

 

Ty & Doug tested
the app before the party.
Naturally, the dog had
to join in the fun.

My best friend,
Lynette and me,
posing for the camera

For the first ever Oscars party I held, I made the backdrop in the photo above. I used an old black sheet I had, Doug made a PVC frame, spray painted it black and I used felt to make a red carpet and letters. Originally I had a red carpet on the floor leading up to it and Doug hooked up flashing lights behind the sheet so it looked like paparazzi were taking your photo. Over the years, we just kept the frame and the backdrop and set that up for people to take pictures.

This year, we found an app for the iPad that was fantastic! It was only $0.99 and it's called PocketBooth. You set the iPad on a table, turn on the reverse camera and go. You can choose how many photos are on a strip, whether you want color, black and white or other themes, guests can immediately email or post the strips on social media afterwards and you can hook it up to an Air printer and print the strips right then and there. 

New friend Jeff & I
having a great time

Doug's brother surprised
us by bringing a
special guest with him:
Doug's grandma! She
had a blast!!!

So we set up the backdrop, borrowed directors chairs from my brother-in-law (how did I not know he had those chairs all these years?!) and laid out some props. Feather boas, mustaches, top hats, gloves....People had a lot of fun. This app will definitely be used at future parties.

I've got plenty of decorations for the living room. I purchased the blow up "Movie Buff" man you see on the right side (great for pictures, and apparently as a boxing opponent according my stepson), and the stick-your-head-through-it picture on the left side the very first year I had the party. Both have held up tremendously well and make for some fun photos. 

My husband, knowing this wasn't the last he would see of parties at our house, bought me a lamination machine a few Christmases ago. I used it to make Hollywood Walk stars into wall art. I used names of actors and directors who will probably be nominated quite a bit in future years so that I can easily reuse the decals for several parties (they are up by the ledge by the ceiling as well as other places in the living room). 

Several years being staff on the Pepperdine Student Programming Board in college got me access to a bunch of great movie posters. We screened movies each Thursday in our auditorium and always had an accompanying poster or two. However, I haven't purchased a movie poster since then so... my choice of posters is a little dated. I recently went to AllPosters.com and will definitely be investing in some new ones before next year's party. 

Food is always important at events. It can make or break the feel of the party. I go out and get typical movie candy (Reese's Pieces, Junior Mints, Red Vines...) and have handy little cups for people to grab a little bit of everything.

To drink there's always soda and one signature cocktail. I stick to the one drink since it really cuts down on costs. If you try to please everyone by having beer and all sorts of mixed drinks, you're going to blow your whole budget.  I made sure to label the cocktail this year since I almost had a pregnant friend drink it last year because I just labeled it "Red Carpet Punch."

 Last year I figured out that feeding people a lot of candy and alcohol for 3 hours just doesn't always cut it. Everyone tends to get a little jumpy after a while. So I borrowed my sister's hot dog warmer and have served hot dogs the last 2 years. This really helps keep people going and gives them something a little more filling than sugar.

















If they want salty instead of sweet, there's always popcorn. What kind of movie party would it be without it?

Anyone who knows my parties knows that I love to give little prizes away. Prizes went to winners of my Oscars Bingo game as well as winners of random raffle ticket drawings. I usually try to see what DVDs are at WalMart and Target for $5 and build a prize bucket around it. This year we had Talladega Nights (toy car and Wonder Bread), Love & Basketball (frisbee and football), Footloose (Miranda Lambert CD and Dancing With the Stars Cardio Workout DVD), The Devil Wears Prada (sparkly clutch and scarf, fashion magazines), and Warm Bodies (Nerf Zombie gun, The Vamps CD). 

We always give prizes to our best dressed guy and girl, voted on by all in attendance. This year the guy, Adam, got a hat and some bacon socks while the girl, Lynette, got some earrings and necklaces. 

Everyone who attends fills out a ballot, guessing the winners of each category. Winners get movie tickets and small bottles of champagne. And let me tell you, the prizes may not be anything special, but people are really competitive. This year we had 2 people get almost all their ballot entries correct! I always have 2 prizes on hand in case of ties, but man, I don't think it's ever been that close.

I'm sure next year will bring more changes. For one, I plan to make my own red carpet for the event since the cheapy one I got from Oriental Trading Company the last three years just doesn't cut it. I'd rather have something I can reuse and not have to worry about people slipping and falling in my front hall each year. 

I also plan to make it a "Thrift Store Red Carpet." That means that whatever you wear should be from some thrift or secondhand store. You can spend no more than $10 on your outfit and make it as awesome as possible. I think the "Best Dressed" winners will get more interesting because of this.

Here's to many more fun-filled years at the Oscars!