If you use Pinterest, do you ever think of your brain as a conglomeration of Pinterest boards? And if so, what would they be? Mine would include a ’70s music board, a Things I’m Probably Forgetting to Do board, and a Parties I Want to Host board. For a long time an Oscar Night sat forlornly on this “board” in my brain. It had always sounded like a blast to me to get dressed up with a group of friends (Grown-up Prom is also on the Parties I Want to Host board–oh yeah, it’s still gonna happen) and enjoy the glitz and glamor of the Academy Awards together. Recently, when I realized that the Oscars were rolling around and I had no plans, I decided this was the year to make it a reality! I invited a group of girlfriends over (husbands not included because, let’s be real, are husbands into getting formal to sip champagne and watch the Oscars? They are NOT.) for food, drinks, Oscar-themed activities, and of course, watching the awards themselves. We had a lovely time, and it reminded me of just how grateful I am to have such awesome girlfriends. Here are the details of our evening for anyone who wants to start planning for next year!
THE FOOD:
And the Biggest Themed Menu Planning Nerd award goes to….Sarah of A Love Letter to Food! I seriously geeked out planning this Oscar-themed menu:
Who doesn’t love pigs in blankets? I am here to tell you that the Trader Joe’s variety were a big hit with my friends, and not just because of the pun I worked into their name on the menu (wink). Served with ketchup and mustard, they were a delightful morsel that added to the spread.
A second savory item were these star-shaped roast beef and rosemary-garlic aioli tea sandwiches. See, I knew that star-shaped cookie cutter would come in handy sometime other than the 4th of July!
Next up, these tuxedo-themed olive and brie crackers were gone in a flash:
For a little something healthy, I served a “Celebrity Detox” kale salad, also known as kale with cranberries, pecans, and poppyseed dressing. Detox results not guaranteed. 😉
And to snack on, I made a batch of my favorite cinnamon sugar popcorn (not pictured).
Finally, for dessert, there were Red Velvet Carpet cupcakes topped with gold sprinkles for some extra shimmer.
The spread in its entirety:
THE DECOR:
The possibilities for fun, classy, and even kitschy Oscar decorations are endless. I had a ton of fun prepping several such items for this party. To set the stage for the evening, I made a quick door sign to greet guests when they arrived: as easy as downloading a PDF of a film clapper and filling in the party details.
If there’s one thing an Oscar party needs, it’s got to be a red carpet. I found this sparkly red material at Michael’s for a good price, so it served as the walkway for guests to enter on.
Once inside, guests had the opportunity to pose for photos in front of this snazzy backdrop, a la a junior high dance circa 1995, thankyouverymuch.
To grace the food display, I went with these hanging metallic paper fans, a bouquet of gold branches in a tall vase, and some Oscar statuettes made by mounting prints of the real thing on cardboard backing. My husband even said how surprisingly accurate they came out!
Annnnd finally, the bathroom. We celebrities just can’t get any privacy anywhere, can we?
Actor On My Back
When guests arrived, we played a variation on the classic icebreaker “Animal on my Back”: this time, Actor on my Back. Everyone had a famous actor/actress pinned to her back and had to figure out where identity from yes-or-no questions.
Photo Taking
At the end of the red carpet, your photo op! (Holding your well-deserved Oscar, of course.)
Oscar Bingo
I found these fantastic printables of an Oscar Bingo game on the HGTV website. The game’s squares included items like “Actress Wears a Red Dress” or “Recipient Thanks His Mom.” It added some interest to watching the slower parts of the awards.
In the end, it was an evening to remember–and to cross off the bucket list (or Pinterest board, depending on how you look at it) of “Parties to Host.” Thanks to the fabulous ladies who made Oscar Night 2016 great!
