And the Oscar Goes To...

Okay, so you may not be nominated in any of the categories, and perhaps no ridiculously overpriced designer has offered to give you a $15,000 gown or loan you $500,000 worth of diamonds, but that doesn't mean you can't celebrate the Oscars in style.

With a little planning, some homemade comfort food (think: chocolate chip cookies, popcorn, fruit skewers, mini pizzas or sliders. Hey, you don't have to fit into one of those stupid dresses...), a signature cocktail and some good friends, the 86th annual Academy Awards can be your year to shine.

The Details:

• The Oscars are all about fabulous so work with a color scheme of black, white, gold and red.  
• As it is "the night for the stars" utilize the celestial shapes to up the glam.  Try table scatter, stars of various sizes suspended from the ceiling, or pile star-shaped Christmas ornaments in a punch bowl for a centerpiece.
• Got red curtains? Put 'em to use.  I lined a rod that covered nearly an entire wall and suspended them from the ceiling.  
• Remember that a can of gold spray paint can make almost ANYTHING gorgeous.  (I tell you, my cat has never looked better).  (I didn't really spray my cat. Please don't call PETA on me...)
• Just because you're eating comfort food, doesn't mean it can't be spectacular.  These tuxedo boxes are from the dollar tree (Yep!) and are technically for wedding favors, but they work perfectly for the Oscar extravaganza.  Amazingly, they were 10 for (wait for it...) a dollar.  (Bet you didn't see that coming). 
• Print up some ballots for your guests, and have everyone vote for who they think is going to win each category.  Tally them at the end to see who won!  The winner gets Matt Damon.  Matt Damon may or may not know about it yet, however, so it's best if the winner just surprises him.  I hear stars like that.  (Please don't attempt to kidnap Matt Damon.  I think I'd rather deal with PETA than a Hollywood lawyer...)