Add flair to your Oscar festivities
By Tim Engle
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
And the Oscar goes to ... you!
OK, you can't actually win an Academy Award for throwing a killer Oscar party, but at least you'll be a star among your friends.
Really, your get-together doesn't have to be a big production. Then again, it could be. Here are some ideas if you're getting started late in the game.
Save the date: Oscar night is Sunday. The show starts at 8 p.m. EST on ABC, but of course E! will have red-carpet coverage for hours beforehand.
Invitations: If you haven't mailed invitations yet, it's best to send e-vites. Evite.com has three styles to choose from.
Decorating ideas, activities: It's as cliched as many movies, but you can't go wrong with a red carpet at your front door. You might find a remnant at a carpet store. Or just buy a piece of red fabric.
Ask guests to dress up: Or down. (Think: What would absolutely horrify E!'s Fashion Police?) Or dress like favorite movie characters.
Have a couple of "paparazzi" stationed near the front door to take pictures of guests as they arrive.
Ask guests to sign your "autograph book": Make sure everyone has filled out an Oscar ballot before the ceremony starts. Award prizes (movie gift cards, movie posters, movie soundtracks) to those with the most accurate predictions.
Food ideas: www.Allrecipes.com offers several ideas for each best picture nominee. A menu inspired by "Little Miss Sunshine," for instance, could include Olive Lovers Dip (the little girl in the movie is Olive), Sunshine Chicken and Screaming Potatoes. If you're a fan of "The Queen," serve up beef Wellington, Queen-of-Hearts Salad and Pink Princess Cake. Get these recipes and others at allrecipes.com.
Other possibilities: You can't go wrong with party standards such as cheese and crackers, olives, chips and dip, fruit, brownies and cookies. Bags of popcorn or boxes of movie candy (Raisinets, Junior Mints, etc.) make it a more cinematic experience.
Sources: www.oscar.com, www.allrecipes.com, www.evite.com
