"I'm ready for my close-up"

It's no surprise that I have always been quite the actress. As a small child, my parents nicknamed me Sarah Bernhardt for my Oscar deserving, dramatic expressions of frustration when I didn't get my way. My sister quickly followed suit with another nickname, The Brat.

I always love imagining myself as a movie star. My cousin Mary and I would listen to the Stand By Me soundtrack over and over and choreograph mini plays/dances to go with each song. I loved being creative and silly.

As I got older, my dreams of stardom were taken over by reality so instead of acting in movies I became obsessed with watching them. Black and White movies, silent movies, westerns...you name it, I would watch it. I still dreamed about being in them. Imagining myself accepting my Oscar for my riveting performance in some amazing movie and it should come to no surprise that I TOTALLY get into the Academy Awards. I joke and refer to them as my version of the Superbowl. I love the red carpet and seeing the celebrities all dressed up in gowns and jewels way beyond my financial reach.

I must be honest that I usually watch the alone. Not because I do not enjoy being around others but because I want to WATCH the show. Yes, I gab about who's wearing what hideous dress or who should have consulted a mirror prior to stepping into their limo but overall I actually like to WATCH the show...all 4+ hours of it.

Of late, I have allowed my friend Jess in on my Oscar viewing (along with a couple other choice individuals...they know who they are) and they all know my rules of keeping quiet. Jess and I even went so far as to go to a spa one year and watch it from our hotel room. Before the show we had our massages, manicures and pedicures. We watched the show covered in out plush hotel robes while sipping on wine and eating cheese. It was delightful. Excessive but delightful!

This year I decided to turn things up a bit. I decided to host a small Oscar Party with a few friends dressed in full Oscar gear. Individuals came in old prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses and even one that looked like an old wedding dress. I had a host of food from every Best Movie Category including District Nine Guano Goop (really it was just guacamole), Avatar cocktails (Blue Curacao makes a great drink) and even some Hurt Locker Hummus. I even stocked up on airplane sized bottles of liquor and bags of chips in honor of Up in the Air.

Overall is was fun and for the most part everyone watched the awards. Next year I need to remember that party's on a Sunday need WAY less alcohol for guests since most needed to work the next day. The hostess on the other hand polished off quite a few of those blue Avatar concoctions.

Here are a few pics from the night. Sorry, only pics of me to protect the innocent :)