The Oscars! today on KOMO 4 News at 4

The Oscars are on Sunday!  Do you have plans? No worries if you don't.  It's not like it's the biggest night in Hollywood or anything.  Tune into KOMO 4 News today at 4 to see the whole thing come together and get a few more tips on cocktails!

If you weren't sure what you were doing - have no fear - you do now.  I'm not a big fan of the uber party with fancy dresses and invitations for a night like this.  Let's keep it in perspective - I'm not GOING to the Oscars, I'm watching a four hour TV show.  If I'm watching anything on TV for four hours I want to be comfortable on the couch.  So here are my ideas for making this weekend fun and festive, but still highly casual.

:: Decorate :: 
I am totally bored with the red, black, and gold color scheme.  Like, beyond bored.  I know that's like saying I'm bored with red and green at Christmas, but I have been in the past and I probably will be again. This year for the Oscars I wanted to make it bright and festive reflecting some of the hottest colors of the season :: pink and turquoise!

I found Oscar statues at Costume Display Supply and spray painted them "Flamingo Pink."  Around the room - or just next to the TV - these are a fun way to add a little pop of the unexpected.  These also make a great gift for the winner of any game you might play.  Which leads me to ...


:: Games :: 
You have to do something.  It's four hours of television and not all of it is that exciting.   About six years ago I thought it would be fun to play Bingo and listen for funny things in the speeches as the object of the game.  I made up about four game boards and it took me forever.  We had fun listening for crazy things in the speeches - but I didn't have time the next year to make a board and then I sort of forgot about it.  Luckily for us, some super clever people had the same idea and have made it awesome.  Grab Bingo pens from the drug store or gold star stickers and keep yourself entertained throughout the evening.

Oscar Bingo from How about Orange
Oscar Bingo from Oscar.com


:: Snacks :: 
What is a movie night without popcorn?  Instead of making plain old buttered popcorn or (dread) microwave popcorn, whip up an assortment of flavors.  I made four different ones - one of those being regular old butter + salt.  Below are the "recipes" for making a few others.  The key is popping your own popcorn.  It needs to start out plain before you add toppings.  Microwave popcorn will not produce the same effect at all.  It comes pre-oiled.

Sweet
Pop 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels.  Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon in a shaker.  When popcorn is finished popping coat with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter.  When butter has melted completely, sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over top until kernels are evenly coated.  It won't take the entire amount, but keep the rest on hand in case guests want to add more.

"Candy" Corn
Pop 1/4 cup popcorn kernels.  When popcorn is finished popping toss 1/3 cup chocolate chips, 1/3 cup butterscotch chips, and 1/2 cup mini marshmallows and evenly coat.  The hot popcorn should melt most of the chocolate and butterscotch.  Sprinkle with one teaspoon salt.  Pour onto a cookie sheet and add 1 tablespoon chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon butterscotch chips.  Toss evenly and serve.


:: Dinner :: 
Dinner needs to be something you can eat on your lap.  Or on a TV tray.  Here are a few ideas from my archives of things that would be good on this (snowy) weekend.

Chicken Pot Pie
Arugula Pasta
Minestrone Soup
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Macaroni and Cheese


:: More Ideas ::
A Tuxedo T-shirt from How about Orange
Cool Oscar Party Templates from Twig and Thistle


:: Trivia ::
People.com is having a live stream of trivia online throughout the Oscars on Sunday.  Click here to get the link and bone up on a few random facts (below) before the big night!


1. The red carpet runs through a mall
The Oscars may be the only major awards show held in a shopping mall. The home of the Academy Awards, the Kodak Theatre, is tucked away in the middle of Hollywood & Highland Center, just past an Aveda store and an Auntie Anne's Pretzels.
2. Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg have a secret past 
Co-host Hathaway and Best Actor nominee Eisenberg (The Social Network) made their professional acting debuts together, playing sister and brother on the short-lived Fox family drama series (Get Real (1999-2000). They're reuniting as voice actors in the animated feature Rio, due in April. 
3. Buzz Lightyear got dance lessons from Cheryl Burke
In Best Picture nominee Toy Story 3, Buzz Lightyear's Spanish jigs were choreographed by none other than Dancing with the Stars' pro dancersCheryl Burke and Tony Dovolani. 
4. Amy Adams's mom was a bodybuilder
Adams spent much of her youth preparing for her Oscar-nominated role inThe Fighter as boxer Micky Ward's brassy barmaid girlfriend. Not only did she do a brief pre-fame stint as a Hooters hostess, but she and her siblings also hung around the gym a lot, since her mother was a semi-professional bodybuilder. "Mom worked in the gym where she trained," Adams told theU.K. Guardian, "so we hung out there and we terrorized the place." 
5. The Oscar curse is real
According to a recent study, of all the women nominated for Best Actress over the past 75 years (not counting the current nominees), 60 percent got divorced sometime after their Academy Award nods. That includes five out of the last 10 winners – Halle Berry, Hilary Swank, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Winslet, and Sandra Bullock.